Good entry expected for Sectional

Royal Gazette Staff

Created: Sep 22, 2006 11:00 AM

NEXT week’s Sectional usually marks the start of the fall bridge season and this popular event again expects a good entry. Chairperson is Donna Leitch, and in addition to the bridge I know there is the usual enjoyable social side planned for all the participants.

The format is as always — a single-session Pairs event on the Friday and Monday afternoon, Championship Pairs events (two sessions) on Monday / Friday evening and Saturday afternoon / evening and the two-session Teams event on Sunday.

One of the most difficult things to do at the bridge table is to back one’s judgment for fear of looking foolish. Often the right play is staring a player in the face but they end up taking a safe and usually unsuccessful route.

Take a look at this hand first reported by D.M. Ettlinger of South Africa way back in 1968 — he called it ‘A Case of Nerve Failure’.

Everyone knows that participants in active outdoor sports events require strong nerves, but few realise that such nerves can also be an advantage in the sedate game of contract bridge. An opportunity to make a play of considerable daring arose on the following board from a team-of-four match:North

[spade]A 8 5 4

[heart]A K 10 9 3 2

[diamond]J

[club]6 5

West East

[spade]K Q 7 6 2 [spade]J 10 9 3

[heart]8 7 6 [heart]Q J 4

[diamond]K 7 [diamond]10 8 5

[club]K 9 2 [club]J 10 4

South

[spade]—

[heart]5

[diamond]A Q 9 6 4 3 2

[club]A Q 8 7 3After bidding both minors with a fair degree of frequency South became declarer at 5 diamonds. He won the lead of the spade king in dummy and immediately finessed the club queen which lost to West who now went into a trance. West could see the necessity of preventing a club but could not bring himself to play the only card to break the contract — the diamond king. He exited meekly with a spade which declarer ruffed. The club ace was followed by a club ruff and another spade ruff. Declarer cashed the diamond ace and now had to decide whether go play for the drop of the king or the ten.

West’s hesitation at trick three redounded to his further disadvantage when declarer decided that West’s failure to lead trumps at that stage indicated a doubleton king. A small diamond now gave the defenders their second and last trick.

When asked the reason for his trance West relied: “The diamond king seemed to be the right card to play but I could not risk what my team-mates would say about me if I gave the contract by playing into the ace-queen of trumps.”

Truly a case of nerve failure!

[bul] The Monday game this week could be interesting as it will comprise the pre-dealt hands played in the Lecturer Trophy, a top British event — so turn up. Roman Smolski is organising this and also now that he is back the results will once again be in the paper.

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Good entry expected for Sectional