Dubious Logic

"Eighteen points partner!"

Points win prizes they say but the lesson that they don't always win tricks is slowly learnt. There's nowhere in the game that makes this clearer than when the opponents pre-empt. Now you cannot simply put your faith in isolated high cards. Why? You need high cards in long suits and intermediate cards for solidity (bad breaks are likely) and to play when you lack means to get from one hand to another. Look at these contrasting hands:

Against you the opponents open three diamonds first in hand and you double for take-out (strictly accurately, after two passes in the second). Both times your partner responds three hearts – good news – how do you continue?

Hand one raised to four hearts, "Eighteen points partner!" but the poor sap had to declare with one of those horror collections:

There is no better call than 3♥ on those cards and they were lucky to escape a double – someone held ♥Q10942 – but down three wasn't a success. On the second, though holding cards that were dangerous had partner wanted to penalise diamonds, for hearts there was excellent playing strength in the spade suit, so he found a raise to game. "You have to be in it to win it" they say…

The singleton diamond was led and south won; a spade was next and west hopped up with the ace to play…

Well it was too difficult at the table, though I expect you can see what to do. West cashed the club ace and, disappointed to have felled his partners king, tried to give him a ruff. But dummy's seven-spot was just sufficient. South now had winners in both hands and though he had to give a trump to west, emerged with ten tricks and game, with, between the two hands, "only eighteen points partner!".

Published Saturday 13.Jun.2009