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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

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When your partner doubles 1 of a suit on the first round of bidding, it is for take-out. Leave the double in at your peril or only when you have oodles and oodles of trumps. However, what about when partner doubles 1NT? Take a look.

South Deals
N/S Vul

   

J 8 6 2

9 4 3

Q 2

Q 8 6 4

 

N

W

 

E

S

   

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

1 NT

Pass

Pass

Dbl

Pass

?

 

 

 

1NT showed 12-14 hcp. What did your partner’s double mean and what should you do now?

Well, it’s different. The double of 1NT is a penalty double and says they have 15+ hcp (perhaps a point or two less in what we call “the pass-out position”) but says normally let’s have a go and see if we can beat this contract. The only time you should bid is when you are very weak (at most 5 hcp) and have a 5+ card suit. Otherwise, pass and hope your defence is good!
So, here, you have 5 hcp more than you might! Pass happily and let’s see if we can beat their contract. They are vulnerable, too. So, even 1 down, +200, should be a very good result as normally we will not be able to make game ourselves.
So, pass and lead? How about 4th highest of your longest and strongest…Club-small4.

South Deals
N-S Vul

9 7 4

A J 8 7

9 5 4

7 3 2

J 8 6 2

9 4 3

Q 2

Q 8 6 4

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

K Q

K Q 10 5

K 10 7 3

A 10 5

 

A 10 5 3

6 2

A J 8 6

K J 9

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

 

1 NT

Pass

Pass

Dbl

All pass

Club-small4 went to our partner’s Club-smallA and they played back Club-small10. South inserted Club-smallJ but you won Club-smallQ and exited a third round of clubs. South was not happy. They tried a small spade to dummy's Spade-small7(nothing else was better for them) and as long as you played low, all would be well. East won this trick with Spade-smallQ and then made the fine play of Heart-smallK, which let you know they had good cards in that suit.

South did well to duck that trick and East exited with Spade-smallK. South won and played a third round of spades which West took with Spade-smallJ. At this point, the defence had taken 5 tricks and declarer 2 tricks and these cards remained:

 

A J 8

9 5 4

8

9 4

Q 2

8

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

Q 10 5

K 10 7

 

10

6

A J 8 6

West cashed Club-small8 with the other 3 players throwing a diamond and then played Heart-small9 taken by dummy’s Heart-smallA. The best South could do would be to take Diamond-smallA and a winning spade for down 2….-500.
luck of the irish.jpg

Passing 1NTx does not guarantee success but is a better option than West bidding either 4-card black suit. 2Club-small may make for +90 but 2Spade-small certainly will not.
So, in such a situation where your partner doubles 1NT, recognise that only if you are really weak with a long suit should you bid. Otherwise defend….and enjoy it! That's true on any day...and not just Paddy's Day!

 

Richard Solomon

 

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