Dubious Logic

WMSG: Active bidding, careful defence

Last week I gave a deal where Heather Dhondy, one of the gold medal winning English Women at the World Mind Sports Games, backed her judgement and ducked a critical trick on the very last board of the final against China. That action allowed the contract to make and she carried the weight of her decision into scoring up the very close finish. All those who have experienced a tight head-to-head match will recognise the emotions.

To redress the balance, here is Heather at the other end of the match, board two in fact, ducking another critical trick – with a much better outcome.

West's two diamond opening could have a been a weak bid in either major and East simply bid two hearts to play there or two spades – if that was West's long suit (!) – a device known as "Pass or correct".

West made the natural lead of the heart seven, won by dummy's king. Declarer naturally started clubs, low from dummy, two, queen and West's…? Allowing her only entry to be knocked out did not seem to be a good idea so Heather played low. South needed club tricks and took a finesse against West's putative knave – after all, East seemed to have the ace. With her entry intact and South short of tricks, it was easy for the defence to continue hearts and defeat three no-trump. In fact they even got a top spade resulting in down three, +300 to England.

In the other room, the Chinese West chose the same conventional start and North passed her borderline hand. East raised the ante and invited her partner to "Pass or correct" at the three level by bidding three hearts. Neither English woman fancied entering the bidding at that level and that was the final contract, also three down for +150 to England and 10 IMPs to the team.

For comparison: in the open final the Italian South opened and though the English intervened, they reached five clubs and made that for +600. The English North-South never bid over the Italian West's mid-range (8-13) two heart opener which was defeated a trick for +50. In the seniors, the USA West essayed sound weak twos so passed resulting in a Japanese one-two-three no-trump sequence. Declarer, North, ducked East's top spade lead and successfully played a club to the ten for an eventual +660. The Japanese senior East-West duplicated the Chinese women's two-diamonds – three hearts freeze-out. Like so many others, this deal shows the value of getting your blow in first.

Published Saturday 22.Nov.2008