You never can te11....

Press, 18 February 1986, Page 8

You never can te11....

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

One of the joys" of a team of four game is that one can never be sure what is happening at the other table until the time comes to compare scores.

Then there are often a few surprises. This hand dealt by East with only North-South vulnerable led to a competitive auction:

i N t 4KQJ93 > V 5 : ♦ k 5 ♦ K 98743 W E ♦ 862 4> A 5 VAQ74 ♦ Q 10843 ♦ AJ965 ♦ 2 J 5 S ♦ 10 7 4 V K 983 ♦ 72 ♦ AQIO6 i, At the first table the auction was:

All pass North’s double of one heart showed length in both black suits, so South was able to bid three clubs over East’s raise to two hearts. North judged well to call four spades at his second turn, but West was not to be denied, pushing on to five hearts which South had little hesitation in doubling. After the lead of the king of spades the declarer had to lose a trick in that suit, one in clubs and a heart. During the Blay she lost her way a ttle to finish two down for a 300 point penalty to North-South. At first sight, this seemed a good result for East-West since North would almost certainly have made four spades, losing only to the aces of spades, hearts and diamonds. There was a surprise to come when they later heard what had happened .when the deal was replayed at the other table.

All Pass North’s cue bid of two hearts announced strong holdings in clubs ana spades, so South took a cheap opportunity to show support for the major suit. That was enough for North to conclude the auction with four spades. This time West was on lead, which made a substantial difference. He led his singleton club, and after winning in hand the declarer led a trump to the king and ace. East returned a club for his partner to ruff, and then the defenders took their two red aces to put the contract one down. So the 300 that North-South had scored at the first table compared very well, to their surprise, with the 100 their counterparts had lost at the other. A little later this deal produced even more trouble. East dealt with only North-South vulnerable:

N ♦ KJ62 V AKQ9 ♦ - * AQ964 W •, E 4 10753 4 8 4 106 4 8732 ♦ AK10873 ♦ Q 54 4 10 4KJ852 S 4 AQ94 4 J 54 ♦ J 962 4 73 At the first table NorthSouth had a fairly clear run. They bid strongly, confidently and unwisely to a final contract of sis spades played by South. West led the ace of diamonds, which was trumped in dummy. After a heart to the jack, the declarer led a club to the queen and king. There was now no hope for the contract. The combination of the bad split of the trump suit and of the opposing clubs spelled certain defeat Eventually South finished three down, for a 300 point penalty. He wrote this off-as a disaster, at least until he heard what happened at the second table. Here the auction was:

In third position West opened three diamonds, which North doubled for takeout. East’s three K'es was an out-and-out , for when doubled he intended to retreat quickly to four diamonds. South’s double, intended to be for penalties, was misconstrued by both West and North, who thought it showed values in hearts and clubs. Thus it was that West innocently raised his partner to four spades and North competed with five clubs. East knew just what to do to this, so his double closed the auction. A few minutes later the declarer had lost four, tricks, conceding a 500 point penalty and East’s treachery had earned a quite unjustified reward. It also made his team-mates’ minus 300 at the first table look a great deal better. You never can tell what might happen.

w N E S t - • No IV Dble 2V 34» 4V 4* No No 5V No No Dble

There the auction was: W N E S If No 1V 2V Dble 24 3f 4f

w N E S w • No No 3$ Dble 3* Dble 4* 5* Dble All Pass