Bridge - The Scotsman 24/04/13

WE ARE taught that when partner opens one of a major a two-over-one response (bidding a new suit at the two-level) promises at least ten points.

Thus, when partner opens 1S and you have a weak hand your choices are to respond 1NT, raise partner, or pass. Since we cannot pass with six or more points, and we do not often have four-card support for partner, the 1NT response is quite frequent. But 1NT may not be best: if partner cannot bid again you have made the weaker hand declarer, which means that one suit will often be unstopped, and you may easily be cut off from your own hand.

A hand like North’s, with a singleton in an unbid suit, is completely unsuitable for no-trump play. You cannot respond 2H with so few points and such a poor suit, but you have the alternative of raising partner with just three-card support. This may lead to a 4-3 fit, but there are worse fates. Partner should be able to take some diamond ruffs in your hand, and there is no danger that opponents can cash a long suit while you squirm over your discards. Here partner will make at least 8 tricks in spades provided he remembers to take his ruffs before drawing trump.

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Over a 1NT response South has nowhere to go. The defenders cash five diamonds, then switch to hearts, and you are down. An unbalanced hand usually does better to make a three-card raise – bid 1NT with a singleton only when the singleton is in partner’s suit.

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