CONTRACT BRIDGE The Admiral’s trouble with doubles

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32966, 12 July 1972, Page 24

CONTRACT BRIDGE The Admiral’s trouble with doubles

(Contributed by

J.R.W.)

“You should have doubled him. Admiral. You knew I had 13 points and you had 110 so it was obvious he could not make two no-trumps.” I It was rubber bridge night at the club, and the speaker was the Doctor, to whom the point count was as sacred as his hippocratic oath. His loutburst was aimed at his partner, a bluff old soul def-! initely in the lower echelon of bridge players who had one redeeming characteristic. I He liked to play for high! stakes, which since his wife was a very rich woman, was only right and proper. One opponent was Charlie.: the biggest overbidder in the club. At the same time he! was certainly the best card-1 player. As many members said, he had to be to escape! (alive from the contracts his wild bidding led him into. (The other opponent was the) I Student, a comparative new-1

llcomer. Always eager to draw I attention to his partner's I [ shortcomings, facile in ex planation of any of his own ‘lmistakes, rude to opponents land quick to gloat, he was [ recognised as having all the [ qualities essential to an ex- ; I pert bridge-player. His main 1 weakness, which he would s eventually grow out of, was Jan inclination to make an .lover-clever bid or play. J As we take up the store. 1 Charlie has just played ’a . ludicrous two no-trump coni tract, and been defeated by ■ three tricks, undoubted. He i dealt the next hand: N. : s—Q J 9 4 H—2 D—lo 9 2 C—K 10 73 2 ' W. E. ; S—7 3 S—K 2 H—A K 9 6 3H—Q .1 S 5 D—A Q 8 7 D—K J 5 4 3 C—A 5 C—J 6

S. S— A 10 8 6 5 H—lo 7 4 d —6 C—Q 98 4 I After playing two game hands in safe part-scores. jEast - West had finally achieved vulnerability, so INonh-South. who had yet to (score, had their backs to the I wall. This partly explains an interesting auction: | S W N F. i No 1H Dble redble I 4S Dble All pass As dealer, Charlie resisted temptation and passed The Admiral opened one heart, and the Student doubled, a call for which his distribution was right but for which the high card strength was less than ideal The Doctor promptly redoubled. With 11 'points in high cards he never ■considered any other bid, Charlie looked at his hand. There were only six high Icard points, but the distribu ition was quite good. He had la singleton diamond and his .partner's double indicated

(shortage in hearts, so with 'any luck there could be a •reasonable fit in the black suits. He decided that sooner (or later he would have t > I call four spades as a sacriIfice over an opposing four (hearts, so typically he bid it i right away. The Admiral spluttered. (His 17 points plus his partIner’s promised 11 added to 128. and yet his opponents I had had the impudence to call game. Any lingering doubts he may have had over his correct action were quickly resolved by the memory of the Doctor's criticism on the last hand Firmly and very loudly he doubled. The play was soon over. The Admiral made the ace of hearts, snorted with contempt at the sight of dummy, and continued with the ace of clubs, then the ace of diamonds. Charlie ruffed the diamond, continued with the ace of clubs, then the ace of diamonds. Charlie ruffed the diamond continuation, entered dummy by trumping a heart, and led the queen of spades. This was covered by the king and ace, the jack of spades drew the outstanding trumps, and dummy’s clubs were run off, on the last of which South’s third heart went away. Four club tricks plus a heart ruff in dummy and five trumps in hand, added up to four spades doubled bid and made.

“So much for your precious points, Doctor,” jeered the Student happily “Our 12 were much better than your 28. A lot depends on who holds them, you know. Come to think of it, you can make five hearts if you bring yourselves to bid it.” And indeed he was quite right. Against five hearts, North would lead the queen of spades, allowing the defenders to take the first two tricks in the suit. But West wins any continuation to run off five tricks in hearts, five in diamonds and the ace of clubs for 11 in all.