Bulletin

Redouble No Trouble (in English) author kaapo, 17.12.2009 at 20.18.
Summary: Close but swingy match between GYPS and Jyväskylä

This is a bidding sequence people have differing opinions on: 1♥ by your right-hand opponent, double by you, redouble by your left-hand opponent which is passed by your partner (and the opener).

Does the pass suggest defending against 1♥XX or does it simply tell that your partner doesn't have a good suit and that she's expecting you to start the scramble to a fit? Such a board arose in the NFL Group A match GYPS - Jyväskylä between two Finnish teams.

         PiaN
7        ♠QJT3                South  West  North  East
All      ♥A                   pass   1♥    dbl    rdbl
South    ♦K74                 pass   pass  pass
         ♣QT864
Runnerup           Jorma
♠AK4            ♠9765
♥8753           ♥Q62
♦A96            ♦Q
♣J97            ♣AK532
         Hulda
         ♠82
         ♥KJT94
         ♦JT8532
         ♣.

Both styles are playable and have some merit. What's important is that you have it discussed with your partner and handle the situation similarly. For the GYPS team lady pair Pia Nurmi - Hulda Ahonen the position was clear: Hulda made a penalty pass and Pia left it in. After the ♠Q lead the contract looks to go one down and that it duly did. NS +400.

Playing 4-card majors is still somewhat common in Finland, and true enough the first round of the bidding was copied at the other table, including the opening on a horrible 4-card major. However, South decided to bid 3♦ instead of passing at his second turn. It was followed by two passes and now East didn't wish to give up. He tried 3♥, which his partner removed to 3NT. The bidding was concluded by a double by South.

3NTX went two down, and NS collected +500 at this table. So in the end, the redouble was no trouble for the EW pair at table one, Jorma Valta - Markku Pekkinen, either.

Runnerup and Jorma bid board 5 in a fast but efficient way:

5     ♠AKQJ     ♠4           East    West
NS    ♥         ♥AJ9875      2♥      3♣
N     ♦AK86     ♦T9          4♠      7♣
      ♣AKQ32    ♣JT86.

The Grand Slam was an easy make. At the other table EW stopped at a rather embarrassing contract of 3NT. On the bright side it made easily. The bad news were that it lost 14 IMPs.

A lot of IMPs swung in the match. In the end, Jyväskylä finished just 3 IMPs ahead with the end score recorded as 14 - 16 VPs (43 - 46 IMPs).