Minus 1,000 -- no problem!
Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 12/20/2015
Level: All Levels
On this deal from the 2015 NABC Senior Knockout Teams (in Denver), Bart Bramley had a chance to make 4
XX:
Vul:West
Dir: N-S |
 Q10986
8
 AQ
 Q10953
|
|
3
--
J10987653
A642
|
|
AK7542
K752
--
K87
|
| |
J
AQJ109643
K42
J
|
|
West opened 4, passed around to South (Bramley). He bid 4 and when this came to East, he doubled for penalty. North redoubled (not clear how he meant it), but there they rested. A diamond was lead and East ruffed. He laid down a high spade, all following. East now (reasonably) played a low spade. He didn't realize his partner had no trumps. Had Bramley discarded his club, he would have made 4!HXX for a whopping 1080! However, he didn't know the strange position. He trumped with the HQ, played the A and a high heart to East's king. Now a club to the ace enabled another defensive diamond ruff for down 2, -1000. Big swing? Yes, but not how you would expect.
This was the auction at the other table:
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Rodwell |
|
Meckstroth |
|
| 5
|
Pass |
Pass |
5
|
| Pass |
Pass |
Double |
Pass |
| Pass |
5! |
Double |
All Pass |
Yes, Meckstroth got to defend against 5SX. The play was bloody and ended up with a penalty of 1700 (down 6). So, Bramley won 12 imps for going down 1,000!
