At IMPs, neither side vulnerable, you hold as North:
North Q J 8 5 3 8 7 2 Q J 9 8 7
West
North
East
South
Pass
Pass
2
Pass
2
3
4
Pass
?
What is your call?
If I were asked what principle good bidders adhere to most closely, I might reply that they seldom neglect to show support for their partner’s suit. Suppose you hold:
A 7 5 Q 10 5 Q J 9 4 A K 5
You open 1NT and your partner responds 3, natural and forcing. A mastermind bids 3NT because of his balanced pattern; a disciplined player raises to 4 — what his partner wants him to do with three card support.
A Q 7 K 7 5 A K 6 5 K 7 3
You open 1, your partner responds 1, you jump to 2NT and he tries 3.Agreeing spades is correct, of course, but since partner has promised five or more spades, your values are slammish and your support is excellent, jump to 4.
8 K J 5 A Q 6 4 3 Q 10 6 4
You open 1 and partner responds 1. Raise to 2. Auctions are easier when a trump suit is set quickly. If instead you rebid 2 and partner returns to 2, jumps to 3 (invitational) or bids 2NT, your hand won’t be strong enough to bid again, and you may miss a heart fit. Moreover, the opponents may be about to compete in spades, and unless you support the hearts now, you may never have a convenient chance.
When I watched the deal below in a strong IMP game on OKbridge, North/South missed a laydown grand slam and conducted a contentious post mortem.
Dlr: North Vul: None
North Q J 8 5 3 8 7 2 Q J 9 8 7
West 10 9 A K 10 6 10 9 8 7 5 2 10
East 7 6 4 2 Q J 9 5 4 3 3 5 2
South A K — A K J 6 4 A K Q 6 4 3
Many North/Souths reached 7. At some tables they had a smooth ride when East/West stayed out of the auction:
North
South
2
2
3
4/5
7
Other North/Souths achieved odd results. At three tables the contract was6 by North, making seven when East led his singleton diamond. Three North/Souths halted at 5 on auctions you don’t want to know about. One West pulled off a “striped tail ape” double of 6. North/South neglected to redouble and scored only +1740, but they still gained heavily against par since a few East/Wests saved at 7 for minus 800.
North/Souths who stopped at 6 usually had to contend with interference. East often bid hearts, and at some tables West jacked the auction up to 6right away. When West displayed less enterprise, North/South often reached7 and were usually allowed to play there.
This was the auction at the table I watched:
West
North
East
South
Pass
Pass
2
Pass
2
3
4
Pass
4
Pass
5
Pass
6
All pass
The bid that triggered the discussion after South claimed 13 tricks was North’s 4.
South:“You had good club support. Why didn’t you raise?”North:“Because I’m not a genius. You could have had a spade fit and a more balanced hand. How can we get to spades if I don’t bid them? You had all the controls, including a heart control.”
North’s argument left me cold. In a crowded slam auction at IMPs, North’s duty was to confirm a fit. If he had raised to 5, South might have tried 7.But as North actually bid, he could have held:
J 9 6 4 3 2 8 7 6 8 7 8 7
When in doubt, raise. But you should seldom be in doubt.
Frank Stewart is one of the world's most prolific bridge journalists. He won many tournament events before devoting himself to writing. Frank has published hundreds of magazine and on-line articles. He has written 24 books, among them "Becoming an Expert," "Play Bridge With Me," "Who Has the Queen?" and most recently "Keys to Winning Bridge." In 2014, Frank Stewart received the International Bridge Press Association's Alan Truscott Award. He has been the senior analyst for ACBL-wide Charity and International Fund events since 1980. Frank and his wife, Charlotte, a pediatric speech pathologist, live in Fayette AL. They have a 17-year-old daughter.
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