Jane's house is full of bridge trophies. On all the shelves, in the
closets, it the balcony, in the bedroom and even in the toilet there
were special shelves installed. There are trophies from local tourneys,
national tourneys, international tourneys, bridge festivals, leagues,
the national team and from some tourneys abroad.
Today, Jane in no longer plays much. Still, every now and then, she's
going to the local club to keep in shape.
When her grandchildren were younger, they used to be highly impressed:
"Grandma, where did you win this trophy?" and
"Grandma, how come you are such a champ?" and a million of other such
questions.
Jane always smiled and told them patiently the story of each trophy,
while the kids were sitting around her absorbing every word she said.
Meanwhile, they grew up and learned how to play bridge. The questions
these days are around the game itself.
"Grandma, tell us about the greatest hand you ever played," asked the
youngest grandchild, last time they visited her.
Jane thought for a long time and finally said: "There were so many...
but this hand is really special"
Dealer South, E-W vulnerable:
West led the ♦A.
"Why is this hand so special?" asked her grandchild.
"Because I managed to make my contract with closed handed while others,
which analyzed the hand afterward, didn't manage to find the solution
looking at all hands," said Jane and laughed.
"Let's see if you manage to find the solution with open cards," she
challenged her grandchildren.
(Dear readers, you are welcome to try to help the grandchildren find
the solution before you read on.)
After 15 minutes they gave up and asked for the solution.
"Well, it is easy to see that if clubs are 3-3 I have 12 tricks off the
top. However, I found a way to make my contract even if East had
doubleton club and doubleton heart.
I ruffed the lead and played ♣K, then club to ♣A. Now I continued with
a third club from dummy.
If East discards, I win the trick with my ♣Q and ruff my fouth club in
dummy with the ♥9.
East did ruff the third club and so I played low from hand. He
continued with the ♠J and I won with my ♠A. Next I played the ♥A, continued with the ♣K,
throwing spade from dummy and followed with the ♠K and spade ruff.
That way I managed to avoid a spade loser (or a club loser, if East
doesn't ruff the club)," completed Jane her analyzis, with her
grandchildren clapping hands in excitment.
"WOW grandma, what a champ you are!"
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
Fata Morgana
Stella is a very dominant person in the club. It is simply her
character to be dominant. When she expresses her opinion, she does so
as if everyone else thinks or feels the same way as she does (even if
it's not so).
A year ago she almost caused a "club players' rebellion". And why?
Because the club owner brought new cards to the club. Cards where diamonds were orange and clubs were gray (hearts remained red and spades were still black). He meant well, as the idea was to prevent players from missorting their diamonds and hearts, or clubs and spades, as it sometimes happens.
"You can't play with such cards! They are fake! Diamonds should be red like a watermelon is red. Did you ever eat an orange watermelon?" she yelled at the club owner. Before he even got to open his mouth, she continued:
"Every player here is against these cards! If you don't remove them at once - we ALL are going to move to another club!" she said and turned around without waiting for a response (of course, she never bothered to ask anyone else's opinion).
The club owner didn't want trouble over such a small thing, so the good old red and black cards were back in business.
And then, one day, this deal came up, when Stella was playing against Kamal Kazarel (also known as "Kamikaze" for his wild bids):
Dealer East, All vulnerable:
"You bid 7♥ VUL? You really are kamikaze. Prepare yourself for a painful death," said Stella (sitting East) and laughed loudly.
After the Double, West led the ♥Q.
Dear readers, you will never guess what happened next! It is very clear that the defense have 3 aces to win so... clear down 3, right?
However... here's what happened at the table:
At trick 1 Stella won the Ace of "Hearts" (declarer "dropped" the ♥K), and immediately played the ♣A.
The director was called to the table.
"Lead out of turn" said Kamal to the director.
"Are you nuts?!" shouted Stella . "First you bid like a madman and now you make things up. You bid hearts first, and so my partner was on lead," she said.
"I'm talking about the 2nd trick, the ♣A. I won the first trick with the ♥K so now it's my turn to lead to trick 2..." And then, checking trick 1, it was shown that Stella had played the ♦A to that trick, thinking all the time she was holding the ♥A!
The outcome of this move was severe: The 1st trick remained as it was and the ♣A was left on the side as a penalty card. Stella tried to protest but the director explained:
"At trick 1 you had no hearts and so you chose to discard your ♦A, which is a legal move. However, playing the ♣A is an illegal move, as your lead was out of turn. The ♣A is therefore a penalty card which should be played on the first legal opportunity, unless declarer accepts it now."
"I don't accept. Let it remain a penalty card."
And so Kamil played his ♥A, and when Stella wanted to discard a low card from her hand, the director said:
"Wait!" He took the ♣A and played it to the 2nd trick.
"What are you doing??!!" screamed Stella.
"Well, this is the first legal opportunity, and therefore you need to play it now as you have no hearts to follow suit," said the director, slightly amused.
Kamal continued, and could not stop laughing while he played. After the ♦A and ♣A were out of the way, he played 3 rounds of clubs, throwing the spade loser from dummy, cashed his high ♦K and cross-ruffed the remaining cards.
He tried to sound serious when he said: "7 made, doubled," but he couldn't control himself and burst into an infectious laughter again, causing the rest of table (including the director) a good laugh too.
Stella was extremely upset: "I want you to change that ridiculous score at once, or I shall leave this club and never return!"
The director did not get intimidated: "Be my guest. The door is over there," and he pointed his finger at the door.
"The club owner will definitely hear of this!" she cried.
"Hear what? That you confused a diamond with a heart, or that you want me to rule against the rules, as long as it is for your benefit? I suggest you stop the drama and move to the next hand," said the director in a serious tone and left the table.
Kamel's partner, still smiling, tried to cheer her up: "Real Fata Morgana, these red aces. I wish they brought back those orange and gray minor suits decks. No way you could have made that mistake holding an orange ace of hearts... You would have spotted it at once as being a diamond and put it right where it belongs..."
A year ago she almost caused a "club players' rebellion". And why?
Because the club owner brought new cards to the club. Cards where diamonds were orange and clubs were gray (hearts remained red and spades were still black). He meant well, as the idea was to prevent players from missorting their diamonds and hearts, or clubs and spades, as it sometimes happens.
"You can't play with such cards! They are fake! Diamonds should be red like a watermelon is red. Did you ever eat an orange watermelon?" she yelled at the club owner. Before he even got to open his mouth, she continued:
"Every player here is against these cards! If you don't remove them at once - we ALL are going to move to another club!" she said and turned around without waiting for a response (of course, she never bothered to ask anyone else's opinion).
The club owner didn't want trouble over such a small thing, so the good old red and black cards were back in business.
And then, one day, this deal came up, when Stella was playing against Kamal Kazarel (also known as "Kamikaze" for his wild bids):
Dealer East, All vulnerable:
"You bid 7♥ VUL? You really are kamikaze. Prepare yourself for a painful death," said Stella (sitting East) and laughed loudly.
After the Double, West led the ♥Q.
Dear readers, you will never guess what happened next! It is very clear that the defense have 3 aces to win so... clear down 3, right?
However... here's what happened at the table:
At trick 1 Stella won the Ace of "Hearts" (declarer "dropped" the ♥K), and immediately played the ♣A.
The director was called to the table.
"Lead out of turn" said Kamal to the director.
"Are you nuts?!" shouted Stella . "First you bid like a madman and now you make things up. You bid hearts first, and so my partner was on lead," she said.
"I'm talking about the 2nd trick, the ♣A. I won the first trick with the ♥K so now it's my turn to lead to trick 2..." And then, checking trick 1, it was shown that Stella had played the ♦A to that trick, thinking all the time she was holding the ♥A!
The outcome of this move was severe: The 1st trick remained as it was and the ♣A was left on the side as a penalty card. Stella tried to protest but the director explained:
"At trick 1 you had no hearts and so you chose to discard your ♦A, which is a legal move. However, playing the ♣A is an illegal move, as your lead was out of turn. The ♣A is therefore a penalty card which should be played on the first legal opportunity, unless declarer accepts it now."
"I don't accept. Let it remain a penalty card."
And so Kamil played his ♥A, and when Stella wanted to discard a low card from her hand, the director said:
"Wait!" He took the ♣A and played it to the 2nd trick.
"What are you doing??!!" screamed Stella.
"Well, this is the first legal opportunity, and therefore you need to play it now as you have no hearts to follow suit," said the director, slightly amused.
Kamal continued, and could not stop laughing while he played. After the ♦A and ♣A were out of the way, he played 3 rounds of clubs, throwing the spade loser from dummy, cashed his high ♦K and cross-ruffed the remaining cards.
He tried to sound serious when he said: "7 made, doubled," but he couldn't control himself and burst into an infectious laughter again, causing the rest of table (including the director) a good laugh too.
Stella was extremely upset: "I want you to change that ridiculous score at once, or I shall leave this club and never return!"
The director did not get intimidated: "Be my guest. The door is over there," and he pointed his finger at the door.
"The club owner will definitely hear of this!" she cried.
"Hear what? That you confused a diamond with a heart, or that you want me to rule against the rules, as long as it is for your benefit? I suggest you stop the drama and move to the next hand," said the director in a serious tone and left the table.
Kamel's partner, still smiling, tried to cheer her up: "Real Fata Morgana, these red aces. I wish they brought back those orange and gray minor suits decks. No way you could have made that mistake holding an orange ace of hearts... You would have spotted it at once as being a diamond and put it right where it belongs..."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)