Practice Hand 5 · Bidding · Deal 1 from Bridge Self-Study Companion Guide, Ch. 11, Group 3
Partner shows a singleton. Do your honours in that suit still count?
North · Opener
16 HCP
South · Responder
14 HCP
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2NT |
| Pass | 3♥ | Pass | 4♠ |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | — |
Solution
Jacoby 2NT asks opener to describe shape, not points — and a new suit at the 3-level is opener's way of showing a singleton or void there. North's 3♥ does exactly that.
Opposite a singleton or void, the ace and queen of hearts can take at most one trick between them — often none, since North can ruff a losing heart after the first round. 14 HCP looks like slam interest on paper, but a big chunk of it is sitting in the wrong place.
If South held small hearts instead (say ♥72), there would be nothing to waste — every card elsewhere in South's hand pulls full weight opposite the shortness, and a slam try becomes very much worth exploring.
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