BRIDGE

Robin Hood was playing high-stake bridge at the Crown and Ermine, a staging post on the coach route between London and York. Arriving in 3NT he won the heart lead with the jack. How would you have played the hand? If declarer played the ace queen of diamonds, and found the suit braking 4-1, he would have to surrender a diomand and there would be no way to untangle his remaining two winners in the heart suit. Eventually Robin Hood found the solution. At Trick 2 he played a low diamond from both hands! Whatever the defenders did next, he would be able to reach the nine tricks available to him. "Thank goodness it’s bit warmer now," observed Hood, writing down the score. "See how much smoke the fire gives off, though," exclaimed John of Kirkstall. "I’ faith it makes it hard to breathe." The Bishop nodded his agreement. "In years to come they will not tolerate playing bridge in such smoky conditions," he said. The deal comes from my ‘Bridge Adventures of Robin Hood’, published by Batsford (see website www.batsford.com).

Answer

Partner has shown five spades on this sequence, so you can be happy with spades as a trump suit. However, it would be rather early to give up on a slam. You hold four excellent cards in your hand and twelve tricks could easily be there. Instead of jumping straight to 4S, mark time with a bid in the fourth suit-here 3D. A rebid of 3S would not be forcing in the Acol system.

Awards: 3D-10, 3S (if forcing in your system) - 10 4S-7, 3NT-4, 4NT-3.

HOME