A Michaels' Moment

5th July – Board 18: North/South Vul. Dealer East.

I wonder if any North/South pairs bid and made game on the featured hand? Both 4S and 5C are available with the latter being the easier to play, and I don’t think I am being too fanciful with the auction shown below.

Undoubtedly South has a choice of bids over 1H, and the one I like least is ‘double’. You would hate it if partner bid 2D because you are hardly strong enough to now bid 2S, and even over 1NT you would be unsure what, if anything, you should do. A simple overcall of 1S is much better to my mind, but what is wrong with bidding 2H, Michaels, showing five cards in spades and five cards in a minor and about opening points at the prevailing vulnerability? It would be better if the spade suit were slightly stronger it is true but at least by bidding 2H you get to show the distributional nature of the hand. The North hand might look poor but it could be so much worse and with three spades and a singleton outside it is just about worth a jump to 3S, which South would happily raise to game. East has been brushed aside and might double but that would only make the play easier. After a top heart is led declarer must be careful not to try and draw trumps because he will be forced if he does so. Much better to play for the clubs to be kind and to aim to ruff two diamonds in the closed hand, losing in all just three trump tricks.