You are responder and hear partner open 1 ♠. You respond 1 NT (because you have a grubby 6-9 point hand without a fit). Partner now rebids 2 ♦ , showing his 5 ♠-4 ♦ shape (he could be 6 ♠-4 ♦ / 5 ♠-5 ♦ but you assume 5 ♠-4 ♦ until further notice). What now with these?
| Hand i) | Hand ii) | Hand iii) |
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♠ J 2 ♥ J 7 4 3 2 ♦ K 4 ♣ K 7 5 2 |
♠ 10 4 ♥ A 7 6 2 ♦ J 8 4 ♣ Q 8 3 2 |
♠ Q 8 2 ♥ Q 4 3 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ K J 5 3 |
(i) Bid 2 ♠. Because you have merely put opener back to his first suit, you have not shown support, merely preference. Default number of spades in your hand: two.
(ii) Also bid 2 ♠. This is the classic ‘false preference’. You prefer diamonds, but there are good reasons for going back to 2 ♠. Partner could easily have a good hand, say 17 or 18 points; if you pass, it’s bidding over; if you go back to 2 ♠, partner can bid on. Further, 5-2 fits tend to play better than 4-3 fits.
(iii) This is a trick question You would (I hope) have raised 1 ♠ to 2 ♠ straight away, not bid 1 NT. You should avoid responding 1 NT with three-card support for partner’s 1 ♠ (unless you have three rags in a 4333 shape). Yes, partner could only have four spades, but at least he’ll have 15+ points then (with 12-14 he’d have opened 1 NT). When you go back to 2 ♠, you’ll normally have precisely two spades. Sometimes you’ll like partner’s second suit better (the false preference).
Click here to play this deal
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South Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♠ | |||
| Pass | 1 N | Pass | 2 ♥ |
| Pass | 2 ♠1 | Pass | 3 ♥2 |
| Pass | 4 ♥3 | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
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| 4 ♥ by South |
| Lead: ♦ K |
Declarer won ♦ K with ♦ A and correctly started on spades, cashing ♠ K, crossing to ♠ A and ruffing ♠ 5 with ♥ 9. East overruffed with ♥ J and led back ♥ 4. Rising with ♥ K, declarer ruffed ♠ 7 with ♥ 10. He crossed to ♣ A, cashed ♥ A drawing ♥ Q and ♥ 8 and enjoyed ♠ J. He merely gave up ♣ 4 at the end. Eleven tricks and game made plus one.