Dealer: N Vul: Nil
NORTH
♠ 6
♥ Q73
♦ K196432
♣ J54
WEST EAST
♠ 10953 ♠ KQ
♥ AK104 ♥ 62
♦ J985 ♦ A
♣ 10 ♣ AKQ98763
SOUTH
♠ AJ8742
♥ J985
♦ Q7
♣ 2
If you want to find out what kind of bridge player you would be, have a look at East’s hand. There are few players who would open with the pile of garbage held by North, so as East you will be the first to bid. As an adventurer, you would jump straight to 5C and make at least eleven tricks for a score of 400, which includes a bonus for successfully reaching that level. If you are flexible in your approach to bidding, you would open 2C, an artificial bid which shows 19-21 high card points, although you have only 18 points. Your bid hasn’t yet nominated a suit. It might then be difficult to convince your partner that you have such a long club suit. The more cautious and strategic thinker (a bit like Montgomery, who never started a battle until he had all the necessary supplies and ammunition) would open 1C to find out if partner could assist in any way. Of course an out and out gambler wouldn’t waste time, but instead would open 3NT.
At the Bridge Club on Friday, four East/West pairs reached 5C by various routes, one pair gave away 1400 points when a glitch in their bidding lured them into a disastrous 5H doubled. Only Pat Kelly and David Moran played in the par contract of 3NT by East. Pat (East) opened 1C, South chose not to intervene with a weak bid in spades, and David replied with 1D. Pat knew that 3NT making eleven tricks would score 460 and 5C only 400. He therefore took the calculated risk that David’s hand included a worthwhile card or two in hearts. Pat’s decision was vindicated when David’s hand was placed on the table and included two top hearts. The play was straightforward. Pat took his eleven winners for a top score. A possible twelfth trick could have been made by playing a top spade while stoppers remained in the red suits, but there are occasions when enough time has been spent walking on the tightrope.
Results: Monday, 13/03/23 (6 & 1/2-table Mitchell): N/S W. Milne J. Sipple (58.6) 1; J. Nankervis P. Kelly (52.1) 2; J. Mobbs S. Goddard (48.6) 3. E/W M. Simpson M. Johnston (72.9) 1; R. Hart N. McGinness (57.2) 2; H. Price L. Munson (56.7) 3. Friday, 17/03/23 (6-table Mitchell): N/S J. Rose P. Campbell (58.0) 1; Jenny Smith R. Hart (55.0) 2; N. Collins M. Simpson (52.7) 3. E.W P. Kelly D. Moran (68.3) 1; H. Price N. McGinness (51.3) 2; C. Duggan M. Johnston (49.0)
