BRIDGE

Bidding system differences, judgment and maybe even a little bit of luck all had something to do with a sizeable swing in an all-experts online match.

When East exercised sound judgement by rejecting a first-seat vulnerable weak two-bid with that spotless suit, South opened one diamond, a system-dictated choice as his partnership used a forcing-club system. Pass? Did I mention South was under 40 years old?

West preemption and North’s negative double combined to make like tough for South who had little choice but to introduce his “real” suit at the fourlevel.

To stimulate a practical leap to game from North, not without trepidation as the opening bid might have been made in a two-card suit!

Spade lead to the Queen followed by ace and a third round of the suit. Refusing to concede down one by discarding, South gave it a good try by ruffing with the nine only to get overruffed by the Queen for a safe heart exit.

Losing a late club finesse meant down two for the intrepid game-bidders.

A much simpler auction at the other table where the equally youthful East didn’t let the lack of decent intermediates in his main suit or of any other redeeming feature deter him from opening a weak two spades in first seat.

Three passes followed and the defense was accurate after a heart lead to the ace and a shift to the Jack of spades.

Eventually East cobbled together six tricks but that was still -200 for his efforts. That meant a total of +300 and 7 IMPS for the team that defended at both tables – sometimes it’s not a bidders’ game!