Bridge Weekly
Number 141	Tuesday 18 December 2012

Ask Sally

Protective bidding
by Sally Brock

Question
Can you help me to understand the bidding in the protective position. i.e. one-level opening by LHO, then two passes? How many points do I need to have, or what shape of hand, in order to bid? I have heard that you add a king (3 points) to your point count - is this correct?

Answer
The main point about protective bidding is that it is safer to bid in the pass-out position than directly over the opening bid because you know partner must have some values (otherwise the opponents would not have voluntarily stopped at such a low level). So, the theory is that you mentally 'transfer a king' (though some say an ace) from your partner's hand to yours, and make the bid you would have made in the direct (second) seat if you were a king stronger. Hence a 1NT overcall, instead of showing 15-17 points, would show 12-15. If the normal range for a simple overcall is, say, 10-16, in the protective position it would be 7-13; with more you need to double first. However, the lower limit for a double would be about 9 points, as opposed to 12 in the direct seat. Then, when partner is considering his response to your bid, he should deduct a king from his hand, i.e. bid as if he had a king (or 3 points) fewer than what he actually holds.

Having said that, you should be wary of protecting on light values when you have length in the opponent's suit. By bidding, you give them a chance to find a better fit. We have all (well, all of us who have been playing for a while, anyway) protected at the one level, only to find the opponents bidding and making game in another denomination. Very annoying.

Quiz 141

by Liz MacGowan

Dealer South. E/W Vul.

9 7 3 2 A 6 K Q J 10 9 6 2
	5 4 10 7 4 3 A 9 7 Q J 10 3

West

Pass

North

3

East

All Pass

South
1

After a simple limit-raise auction, partner leads the queen of hearts. Declarer plays the ace from dummy. You have agreed to play attitude signals on partner's honour leads. Which card will you play?

Solution

QPLUS
HAND OF THE WEEK

Hand Number 2854-27

Start up your QPlus program and using the menus at the top right of your screen:

Select: DEAL / Match Control

This brings up a menu box:
Check 'Deal number' in the top left hand corner of this box.
Move to the line below and fill in the number of the deal.
(eg deal 900-01 is filled in with: major: 900 minor: 01)
Check the Scoring Method as 'Pair (MP)'

If you would like to see what the computer does itself you would select Comparison: 'Closed room' .

To see Bernard Magee's analysis of the hand, go to
Hand 2854-27.

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