July 2020 - 50

Intermediate Players

Boehm on Bridge
BY AUGUST BOEHM

Along the spectrum - part 5
When you think along the spectrum
to compare the relative value of various hands, it promotes an appreciation
of subtle but significant differences.
Nowhere is this clearer than in dealing
with weak hands when many players
tend to tune out. You are South in the
following auction, neither vulnerable:
West

North

East

1♥
Pass
Pass

Dbl
Dbl
Dbl

2♥
3♥
Pass

South
Pass
Pass
Pass
?

What would you bid with each of the
hands below?
A ♠7 6 5 ♥9 8 ♦Q 5 4 3 2 ♣8 7 6
B ♠J 6 ♥J 8 2 ♦5 4 3 2 ♣8 7 6 3
C ♠9 8 7 6 5 ♥9 8 2 ♦5 ♣Q 8 7 6
You have 2 HCP - can these be problems? Stay tuned. To begin, what does
North's third double mean? Takeout,
the same as his first two, just additional strength with each double. The first
double starts at around 11 points and
is unlimited, the second double raises
the bar to perhaps 15 points, the third
double should deliver a minimum of
about 18, still unlimited. Let's postulate
a representative hand for North:
♠A K x x ♥x ♦A K x x ♣K J 10 x,
classic takeout pattern. North
shouldn't hold less because he is forcing you to the four-level in a minor if
you don't fit spades, and you've done

50 Bridge Bulletin July 2020

nothing but pass.
With hand A, South should bid 4♦.
Many would pass, saying, "How can I
bid with 2 points?" Would you prefer
defending 3♥ doubled, often minus
530, or go plus 130 in 4♦? Match the
two North-South hands: On defense,
North-South rate to take two spade
tricks, usually only one diamond, and
an indeterminate number of clubs,
somewhere between zero and two.
Even if enough defensive tricks materialize to nip the contract one trick,
North-South may still emerge with a
poor score because 4♦ often makes
(find the ♣Q onside with the opening
bidder). Besides good hand evaluation, there is the issue of partnership
harmony. Partner should expect you to
take out his takeout doubles unless you
have a compelling reason. Hand A with
its long diamond fit and zero defense
does not qualify.
Hand B is a good time to overrule
partner's takeout intent. Compared
to A, there is no reason to presume
a nine-card fit. This not only diminishes offensive potential but helps the
defense - there is a greater chance that
partner's high cards will cash. Furthermore, the doubleton spade represents a
potential spade ruff, and the third heart
is one trump fewer for the opponents
to hold. Add the uncertainty of taking
out the double to a decent contract,
plus the extra defense that South's
distribution implies, and pass becomes
the percentage action. Matched to our

sample North hand, 3♥ doubled is a
favorite to go set, perhaps two tricks.
Compare hand A to hand B to measure
defensive prospects - the flatter the
hand, the worse the fit, the more it suggests defense over offense.
Hand C amounts to an offensive
bonanza! Compared to A, the fifth
spade is an extra trick; you expect heart
shortness from partner because the
opponents advertise a nine-card heart
fit, your diamond control is a clear
plus, and the secondary club fit boosts
offense. All this represents a huge improvement over hand A. Accordingly,
jump to 4♠; you sometimes make an
overtrick facing North's sample hand,
typically losing one heart, one club, and
perhaps one spade. 3♠ doesn't begin
to do justice to this hand's playing potential and risks missing a game. Don't
count on North to bid 4♠ for you; he's
already told his story.
Distribution is often the key to
trick-taking potential in suit contracts.
Point count has its proper place for
balanced hands and notrump. When it
comes to deciding whether to declare
or defend, a useful mantra is, "balanced
hands tend to defend." And, like hand C,
when partner has bid strongly, make a
progressive bid if your hand could be
much worse.
◾
July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2020
