“N/S never works on weekends, the field is too inconsistent.”
—explaning to his partner why OKBridge was to blame for their bad results
Jun 302002
Aaron Haspel
Jun 302002
“It is more recently that I have had difficulties because no partner is good enough to keep me awake.”
Jun 302002
“I am one of the most intelligent men, my IQ is 178, don’t take me for an imbecile.”
Jun 302002
N/S Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: 
Q
ahmed1 Q J K 9 8 K 9 8 6 5 2 K 2 |
||
| Maestro A 10 5 4 Q 5 A Q J 10 7 4 5 |
![[W - E]](http://gee.aaronhaspel.com/files/2012/10/t.gif) |
petit_g K 8 7 J 7 6 4 3 2 — A Q 9 7 |
| brando 9 6 3 2 A 10 3 J 10 8 6 4 3 |
| West 1 1 2 3NT |
North Pass Pass Pass Pass |
East 1 2 2 Pass |
South Pass Pass Pass Pass |
Grand un petit Gee reach 3NT on a, shall we say, optimistic auction. North opens the spade Q; Gee wins in hand and plays the HQ. North errs by rising with the HK and continuing with the SJ. Gee wins the spade on board and plays a third round, which South covers with the 9. Now he leads the diamond 10, which holds, and the diamond J, which North wins as Gee discovers the bad news, South discarding a small club. North returns the club deuce, the club queen holds, and the moment of truth has arrived. Gerard’s only chance is to find either defender with the stiff heart A — which, as it happens, is the layout. Then the J will draw the last heart and he’ll be home with nine tricks. (If North has the stiff A and leads a D, West can simply play his last spade and South will be forced to lead a club to the board.) Gee cogitates on this carefully, then plays the heart J. Down 1. The zero percent play.
Moral: Some is sometimes better than none. None is never better than some.
Jun 292002
“You’re playing against real experts here, this is not a club game.”
—blaming his partner for a bad result
Jun 292002
N/S Vul
IMPs
Dealer: East
Lead: A
| brando 9 2 A K Q 10 A K Q 5 Q 9 8 |
||
| nikkos K Q J 10 8 6 3 J 5 3 — A 7 4 |
|
Maestro — 9 7 6 2 9 8 6 4 3 2 K 10 2 |
| ice-t A 7 5 4 8 4 J 10 7 J 6 5 3 |
| West
Pass |
North
2NT |
East Pass Pass Pass 4 !!Pass |
South Pass 3 Dbl Dbl |
One might get the impression from reading these pages that Gerard always goes minus. Nothing could be further from the truth (well, maybe some things). Today we observe how an EXPERT evaluates his trump support.
Gerard, wisely divining that his partner had a full opener despite passing third hand, finds the brilliant bid of raising to game on a void! On the bidding it is obvious (to the EXPERT, if not the Small Time Club Player) that North holds a tenace in hearts, and that his partner’s honors will either drop or be finessable. Sure enough 3NT is cold, and Gee saves 5 IMPs or so with minimal risk. (Today’s hand courtesy of faithful reader Doug Ross.)
Jun 282002
“I’ll bet the specs are enjoying this.”
—explaining that the hostility of the spectators was to blame for his bad results
Jun 282002
None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: 8
| Maestro J 10 A K Q J 6 3 2 K Q 10 3 |
||
| trixi A Q 6 5 2 8 5 K 9 A J 5 4 |
|
mjg K 8 7 3 9 7 3 2 Q J 8 5 8 |
| che23 9 4 10 4 A 10 7 6 4 9 7 6 2 |
| West 1 Pass Pass |
North 2 5 !Pass |
East 4 Dbl |
South Pass Pass |
This was one of the hands on which Gerard lost 80 IMPs without making a mistake. Perhaps if we analyze the hand in some detail we can discover where his partner went astray.
Gerard, looking at three quite likely defensive tricks against four spades, and six tricks declaring five hearts, opts for the sacrifice. After all, he wasn’t vulnerable, and four spades was making. East opens his singleton club, West wins the ace. At this point the defense can take the first six tricks, and a diamond later on, for down five: return a high club, two spade entries, three club ruffs. Alas, West cashes the spade ace, then returns a club. East ruffs, cashes the spade king, and exits with a trump. Looks like down three. But our hero draws two rounds of trump, crosses to the diamond ace, and takes the club finesse, allowing East to make his last trump for down 4 and -11 IMPs. Where did Gee’s partner err? All suggestions are welcome.
Jun 272002
IMPs
E/W Vul
Dealer: East
Lead: A
| tiger A Q 9 3 Q 10 4 J 3 Q 8 7 2 |
||
| anders1 5 8 7 2 10 9 8 7 5 K J 5 4 |
|
Maestro K 8 7 9 5 3 A K Q 6 2 A 6 |
| botzum J 10 6 4 2 A K J 6 4 10 9 3 |
| West
Pass |
North
2 |
East 1 Pass Pass Pass |
South Dbl Pass 3 |
The opener is Precision, showing 16+, and there are other points in the auction of interest, like the free bid of three diamonds and Gee’s refusal to raise with five to the AKQ. But today we will discuss the play.
An ordinary expert would defeat this part score. But there are ordinary experts, and there is Gerard. He gets the defense off to a good start by leading the club ace; unless they lead clubs early declarer can hold his club losers down to 2 and make. West encourages with the 5, wins the 2nd round and leads a low club for Gee to ruff. Now it’s time to analyze the hand. Three tricks in, two certain defensive tricks coming, playing IMPs…Gee underleads the AKQ of diamonds! Tiger wins the jack in hand, managing not to laugh, plays ace and another trump immediately, and claims. “Too bad my cute play didn’t work,” says Gee to his partner, who is too diplomatic to reply.
Update: Gerard complains that “when I passed a 3 bid after a negative response to a Precision 1 opener, you even find a way to make it look as if it is wrong.” And he has a point. The 3 bid is bad; the pass is arguable.
Jun 272002
“I lost 80 IMPs today without making a mistake.”
—explaining why his partner was to blame for many bad results