When you pray for a miracle

Press, 23 July 1980, Page 15

When you pray for a miracle

While the normal lead against a no-trump contract is the “fourth highest of the longest and strongest suit,” sometimes one has such a worthless hand that this tactic is obviously a complete tvaste of time. Even if the suit is established, there may be no possible way of gaining the lead to cash the set up winners. On such occasions the lead of a short suit, hoping to strike gold in partner’s hand, can be much more effective. South dealt this hand and was soon in three no-trumps:

The auction was: S. W. N. E. INT No 3NT All pass On lead with his unattractive holding, West decided to play for a miracle by trying the eight of hearts, and was soon rewarded by a happy smite from his partner. When dummy played low to the first trick, East won with the queen, cashed the ace, and led a third round to clear the suit. The declarer could take three more tricks in clubs and four in diamonds, but when he looked for his ninth trick in spades East immediately took his ace and cashed two long hearts to put the contract' one down. On this particular deal, once West decided to choose a heart for his opening lead, he had no further problem for it is conventional to lead the top of a doubleton. With three small cards, however, some players lead the top and some the middle: it all depends on which school one attended. There are pros and cons both ways, but the important thing is to agree. This deal from the Canterbury Main Centre Pairs in Timaru revealed that at least one partnership, had no agreement, up to that time at least. South was the dealer with only his side vulnerable:

[contract BRIDGE

J.R. Wignail

In a field of mixed quality, S. R. Burgess and R. P. Kerr were clearly the best pair and duly won in some comfort.

Playing their own highly conventional version of Relay Precision, they bid this hand as follows:

One club showed at least 16 points and any distribution; the one heart'reply; showed at least 8 points’ and a five card spade suit; the rebid of one spade, a relay call in the next higher suit, asked the responder to define his distribution; and the three club answer showed precisely five spades, two hearts, two diamonds and four clubs. Whereupon South, with no obvious tit, signed off in three notrumps. Isn’t bidding easy if one has a good memory? West was faced with a blind opening lead and had no idea of the distribution of the declarer’s hand. The contract is always‘’unbeatable,- but in match-point oairs overtricks are the tame of the game. A diamond opening lead vould produce; three tricks tor the defence, and 10. for the declarer. The four is won by East’s ace and a diamond return is ducked to .'West’s queen,-but South wins the continuation with the 10 in hand.

Subsequently, the defenders make the ace of hearts, but the declarer wins three . spades, two diamonds, two top clubs ind three tricks in hearts. Against Burgess, however, West elected to make a short lead in hearts, not entirely unreasonably from his point of view. When he chose the six, however, has partner mistook it for the fourth highest, so he happily took his ace and returned the , jack, giving South no problems at all. The 10 of clubs was covered by the queen and. king, establishing the suit With . 11 tricks now in view, the declarer made a twelfth by leading a diamond putting on the king when West ducked, Fouri tricks in hearts, four ; in clubs/three top spades' and the diamond king, added up to the contract with three overtricks and the best score on - the board.

The runners-up were the unaccustomed partnership of R. Scott (Dunedin) and M. L. Sykes (Christchurch), while third were D. H. Green and M. Thomas also from Otago.

s. W. N. E. 1* No IV No 14k No 3& No 3NT All pass