Modern machines and frustration

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 21

Modern machines and frustration

Contract bridge

By

J. R. WIGNALL

Can a computer have a sense of humour? Since the introduction of bridge hands dealt, or distributed, by these soulless monsters, many bridge players are inclined to think so.

But it is usually a little warped. In a recent duplicate with pre-dealt cards, a number of players suffered from severe cases of frustration. This was one example:

*—A K 9 6 3 When North the dealer made a vulnerable opening bid, his partner with his galaxy of high cards naturally became very excited and by the time the misfit came to light the auction was usually too high. The final contracts ranged from a full-blooded seven notrumps only one down (“I knew it would be close partner,” said the unlucky declarer), through six notrumps bid made, to four hearts down one. There were one or two other flights of fancy like five clubs, six diamonds and six hearts, all of which were a

quiet two down. In tact, well over two’ thirds of the partnerships who held the big hands were defeated in their final contracts. My old rubber bridge mentors taught me to drop the bidding as soon as possible when a misfit came to light, for the risk of being in an inferior contract was far outweighed by the danger of conceding a heavy penalty in the search for a better spot. On two big misfitting hands with lots of high cards, however. one was taught to play in no-trumps. Thus on the above deal, the auction might have gone:

Over the opening bid, South does not jump to two hearts for two reasons. Firstly the possibility of a misfit is already apparent, and secondly he needs plenty of bidding space to show his second suit. North rebids one spade, and South jumps to th’ - "" clubs. The partners now have time to snow their long suits, after which the auction can subside in three no trumps with both parties having done their best.

When the jack of diamonds falls under the ace king and queen, there are six tricks in that suit to go with two in clubs two in spades and the ace of hearts for 11 in all.

By careful play the declarer! can come to 10 tricks in hearts. It looks to West, with his strong trump holding sitting over the declarer, that he must make four tricks for the defence, but he can be made to suffer severe frustration on the following line of Play. South wins the opening spade lead in hand, crosses to the ace of spades and cashes three top diamonds. After ruffing a spade in hand, he makes the ace of clubs which brings him his seventh trick. When he tries to make the king of clubs East trump; and leads his remaining spade. The declarer ruffs thi for trick eight and exits witl his seven of hearts. East wins but with only hearts left, has to return to

the suit, so for his last two tricks the declarer makes both his 10 and ace of trumps. DISAPPEARING TRICKS The West players who defended against four hearts were right not to double, for the declarers, having been forewarned, might easily have found the winning line. Another deal from the same match was equally trying:

South usually finished in our spades after an auction dong the following lines:

When West makes the safe lead of a trump, the declarer :an draw all the spades in four rounds. With a sure loser in clubs and two in diamonds, it looks as though South must guess who has the heart queen, but in fact no guess is necessary. After extracting the spades. South leads his singleton club towards dummy. West must

take his ace, or not make a trick with it at all, and then he must attack diamonds or the declarer will discard his on the king and queen of clubs.

By the time the defenders have made their ace and king of diamonds, however, dummy’s queen is established. So South discards three of his small hearts in North’s club honours and diamond queen. In the end he need only cash the ace and king of hearts to make his game.