August 2024 - 62

Advanced Players
My Bridge and Yours
I
n a Sectional Swiss teams, my
partner and I are an unpracticed
partnership and brandish
a convention card that looks like it
might have taken a direct hit from a
bottle of liquid paper. Our methods
are Stone Age - bereft of conventions
save for a few that are meat-and-potatoes.
Despite that, we have won our
first match. In the second match, our
opponents make a partscore and then
a game, results that looks normal. On
the third deal, we are vulnerable, and
as South I hold:
s8 3 hA J 10 7 2 dA Q 10 9 3 c 7.
My partner deals and opens 1s, and
the opponents stay out. I respond 2h,
and he bids 3c. That " high reverse "
used to promise extra strength, but
some pairs using 2/1 are willing to
rebid at the three level merely to show
a second suit. I personally consider
that approach awkward (and in Bridge
World Standard, a consensus system
based on a poll of scores of experts,
partner's 3c would suggest extras),
but I don't know how my partner may
intend it. In any case, I continue with
3d, and partner bids 3h.
I suppose I should bid 3NT. With
three-card support, he would have
raised directly to 3h on many hands
or would have jumped to 4h at his
third turn. Still, my hearts are strong
enough to play at a 5-2 fit, and a club
opening lead may put a notrump contract
at risk. So, I bid 4h, and everyone
passes.
BY FRANK STEWART
frs1016@centurylink.net
West leads the cQ.
Dlr: North s A K 7 6 2
Vul: N-S h K 4
d J 4
c A 6 4 2
s 8 3
h A J 10 7 2
d A Q 10 9 3
c 7
West North East
1s
Pass
Pass 3c Pass
Pass 3h Pass
South
2h
3d
4h
All Pass
I take dummy's cA. It seems we
might have missed a 26-point slam.
Partner has a lot of prime cards, and
if the East-West cards lie perfectly, I
can take 13 tricks. Maybe one of us,
or both of us, could have done more.
I have to remind myself that I need
to focus on the actual contract, not
one we might have reached. It's probably
safe to start the trumps, but
because trump control might be an
issue, I let the dJ ride at the second
trick. West takes the king and leads a
low club, and I ruff East's king.
Next, I lead the king and a second
trump, and East plays the 6 and 9.
If I finesse and lose, West will lead
another club, and then if trumps
break 4-2, I am out of control. So, I
put up the hA. When West follows
low, I lead high diamonds. West ruffs
the third diamond low and forces me
with another club, but I can continue
diamonds and lose only one more
trick to the hQ. Making four. The full
deal:
s A K 7 6 2
h K 4
d J 4
c A 6 4 2
s J 5
h Q 8 5 3
d K 8
c Q J 10 8 3
s Q 10 9 4
h 9 6
d 7 6 5 2
c K 9 5
s 8 3
h A J 10 7 2
d A Q 10 9 3
c 7
If I don't take care, I go down in
game on our " slam " deal. At the
other table, they got to 4h, but when
declarer took the cA, he cashed the
hK and finessed the 10. West won
and forced with a club. Declarer drew
trumps, leaving him with none, went
to dummy and finessed in diamonds.
When West took the king, he ran off
three club tricks for down two.
As to our virginal convention card, I
feel strongly that casual partnerships
should avoid any but the most basic
methods. The issue is this: the theoretical
gain from playing something
complicated is uncertain; the chance
of a misunderstanding is real. 2
62 | Bridge Bulletin | August 2024
August 2024

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