Goren on Bridge

Doubling a good player just because you have five trumps is usually a bad idea, especially when they are low trumps. You send a telegraph about the bad trump split that your opponent will use to help him. South in today’s deal was Jill Meyers, from California, a seven-time World Champion. North was California expert Ed Davis, a longtime partner.

Note Davis’s excellent three-heart bid. He would have raised earlier with three, so two good ones were enough to raise now. West continued with a second spade at trick two, forcing dummy to ruff with the queen of hearts. Meyers led a club to her jack and a heart to the king. When West followed with the 10, she started playing high clubs from the dummy. East ruffed the third club as Meyers discarded her last spade.

East led his last spade. Meyers ruffed and led a diamond to dummy’s 10, another play suggested by the double. East won with his ace, but with only hearts and diamonds remaining, there was nothing he could do. He chose to return a diamond, which Meyers won in dummy and led high clubs. Eventually, East had to ruff and Meyers picked up all of East’s trumps to bring home her contract. Well played, but East gave her the telegraph.

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