December 2019 - 64

Special Contributors

Bridge with the Abbot
BY DAVID BIRD

The Abbot's faulty preempt
The Thursday duplicate, with the
Abbot partnering the Monsignor
Salerno, was nearing its end when
Brother Xavier arrived at their table.
Deprived of his usual partner, he was
accompanied by the aged Brother
Sextus. The Abbot attempted to catch
Xavier's eye. It could hardly be more
obvious that a good finishing position
would be beyond him with Brother
Sextus in tow. Even Xavier would
surely realize that his main objective
should be to assist the Monsignor to
win the session. The Monsignor might
then strike a more conciliatory tone in
his eventual report to the Vatican.
The players drew these cards:
Dlr: East ♠ A 10 7 4
Vul: None ♥ A 10 5 3 2
♦64
♣63
♠9652
♠8
♥86
♥J974
♦ Q 10 7 5 3 2
♦J
♣2
♣ K Q J 10 8 7 4
♠KQJ3
♥KQ
♦AK98
♣A95
West
Mons.
Salerno

North
Bro.
Sextus

Pass
Pass
All Pass

4♣
5♥

East
The
Abbot
3♣
Pass
Pass

64 Bridge Bulletin December 2019

South
Bro.
Xavier
Dbl
4NT
6♠

Brother Sextus leaned forward. "Before you lead, Monsignor, I think it's
only fair to inform you that my bid of
4♣ wasn't natural. I was asking partner to choose one of the majors."
Monsignor Salerno turned his fierce
gaze in a northerly direction. Was
this elderly and poorly groomed man
senile? Who could imagine that 4♣
was natural after a 3♣ opening by the
opponents? "I am aware of that," he
replied.
West's ♣2 appeared on the table and
Brother Xavier won the trick with the
ace. He drew one round of trumps with
the king, noting the fall of the ♠8 from
East. With the intention of setting up
the dummy, his next move was to play
the ♥K and ♥Q. All followed but the
jack did not fall. He then led the ♠Q
from his hand. "No, no!" he exclaimed,
as Brother Sextus reached for the ♠7.
"Overtake with the ace, please."
The Abbot could not believe what he
was seeing. Had Brother Xavier lost his
senses? How could it be appropriate
to indulge in such a fancy play when
Monsignor Salerno would shortly be
writing his report? The whole future of
the monastery might depend on it.
When the Abbot discarded a club on
this trick, Xavier nodded happily. He
ruffed a heart with the ♠J, finessed
the ♠7 and drew the last trump with
dummy's ♠10. "You make a club at the
end," he said, facing his cards.
"What a clever play in trumps, partner," congratulated Brother Sextus.

"Mind you, I remember an old Bols
Bridge Tip. When a player preempts,
he usually has a singleton in his hand.
After the Abbot's 3♣ opening, it was
obvious to play him for a singleton
trump."
The Monsignor reached for the
Abbot's curtain card and stared at it
in disbelief. "You preempt with a side
suit of four hearts?" he exclaimed. "In
Rome, no one would consider such a
bid! You displayed on a plate how the
cards were lying."
The Abbot gritted his teeth. What
on earth difference had his preempt
made? When the ♠8 fell from his
hand, it was totally obvious for declarer
to overtake the ♠Q on the next round.
Except when you were playing against
the Monsignor, of course. Then it
should have been totally obvious, even
to Brother Xavier, not to overtake.
"Plus 980 is an excellent score for
us," said Brother Sextus, inscribing the
result in his usual laborious fashion.
"That is not too surprising to me,"
declared Monsignor Salerno, sitting
back in his chair. "No one else will open
3♣, you can be sure."
◾
December 2019

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