At the bridge table, some players get scared that partner will pass in the “middle” of the auction. For example, look at the North hand in this diagram. You pass, and partner opens one spade. What would you do now?
If you were not a passed hand, you would happily respond two clubs, planning to support spades on the next round. Now, if you bid two clubs, partner might pass. So, a columnist recommended jumping to three spades. I think that is awful. Jump raises require four trumps. The best solution is to use the Drury convention, when a two-club response by a passed hand shows at least three-card support for partner’s major and a maximum pass. But if you do not use Drury, you should still bid two clubs. Some 99 percent of the time, partner will not pass. And if he does, you will not have missed a good game contract.
In this deal, over two clubs, partner will rebid two hearts, and you can continue with two spades – or perhaps even three spades. Over either, partner should raise to four spades.
After West leads a trump, how should South plan the play?
Declarer has four potential losers in the red suits, but one can be eliminated by ruffing a diamond in the dummy. After taking the first trick, South can duck a diamond. He wins the next trump, cashes the diamond ace, ruffs his last diamond, and turns to hearts. Here, he comes home safely.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
