Going For Broke

12th July – Board 7: North/South Vul. Dealer South.
I found this hand the most exciting because it gave West the opportunity to appear truly heroic – or truly suicidal!


Unless playing a strong variety South is bound to open 1NT and West should not look anywhere else than trying for a penalty. East may not like it but with nowhere else to go he should hope that partner has enough tricks in his own hand to defeat this contract, but in fact it is East who holds the two cards that might exact a penalty of 800 points. Suppose that West kicks off with the king of spades rather than the ace. This asks East to give count, and the three would be the start of an odd number, three in this case. So after cashing two top spades West just might consider cashing the king of hearts before leading a low spade! Imagine that! A bemused East would win with the ten and return the jack of hearts and now the defence can come to the first nine tricks. Would I have done that? I doubt it, but it would certainly make for a good dining out story.
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4 comments:

  1. Robin14 July 2012 at 17:34

    How do you think the bidding should go if we are playing a variable no-trump?

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    Replies
    1. Dave15 July 2012 at 08:44

      Well South would open 1C and West would probably double although I don't think bidding 1S is a mistake. If West does double I do not think North should bid 1D on such a poor hand because there is a possibility that the bidding could now proceed NB - 1NT - Dbl and now the benefit of playing a strong no-trump has been lost. (I know North did bid 1NT at your table because I was watching and the bidding did go as suggested except that East removed the double.) If North does pass over the initial double this gives East a problem who is too weak to bid 1NT and can hardly pass, so will probably bid 1H. As long as West does not get too excited a heart partscore will make due to the friendly lie of the cards.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous15 July 2012 at 08:18

    "This asks East to give count, and the three would be the start of an odd number, three in this case"

    Presumably you're saying this because West has the 2S?

    SSS (Super Second Stew)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dave15 July 2012 at 08:47

    Yes that's right. West either has one or three spades for the play of the three as East can see the two. In any event the distribution is cleared up when East follows at trick two.

    ReplyDelete

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