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                     Our Youth are Playing.

Naturally, there will be a bridge hand but today’s article is more about highlighting our young players. Recently, New Zealand Bridge ran a Youth Bridge Weekend, just before Auckland went into Level 3. 32 came from all round the country for that weekend.

As a result of that, last Sunday saw the first of what we hope will be the first of many Sunday afternoon on-line sessions for young players. It started with a 4-table Pairs session. It is a good medium for our young players to play even without current lockdown restrictions and enables participation from throughout the country.

The top scores were recorded by:

Jellymnchr and 15320         North-South                      62.50%   and

Bubbleboy5 and Briarc       East-West                         57.29 %

Our featured hand does not feature either of these pairs. We posed this problem to you yesterday:

 

A typical heart: spade battle. It’s Pairs. You have probably faced many of these in your time but these four whose combined total age is comfortably under 60 have not.

We canvassed the Panel who were of one mind:

Matt Brown “5: I think this is pretty clear at these colours. Slam is obviously a possibility but I don't want to punish partner for competing under pressure, nor do I think doubling is good when it looks like such a double fit hand.”

Peter Newell “5: I expect to make it, and both sides have double fits so who knows what they can make.”

Kris Wooles “5: at both Pairs and Teams while aware that a heart under lead and club through could scuttle me. Well done if they do that. Lots of bidding by everyone and it looks like they have a double fit also.”

Michael Ware: 5: Seems clear at both formats to me. We have good chances to make 11 tricks in spades and we don't know how many tricks hearts make.”

Bruce Anderson “5: Partner must have something like K10xx x KQJxxx xx given the vulnerability. The opener should have both missing aces and is on lead. So, I expect 5 spades to be a make. I would make the bid at either Pairs or Teams.”

But “5 with reservation” from:

Stephen Blackstock “5: I disagree that this is more difficult at IMPs. At Teams you must bid on to avoid a catastrophic double swing. It’s likely that at least one side can make at the five level; additionally, neither is likely to go many off so if either 5 or 5 makes, bidding 5 will be the best we can do. Of course, neither may make but exchanging a small plus for a small minus is not a big result at IMP scoring.

Pairs is more difficult because the big payoff comes more from just being right, and especially plus rather than minus. Bidding on and going down when 5 was down also will therefore be more costly at Pairs. However, because I judge that the likelihood is that one side or both will make, I still bid 5. And if other tables are being permitted to play 4, making, then perhaps there is little to lose in 5 anyway.

5 may well have made but it was by no means certain. At the table, West doubled 5 and there was a nervous wait for the on-lookers when the Q was led at trick 1:

 

Hopefully, West realised the significance of the Q and  did so therefore winning their ace to cash a spade to ensure the contract was one down. This produced an above average score for East-West as two of the North-South pairs were allowed to play and make 4 while 4 made three overtricks at the other table!

So, in the context of the event, East-West had done really well to push their opponents to a non-making contract at the 5-level. Yet, so had South. Yes, they might have bid 4 at the first opportunity. That action should not stop West from bidding spades. However, South bid 5 and gave West a guess..and saved some match-points for their side when West guessed to double.

On a heart lead, you can make all 13 tricks in spades. The opening bidder is very likely to have the K so that playing A is a justified big winner. However, if you do that in 5 and it turns out that South held that card, then West would be looking at a rather embarrassing – 100 (2 club losers). You can ensure 11 tricks by taking the diamond finesse and if it loses, discard clubs, if necessary, on East’s diamonds.

So, in years to come, our young players will learn the value of a double-fit and the guidelines to follow in these situations at both Pairs and Teams. For now, they are just enjoying playing.   

 To Come to 10

 With such good potential in the majors, you open the bidding. Partner's 1NT was less than game force (they really did not like spades!) but a one round-force. 2NT showed the minor suits (5+ 5+) and you tried hearts. Partner seemed to like them better and tried for slam (4)! "No thanks" you said and soon received 6 lead. What's your plan to make 10 tricks?

Richard Solomon

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