BRIDGE
Fine finesse
Susanna Gross
I'VE BEEN rather shamefaced this week, after making a 'psyche' which went horribly wrong. Playing for £10 per hundred, I picked up a foul hand. My partner, Mar- garet Courtney, passed; Boris Shapiro opened a club and, feeling sure that the opposition had a slam on, I overcalled a spade — although I only held two spades and two points.
Unfortunately, Margaret had five spades and, after the opposition reached 6+ (which I should have doubled), she bid 64, which went eight down doubled — costing us £200 each. Worse, we could have defeat- ed 6+. To her credit, Margaret wasn't in the least annoyed; in fact we both laughed (though not quite as much as our oppo- nents).
Now for a rather more sensible psyche, made by Colin Simpson, a top player (as well as a decorated Special Branch detec- tive). He was South on the following deal: Dealer West North-South vulnerable 4 Q J 8 7 6 • 53 • 10 9 8 2 • A K
+ A K 10 9 4 4 5 3 2 IF A K 9 8 7 6 • V Q 1042 • 4 • K 7 6 5 • 9 • • 8 4 - V
• A Q J 3 • I 10 7 6 5 4 32 The Bidding West North East South 2V pass 3V 34 (!) Double pass 4V pass 4NT pass 5+ pass 5V 54 Double 6+ Double All pass West opened 2V, and after East encour- aged with 311, Colin intervened with 34 — a bid designed to ensure a spade lead against a heart contract. Not surprisingly, West doubled; East then bid 4V and, after enquiring about aces, West settled for 5V. At this point, North sprang to life with 54! East doubled, and Colin finally bid his eight-card club suit, which West doubled.
As you can see, the contract simply relied on a diamond finesse, so 6+ doubled was made! Careful play, however, was needed: after crossing to dummy with a club, Colin played a diamond to the 4■(:), then drew the last trump and ran the 410; had he drawn both trumps before tackling diamonds, he could not have picked up East's *K.
Previous page
