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FUN / COMPETITIONS

BRIDGE WITH THE HACKETT FAMILY

Wednesday October 22,2008

TODAY'S hand raised many interesting points when it was recently played in the English trials.

Nowadays fewer and fewer of the top players are playing a double of a strong No Trump as penalties, but is a 14-16 No trump weak or strong?

Jason and Justin used to consider it a strong No trump, but have recently changed and deem it to be weak. Thus they can double for penalties.

Let us turn our attention to North after his partner has made a penalty double. Should he pass and hope it goes off or should he bid and try to get to a better contract? Everyone has different views.

Let us suppose North had passed. Now the pressure is on East. Surely he will run to 2D. Back to South.

If you play the pass as forcing, then you can wait and see what happens. If not many would consider their hand to good for 2S and bid 3S.

Should you play a forcing pass how many of you would ignore it and pass with the North hand and how many would double?

As it was North bid 2D, showing extreme weakness and South showed excellent judgement in bidding just 2S.

There is little the defence can do against this modest part-score. The normal opening lead is the KD, declarer winning with his singleton Ace. The AS is led and when the KS drops South switches to clubs.

West is likely to duck the first round, win the second and exit with a club.

Declarer tries a low spade but West can win and exit with his last club. The QS and a spade follows, but West still has the QD left.

When this is ruffed and the KH led the defence can win with the AH and exit with a heart, but no matter how hard they try East-West can only come to five tricks.

It was an excellent result for North-South because a most tables 3S was reached. However it was the bidding, which saved the day here.

Paul’s tip: When you double a no Trump for penalties and your partner runs consider he is most likely to have 0-3 points.