Pleasant Surprise

6th October – Board 4. Game All. Dealer West.

Usually partner bids suits we don’t want to hear about but occasionally we are subjected to a pleasant surprise.

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

West	North	East	South
1S	2S	No	2NT
No	3D	No	5C!
No	5D	End

Playing the Michaels convention 2S over 1S shows a two-suited hand with hearts and a minor. Poor south obviously thinks his partner has clubs so when his 2NT enquiry elicits the information that his partner holds diamonds his hand has become colossal. So 5C must be a splinter agreeing diamonds, mustn’t it? If South had a hand that wanted to play in 5C he would have bid it over 2S so the logic is irrefutable. In any event with so much of his strength seemingly wasted it would be bold of North to bid any more than 5D although as you can see the slam is a spread.