Ups and Downs

One of the taxing things about bridge is that success is transitory. In the 15 minutes it takes to play two deals, you can go — forgive me, a mixed metaphor — from the penthouse to the outhouse faster than a speeding bullet.

In March I watched two deals in an IMP game on OKbridge. North South were experts, and North, in fact, had won a world title. On the first deal, North South had a beautiful result.

North A K 6 4 A J 6 5 4 Q J A 2
West 10 7 5 3 K 9 8 3 2 6 3 Q 3	East J 2 Q 10 7 10 9 K J 9 8 7 4
South Q 9 8 A K 8 7 5 4 2 10 6 5

West	North	East	South
			Pass
Pass	1	Pass	2
Pass	2	Pass	3
Pass	6	Pass	7
All Pass

I liked South’s initial pass many players would have broken discipline and preempted despite the flaws and I liked his push to 7. South had both top trumps, a seventh diamond and a Q that figured to be (and was) useful.

Against the grand slam, West led the Q, and South gave the contract the care it deserved. They took the A, ruffed a heart, drew trumps with the Q-J, ruffed a heart, led to the K, cashed the A and ruffed a heart. A 4 4 heart break (or the fall of the K Q) would have provided the 13th trick, but when East discarded, South still had chances. They ran his trumps, and West was squeezed in the majors. Nobody else reached 7, and many of the pairs in 6took only 12 tricks, so North South gained heavily against the field.

North A Q 7 3 8 7 4 3 Q 8 7 5 8
West 10 7 5 3 K 9 8 3 2 6 3 Q 3	East J 2 Q 10 7 10 9 K J 9 8 7 4
South Q 9 8 A K 8 7 5 4 2 10 6 5

West	North	East	South
			Pass
Pass	1	Pass	2
Pass	2	Pass	3
Pass	6	Pass	7
All Pass

Alas, a trip to the outhouse was coming: These were the North South cards on the next deal:

Dealer: West Vul: Both

North K 6 K 10 6 5 A J 6 K 9 7 4 South A 3 J 9 3 10 5 4 3 2 A Q 10 West North East South Pass Pass 1 Pass Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass Pass Pass Oops!

I’d have bid an honest and uncomplicated 1 on the North cards in response to South’s double, intending to show the hearts next if there were more bidding, but I can understand North’s 2 cuebid. South thought he could mark time with 2, but the rest was silence.

North rightly pointed out that South had been obliged to show strength at his second turn — a 3 cuebid was correct. North’s cuebid of 2 would have promised another bid if he weren’t a passed hand, but not in the actual auction. (Is that how you treat this sequence? Do you know how your regular partner treats it?)

2D was not the optimum contract most North Souths registered +650 at 4and North South gave back much of what they had gained on the first deal. How fleeting is fame!