Bridge | 22 June 2024

‘It’s a sad day when I don’t get to re-double anyone,’ the England international Mike Bell said to me the other day, after I’d complimented him on how often – and effectively – he pulls out the red card. Most players are far more trepidatious when it comes to making penalty doubles and redoubles. Mike is fearless – he ups the stakes whenever he feels it’s odds-on to do so. It helps, of course, to have excellent judgment.

This hand comes from last month’s World Bridge Tour teams in Bodo, Sweden. Mike was South. His Partner was Michael Byrne. His opponents were the top German pair Roy Welland and Sabine Auken.

1♣ was natural or balanced. North’s 2u could have been fairly weak, as 3u would have shown 14-16 points. Mike saw no point in making a pre-emptive raise, preferring to pass and await developments. West bid 2NT and when the bidding came back to Mike, he fancied his chances. The oppo looked to be struggling for tricks. Partner’s diamonds were sitting over declarer’s stoppers; their only possible 5-card suit was clubs, which he had sewn up; both spades and hearts were breaking 4-2. He doubled.

North led a club. Declarer (Welland) played low from dummy’s, won Mike’s ♣10 with the ♣Q, then played a heart to the ♥K, and a spade to the ♠Q. North won and continued clubs. Mike won, played the ◆J (ducked), cashed the ♣A and played a second diamond. That was +800 for the defence – not a bad net from a part-score.