Bridge News:
Below is one of the 21 hands played in the Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club’s Sept. 23 game.
Before reviewing the bidding and play, try to visualize how the bidding might proceed, and then how the hand should be played.
South was the dealer; East/West were vulnerable.
After South passes, West opens the bidding with 1♦. North jumps the bidding to 2♠, a preemptive bid showing at least a 6-card suit, and hoping to disrupt the opponents’ auction. East calls 3♥, South passes, and West bids 3NT. North then bids 4♠, hoping to lose less than the opponents would score in the game he/she expects them to make. West makes a penalty double, confident that North cannot make his/her contract, and that ends the auction.
*Weak jump shift, preemptive, trying to disrupt the opponents’ auction.
**A non-vulnerable sacrifice bid. North believes East/West can make their contract, and his/her 4♠ bid is an attempt to lose fewer points, even if doubled, than East/West would make by fulfilling their contract. 3NT making is worth 600 points vulnerable. If North can be defeated by fewer than 4 tricks, he/she will lose at most 500 points. Not vulnerable, down 1 doubled = 100, down 2 = 300, down 3 = 500, and down 4 or more, an additional 300 for each trick declarer is short when doubled.
East’s opening lead was the ♦K, won by declarer’s Ace. A low club was led to dummy’s Ace, followed by dummy’s singleton spade. West played the ♠9, declarer the ♠J, and East won the King. East then led the ♥5, won by Declarer’s Ace. Declarer’s ♠Q was won by West’s Ace. West then won the ♣K, the ♦Q, and led the ♥2, East then winning the ♥J. Whatever East returns after that, declarer ruffs, but will have to lose two more trump tricks, for down 4. That’s -800 for N/S, more than the opponents could have made in their 3NT vulnerable game.
When the hand was played locally, one E/W pair was in 4♦ off 2, another E/W pair was in 3♥ making 4, two E/W pairs played 3NT making 4, and one N/S pair played in 4♠ doubled down 4. Bridge is a fascinating game!
The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club games are held at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center (Wednesdays starting at 12:45 p.m.), and at the White Rock Senior Activity Center (Mondays at 12:45 p.m.). Bridge players are welcome to participate. If you need a partner, please email Bobby Haynes at rsh@valornet.com, or Jerry Fleming at peanutcat@aol.com.