How to Steal from Your Opponents
By Mike Lawrence

When South bids two spades, the opponents have lost useful bidding room. The auction shown is possible and did occur at some tables where South bid two spades.

At one of those tables where four spades, doubled, was the final contract, declarer faced the following defense.

West led the king of diamonds, East playing the two. West switched to the king of clubs.

Ought South to take this trick?

• YES
• NO
• WHY

You can see, looking at all four hands, that if South wins this trick, West will win the first spade and continue clubs. West gets to ruff the third round with the jack of spades for down one.

South saw the danger and played low. South won the next club and knocked out the ace of spades. East was not able to get in to let West get a club ruff with the jack of spades and four spades doubled came home.

DEFENSIVE ERROR

The defense could have prevailed in a number of ways. An initial club lead would do it. Or if West continued diamonds, forcing dummy to ruff a few times, West would establish a second trump trick.

A BIDDING QUESTION. Your partner opens one diamond and the next player doubles. What should you bid with this hand?

7
K 10 6 4 2
A J 2
Q 8 7 4

This is the hand that East held. Had East bid one heart, East-West would have bid four or five hearts instead of doubling four spades.

East redoubled because he felt he needed to show his good hand. This is a serious error. It is best to play that a new suit at the one level is forcing. If you have a suit you wish to bid at the one level, it is best to do that.

RULE

Save your redoubles for hands where you want to double the opponents or where you don't feel you can't be embarrassed by the opponents' bidding. Here, South jumped to two spades and the East-West bidding never worked out that they had a heart fit.