Thinking bridge

By Eddie Kantar

A passed-hand takeout double, revaluation

Bidding commentary: As West, you have a perfect passed-hand takeout double, the ideal distribution along with 9-11 HCP.

As South, when a six-card suit is supported, your hand increases in value big time. If the hand is balanced (6-3-2-2) it goes up “only” 3 points. If the hand has a singleton (6-3-3-1, like this one) it goes up 4 points. Finally, if the hand has a side-suit singleton and doubleton (6-4-2-1), the hand shoots up 5 extra points. (6-4, bid some more!) Given the 4-point upgrade, your hand skyrockets to 19 points and is worth a leap to 4♠. However, keep in mind that the value of your red-suit queens has diminished somewhat in the face of West’s takeout double. As East, don’t even think of counting a point for that ♠J, a secondary honor card in a suit that has been bid and supported.

Play commentary: As South, there are not enough dummy entries to set up the clubs, so grab the ♣A, and take the diamond finesse. After it wins, cash the ♦A, ruff a diamond, cash the ♠Q, and when West shows out, lead a spade to the 10 and draw trumps. You wind up with 10 tricks:
six spades in the closed hand, two diamonds, a diamond ruff in dummy and the ♣A. It would be fatal to play one high spade from your hand and then cross to the ♠Q to take the diamond finesse. After you ruff a diamond in dummy, you have
no spade left in dummy to take the marked spade finesse.

Play commentary #2: As South, you should expect the diamond finesse to work! Why? West, a passed hand, has turned up with the ♣K Q, possibly the jack as well, and figures to have a heart honor. He can’t have them both or he would have opened the bidding, not to mention leading a high heart. You know of a likely 9-10 HCP with West, so East is a heavy favorite to hold the ♦K. Finally, the finesse is your only realistic hope.