Bridge Romances

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  • Happily ever after?

    Voluptua and Randy were facing a moment of truth. In a few weeks they were bound for University: she to Auckland, he to Sydney. Both were dreading a bitter parting and they had talked for hours about what they should do. Randy had no doubts about his wishes: he wanted them to remain boyfriend and girlfriend and, who knows, maybe they would eventually settle down together and live happily ever after. While Voluptua also wished for this final outcome, she was fearful that Randy’s superiority at the bridge table would lead to future tensions; she wondered whether a clean break now would prevent future heartache. For several weeks now she had been working very hard on her declarer play hoping to allay her inner fears.

    The final hand of their very last game before they were to depart for the first semester was a pivotal moment.

    ♠8
    ♥AKT842
    ♦87
    ♣J842
    ♠AK9
    ♥J97
    ♦Q932
    ♣753    		♠QT765
    ♥3
    ♦JT
    ♣AKQT6
    ♠J432
    ♥Q65
    ♦AK654
    ♣9

    Voluptua was sitting East and, when North (in third position) opened a weak 2♥ she had to choose whether or how to overcall. Eventually she chose 2♠ after which South bid 3♥. Randy now had a dilemma. Certainly 4♠ was not an outrageous bid but he actually chose the more conservative 3♠.

    His thinking was that if Voluptua could make 10 tricks then he could take the blame for underbidding. Whereas if he bid 4♠ and Voluptua failed to make the contract then her confidence in herself would be weakened – and the outcome might push her into a romantic decision that would not be to his liking.

    However his careful reasoning was in vain because Voluptua felt that her hand was worth the raise to game and bid 4♠. And when South doubled Randy’s heart sank. The full auction had been

    WestNorthEastSouth
    2♥2♠3♥
    3♠ Pass4♠Pass
    PassPassPassDbl
    PassPassPass

    South began the defence with two top diamonds as North showed a doubleton. Now if South had played a third diamond the defence would have prevailed. However, understandably, he thought this would reveal the adverse trump break; so he switched to his partner’s suit and North won the trick to play a second top heart. Voluptua ruffed and paused to think.

    On the face of it there seemed to be 10 tricks available via the black suits but then why had South doubled? Voluptua came to the conclusion that South had expected a trump trick and so must hold the guarded ♠J. Backing her judgement she played a spade to the nine and when it held her spirits rose. She cashed ♠A and ♠K noting that North had only a singleton spade as she had expected.

    She prepared to take the remainder of the tricks but, just in time, she recalled Gordon’s words – “Never stop thinking”. What would Gordon do? He was always talking about counting out a hand. Voluptua knew North had 6 hearts for his opening bid, 2 diamonds from his carding, and a singleton spade. Therefore North had 4 clubs and the suit wasn’t breaking. So, again screwing up her courage, she made the winning play of a club to her ♣T. When that succeeded she drew the last trump and showed her hand.

    The evening had gone well and they had topped the field. The growing confidence that Voluptua had been feeling was cemented by the many compliments of her play on the final hand. So later that night she snuggled up to Randy and whispered “I’ve got something to say; I think you are going to like it”.

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  • Sinclair and Minnie at Congress again

    Following on from their enjoyable first Congress, Sinclair and Minnie had decided to attend another congress almost immediately. Blushingly modest as ever Minnie had arranged for them to have separate rooms at their hotel but a mix-up by the hotel resulted in their actually sharing not only a bedroom but also a large bed. They arrived too late on Friday evening to sort out this disaster. Minnie’s over-riding concern was not be seen by Sinclair in her nightwear as the single anomaly in her otherwise unblemished record of maidenly honour was a liking for sheer silk nighties.

    With the impeccable manners of years of good breeding Sinclair agreed to their disrobing in the dark and they settled down to sleep lying as far apart from each other as possible. By a chain of events that is both too far-fetched and unsuitably indecorous to repeat, the morning found them lying in each other’s arms with beatific smiles on their faces. For once bridge was not on their minds – and that perhaps explains the strange and uncharacteristic aberration suffered by Sinclair on the first deal the tournament.

    ♠KQ93
    ♥A
    ♦T7
    ♣AKJ943
    ♠—
    ♥KQJT765
    ♦AKQ42
    ♣7    		♠T876
    ♥98
    ♦98653
    ♣52
    ♠AJ542
    ♥432
    ♦J
    ♣QT86

    Sinclair was South, and the dealer, West, opened a somewhat conservative 1♥. Minnie, with her strong hand and a good spade suit made the obvious double, East passed and Sinclair bid 1♠. You would think perhaps that Sinclair had rather unbid; surely 4♠ is even possible with his good 5 card suit and singleton diamond. In any event it was now impossible for Minnie to drive much further and, eventually East-West played in 5♦ making – a huge score for them when Minnie and Sinclair could make 6♠.

    The explanation? Sinclair had not seen Minnie’s take-out double and, in his eyes, 1♠ was a light balancing bid!

    Sinclair apologised. It was Minnie’s turn to be magnanimous and the warm glow of her requited love brought forth the sweet and memorable rejoinder “Nothing at the bridge table could spoil my happiness, my dearest partner”.

    Minnie’s generous forgiveness so eloquently expressed would certainly have made Sinclair declare one of his epic gallantries. But Minnie put her finger to her lips and he realised that the best way to make recompense was to regain his concentration and play his best bridge. An opportunity presented itself shortly.

    ♠Q985
    ♥AKJ6
    ♦A97
    ♣62
    ♠432
    ♥9432
    ♦5
    ♣AKQT5    		♠7
    ♥QT8 ♦KQT8643
    ♣84
    ♠AKJT6
    ♥75
    ♦J2
    ♣J963
    WestNorthEastSouth
    3♦3♠
    Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠
    PassPassPass

    Minnie had just learnt about unassuming cue bids but anything as daring as that made her heart palpitate. Sinclair judged that his 7 loser hand didn’t warrant a slam try and they settled in game. West led his partner’s suit, ♦5. Sinclair saw that he could make his contract by ruffing two clubs in dummy so long as he didn’t draw any trumps at first. Was there anything better? He thought long and hard, badly wanting to atone for his earlier error. Eventually he saw a chance and played as follows:
    He won ♦A, cashed ♥A and ♥K, and ruffed a heart in his hand. The fall of ♥Q made his eyes gleam. He re-entered dummy with a trump noting that East showed out. Now he could play ♥J discarding a diamond from his hand and ruff a diamond with the last trump in his hand. This brought him 11 tricks and a good match-point score.

    But, best of all, Minnie had followed the play closely even if she had not fully understood his strategy. Her smile of approval was all the reward he needed.

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  • Sinclair and Minnie at Congress

    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

    WestNorthEastSouth
    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.

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  • Coming into his own

    Randy Hardwick was beginning to earn quite a reputation as a strong declarer. No-one, not even his girlfriend Voluptua, was more pleased about this than Gordon Rhode. Gordon had spent a lot of time coaching Randy and the young man had responded admirably. Initially his motivation was to win the love and affection of Voluptua but, now that was established, he was really enjoying the challenge of dummy play.

    Gordon was watching from the sidelines as Randy declared 7NT as West:

    ♠2
    ♥KQT72
    ♦AKQ76
    ♣AQ    		♠AQ543
    ♥A64
    ♦JT
    ♣753

    The lead was a neutral ♦2. Randy counted 10 top tricks (one spade, three hearts, five diamonds, and one club). If the heart suit could be brought in that would be two extra tricks. A thirteenth trick could come from a successful finesse in one of the black suits. Randy began by playing five rounds of diamonds. Both opponents followed three times and each discarded a small club and a small spade. Then he turned attention to the hearts. Realising that he needed either a 3–2 break or South to have four hearts to the Jack he played ♥K and then a small heart to the Ace. North discarded a small spade and so Randy was now able to take the marked finesse and win five heart tricks. These cards remained in his hand and dummy


    ♠2
    ♥—
    ♦—
    ♣AQ    		♠AQ
    ♥—
    ♦—
    ♣7

    Two lines of play were now possible: either to take a spade finesse, or to play a spade to the Ace and then take the club finesse. To most declarers this would be a complete guess but Randy considered things more deeply to see if one line had more chance than other.

    The most telling thing was that South had begun with exactly six black cards while North had begun with nine black cards. Therefore it was more likely that North was dealt ♠K (and more likely to hold ♣K). That indicated that the spade finesse was a better chance. But, before taking it, Randy cashed ♣A as there was a small chance that South had had to come down to ♠Kx and ♣K. No ♣K appeared so the spade finesse was then taken. It won and the contract was made.

    Afterwards Gordon remarked to Frieda: “that young fellow is really coming into his own”. And later that night, in the arms of his beloved, Randy did just that.

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  • Voluptua’s strip squeeze

    It was the final round of a Swiss teams and, mirabile dictu, Voluptua, Randy, Gordon and Frieda were playing at table one. With one hand to go, Voluptua (sitting East) felt that they were slightly behind and that, to win the event, a good result on the final board would be necessary. Their opponents were the dastardly Weasel and Ferret with the Ferret sitting South. This was the bidding:

    WestNorthEastSouth
    2♥
    3♣ Pass 3♠ Pass
    4♦ Pass 6♠ Pass
    Pass Pass

    The Ferret’s 2♥ bid was alerted as showing a weak hand with 5 hearts and at least 4 cards in some other suit. The rest of the bidding was natural with Voluptua leaping to 6♠ after Randy had shown a good hand.

    ♠5
    ♥J5
    ♦J8532
    ♣KQT84
    ♠6
    ♥T32
    ♦AKQT
    ♣AJ962    		♠AKQJT73
    ♥K98
    ♦97
    ♣3
    ♠9842
    ♥AQ764
    ♦64
    ♣75

    The Ferret led ♣7 and Voluptua studied dummy with some disquiet. In top tricks she had 7 spades, 3 diamonds, and 1 club: 11 only and she needed a 12th. On the bidding the ploy of leading up to the ♥K was almost certainly going to be unsuccessful. Maybe the ♦J would come down in three rounds, or maybe she could finesse against South for this card.

    Gordon always advised playing off a long suit to see what would happen and so this is what she did. She took the first trick in dummy and started on the spades. On the second round North showed out. Haha! This showed that North must hold 10 cards in the minors (since South was known to have 5 hearts, North could have two only).

    After the initial trick and the next 7 rounds of spades, the Weasel (North) had to retain 5 cards. To guard both minors he had to retain 4 diamonds and the ♣Q. Reading this perfectly Voluptua played a diamond to dummy and then the ♣J. The Weasel took this trick but then had to play away from his ♦J to concede the remainder.

    This was enough to win the match and first prize. Randy, who was a keen student of card play, recognised Voluptua’s skill and complimented her. Voluptua smiled sweetly: “yes, a strip-squeeze: would you like to try one later, darling?”

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  • The curse of Scotland

    The ♦9 card is known as the “Curse of Scotland”. It is not certain why it has this name but the two most popular explanations are

    1. It was the playing card used by Sir John Dalrymple, the Earl of Stair, to cryptically authorise the Glencoe Massacre. Certainly there is a resemblance between the ♦9 and his coat of arms.
    2. The Duke of Cumberland is supposed to have scribbled the order for “no quarter” to be given after the 1745 Battle of Culloden on a ♦9 playing card.

    Whatever the reason it was a crucial card when Mr Sinclair Whitlands declared 6♥ as West after he and Miss Minnie van Driver had bid as follows:

    WestNorthSouthEast
    1♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
    3♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
    5♥ Pass 6♥ Pass
    Pass Pass Pass

    After Minnie’s limit raise the next two bids were cue bids, and Sinclair’s 5♥ asked Minnie to bid 6♥ if her trump holding was good.

    North led ♣Q and Sinclair contemplated a dummy that, for once in Minnie’s bridge life, resembled the hand she had described in her bidding. As was his wont Sinclair gravely complimented his partner. “Expertly bid, dear lady”. Minnie flushed becomingly, her heart palpitating like the heroine in a Victorian drama.

    The whole hand was

    ♠T6
    ♥T
    ♦K843 ♣QJT732
    ♠AK4
    ♥K7532
    ♦AJT6
    ♣9    		♠532
    ♥AQ94
    ♦972
    ♣A86
    ♠QJ987
    ♥J86
    ♦Q5
    ♣K54

    Sinclair won in dummy and immediately ran the all-important ♦9 to North’s ♦K. North continued with another club. Sinclair drew trumps in three rounds ending in dummy. Now he played another diamond intending to finesse but when South played ♦Q he was able to win with the ♦A, discard a losing spade on the fourth diamond and ruff a diamond in dummy.

    Notice that this line would have failed if the ♦9 and ♦8 had been exchanged. But Sinclair knew he had been lucky and that the opponents had misdefended. If South covers the Curse of Scotland the fourth diamond cannot be established for a spade discard.

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  • Ace asking, minor keycard, and you

    “Uncle Gordon?” asked Voluptua “may I ask you about ace asking?”. “Hem, hem, dear girl, as one of the club’s leading players, you can do no better than petition me, an acknowledged expert”. Gordon was joking, of course; he was a humble man, and felt that his bridge reputation was over-valued. When this opinion on Gordon’s humility was put to the Weasel the retort had been acerbic and Churchillian “He has much to be humble about”.

    But, indeed, Gordon was knowledgable and wise although certain new-fangled conventions were anathema to him. Voluptua plunged right in, like a low-cut neck-line.

    “I’ve spent ages trying to understand Blackwood, Roman keycard Blackwood, Gerber (with or without Roman responses) and now Randy wants me to play something he calls minor keycard”. Voluptua was an intelligent young woman despite looking like a Playboy centrefold, but she was not averse to using her charms to ease her passage through life – and now she turned her innocent wide-eyes on Gordon.

    Gordon was very fond of his niece by marriage, and knew her well enough to know that she meant no harm. Didactically, he cleared his throat and began an explanation. “Minor keycard is useful in auctions where you are exploring for slam in a minor suit. In principle, bids 4♣ and 4♦ are inquiries about your partner’s holding in the 5 “aces” associated with that suit (the four aces and the king of the suit). The responses are step responses like the responses to Roman keycard Blackwood. In other words after 4♣ then 4♦ shows 0 or 3 keycards, 4♥ shows 1 or 4, 4♠ shows two without the queen, and 4NT shows 2 with the queen; while after 4♦ then 4♥ shows 0 or 3 keycards, 4♠ shows 1 or 4, 4NT shows two without the queen, and 5♣ shows 2 with the queen”.

    “But I don’t understand, Uncle Gordon” protested Voluptua “how do you know when 4♣ or 4♦ are ace- asking or when they are more like invitational or competitive bids?”

    “Ah yes; a knotty question indeed” answered Gordon “the answer is quite simple; the bids are ace-asking except when they are obviously not”. Seeing Voluptua’s puzzled face he hastened on. “There will be some competitve auctions where you could not be asking for aces because both your hands have been limited in some way (for example, you pass as dealer and your partner bids 3♦; then 4♦ by you is just raising the pre-empt).”

    “Oh, I just can’t see it” pouted Voluptua. “You are so obscure!” Gordon, somewhat miffed, continued hurriedly “The convention is especially useful when playing inverted minors”.

    This was too much for Voluptua who drew herself up to her full height and flashed her eyes with pique. “Gordon, I am an adult not a minor and, furthermore, you must know by now that I am an extrovert not an introvert.”

    Gordon apologised and hastily reassured her by explaining that ‘inverted minors’ was the convention of reversing the two ways of raising your partner’s opening 1♣ or 1♦. His obvious contrition very much mollified Voluptua and the two of them spent an hour further discussing these conventions.

    As chance would have it the following deal arose at the next club night when the two of them were partners with Voluptua as West:

    ♠T973
    ♥QJ94
    ♦42
    ♣843
    ♠KJ4
    ♥AT
    ♦AQJT5
    ♣A96    		♠A5
    ♥K85
    ♦K9863
    ♣Q72
    ♠Q862
    ♥7632
    ♦7
    ♣KJT5

    With the new tools in her armoury the auction was a breeze:

    WestNorthEastSouth
    1♦Pass2♦Pass
    4♦Pass4NTPass
    6♦PassPassPass

    When dummy went down Voluptua was relieved to see that she and Gordon had been on the same wave length. Gordon’s 2♦ bid was a forcing bid agreeing diamonds, and 4NT had shown two keycards without the Queen. However the contract did not seem impregnable as there might be two losers in clubs. There seemed to be two chances: leading towards the ♣Q might succeed if the ♣K was well-placed; and the spade finesse, if successful, would allow a club discard.

    She realised that she could combine her chance by trying clubs first (and if this was unsuccessful fall back on the spade finesse). When the second of these chances succeeded she and Gordon knew that she had mastered what he had taught her.

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  • Randy elopes

    Voluptua and Randy had done moderately well in the recent point tournament helped somewhat by Randy’s play in 6♠ as North on the hand below. Many other pairs had been in the slam and no others had made it. The unsuccessful pairs were therefore somewhat mystified both by Deep Finesse’s claim that the contract was makable and that Randy had indeed made it.

    ♠AK8643
    ♥AT94
    ♦—
    ♣K93
    ♠—
    ♥KJ876
    ♦9643
    ♣Q652    		♠Q975
    ♥Q32
    ♦KJT2
    ♣65
    ♠JT2
    ♥5
    ♦AQ875
    ♣AJ74

    Here is how it was done. East led ♥2 (the best lead) which Randy won with the Ace. Then came heart ruff, ♦A (Randy discarding a club), diamond ruff, ♣A, diamond ruff, heart ruff, diamond ruff, ♣K to reach this position with 9 tricks taken:

    ♠AK8
    ♥T
    ♦—
    ♣—
    ♠—
    ♥KJ
    ♦—
    ♣Q6    		♠Q975
    ♥—
    ♦—
    ♣—
    ♠J
    ♥—
    ♦A
    ♣J7

    Randy now advanced ♥T and East was helpless. Either she ruffed with ♠Q in which case Randy would make the last 3 tricks with his top trumps or she underruffed and then Randy would ruff with ♠J and still come to two more tricks with ♠AK.

    Voluptua had observed the play keenly as Randy was so manly when playing a slam contract. She recognised the technique whereby declarer tries to score his own trumps cheaply by ruffing one of dummy’s suits as “elopement”. Smiling sweetly at her swain she murmured “I love elopements” to which Randy blushed appropriately.

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  • Voluptua in Defence

    “Anyone can be a good declarer“. Gordon was pontificating as Frieda, Randy, and Voluptua listened respectfully. “Take the following hand where I was North in 4♥; nothing to it. The lead was ♠J won by West who returned a spade; I won, knocked out the king of trumps, and had no trouble taking 10 tricks”.

    ♠KQ87
    ♥A8753
    ♦KQ63
    ♣—
    ♠A965
    ♥2
    ♦JT974
    ♣754    		♠J4
    ♥K64
    ♦A85
    ♣98632
    ♠T32
    ♥QJT9
    ♦2
    ♣AKQJT9

    The bidding had been simple:

    WestNorthEastSouth
    1♥Pass2♣
    Pass3♦Pass3♥
    Pass4♥PassPass
    Pass

    Not wishing to be too rude of Gordon’s analysis, Randy coughed in embarrassment. “Actually, Gordon, Voluptua and I were sitting East-West at another table and defeated the contract”.
    Gordon glared in surprise. “Never” he muttered “lay-down contract”. Voluptua took up the tale. “Randy led ♠J and I had to decide whether he was leading a singleton or doubleton. If it had been a singleton, declarer would have had 5 spades and that didn’t make sense on the bidding, so it had to be a doubleton. So I prayed that Randy had a trump trick, and the Ace of diamonds; and then I ducked the first trick. Later, Randy scored his ♥K and led another spade to my Ace. I returned a spade for him to ruff, and with the ace of diamonds we took 4 tricks”.

    “By Jove” exclaimed Gordon, “that was smart thinking young lady”. He fell into a reverie trying to redeem his analytical reputation. An hour later he gave a loud “Harrumph” and said “I see you could tell South’s shape on trick 1. South had bid hearts before diamonds, and had 4 spades; so must be 4-5-4-0. Playing match-point pairs there is a case for winning the first spade because if Randy did not have a trump trick then South would make an important overtrick. But at teams scoring your defence was perfect”. There was a respectful silence.

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  • Voluptua dreaming; Randy lucky

    Voluptua gazed dreamily at Randy. He had just laid down a rather bare dummy and she had the task of making 4♥ as South. But her thoughts were far away from bridge. Randy was looking like a delicious Adonis with his broad shoulders producing very fond feelings in her. Then pulling herself together with a jerk she concentrated on the task at hand, noting that West had led ♥J. This was the deal but, of course, all Voluptua could see was the North–South hands.

    ♠83
    ♥A92
    ♦JT52
    ♣KQT3
    ♠AQ96
    ♥JT6
    ♦K764
    ♣92    		♠J75
    ♥Q6
    ♦Q983
    ♣8765
    ♠KT42
    ♥K7543
    ♦A
    ♣AJ4

    She counted her winners: 4 clubs, 1 diamond, probably 4 hearts – only 9 tricks. Where was the 10th trick going to come from? There were several possibilities. She might lead up to ♠K hoping that East held ♠A; or she might try to ruff a spade in dummy. The first of these was a 50% chance; the second seemed doomed to failure by the trump lead for surely the opponents would lead trumps twice more if she lost two spades.

    Her forehead furrowed but then her attention began to wander again. She smiled as she remembered how that week Randy had reversed Frieda’s car into the garden hedge; what a dummy he had been reversing like that without looking.

    And then it came to her: dummy reversal. All that needed was a 3–2 break in trumps. So she won the opening lead with ♥K, cashed ♦A, and drew a second round of trumps ending in dummy. She then left the outstanding trump out and turned her efforts to another suit. She was able to ruff three diamonds in her own hand, using the clubs as re-entries to dummy (her winners in this strategy were diamond ruff, ♣K, diamond ruff, ♣A, ♣Q, ♣T, diamond ruff). It would not matter if West ruffed one of her club winners for that would promote a trump trick in dummy.

    Flushed with pleasure Voluptua made her contract. As Randy praised her efforts she smiled coyly and said “You were an inspirational dummy”. Immediately she wished she said “ymmud” instead but that would have been too hard to pronounce.

    In fact the hand helped to build up her confidence for her thoughts had been a bit distracted of late and this had shown itself in rather lack-lustre bidding. Randy had been quite severe with her the week before. “Really, Voluptua, your bidding has been so timid tonight”.

    Voluptua had been rather hurt by this remark and had resolved to teach Randy a lesson. So, when her boyfriend (South) opened with a weak 2♠ and East doubled, Voluptua steeled herself. Surely the opponents could make a slam in either minor, possibly even a grand slam. What had Randy called her? Timid? She would show him and with a bold pencil wrote the bid 7♠ on her bidding pad. East doubled, almost breaking the pencil with some unethical pressure, and Randy had to play 7♠ doubled.

    West had no trouble finding a lead and placed the ♥A on the table. Voluptua tabled her hand and smiled sweetly and innocently at Randy: “Good luck, partner” she murmured. Randy’s face paled as he realised that there were 35 HCP out against him. But squaring those manly shoulders he went to the task.

    ♠J9652
    ♥T9765432
    ♦—
    ♣—
    ♠Q
    ♥AKQJ
    ♦QJT7
    ♣JT82    		♠K
    ♥8
    ♦AK32 ♣AKQ9762
    ♠AT8743
    ♥—
    ♦98654
    ♣43

    He ruffed the lead in his own hand and drew trumps in one round. Then, entering dummy with three minor suit ruffs, he ruffed three further rounds of hearts. Dummy remained with 4 winning hearts and one trump and so could be entered by another minor suit ruff. To everyone’s astonishment, his own included, he had made the contract. “That’s going to be worth a bit tonight” he thought to himself as he folded his cards.

    Randy had been lucky in that, if West leads any other suit, the contract will be two down as dummy would not have sufficient entries to establish the hearts.

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