BRIDGE

Exceptional

Andrew Robson

IT WOULD have been most exciting to have lived through the early years of bridge — the Thirties and Forties — in which many techniques of card play were first dis- covered. The developments of the last 20 years, on the other hand, have come pre- dominantly in the bidding.

One treatment that I recently came across for the first time — recommended to me by my sometime partner Zia Mah- mood — is most useful when partner's response to your opening bid suits you so well that your hand is worth more than a jump to game. You jump to four of your opened suit to say 'I have the best possible hand in support and want to go slamming; however I want to give you an out-clause in case you've responded on six or seven points in a miserable four-card suit'.

Dealer North North-South Vulnerable

The Bidding

South West North 1*

East pass

1110 pass 4* 511 pass

pass pass

pass pass

South's hand was only mediocre — it is not an asset to have a singleton in partner's suit. But when North rebid 4+ showing an exceptionally strong hand in support of Vs, South was just worth a slam invitational jump to 511. This in effect said 'How excep- tional is your exceptional hand?' North's raise to 6V said 'Exceptionally exception- al!'

West found the most threatening lead of 42, which went to East's 4K and declarer's 4A. He crossed to +A at trick two, cashed

• K and trumped *2. He cashed 4K dis- carding dummy's 47, then crossed to RIK, cashed IRA and was pleased to see the suit split 3-2. He trumped +4 with In, trumped +8, then led *A and continued with the established 4,6. East trumped with 1PQ, but dummy's hand was high — two trumps and 45.