MADEIRA
BRIDGE
Negative vibes
Andrew Robson
DO YOU remember the Sherlock Holmes mystery where the key to its solution was realising that the dog did not bark in the night? In bridge, an opponent not bidding is often as revealing as an opponent bid- ding. These negative inferences are easy to miss, but declarer made no mistake on this week's hand, taken from Paul Mendelson's excellent book, 100 Tips for Better Bridge (published by Stanley Paul).
Dealer South Both Vulnerable The Bidding South West North East
1V pass 2+ pass 2NT pass 3V pass 4, pass pass pass South opened 1, and rebid 2NT over 2+ to show a balanced hand with 15-16 points. North did well to bid 3V to investigate the possibility of a 5-3 V fit — I must admit I would have raised 2NT to 3NT because of the lack of a ruffing value, however 3NT stands no chance on a low 4 lead from West. South bid 4V against which West led 4A and, when East played 47 to encour- age, continued with 4K and a third 4, East trumping. East exited with a + and South needed to avoid losing to ♦K to make his game. Finessing West for VK by leading VJ and running it is the normal play. But South remembered the bidding — or, to be more accurate, the lack of bidding: West had passed over South's 1V opening bid and had already shown up with 4AK1098; with ♦K in addition, he would surely have overcalled 14. So East was marked with VK and the V finesse was doomed. South played for his only chance — he led a V to dummy's ace, hoping that the king was now singleton, and received his reward when VK did indeed fall.
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