Bridge | 22 November 2018

DO NOT DOUBLE PARTSCORES WHEN PLAYING TEAMS. Here is Geir Helgemo somehow fooling his expert opponents into defending like total muppets…

The bidding was only the beginning of Geir’s wizardry. He managed to bid not one but both of his three-card suits, North giving desperate preference to 2♥. The opps were then led a very merry dance. West led a trump and East won his ♥K and switched to the ♦7 covered by the ♦10. On the bidding this couldn’t be a singleton (South couldn’t have five diamonds and bid two other suits) so West put in the ♦Jack, won in dummy with the King. Next Geir played a cheeky trump towards his hand and when East reasonably ducked, won the Queen! Two tricks. Declarer continued his astonishing deception by playing the ♠6 (not 10) towards dummy. West followed small and North’s ♠9 forced the Queen. Unwilling to open clubs or relinquish trump control, East continued with a Spade to the 10, King and Ace. Geir cashed dummy’s ♠J, discarding a diamond from hand and ruffing a spade with his last trump — West discarding a Club. Now the magician advanced a sneaky ♣J which held and made his seventh trick by playing a low Club to the King and Ace, exiting with his last trump from dummy. East now knew that Declarer had bid 2♣ on a three-card suit and he also ‘knew’ he must have the ♥10! Up he went with the Ace and laughed in admiration when Geir discarded a diamond and West’s ♥10 dropped! East was entitled to another trump trick but had to give Geir his eighth trick (and doubled contract) with the ♣Q. Absolute magic.