English lexicographer Samuel Johnson said, "Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect."
A bridge player ought to be curious and to have a vigorous intellect. But sometimes credulity can be strained. Look at only the East hand. With neither side vulnerable, your left-hand opponent opens two spades, a weak two-bid showing a decent six-card suit and 5-10 high-card points. Your partner overcalls three clubs. And the responder jumps to four spades. What would you do?
This deal occurred during a European Team Championship match many years ago. At the table, both Easts doubled for penalties. The outcome was described by Albert Dormer, an Englishman who is one of the best-ever bridge writers and who won the World Senior Pairs title in 1990 with Alan Hiron. Dormer wrote of East's double that he was "expecting a king's ransom." But both Souths made four spades doubled. They ruffed the club lead on the board and ran the spade jack through East, expecting him to have the king for his double. A moment later, the declarers conceded one heart and two diamonds, claiming plus 590.
When the full deal was studied, each East shook his head in amazement when he saw that seven clubs was makable with a good guess in the trump suit.
Dormer summed it up well: "When three players are bidding vigorously, the fourth player with a strong balanced hand should proceed with caution: the others may all have freak distributions. It will often be better to support partner than to double for penalty."
A bridge player ought to be curious and to have a vigorous intellect. But sometimes credulity can be strained. Look at only the East hand. With neither side vulnerable, your left-hand opponent opens two spades, a weak two-bid showing a decent six-card suit and 5-10 high-card points. Your partner overcalls three clubs. And the responder jumps to four spades. What would you do?
This deal occurred during a European Team Championship match many years ago. At the table, both Easts doubled for penalties. The outcome was described by Albert Dormer, an Englishman who is one of the best-ever bridge writers and who won the World Senior Pairs title in 1990 with Alan Hiron. Dormer wrote of East's double that he was "expecting a king's ransom." But both Souths made four spades doubled. They ruffed the club lead on the board and ran the spade jack through East, expecting him to have the king for his double. A moment later, the declarers conceded one heart and two diamonds, claiming plus 590.
When the full deal was studied, each East shook his head in amazement when he saw that seven clubs was makable with a good guess in the trump suit.
Dormer summed it up well: "When three players are bidding vigorously, the fourth player with a strong balanced hand should proceed with caution: the others may all have freak distributions. It will often be better to support partner than to double for penalty."