Have you ever felt that none of your partners are on the same wavelength as you? Despite regularly partnering the world’s top players, Zia Mahmood often jokingly moans (well, semi-jokingly) that he’s made a subtle or clever bid which has fallen on deaf ears. But that shouldn’t surprise anyone: whether he’s bidding or playing, you can always rely on Zia to do something imaginative and unexpected.
Zia was on the winning Lavazza team at the recent HCL International Bridge Championship held in New Delhi last month (India’s biggest bridge tournament, with a $200,000 prize pot). His partner faced the following lead problem and Zia gave it to various players, including me. It came with the warning: ‘So far no one has got it right. If I can find the person who does, I will either propose to them (if it’s a woman) or partner them!’ You are South, and at favourable vulnerability (green v. red), you pick up ♠AKJ10976 ♥J ♦K3 ♣A54. The bidding goes: (see diagram)
So what do you lead? My answer was a top spade, which I felt must be wrong (too obvious). But it was a trick question — very unfair! The ‘right’ answer was that you shouldn’t be on lead at all. Zia, your partner, had made a striped-tailed-ape double. This is about my favourite term in bridge: it’s when you double at the 5-level knowing the opponents can make slam — the doubled overtrick will cost you less than a slam, but if they redouble you intend to run like a striped-tailed-ape to your partner’s suit.
Zia held ♠Q8754 ♥53 ♦872 ♣632. East held ♠– ♥AKQ942 ♦109 ♣KQ1097. West held ♠6 ♥10876 ♦AQJ654 ♣J8. Zia was hoping to be redoubled and end up in 5♠ doubled.
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