Contract Bridge

Psychic bids usually don’t pay big dividends, but every once in a while they produce a sensational triumph. Today’s extraordinary hand features a highly successful psychic by Harold Ogust in the United States-Great Britain match of 1960.

Ogust was North and was partnered by Howard Schenken against British stars Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro. Schenken opened one heart, which Schapiro overcalled with two clubs. Ogust thereupon bid two notrump, deliberately suppressing his exceptional heart support so as to create the impression around the table that he had a normal notrump type of hand.

Reese, gazing at his misfit in clubs, elected to pass, and Schenken — unaware of the irregular nature of Ogust’s two-notrump bid — raised his partner to three notrump. Schapiro then tried four clubs, judging that, with an eightcard trump suit, he could not be severely injured.

Ogust now belatedly showed his heart support, and Reese, having previously remained silent, doubled — partly on his two aces and partly on Schapiro’s having bid for 10 tricks all by himself. Everyone passed, and Schenken easily made the contract with an overtrick after a spade lead.

Ogust’s smooth performance had taken everybody by surprise, and his strategy proved even more successful when subsequent analysis revealed that East-West were ice-cold for seven spades!

The distinguished British pair was certainly guilty of a serious misjudgment somewhere along the line. Perhaps East should have ventured three spades over Ogust’s two-notrump bid or perhaps tried four spades over four hearts. Or possibly West should have bid four spades over four hearts doubled, instead of passing.

But wherever the fault is attributed, there is no doubt that Ogust’s offbeat twonotrump bid was perfectly timed.