Since we rebooted the Simsbury Bridge Club last May, Ken and I have consistently had difficulties at the first table. On Wednesday (Exelauno Day) we may finally have found a solution to this problem. We took the sitout in the first round. Ken keyed in the names of the players while the other eight pairs played. On the first hand we got an unbelievably good score, and the trend continued throughout the evening.
Board #4
West dealer
Both sides vulnerable
| | North
♠ 10 8 7 6 2
♥ Q 4
♦ K 10 3
♣ Q 9 5
| | West
♠ 9 4
♥ A K 8
♦ A 9 7 4
♣ A 7 6 4
| | East
♠ K 3
♥ 9 7 6 3 2
♦ 2
♣ K J 10 8 2
| | | South
♠ A Q J 5
♥ J 10 5
♦ Q J 8 6 f
♣ 3
| |
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| 1NT | P | 2♦ |
| Dbl | 2♥ | P | P |
| 2♠ | 3♥ | 3♠ | P |
| P | P | | |
I sat North all night. West's opening bid was de rigueur for anyone playing 15-17 1NT. East's heart suit was wretched, but he did have five pieces, and there is no way for him to bid his clubs at the two level. So, his 2♦ bid (transfer to hearts) is his best available option.
Ken doubled. Doubles of artificial bids such as transfers, relays, and asking bids are played as lead-directing by most people. However, he must also be cognizant of the possibility that opener might pass or redouble. He must either have some strength in that suit (which he does) or have a place to run to (which he also does – spades).
West completed the transfer, which, after a double, usually means at least three pieces in the suit. I passed, and, after East passed, I got ready to lead the ♦K.
However, Ken was not finished. Both of us hate it when opponents get to play in an eight-card major-suit fit at the two level; it is almost a religious thing with us. Ken chose to bid his four-card spade suit rather than let them play at the two level. West bid 3♥, which, since East could have had three other suits as bad as his hearts and still have transferred, was a little risky. I could hardly believe that my partner had spades. We seemed to have a double fit! I cheerfully lay the 3♠ card on the table, which ended the auction.
At that point Ken's clever bidding strategy had practically won the hand for us. He could have gone down, and we would still have had the best North-South score. In fact, however, he made the contract.
West started with three hearts. Ken ruffed the third one on the board (even though he could have won it in his hand) so that he could finesse the ♠K. In the end he only lost two hearts and the aces of the minor suit.
East-West can take six tricks on defense if West starts with the ♦A and continues diamonds. It is not an easy defense to find. I am glad that they didn't find it. We would have received a bottom (-200) on a hand on which the opponents (who also had a double fit – double fits often come in pairs) can garner ten or eleven tricks in hearts and clubs. The tone of this piece would have to be quite different.