Contract Bridge

Odd things sometimes occur during the bidding — even in world championships. Consider this deal from a match between the United States and Thailand some years ago.

With a U.S. pair NorthSouth, the bidding went as shown. Certainly a majority of players would open the South hand with one club, but the American South in this case elected to pass his aceless 12-point hand.

But something went drastically wrong on the next round when North passed South’s jump-shift response in clubs. South obviously thought that three clubs was forcing, but the bidding ended abruptly when North decided that his skimpy 12-point hand couldn’t possibly produce a game opposite a partner who had previously passed.

South made four clubs, scoring 130 points, but this was nothing to cheer about since four hearts (worth 620 points) could not be defeated.

However, not to be outdone, the Thai North-South pair did even worse at the other table! Their bidding went:

East South West North Pass 1 ♣ Pass 1 NT Pass 2 ♣ Pass 3 NT

The opening one-club bid, in the Bangkok System, was artificial. It showed 12 to 20 high-card points, and furthermore denied a five-card or longer suit, except possibly in clubs. The one-notrump response was forcing to game and asked for clarification of the opening bid.

South’s two-club rebid showed at least five clubs and minimum values, but North then made no allowance — when he jumped to three notrump — for the possibility that South could have the sort of hand he had.

East made the normal opening lead of a diamond, and North could not avoid going down two for a net loss of 330 points on the deal.