Limited Values

27^th February – Board 23: Game All. Dealer South.

The featured hand has a couple of points of interest which together should enable a good game to be bid on limited values. Mind you declarer has to make it….

	North: S 5 4 2 H Q J 10 7 5 3 D 5 C J 6 5
West: S Q 9 8 H 9 4 D A 10 4 C K Q 8 4 3		East: S J 10 6 3 H A K D K J 8 6 3 2 C 7
	South: S A K 7 H 8 6 2 D Q 9 7 C A 10 9 2

West	North	East	South
			1NT
No	2D	3D	No
3H	No	3NT	End

2D is of course a transfer to hearts and you might think that East has an easy way of getting into the auction by doubling. But that would be a mistake. In these situations a double of a transfer, or indeed a Stayman enquiry, should be reserved for hands that would have doubled 1NT and say nothing about the artificial suit being bid. (Of course this only applies to a hand that has not passed already. A double by a passed hand would indeed show the suit being artificially bid.) So in the hand shown 3D is natural and would show at least a six-carder with limited values of between about 10-13 points. With such good support West should think about the no-trump game and his bid of 3H – the oppositions’ suit remember – would reflect that ambition, giving East an easy bid. South will lead a heart I dare say and declarer should advance the jack of diamonds at trick two to retain fluidity between the two hands. (The a priori odds would slightly favour playing for the drop in diamonds but not when there are so few points missing and North has inferred values in hearts.) In all declarer will make two hearts, six diamonds and a club.