Playing on BBO with a pick-up partner, I picked up the following cards at red on white IMPs:
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The bidding proceeded as follows:
LHO 1 ![]() Pass |
Partner Dbl 2NT |
RHO Pass 1NT All Pass |
Me Pass 2 ![]() |
I made a foolish bid of 2, particularly at unfavorable IMPs. With so many soft values and only 4 clubs, I must have had my dunce cap on. Partner's 2NT, however, surprised me. What could he have? Not 15-18 otherwise he'd have overcalled 1NT. 19-20? He'd probably rebid 3NT, and the opponents' hands plus mine equate to roughly 27 HCP already, anyway, making that range impossible. 13-14? Then why wouldn't he just pass 2
?
I was enlightened upon becoming dummy: (hands rotated for convenience)
Dlr: West | Me (dummy) | |||
Vul: E-W | ![]() | |||
![]() | ||||
West | ![]() | East | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | |||
![]() | Partner | ![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | ||||
![]() | ||||
![]() |
Aaaaaaaagh! Partner doubled with only two clubs. He then tried to escape to no-trumps. I had thrown a
Note also West's 4-HCP 1NT bid. The finals of the Reisinger Championships, this was not.
West led the 9...low, king, ace. Very helpful! Obviously there are now 4 diamond tricks to be had.
Partner next led the 7
4.
Now, there are several ways of making the hand from here, including leading clubs out of dummy (!), but partner chose to lead the 3
T,
Instead, West took the A
Q
Dlr: West | Me (dummy) | |||
Vul: E-W | ![]() | |||
![]() | ||||
West | ![]() | East | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | |||
![]() | Partner | ![]() | ||
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
![]() | ||||
![]() | ||||
![]() |
OK, partner needs 6 more tricks. An analysis of endplays might be in order here, but what do you think you are reading, The Bridge World?
Partner led a heart toward the king, winning, followed by a low heart toward dummy. East gratefully took three heart tricks, the A,
8.
Q
T
Ah, Bridge...always good for a laugh, if you don't cry first instead.
2023 © Jeff Tang. All Rights Reserved.