BRIDGE

Top dogs

Susanna Gross

NEVER ask a top bridge player who he thinks is the best player in the world. Instead, you should re-phrase the question: who's the second best player in the world? Because, of course, they all think they're No 1. Their absolute self-belief is, I sup- pose, part of what makes them so good at the game.

I once asked the American player Bob Hamman whether he thought there was anybody better than him, and with only a moment's hesitation, he replied: 'Maybe God, on a good day.' But, then again, Hamman really is ranked the world's No 1. player. He's won the World Champi- onships ten times.

Even the cleverest player, however, can sometimes be too clever for his own good. At a recent tournament, Hamman made a cunning deceptive play which backfired to get him the worst result in the room. This was the hand: Dealer West East West Vulnerable 4 A K J 1042 VK93 4 Q 6 qr A 8 2

• K J 10 A 10 8 8 • 9

4 - 6 4

2

4 8 7 5 r74

♦ 7 3 K J 9 5 4 3

7

N W S E

• 9 3 ✓ Q J 10 6 5 • A Q 5 4 Q 6 2

The Bidding

West North East South (Hamman) 1♦

14 pass 1NT pass 34 pass 3NT All pass The •J was led and Hamman made the classic 'hidden ball' trick of winning with the *A. West, he hoped, would think his partner held the •Q, and would continue the suit when he was next on play, instead of switching to the real danger suit clubs. But after winning the VA, West played a club anyway. East-West then rat- tled off six club tricks. When Hamman dis- carded a diamond from dummy, they took the next three diamond tricks, too.

In the end, Hamman ended up with only three tricks, the defence with ten. His mood wasn't helped when the kibitzer who had been watching leaned over and said with a sympathetic shake of the head, 'Do you know, Mr Hamman, you could have won that first trick with the •Q?'