Andrew:

Failing the rule of 14

When you as responder fail the Rule of 14 – because the points in your hand plus the length of your suit gets to 13 at most – you should not bid a new suit at the two-level. You have six+ points and fewer than four cards in support: here are your Rule of 14 - failing options (in priority order):

Bid a higher-ranking suit at the one-level*.
Support partner’s 1 ♥/♠ opener to 2 ♥/♠ with three decent cards (headed by a picture).
The dustbin 1 NT – a last resort.

*Say partner opens 1 ♥ and you hold four spades and a five-card minor: in truth, you should prefer to bid 1 ♠ rather than 2 ♣/♦ unless you have 11+ points (ie even if you satisfy the Rule of 14).

Exercise: Respond to 1 ♠ with these [the focus is on when to raise 1 ♠ to 2 ♠]:

Hand i)	Hand ii)	Hand iii)	Hand iv)
♠ K 8 2 ♥ 7 3 ♦ Q J 8 2 ♣ 5 4 3 2	♠ Q J 3 ♥ 7 6 2 ♦ K Q 8 7 4 ♣ 7 2	♠ A 8 2 ♥ 9 4 3 ♦ K Q 9 4 2 ♣ 10 6	♠ 8 4 2 ♥ Q 7 4 ♦ K J 9 2 ♣ J 8 2

Hand (i): Bid 2 ♠. Clearly preferable to 1 NT with three decent spades and the small doubleton heart that looks poor for notrumps [not that the 1 NT announces a notrump- suitable hand, but occasionally you get left there].

Hand (ii): Bid 2 ♠. You fail the Rule of 14, so not 2 .

Hand (iii): Bid 2♦ . This time you satisfy the Rule of 14, which overrides the three-card support bid.

Hand (iv): Bid 1 NT. Rare to prefer 1 NT to 2 ♠ with three spades, but a 4333 shape with three small spades is the time.

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South Deals
Both Vul

♠	Q 7 2
♥	5 3
♦	K 9 4
♣	K 5 4 3 2

♠	10 9 4
♥	K J 9 6 4
♦	Q 7
♣	Q J 10

N
W		E
S

♠	J 5
♥	Q 10 7
♦	J 10 6 5
♣	A 9 7 6

♠	A K 8 6 3
♥	A 8 2
♦	A 8 3 2
♣	8

West	North	East	South
			1 ♠
Pass	2 ♠1	Pass	4 ♠2
All pass

Failing the Rule of 14 (no 2 ♣); 2 ♠ is far better (more useful to partner) than 1 NT.
Hand transformed by the support. Note that after 1 ♠-1 NT-2 ♦ -2 ♠, South would pass, as 2 ♠ sounds more like preference (on a doubleton) than support.

4 ♠ by South

Lead: ♣ Q

West led ♣ Q v 4 ♠ which held (no point in declarer covering with ♣ K – East had to hold ♣ A). West switched to ♠ 4 (to cut down heart ruffs), declarer winning ♠ Q and leading ♥ 3, to ♥ 7, ♥ 8 and ♥ 9. Winning ♠ 10 return with ♠ K, declarer cashed ♥ A and ruffed ♥ 2 with ♠ 7.

Declarer now ruffed ♣ 3 to get back to hand to lead ♠ A (throwing ♣ 4). Needing three diamond tricks, he led ♦ 2 to ♦ 7 and dummy’s ♦ 9. East won ♦ 10 and returned ♦ 5, declarer playing ♦ 3 from hand, beating ♦ Q with ♦ K and leading back ♦ 4 to ♦ 6 and... ♦ 8. A perfect ‘Intra-finesse’: ten tricks and game made.

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Andrew:

Failing the rule of 14