The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, 19 April 2026
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Dear Mr. Rigal:
What is the best way to handle a suit of K-J-10-4-3 facing A-2, needing all the tricks?
Card Combination, Albuquerque, N.M.
The best odds are found by cashing the ace and then finessing the 10. Running the jack on the first round does not pick up Q-x on your right. Note that if you think the suit is splitting 4-2, your only chance is to play them from the top, hoping for a queen-doubleton in either hand, but that is a relatively rare occurrence.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
Say the auction starts one club – one spade – two hearts, uncontested. Do you play a raise to three hearts as forcing or nonforcing now? How good a hand does four hearts show?
Role Reversal, Duluth, Minn.
I like to play two no-trump as Lebensohl here, showing any bad hand. Opener is expected to bid three clubs (his first-bid suit) unless he has significant extra values. I can then remove three clubs to three hearts to show a weak hand with heart support. (Remember that you are not supposed to pass a reverse.) In this context, a direct raise to three hearts is forcing, showing some slam interest, and jumping to four hearts shows enough for game with no slam interest. See kwbridge.com/rev-leb.htm for more.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
What would you do with ♠ K-Q-6-4, ♥ Q-10-9-6-4, ♦ 9-4, ♣ 9-7 after your right-hand opponent’s three diamonds is passed around to partner, who doubles?
High or Low, Saint John, New Brunswick
I could bid three hearts, but this hand is suitable in the context of what I might have. There is a temptation to do more, specifically four diamonds to locate our best major-suit fit. However, on the whole, I am expected to hold 7 or 8 points for this auction, and partner might be stretching in the balancing seat, so I would make do with three hearts. Facing a direct-seat double, I’d stretch to cue-bid, I think.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
Is it ever a good idea to alert a pass?
Unexpected Meaning, Cartersville, Ga.
If it has a strict definition, yes. Playing Precision, for example, I might alert a pass after I open a strong club and the next hand overcalls one spade, when pass is, by agreement, specifically either a weak or a penalty pass. I would tend not to alert forcing passes, though, unless they were in an unexpected position.
Dear Mr. Rigal:
Vulnerable against not, what would you do with ♠ A-Q-10-7-6-4-3, ♥ 9-4, ♦ 3-2, ♣ K-8 over right-hand opponent’s one club?
Overstrength, Woodland Hills, Calif.
I would overcall just one spade. When I follow up with two spades on the next round, I will be showing 10-15 or so, which sounds about right with the seventh spade and top cards. A weak two spades would be an underbid, and three spades is unattractive with 7-2-2-2 shape. I have the boss suit, so a big preempt has less to gain — we can always outbid them in spades. Switch the majors, and the preempt has more to recommend it.
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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