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An introduction to Overcall…

An overcall - literally a call over an opponent - is completely different to an opening bid. There is only one opening bid at the Bridge table, and it has already been made by an opponent. You are overcalling, not opening the bidding for your partnership.

The overcalling side are short of time - the chances of having a long uninterrupted conversation with partner to find a mutually agreeable trump suit are negligible (the opening side will prevent this). So you, as an overcaller, should have a strong preference for your suit to be trumps. This does not mean that you need a good hand (although you do not deny one), but you must have a good suit.

Exercise: Right-hand opponent opens 1 . With which of the following hands would you overcall 1 ?

Hand a) Hand b) Hand c) Hand d)

♠AQ1074

2

642

♣QJ64

♠AK72

Q96

K75

♣987

♠A6432

Q3

Q52

♣J82

♠KQJ74

J3

KJ72

♣A3

1♠ Pass Pass 1♠

 

Take West's cards and defend this deal

North Deals
None Vul
2
Q J 10 6
K 10
A K Q J 9 5
A 9 5 4
8
9 7 6 4 3 2
8 4
 
N
W   E
S
 
Q J 10 8 3
7 4 2
A Q
7 3 2
 
K 7 6
A K 9 5 3
J 8 5
10 6
West North East South
  1  1 1 2 
4 2 5  Pass Pass
Pass      
  1. Perfectly acceptable with that chunky suit.
  2. West has a powerful hand for spades, in spite of his meagre point count. In any event, he hopes to push North to 5  (his first chance to support).
5  by South

Our first deal sees an overcall topple the opening side overboard - a common eventuality. West led the ace of spades against 5 , and promptly switched to a diamond - a look at dummy made this obvious. Dummy played low so East won the queen and cashed the ace. Down one.

Lest you think that N-S erred, E-W would actually have made 4  - with just 13 points. Say the defence cash a top heart, then play three top clubs, forcing dummy to ruff (South discarding a heart). Finesse the queen of diamonds, cash the ace, run the queen of trumps (not covered) and lead a low trump to the nine. Ruff a third diamond, cross to the ace of trumps (felling South’s king) and run established diamonds.

 

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