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“A Cow flew by!”

What better forward can there be for today’s Jan’s Day article than to repeat Jan’s own words that this is her favourite of the articles she wrote. “Flying cows..favourite article." It just must be worth a read!

 

Well, would you open the above hand? If you do, presumably it will be a Weak 2? If you did, you would miss all the fun!

Let’s assume you did not. Are you using the red card when the bidding proceeds as follows:

West              North             East                South
                                              Pass               1
3                   4                   ?

Jan Cormack

“Oh dear! Sorry partner. A cow flew by.

How many times have you heard those words “sorry partner”? I do not care to count.

There would be very few sessions of bridge that I have played during which those two words have not had the occasion to be used.

As in most sports, it is not necessarily the most brilliantly talented player who wins but the player who has the ability to minimise mistakes.

Unfortunately, “a cow flew by” for East on the following deal. “It really did, partner. It had purple and orange stripes with wings at least 30 metres long…honestly!”

 

East led their spade with West winning the trick with S following up with A. North ruffed with 3 with East’s 4 winning the trick. Next came 5 which declarer ran round to their 8. A small heart was played with dummy’s 10 winning the trick as North received the “good news” about the trump suit.

AK followed and then a successful club ruff with 7.Next came AK leaving the following position, with the defence having taken two tricks:

 

7 ruffed by East with 5 (instead of K!) as she gazed in wonderment at the magnificent cow flying over her partner’s head.

All North needed to do was to over-ruff with Q and play dummy’s last club, discarding 10 from hand. East was obliged to ruff (3^rd trick for the defence) and lead into AJ in declarer’s hand. 4x and made, despite the 6-0 break.

The Perfect Hand?  for less experienced players and others.

Is it? Let’s see.

 

 

3 promises at least and normally 4 spades and 10-11 hcp. Your bid? Teams.

Richard Solomon

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