EW have a good save in 7D (5D tricks, SA, 2 H ruffs and probably one more trick), so a) do you think they should have taken the save, and b) how do you think the play should go if they do?

Hi David,I am not our host,7D at teams perhaps..than at pairs,but who will bid it,East or West? If East bids again(!),not sure I want to hear 7H with East’s hand!?I stand to be corrected by our host.Another question for our host,would West overcall 2D(for lead) all vul be it pairs or teams? Regards~Patrick.

Hi all,

IMHO it’s very hard to justify the 7D sacrifice, especially at pairs. I’m wondering if our host would have made any of the 2D, 5D and 6H bids? Also, on LWTA what is West’s double?

Mircea1,

West’s double is responsive. It tells partner to pick his better major in safety.

This prevents playing in a 4-3 or worse fit by bidding the wrong suit. Think of it as a takeout double back at partner.

Bobby, please feel free to correct me. I would hate to lead a woman astray.

Hi David,

No, I do not think that EW should take a vulnerable save, since NS may have bid a speculative slam at best. When West made a vulnerable 2 level overcall, after passing, and then East was able to take ace asking away from them with his timely 5 diamond competition, the stage was set for an unscientific ending.

Also, I have found success, I think, from speculating slams against fierce competition and therefore, when lucky, having aggressive opponents carry on to phantom sacrifices. In other words, fight fire with fire in order to be tough opponents.

In the play, assuming a club lead and continuation, ruff that in hand and immediately lead the jack of spades, assuming North to be void in diamonds, since South will only have 4 hearts and for North to make such a powerful response (4 D) as he did, he is odds on have a diamond void as compensation. From that point on with a second finesse (if necessary) the maximum number of EW tricks will be garnered.

As I have always maintained, bridge is far from a perfect science, leaving excellent, but not infallible judgment as the mark of the winning player. To take a save against this speculative slam (with West having 4 bothersome trumps) is pure folly. Better to try and set them (could happen) then fly to try and be a genius and predict what cannot really be predicted.

Hi Patrick,

Vulnerable or not, when faced with a choice I prefer to overcall, if close, in order to not go quietly, even if involves some risk.

In truth there is also risk (in both matchpoints and IMPs) in remaining quiet since, if LHO becomes declarer West will prefer, at least from his hand, for his partner to lead a diamond.

When the bidding gets somewhat chaotic, as it did here, the winning (in the very long run), at least IMO, will often go to boldness, NS in this case (if declared correctly) in spite of the somewhat heroic effort EW provided.

Once NS scores up this bold slam, while they should look forward and relish their next encounter, EW should then forget about this result and be ready and confident to joust against whoever they may be playing in the next round or two. The above is the secret to becoming good and doing it fast, with other psychology lagging far behind.

Hi Mircea1,

The above will answer your early questions. No, yes, and yes again.

West’s double is responsive (invented by Dr. Fielding Reid from the Midwest) about 70 years ago and promoted in the great Bridge World magazine then and immediately embraced in America with the world to follow and today, almost every top pair worldwide, either plays it or if not, something similar.

Simply put, once the opponents bid a suit (here, a 2 weak diamonds, partner doubles, and opener’s partner, raises (to three here, but even if to four) another double by the partner of the original doubler, here West is also takeout and will ordinarily show 4-4 in the majors.

Dr. Reid’s invention, in some ways, revolutionized defensive bidding, definitely as an improvement, and at least to all of us here, should make us realize what a really modern game we are playing, having come along during our lifetimes instead of others which are hundreds of years old.

Hi Bill,

I would if I could, but I can’t (except for controversial details), so I won’t.

And about leading women astray, why, when you need to do it most, would you stop now?

Thanks all for the clarifications, now it’s my turn: despite its ending in a vowel, Mircea is not a female name. No worries, it’s not the first time it happened. As far as I know it is used (quite frequently) only in the land I come from – Romania.

Hi Mircea1,

I never even came close to thinking you were a woman. In my reference to leading women astray I was only talking (kidding) with Bill about the subject he brought up.

Furthermore, I claim to have been in Romania only once, when my bridge cruise ship stopped there in 1990 while my Seaborn (Norweigan) ship traveled the Black Sea on the way to Russia. Although it was cold outside, early November I think, the people, in spite of the snowy weather, were very friendly, warm and upbeat.

For what it is worth, I think the Middle Eastern bridge players (including Eastern Europe) have great genes for being enabled to be among the best bridge players in the world. Much numeracy, cunning and smarts for winning at games, especially ones which emphasize numbers.

The best reason not to sacrifice: Lead the singleton club. Can six hearts make then? I don’t see how.

Hi Rick,

Yes, you are right and you are right again. As long as West ducks trick 2 when declarer leads the spade queen from dummy.

A case of the defense keeping declarer from entangling his entries in order to be able to establish one spade trick (which he can) but with the brilliant spade duck, the defense will keep declarer from being able to trump a diamond in dummy for trick #12 and also fluidly draw the opponent’s fangs (trump) with the 4-1 break.

Thanks for your right-on analysis.