April 2015 - 47

Newer Players

Upgrading	Your	Game
BY LYNN BERG

lberg@cfl.rr.com

Raising partner
The	most	important	transformation	
in	American	bridge	bidding	started	in	
the	1950s	when	four-card	majors	gave	
way	to	five-card	majors.	Now,	raising partner's 1♥ or 1♠	opener	with	
three-card	support	assures	at	least	a	
5-3	trump	suit,	achieving	a	"golden"	
eight-card	fit.
Subsequent	developments	in	bidding	
emphasized	the	distinction	between	
responder's	three-card	and	four-card	
raise.	Whether	we	are	embarking	on	a	
cross-ruff	or	establishing	a	side	suit,	
the	power	of	that	extra	trump	translates	to	tricks	and	control.	Knowledge	
of	a	nine-card	fit	also	makes	it	easier	to	
compete	with	weak	hands.	
When	is	it	important	to	know	that	
you	and	partner	have	a	nine-card	fit?

2.

When you are trying to decide how
high to bid when competing for a
partscore. The	law	of	total	tricks	suggests	competing	to	the	same	trick	level	
as	the	combined	number	of	trumps	in	
your	hand	and	partner's.	Knowing	you	
and	partner	have	nine	trumps	makes	
the three level less scary.

level,	which	is	reassuring	if	partner	
has	opened	light	in	third	or	fourth	seat.	
Drury	is	helpful,	too,	for	pairs	who	play	
that	1NT	is	not	forcing	by	a	passed	
hand.
Using	standard	Drury,	2♣ in response	to	partner's	third-	or	fourth-	
seat	major-suit	opener	says,	"I	have	
a	limit	raise	for	you,"	but	doesn't	
differentiate	between	three-	or	fourLimit raises
If	you	play	2/1,	bidding	a	forcing	
card	support.	A	later	embellishment	
1NT	over	partner's	major-suit	open-	two-way	Drury,	also	called	Bergen	
ing	followed	by	a	jump	to	the	three	
Drury	-	recognizes	the	importance	
level	shows	an	invitational	hand	with	
of	that	extra	trump:	2♣	by	a	passed	
three-card	support.	Let's	say	that	your	
hand	shows	10-12	points	with	exactly	
partner opens 1♠	in	first	or	second	
three-card	support,	and	2♦	shows	a	
seat and you hold:
limit	raise	with	at	least	four-card	support.
A Drury 2♣ call (and 2♦	if	you're	
♠K	 J	 8	 	 	 ♥A	 9	 	 	 ♦K	 8	 4	 3	 	 	 ♣9	 7	 3	 2.	
playing	two-way)	is	artificial	and	says	
Your	plan	is	to	bid	1NT	forcing,	then	
nothing	about	clubs	(or	diamonds).	It	
an invitational 3♠ over partner's next
When you have only five trumps
requires	an	Alert.
call.
in your hand and a singleton or
Mike	Lawrence's	four-part	series	
An	immediate	jump	to	three	of	the	
void. You	have	reason	to	expect	that	the	
about	Drury,	which	started	in	this	
opponents	will	adopt	a	tapping	defense	 major	shows	an	invitational	hand	with	 magazine	in	January	and	finishes	up	
four	trumps.	Partner	opens	1♠. With:
when	you're	dealt	something	like:
this	month,	is	an	excellent	resource	for	
♠K	Q	8	6			♥A
5
♦Q	9	4	2			♣9	8	5,
learning	more	about	the	convention	
♠K	J	9	7	4			♥3 ♦A	Q	8	7			♣K	9	8.	
and	how	to	use	it	in	competition.
3♠	shows	at	least	four-card	support.
The	opponents	have	all	the	heart	
If you don't play 2/1 or 1NT forcing,	
honors	and	will	likely	lead	the	suit	
Preemptive support
you	can	show	a	three-card	limit	raise	
against	your	4♠ contract. But opposite
It	can	be	fun	and	profitable	to	make	
by	bidding	a	new	suit,	then	raising	parta	dummy	such	as:	
preemptive	raises	in	competitive	aucner's	major	to	the	three	level.	You	hold:
♠Q	10	5	3			♥9	7	6	5			♦K	J	6			♣A	J,
tions. Say you have:
♠K	J			♥A 10 8 ♦K	9	7	6	2		♣9	8	2.		
if	the	opponents	tap	you,	forcing	you	
♠9	 8	 6	 2	 	 	 ♥K	 7	 	 	 ♦Q	 J	 5	 4	 3	 	 	 ♣5 2.
to	ruff	hearts	in	your	hand,	no	worries:	 Over	partner's	1♥	opening,	your	plan	
Partner	opens	1♠,	and	RHO	doubles.	
is	to	bid	2♦,	then	3♥	to	show	your	inYou	have	good	trumps	on	the	board.	
By	agreement,	you	can	jump	to	3♠.
Look	how	different	the	play	goes	if	the	 vitational	values	and	three-card	trump	 It	is	a	space-gobbling	bid	that	will	
support.
dummy	has	only	three	trumps	and	the	
make	life	tough	for	the	other	side,	even	
Playing	a	convention	called	Drury	
opponents	have	five.	Now	repeated	
though	they	may	have	the	majority	of	
heart	leads	and	a	bad	spade	break	could	 allows	a	passed	hand	to	show	a	limit	
the points.
◾
raise	without	going	beyond	the	two	
spell disaster.

1.

April 2015 Bridge Bulletin

47
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2015
