Forcing or not? By Barry Rigal

Five problems for opener in competitive auctions.

Most people play that in competitive auctions new suit by an unpassed responder set up a force for one round; only raises and bids of no-trump can be passed. The problems you are frequently faced with are deciding what is forcing and what isn’t.

Then you have to judge what your hand is actually worth.

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Question 1

Your Hand
♠ Q J 9
♥ A K Q J 8 4
♦ 6 2
♣ 8 7

Q: 1 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
1♥	2♣	2 No-trumps	p
?

A: Bid 3NT. Your source of tricks makes it right to bid on to game, but the danger of losing ruffs in either black suit make it seem right to aim for no-trump rather than four hearts. And nine tricks are always easier than ten.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ K J 8 7 4
♥ K 5
♦ A 8 7 4
♣ A 5

Q: 2 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
1♠	dble	rdbl	2♣
?

A: Pass. Your partner’s redouble sets up a forcing auction – he cannot pass out two clubs. Since you would be happy to defend if that is what partner wants, wait and see whether his redouble was based on support, or whether he wants to take the opponents to the cleaners.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ J 10 8 3
♥ A Q
♦ Q 5 3 2
♣ A 7 3

Q: 3 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
1♦	1♥	2♣	P
?

A: Bid 2NT. Your heart stop is very sound, even though it is only a doubleton, and you would rather show a balanced minimum in this way than raise clubs – which would be consistent with a variety of other more promising hand-types from partner’s perspective.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ K Q 10 9
♥ 5 2
♦ K Q 10
♣ A J 6 3

Q: 4 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
1 No-trump	p	2♦*	dble
?

* 2♦ = transfer to Hearts

A: Pass. When a transfer is doubled, you can distinguish between two-card support (when you pass) and three or more trumps, when you complete the transfer or take even stronger action in support of partner.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A K 7 4 2
♥ 8 4
♦ A 10 8 6
♣ A 4

Q: 5 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
1♠	2♣	2♥	p
?

A: Bid 3♦. Make a natural and descriptive bid, which suggests your shape, with extra high cards. You should always prefer to make a natural and descriptive call to a cue-bid, assuming one is available. And by the way, Pass is not an option: partner's 2♥ is forcing even though you dislike his suit!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

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