BRIDGE AT CHOLMELEY SCHOOL

Reverend Benson's Heavy Favourite

by David Bird

With a string of good results behind her, partnering Victoria Bellis, the Matron had reached the previously unthinkable heights of Local Master. This was to the great amusement of the boys, who would present her with abstruse bidding problems, asking what they should have bid on some particular hand. 'Go away with you,' she would reply. 'I'm sure I've no idea what to bid on such a hand.'

The Headmaster considered it a matter of self respect to finish in the top three positions every week but this had become increasingly difficult with the Matron's recent run of success.

'Good evening, Matron,' said the Headmaster, as he eased himself into the East seat. 'Are you having another good session?'

'Victoria makes us a couple of tops over,' the Matron replied. 'Could have been better.'

The Headmaster had rarely witnessed such a change in circumstances. Six months ago, partnering Madame Baguette, the Matron would have regarded avoiding last position as worth an entry in her diary. The players drew their cards for this board:

Dealer: East. N/S Vul.             J 8 4 2 10 6 4 Q 8 5 7 6 3             K 7 3 J 9 7 3 2  Q 10 9 4 2         Q 10 9 6 5 3 9 2 K 10 6 J 8              A  A K Q J 8 7 5  A 4 A K 5

West Rev. Benson	North The Matron	East Head- master	South Victoria Bellis
		2	6
End

The Reverend Benson led the K and down went the dummy. 'Nothing at all for you, I'm afraid,' said the Matron. 'My fault if we're too high.'

'That's fine,' Victoria Bellis replied. 'Small, please.' She won the trick with the ace and drew one round of trumps, both defenders following. The Headmaster had opened with a weak two-bid on a queen-high suit and was surely a big favourite to hold the K. How could she make the slam in that case? To set up an endplay on the East hand, she would have to use dummy's ten and six of trumps as entries. Abandoning trumps for the moment, she cashed the A-K, followed by the A. Her next move was to lead the seven of trumps to dummy's ten.

This position had been reached:

J 8 4 6 Q 8 7             7 - J 9 7 3  Q 10         Q 10 9 5 3 - K 10 -              -  K Q J 8 5  4 5

Declarer's idea now was to throw East on lead with a spade. With any luck she could force East to win the next trick rather than West. 'Eight of spades, please,' she said.

The Headmaster won with the 9 and Victoria Bellis discarded her remaining diamond. Concluding that declarer had no more diamonds left, the Headmaster tried his luck with the Q. It brought him no joy. The young declarer ruffed with the king of trumps and returned to dummy by leading the five of trumps to the six. She discarded her club loser on the established J and the slam was hers.

'I don't know how you made that with nothing in the dummy,' observed the Matron. 'Well played, partner!'

'Nothing in the dummy?' exclaimed the Headmaster. 'You gave her two entries in the trump suit, two useful cards in spades and the queen of diamonds. Even then, you needed my partner to lead the one card of his thirteen that would let the slam through. Close your eyes and choose a card, partner! The odds would be 12-to-1 in your favour.'

'You will have your little joke, Headmaster,' replied an amused Reverend Benson. 'You opened Two Spades, of course. I could hardly lead any other suit.'

'Lead a low spade, then, and keep the king,' continued the Headmaster. 'No wonder the Matron does so well every week, with all these tops thrown in her direction!