When RHO doubles partner, redouble is 10+, new suits at the two-level are playable with less than 10 points and jumps are weak. Two notrump is now a limit raise in spades. One would never bid two notrump showing 10 to 12 points and no spade fit because a redouble is available. It may be best, with a misfit, to penalize the opponents. That is why two notrump is available as a limit raise of partner’s major or minor.
The bidding: West opens the bidding with one spade having 11 points and a two-suited hand. As seen last week, with the same hand, this opening was quite acceptable.
As in last week’s column, North doubles with his 12-point Roman hand. East has a limit raise or better in spades and bids two notrump.
South jumps to four hearts and West counters with four spades. North passes showing zero or one spades. South goes to five. West’s pass is forcing because they were taken out of what they thought was a makeable game. Whether it was makeable or not does not matter. East must bid five spades or double. He doubles.
The contract: Five hearts by South doubled
The opening lead: The ace of spades then the stiff seven of diamonds.
The play: Declarer wins the ace of diamonds. Ducking is too dangerous because of the possibility of a defensive ruff. Declarer draws trump and exits a spade, playing first from dummy. West wins and is endplayed as South wishes. He must play a club or give up a sluff and a ruff in spades.
Declarer wins the queen and exits a diamond. It is rather fortunate for the declarer that the defenders have poor communications (singletons in clubs and diamonds). West needed a second diamond and East, a second club. South can pitch a losing club on the long diamond.
Declarer loses two diamonds and a spade.
The result: Five hearts by South doubled down one for -100. Four spades by West makes four for +620. -100 is a good sacrifice.
Notes:
-Do you have a question or a hand of note that occurred at your bridge table? If yes, send it to me at warren.t.watson@gmail.com and I will answer it.
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-Beginner bridge columns will start after I have reached the end of the convention card topics. Email me at warren.t.watson@gmail.com for the pamphlet to accompany these columns.