Sensible Choice

28th September – Board 7. Game All. Dealer South.

Although we usually open a five card major in a balanced hand there has to be the occasional time when we should ignore such dictates.

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

West	North	East	South
			No
1NT	No	3NT	End

Neither 1NT nor 1H is an ideal opening bid on those West cards so I think it’s really a case of the lesser evil, with 1NT being the sensible choice. The trouble is if you open 1H you really have to repeat the suit after a 2C response from partner and you could easily then get locked into the wrong game. As it happens East has an obvious raise to game  - no introducing the clubs please! – and North will lead the spade queen. Clearly if declarer can make five club tricks the contract is cold and the best way of attacking the suit is to play off the ace and then return to hand on a diamond to play low to the ten. This guards against North holding QJxx but as it happens the suit is benign enough for a misplay!