Jeff Lehman

The Bid You Fear to Hear

You hold: ♠T632  ♥AKQJ6  ♦—  ♣KT83

Your auction begins as follows:

South
North
1♦
1♥
1♠
?

Under your partnership agreements (you play weak notrumps), the 1♠ bid promises an unbalanced hand.  Partner has five or more diamonds, unless he is specifically 4=1=4=4.

Would you bid 4♦ at this stage?  Or, do you believe you are too strong for 4♦ and/or you are uncertain that partner would take that call as a splinter in support of spades?

At the table, I bid 2♣ at this stage, artificial, fourth suit game forcing.

 

South
North
1♦
1♥
1♠
2♣
2NT
3♠
4♣
4♥
4♠
?

What is your plan now?

I chose to call 5♣ now.  My plan was to bid slam if partner DID NOT control bid 5♦, and to signoff in 5♠ if he did.

I am not sure if my plan was the best, but it worked out fine.  Partner did control bid 5♦ (the bid I fear to hear) over my 5♣ call and I followed plan by signing off in 5♠:

South
North
1♦
1♥
1♠
2♣
2NT
3♠
4♣
4♥
4♠
5♣
5♦
5♠
All Pass
 

Just making opposite partner’s ♠QJ85  ♥2  ♦KQ875  ♣AQ9.

Now had his ♦K morphed into the ♠K, pard would have bid 5♠ over my 5♣ and I would have bid 6♠ .  Pard would have made that contract, too.

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