Board 113

Board 113
Neither vulnerable

♠ 10 7 ♥ J 3 ♦ A J 6 4 3 ♣ Q J 6 5

Partner opens one notrump (12-14), and RHO doubles. In my own methods redouble is natural, and two of a suit is ostensibly natural but may be the start of wriggle. To wriggle, you bid something, then wait for the opponents to double. You can then redouble to show four-four in the next two higher suits or you can run to show four-four in the suit you run to and the non-touching suit.  "4333" patterns and "4432" patterns that include clubs are unwriggable. To show an unwriggable hand, you pass, which is forcing. Opener must then run following the exact same methodology. If opener also has an unwriggable hand, he redoubles.

It's true that this method entails some risk.  The opponents might do well to pass out your first bid, depriving you of your chance to wriggle.  But, since you might be in serious trouble, that's a tough decision for them to make.  How can they be sure that they can collect more defending the the wrong contact undoubled than they can defending the right contract doubled?  Besides, many partnerships systemically can't defend two of a minor undoubled after they have doubled one notrump.

In any event, this is all moot.  Jack stubbornly refuses to play this method. He plays some Byzantine system I've never seen before, the major flaw of which is that it does not permit a natural redouble. I've reluctantly agreed to play Jack's way. I won't go into the details, but my only choices with this hand are (A) pass, requiring partner to run if he has a five-card suit or to redouble if he doesn't, or (B) two clubs, showing either a diamond one-suiter or both majors. (A) seems unwise, since I suspect RHO might start bidding majors at some point, and I'd like to get my diamond suit into the auction before he does. Accordingly, I bid two clubs.

LHO passes, and partner bids two diamonds. RHO bids two hearts. I'm not going to sell to two hearts with a doubleton heart. I bid three clubs, hoping partner works out I don't have the majors.

Partner seems to get the idea.  He corrects to three diamonds, and RHO bids three hearts. I pass, and LHO raises to four. Enough is enough. We have the balance of power, they have at most nine trumps (possibly only eight), and they don't sound very confident. I double. If partner has all his high cards in the minors, I hope he pulls. Everyone passes.

One generally leads a trump after these balance-of-power doubles. But dummy didn't raise two hearts to three, so I doubt he has much in the way of ruffing values. It seems better to go after my own ruffs. I lead the ten of spades.

	NORTH ♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ A 9 ♦ 10 9 7 ♣ 10 8 7 2
WEST ♠ 10 7 ♥ J 3 ♦ A J 6 4 3 ♣ Q J 6 5

West	North	East	South
		1 NT	Double
2 ♣1	Pass	2 ♦2	2 ♥
3 ♣	Pass	3 ♦	3 ♥
Pass	4 ♥	Pass	Pass
Double	(All pass)
1Diamonds OR spades and hearts
2Forced

Dummy plays the deuce; partner, the king; and declarer, the eight. It looks as if I made the right opening lead. Partner cashes the ace of spades, on which declarer plays the nine, and continues with the six of spades, on which declarer plays the jack. I ruff with the three of hearts.

Declarer appears to be four-six in the majors. The only time it would seem to matter what what I do is when declarer has king doubleton of diamonds. I don't think he does, since if partner were 3-4 in the minors, he would have passed three clubs. But there's no reason for me do to anything other than exit with the queen of clubs and wait. We eventually score one diamond trick for down one.

	NORTH ♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ A 9 ♦ 10 9 7 ♣ 10 8 7 2
WEST ♠ 10 7 ♥ J 3 ♦ A J 6 4 3 ♣ Q J 6 5		EAST ♠ A K 6 ♥ 10 7 2 ♦ K Q 8 2 ♣ 9 4 3
	SOUTH ♠ Q J 9 8 ♥ K Q 8 6 5 4 ♦ 5 ♣ A K

I don't care much for South's double. He should be more interested in exploring his own offensive potential than in doubling us. It's a good hand for Astro. (I bet you knew I was going to say that.) You start with two diamonds, showing spades and another suit, then bid three hearts on the next round, showing four spades, primary hearts, and game interest. That looks like a fair description to me.

As long as I'm criticizing my opponent's auction, I might as well criticize my own. My double was asinine. I don't know what got into me. The opponents bid game voluntarily, and I have no surprises for them. So the best I can reasonably hope for is down one. If my teammates aren't in game, the double gains one imp when it's right and loses three when it's wrong. If they are in game, it gains two imps when it's right and loses five when it's wrong. Maybe I'm a favorite to beat this, but I'm surely not enough of a favorite to warrant laying odds like that. The double makes no sense except perhaps as an expression of contempt. It's probably OK at matchpoints, where the odds I'm laying rate to be close to even money. It would surely be right at matchpoints if the opponents were vulnerable, since in that case I may well have more to gain than to lose by doubling.

At the other table, East opens one diamond. South doubles. West bids two notrump, showing a limit raise in diamonds. East corrects to three diamonds, and South bids three hearts. North chooses not to raise.

Against three hearts, West leads the queen of clubs. Declarer wins, draws trumps, and plays spades from the top, pinning West's ten. Making four for a seven-imp gain. (Not a paltry six imps, thanks to my double.)

Me: + 100
Jack: -170

Score on Board 113: +7 IMPs
Total: -21 IMPs