Today’s deal is from an all-expert team match recently. East-West were playing the Multi Two Diamond convention, where an opening bid of two diamonds shows a weak twobid in one of the majors. This has become one of the most popular conventions in the world except in North America, where the “powers that be” have barred it from play in all but the most high-level competitions.
The ambiguity of the bid, combined with South’s bid, which also didn’t specify which major suit he held, kept West out of the bidding. This was a comic situation where EastWest were not able to find their 11-card fit!
South won the opening diamond lead, cashed the ace and king of hearts, and ruffed a heart. The hearts would not provide enough club discards, so South had to develop a trick in the club suit. He led a club to the king, losing to the ace, but a club toward the jack later gave South his eleventh trick and his contract.
An East-West contract of five spades would have been down only one — a very good sacrifice. The rule makers in North American bridge don’t think their players can handle Multi Two Diamonds, but it looks like good fun to us. How about a rule change?
