Bridge Adventures Leo & Linda

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CHAPTER ♣6

Our star players from Groningen had achieved promotion in the regional pairs competition, via a combination of good bridge and Unauthorized Information. So they faced stronger opposition! Leo and Linda had scrutinized their communication methods at the table, but it appeared difficult to abolish the sending and receiving of illegal hints. They wondered to what extent their practices would be exposed at this higher level...

E/-	♠ 7 6 4 2 ♥ 4 3 ♦ K 6 ♣ A Q 10 9 3
♠ K Q 9 8 ♥ 10 9 7 5 ♦ J 4 2 ♣ 7 5	N W E S	♠ A J 10 3 ♥ 6 ♦ A Q 10 9 ♣ J 8 6 4
	♠ 5 ♥ A K Q J 8 2 ♦ 8 7 5 3 ♣ K 2

West Rick van de Schans - double 3 ♠ pass	North Linda - pass 4 ♥	East Dick van de Toren 1 ♣ 2 ♠ pass	South Leo 1 ♥ 3 ♥ pass

Leo and Linda were a bit nervous at the start of the first round. They spotted several strong well known players from the district and exchanged a glance of understanding. They soon picked up their cards for the first hand.

They played weak jump overcalls, so Leo followed with 1♥ after East's 1♣ opening. West produced a thin double, and East, who envisioned game potential with something like ♠KQxx and ♦K opposite, bid an optimistic STOP 2♠. Leo called 3♥ without pause, making it clear to everyone that he held a good hand beyond any doubt. That gave Linda enough confidence to bid game in spite of her doubleton hearts and limited point count.

East-West passed wisely, and started well with ♠K overtaken by the ace, followed by ♠J (with a diamond lead and continuation for example, South can always make his contract). Leo had to ruff and was now in danger of losing trump control if he attempted to ruff a diamond in dummy. So he needed four club tricks (assuming that East had ♦A for his sound opening bid). East probably had four clubs to the jack as well, and Leo saw a cunning way to scupper East. He drew four rounds of trumps, throwing two spades from dummy. East meanwhile let go a spade and two diamonds. Leo then played a surprising ♣2 to dummy's ♣10! If East would take this trick with ♣J he would be home...

East, annoyed by Leo's quick 3♥ call, was determined however to make sure that crime would not pay. He could see that South would sail home with six hearts and four clubs if he took his ♣J, regardless of the position of ♣K. Therefore, he let dummy's ♣10 win the trick!

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E/-	♠ - ♥ - ♦ K 6 ♣ A Q 10 9 3
♠ Q 9 ♥ - ♦ J 4 2 ♣ 7 5	N W E S	♠ 10 ♥ - ♦ A Q ♣ J 8 6 4
	♠ - ♥ 8 ♦ 8 7 5 3 ♣ K 2

This ingenious counter to Leo's equally ingenious dummy play left 4♥ without a chance. Leo cashed ♣A and ♣Q in the vain hope that ♣J would drop. When this proved futile he desperately played a fourth club to East's ♣J, but East could exit safely with a spade. Leo ruffed and finally tried a diamond to dummy's ♦K. But East, as expected, won with ♦A and also cashed ♦Q for 1 down.

"Well defended", said Leo reluctantly in an effort to at least make some impression at this level.
East, who had no intention of being friendly to these slick newcomers, arrogantly grumbled: "Routine defence."
"Pity that 4♥ didn't make, but it will still be good for us", snapped Linda towards East, determined not to let herself be intimidated. "3♠ in East-West cannot be beaten in spite of the meagre point count. And if South is unwise enough to start with two top hearts, even 4♠ is on..."

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In the second round Leo and Linda faced Black and Jack. Black's real name was Roos de Zwart, but everybody called her Black since her school days. She was a beautiful blonde woman with bright blue eyes and a taste for red. She was wearing a pale red pullover, and her deep red lipstick contrasted strongly with her black mascara. Her partner Jack on the other hand had raven hair and generally wore black clothing. Sometimes, like tonight, he sported a red tie. The two had spent half their lives in casinos but had recently picked up bridge as a new challenge.

S/EW	♠ J 10 9 8 ♥ Q 3 ♦ K 6 5 2 ♣ K Q 3
♠ K 4 ♥ J 10 9 ♦ J 9 3 ♣ A J 10 8 7	N W E S	♠ A ♥ K 8 6 5 4 2 ♦ 10 8 7 ♣ 9 6 2
	♠ Q 7 6 5 3 2 ♥ A 7 ♦ A Q 4 ♣ 5 4

West Black - 2 ♣ pass	North Leo - 3 ♣ * pass	East Jack - pass pass	South Linda 1 ♠ 4 ♠

* spade fit, inviting for game

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Linda propelled herself into an optimistic spade game, against which Black led an optimal ♥J (on any other lead South makes her contract easily). Linda tried dummy's ♥Q, but Jack produced ♥K and Linda won with ♥A. She now faced four losers, and she saw nothing better than trying to crash the two top trumps in East-West. She therefore played a small trump from her hand. This presented Black with a dilemma, which grew more tantalizing as she pondered.
If South had ♠A she might have finessed against ♠K. But perhaps she did not have a quick entry to dummy, or otherwise she could be trying to fool her. It was quite likely after all that West held ♠K in view of her vulnerable overcall. If she played ♠K and Jack had ♠A bare the jeering would be loud. But if she ducked and declarer would subsequently catch her ♠K by banging down the ace, the jeering would be louder still. What to do...?

Leo was waiting impatiently for Black to play a card, and at some point could no longer restrain himself. All dummy’s spades were equals anyway, and he prematurely advanced ♠8. Jack, who had meanwhile divined West's dilemma, was there with ♠A in a flash. Black's problem was solved instantly, and with a sigh of relief she followed with a small spade. Jack continued with a heart, and Black quickly took ♥10, ♣A and ♠K for 1 down. All Linda could do was to throw a withering glance at Leo.

"Why couldn't you keep your hands off dummy's cards?", hissed Linda in threatening tones. "Why didn't you give West the chance to go wrong?"
"Because West would probably have gone right anyway and because you just ruined a cold game", snapped Leo.

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Linda, who was raging with anger but nevertheless realized that Leo was not stupid, forced herself to analyse the hand. After a short silence she replied with superhuman self-control:
"You're right, after ♥A I should immediately have played four rounds of diamonds throwing my heart loser. It does not matter which defender ruffs with what, I subsequently lose only one trump trick and ♣A..."

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Halfway through the evening Leo and Linda met their club mate Beatrice-Bernadette Bryznyvkova-Bendikovski. Partnering her sister Leanette-Leonore she had also been promoted in the regional pairs competition. Leanette-Leonore was generally called Lea, and she was Bea's opposite in every respect: Thick-set, boyish, with dark curly hair and afraid for no one. She greeted Leo and Linda with a joyful smile and started to sort her cards energetically.

W/all	♠ 3 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A K 10 8 2 ♣ A J 10 9 7
♠ 8 2 ♥ A K Q 10 ♦ Q 7 4 ♣ K 8 5 2	N W E S	♠ J 10 9 7 6 4 ♥ 6 ♦ 6 5 3 ♣ 6 4 3
	♠ A K Q 5 ♥ J 9 8 5 3 2 ♦ J 9 ♣ Q

West Bea 1 ♣ pass pass pass double double pass	North Linda pass pass 2 ♠ 3 ♥ pass pass pass	East Lea pass 1 ♠ pass pass pass pass pass	South Leo double 2 ♥ 2 NT 4 ♥ 4 NT redouble

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Bea opened 1♣ as dealer and a curious auction ensued, which seemed to end in a reasonable 4♥ contract. But then something truly unbelievable occurred, something that the world had not witnessed since Friday 13 May 2005: Timid Bea ventured a penalty double!!

Silence reigned, and everybody stared at her as if she were some ghost. While the deafening echos of her wispered double resounded, Leo concluded that Bea had to have four certain trump tricks. He decided to convert to 4NT, and Bea surpassed everybody's wildest imagination by doubling again. Leo concluded the auction with an agressive redouble, determined to make sure that Bea would not double for penalties again in the coming 10 years.

Bea had gone deadly pale by Leo's redouble, and the events of 10 years ago vividly surfaced into her memory like a bad horror movie. With the confidence of a young deer attacking a lion she led ♠8. Leo won with ♠A and paused to let the strong current of adrenaline passing through his veins subside. But he was at his best under high tension, and he took his first good decision by immediately cashing ♠KQ. West discarded a club, and dummy let go two hearts.
Leo then had to take a second, even more important decision: Should he first attack diamonds or clubs? One suit would lead to disastrous defeat, and the other to glorious success. Leo closed his eyes for a moment, the better to concentrate, and when he opened them again he could clearly see the road to success.

>>>

W/all	♠ - ♥ - ♦ A K 10 8 2 ♣ A J 10 9 7
♠ - ♥ A K Q 10 ♦ Q 7 4 ♣ K 8 5	N W E S	♠ J 10 9 ♥ 6 ♦ 6 5 3 ♣ 6 4 3
	♠ 5 ♥ J 9 8 5 3 2 ♦ J 9 ♣ Q

He straightened his back and slowly placed ♣Q on the green baize. Bea had to duck, otherwise declarer would have ten tricks immediately. With the club trick developed and still conveniently in his hand, Leo played ♦J. Bea ducked smoothly but Leo played small from dummy and continued with ♦9 to dummy's ♦10. When this held the trick he cashed dummy's remaining diamonds and the ♣A with a very broad grin.

"Let me see now", began Leo smugly. "4NT redoubled vulnerable bid and made, that is ... er ... oops, difficult to calculate ... er ... yes, I'm there: +1120. That may well be a top for us, because ..."
"Yes, particularly because 4NT fails if Bea starts with one or two top hearts before playing a spade", interrupted Lea, cutting short Leo's victory speech. "Declarer must immediately cash all his top spades as before, squeezing dummy in the process. If he discards a club from dummy West covers South's subsequent ♣Q, and if he discards a diamond from dummy West does not cover South's ♣Q. Either way declarer cannot muster more than nine tricks."

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Lea spotted just in time that her sister was about to start crying, and she continued reassuringly: "Heads up sister, accidents happen. Be glad it's not for IMPs. There was nothing wrong with your doubles, so please do continue to haunt these trapeze artists."
Bea however did not look as if she was ever going to do this again, and pushed her cards back into the board with trembling fingers...

>>>

The evening drew to a close, and in the last round Leo and Linda played against a young German couple from a village just across the border near Winschoten. As usual, the foreigners had come to Groningen in their Lamborghini. They were both sporting expensive Italian clothing and prominent Rolex watches, and they nodded amiably to Leo and Linda.

S/NS	♠ K 6 ♥ Q 9 3 ♦ J 7 5 4 ♣ 10 8 5 2
♠ A 10 4 2 ♥ 6 5 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ J 9 7 4	N W E S	♠ Q 9 8 5 ♥ K 8 7 4 ♦ Q 9 2 ♣ 6 3
	♠ J 7 3 ♥ A J 10 2 ♦ A 10 6 ♣ A K Q

West Uwe - pass pass pass	North Leo - 3 ♣ * 3 NT	East Ute - pass pass	South Linda 2 NT 3 ♦ ** pass

* Niemeijer convention, asking for the majors ** 4-card in hearts and/or spades, but no 5-card major

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Linda, aiming to exert maximum pressure, opened 2NT on her 19-count. She ended in 3NT via the Niemeijer convention, and Uwe led ♠4. Linda studied the dummy with mixed feelings, and suppressed the immediate reflex to play small from dummy to secure a spade trick. She realized that ♥K had to be onside in order to have a chance of making her contract, and that East-West could always prevent her from reaching the dummy if she played small now. In addition, there was another problem: Other South players might well open 1♣ or 1♥ rather than 2NT, in which case a No Trump contract would end up in the North hand. A spade lead from East would then secure an entry to take the heart finesse, and on any other lead declarer would have no option but to play a spade to the ♠K himself.

The hot-tempered Ute was quickly losing her patience during Linda's lengthy contemplation, and she threw a vicious glance at her opponent. Linda was determined however not to be put off, deviously waited for an extra 10 seconds, and then said decidedly: "Spade King".
To her unspeakable relief this held the trick, and she continued with the only card leading to success: ♥9.
Ute followed smoothly with a low card, and so did Linda. When Uwe proved unable to take this trick Linda returned an equally vicious glance to Ute and led ♥Q from dummy. Ute ducked again, and so did Linda. The third heart ran to Linda's ♥J, who triumphantly cashed ♥A, ♦A and ♣AKQ. 3NT bid and made proved to be a sound result.

>>>

"Nicely played", said Uwe in relaxed fashion. "Putting up ♠K at trick one is essential, as is playing ♥9 at trick two. First leading the ♥Q is not good, because Ute refuses to cover this card. South is then restricted to three heart tricks and ends up 1 down."

Ute, annoyed by their poor score against these newcomers, fixed her partner with a steely eye and demonstratively retrieved her car keys.
"Enough for tonight. Guten Abend", she snapped, and marched out of the card room.

Leo and Linda were exhausted and sat back while listening to the director announcing the results. Their score of 53% was actually satisfying, but it had been hard work. They could scarcely afford any of their usual trickery at this level. Sending and receiving Unauthorized Information obviously did not work here, and they were thankful as it was that none of their opponents had summoned the director. It was going to be a heavy competition...

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

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