Using Bidding Space to Save Bidding Space
By Mike Lawrence

West took his ace of clubs and late in the play, he got his ace of spades, setting six diamonds one trick.

There is a simple solution to this disaster. Play that a four notrump opening asks for aces. In an earlier hand in this Web Page, I mentioned this use for an opening four notrump bid. On that hand, it came up as a theoretical thought. On this hand, it came up as a reality.

Using four notrump as Blackwood means you can't open four notrump to show 27-28 points, but that is a small price. In my lifetime, I can remember only one hand where I wanted to show the big balanced hand. Since I have no idea how to respond to a 27 point opening four notrump bid, I am happy to have a meaning for four notrump that I can understand.

In my lifetime, I have opened four notrump to ask for aces on six or seven hands. I won't claim that I gained on all of them but I will claim that I never had a bad result by doing so. In every case, we avoided various potential dangers.

SPECIAL ASIDE

Winning players have learned that when an opponent opens a strong two club bid, it is worthwhile bidding on weak hands with good suits. It disrupts the opponents' bidding.

Say that your RHO opens with two clubs and you have one of these hands. You note that you are not vulnerable and they are. Should you bid with these three hands and if so, what?

#1
QJ8763
43
873
32

#2
873
K3
KQJ83
873

#3
A
K1086543
3
Q1076