Bridge

What would you have bid on those North cards, after partner has doubled 1D and West has raised the barrier to 3D? There is only one satisfactory bid — 4D! This tells partner that you have enough for game and asks him to bid his suits in ascending order so a fit can be found. You can see that it would not be so good for North simply to guess the right game. If he chose 4H, this would be only a 4-3 fit. How would you play 4S when the defenders play two rounds of diamonds, East shifts to a low club, and West subsequently turns up with four trumps? You should draw all the trumps. Since East needs to keep his four clubs, and cannot afford to reduce to king doubleton in hearts, he will have to throw both his remaining diamonds. You next test the club suit. When East turns up with four clubs you are not in least discomfited. You throw East on lead with the fourth round of clubs. He has only K-x-x in hearts left and on the enforced heart return you will score three tricks in the suit. The play is known as a strip squeeze, because East is stripped of his safe exit cards.

Answer

You would raise to 2S on many weak hands that contain a modicum of spade support. Here you hold a sound spade raise based on high-card points. You can indicate this type of hand by cue-bidding 2H. If partner can rebid only 2S you will pass, happy that you have already told partner of your strength.
Awards: 2H - 10, 3S - 6, 2S - 5, 4S -2.

David Bird — Knight Features

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