Fit Jumps 2017-12-16 Hand 13

Board 13 North Deals	♠ Q J 2 ♥ A 7 3 2 ♦ K J 6 ♣ Q J 8
♠ 10 9 7 5 4 ♥ 9 6 5 4 ♦ — ♣ 10 7 6 4	N W E S	♠ 6 ♥ K Q J 10 8 ♦ 10 8 7 5 4 3 ♣ 9
	♠ A K 8 3 ♥ — ♦ A Q 9 2 ♣ A K 5 3 2

West	North	East	South
	1 ♣	Pass	2 ♥
Pass	2 ♠	Pass	3 ♥
Pass	3 ♠	Pass	4 ♣
Pass	4 ♦	Pass	4 ♥
Pass	5 ♣	Pass	6 ♣
All pass

6 ♣ by North

Lead: ♠ 6

Made 7 — NS +940

Here 2 ♠ shows the hand with only three clubs. At this point it is known that opener has 3=4=3=3 or 4=3=3=3 distribution.

Responder's problem is to know how much opener has in hearts. There are two options 3 ♥ showing a singleton or void heart or 4 ♥ exclusion key-card. Exclusion is never going to help us know how much stuff opener has in hearts. Therefore we go through 3 ♥.

With only one heart stopper opener prefers to give a spade preference. Given opener's distribution is already known, 3 ♠ rather than 3 NT just simply says my heart stopper is not good. With four spades opener can bid 4 ♠ with 12-14. That would show some wastage in hearts. With no wastage in hearts opener can bid 4 ♥ showing a great hand. With 18-19 opener can temporise with 3 ♠ or 4 ♥ and then move again or use 4 ♣ or 4 ♦ as a cue-bids.

Bouyed by 3 ♠ showing little wasted in hearts responder sets clubs as trumps with 4 ♣. With a weaker hand responder can bid 3 NT which opener will pass with a heart stopper. In a minimum opener should have at most the ♥ A for 3 ♠. Therefore there should be at least eight working high card points. Slam is reasonable opposite ♠ Q, ♦ K and ♣ Q. Adding the spade and diamond jacks would make a grand playable.

Responder cooperates once with 4 ♦ but when opener cues 4 ♥ which must be a void given the earlier 3 ♥ showing a singleton or void and opener's possession of the ♥ A - we don't cue the stiff ♥ K here. With nothing more useful to show opener retreats to 5 ♣.

Opener can still imagine the grand but it is impossible to find those key jacks. Therefore a simple raise to 6 ♣ is all that is practical.

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