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QUICK THINKING NICK.

Today’s hand comes from the recent Anzac Teams in Wellington. Winning this event were Peter Newell, Martin Reid, Malcolm Mayer and Michael Ware. Michael, in particular, has had a fabulous few months at the bridge table even by his high standards (2^nd in the Open Pairs, 1^st in the Swiss Pairs…to add to the Teams victory in Wellington being the most recent) but in providing a board from this weekend, he was gracious enough to provide one where an opponent, Nick Jacob, provided some excellent quick-thinking defence to beat Michael’s partner, Malcolm Mayer, in his 3NT contract.

 

1NT might have been a “comic no trump” though South “owned up” to a proper strong no-trump overcall with their response to the 2 enquiry.

With no great love of your partner’s suit, you decide to start with your “secret weapon”, a low club. This goes to your partner’s king which wins the trick. Partner returns 7 with declarer again playing low (4 then 6). You win with 9 and continue Q, your partner throwing a low spade.

Next comes K, followed by 3, 2 and your partner’s 10. Declarer’s next card is 5.

Plan the defence.

Michael Ware (North) decided assuming his partner did have a genuine strong no-trump overcall that 4 might not be a good contract as he held three spades and there would be a strong chance of a spade ruff occurring had East held A. So, he used Stayman rather than a transfer sequence. 2NT showed 15-16 without four hearts. Hence, Michael raised to 3NT with his five hearts and two aces.

Nick (West) started off with the best lead for the defence, a low club. Malcolm Mayer (South) ducked the first two rounds of clubs as stated above and won the third round with the ace. These were the four hands:

 

With hearts 3-2, all Malcolm had to do was to keep Nick off lead as if he lost the lead to East (GeO Tislevoll), Malcolm could regain the lead and score two spade tricks (via the marked finesse), four hearts, two diamonds and A.

So, Malcolm led the K with GeO playing a rather significant 10. Had Nick played 9 on the second round of hearts, Malcolm would have ducked in dummy losing to GeO’s J.

 

However, Nick did not play low on the second round of hearts. He inserted Q anticipating the true heart position and the declarer’s intention. Malcolm had to win his ace and play a third round of hearts. Nick won this with his 9 and reeled off three more club tricks to beat the game by two tricks.

Nick’s alertness saved the day

Nick’s astute quick-thinking play is the so called “crocodile coup” where you play a higher card in advance of your partner in order to keep your partner off lead, guaranteeing Nick a certain entry to run his winning clubs. To quote Michael Ware, who watched proceedings as dummy: “A crocodile coup in early/middle of the hand is very rare and harder to see than at the end when the whole hand is usually known…well done, Nick Jacob."

Michael also pointed out that 3NT can be made if declarer wins the first round of clubs and plays West for three hearts (10 protects South from more than two club losers) though with East opening the bidding, they would seem more likely to hold the Q. So, playing East for either three hearts or doubleton Q seems a better line.

At the other table in the same 3NT contract, West led Q. East did not contribute the king as they thought that would help the declarer. So, a second club went to the king and ace. Although South could have ducked K, he won and did in fact lose a trick to West thus making his contract. Had he lost to East and East had a third club to play, he would still have made his contract as the club suit would have broken 4-3.

As it happened, Michael’s fears about 4 were unfounded as, as long as declarer draws two rounds of trumps early, East can be end-played either to open up diamonds or provide declarer with three spade tricks and either way make 10 tricks.

Some decisions after a light opening

 

 

North’s double is for take-out. Do you agree with East’s 2bid? What now?

 

Richard Solomon

 

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