Asking Too Much

18th October – Board 9: East/West Vul. Dealer North.

One of the biggest appeals of bridge to my mind is the fact that what might be right today could be totally wrong tomorrow, with luck playing a far more important role than we are sometimes prepared to admit. Just take a look at the hand shown below:

The outcome on this hand depends to a large extent as to what action South decides to take after the hand on his right has opened 1♠. Many people play Michael’s, but they usually have the restriction that the bid should be limited in high-card points, making a bid of 2♠ on the hand above a non-starter. Whatever the case it doesn’t look as though starting with a take-out double can come to much harm, but see what happens when the opponents then pre-empt to game. (3♠ by West is of course a weakish bid. With a full-blooded raise he should start with 2NT.) Now when South doubles again it is merely saying that he has a really strong hand but even so it is surely asking too much for North to bid 5♥, the winning option as it happens. Not only that but the defence against 4♠ must be very careful. South will surely lead the ace of clubs but must resist the temptation to switch to the king of diamonds. If he does that declarer will only lose one heart, one diamond and one club – assuming of course that he plays a low spade to the king first.