Major Tom by Foxymoron

Ground Control to Major Tom

Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong

We had a normal enough auction yesterday to what seemed like the best contract, but there was something wrong. We scored well below average on the board, and I decided to do some analysis of the auction.

We had what seemed like a standard auction, 1D-1S-2C-2D-All Pass. And I managed to make ten tricks. The problem is that people were making nine in spades, so my +130 was not great. Computers are getting better at bridge and they are more helpful than ever before. Plugging the two hands in to Bridge Dealer revealed that the best contract was 2S, and my partner might have bid that. The textbooks say that with a weak hand you should give what is called "false preference" but rebidding the five-card major is probably better. It is quite likely to be a 5-2 fit, and why would you want to play a 5-2 diamond fit at matchpoints in preference to a 5-2 spade fit? 

The defence to 2D is interesting. Say that the defence starts with the ace of hearts and East discourages. Now a club switch holds declarer to eight tricks. East can play a second club and if declarer draws trumps, West will be able to cash two clubs. 2S is also tricky. The defence has to set up their club tricks and only the ace of clubs lead hold the declarer to eight tricks. West can win a heart and play two more rounds of clubs to promote a second trump. An unlikely defence

Major Tom is right. Choose a major over a minor if you have a five-card suit and would otherwise have to give false preference. Some would open the East hand a weak no-trump, far too strong in my book. But they are rewarded when West transfers to spades and East plays in 2S. And the lead of the ace of hearts is surprisingly fatal.