21st July – Board 13: Game All. Dealer North.
Any strong hand with five spades and four in another suit can be difficult to bid if partner responds 1NT to the opening bid of 1S. For this reasons many people play that a rebid of 2C by opener in this sequence shows at least 16 points with an unspecified four-card suit on the side. In reply responder bids 2S with three-card support and a minimum, 2D with a minimum without three spades or five hearts and 2H with a minimum and five hearts. With a maximum 1NT bid of 8 or 9 points responder bids 3S with three-card support, 2NT without three spades or five hearts and 3H with five hearts. As a corollary after an opening bid of 1S has received a response of 1NT then 2H/2D are limited with less than 16 points. Of course if opener has a limited hand with five spades and four clubs then he has to pass 1NT…..
 |
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
No
|
No
|
1S
| |
No
|
1NT
|
No
|
2C
|
No
|
2NT
|
No
|
3H
|
No
|
3NT
|
End
|
In this auction South has shown a hand with sixteen points or more with five spades and four hearts while North has shown eight or nine points without three spades or four hearts.
In reality 3NT is not a good contract but with the jack of spades falling in three rounds and the diamond suit being as benign as it possibly could there are nine tricks available. If South chose to rebid 2H then North would have to pass as his partner could have a complete minimum.
