A
bit of light relief today, from an international tournament in Poland.
It is not particularly rare to pick up a ‘game in hand’ 2C opener
and to find someone bidding in front of you. How about all three
players bidding in front of you? It happened to Austria’s Beppo
Simon on this deal. West opened 1C and Tino Terraneo, North for
Austria, overcalled 1D on his two queens. South made a confident
penalty double of East’s 1NT. North would doubtless have pulled this
to 2D but West bid 2C in front of him. When East subsequently doubled
South’s 3NT, Simon expressed his confidence in the contract with a
redouble. Imagine his thoughts when partner robbed him of a fine score
by pulling to 4D! South had to settle now for 4H. Or so it seemed, but
North removed this contract too. The opponents must have been greatly
enjoying the auction as South now went to 4NT, doubled by East. No,
South redoubled again and the contract was easily made for +910.
Answer
In general you tend to
bid two four-card suits upwards (bidding the cheaper suit first) and
two five-card suits downwards (bidding the higher suit first). Here,
however, you are not worth two bids. If you respond 1D and partner
rabids 1NT you may miss a spade fit. Prefer 1S therefore.
A
bit of light relief today, from an international tournament in Poland.
It is not particularly rare to pick up a ‘game in hand’ 2C opener
and to find someone bidding in front of you. How about all three
players bidding in front of you? It happened to Austria’s Beppo
Simon on this deal. West opened 1C and Tino Terraneo, North for
Austria, overcalled 1D on his two queens. South made a confident
penalty double of East’s 1NT. North would doubtless have pulled this
to 2D but West bid 2C in front of him. When East subsequently doubled
South’s 3NT, Simon expressed his confidence in the contract with a
redouble. Imagine his thoughts when partner robbed him of a fine score
by pulling to 4D! South had to settle now for 4H. Or so it seemed, but
North removed this contract too. The opponents must have been greatly
enjoying the auction as South now went to 4NT, doubled by East. No,
South redoubled again and the contract was easily made for +910.
In general you tend to
bid two four-card suits upwards (bidding the cheaper suit first) and
two five-card suits downwards (bidding the higher suit first). Here,
however, you are not worth two bids. If you respond 1D and partner
rabids 1NT you may miss a spade fit. Prefer 1S therefore.