Monday, March 16th 2015
Schedule, Results, ACBL Live and Bulletins
Using the bidding as a guide to play and defense – part 4
Opening lead: 
2
Bidding commentary: Normal. Granted, it is tempting for North to bid 3
over 2
, but the bid promises three hearts. South should resist the temptation of leaping to 2NT after the 1
response with only 16 high-card points. The bid shows 18-19. South’s 2 rebid is not forcing, but can conceal as many as 17-18 points. The 3NT bid is obvious.
Defensive commentary: South has nine red cards and figures to have nine red-suit tricks once on lead. The lead of the 2 shows a four-card suit, indicating South has three clubs and only one spade. No matter what that spade is, you can take four spade tricks by leading the ace and then a low spade. Incidentally, if your spades were the Q-J-10-2, you should shift to the 2, to cater to declarer’s having the singleton king. If you lead the queen, you can take only three spade tricks.
Play Commentary: As South, if East returns a club at trick two, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Win the K and take your 10 tricks before they wake up and switch to a spade.