ACES ON BRIDGE

“Yet everybody says I’m such a disagreeable man! And I can’t think why!”

— W.S. Gilbert

This column does not always agree with the experts. In today’s deal, from the semifinals of the NEC teams, I was shocked to see two of the four Souths opening two clubs here. Both players ran into competition and were forced to describe their hand as an equal two-suiter. In one case North ended up in six clubs (down like a stone); in the other, six diamonds.

Of course, six clubs isn’t much worse than six diamonds, since if clubs are 5-0, surely West could double six diamonds by North for the lead. Not today, apparently, since where North played six diamonds, West didn’t double, and East tried to cash the spade ace instead of leading a club. Since six clubs had gone four down, that was a 15-IMP swing to the eventual winners of the tournament.

In our other match, both tables managed the auction more intelligently. They reached six diamonds from the South seat, their sides’ best contract. Both Wests tried to put their partner in for the club ruff. One West led the spade nine, finding his partner with the spade ace -- but that was not enough today. In the other room, Sjoert Brink of the Netherlands led a low heart away from his ace. Bas Drijver could win his heart king, and then had no trouble working out why his partner had such a degree of urgency to put him on lead. He played a club to give his partner the ruff, for a huge pickup for his team.

ANSWER: The double of four hearts is for takeout, but there are limits to when you have to obey your partner. My guess is that this hand is far more suitable for defense than offense. The weak spades and trump winner suggest that passing the double makes more sense than bidding here.