The question I posed my panel came from recent play and one of my respondents wanted to know whether there was a good way to get to the excellent 6D. Most of us would have bid 3D with the given hand and most of our partners would have then bid 3NT which would have been passed. I do agree with Dean, though, that you should rebid diamonds and 4D would give partner an option of 4S or, as it happens, 6D when he sees 4D on the bidding pad. Another moot point: is the 3D bid stronger than a minimum? I play it as similar to a reverse, hence North should have been interested and bid 4D not 3NT. But some people play 3D as nothing more than a normal diamond rebid. Something to discuss with
partner.

The two hands were

AQ9854 AJ942 A5

73 AQ875 K865 KQ

Match Points EW VUL Dealer East. You are South.
The bidding has been:

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1
Pass	1NT	Pass	2
Pass	Pass	X	Pass
?

What do you bid holding

875

AT98

K6

QJ73

Answers to me at villyn@xtra.co.nz please.

Thanks for the input of the many who responded - it should be valuable for all of us. Below is a summary of some of your answers and my own view of things.

Match Points
You are SOUTH

1. Dlr W EW Vul

South	West	North	East
-	Pass	Pass	Pass
1	Pass	1	Pass
?

Your bid holding:

A95

AKQT5

AT6

J8

Brilliant defence has always fascinated me, to the extent that I offer this commentary on defence, which comes from an article I wrote 20 years ago inspired by something I read in a very old copy of a well known New Zealand magazine, one I picked up in the local fish and chip shop. This is basically how the story went:

Dealer South NS Vul

	984 72 94 AQT964
Q53 QJT94 KJ J82		JT72 863 Q872 K5
	AK6 AK5 AT653 73

The question

Here is your hand and at nil vul you are fourth in hand after three passes:

Q92

AT876

AJ5

97

Match point scoring: what would you bid
a) if playing at your club (just an ordinary session)?
b) if playing in a multigrade or open tournament?

Answers with reasons to me at villyn@xtra.co.nz please