Yotam Ottolenghi, who was born in Jerusalem but became a chef and restaurant owner in London, said, “After all these years of cooking and writing recipes, I am still amazed every time I notice how even the minutest of variation in technique can make a spectacular difference.”

There is one more variation in New Minor Forcing that drew some correspondence. What happens after one heart – one spade – one no-trump, when both minors are “new”?

You could agree that all rebids are natural, nonforcing at the two-level and gameforcing at the three-level. (This may make life awkward when responder wishes to invite game.) Or, my preference, you can treat a two-club rebid as NMF. Then, a threeclub or three-diamond rebid is to play, showing at least six cards in the minor and only four spades. But a two-diamond rebid indicates a weak hand with five spades and four or more diamonds.

In this deal, if North- South were not using NMF, North would jump-rebid three diamonds, and South would bid three no-trump.

How should South play after West leads the club seven: three, five (a count signal), jack?

Declarer starts with eight top tricks: one spade, one heart, five diamonds and one club (trick one). He can establish extra winners in either pointed suit, but the first trick has made it clear that West has the club acequeen hovering over South’s king-10. So, East must be kept off the lead. Declarer should play a diamond to the dummy, then return a heart to his queen (or 10). When the queen holds, he can claim.

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