CONTRACT BRIDGE Local Pair Achieved Spectacular Result

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31153, 1 September 1966, Page 13

CONTRACT BRIDGE Local Pair Achieved Spectacular Result

Contributed by J.R W.

The historians tell us that many years ago the inhabitants of the North Island used to send raiding expeditions to the South. Everything has changed since then, and nowadays South Island bridge players send their champions northwards in search of plunder. Leading the Christchurch raiding party on the

Wellington provincial pairs championship, held at Masterton, were H. Pickering and J. D. Thomson, who did very well to return with second prize. Never a pair lacking in courage, they made one of the biggest scores of the tournament on this deal: N. S—A 10 8 4 H—K3 D—A Q 9 7 6 C—9 7 W. E. S—9 5 S—J 7 6 2 H—10975 H—Q42 D—B D—KJ 105 C—KJS432 C—Q6 S. S—KQ3 H—A J 8 6 D—432 C—A 10 8 The bidding, with Pickering and Thomson North and South was, to say the least, lively. W. N. E. S. No ID No 1H 2C 2D No 3N.T. No No Dble Redble All pass. In duplicate bridge it is important to play in a major suit if possible, which explains Thomson’s first response of one heart to his partner's opening bid. West’s two clubs can only be described as the bid of a tired player. It is true it is only an over-call, that with a sixcard suit it is unlikely to be severely punished, and that it may disrupt the opponents’ bidding. But such calls seldom succeed against strong opposition, and meantime run the serious risk that partner may take them at their face value. This in fact is what happened on this occasion, when North and South simply ignored the intervention to reach their best contract East doubled for two reasons: he wanted to indicate to his partner that a club lead would be safe, and he knew declarer would have difficulty in establishing the diamonds. Thomson redoubled because he had confidence in his own and his partner’s bidding. The final contract was a good one, but the distribution was such that South had to play well and draw the correct inferences from the auction in order to make it. After West’s natural opening lead of a small club, the declarer allowed East’s queen to win, and again played low

on the club continuation. West persevered with a third round of the suit on which dummy > discarded a diamond, and East, afraid to unguard his knave of spades or queen of hearts, did the same. South won, then made the king and queen of spades. On the bidding it was clear that East had strength in diamonds, so the declarer’s next move was to lead a diamond to dummy’s nine. East had to win with the ten and tried a small heart, which Thomson won with the knave, to lead another diamond, going up with the ace when West showed void. The position now was:

N. S—A 10 H—K D—Q9 C W. E. S— S—J 7 H—lo 9 7 H—Q 4 D— D—K C—K 5 C S. S—3 H—AB 6 D—2 C Thomson cashed the king of hearts before putting East on lead with a diamond. The latter then had the unpleasant choice of leading away from his knave of spades allowing dummy to make the rest of the tricks, or leading a heart to South’s ace on which the losing spade would be discarded from dummy, the remainder of North’s hand being high. In either event the doubled and redoubled contract would be made.

Once East has the queen of hearts South can always make the king knave and ace of that suit, the three top spades, and the aces of clubs and diamonds for eight tricks, but the ninth is harder to find. Some declarers were defeated in three no trumps after first trying to drop the knave of spades in three rounds, and when this failed, taking the diamond finesse. Against Thomson, East’s double was unwise because it alerted him to the unfavourable distribution. Good play then enabled him to turn this to his own advantage. While it is fair to say that there is at least one other way of making the contract, it was perhaps fitting that the Christchurch pair’s spectacular bidding was followed up with a spectacular line of play.