Every NABC produces odd results. At the Summer Championships, two experts wandered into seven
diamonds after a bidding mix-up. If you want to know, North’s four hearts conventionally asked for aces; South’s five hearts showed either two aces, or one ace and the king of trumps, plus a void. After that, confusion reigned.
East might have doubled the grand slam for a heart lead. When he did not, West led a trump. South won with the ace and refused to settle for down one. He took the top spades, ruffed a spade and cashed all his winners, leaving the ace of clubs stranded in dummy.
After declarer led his last trump at Trick 11, dummy had the A-J of clubs, and East had to discard from the ace of hearts and K-6 of clubs. He threw … his ace, and South’s Q-8 won the last two tricks.
East should have known what to do. West had thrown one heart, and if he had any more, he would have thrown them also to save East a guess.
But then, as they say, there would have been no story.
Daily Question: You hold: & K 3 h J 10 9 6 4 ( A 9 3 $ A J 7. You open one heart, your partner responds one spade, you bid 1NT and he jumps to three clubs. What do you say?
Answer: Unless your pair has a different agreement, partner’s jump is forcing. You have no comfortable action. You shouldn’t be eager to bid 3NT with only one diamond stopper. With stronger hearts, you could try three hearts. As it is, bid three spades.
North dealer, N-S vulnerable
NORTH&K 3hJ 10 9 6 4(A 9 3$A J 7WESTEAST&9 7 2&Q 6 4h3hA K 7 5 2(10 4(J 2$Q 10 9 8 5 4 3$K 6 2SOUTH&A J 10 8 5hQ 8(K Q 8 7 6 5$NoneThe bidding:SouthWestNorthEast1 hPass2 (Pass2 NTPass3 &Pass3 NTPass4 (Pass4 hPass5 hPass5 &Pass5 NTPass7 (All PassOpening lead — ( 10