Dubious Logic

Spring Fours (3) - Obstruction and Opportunity

Gentle obstruction can destabilise the opponent's constructive auction. Of special attraction are those overcalls which remove a whole level of bidding, like two hearts over one spade. Last week I gave a hand where a player made an 'obstructive' overcall of two clubs over one diamond. Despite its fate on that deal (it succumbed to a penalty of 800) it is an especially tempting bid to make, getting in the way of not one but both majors.

Because of this we have the take-out double of overcalls; it is just too hard getting your suits into the game without it and passing up the occasional penalty is worth the price. But it doesn't always work out – from this year's Schapiro Spring Fours:

I guess it takes two good players to fashion a disaster like this – declarer had to try for trumps 3-3 and was down four (as North I threw a winning club in the endgame for no good reason). East thought that her partner might hold ♠Qxxx ♥AQJxx ♦Axx ♣x and her encouragement lead to them bidding what would have been a reasonable six spades (on a club lead). However, West thought East didn't have spades…

Another example of balanced reporting, here's a hand where active pre-emption resulted in opponents reaching a contract they surely wouldn't have done otherwise:

From the same competition, two players out of the top drawer, Justin and Jason Hackett, had a slight misunderstanding here. Peter Gemmell, the Suffolk Captain, started with two diamonds which could be a weak two in either major or a strong hand and I bid three spades, to play there or in four hearts if partner had a weak type. North cue-bid as he had been lurking with a good hand, but I think South thought that hearts was a playable denomination. North scampered to six clubs, completing his description albeit a level higher than he intended.

You don't think much of the slam? I led a spade and declarer won, tried the club knave playing the king when West produced a low card. He drew trumps ending in North as I threw a heart and a spade. His next shot was a diamond to the nine. South's spade loser went away and he conceded just a heart – slam made, as they say. Would I do the same again, raising to three spades? Yes; although it worked poorly here, I know of at least one other table where East-West declared that contract for a mere 50 away.

Published Saturday 31.May.2008