SOUTH jump rebid of 3C is not forcing but any non-game continuation by North (including his actual 3S) is forcing. How would you play 6C when West leads the king of hearts? The original declarer was David Smith of Australia. He won the heart lead with dummy’s ace and made the far-sighted play of ruffing a heart in his hand. Do you see the point of this? He planned to ruff one diamond in dummy. If he could also score all the trumps in his hand he would score twelve tricks even when East held J-x-x-x in the trump suit. Smith played the king and ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond with dummy’s singleton trump. He then ruffed another heart and played the ace and king of trumps, discovering the bad break. A spade to the ace was followed by a spade from dummy. If East ruffed with the jack or nine, declarer could overruff and draw the last trump, losing just one trick in diamonds. When East discarded instead, declarer ruffed low to leave him with a losing diamond and Q-10 in the trump suit. He exited with a diamond and scored his two trumps. (On a trump lead, declarer draws trumps and plays the spade ten to the ace. He then runs the jack of spades, throwing a loser and setting up the spade nine for another discard.)
What will you say now?
Answer
If you bid 3C or 3D now you may find that partner passes and does not hold four-card support. It is better to make a ‘reponsive double’. On this auction partner will expect you to hold both the minors. If instead you held a four-card spade suit you would have been willing to respond in that suit, expecting partner to have four cards in the unbid major.
SOUTH jump rebid of 3C is not forcing but any non-game continuation by North (including his actual 3S) is forcing. How would you play 6C when West leads the king of hearts? The original declarer was David Smith of Australia. He won the heart lead with dummy’s ace and made the far-sighted play of ruffing a heart in his hand. Do you see the point of this? He planned to ruff one diamond in dummy. If he could also score all the trumps in his hand he would score twelve tricks even when East held J-x-x-x in the trump suit. Smith played the king and ace of diamonds and ruffed a diamond with dummy’s singleton trump. He then ruffed another heart and played the ace and king of trumps, discovering the bad break. A spade to the ace was followed by a spade from dummy. If East ruffed with the jack or nine, declarer could overruff and draw the last trump, losing just one trick in diamonds. When East discarded instead, declarer ruffed low to leave him with a losing diamond and Q-10 in the trump suit. He exited with a diamond and scored his two trumps. (On a trump lead, declarer draws trumps and plays the spade ten to the ace. He then runs the jack of spades, throwing a loser and setting up the spade nine for another discard.)
If you bid 3C or 3D now you may find that partner passes and does not hold four-card support. It is better to make a ‘reponsive double’. On this auction partner will expect you to hold both the minors. If instead you held a four-card spade suit you would have been willing to respond in that suit, expecting partner to have four cards in the unbid major.