Dubious Logic

Suffolk v Northants

Early in the new year Suffolk entertained Northamptonshire in the Eastern Counties League. The visitors had the better of the match; the Suffolk 'A' and 'B' teams lost 5-15 and 8-12 in victory points respectively but the 'C' team retained some county pride, with a 12-8 win.

This apparently innocent pair of hands caused problems for the 'B' and 'C' teams:

West dealt at game all (deal rotated for convenience), opened a spade and received a two heart response. Modern teaching has it that one should be wary of repeating a five (as opposed to six) card suit. This makes a lot of subsequent bidding easier but requires thinking ahead, most notably in opening and rebidding no-trump on balanced hands despite the five-card major.

Even to a reluctant adopter of these methods, rebidding that spade suit should evoke distinct queasiness. Over a 2♦ response one would have no choice but here partner has good news. To get a measure of things going wrong however, consider the case where West did rebid 2♠ over 2♥: subsequently East believed their spades to be good and their hearts to be poor and 4♠ was reached. Though the cards lay well, declarer failed to come to ten tricks.

But raising two hearts to three didn't get one pair out of the woods; perhaps still with a hangover from New Year, East forced to slam (!) and declared 6♥. South led the nine of clubs – how would you play?

If you take the lead at face value, North has the club king. You may be down in short order but taking the spade finesse and hoping for that suit 3-3, or if it 4-2 that the queen of hearts falls in two seems much the best shot.

In, how might we say, low-percentage contracts, snatching at any chance is better than none and hoping to draw trumps and ruff out spades is a second best try. Indeed, with the spade queen offside and heart queen falling that would have been successful. Sadly declarer took some diamond ruffs and ran out of steam. Like they say about morning bridge ("too early…") perhaps there's something like "too early in the year…".

Suffolk v Northamptonshire
'A' team lost 5-15 VPs (-33 IMPs)
P. Gemmell / P. Sutcliffe
R. Hanley / A. Green
E. Newman / M. Sheerer
J. Lang / D. Morran

B team lost 8-12 VPs (-13 IMPs)
J. Price / D. Price (Capt.)
A. Moore / J. Moore
C. Bamberger / R. Green
B. Davies / D. Gudka

C team won 12-8 VPs (+11 IMPs)
N. Less / H. Mason
G. Beeton / S. Flin
P. Hanson / C. Hanson
B. Barker / E. Green

Published Saturday 16.Jan.2010