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What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for July 2004 The best submission for the month of July was made by : John Nicholas
Comments: Partner held: K9874 The spades split 3-3 and twelve tricks were made. My 3NT bid crowded the auction. How would you have bid it? And Peter's Response: Hi John, Good question. You've wandered in to an area that warrants one of my favourite mantras. I will not jump to 3NT, other than as a descriptive bid within our system, when other contracts have not yet been fully explored. This rule is most often violated in auctions where responder has their own opening bid, three suits are bid by the partnership and responder must select a second bid. For example, the auction has preceded 1D : 1S, 2C : ? If responder jumps to 3NT when suit slams are still unexplored properly in all four suits, there should be good reason. 3NT here should be quite specific - about 13-15 points, denying a fit for either of opener's suits and with cards of soft values in the other two suits. The bid undertakes game with little prospect of slam. In your auction, 3NT violated this tenet. No exploration of alternative contracts or the combined potential had been explored. The way to explore is simply to make a forcing bid. That then allows partner to contribute to the exchange of information. Whether you are a traditional bidder or a modernist, a bid of the opponents' suit is artificial and forcing. Regardless of meaning, partner is now aware that you have a good hand and will continue to describe their holding. This very good slam might then possibly be bid e.g.
Your hand is very powerful in support of diamonds. With a trump fit and three aces in a strong hand, a slam must be a good chance. More exploration was required rather than the precipitous jump to 3NT. Regards Peter Fordham |
