CONTRACT BRIDGE Light opening bid led to big penalty

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32706, 8 September 1971, Page 13

CONTRACT BRIDGE Light opening bid led to big penalty

(Contributed by

J.R.W.)

From America comes the news that a young and relatively inexperienced team playing the Precision Club system has won the Summer National Championship for the second year in succession, a result that the inventors of the system have hailed as a major triumph. It must be regarded as an outstanding achievement for few have previously won the event in successive years, and no doubt the system had quite a lot to do with it. Just as important, however, is the ability of the players, their temperament and their stamina. This latter quality was certainly tested to the full, for the Anal did not finish until four, o’clock in the morning. It was an extremely hard and well-fought game with little to choose between the 1 finalists at any stage. One of the biggest swings occurred in this deal when one of the best players in the world underwent a traumatic experience. N. S—K 9 6 H—9 5 3 D—Q 9 6 C—6 5 4 2 W. E. S—J 7 S—AQ 1085 H—A Q 2 H—lo 8 6 D—lo 4 2 D-KJBS C—KQJ73 C—9 S. X 5—432 H—K J 7 4 D—A 73 C—A 10 8 The opponents of the Precision Club team were four of the players who represented the United States in the last world championship. When they held the NorthSouth cards the auction was: S. W. N. E. IC No No Dble All Pass South was Norman Kay, a player with an outstanding tournament record in America. Although vulnerable he chose to open the bidding rather light with one club, and spent the next 10 minutes wishing he could change his mind. West passed, awaiting developments, North was not quite strong enough to scrape up a response, and the bail landed in East’s court. Many beginners would pass thinking their opponents would not do much damage in one club. Many average players would recognise that if North had less than five points West was marked with some strength, so would try one spade. But the best bid is a takeout double, offering partner the choice of calling any of the other three suits, trying no-trumps or even of passing for penalties. On this occasion West had the ideal hand to leave the double in, and NorthSouth had no escape. The defence was pretty hot. West

led the king of clubs so as to draw as many of the opponents’ trumps as possible before they could be used for ruffing. The declarer held up his ace for two rounds, but had to take the third lead. He led a small spade to dummy’s nine and East’s ten, with the idea perhaps of inducing the defenders, to make the wrong switch. But East returned the ten of hearts covered by South’s jack and won by the queen. West used his club seven to draw dummy’s six, then led another spade. Eventually the defenders made four tricks in clubs, five in spades and two in hearts to defeat the contract by five for a penalty of 1400. There was no way they could prevent the declarer from making his aces of clubs and diamonds. The auction at the other table was quite different: S. W. N. E. No IC No IS No INT No 2NT All Pass Under the Precision Club system South had no problem, for an opening bid of one heart would show a five card suit, one club would indicate 16 points or more, and one no-trump 13 to 15 points. His pass was mandatory and his side never looked like being in trouble.

s With a clear run his oppon- : ents stopped in two no- j j trumps, and with only 23 I points between them few : would be too critical, but ’ with everything lying favj ourably eleven tricks were soon made. In an endeavour to find ’ his partner’s strong suit, J North led the nine of hearts, j covered by the ten, king and ace. The jack of spades was led, and when North played , low so did dummy. Another ! small spade went to the ’ queen, the ace dropped the ; king and the ten and eight ’ were cashed, while the ’ declarer discarded the two of hearts and two diamonds. The nine of clubs was led j to the jack, after which West continued with the club queen. South took his- ace and led back a hearty The . declarer’s queen won', and the king of clubs was cashed. Since the ace, ten, nine and eight of the suit had all fallen in three rounds, West’s seven of clubs was now good. A total of five tricks ) in spades, two in hearts and - four in clubs made eleven in f all. ! East - West may have 1 regretted their conservatism , in not calling game, but there > is no record of what they - said when they heard of the r 1400 points conceded by their . team-mate at the other table. I