Mr Sinclair Whitlands had managed to persuade his retiring partner, Miss Minnie van Driver, to play in the National Bridge Congress for which they had to travel to a distant city. Persuasion had been difficult because Minnie felt it would be highly inappropriate for them to share a room together, and her modest proprieties had resulted in them having separate rooms in different buildings. Nevertheless they had spent some hours together on the journey north and Sinclair had impressed on Minnie the need for a rather more aggressive style than she was wont to cultivate. So, when this hand arose in the second round of the Open Teams, Minnie took these lessons to heart.
| ♠T9853 ♥QT652 ♦4 ♣76 | ||
| ♠A74 ♥AJ93 ♦JT653 ♣K | ♠KQJ62 ♥K84 ♦98 ♣QT4 | |
| ♠— ♥7 ♦AKQT2 ♣AJ98532 |
Sitting South as dealer she opened 2NT which, in their system showed both minors. Poor Sinclair! He had little choice but to bid 3♣. The opponents competed in spades and Minnie gamely (even slamly) bid 6♣! After all, wasn’t this exactly the sort of courage that Sinclair was trying to engender in her? East doubled thunderously.
Somewhat shaken Sinclair was favoured with the ♠K lead. At least this was better than a trump lead. Was there anything that could be done? Gritting his teeth, his jaw firm, his gaze resolute Sinclair set about minimising the damage.
The contract was hopeless so all that mattered was not to go to pieces. He ruffed the opening lead and played ♦A followed by a diamond ruff in his own hand. Then a spade ruff back to dummy and a further diamond ruff (over-ruffed by East) left the defenders scoring two trump tricks (including the ruff) and the ♥A. Down 2 for -300, surely a disaster.
But all was well. For their team-mates had played 2♠ doubled making!
Sinclair had done well to retain his equanimity. Had he tried to draw trumps before ruffing diamonds he could have been down 4 for -800 and an aggregate loss on the board.
Even before knowing the result Sinclair gravely complimented Minnie on her bid. “A brave bid, fair lady, that only one steeped in courage and judgement would make. My compliments on your fortitude and resolve.”
Fortitude and resolve! Words that stirred Minnie’s heart. It was the first time she had ever been complimented so gallantly.
Still glowing from Sinclair’s compliments she therefore abandoned even more timidity on the next hand.
| ♠8 ♥JT432 ♦— ♣AQT8763 | ||
| ♠AQJ65 ♥6 ♦J962 ♣952 | ♠KT932 ♥Q7 ♦K54 ♣KJ4 | |
| ♠74 ♥AK985 ♦AQT873 ♣— |
When Sinclair opened the South hand with 1♥ she correctly realised the value of her hand and replied with a splinter bid of 3♠ to produce the auction
| West | North | East | South |
| 1♥ | |||
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 4♦ |
| Pass | 5♣ | Double | 5♠ |
| Pass | 7♥ | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
After East doubled Minnie’s 5♣ Sinclair himself was overcome in excitement and bid 5♠ hoping that Minnie would recognise a request for a first round control in spades. It was of course very foolish to trot out an expert bid like that with Minnie as his partner. But once again fortune favoured the brave. The hapless West led a club in response to his partner’s lead-directing double. The losing spade went on the ♦A and Sinclair came home on the clubs and a cross-ruff.
When they post-mortemed the hand afterwards (by email from their separate bedrooms) Sinclair admitted to his lapse of judgement adding the excuse “Well, they say 6-5 come alive”. Minnie found this most confusing. Surely Sinclair had not reached retirement age? And what on earth was he implying? It was blushable stuff but strangely compelling.
Bridge Romances 
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