DOUBLE

by Andrew Robson from The Times

Screens were in operation   throughout the World Bridge Series in Philadelphia. A-screen is  placed diagonally across every table, from floor to (almost) ceiling- You can see one opponent but. crucially, not your partner (or the other opponent).

You do not need  see or hear (bidding boxes are used) your partner for the whole fortnight - Fortunately Alexander Afrey and I enjoy each other’s company after the game to post-mortem the deals over Sushi   

Why use all these props cluttering up the game from its original

pure form? Ely Culbertson. the  great US marketeer of the 1930s  would  certainly not approve.  

Take Double. There’s the slow  laboured  double and the quick, confident "stand-on-the-chair” double; these differences are largely   eliminated by screens. There's the quiet double. The double? interrogatively raising the voice  at the end to emphasise that it's for take out and the bellowed DOUBLE;   these differences are largely eliminated by bidding boxes.

On our featured deal from the  Rosenblum Teams, I can tell you being his side of the screen – that West's double of 4§ was of the bellowed stand on the chair variety. My partner  was not aware of this and did not quite time the play correctly.

Try this route to success. Ruff the opening spade lead and, needing West to have the king of diamonds (despite East's bid) and East the ace of hearts, lead a diamond to the jack.

The finesse successful, next lead a heart towards the king, this finesse also winning.

At trick four, lead a second heart, Say the defence win and lead a second spade, ruff in hand and cash the ace of trumps (you can afford to do this at this stage –just in case East has one) East duly discards, but you ruff a third heart, ruff a third spade, ruff a fourth heart then - cash the ace of diamonds.

West's last three cards are § KJ9 whilst you have §Q6 and ¨Q. Lead any card from dummy and play the queen of diamonds, this from hand. West ruffs perforce but must lead from his §KJ around to your queen.

That all adds up to ten - tricks and doubled contract made   - into game.

Only an improbable initial club honour lead from West would defeat the contract

(1)This was a negative double promising  

hearts.

 (2) DOUBLE (penalty )