Dubious Logic

To give up or not to give up?

It has become a cliché in sporting commentary, a compliment that so-and-so simply "…doesn't know when to give up" that marks the recipient as a fighter to the last, highly desirable in a competitive world.

But at bridge you have to know when to give up. If you strive too much in the auction, searching for the right cards for a game or slam, you endanger your safe score, either by getting too high or giving away information to the opponents. In the play, trying to defeat a contract is admirable, but if you are unrealistic then you give away overtricks. Of course at pairs that is a disaster but at teams play, the odd IMP here and there might seem like good investment. But there has to be a limit; try defending this hand from the South seat from a Crockfords match some years ago:

The opponents are trying to come from behind but there's nothing unusual about West's thin-looking raise of his partner's 20-21 balanced opening.

Your lead of the heart six goes to partner's knave and declarer's three. Partner continues the four, ten, queen from you. You now clear the suit with your lowest heart, signalling the ace of clubs. You sit back; with that ace and the king of spades, what's the worst that can happen?

Declarer starts diamonds by leading to dummy's ten, then plays another to his ace, you part with a club and then a spade but on this third round, partner also discards. East started with six of them and proceeds to cash them all. There are two more to be played when you realise things are not as rosy as they looked, which four cards are you going to keep?

Declarer has seven tricks we know about: six diamonds and the heart ace, accounting for just thirteen HCP. He surely has the spade ace and the club king for twenty. Say you keep two spades, the club ace and a heart. Declarer can safely play a club now and you have just one heart to cash. Perhaps throw a spade and a club? You'll regret that early signal – East will have no alternative but to drop the spade king. So it's hopeless then? Take a look at the full deal:

East was doing the best for his side and economised with a point or three in the auction. Holding a winning heart at the expense of a black card can never defeat the contract and throwing them both away is the only way to beat three no-trump - but will cost an overtrick whenever East does hold club king. On the actual layout, North will win the first club and play a spade and you'll defeat the contract without help from the heart suit.

What happened at the table? South gave up – sadly for the chasing team, in the other room too, even though East hadn't shown such a strong hand.

Published Saturday 12.Jul.2008