Smart competition
Every year since 2004, the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute has organised a Bridge for Brain Research Challenge. Held in the first week of May, the challenge has the twofold purpose of raising funds for Alzheimer’s and dementia research, and highlighting the benefits of bridge and other mental activities in maintaining a healthy brain. Today’s deals are both taken from one of these Challenges, and illustrate an important modern principle of competition.
After your side finds a fit (say 1H : 2H), but an opponent then calls over you (say 2S), what would a bid of 3H mean?
You may want to bid on for one of two reasons: to compete for the partscore, or to invite game. How do you distinguish between these two? For example:
Dealer West, both vul.
NORTH
♠ QT32
♥ 63
♦ QJ92
♣ J97
WEST EAST
♠ 98 ♠ J6
♥ T95 ♥ AQJ742
♦ AKT75 ♦ 43
♣ T84 ♣ A63
SOUTH
♠ AK754
♥ K8
♦ 86
♣ KQ52
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Pass Pass 1H 1S
2H 2S ?
East opened 1H, and West showed the fit. When the opponents compete in spades, what should East do? Knowing there is a 9-card heart fit, East does not want to allow North-South to buy the hand in 2S. East wishes to bid 3H to play, but would not want to hear West raise to 4H.
Over competition (in this case North’s 2S), re-raising the fit suit (3H) is weak while an “in-between” step (3C, 3D or even 2NT) is used as a genuine invitation to game. Here, East does not wish to invite game so bids 3H as a purely competitive measure.
Test yourself on this one:
Dealer North, EW vul.
NORTH
♠ J986
♥ —
♦ JT973
♣ AKT3
WEST EAST
♠ Q ♠ KT73
♥ J62 ♥ AKQ973
♦ K8642 ♦ Q
♣ Q962 ♣ J4
SOUTH
♠ A542
♥ T854
♦ A5
♣ 875
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Pass 1H Pass
2H Dble ?
East opened 1H, raised by West. North, having passed already, was now able to make a takeout double without promising opening points. Over that, if East re-raises the fit suit (3H) that would show a weak hand that is purely competing for the part score.
Here, East has genuine game interest so should show another suit, 2S. West has a maximum and a singleton spade (which should help in ruffing partner’s spade losers) so, given that 2S was a game try, the first thought should be to accept the invitation by bidding 4H. Is there anything that might make West think twice about doing this?
At the table, West figured the DK and CQ might be useless opposite partner’s minor suit shortages (which had been suggested by East’s bidding), and this proved pretty much to be the case. West also lacks a top trump or any other “sure” value. Bidding 4H could put you too high. On the other hand, it would be too negative for West to sign off in 3H, the weakest bid.
A compromise is for West to bid 3D. With the bidding still not committed to game, another new suit still expresses doubt about whether to bid that game or not, and says: “I have some values here”. That is not what East (with a singleton diamond) wants to hear, and a sign-off in 3H will quickly follow.
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