Dubious Logic

Matchpoint Madness

It's been some time since I last played match-pointed pairs. So long in fact that the precise memory eluded me when I sat down to re-kindle an old partnership at a side event of the End of year Congress in London. It didn't take long for the up and down, roller-coaster ride to start to make me queasy and remind me why I leave this particular vice to others. To appraise the sane amongst you (though not the majority for this is bridge's populist flavour) each deal is a separate entity and you most simply do better than your fellows – the actual margin is irrelevant. Take your chances with these two hands, make a decision before reading on, for each, do you lead a spade or a diamond?

Have you made your selections? Well on the first hand partner has ace-king of one suit and three low ones in the other. I hope you led a spade. My poor partner chose a diamond and that meant he lost his queen; declarer scored four in that suit, five trumps and a ruff and led towards the club king for his eleventh. In any normal sort of bridge you'd be glad they didn't bid game and get on with the next deal perhaps only hoping, if applicable, that your team-mates managed it. But this is a matchpoint disaster. Succumbing to the extra overtrick means you only beat the few who had to defend against the lucky game – the vast majority of those in a part-score for ten tricks defeat you. The second hand seems even more arbitrary:

I was South now - seat positions rotated for the diagram. I tried to fashion an argument in favour of one doubleton over another but could find nothing. If declarer had equal length in hearts and either spades or diamonds then it is more likely to be the minor as with touching suits one opens the higher ranking but what does that mean? In the end I opted for a spade and my choice was as fortunate as the other was not. Declarer played low in dummy and my partner ducked as well, on gaining the lead with the trump ace I scored a ruff to beat the contract. East should have made things more difficult by rising with the spade king – North must still duck to keep communications. Two boards and back to average.

Published Saturday 6.Jan.2001