MADEIRA
BRIDGE
Assume the best
Andrew Robson
`TWIXT optimist and pessimist the differ- ence is droll. One sees the doughnut, the other the hole.' Assume your contract is makeable and proceed on that assumption.
Dealer North Neither side vulnerable 4J 8 Q 108 3 2 • J 109 • K 8 4
N
W E
S
4A K4 3 111 A K 5 • 6` 3 • A Q 6 5 47 5 r7 6
• K 0 8 7 5 4 2 7 2
4Q 109 6 2 119.1 9 4 • A • J 109 3 The Bidding South West North East 3• pass 3NT all pass North opened 3•, showing a weak hand with seven good •s and South took a punt at 3NT. His hand looks good but, with no fitting • honour, establishing partner's suit may prove difficult. For that reason, bid- ding 5• instead of 3NT would have been better judged. South was following the rule of Bob Hamman, American bridge star and number one in the current world rankings: `When you have a choice of bids and 3NT is one of them, bid it!'
West led •3 to East's jack and South's king. South paused to consider his chances: if the opposing •s were 2-2, the ace would be held up until the second round and all dummy's •s would be useless for the lack of an entry. Declarer had just one hope that •A was singleton. Assuming it to be so, South led a low • at trick two and, when West followed with •9, he played low from dummy! His logic was rewarded when East played his ace perforce. It was now a simple matter to win East's V return and cash his six remaining •s and his three black suit winners.
It is interesting to note that 5•, in theo- ry a vastly superior contract to 3NT, would have failed. The •s would be played more normally (low to the queen), resulting in two trump losers and 40K.
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