[I had posted this article on bridgewinners.com. It is based on the characters in "Bridge in the Menagerie" by Victor Mollo, just like an earlier article: Rabbit plays a spade.]
With great reluctance and pressure from the regional bridge authorities, the members of the Griffin club agreed to hold a pre-played Matchpoint tournament. The hands would be ones which were already played at more than a 100 tables previously, and the scores would be compared against the results of those tables, rather than the tables present at the club. The results slip which contained the contracts and the opening leads at those 100+ tables, would be available as soon as the board was played.
The Hog agreed to play with the Rabbit, and on the way to the club, the Hog said, "Raise me with 2 trumps, or a singleton honour. Feel free to double the opponent's contract, no transfers when you open NT". The rabbit replied, "Ok. Lets play 3rd/5th and udca". The Hog, with a generous wave of his hand, said, "Sure". He ignored the Rabbit's defensive signals, anyway.
Meanwhile, Karapet, who was paired with Papa was saying, "Never raise me with just 3. With me they split 5-0. Never double the opponent's contract, they will make it, and never use stayman or transfers which will result in a fatal lead directing double. Why, just last Tuesday..."
He was interrupted by the Hog and Rabbit arriving at their table. Papa and Hog quickly made a side bet about who would make the Rabbit squirm in his seat first, while the Rabbit and Karapet exchanged system information. A few moments later, the tournament began.
Papa was South and was dealt
Papa opened 2C, Karapet responded 2D, showing 0-4 or 8+ in their system. Papa bid 2S, and Karapet jumped to 4S, denying interest in slam, and showing 0-4.
At this point, Papa, starting his usual monologue with his imaginary kibitzer, thought: "Listen closely. Many players will pass here. Not Papa. You see, Rabbit is on the lead. That is usually worth one, if not two tricks. I am playing the hand, and that is worth an extra trick. I am going to bid 6S. But wait! Not so fast. Where is your imagination? If you are going to bid 6S anyway, why not give opponents a chance to make a lead directing informative double to our advantage?".
Papa bid 4NT, and Karapet showed his 0 Aces with 5D. 6S from Papa closed the bidding. The Rabbit and the Hog had passed through out.
The Rabbit led the H8, and this is what Papa saw:
Papa continued, "See! You can count on the Rabbit! The lead marks the Hog with HKQxxx(x). After winning the HQ with the HA, even the Rabbit can force an entry to dummy by overtaking the HT with the HJ. Draw trumps, unblock clubs, force entry, throw D loser on CJ. 12 easy tricks and a well deserved top!".
Congratulating himself, Papa asked for the H3 from dummy, and was taken aback when the H2 appeared on his right. After getting over the initial shock, he thought, "Hog is a good player, but this is brilliant! With HKQxxx(x) and he can afford to make an entry denying duck. He deserves a good result, but unfortunately for him, I am declaring. I can still make the hand. Wait and see".
So Papa won with the HT, drew trumps, cashed the CAKQ and the HA.
The play so far(click Next):
Papa continued, "We are at the fork in the board, if you will. I can still make the hand if I can tell who has the DK. If the Hog has it, I can exit with a heart, endplaying him. If the Rabbit has it, then I can play DA and DQ. The Rabbit who is out of hearts, must give me the 12th trick. Now who has the DK you ask? Remember the bidding? Imagination? Karapet bid 5D, and Hog did not double! That inference is good enough to place the DK with the Rabbit. Of course, if it was a better player like me, who is capable of making a deceptive double... besides, I will have a chance to make the Rabbit squirm and win the bet".
So Papa played the DA and a D to the Q. It was won by the Rabbit with the DK who now started squirming in his seat.
Papa thought, "Aha! As we inferred. Let him squirm for sometime. I win the bet and a top! I will claim just before he is about the play a card".
After some agony, the Rabbit detached a card, and Papa was about to claim as it hit the table, when he was totally shocked to see that it was the HQ, which took the setting trick.
This was the whole hand:
Papa spluttered, "You.. you... led the H8 from KQ84?".
"Yes, we are playing 3rd/5th", said the Rabbit.
"What were you thinking about when you got in with the DK!?", cried the Hog, handing Papa an IOU for his side winnings.
"I was not sure whether we play the HK or the HQ in this situation. Maybe I should have played the HK. In any case, it did not cost a trick".
Meanwhile Karapet who had opened the pre-played results slip, spoke: "Most were in 4S making 6. Some were in 6S making and some were in 6NT making. One South was passed in 2C making 12 tricks. At all tables, the lead was HK."
"Maybe they weren't playing 3rd/5th", said the Rabbit, as they drew cards for the next board.
With great reluctance and pressure from the regional bridge authorities, the members of the Griffin club agreed to hold a pre-played Matchpoint tournament. The hands would be ones which were already played at more than a 100 tables previously, and the scores would be compared against the results of those tables, rather than the tables present at the club. The results slip which contained the contracts and the opening leads at those 100+ tables, would be available as soon as the board was played.
The Hog agreed to play with the Rabbit, and on the way to the club, the Hog said, "Raise me with 2 trumps, or a singleton honour. Feel free to double the opponent's contract, no transfers when you open NT". The rabbit replied, "Ok. Lets play 3rd/5th and udca". The Hog, with a generous wave of his hand, said, "Sure". He ignored the Rabbit's defensive signals, anyway.
Meanwhile, Karapet, who was paired with Papa was saying, "Never raise me with just 3. With me they split 5-0. Never double the opponent's contract, they will make it, and never use stayman or transfers which will result in a fatal lead directing double. Why, just last Tuesday..."
He was interrupted by the Hog and Rabbit arriving at their table. Papa and Hog quickly made a side bet about who would make the Rabbit squirm in his seat first, while the Rabbit and Karapet exchanged system information. A few moments later, the tournament began.
Papa was South and was dealt
Papa opened 2C, Karapet responded 2D, showing 0-4 or 8+ in their system. Papa bid 2S, and Karapet jumped to 4S, denying interest in slam, and showing 0-4.
At this point, Papa, starting his usual monologue with his imaginary kibitzer, thought: "Listen closely. Many players will pass here. Not Papa. You see, Rabbit is on the lead. That is usually worth one, if not two tricks. I am playing the hand, and that is worth an extra trick. I am going to bid 6S. But wait! Not so fast. Where is your imagination? If you are going to bid 6S anyway, why not give opponents a chance to make a lead directing informative double to our advantage?".
Papa bid 4NT, and Karapet showed his 0 Aces with 5D. 6S from Papa closed the bidding. The Rabbit and the Hog had passed through out.
The Rabbit led the H8, and this is what Papa saw:
Papa continued, "See! You can count on the Rabbit! The lead marks the Hog with HKQxxx(x). After winning the HQ with the HA, even the Rabbit can force an entry to dummy by overtaking the HT with the HJ. Draw trumps, unblock clubs, force entry, throw D loser on CJ. 12 easy tricks and a well deserved top!".
Congratulating himself, Papa asked for the H3 from dummy, and was taken aback when the H2 appeared on his right. After getting over the initial shock, he thought, "Hog is a good player, but this is brilliant! With HKQxxx(x) and he can afford to make an entry denying duck. He deserves a good result, but unfortunately for him, I am declaring. I can still make the hand. Wait and see".
So Papa won with the HT, drew trumps, cashed the CAKQ and the HA.
The play so far(click Next):
Papa continued, "We are at the fork in the board, if you will. I can still make the hand if I can tell who has the DK. If the Hog has it, I can exit with a heart, endplaying him. If the Rabbit has it, then I can play DA and DQ. The Rabbit who is out of hearts, must give me the 12th trick. Now who has the DK you ask? Remember the bidding? Imagination? Karapet bid 5D, and Hog did not double! That inference is good enough to place the DK with the Rabbit. Of course, if it was a better player like me, who is capable of making a deceptive double... besides, I will have a chance to make the Rabbit squirm and win the bet".
So Papa played the DA and a D to the Q. It was won by the Rabbit with the DK who now started squirming in his seat.
Papa thought, "Aha! As we inferred. Let him squirm for sometime. I win the bet and a top! I will claim just before he is about the play a card".
After some agony, the Rabbit detached a card, and Papa was about to claim as it hit the table, when he was totally shocked to see that it was the HQ, which took the setting trick.
This was the whole hand:
Papa spluttered, "You.. you... led the H8 from KQ84?".
"Yes, we are playing 3rd/5th", said the Rabbit.
"What were you thinking about when you got in with the DK!?", cried the Hog, handing Papa an IOU for his side winnings.
"I was not sure whether we play the HK or the HQ in this situation. Maybe I should have played the HK. In any case, it did not cost a trick".
Meanwhile Karapet who had opened the pre-played results slip, spoke: "Most were in 4S making 6. Some were in 6S making and some were in 6NT making. One South was passed in 2C making 12 tricks. At all tables, the lead was HK."
"Maybe they weren't playing 3rd/5th", said the Rabbit, as they drew cards for the next board.
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