BRIDGE
Bid boldly, play boldly
Andrew Robson
JUNIOR bridge — under 25s — has a reputation of being fast-lane stuff. I have rarely seen such outrageously fearless bidding and play as that of Polish junior Bartosz Chmurski from last year's World Junior Championships won by Norway.
4 A K 7 V5 2
♦ A Q 108 5 4 J 8
4 Q J 9 8 4 3 VA 10 • 6 49 7 6 3
N W E S
4, 5
Q J 8 3 • 7 3 4A Q 10 5 4 2
10 6 2 K 9 7 6 4
• K J 9 2 4K The Bidding South West North East pass pass 24 34 pass 3NT (!) pass pass pass West's 24 opening bid was a 'Weak Two' promising a six-card suit between the six and ten points. Britain is now one of the few bridge playing nations to prefer the less frequent Strong Two opener. North overcalled 34 and South, despite his non- existent 4 stopper and singleton 4, gam- bled 3NT.
Perhaps he had listened to the late Hugh Kelsey, who once said 'When you have shown a stopper in the bidding, you do not need one in the play!'
West led 4Q which declarer won with dummy's king and at trick two led a 4! East unsuspectingly played low, his king won, and he quickly cashed nine tricks. Apparently suicidal, Chmurski's play of a+ was well reasoned: his only other possible ninth trick was VK, but if he led a V at trick two and East held the ace, he would be likely to rise with it and switch to 4s. As is so often the case, the best way to deflect the opponents from attacking a suit was to play it himself. You will note that the more mundane 54 contract for North-South has no chance of succeeding — indeed it is East- West who are closer to being able to make game: 54 will succeed if declarer divines the 4 layout and lays down the ace.
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