With two suits, be more optimistic

[Photo/China Daily]

Don Marquis, a dramatist, humorist, journalist and poet who died in 1937, said, "I never think at all when I write. Nobody can do two things at the same time and do them both well."

That is interesting－but how did he decide what words to put onto the paper?

At the bridge table, having two long suits is usually better than one. If you hit a fit with partner, you will win more tricks than the combined point-count would normally suggest－and doubly so if you have a double fit.

In this deal, do you agree with South's one-diamond opening? What should East do over North's two-heart cue-bid showing diamond support and at least game-invitational strength?

Since I held the South hand, I agree with one diamond! Even though the hand had only 12 high-card points, it had a lot of winners, and I was happy to bid up to four spades next in the hope that partner would have some fit. Here, I immediately found out that partner had diamonds.

Over North's two hearts, East jumped to four hearts. I prefer four clubs, a fit-showing jump in competition in principle announcing game values in hearts with at least 4=5 in those two suits.

Over four hearts, I rebid four spades, and partner corrected back to five diamonds.

West took two heart tricks, then shifted to a club, but I ruffed, drew trumps and claimed.

Interestingly, I said that East could have made a fit-jump in clubs; so could North! Over one heart, North might have bid three clubs, showing game-invitational values with at least 4=5 in the minors. Describing both suits helps