Free Bid

E/W Vul
IMPs
Dealer: South
Lead: A

	garyyang J 9 5 A K 9 8 5 A 5 A 4 2
Maestro A K Q 3 2 Q J 2 Q 3 K Q J		philou 10 8 6 4 7 6 4 J 9 7 4 2 3
	groll 7 10 3 K 10 8 6 10 9 8 7 6 5

West 1 Dbl 4 Pass

North Dbl Pass Dbl

East Pass 2 Pass

South Pass 2 Pass Pass

 

The freely bid Sticks and Wheels is exceptionally rare, even among master practitioners. It requires an exquisite combination of bad luck and bad judgment, and even then you usually have to be vulnerable.

Today Gee, sitting West, opens 1S second seat. Many players would simply overcall 2H with North’s hand but he doubles instead. East of course passes, and Gee doubles South’s 2C, one assumes for takeout with a plan to bid spades over a diamond response. North passes to await further developments, which indeed are forthcoming. Gee, vulnerable and holding a fistful of losers opposite a partner who couldn’t bid over 1S-X, jumps to 4S!

Ordinarily 4SX goes down 2, which is a disastrous but not world-historical loss against 2C making 4, but on this day the planets are aligned. North opens with three rounds of hearts, South ruffing the third. The club return is taken by the CA, and three more rounds of diamonds promote North’s SJ for the seventh defensive trick, down 4, 1100. That is artistry.