Dubious Logic

First steps for a new club

Last week I visited Suffolk's newest club. That's not strictly true for the Heritage Coast Bridge Club which meets in Leiston has been running for a while now, it is just the most recent to announce itself to the Suffolk Contract Bridge Association. The club's evolution has been typical; a successful teaching group outgrows its pure learning brief, collects a few local players and a bridge club is born. Peter Rowlett was the original teacher and now acts as partner broker and gently advises his former pupils.

Of course, being a visitor, I was on my best behaviour, determined not to put a foot wrong or do anything out of the ordinary but only the second deal I picked up this awkward collection at game all:

After two passes I opened a club and heard partner bid a spade; what now? I could have begun with a 12-14 no-trump but I dislike that on suit orientated hands. Now I am not strong enough by any stretch to bid hearts and oblige partner's preference to my longer suit at the three level. That leaves an unattractive two clubs on a poor suit or one no-trump when partner will expect 15-16. Still, the standard point-count undervalues aces and kings and I have two tens in addition; maybe this will 'upgrade' to fifteen. Partner raises this promptly to three, the six of diamonds is led and I see these cards:

Not too bad at all; after the lead I have two diamonds, two ace-kings and if clubs break, two more there. That will be eight and a bit of luck in spades (and perhaps diamonds) will see me home. I win the king over South's knave and play a club to dummy's king but on the second round, South threw a spade. Ah…

I am now faced that familiar dilemma. In a contract unlikely to make, does one lash out trying for favourable but improbable holdings or play to do no more harm? There can be some delicate judgements (will other declarers face the same problem?) but I must revise my trick target. Continuing to play clubs would generate one more, if the diamonds are not so foul, I might get a spade for seven or eight in total.

But if that is the limit of my ambition, then I should play on spades straightaway: if the queen is onside, I will surely get eight when the diamonds are 4-4 and if I end up with seven then I am not worse. What should sway your decision is to avoid giving away something that belongs to you – here it is the trick you can establish by force out of the king-knave-ten of spades. In fact the spade queen was offside – but it was much worse than that:

I played clubs and North diamonds, I was far from happy when he produced six of them. However, whatever signals South gave were missed by North in his delight of cashing those diamonds so with three cards to go, he played a heart not a spade and I was lucky to escape with down two and not down four. I note that with careful play, because the North-South hands become disconnected, I could have ensured just one light.

Heritage Coast Bridge Club
Meets Wednesdays 13:30 at Church Hall, All Saints Leiston. Contact details on Suffolk website http://www.suffolkbridge.co.uk

Published Saturday 10.Nov.2007