Bridge 12/08/2011

Another deal from the European Junior Championships featuring the luck of the Irish. After West opened 1H some Easts tried to improve the contract by bidding 1S.

This works well when partner rebids 1NT: you can escape into diamonds, either by bidding 2D, showing a weak hand with longer diamonds than spades; or via two-way Checkback Stayman, where 2D is an artificial game-forcing enquiry about majors, and 2C is a Puppet bid demanding 2D from partner, after which responder may either pass or make invitational game-tries. But partners often rebid 2H, or even 3H, and the Irish East was not alone in passing and hoping for the best.

Where East passed, South cuebid to show a two-suiter with spades and a minor. With excellent support for both minors North leapt to 4S, and now East doubled. Lacking a heart to lead he tried the eight of diamonds. Declarer discarded to retain trump control, and West took the ace. He does best now to lead a low heart for partner to ruff; then wait patiently for his two heart tricks. In practice he switched to ace and another heart. When East ruffed declarer could pick up his remaining trump for one loser and claim one down

The Irish West tenaciously bid out his shape in spite of partner's silence. South doubled 5D, but his partner led a spade, and a club loser disappeared from dummy on the ace of hearts. It is unusual to bid a new, four-card suit at the five-level and find seven-card support in dummy.