Dearest Partner...

[This is a duplicate of a previous article that encountered email distribution problems. Stop me if you've already heard this...]

Some hands are just plain hard to bid, with no clear-cut correct answer. That is partly why bridge is such a fascinating game.

Here’s a hand from a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t satisfied with my choice at the table, and even less so the more I thought about it later. I posted this hand as an online bidding poll at BridgeWinners.com to get some expert opinions.

Matchpoints, E-W vulnerable, you are South.
♠ K 8 6 2   ♥ A K J 8 7 6 5   ♦ 2   ♣ 5

North 1 ♣ 3 ♠

East 2 ♦ Pass

You 2 ♥ ??

West 3 ♦

What do you bid over 3 ♠? What do you think the experts bid?

ANSWER: Half of the experts chose 4♦. The rest of the votes were split between 4♠ and 4NT, with just a few votes for other bids.

I am chagrined to admit that I didn’t think of 4♦ at the time, but I believe it is by far the best choice. It isn’t clear whether partner started with 5 spades and 6 clubs, or only 4 spades and 5 (or 6) clubs. While spades will be at least an 8-card trump suit, playing a spade slam could be tricky if partner holds only honor-fourth in the suit. We would like to know more about partner’s hand rather than acting unilaterally.

What does a 4♦ bid mean here? It is forcing; it means “partner, you must bid again”. With a diamond overcall and raise by the opponents, it can’t possibly be to play in diamonds. It may or may not show a diamond control. It doesn’t necessarily show spade support. It implies a hand that is unwilling to just sign off in 4♥ or 4♠. It doesn’t show something in particular; it asks partner for more information. Partner should notice that it is the only forcing call available short of 4♥ or 4♠, either of which would likely end the auction.

An expert player from the UK, Ian Grant, once wrote a lovely eloquent description of this kind of ambiguous bid. I’ll quote it in entirety:

"I think of it as sending a memo: 

Dearest Partner,

Once again I find myself faced with the prospect of a difficult decision in the near future. Since you are at least partially responsible for this unfortunate state of affairs I have no hesitation in requesting your help. Any further information you can provide regarding the cards you are holding would, I am sure, be of great assistance. 

your long suffering friend,

Ian"

Bridge is a partnership game, so get partner involved.

BONUS MINUTE: Spades, not hearts, should almost always be trump here; but you probably knew that already. The spade suit will have the same losers regardless of what's trump. But if there are any heart losers, declarer can most likely ruff them if spades are trump and then use the established hearts to pitch minor suit losers. If hearts are trump, there's no way to get rid of any heart losers.