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Jan’s Day: “Much Ado About Nothing!”

A little light relief in today’s Jan’s Day hand with the article reflecting back to the days of 1985 when the Rubber Bridge competition was a major event on the bridge calendar.

 

2was what you think it is (strong!) while 4 was Gerber. The double? No comment! Your lead is?

Jan Cormack

Who needs honours!

“Rubber Bridge enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that the Auckland Savings Bank Rubber Bridge Tournament, which was so successful last year, will be held on April 20/21." (we are back in 1985) "The venue will be the Auckland Bridge Club with the qualifying rounds on the Saturday and the finals and a two-session Pairs event for all eliminated pairs on the Sunday.

1^ST prize is $1,000 with numerous other prizes for side-events. Entry fee is $12.00 per player.

Playing Rubber Bridge is mostly dependent about holding good cards. In other words, if you are one of those players who seem to be dealt nothing but aces, kings and queens,” (do you know such players..you, for instance?) “Then perhaps you should try your luck in this tournament.

Remuera’s Dr Stuart Colbeck might not agree that holding all the hcps guarantees a plus score. The following “impossible” hand dealt during a Rubber Bridge game was sent to me by Dr Colbeck.

 

The double of 4 (ace ask) was interesting to say the least. Dr Colbeck describes the double as a “nuisance bid” and subsequent developments proved him correct.

I do not wish to make any comment about West’s redouble or his partner’s pass other than “ouch”!

As you can guess (otherwise there would be no story), Dr Colbeck led a low diamond for his partner to ruff and when North returned a heart, the defence took the first six tricks on a cross-ruff.

Although East-West held the maximum 40 hcp between them and were cold for a grand slam in hearts from the West seat, diamonds from East or no-trumps from either seat, all they received was -1600 for 4xx, three light!

Of course, if Dr Colbeck leads anything other than a diamond, then East-West score 4xx with an overtrick. Declarer simply plays three rounds of trumps with South taking his two trump tricks any time he likes. Also, if North returns anything but a heart, East makes his contract though the score does not compare very favourably with the +2220 for 7NT making.

Did I say all you need to win at Rubber Bridge is high card points?!”

      

who needs aces when you have these cards!

Normally in such a situation where your opponents have lots of high-card points but not that many trumps, it is best to lead a trump to stop them making their trumps separately, though “normally” you will have a decent 5 or 6 card trump suit of your own. There was nothing normal about this double and redouble.

The first prize in our National Rubber Bridge competition is still $1,000 for the pair with the same figure being worth comparatively less nowadays. Perhaps it is time to up the value of the first prize even though $500 per player first prize still exceeds any other tournament prize-money in this country.

Saving the Defence

 

Your partner opens a 12-14 1NT after which South bids very quickly to game. Your partner leads a potentially quite good for the defence 6 with South winning the first trick with K.

Next comes K from South won by your partner’s ace and next from West the Q. Over to you to save the defence. You really would like a heart ruff, maybe even two ruffs if you were being greedy. You have to convince your partner to switch to a heart. Plan the defence.

Richard Solomon

 

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