Deduction from opponent’s call

The winner of the 2016 Yeh Online World Bridge Cup was Lavazza, who played in Turin, Italy. The team partnerships were Emanuela Calandra-Norberto Bocchi, Benedicte Cronier-Agustin Madala and Sylvie Willard-Giorgio Duboin. Winning points sometimes seems random, but if you keep pressuring the opponents, things usually work out — as in this deal played between Lavazza and the Chinese Contract Bridge Association.

Madala (South) opened one heart in fourth seat with a hand that fails the Rule of 15: In fourth chair, open if your point-count plus spade length equals at least 15; otherwise, pass out the deal. Over West’s takeout double, Cronier (North) responded two no-trump (the Truscott convention) to show a maximum pass with at least four-card heart support. South took a shot at the vulnerable game.

West made an inadvisable lead: her trump. Now declarer drew trumps, knocked out the club ace and had 10 tricks: five hearts, two diamonds, two clubs and a diamond ruff in the dummy.

Probably, if West had led the spade king, Madala would have made the contract, playing West for a singleton heart because of her takeout double.

At the other table, over West’s double, South bid two clubs, which he intended as the Reverse Drury convention, showing a maximum pass with heart support — he did not see West’s double! Over the double, two clubs was natural. South rebid two diamonds, and North invited game with three hearts, which South, expecting at most three hearts opposite, passed. Declarer also took 10 tricks, but Lavazza gained 10 international match points.