The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, 10 May 2026
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Dear Mr. Rigal:
I see quite a bit in bridge articles about Walsh style. Please explain how this convention operates.
Majors First, Huntington, W.Va.
Dick Walsh was a top expert of the 1960s who first proposed that, in response to an opening of one club, responder should bypass a four- or five-card diamond suit to bid a major if they have a hand worth only one bid. Thus, after responder bids one diamond, opener can rebid one no-trump and bypass a four-card major, knowing that if his partner does have a major, he will be planning to bid again. Conversely, opener’s rebid of a major now guarantees at least four decent clubs (and most likely an unbalanced hand).
Dear Mr. Rigal:
What is the best way to tackle a suit of Q-8-2 facing A-9-5-4-3, needing three tricks?
Safety Play, Saint John, New Brunswick
You almost have a lock for three tricks. Lead up to the eight and then come back and play up to the queen. If the next player inserts the jack or 10, cover with the queen. Cashing the ace first would lose out to K-J-10-x over the queen, while leading to the queen first would sell out to a singleton king.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
You hold ♠ J-8-5-4-3, ♥ A-2, ♦ K-8-7-6-4, ♣ 8. No one is vulnerable, and partner opens one spade in third seat. Your right-hand opponent doubles, and you raise to four spades, back around to the player on your right, who doubles again. Your left-hand opponent bids five clubs, passed around. What would you do now?
Old Adage, Anchorage, Alaska
I do not expect five spades to make, and I can see two likely tricks in defense, so I would double. However, I might have made a different call at my second turn to try to bring partner in on the decision, perhaps a fit jump of four diamonds (which I prefer here to a splinter) to show spades and diamonds, thus bringing a possible double fit to light.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
Our group had an interesting deal, and we were unsure about how to bid it. I opened one diamond with a five-card diamond suit and opening high-card points. The opponent to my left had a 22-point hand but was unsure how to bid from there. Any advice?
Powerhouse, Grand Forks, N.D.
Once the opponents open, overcalls in a suit are natural and limited to, say, 17 high-card points. One-level overcalls start at 8 and may be five-card suits, and two-level overcalls should be opening-bid equivalents with a six-card suit or an excellent five. These days, jump overcalls tend to be weak, not strong. If you play a cue bid as a two-suiter, Michaels, a takeout double should be your first move on all really good hands. Advancer (doubler’s partner) will bid his best suit at the cheapest level with 0-9 HCP and do more by jumping or cue-bidding with extras.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
Must I keep completely quiet during the auction and play, or am I allowed the occasional joke?
Silence Is Golden, Dodge City, Kan.
Bridge is a social game, so no one will begrudge you the odd jest. Try not to talk when someone is thinking, though. Be especially sure not to give anything away. You know what they say about loose lips. At the end of the deal, feel free to be more unbuttoned.
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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