BRIDGE

Along with many other modernizations of the game that some of us traditionalist curmudgeons find distasteful is the erosion of respect for what is referred to as a “free bid”.

Yes, North's takeout double did promise support for the unbid suits and diamonds was one of those suits but since South was “free” to pass over two clubs and await further developments, his introduction of diamonds on a pointless hand seems, well, pointless!

And when the auction continued to swirl around him, South was again free to pass over four clubs but relying on his hand's great reservoirs of extra strength ( just look at those three nines!), once more into the fray went our hero.

Note that North had a very good hand and wouldn't have needed much from his partner to make three notrump but was saved from having to find nothing in the dummy.

And when the opponents plunged on to five clubs, North had enough and tacked on a very sound penalty double likely to yield a small plus for down one assuming best play by both sides.

But then bidder's remorse set in: “What” thought South “if my partner is counting on me to contribute to the defense with a high card or two?”.

The third and final mention of diamonds was quite catastrophic and most definitely not “free” as the final turnover was the dreaded -800 for down three.

Project backward to South's first turn to call and try to predict the course of the auction if, looking at relatively nothing, South discretely chose to bid nothing: -800? Very unlikley!