Experienced players are flexible about opening 1NT. If the partnership range is 15 to 17 points, a player may open 1NT with A 1 0 3, K 1 0 5, Q 9, A J 1 0 9 5 due to the five-card suit and good spots. He may downgrade and open one club with K Q, K Q 2, K J 4, J 7 6 5 3.

I am averse to opening 1NT and promising balanced pattern when I don't have it, but some experts routinely open 1NT with K, A 1 0 7, K Q 6 5, K J 5 4 3 because of rebid issues after opening one of a suit. With today’s South hand, many experts would open 1NT despite the six-card minor.

South actually opened one diamond and jumped to three diamonds next. If North had rebid three hearts, South would have tried 3NT; but North raised to five diamonds.

West led a trump (quite remarkably; the king of spades was a standout), and East won and returned a trump. Declarer won in dummy and led a spade: seven, jack, queen. He won a club return and took the K-A of hearts. When no queen appeared, South tried a second spade to his jack. Down one.

“I couldn’t set up a heart trick in dummy either,”declarer shrugged.

After South wins Trick Two, he can take the A-K of clubs and K-A of hearts, then lead a spade to his ten. When West wins, he is end-played and must concede an 11th trick whether he leads a club, a spade or (if he had one) a heart.

I will admit that if South opens 1NT, North will transfer to hearts, then bid 3NT to offer a choice of games. South will pass and make at least one overtrick without working up a sweat. Nevertheless, I retain my dislike of offshape 1NT openings.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable

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