By Valerie Rhead
FOURTH SUIT FORCING
You think you might have game but you do not know how to get there. One strategy is “Fourth Suit Forcing”. It is a convention that lets you tell your partner, “Do not stop bidding until we get to game.” Of course you cannot say this out loud, but you can provide this information by using this convention in your bidding.
For example, your bidding sequence in a hand is 1 Spade, Pass, 2 Clubs, Pass, 2 Diamonds, Pass. If know you have a game-going hand but do not know where, you would then bid 2 Hearts. In all cases, the fourth suit must be alerted because it does not say that the bidder has three cards or strength in that suit! You cannot make a bid that would mislead your opponents without alerting it. Partner alerts “My partner’s bid says nothing about Hearts but it is a game forcing bid.”
Caution: the bidding sequence 1 Club, Pass, 1 Diamond, Pass, 1 Heart, Pass, 1 Spade, Pass is NOT fourth suit forcing. The one Spade bid in this case is a forcing sequence for one round only but not to game. The one spade bidder may make this bid with just six points. The fourth suit forcing must always be at least at the two-level. Therefore the one spade bidder must jump instead to two spades to make it fourth suit forcing. This would, of course be alerted.
If the bidding progresses to the 3-level, for example, 1 Spade, Pass, 2 Hearts, Pass, 3 Clubs, the meaning of a 3 Diamond bid is different. It becomes an “asking” bid. “Partner, do you have a stopper in Diamonds? If you do, bid 3 No‑Trump.” If the 3 Diamond bidder did have a good stopper in Diamonds, he could have bid 3 No‑Trump himself without questioning his partner. If partner does not have a Diamond stopper, he would rebid one of the suits that has been mentioned already.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:15, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Call Betty 705-789-2560 [email protected] or Susan at 705-789-7156 [email protected] for information and partnerships. For the winter, the game is now held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, enter from the door on Main Street. Circle your calendar for the Christmas Party Dec 8, 4:30 at Tall Trees, game back at Trinity.
The following results are for Tuesday, Nov 10 with 7 tables playing a Howell movement. 1. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 2. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 3. Barb Green and Joanne Garvey; 4. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell; 5. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 6. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 7. Chris Karn and Jinty Stewart
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before game time. For information/partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
Circle your calendar for the Winter Party Nov 30 5:00 for 5:30 Curling Club, game back at Knox. Sign up for party Nov 16 and 23.
The following results are for Monday, Nov 9 with 7 tables playing a Mitchell movement. 1. Bev Parlett and Vern Foel; 2. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 3. Betty Rintoul and Judy Geller; 4. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 5. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 6. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 7. Gerry Flaherty and Rolly Landriault
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