Dubious Logic

A long conversation

Whatever our skill level the social element of bridge is important to us. We get that not only from the opponents we meet at the table but perhaps more so from partners, team-mates and fellow players. It's from the last group that we also get long conversations about who did what and why. Suppose then that you're called up by an occasional partner who has played a match, do you expect a longer call if they've won or lost?

Experience tells me that I should make sure I'm sitting comfortably if the result has gone against my friend. There will be many actions to question, partner's and team-mate's as well as his own. Naturally, there will be hard-luck stories and if I'm fortunate the odd deal that's fit to print:

First, how would you and your favourite partner bid those hands?

It is not easy. If you decide, poorly in my view, to open two no-trump on the west cards, you will probably get to a slam. East has enough to invite and west's cards are very suitable. The case against starting with one club is that your problems multiply with the good news when partner responds one spade. Not for nothing is this shape – values for a jump rebid with support for partner – known as the 'Nightmare Hand'.

You could try that three club rebid but it's non-forcing and a little scary when partner might pass with short clubs and five (or six) spades. You could try three no-trump, which most play as 'good clubs' (but usually solid) but that will likely exclude spades. Or two no-trump, an underbid that allows a bit more room. Or two diamonds.

That's the current acceptable compromise in most expert circles but I can imagine it not sitting well in less tolerant partnerships. This is how the auction might go: 1♣ - 1♠; 2♦ - 2♠; 3♠ - 3NT; 4♣ - 4♥; 5NT - 6♠, where 5NT asked partner to choose between clubs and spades. My friend listened to a much worse auction to six spades and he presented it to me as a play problem – what is your line as east in 6♠ after a diamond lead?

It seems weak play to depend on the lead being away from the diamond king or the trumps behaving when you can pitch dummy's diamond on a heart. Therefore win the diamond ace, two top trumps, three top hearts and then you can set up the clubs, gain entry back to dummy by ruffing a diamond to lead a club, pitching your last heart. Easy? But I had missed one thing:

Before you take your heart pitch, you must cash one top club. That way south cannot profitably ruff when you lead the second round from east towards the remaining honour.

Sadly my friend's partner led his singleton club, not testing declarer, "it was all over then". Not quite I replied, eager to recover some pride, "if you play the club queen under the ace, might declarer fall for a spade to the nine to keep your partner off lead?".

Published Saturday 1.Aug.2009