The Learning Curve
By Mark Horton In 1st IMSA World Masters Championships On 15th May 2019
Do you recall the remark made by bridge legend Benito Garozzo, who pointed out that although he had been playing for more than forty years, he still learnt something new every day. I am always looking for deals that might have something instructive to offer and this one from Round 5 might fit the bill:
Not quite the optimum contract.
What should North do over 3
?
My first thought was to jump to 4, which might be enough for South to envisage the possibility of a grand slam (it will require North to hold at most three clubs unless she is void in spades). While discussing the hand with Ron Tacchi I remembered that there was another way to go, North bidding 3NT over 3 as a serious slam try. If South then cue bids 4
North can bid 4 and once again South might consider bidding 7
.
Bidding 5 over 3 is another idea, but the key to the hand is the singleton spade.
How many IMPs would England lose?
South’s decision to play for a penalty was surprising.
North led the 10 and South won with the ace and returned the jack, declarer winning in dummy and playing a spade. South won and cashed two more spades, but declarer had the rest, -200 -not exactly shabby against a possible 7.
It deserved to be worth more than the 7 IMPs that were garnered.
