Play Hard, Play Well!
–Robert S. Todd

A large part of “playing bridge” is competitive bidding.  Tactics during the auction are an important part of competitive play - often the most important part of world-class bridge.

This month, I’d like to illustrate the importance of tactics in competitive bidding by taking you to an exciting event.  It is Sunday afternoon at the St. Louis NABC, Spring 2007 – the very last session of the nationals.  I walk into the ballroom in the middle of the final of the Jacoby Open Swiss.  I scan the room, which is filled with top players from all around the world. Suddenly, I see a table of players that I just can’t stay away from. - Bobby Levin - Steve Weinstein playing against Joe Grue - Curtis Cheek.  I quickly grab a chair and head towards the table.  As I sit down to kibitz the last few hands of their match, I notice that the other table (their teammates) are no slouches either: Zia - Michael Rosenberg and Larry Cohen - David Birkowitz (respectively.)

Here is a spectacular hand from the match and an example of competitive bridge tactics at the highest level. 

Dealer: West
Vul: N-S

You hold Joe Grue’s cards (North.)  West (Weinstein) opens 1♦.
♠ xx
♥ AQx
♦ 8xx
♣ AKQ10x

Grue quickly bid 1N.  East (Levin) doubled for Penalty.  South (Cheek) redoubled as a rescue bid.  Grue bid 2♣ (asked for by the redouble) and Levin took them off the hook by bidding 2♦. 

Then Cheek freely bid 2♥.    This 2♥ bid showed a two-suited hand with ♥ and another suit (with only ♥ Cheek could have bid 2♥ directly over the double). 

Weinstein next bid 3♦.  Grue bid 3♥ and Cheek raised to 4♥.

Auction at the table:

N         E          S          W
                                    1♦
1N (!)   X         XX*     P
2♣*     2♦        2♥        3♦
3♥        P          4♥       AP

After overcalling a notrump the auction developed perfectly for Grue.  His partner likely showed the majors and shortness in ♦.  That allowed Grue to compete to 3♥.  Cheek then moved on to 4♥ with his distributional hand – it pays to be aggressive in bidding vulnerable games at IMPs.

All of the hands were as follows:

♠ xx
            ♥ AQx
            ♦ 8xx
            ♣ AKQ10x

♠ 8x                                         ♠ KQJ10
♥ KJx                                      ♥ 10x
♦ AKJxx                                  ♦ Qxxx
♣ xxx                                       ♣ Jxx

♠ Axxxx
            ♥ 9xxxx
            ♦ x
            ♣ xx

Weinstein lead the ♠8 and the hand virtually played itself for 11 tricks (4 trumps, ♠A, ♠ ruff, and 5♣.) 

Notice how well the 1N overcall worked out.  If Grue had bid a pedestrian 2♣, Levin might have bid 2♦ or even 3♣ (limit raise in ♦) and Cheek would have had a more difficult time entering the auction (a responsive double would be possible after a 2♦ bid.)  With the 1N overall, the auction timed perfectly for Grue and Cheek to show their values and reach their 19 HCP game. 

 Zia-Rosenberg didn’t bid the game at the other table and this board was the difference in the match.  The tactical overcall of 1N without a stopper worked out great today and generated an excellent result.  The result was so impressive that during the post mortem, even Larry Cohen was amazed that they reached game.