CONTRACT BRIDGE Lure Of A Slam Leads To Bidding Errors

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31866, 19 December 1968, Page 9

CONTRACT BRIDGE Lure Of A Slam Leads To Bidding Errors

(Contributed by J R W ) Just as cricketers concede their wickets going for the big hit, bridge-players are lured into error by the bonuses awarded for slams. The bidding of most expert pairs usually deteriorates as it reaches the six or seven level, and it has been calculated that most partnerships would be no worse off if they never called a single slam, for those they bid and make barely compensate for those they bid and do not make. The following deal, which occurred at a crucial stage in a world championship match between Italy and the United States, shows that even at that distinguished level an obvious slam contract can be missed: N. S—A 4 H—A 74 D—lo 3 C—A J 10987 W. E. S—lo 7 S—9 8 2 H—K9B3 H—Q.T6S2 D—9 7 4 2 D—K 8 6 C—654 C—K3 S. S—KQJ6S3 H—lo D—AQJS C—Q2 When an American pair was North-South the bidding was soon over: W. N. E. S. 1C No IS No 2C No 3S No 4S All pass. Against four spades West led a diamond to dummy’s 10. East’s king and the declarer’s ace. The ace. king and queen of spades drew the adverse trumps, after which South led the queen of clubs. When West followed with the four dummy’s seven was plaved in the hope that West also held the king, and that the queen would win. But East held the missing club honour and so took the only trick the defence could win. South won the diamond continuation with his queen and the rest of dummy’s clubs were high. The declarer claimed six tricks in spades, the ace and queen of diamonds, the heart ace and three tricks in clubs for 12 in all. The six-spades contract which is unbeatable by any defence should, of course, have been bid. Where one player has the long suits and; the other the aces it is more difficult to reach a slam with; certainty and both partners

must have been conscious ' . they could have bid more i y aggressively. But the main i ;i fault with the auction was I y the typical American reluc- i tance on South's part to make i tja stronger call than one 5 spade on the first round. If, i , on his very strong distribu- i . tional hand, he had made the i 51 unequivocal forcing-to-game i ■ response of two spades to I , the opening bid, North 1 . would have been alerted to i .'the slam possibilities. The I possession of three aces i /should then have persuaded 1 /him to make an effort at < > Bluff That Failed J ■I When the hand was | replayed with the Italians . /North and South, they used f ’ their own peculiar methods , to reach the correct contract. ( W. N. E. S. 1 INT No 2D < No 2H No 3S i No 4H No 4NT t No 5S No 6S < The system being used was the Neapolitan Club. 1 Without going into detail, ! North was unable to open ’ one club for this would have 1 indicated at least 17 points , in high cards. The one no-trump bid therefore ! showed a hand with no singleton or void and at least five clubs. South’s .bidding showed he bad a Tour-card diamond suit and J a longer spade suit It may al’, seem a bit topsy-turvy | but at least they arrived at the best spot. Against six spades West' led a heart. After winning with dummy’s ace the declarer played off the ace. king and queen of spades to draw the adverse trumps. He continued with the queen of clubs, playing the seven from dummy when West followed I 1 with the four, just as his 1 American counterpart had ' done at the other table. East 1 now found the clever decep- < tive play of allowing the 1 queen to hold. He had worked out that if he took 1 the trick with his king of t clubs this would be the only i winner for the defence. If, however, the queen won. the < declarer might think West t held the king and might be 1 tempted into the wrong play, a He might, for instance, lead c another club and put in dummy’s jack, when Easti would win with the king. At I this point dummy’s club suit e would be established but 1 South would be unable to use o it, for the aces of spades and fi hearts had been played and p he had no more clubs left. J

The declarer would then have to play from his own hand and would eventually have to concede a second and defeating trick to East's king of diamonds.

East’s deceptive play was smoothly executed and deserved to succeed. The declarer, however, was just as shrewd. He counted six tricks in spades, one in hearts, the queen of clubs and the ace of clubs for a total of nine. Three tricks in diamonds would see him home, and three tricks could easily be made by leading the 10 and allowing either defender to win with the king. His Own ace, queen and knave would then' be good. So South did not fall into the trap, of trying to take a second club finesse. Instead he crossed to dummy’s ace, felling the now unguarded king by accident as it were, and made the rest of the tricks. While the opportunity for this type of deception occurs more often than one would think, it takes an expert to produce the play without any revealing hesitation. East was unlucky that his opponent was too shrewd to be bluffed.