Bridge

Published on Tuesday 30 June 2009 20:05

There are many bids, not technically forcing, which you can assume partner will not pass. Here North wants to invite game in partner's better major, and needs to take things slowly.

Over 1C he bids 1S – responding in the higher-ranking of two five-card suits. (It is correct to bid four-card suits up-the-line, so with 4-4 in the majors he bids 1H. If partner does not bid spades neither will North.)

South rebids 2C, limiting his hand to a minimum opener. Now many players would be tempted to bid 3H as North for fear that partner passes 2H, but there is no real need; partner will pass only with a minimum misfit since your hand is unlimited. Here South gives so-called False Preference to 2S. His initial expectation is that partner has five spades and four hearts, and the 5-2 spade fit will play just as well as the 4-3 heart fit. 2S will not necessarily improve the contract, but it will not make it worse either, and it gives partner another chance to bid in case he has more to say.

North does have more to say: he bids 3H to show that he is 5-5 in the majors. Now South raises to game in the known eight-card fit. His two aces will take care of two of North's remaining cards, and he can ruff the third round of spades, hopefully to establish that suit.

Here North may ruff two spades – with a careful eight of hearts, then the king, before playing trump.