What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for August 2005

The best submission for the month of August was made by Jacqui Lund.

Hand: Dealer is North and all are vulnerable. Sitting East I held:

	Q1063  K5  AQ72  K103

Bidding:	North	East	South	West
	P	1NT	P	2(a)
	P	2NT(b)	P	3
	P	3NT	P	4
	All pass

(a) transfer to clubs
(b) 3+clubs to an honour

Comments: Playing Acol, 12-14NT, should I have bid 5 after my partner's 4 bid? 7 and 7 both make when partner held:

Partner held:

	AQ987  96  AQ9865

And Peter’s Response:

Hi Jacqui,

Bidding over 1NT with a two suited hand is a difficult area of bidding, and one not understood by most players. Partnerships need to appreciate the differences between various sequences. e.g. Take these two sequences -  

1NT	2	and	1NT	2
2NT/3	3		2NT/3	4
3NT	4

Both sequences show six plus clubs and five plus hearts in responder's hand. Clubs are necessarily longer than hearts and the hand good enough to play in game or higher in one of the suits. But what is the difference?

One discloses slam interest, the other merely requests partner to choose between the two suits at game level. A partnership could agree to utilise either sequence for either purpose. Normal expert practice is to utilise the slow route to show the stronger hand.

Assuming partner intended the sequence to be a slam try, I would be very keen to be in a club slam with opener's cards. The red kings are golden, as is my ace. The doubleton heart takes care of deep losers in that suit. My expectancy is that partner is 1-1 in the pointed suits.

I would probably bid 6 immediately.

On the deal neither 6 nor 7 are good contracts. Our aim should be to get to 6 which is an excellent contract. I wouldn't want to be in 7.

Responder could have bid this better once the 2NT bid came. A continuation of 3 to get the hearts in to the picture made sense, but over 3NT, surely a bigger bid than 4 is needed to properly describe the hand. Perhaps 4, being so unusual, might get the message of a shortage across. It makes no sense as a natural bid.

If that bid is thought to be too risky, responder could consider bidding 4 over 3NT. Here the shape is less well defined, but the intent is clear as slam going in clubs with secondary hearts, requesting co-operation.

Over 4, opener should be delighted to bid 4 showing diamond control and 6 ought to be reached.

Regards
Peter Fordham

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