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Brad Johnston.

Excitement Down South.

That was certainly the case for Brad Johnston and Sam Coutts as they were members of the winning team in the Victor Champion Swiss Teams Cup last weekend. Yesterday, we featured their teammates, Tom Jacob and Brian Mace, in bidding and making a grand slam. Today, it is Brad and Sam’s turn, though perhaps Brad’s ambition was a little more modest. We left you yesterday with the following:

A "Tasty"Number

 

The number is “24” as that is the number of high-card points you hold. Yet, your partner starts the bidding with a weak 2(6-card suit) What will be your approach to the bidding? If you ask, your partner will show a poor weak 2 and then no key-cards. What will be your final contract?

Brad held the above hand and started with a 2NT enquiry. The 3 response showed a minimum and a shortage somewhere. Brad asked where and was told that the shortage was in diamonds.

So, he tried 4 which was a cue-bid and received a 5 response, a further cue-bid in clubs, thus denying K in the process. Thus, K and presumably an honour in spades. Brad was slam-bound and wheeled out their high-level Key-Card bid, 5NT with 6 denying any or in this case K. Brad decided to play in 6NT protecting against a possible heart lead through his AQ.

This was their sequence and Sam’s hand:

 

3 asked for the singleton and 3 said it was in diamonds.

The lead was 10 which went round to your queen. What now?

Unless South held singleton or doubleton king, there was a spade loser. So, Brad could likely see 5 spade tricks, 2 in each other suit. That added up to 11 and he had only one certain entry to dummy to run the spade suit. So, he laid down A and then J on which North discarded a low diamond.

Brad needed two entries to dummy as he could not overtake J without losing two spade tricks. South was not kind enough to take the K immediately. Therefore, he had to play a club to the 10 and hope…

 

Q was where Brad wanted it to be. South took their K on the third round of the suit but that was the only trick the defence could take and Brad had made his slam.

North could have spoilt Brad’s fun though it was really hard for them to do that. When Brad led the 5, North would have defeated the slam if they had risen with Q. That seemingly very generous card would have taken away Brad’s second entry to dummy and the spade suit would thus have been lost.

Exciting bidding, exciting play and an opportunity for a defensive brilliancy. Quite a deal. With the same contract making at the other table, Brad had to bid and make slam to tie the board, en route to a great victory in the event.

A question for “Jan’s Day”.

Who would endure greater stress levels, a heart surgeon or a tournament bridge player?

While you ponder, plan the play in 4 after the lead of 3. Don’t stress over it, though!

Richard Solomon

 

 

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