Unusual no-trump shows the low suits

Benjamin Disraeli, the British prime minister from 1874 to 1880, said, "I feel a very unusual sensation - if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude."

We have been looking at the Michaels Cue-Bid. Now let's move to its poorer cousin, the Unusual No-Trump. If your right-hand opponent opens one of a suit, and you jump to two no-trump, you show at least 5-5 in the two lowest-ranking unbid suits. This was devised by Al Roth in 1948.

The snag with the Unusual No-Trump, especially when the opener bids a major, is that you are fighting with the minors, always having to go one level higher to outbid the opponents. And if they buy the contract, their declarer will accurately steer through the deal now that your hand is an open book.

In today's deal, though, South plays in three diamonds. What should West lead?

South has 11 high-card points, but his minor-suit fit is not good enough to contemplate game unless North has a strong hand, with which he would move over three diamonds.

After this auction, the best lead is a trump. West wants to reduce the number of club ruffs South can take in his hand.

Here, suppose West leads a weird club five. South wins with dummy's ace, ruffs a club, and drives out the heart ace. He wins West's trump shift in his hand, cashes his high heart, ruffs a heart, ruffs a club, ruffs his last heart, cashes the diamond ace, and plays a spade. South must score dummy's diamond jack to make his contract. But an initial trump lead defeats the contract.