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                                                “Choppy Waters”

Despite Akarana’s answer to New Plymouth’s giant 28 pointer the previous week-end (the Akarana “grand” hand was a paltry 26 pointer opposite a tasty 9), we will look at something that was slightly more modest at most tables this time. News of the time that Hamman’s well-known rule about giving  3NT a whirl if game was a possibility was severely tested even reached the beautiful back-drops of the Whanganui River as like the river where jet-boats are a necessary form of transport, the contract of 3NT caused quite a stir!

On dry land but vulnerable and soon to need a good life-jacket was Michael Cornell, holding as North:

 K98

 J5

AKQJT986

-

Michael, with no life- jacket and "choppy waters" ahead!

He was greeted with the following sequence:

West                     North                    East                        South

                                                                2¹                            Pass

2¹                                     ?

¹ Multi 2 sequence

What to do? 3 would be a bid that would be hard to criticise. Even 5 would be a reasonable action though on many days, there would be three inescapable major suit losers. 4 might be the value bid but many play it nowadays as “Leaping Michaels” and that did not reflect Michael’s hand at all. Anyway, it takes one past 3NT. ("Leaping" is hardly the word to best describe this particular "Michael" as he would soon be "up a creek without any paddle"!)

3NT? Who mentioned that option? He only needs to gain the lead in a side-suit and will score 9 very quick tricks. Since West bid 2 not 2 nor a pre-emptive 3 of a major, there seemed a very reasonable chance that his partner, Jonathan Westoby, held something to solidify the heart suit. “Oh, you mentioned club holds?” That’s JW’s job, too. He, Michael, will look after the spade suit. So, 3NT it was.

Except no-one told Jonathan of his role. He left the life jackets behind:

 

 

George Sun (East) led a low heart to his partner, Alice Young’s king. Alice switched to the K at trick 2. George overtook and rattled off five more heart tricks before playing a second club to Alice who took six more club tricks. There was no time for even a single spade or diamond trick. Michael finished 9 down, trickless, -900. Jonathan’s script was to look after the spade suit. 3 holds there but two gaping holes in the boat in hearts and clubs.

While many took the boring but safe route to 5, making 11 or 12 tricks depending on East’s choice of opening lead, another table rescued Jonathan and Michael to a small degree. There, North-South had bid up to 5, their opponents bid on to 6. North-South judged correctly that they could not make slam. Doubling 6 was fine (actually not true…+100. What good is that with a string of 600’s or 620’s to compare with?) but the high diamond lead was not a winner on this day.

The East-West side of the score-sheet was also used by one pair untroubled in bidding and making their club game and by another who scored an overtrick in “Gerber” (I am sure it was not!). They reduced Michael and Jonathan’s loss to a mere 15 imps on datum. “Real men” and I choose the words wisely were Owen Camp and Stanley Abrahams who bid all the way to the diamond slam to be rewarded with a club lead. Talking also of “real men”, Denis Humphries got to double his North-South opponents in 5, a nice present for daughter Susan.

Back though to the wreckage found at Michael and Jonathan’s table. They recovered most of the damage but still lost  for the first time in this event, by a mere one imp. Hopefully, Michael will tell Jonathan which suits he has to guard in advance when they play the I/Ps in Dunedin. I am sure Michael has far more imps in the “in” than the “out” column from actions similar to the one he took on Board 18 this evening.

Richard Solomon

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