BRIDGE
No escape
Andrew Robson
DOUBLING the opponents at low level yields some of the largest penalties. All too frequently, however, the temptation to bid on is too great and the opponents escape. Not this North-South pair, who were cornered in 1+. After one of the longest ever auctions to a one-level con- tract, the wriggled to 14. There they were slowly devoured.
Dealer North North-South vulnerable * A K Q
VA 6 4 3 2
♦ A J 7 J 2 4 J 10 5 K J 105 • K A 8 6 5 4 4 6 2 Q 7 ♦ Q 6 3 2 K Q 9 7 3
N
W E 49 8 7 4 3
• 9 8 • 10 9 8 5 4 +10 The Bidding South West North East
— — 1+ pass pass double pass pass 1♦ pass pass double pass pass 1V pass pass double pass pass 14► double pass pass pass West led the ace of spades and contin- ued with the king and queen, East discard- ing a ♦. West switched accurately to +J and declarer won dummy's +A and led *K. West won •A and played his sec- ond 4. Dummy's 44 was covered by East's +7 and trumped by declarer. Declarer now led V9 and ran it when West played low smoothly. Had he played ♦K from dummy he would have made one more trick but West had already shown up with 14 points, so declarer placed •A with East. East won ♦9 with Q and played 4K. South used his last trump and played a second •. West won ♦A, led J which won the trick and played his last ♦ to East's *Q. East claimed the last two tricks with +0 and +9 and declarer was four down.
Far better for East-West to collect 1,100 points than to bid and make a non-vulner- able game.
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