Bridge
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.What is your opinion of the effectiveness of the Multi-coloured Two Diamonds opening bid? (Usually based on a Weak Two in either major.) Apart from creating an air of mystery about the subsequent auction, it sometimes pushes the opposition higher than they intended before they have sorted things out. But this is not always a good thing.
Well, as advertised, after two passes East opened 2# and South overcalled with 2NT. North's 3# response was a transfer to hearts, South obliged with 3!, and now North went back to 3NT. For no very good reason, South preferred 4! and all passed.
West, correctly judging that his partner's suit was spades, led 4A (which did declarer no harm) and switched to #7. After winning in hand, declarer cashed his two top hearts and continued with #A and #Q. Reading the position well, he overtook his queen with dummy's king and ruffed dummy's last diamond. Then he led 4K.
West was finished: if he ruffed, he would be reduced to leading clubs; if he discarded, declarer would ruff a spade on the table and put West in with the last trump. Note that if declarer had not overtaken his diamond winner (apparently unnecessarily) in dummy, West would have had a safe diamond exit and, in the fullness of time, would have come to two club tricks.
If East had turned up with the missing trump, there was still the possibility (by now unlikely) of his holding 2A as well. If there had been no opposition bidding, would North-South have got to game (or made it)? I doubt it.
North-South game; dealer West
North
47 5
!A 8 7 6 3
#K 8 6 3
27 4
West East
4A 4Q J 10 9 8 3
!J 10 5 !Q 4
#10 7 5 2 #9 4
2A J 8 6 2 2Q 9 3
South
4K 6 4 2
!K 9 2
#A Q J
2K 10 5
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments