The Bridge Mind

Long before these Championships got under way Sabine Auken & your Editor agreed that whenever Sabine was sitting out in the McConnell - other engagements permitting - we would meet for coffee and chocolate. What better way to go over any interesting deals that we may have encountered.

The great thing about discussions with Sabine is that you get a real insight into the way she thinks about the game and you begin to understand how deeply she sees even on the most mundane of deals.

Yesterday's chat took place in Second Cup but before Sabine could produce her stories I tested her out on a lead problem:

ª A Q 5
© 8 6 4 2
¨ 8 7 4 3
§ 8 4

West	North	East	South
1§	Pass	1¨	Pass
3§	Pass	4NT	Pass
6NT	All Pass

While you are thinking about that, let's see what Sabine had to offer:

Dealer West. None Vul

West	North	East	South
Pass	1§	Pass	1©
Pass	2§	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	2¨	?

I would say there are three possibilities, Three Clubs, Double (obviously for take out) and Pass. How to decide?
Sabine put it like this: 'You can expect West to be 4-4 in the majors - no spade bid from partner or heart raise. As East did not bid Two Spades that suit is probably 4-3-3-3 round the table. Partner must have five clubs, possibly six, but if she only has five then she might easily be 3-1-4-5 as she did not rebid 1NT.'
Well, if you agree with all that you will prefer Sabine's choice of pass to my rather less well reasoned 3§.

Pony Nehmert's hand was:

ª K 8 3
© A
¨ K 8 6 4
§ Q 10 7 6 2

Two Diamonds was two down, while at the other table 3§ failed by one trick.

Watching Sabine play the Dummy is generally a treat, and she came up with an interesting play problem form the McConnell.

Dealer South. All Vul

ª A 10 9
© A K 10 9
¨ A 10 5
§ K J 9

The auction goes like this:

West	North	East	South
	Nehmert		Auken
			2NT
Pass	3§*	Dble	3¨*
Pass	3ª*	Pass	?

Three Clubs was a puppet and gave Sabine a small problem as she and Pony had not discussed how to continue over a double. (One possibility is to bid Three Diamonds/Hearts to show five, redouble to suggest playing there and passing to give partner a chance to do the same.) Going down a simple route she ignored the double and had a decision to make when partner bid 3ª promising four hearts. I think you will agree with Sabine's choice of 3NT given how appealing those tens and nines look.

West leads the six of clubs and this is what you can see:

ª Q 8 4
© 8 7 5 3
¨ Q 9 7 4
§ Q 5

ª A 10 9
© A K 10 9
¨ A 10 5
§ K J 9

East takes the ace of clubs and switches to the two of hearts. How would you analyse this deal? Your first observation should be that the clubs are almost certainly 6-2, otherwise East would hardly have squandered the ace at trick one. Secondly the hearts are almost certainly 4-1, although you should keep in mind that for the moment only you know you have four hearts.

I would be tempted to put in the ten of hearts, as West will win, and might do something foolish. However Sabine realized that wasn't necessary. She won with the ace, cashed the ace of diamonds, ran the ten of diamonds successfully and played a third diamond for the jack, queen and king. At this point East played a spade but nothing else would have helped, as it was already clear that as long as West had the king of spades the contract was foolproof. If you take some time to analyse this hand in detail you will discover that even where East has the king of spades the contract can be made and also when the clubs are 5-3.

Okay, back to that original lead problem. If you selected anything but the ace of spades - Sabine chose it in a flash - you will be very disappointed as the full deal looks like this:

	ª K 10 8 6 2 © 10 9 3 ¨ Q 10 5 § 6 3
ª 3 © 7 5 ¨ J 6 § A K Q J 10 9 7 2		ª J 9 7 4 © A K Q J ¨ A K 9 2 § 5
	ª A Q 5 © 8 6 4 2 ¨ 8 7 4 3 § 8 4

What is more it will be hard luck on your team mates who in the other room had a textbook auction:

West	North	East	South
3NT*	Pass	4¨*	Pass
4ª*	Pass	6§	All Pass

East asked if West had a shortage and West obliged.