Bridge
7 September, 2026
Making a game try bid
Constructive bidding should be a conversation in which you seek partner's opinion.
Constructive bidding should be a conversation in which you seek partner's opinion. On this deal, vulnerable against opponents who are not, you open 1❤️ in first seat. Partner raises to 2❤️ and the opposition remains silent. What next?
You have 16 high card points and a 6-loser hand, but the spade suit is empty and ♦️Q is of questionable value. A raise to 2❤️ should typically promise 3-card support and a 9-loser hand, suggesting that the appropriate contract is no more than 3❤️, especially with just an 8-card fit. Then again, if partner has a couple of suitable honours in diamonds and spades, game is likely to make. Can you do anything more to find out?
Yes, you can. At this point, a non-jump bid of a new suit is a game try bid, which in its usual form suggests a holding of 3+ cards with 2+ losers in the suit. Making a trial bid asks partner to evaluate her hand in terms of how well it fits with/reduces losers in the bid suit.
This was the full deal:
The South hand is very suitable for a trial bid of 2♠️. North, who has good cards in spades and a maximum hand for her raise to 2❤️, can now bid 4❤️ with high hopes of success. In fact the game proves to be easy to make when South, having drawn trumps and cashed ♠️A, leads a spade towards dummy and ♠️Q pops up. All that declarer loses is a trick in each of hearts, diamonds and clubs.
After a simple raise of a major suit, a non-jump bid of a new suit can be used to make a game try.
Rakesh Kumar
The Southern Highlands Bridge Club runs three duplicate sessions every week (Mon 1:00 pm, Wed 6:30 pm, Sat 1:00 pm) at the East Bowral Community Centre. Highlands players and visitors welcome!
For more information: https://shbc.bridgeaustralia.org
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