The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, 1 March 2026
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Dear Mr. Rigal:
What is the best way to play a trump suit of K-J-10-5-4-2 facing a singleton?
Card Combination, Danville, Ill.
All else being equal, I will play up to the king. If that loses, I will continue with the jack. If the king wins, I will continue with a low one, thus gaining a trick against A-x onside or Q-x offside. The alternative of finessing the jack (and then continuing from the top) picks up the same 3-3 splits but only gains against one 4-2 layout, namely Q-x onside.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
Say your one-no-trump opening is doubled and partner passes. How likely are you to run?
Dangerous Territory, Staten Island, N.Y.
I would normally bid if I had a five-card suit of my own, or maybe with two good four-card suits. (I could redouble with that.) Otherwise, I would await the sight of dummy. Partner could have run ahead of me if he had his own suit. I would certainly take into account whether my right-hand opponent had shown signs of discomfort before passing, and the question of whether I had quick tricks in my long suit might also affect the issue.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
What is the best way for a partnership to test out new methods?
Bidding Practice, Selma, Ala.
Some bridge websites provide good tools for this, particularly BridgeBaseOnline. You can create a private table and get the software to deal hands to a certain specification (such as one hand being 15-17 balanced) for you to bid on. You could also meet up in person and deal out some hands, but that probably won’t be as efficient.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
You hold ♠ 4, ♥ Q-J-10-8-3, ♦ Q-10-7-6-2, ♣ K-5 and transfer to hearts over partner’s strong no-trump. What next, after he completes the transfer?
Fighting Fit, Willoughby, Ohio
You could force to game and show both suits, or invite by bidding two no-trump now (in which case you will be unhappy to hear partner pass, even though that could easily be right). A third option involves the road less traveled. Incidentally, my choice would have been to make a Texas transfer to hearts at the four-level. Hearts could easily be right, even facing a doubleton. My long diamonds might act as surrogate trumps here.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
I opened one diamond with ♠ A-K-4, ♥ 8-7-5-2, ♦ A-J-10-9, ♣ 7-2 and raised partner’s one-heart response to two. He went to three, and I passed, missing a good game opposite his five solid hearts. Should I have done more?
Points Schmoints, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
You had a minimum in high cards for your opening, but your cards were all working — hard values and a source of tricks in diamonds, thanks to the supporting spot cards. The doubleton in clubs could also be useful as a ruffing value. What’s more, based on his bidding, partner probably had five hearts (you could have had three, and he might have made a different call with only four), in which case holding nothing in trumps might not be a terrible thing — the more trumps you have, the fewer honors you need. Note that some play partner’s three-heart call as noninvitational. Make sure you and your partner agree!
Barry Rigal
Barry Rigal is an English-born bridge player, author, commentator, and journalist who has won major national titles in both the UK and the United States and served as a VuGraph commentator for decades at European and World championships. He has written and edited numerous bridge books and articles and has been President of the International Bridge Press Association, contributing widely to the game’s literature and education.
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