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February 2003
WHO'S IN CHARGE
Playing bridge with a
stranger, you never know what surprises are lurking around. I drew this
respectable 12 HCP hand:
S) K 8 3 2
H) Q 7 4
D) 8 6
C) A Q J 9
Partner opens 1NT. Looks like we have a game. I try Stayman to see if we have
4-4 spades. Then following my 2 club Stayman call, partner says 2 diamonds (no
four-card major). I settle for 3NT, or so I thought. Lo and behold, partner goes
on to 4NT.
The bidding so far:
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
1 NT Pass 2 C
Pass 2 D Pass 3 NT
Pass 4 NT Pass
What is going on? This is not Blackwood - maybe it is a slam invitation. The
trouble is, partner is supposed to have a maximum 18 points for his 1 NT opener,
and my 3 NT denies enough values for slam. I figure our combined strength is 29
to 30 points. It is time to guess and I guess to pass, preferring to leave
partner in a sure contract. Wrong guess - partner has 21 points and an easy 12
tricks.
Bridge is a tough game. But when partners are on different wave lengths it gets
easy - for the opponents!
Mindful of the need to protect partner's ego, I said "my mistake pard, I should
have accepted you slam invite". Equally considerate, partner responded "no
problem, pard".
BID BYTES
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
Pass 1 C 1 H Double
What does South's double mean? South has some values (at least six points) to
respond to partner's opening. He has four spades and three or four diamonds, and
not enough clubs to raise. If he had five spades, he would have bid them rather
than double.
FOR THE HUMOR
"If you have the deplorable habit of being unpleasant to
a partner who has just made a mistake, you will cause him to lose such few wits
as he possesses and all manner of disasters will overtake you." - Pierre
Albarran, 1959 (translated into English by Terence Reese)
BridgeSnaps newsletter is produced by
John S. Thomas, author of Standard American 21. |
