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Bridge 3/26
When there is game for both sides
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    Here is a third deal from the bridge-dinner duplicate that I ran in Hobe Sound, Fla., last month. This one caught my eye because three Wests made four spades, one with an overtrick, and one South made five diamonds doubled with an overtrick. It is not often both sides bid and make game.
    After South opens one diamond, West should overcall one spade. Do not make a takeout double with a singleton in an unbid suit (unless your hand is very strong). Even if West had a singleton diamond and three clubs, I think it would be better to get in the five-card major. True, a double would make it easier to find a 4-4 heart fit, but it would make it impossible to find a 5-3 spade fit because South is not strong enough to rebid over a two-club advance by his partner.
    North's two-spade cue-bid shows a maximum pass with diamond support — perfect!
    East, with a void, should make a pre-emptive leap to four spades. Vulnerable? Real players don't care about vulnerability! Bridge is not for cowards.
    Now South bids five diamonds, primarily because of the excellent diamond fit. True, he has good-looking defensive values in the rounded suits, but his hand is more about offense than defense.
    At the table, West doubled and led her singleton club. But now South picked up the trumps successfully and discarded his spade loser on dummy's fourth club to gain the overtrick.
    West can make five spades if North leads a minor-suit card. West ruffs all three diamonds on the board and loses only one heart and one club.
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