Sunday, November 4, 2001		Bridge

PLAYERS will always argue about whether it is worth while using the Stayman convention in reply to One No-trump when you have only one, very poor, major suit and a very natural raise in No-trumps.

Sometimes a fit allows ten tricks in the major suit; sometimes there are only nine tricks however you play; sometimes exploration gives too much away and makes the defence easier.

This week the scientific approach had the edge, but one swallow does not make a summer.

South dealt at game all and opened One No-trump. Most players would simply raise to Three no-trumps with the North hand — and, in practice, this contract would be likely to fail — but this particular North’s veins ran with scientific blood and he was convinced that he was right when he bid Two Clubs (stayman) and raised South’s rebid of Two Spades to game.

West, with no temptation to try for a ruff, led the Queen of Hearts and declarer vindicated his partners "judgment".

He won in dummy, ducked a club to West’s seven and won the Heart continuation. He followed with two top trumps, the Ace of Clubs, a Heart ruff on the table and a Club ruff in hand.

Next came the King of Diamonds and, when West showed out on the next Diamond lead, he played dummy’s nine. East won but had to return a Diamond into dummy’s tenace or concede a ruff and discard. It would not have helped West to ruff the second round of Diamonds.

It was a very elegant demonstration of what is termed a partial elimination.