By Val Rhead
How do you help your partner find the best lead when defending a contract? As you know, the right lead can make all the difference in making a good score in a defensive hand. Of course, it is patently illegal to clutch your chest when you want a Heart lead or to twirl your wedding ring when you want a Diamond lead.
One of the best legal ways to signal your choice for partner’s lead is to double an artificial bid made by your opponent. This can be accomplished easily when your opponent opens One No-Trump or Two No-Trump. If the opponent responder bids Two Clubs for Stayman, you can double this for a Club lead. If the opponent bids Two Diamonds for a transfer to Hearts, you can double for a Diamond lead. The same double for lead direction applies for opponent bids of Two Hearts to transfer to Spades, or Two Spades to transfer to Clubs, or Three Clubs to transfer to Diamonds. A similar method is used if the opening bid is Two No-Trump.
Another opportunity of doubling an artificial bid for lead direction occurs when opponent responder makes a Bergen Raise by jumping to Three Clubs or Three Diamonds. The artificial bid shows four-card support and respectively either 6 to 9 points or 10 to 12 points.
An opponent’s Mini-Roman opening bid of Two Diamonds shows a hand with three four-card suits (four Spades guaranteed). This artificial bid provides an opportunity for a double to give Diamond lead direction.
Players also double for lead direction the artificial bids made in response to four No-Trump or Four Club bids asking for Aces. Some players may find doubling an artificial suit at such a high level a bit daunting.
ALERT: MAKE SURE THAT YOU DOUBLE ONLY ARTIFICIAL BIDS FOR LEAD DIRECTION. DOUBLING A NATURAL BID FOR LEAD DIRECTION COULD GET YOU IN A LOT OF TROUBLE.
For more information, go to the “Bridge Bulletin” Doubles Lead Directing Sep 2014 P47
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesdays, 7:15pm, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.
The following winners are for Tuesday, Sep 13 with 8 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 2. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 3. Bruce Elliott and Rod Dixon; 4. Betty Fagin and Betty Rintoul; East-West 1. Art Insley and Don Norman; 2. Yvonne Cox and Barb Green; 3. Catherine McMillan and Julianne Guselle; 4. Arlene Crozier and Susan Maddocks
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time.
The following winners are from Monday, Sep 12 with 8 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 2. Lorna Wagner and Vern Foell; 3. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 4. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; East-West 1. Yvonne Cox and Mary Whitehead; 2. Betty Fagin and Bev Howard; 3. Gail Lederer and Hazel Bowes; 4. Betty Rintoul and David Bryce
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