You have a balanced hand with 15 or 16 points. Your bidding strategy is to open one of your longest suit and rebid Notrumps at the lowest level over your partner’s response. So if you open 1♥ and partner replies 1♠, you will rebid 1NT. How about if the opponent on your right overcalls 2♣? Should you rebid 2NT?

The answer is a categorical NO! It is totally illogical to change your Notrump bid because of an intervention. The 2NT bid in the auction: 1♥ - P - 1♠ - 2♣ - 2NT shows the same strength as in: 1♥ - P - 1♠ - P - 2NT, ie 17 or 18 points.

If West had mistakenly bid 2NT over South’s 2♦, East should raise to 3NT (2NT showing 17,18), a contract that would have drifted two or three down. He correctly passed 2♦, knowing his partner could bid on with a decent hand.

West led ♠J to ♠Q and East’s ♠K. East switched to ♣6 to ♣9, ♣Q and ♣4 and West played ♠7 to ♠A and East’s ♠2 return was trumped by West. West cashed ♣A and ♥A before playing ♥2 to ♥K. Declarer now correctly banged out ♦AK, felling ♦Q and just losing to ♦J. But two down was a handsome reward for West’s discipline in passing 2♦.

ANDREW’S TIP: If you are unable to make your planned Notrump rebid because of an intervening bid, Pass!