Contract Bridge

Some hands are loaded with dynamite. For example, take this one from the 1984 national men’s team championship.

At the first table, with Eric Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth sitting North- South, the bidding went as shown. The two- notrump overcall by North was “unusual,” indicating at least five cards in each of the minor suits.

After Meckstroth jumped to five diamonds, Rodwell tried six diamonds, which East doubled. A spade or club lead would have defeated the contract, but unfortunately for his side, West led a heart. Declarer discarded a spade from dummy, ruffed in his hand and so made the slam to score 1,090 points.

At the second table, the bidding was opened by West with four clubs, a conventional bid indicating a hand that most players would open with four hearts. North overcalled with four notrump, showing length in the minors, and East bid five hearts. South now bid five notrump, in effect announcing he could support either minor suit. After West bid six hearts, North ventured seven clubs, which East ( Larry Cohen, playing with Marty Bergen) doubled.

East led the ace of spades, on which West played his lowest spade, the six, whereupon East shifted to a diamond, which he knew from the bidding his partner would ruff. The spade king then provided another trick for the defense, and declarer wound up down three.

Cohen and Bergen were thus plus 500 with the EastWest cards at their table, and this, added to the 1,090 points their teammates scored at the other table, produced a total gain of 1,590 points on the deal. With the aid of several similar results on other deals, their team went on to win the championship.