May 2009 - 59

Bridge with the Abbot
Brother Cameron's
advice
Halfway through the monastery duplicate, the Abbot faced Brother Zac
and the ancient Brother Fabius. Much
to the Abbot's incomprehension,
theirs was one of the most enduring
partnerships in the monastery. Brother
Zac was a strong dummy player and
a more than adequate defender. Why
should he choose to play with someone so completely hopeless?
The Abbot shrugged his shoulders.
The same question had doubtless been
asked many a time about his own
partnership with Brother Xavier. Still,
the damage had been done. There
wasn't much point in looking for a
new partner at his age. Sad as it was,
the chance to play in the big international championships had passed him
by forever. Just imagine what it might
have been like, had he been partnered
by someone of his own abilities.
Norway reaches a small slam in diamonds and the vugraph commentator
expects Geir Helgemo to make the
contract easily but ... "That's interesting! Hugo Yorke-Smith, for England,
has found the one lead to cause
declarer some trouble ..."
"It's your bid, Abbot," said Brother
Zac.
"Yes, yes, don't rush me," replied
the Abbot.
This was the board before them:
Dlr: North  5 2
Vul: E-W  Q 6 3
A732
KQ62
 A Q J 10 9 3
864
N
84
952
W E
 J 10 8
Q94
S
 10 7
9853
K7
 A K J 10 7
K65
AJ4
May 2009

West
The
Abbot
1
Pass
Pass
All Pass

North
Brother
Fabius
1
Dbl
3
5

East
Brother
Xavier
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

South
Brother
Zac
1
2
4NT
6

"You Alerted your partner's
double?" queried the Abbot.
"Yes, it's a support double," Brother
Zac replied. "We're trying out some
new methods that Brother Cameron
plays. He always seems to do quite
well against us."
"You're joking, surely?" continued
the Abbot. "Brother Cameron has
only been playing the game for a couple of years. How can he possibly give
you any useful advice on bidding?"
The Abbot led the J and down
went the dummy. "Goodness me!" he
exclaimed. "I've rarely seen such a
barren 11-count. How can that possibly rate as an opening bid?"
"I must say I rather agree with
you," replied Brother Fabius.
"According to Brother Cameron,
though, there's a considerable advantage in being first to ..."
"I'm not interested in what Brother
Cameron thinks," declared the Abbot.
"Do you think Reese or Schapiro
would have opened the bidding on
such a hopeless hand? Does Brother
Cameron know better than all the
world's top players over the past
seventy years? I've never heard such
nonsense."
The Abbot appeared to have ended
his diatribe and Brother Zac turned
his mind to the play. He won the
diamond lead with the king and drew
two rounds of trumps with the ace
and king, both defenders following.
What now? If West had started with

David Bird

four diamonds, it seemed that he
would be squeezed by the run of the
hearts and the clubs. To retain the
defenders' sole diamond guard, he
would have to bare the A. Declarer
could then duck a spade to set up the
king. Yes, that would work well if
West's shape was 6=2=4=1.
Brother Zac tested the club suit by
cashing the ace and jack. When West
followed to two rounds, the idea of
a squeeze had to be put to one side.
Brother Zac crossed to the K,
West showing out, and discarded a
diamond on the Q. The A and a
diamond ruff set up a long card in the
dummy and Brother Zac was able to
reach it with a third round of trumps
to the queen. The slam was his.
"Now I've seen everything,"
declared the Abbot. "If clubs are
3-3, you can't make it! You need the
trump entry to dummy and if you
don't draw Xavier's last trump he can
ruff the thirteenth club."
Brother Fabius inspected the
score-sheet, nodding happily. "It's a
good one for us, partner," he reported. "A very good one, in fact. I think
we owe young Brother Cameron a
drink."
"I'll show him the deal afterwards,"
replied Brother Zac. "I don't think
we'd get there if you pass on your
11-count!"
r
59
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2009
