Tales of Jaundiced Jim

by David Burn, London, England

• Out in the silent Rockies,
• Tracking the teddy bears,
• There's a man whose brow is furrowed,
• Whose hairs are silver hairs.
• Folks in that far-off region
• Know him as Jaundiced Jim,
• And now I'll tell you his story.
• How do I know it? I'm him!

These ten problems are taken from a recent third-round Gold Cup match. To put them in context, the score at the end of the match was 150-144 over 48 boards, a turnover that Microsoft would envy. My team was 34 IMPs ahead at the end of the first stanza, then 22 ahead, then 5 behind, then 12 ahead, then 31 behind, and won by six.

The bridge was wholly unspeakable. Tackle these problems, then, with confidence, for I will make you this solemn assurance. You cannot possibly do worse than the players who faced them at the table.

1. Early in the match, with little indication of the horrors to come, your hand is:

   K5 J1092 KQ10743 J

   You are in fourth seat at Game All. Would you open the bidding after three passes, and if so, with what?
   
   

2. A little later, with your side enjoying a healthy early lead, your hand at Game All is:

   643 4 1092 Q109865

   The bidding takes this somewhat bizarre course:

   West	North	East	South
   -	You	-	-
   -	-	1	Pass
   1NT	Pass	Pass	2
   2	?	-	-

   Your opponents are playing four-card majors and a weak no trump. Your partner is playing a sound and sensible game, though this is not going to last very long. What call do you make?
   
   

3. Some of your early lead has been whittled away (a euphemism common among bridge writers meaning: you are now playing more like complete idiots than your opponents are, which has not hitherto been the case). Your hand, again at Game All, is:

   K83 A432 KQJ1096 None

   Your right-hand opponent opens 1. You overcall 2, and your left-hand opponent makes a negative double. Your partner bids 2.

   Digressing for a moment, I am aware that these days, 2 (the suit implied by your left-hand opponent) would be a delicate cue bid implying diamond support. Diamond support could also be shown by bids of 2, 3 (another inferential cue bid), fit-showing jumps at a wide variety of levels, the Good-Bad 2NT, and - if all else failed and partner were really desperate - by raising diamonds. I am assured by our leading young players that bidding when you have support for partner's suit is very difficult, and you must harness all available devices for this purpose, whereas bidding when you don't have support for partner's suit is extremely simple. You double for takeout.

   However, your present partner is a grizzled veteran of the Paleolithic school of bidding, and so 2 shows a heart suit. Right-hand opponent bids 3, so the auction to date has been:

   West	North	East	South
   -	-	-	You
   -	-	1	2
   Dble	2	3	?

   What call do you make?
   
   

4. The match is now almost level. Your hand at Love All is:

   K109 K8742 4 AK103

   Partner opens 1, showing 5+ spades and a hand limited to 15 points. Right-hand opponent overcalls 2. You select 2 from among alternatives, and left-hand opponent bids 3. Partner passes, and right-hand opponent jumps to 5. What call do you make?
   
   

5. Now a chance to shine in the play of the cards:

   West You	.	East Dummy
   K4 KQ832 AK742 J		A1065 A105 5 Q9653

   Having solved the bidding problem presented by this hand in keeping with the general standard so far, you have arrived in 6 from the West seat. North leads the A, denying the king, on which South plays the 4 (reverse attitude, so an encouraging card). North continues with the 2, you try the nine, but South contributes the ten. You ruff, cash the A, ruff a diamond, play a spade to the king, and ruff another diamond.

   North appears from the carding to have started with four diamonds, South with three. You cash the ace of trumps. After you have recovered from the shock of this holding the trick, you must consider your options.
   
   

6. With eight boards to go, your side is in the lead by 31 IMPs. Your opponents have missed a laydown slam on the first board of the final stanza. This is your hand on the second:

   Q65 AJ74 K87 J74

   Your side only is vulnerable. Your partner opens 1 (four-card majors, strong no trump) and your right-hand opponent overcalls 1. You bid 3, an ultra-modern gadget designed to show heart support and about 9-11 points. This is passed back to your right-hand opponent, who bids 4. You pass, left-hand opponent bids 4, and this is passed back to you. Whether or not you agree with the chosen call of double will depend to a large extent on your opening lead, which is...?
   
   

7. Back at Game All, with the match at a critical stage (and the kibitzers at a more critical one), your hand is:

   6 K1082 A87642 A4

   Your right-hand opponent opens 2, a standard Multi showing a weak two in a major or various good hands. Your bidding plan is likely to be one of the following:
   
   

   101. Overcall 3
   102. Pass, and if the opponents come to rest in 2, overcall 3 (weaker than an immediate overcall)
   103. As 102, but double 2, intending to convert partner's 3 to 3 to imply diamonds and hearts.

   You choose plan 103 in this auction:

   West	North	East	South
   -	-	-	You
   -	-	2	Pass
   2	Pass	Pass	Dble
   Redble	Pass	Pass	?

   What call do you make?
   
   

8. Would you open this hand at Game All after two passes?

   J AQ64 A973 10974

   Your system, should it affect your choice, is five-card majors, strong 1, strong no trump, catch-all 1.
   
   

9. With the match on the line, this is your penultimate chance:

   J 104 AKQ853 AKQ8

   Your right-hand opponent opens 1. Your side only is vulnerable. What is your bidding plan?
   
   

10. Last ditch:

    J43 K109652 J J104

    Your side only is vulnerable. Partner opens 1 (four-card majors, strong no trump). You respond 1, one of the better calls of the match thus far. Partner bids 1. How will you continue your impeccable performance?

Before you read the answers, a word of warning. The bridge you are about to see was perpetrated by players of international standing. These people have trained for many years to raise their skills to the level that you will see exhibited. Please, do not try any of this at home.

See here for the answers

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