Brighton: spades and seabirds

The hand-records available after most bridge competitions are indispensible. Obviously they resolve disputes such as who had the ten of diamonds and why partner's defence could never have defeated four spades but also the summary of deals is proof for your impressions of the session. Never had any cards? Look to the average point-count. Just plain dull? Check the number of balanced hands you held.

At Brighton I was (as ever) below my 10 HCP average but I did have more than my quota of long suits – and spades to boot. How would you treat this hand as dealer, no-one vulnerable?

It is tempting to count to eight and open four spades but, even in these days of inflated pre-empts, it is too much. Not to say that, if it's the opponents' deal, four spades won't sometimes score a goal, but it puts too much pressure on partner. That was the case here. The poor sap held ♠A ♥KQ102 ♦AQJ85 ♣AQ5 and tried four no-trump, backing off when opener denied an ace or the king of spades but even five spades was too high and, adding to injury, doubled by an opponent with that ace and all four outstanding trumps.

Three spades is enough and I received a slightly reluctant raise to four "don't make too many partner". How about this one, again dealer, but game all:

An 'Albatross' – an 8-4-1-0 – is an unwieldy shape; you have to play the four card suit out of hand and almost always end up losing four tricks, even if the suit is better than six-high. Again I chose just three spades and the auction got lively:

West
North
East
South
3
4*
4
4NT*
??

Four clubs was takeout (a slightly old-fashioned treatment) and four no-trump asked North to pick a suit, initially from the minors. I rather thought my hand improved; with those gaps in spades plugged, I had every hope of finding extra trumps in dummy to take care of hearts. I broke the rule that the pre-emptor shouldn't bid again and called 5♠, North greeted that impertinent with a double:

Game All,
Dealer West
  • Q8
  • KQ107
  • KJ9
  • AQ62
  • KJ965432
  • 6542
  • 5
  • ---
N
W
E
S
  • A107
  • A3
  • A876
  • J874
  • ---
  • J98
  • Q10432
  • K10953

I made twelve tricks for +1050. Our team-mates had a good result but missed an even better one. The auction started 3♠ – double – 3NT which allowed South to bid 4♦, when West continued with 4♠, North passed and South came again with five clubs. Though North passed this, when East doubled, he reverted to 5♦, away from the making club game for -200. However, that was still worth 13 IMPs – after all, East West have a slam!

Published Saturday 5.Sep.2009