Bridge Blog 1111: Redouble Your Pleasure

       “Five Clubs redoubled? 800?” Mike Ryan remarks Tuesday, Dec. 3, as we study the preliminary results on the bulletin board at the Airport Bridge Club.

       That was Board 11 against Ron Henrikson and Sharon Chang. Sharon, sitting West, opens 1 Spade. I want to bid 1 No Trump, then think better of it. But wait, let’s have a look at this thing:

       

       Nobody vulnerable. South is dealer.

       West (Sharon):

       Spades: A-K-Q-J-9-3; Hearts: Q-J; Diamonds: A-10-8-4; Clubs: 7.

       North (me):

       Spades: 10-8-4-2; Hearts: A-8; Diamonds: K-Q-2; Clubs: A-K-9-6.

       East (Ron):

       Spades: 7-6; Hearts: 10-6-3-2; Diamonds: J-9-7-6-3; Clubs: 8-4.

       South (Usha Khurana):

       Spades: 5; Hearts: K-9-7-5-4; Diamonds: 5; Clubs: Q-J-10-5-3-2.

       I pass. So does Ron, sitting East with that awful hand. Usha bids 2 NT, the Unusual No Trump, telling me she’s got five Clubs and five Diamonds, even though she doesn’t. She should cue-bid 2 Spades – a Michaels – telling me she has five Hearts and five of a minor suit.

       No question what my bid is – 3 Clubs. Pass, pass to Sharon, who is undeterred. 3 Spades.

Since Usha should have just three cards in the major suits and I hold the Ace of Hearts, we have only two losers there. Our Diamonds and Clubs, they should be solid. I jump to 5 Clubs. Sharon doubles. I redouble. Sharon leads the Ace of Spades. The dummy is a surprise. But not a bad one.

Sharon shifts to the Ace of Diamonds and it’s all over. That’s our last loser. We win the rest.

It’s an outrageous top board. Some North-South pairs stop at 3 Clubs and make two overtricks. Some Wests persist to 4 Spades and get doubled, down three. Lucky Wests, the ones who get to play at 3 Spades, aren’t doubled. The North-South who bid No Trump? They lost seven tricks.

Usha and I have a few other bright spots Tuesday. (Another top board comes against the formidable Alan Greer and Nancy Wolstoncroft, when I eke out 11 tricks in a doubled 5 Diamond contract.) Unfortunately, we make more than enough mistakes to offset good hands like that. At the end of the day, we’re not last, but we’re well short of the winners’ circle. 45.24%.