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So, we gave you a question and a deal to play for today. Both will be answered in today’s "Jan’s Day" article.

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

While you ponder, plan the play in 4after the lead of 3. We advised against  stressing over it, though!

 

Looking at the above hands, it looks like it could well be the tournament bridge player having greater stress as with a trump and a diamond having to be lost, a diamond trick having to be scored because the ace is with East (unlikely!) or by ruffing a diamond in dummy…and then trumps need be 3-3…. But let Jan explain.

“ Antidote for worry or a test for nerves.

Someone once quoted to me that “bridge is a cure for care, an antidote for worry, a sweeping away of mental cobwebs.”

If this were true, then I wonder why at the conclusion of the recent New Zealand trials, all the participants looked as if they needed at least a week’s rest at a health farm!

A recent survey was recently conducted in the United States where the stress levels of a heart surgeon during a normal operation was compared with that of a bridge player competing in an ordinary Pairs event.

Surprisingly, the stress involved for the bridge player exceeded that of the heart surgeon. I could well believe this when I found myself in 4 during these trials on the following:

 

Lead 3

For this rather precarious contract to have any chance of success, the outstanding trumps had to break 3-3 and the defenders needed to be more than a little understanding!

A took the first trick with a small diamond being played to my 9 and South’s jack. West decided to switch to a low heart which I allowed East to hold with Q. East continued trumps with that round taken by dummy’s K. I played a club to my king and ruffed a diamond with dummy’s last trump and then ruffed a spade back to my hand before playing A which drew the remaining trumps and then ran four more rounds of clubs. Contract made via A, a diamond and a spade ruff, AK and five club tricks.

      

 

Which is the stressless occupation?!

Whew! Who said we play bridge for relaxation!”

 

Double or bid?

They seem to be our options with the hand below.

 

 We are playing a strong no-trump based system where if your partner is balanced, they would have a weak no-trump. The game is Pairs… and your bid is?

Richard Solomon

 

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