At pairs don’t take risks

PAIRS TACTICS

to turn a good result

into a great result

WHEN things are going well, you should tenth trick and 4™ would have made – I

not take risks. Try to hold on to your will score better than them. I pass.’

favourable position.

To give you a non-bridge analogy, say

you were in a running race and were Game All. Dealer: South.

Andrew Robson

leading with a lap to go. You could stay in ´ 4

front and win the race by being sensible, ™ Q654

or you could increase your pace and try to t K854 last trump. He ruffed a diamond and led

win it by a distance (risking cramp or ® K842 out good spades, restricting East to two

burn out). At pairs, all you have to do is ´ K7 ´ QJ95 trump tricks plus the ace of clubs. – 3™

win the race, even by a small amount. ™ 10 8 N ™ KJ9 plus one.

W E

Don’t needlessly accelerate, just stay ahead t Q J 10 9 2 S t 76 At teams, South would think: ‘Oh rats,

of the others. ® 10 9 6 3 ® AQ75 I should have bid 4™ and scored the

Here is a bidding problem; you hold as ´ A 10 8 6 3 2 (vulnerable) game bonus.’ At pairs, he

South: ™ A732 should not think this way, rather: ‘I bid

t A3 well and played well, and will have secured

® J 80% of the match-points. There was no

´ A 10 8 6 3 2 need to have risked that for the game

™ A732 bonus.’ The traveller (including many

t A3 West North East South scores of 2´ minus one and 3™ just made)

® J 1´ will surely give confirmation. r

Pass 1NT Pass 2™1

Pass 3™2 Pass Pass3

You open 1´ and partner responds 1NT. Pass CORN CAIRDIS –

What is to be your rebid: 2´ or 2™? CUP OF FRIENDSHIP

Whichever way you go, you must remem- 1 2´ will work better if partner has two

ber that those other players holding your spades and three hearts and passes 2™ 2010

cards – your true opponents – will be split. (whether or not he should give false Congratulations to England who have

Some will chose 2™ and some 2´. I prefer preference here is a matter for debate). won this year’s Corn Cairdis (Cup of

2™: normally (on flexibility grounds) it is 2 Not 4™, despite the 7 losers. The lack of Friendship) between Ireland and

best to bid a cheaper four-card second suit a ninth trump is normally a big impe- England by 11 VPs. The final score was

than repeat a six-card suit (suit-quality diment in situations such as these. Plus England 179 – Ireland 168.

The friendly international is played

considerations aside). However, sometimes – at pairs – one should not push for close

between the English Bridge Union

one will work better; sometimes the other. games. I’d rather pass 2™ than bid 4™. and the Contract Bridge Association

Say you choose 2™, and partner invites 3 The key bid – 2™ – has worked well. of Ireland every year, and each coun-

game with 3™. Aha – he has four hearts You’re ahead – stay ahead. Don’t try to try competes with three teams: a

(he would not raise a second suit with turn 80% into 95% by trying to make County Team, a Club team and an

fewer). At teams you’d try 4™ – for the 4™ – and get 30% if 4™ fails. Officials team.

game bonus – which you expect to make a This year was a close result for

fair amount of the time with your control- West led the queen of diamonds against England, and one possible reason was

rich, shapely hand. South’s 3™. Declarer played well, win- that the England Club team were

missing from the match for the whole

At pairs you should reason very ning dummy’s king (preserving entries

of Saturday! Their plane was ground-

differently: ‘I have chosen well to rebid to hand) and immediately starting on his ed due to technical difficulties at

2™ – hearts are likely to play better than spades. He crossed to the ace of spades Leeds Bradford Airport, which meant

spades given that my partner has four- and ruffed a spade. He crossed to the ace they were delayed for seven hours!

card support. Those Souths who chose to of diamonds and led a third spade, over- This was the 19th year of the Cup:

rebid 2´ will be playing a likely-inferior ruffing West’s eight with dummy’s England leads with 13 wins against

2´ contract. If I make one more trick than queen. He crossed to the ace of trumps Ireland’s 6.

them – it doesn’t matter whether it’s a and ruffed a fourth spade with dummy’s

www.ebu.co.uk August 2010 English Bridge 5