BRIDGE
General Zia
Andrew Robson
THE TRUE bridge expert, combines tech- nical knowledge with an ability to manipu- late his opponents to his advantage. Here is the brilliant and devious Pakistani, Zia Mahmood, in action: Dealer, North. East-West vulnerable The Bidding North East South West INT Double 2•(!) Double Pass Pass 211(!) Double Pass Pass 24 Pass Pass Double All pass As soon as North opened 1NT (12, 13 or 14 points and a balanced hand) and East doubled for penalties (implying 16 or more points), Zia knew he wanted to be doubled in 24 — it could hardly be worse than one down even if partner was unsuitable. How best to achieve this? Zia got the opponents into 'doubling rhythm'. West doubled both the non-suits and East hungrily doubled 24. Perhaps he shouldn't have — far better to have +0 J. 10 9 than 4A K 7, an unpleasant surprise. East had been lured into Zia's trap.
West led the VQ and the defence played three rounds, consuming dummy's 1,K Zia ruffed and led the 4Q. East took and, unwilling to break open a new suit, played three rounds of Spades. Zia won the third Spade in hand; his contract seemed des- tined to fail by one. He had a certain Diamond loser and the Club finesse was wrong. Knowing this (West's double), he crossed to dummy's ♦A and led the 4.1— a 'Chinese finesse'. East covered with the Queen; but Zia won with his King and played a Club towards dummy. When West played low, he inserted the 9, finessing against West's 10. He conceded a Diamond and wrote 170 below the line.
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