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Andrew:
The Rule of Twenty
In the early days of bridge a full thirteen point hand was required in order to open the bidding. Now standards have dropped to twelve. In addition there is a very useful rule - taking distribution into account - that sometimes allows you to open the bidding with even less. Add your total points to the number of cards in your two longest suits; if the total is twenty or more then it is winning bridge to open the bidding. Using The Rule of Twenty, an eleven point hand with a five-four shape or with a six card suit will be opened; as will a ten point hand with a five-five or six-four shape.
This week's South must have been a trifle nervous - having opened the bidding with just nine points he heard his partner had put him into Slam. How did he fare?
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South Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♠ | |||
| 2 ♣ | 2 ♦ | 3 ♣ | 3 ♥ |
| 5 ♣ | 6 ♥ | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
East-West's vigorous ♣ bidding convinced North - correctly - that his partner was almost certainly void of the suit. So his 6 ♥ bid over 5 ♣ was not quite the wild leap it first appears.
West led ♣ A and declarer trumped. He crossed to ♥ Q, cashed ♥ K and led to ♥ A, drawing the four opposing trumps. He then led ♠ 3 to ♠ Q and ♠ 4 to ♠ J and West's ♠ A. West switched to ♦ 3 - too late. Declarer won dummy's ♦ A, trumped ♣ 6, cashed ♠ K and his three remaining ♠s and took the last trick with dummy's remaining trump.
West can hardly be blamed for his ♣ A lead but the opening lead of a ♦ would have established a ♦ trick for the defence, which they would have been able to cash when in with ♠ A.
THE RULE OF TWENTY: Open the bidding when your total points added to the number of cards in your two longest suits equal twenty or more.
