Being Bold

31st July – Board 8: Love All. Dealer West.

You have to be bold on occasion at this game and sometimes the results can be spectacular…

	North: S 10 9 7 6 H 10 9 D A Q 8 7 C K 10 4
West: S Q 5 2 H A Q J 7 4 D K 5 4 C Q J		East: S K J 4 H K 8 6 5 3 2 D 10 9 6 3 C none
	South: S A 8 3 H none D J 2 C A 9 8 7 6 5 3 2

West	North	East	South
1H	No	4C	5C
No	No	5H	End

East is quite right to value his hand as game-going with a shortage in clubs, for it would take very little opposite for a slam to be cold. (Imagine West has SAx HAxxxx D Ax C xxxx.

Now 6H is an easy make.) If South passes throughout then 4H will be the final contract and will make with careful declarer play, but instead imagine that South bids 5C immediately, cutting out West’s ability to cue bid at the five-level should he so desire. As it happens West will pass with his ill-fitting hand but East should bid again. 5H will be defeated it is true but 5C is easy for North/South, requiring just the diamond finesse to work. That 5C bid should be automatic at favourable vulnerability but more difficult to find at equal vulnerability and extremely daring at ‘red’, i.e. vulnerable against not.