Aces on Bridge — Daily Columns

The Aces on Bridge: Monday, October 17th, 2022


4 Comments

Iain ClimieOctober 31st, 2022 at 9:35 am

Hi Bobby,

If South has SQJx(x), why isn’t he leading a spade to the 10 here? I suppose with QJ9(x) he’d like West to cover though so credit to South for his con trick.

Regards,

Iain

bobbywolffOctober 31st, 2022 at 2:10 pm

Hi Iain,

Yes, you are indeed on target with your analysis, but sometimes (as here, when probably often, genius is merely hoped) but, to the victor go the spoils.

The odds, for at least attempting such a ruse, go up dramatically and though Mark
is a great friend of mine, my guess is that a simple word, “flair” will adequately
describe his mindset, for if it had instead led to defeat, it would not normally have been written up.

One run, one hit, one error (but by the defender) and only one partnership left in disgrace. Pardon my likely failed attempt to be both a baseball announcer and a poet.

Iain ClimieOctober 31st, 2022 at 2:10 pm

I’m not sure I’d have played the SJ as East, though. Yes West now realises exactly what was going on but the gesture does smell slightly of petulance and surely wouldn’t help morale. West got conned; there is no need for East to rub his nose in it!

Iain

bobbywolffOctober 31st, 2022 at 2:35 pm

Hi Iain,

No doubt you are right on target about the “rub-in” and if there were 100 reasons to do so, with 99 of them, that would apply. But, for the way to show sorrowful feelings, it perhaps might be granted an exception, if only for the humor of it!

Humor? “what humor?, we just got a terrible result”!