Dubious Logic

A Look Back at 2009

Looking back at 2009 two stories stand out: Suffolk captain David Price won the World Seniors' Bowl in Sao Paulo and the county side qualified for the final of the national teams-of-eight competition for the first time in its history.

At the national level it was a tricky year for England. After a promising showing at the World Mind Sports Games in 2008 England had no team qualified for the World Championships in Brazil. Then the Netherlands withdrew from the Seniors' for lack of funding. The English team didn't have much funding either but they had a sponsor and so as first reserves (after losing a split tie at the European Championships) they grabbed their place – and the rest, as they say, is history. It seems extraordinary to me that a national organisation should not support its senior team where so much of its membership is represented.

Which brings us to the English Bridge Union's plan to revitalise bridge in the country. An awkward in-between year, separating the decision in 2008 and the implementation this coming April. So despite past furore, nothing much happened – whether that is a good sign or a poor one we'll find out in a few months' time.

As for a deal of the year this comes from the European Open Pairs at San Remo and is seared on my memory. Things didn't go very well for my partner and me in Italy. Looking comfortable to beat the first cut if we avoided a bad last session, we were stolidly average until a succession of opponents turned up with their best game. Then we faltered but with the last board on the table we were probably still afloat:

Playing in the pairs competition was an education: everyone bid like crazy – and then some. Once one side established it had the majority of the high cards it would not let the opponents play undoubled and part-score deals were a battleground. So it was here: North-South had to get a plus, +100 was the popular score. What happened to us?

North's pass of the first double was either a rescue with spades and another suit or a hand intending to play a no-trump redoubled. East rescued himself and when North doubled for take-out, raised the stakes again. What should South do, bid or pass and lead a trump? Unfortunately the ambiguity of North's first action persisted and South chose to bid. The doubling didn't stop and East-West picked up a sizeable penalty from the eventual resting place of four clubs.

Despite the painful outcome what saves this deal for me is that though no-one seems to have done so, East can take nine tricks in diamonds. Try it – say South leads a top club and switches to a trump, how should East play? These articles are published on the Internet and you can find the answer at http://www.dubiouslogic.com/bridge/eadt/2010.

Answer

It looks tempting to take two ruffs, using the fact that the closed hand is now void of clubs but that leads to only eight tricks (seven trumps and an eventual black suit winner though even here East must be careful, taking two heart ruffs and conceding the ♣Q to the king).

The key play is to win the trump in East and ruff a heart with the ♦A! Then lead a trump to hand, draw the defence's last and concede a heart, ruff in, concede a second to the ace and there is still a trump left to gain the lead and cash hearts.

Of course this depends on a winning heart guess; has south QJx or QJxx? I wonder if after ruffing the ♥4 East should lead the ♥5 on the second round of the suit. On the actual lie South would have to avoid winning a cheap trick with a spot-card to create a losing option. East will probably still go right – another low card works against South's AQx and AJx too.

Published Saturday 2.Jan.2010