The players did not know the score

Bridge is an almost unique game in one respect -- in a pair or team event, the players do not know how they stand until after play has ended. One plus is that it speeds up play. Also, if the players always knew the score, it would sometimes result in different tactics being adopted -- as in today’s deal, which was the last in the final of the junior (under 26) teams at the 2012 World Youth Team Championships in Taicang, China. Before it was played, Israel led the Netherlands by 1.33 international match points. As we saw yesterday, the Dutch North-South pair played in two no-trump and made 10 tricks for plus 180 after an Israeli misdefense and excellent card reading by declarer Gerbrand Hop. East-West were left to rue that East did not have a spade entry for a heart lead through declarer’s king. Though they did not know it, the Israeli North-South pair had to score at least 140 for victory.

After North’s redouble, the jump to three clubs ought to have been game-forcing; with only invitational values, North would have rebid two clubs. But South passed. However, if South had known the position, he would not have passed. He had to take 11 tricks in clubs to win the match, which was impossible. West led the spade ace and shifted to a club. Declarer drew trumps, knocked out the spade king, won the spade return, discarded a heart on his last spade, played his three top diamonds and claimed his contract exactly. The Netherlands had gained 2 IMPs to win by 0.67!