Bridge: June 27, 2023

If you think top experts are sound and solid bidders, you must have recently returned from an extended stay on a desert island. If you watched any of the Vanderbilt Teams at the Spring NABC (as shown on Bridge Base Online), you may never have seen so much uninhibited bidding.

A player held QJ10742,753,J,1082. His partner opened one diamond, he responded one spade, partner raised to two spades and he … bid four spades. As you might expect, he went down.

In today’s deal from the Vanderbilt final, WOLFSON vs. BERNAL, West opened one diamond. North for BERNAL cue-bid two diamonds, presumably showing length in both majors. When East doubled, South jumped to three hearts with no points visible to the naked eye. That induced North to bid four hearts, which East was happy to double.

FOUR TRICKS

West led the king of diamonds, and the defenders operated to best advantage and beat the contract four tricks for plus 800. At the other table, WOLFSON’s East-West pair overreached to six diamonds and went down one, but WOLFSON still gained 12 IMPs.

My advice: If you don’t have anything, don’t bid.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: S A 5 H Q D K Q J 5 2 C K J 10 8 6. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid two clubs and he tries 2NT. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: A rebid of three clubs would sign off, and you have enough extra strength to commit to game. Raise to 3NT or jump to four clubs to avoid a misunderstanding. With an expert partner, you might bid three spades. Since you can’t have four cards in spades, this bid shows a strongish minor two-suiter.

South dealer

E-W vulnerable

NORTH

S K Q J 10 9 6

H A J 9 6

D 4

C Q 3

WEST

S A 5

H Q

D K Q J 5 2

C K J 10 8 6

EAST

S 8 3 2

H K 8 7 4

D A 9 7

C A 7 4

SOUTH

S 7 4

H 10 5 3 2

D 10 8 6 3

C 9 5 2

South West North East
Pass 1 D 2 D Dbl
3 H(!) 4 C 4 H Dbl
All Pass
Opening lead – D K

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