North’s double is
known as a Responsive Double and shows that he is worth a bid(that’s
debattable here!) but has no clear-cut bid to make. Such a double
tends to deny four cards in the unbid major, otherwise North would
have bid spades instead. South leapt spectacularly to 6S and the four
of hearts was led. How would you play the slam? At the table the heart
lead was covered by the king and ace, South ruffing. The nine of
trumps to dummy’s ten was followed by a low diamond towards the
South hand. East was caught in a position known as the Morton’s
Fork. If he rose with the diamond ace, declarer would have two
discards available for his club losers - one one the heart queen and
another on the third round of diamonds. If instead East played low,
declarer would return to dummy with a trump to discard his remaining
diamond on the queen of hearts. He would then make the slam, losing
just one trick in clubs. Does anything else occur to you about the
deal? East could have beaten the slam by playing low at Trick 1!
Declarer would have to choose a discard prematurely. If he threw a
diamond, for example, East could then beat the slam by winning the
first of diamonds. Declarer can prevent his spectacular (if likely)
defence by playing a low heart from dummy on the first round.
What will you say now?
Answer
The general guideline,
when responding on this type of hand, is that you should bid the
five-card minor first if you are planning to make two bids, with 13
points or so you would respond 2D, intending to continue with 2S over
2H. Here you are not strong enough for that sequence and should
respond 1S. AWARDS: 1S-10, 2D-6, 1NT-5, 2NT-4.
North’s double is
known as a Responsive Double and shows that he is worth a bid(that’s
debattable here!) but has no clear-cut bid to make. Such a double
tends to deny four cards in the unbid major, otherwise North would
have bid spades instead. South leapt spectacularly to 6S and the four
of hearts was led. How would you play the slam? At the table the heart
lead was covered by the king and ace, South ruffing. The nine of
trumps to dummy’s ten was followed by a low diamond towards the
South hand. East was caught in a position known as the Morton’s
Fork. If he rose with the diamond ace, declarer would have two
discards available for his club losers - one one the heart queen and
another on the third round of diamonds. If instead East played low,
declarer would return to dummy with a trump to discard his remaining
diamond on the queen of hearts. He would then make the slam, losing
just one trick in clubs. Does anything else occur to you about the
deal? East could have beaten the slam by playing low at Trick 1!
Declarer would have to choose a discard prematurely. If he threw a
diamond, for example, East could then beat the slam by winning the
first of diamonds. Declarer can prevent his spectacular (if likely)
defence by playing a low heart from dummy on the first round.
The general guideline,
when responding on this type of hand, is that you should bid the
five-card minor first if you are planning to make two bids, with 13
points or so you would respond 2D, intending to continue with 2S over
2H. Here you are not strong enough for that sequence and should
respond 1S. AWARDS: 1S-10, 2D-6, 1NT-5, 2NT-4.