Last week this column looked at a hand from Denver’s November tournament where protecting a holding like king-doubleton from immediate attack in a slam contract was crucial. Here is another exhibit.
All vulnerable, South dealer.
NORTH&A QhA K(A Q 9 6 3 2$9 4 3WESTEAST&10 8 6 3&9 7 5hVoidhJ 8 7 5 4 3 2(8 4(J 7$A Q J 10 7 6 5$2SOUTH&K J 4 2hQ 10 9 6(K 10 5$K 8
Jonathan Hellman of Centennial was South in a team game, with his partner, Gary Morrison of Westminster, North. The auction proceeded a disciplined pass by South (poor quick trick structure), a somewhat off shape preemptive three clubs by West (you aren’t supposed to have four cards in a major), and a takeout double by North.
East naturally has no desire to participate in the auction and passes. South bid four clubs to basically promise a maximum passed hand and tell partner to pick a major, and North bids five diamonds.
It’s back to you as South. What next?
South has good diamond support but if North declares the lead comes right through your king-doubleton of clubs. North’s double, followed by the jump to five diamonds, showed a huge hand. Slam looks appealing but North rates to have at least a doubleton club for his bidding.
The solution: Hellman bid six no-trump, thus protecting his king of clubs. Good call. The contract is cold, and if West doesn’t take the ace of clubs at trick one (unlikely), there are 13 tricks available.
Playing in diamonds by North, all sorts of bad things can happen. A diamond slam is down off the bat on an opening club lead and even five can be beaten given the defensive ruffing possibilities.
Congratulations are in order for several Colorado bridge players, recipients of the American Contract Bridge League District 17 2013 Good Will Committee appointments for their hard work on behalf of the game.
Penelope Coffman of Cherry Hills Village spent five years on the Denver bridge unit board, several as president, and has continued to assist even after leaving the board. She helped organize the successful Pro-Am game (novices partnered with experts) that kicked off Denver’s Rocky Mountain Regional tournament in May.
Jerry Ranney of Morrison spent half a dozen years on the local unit board and has now been one of Denver’s two representatives on the District 17 board of directors for six years. Ranney has been active in running Denver’s sectional and regional tournaments.
Barbara Yoshimura of Lyons has been on the Boulder bridge unit board for seven years (five as president) and oversees the twice annual Boulder unit sectional tournaments held in Longmont.
Finally, Diane Black of Colorado Springs picked up the honor for local unit board service, including activities involving getting new players interested in the game, arranging mentors for newer players, and tournament hospitality.
Much of the administrative side of tournament bridge depends on volunteers..
More on Bridge Books: Among the most prolific bridge writers are David Bird and Terence Reese (both British), and Eddie Kantar and Mike Lawrence (both American). You can’t go wrong with any of them.
In his heyday Charles Goren cranked out the books, although most are out of print.
