Bridge The Silver Way

Canada's Joey Silver has a unique approach to the great game of bridge. This is a polite way of saying that he is completely barking mad, certifiable, but the world of bridge would be a duller and poorer place without people like Joey to enliven it. Take this example from the eighth round of the World Transnational Open Teams Championship.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 4 3 ♥ Q J 6 2 ♦ J ♣ A J 10 5 4
♠ K 8 6 5 2 ♥ K ♦ 7 5 ♣ Q 9 8 7 3		♠ A J 9 7 ♥ A 10 3 ♦ A K 9 8 4 3 ♣ -
	♠ 10 ♥ 9 8 7 5 4 ♦ Q 10 6 2 ♣ K 6 2

West	North	East	South
	Silver		Carruthers
			Pass
Pass	1♠	2♦	Dble
Pass	2♥	3♦	Pass
Pass	3♥	Pass	Pass
3NT	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

After two passes, Joey traded on the favourable vulnerability to open 1♠, hoping to pick off the opponents' suit. East had a very good hand for a simple overcall, but nothing else particularly appealed so that was his choice. John Carruthers made an aggressive negative double and 2♥ was the obvious response. Now East showed his extra strength by repeating the diamonds and, when that was passed by West, North's operation had been successful. But Joey could not bear to pass when he had a guaranteed heart fit so came again with 3♥. That slipped past East, but not West, who tried a speculative 3NT, offering partner a range of options, pass being the logical choice with the actual East hand. Carruthers doubled - after all, his partner had bid when he had no need to do so, and John had the diamonds well held.

The double ended the auction and West came to nine tricks for +750. That may not look like a triumph for N/S, considering that they could have passed out 3♦ and conceded only -150. However, as the contract at the other table was 6♠, making for +1430, the Canadians picked up 12 IMPs anyway. A triumph after all!