Bridge

Albert Szent-Gyoergyi, a Hungarian biochemist and Nobel Prize winner, said, “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” In this deal at Bridge Base Online, all 16 North-South pairs had the identical auction to a hopeless contract. Where did it go off the rails?

Every bidder was a robot, but since the program bases its decisions on simulation rather than rules, it is surprising that every auction went like this. (At each turn, a program generates deals that satisfy the conditions and analyzes them to determine which action will work best over that sample.)

Since by North’s two-spade rebid, the auction was gameforcing, South could have rebid three diamonds or two no-trump; there was no need to jump. Over three diamonds, North should bid three no-trump (downgrading for the void) or a quantitative four no-trump. (If wishing to head for a diamond slam, North must raise three diamonds to four.) Over two no-trump, North can bid three clubs, South can sign off in three no-trump, and North can pass or raise to four no-trump.

In the given auction, South should have passed out four no-trump. There was no agreed suit, and North was clearly very short in diamonds.

In four no-trump, declarer starts with nine top tricks: three spades, one heart, one diamond and four clubs. By running the clubs and reading the position, declarer can maneuver an extra winner. The curious may work it out. But just remember that misfits are miserable.