CONTRACT BRIDGE Deadly sins at the table

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33120, 10 January 1973, Page 13

CONTRACT BRIDGE Deadly sins at the table

(Contributed by

J.R.W.)

It is often claimed for contract bridge that it mirrors life, and certainly in the heat of a hard-fought rubber or match hitherto unsuspected traits of character are often revealed.

The player who relies absolutely on his bidding system without trying to cultivate his own judgment is the one who in real life spends much of his time avoiding responsibility, while the rugged individualist is usually addicted to bluff or psychic bidding. The claim then has a certain amount of truth, but it can. of course be overstated. One would not for example expect to find all the seven deadly sins on parade at a bridge table, at least not in Christchurch, but some of them make their appearance all too frequently. This is'a deal from a recent tournament and the bidding is shown as it actually happened at one table:

3NT Dble 4C All pass South’s opening bid of one spade effectively silenced West for the moment, and North correctly responded two clubs. South could have supported his partner but instead rebid two no-trumps,

a call usually made on a hand' (of considerably more high (card strength. North now 'called his other suit, three (diamonds, but South greedilypersisted with his no-trumps. There is little doubt that (this would have been the final (contract, for North had by this time painted a good picture of his hand. West.; however, realised that with Tiimself on lead he would; make the first five spade; (tricks against three no- ; trumps so he promptly' doubled. His greed met with' its reward when North ran out into four clubs, everyone passed and all thirteen tricks' were made. West’s double was a'( gratuitous warning to his; (opponents which enabled them to obtain a plus score, but it was South’s selfish bidding that was responsible for (his side’s missing its best (contract.

When North called clubs and diamonds it was clear he had length in both, and his partner’s duty was to state which suit he preferred. Had South shown his club support the partnership could hardly fail to reach five clubs and might well have reached six. Twelve tricks are easy in this denomination—six in clubs, five in diamonds and the ace of hearts, and in fact careful play will produce thirteen. Example of Sloth This deal occurred in a high class team of four match: N. S—Q J 97 6 5 H—6 52 D—2 C—K64 W. E. S—A 4 S—K 3 2 H—AJ94 H—QlO 8 D—KQJ 1063 D—A9B4 C—9 C—AJ3

S—lo 8 i. H—K73 D—7 5 i. C—Q 108752 : t At the first table Eastit reached six diamonds without i difficulty. The bidding had t disclosed that East had little 1 strength in hearts so in the i hope of confusing the issue, c ■South led the three of that (suit. But the declarer was t never in doubt. She played t low from dummy, winning i the trick in her own hand to s draw two rounds of trumps. £ The queen of hearts took the if next trick when both South i c and dummy played small. The' ace of hearts dropped the s king, and the declarer made £ the rest of the tricks for f

I thirteen in all. : When the board was replayed, North opened with a i“weak two.” I W. N. E. S. 1 — 2S Dble No I 3S No 3NT No 5D All pass The opening two bid was pre-emptive, showing six to 10 points with a long suit, yet another American convention. East’s double requested his partner to call a suit, and West’s three spade bid was intended to show a 1 strong hand. East tried three no trumps over which his (partner jumped to five 'diamonds and everyone was satisfied. Again all thirteen tricks were gathered in. West’s bidding was lazy. Since his partner’s double showed about the strength of an opening bid, he should have checked no aces were missing and then gone directly to six diamonds. Instead he adopted a sequence which strongly urged his partner to call the slam, but in the manner of partners the world over, he let him down.