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SIX GOOD TRUMPS ARE NO GOOD…….

This all happened in one 10 board match among 8 supposedly strong Open bridge players. Firstly, we must give you a bidding problem….or maybe it is no problem:

With both sides vulnerable, you hold as dealer:

 

Why do we always have the hearts and they the spades?! Oh well, what do you do?

One up for the Multi.

There are those who dislike the Multi 2 opening bid. All kinds of nasty comments are used about the opener’s partner not immediately knowing which suit opener has…etc. Well, there’s two opponents and only one partner who does not know. Which suit does opener have in this auction?

West              North            East                South

                                                                        2 (Multi)

X                      2               3                   Pass

4                   All Pass

Are you getting an uneasy feeling what this article is about? Let’s reveal all!

 

The double showed a weak no-trump style hand with 2 better hearts than spades. It seems East-West play transfers after a 2 response by Opener’s partner but do they when the responder bids 2? West thought they did (hence the super accept to 4) BUT East was in natural mode.

The defence was not ruthless and took the contract only 4 down while at the other table 2 failed by one trick by the player with most spades!

The Multi produces so many disasters (oh, sometimes for opener’s side, too) that it surely is worth playing it, opening it and watch the other three players work out which suit you really hold!

5-2 fits are OK except when a defender has none!

Enough of the Multi. Back to our bidding problem. I hope you remember the rule that he or she who bids to game in our partnership is the one who usually decides on whether or not to bid on. It is doubtful on this occasion that West would have bid on. However, with limited defence, a nice void, and some decent trump length opposite, East did bid on to 5….into a very deep hole! North remembered that rule about “the 5- level belonging to the opposition”!

 

5Hx did not fare too well with the defence taking the contract 3 down for +800. +800 was also the score at the other table but the contract and declarer were different:

                        West              North            East                South

                                                                     1                   Pass

                        2                   x                  4                   4

                        X                      All Pass

1 showed hearts and 2 an artificial game try with heart support. It was North/South’s turn to have a problem, having different views about the meaning of North’s double. North meant it to show diamonds. South thought it was for take-out and rather relished playing 4….until West chimed in with a double, a thoughtful double, not a quick double, an in-tempo double, but a penalty double nonetheless.

The defence was not ruthless (have you seen that phrase before?) as the contract looks about 5 down on the A lead followed by Q! Anyway, it was still +800 (3 down) and it was not a flat board at the score-up time.

So you think a trump holding of AJ9865 is a good holding for the defence? It was soon eclipsed by AQT985.

You may not be surprised to learn that neither team went on to score well in this event. You may be surprised to learn the number of grand -masters  involved in this match:

Emerald                      1                                  Gold                                       1

Silver                          2                                  Grand Masters                       4

Oh, let’s finish the first sentence. Six good trumps are no good when they are all in one defender’s hand!

Richard Solomon

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