“Five in a Major. To Bid or not to Bid”?

Wikipedia describes Lucas Bols N.V. as a Dutch public company in the business, from 1575, of production, distribution, sales and marketing of alcoholic beverages which claims to be the oldest distillery brand in the world. Four centuries later, for about two decades from 1976, it was also perhaps the largest major sponsor the International Bridge Press Association has ever had, first of the Bols Brilliancy Prizes and then of the Bols Bridge Tips competition. A book, printed or electronic, containing all of the latter can be purchased online from either bridgegear.com.au or bridgeshop.com.au.  

One such tip, contributed by the late Edward Adam Manfield, a member of the North American Bridge League Hall of Fame, has given rise to the adage “The five-level belongs to the opponents” which warns against precisely what both NS pairs did bid in one of two matches on the diagrammed deal from the recent Sydney Spring Nationals but refrained from bidding in the other. The actual consequences were unrelated to that saying and nothing like as dire as its fans envisage. 

The match in which East was allowed to play in 5♥ at both tables was the seniors championship final where team HOFFMAN — Richard Brightling, David Hoffman, Ian Robinson and Neil Ewart (all ACT save that Ewart, an ACT life-member, nowadays lives and plays in Victoria) defeated team THOMSON   —Andrew Braithwaite (Qld), Arjuna De Livera (SA), Ron Klinger (NSW) and Ian Thomson (ACT) — by 40 IMPs (132-92) of which this deal generated 11.

The bidding at the winners table went 1♠-Pass-3♠-Dble, 4♠-5♥ passed out and the ensuing play ♠5-2-Q-9, ♣A-2-4-7, ♣6-K-Q-8,♥Q-3-A-K, at which point the remaining tricks and the contract were claimed. Robinson's explanation of his ostensibly anti-percentage trick-four decision is that after the auction and the earlier play ♥K seemed sufficiently more likely to be in South's hand than in North's. 

 At the other table, after the diagrammed auction in which Braithwaite's nowhere-replicated super-weak jump overcall found a miraculously fitting dummy, the play instead went ♠5-2-Q-8, ♣A-2-4-7, ♣5-K-Q-8, ♥Q-3-2-K, ♣6-9-♥8 at which point two-down was agreed as the outcome. 

There were no Canberrans in the mixed teams championship final where, in double defiance of the above-mentioned adage, 5♠ was bid over 5♥ at each table. The play at one of them went ♦4-5-J-3, ♥A-K-Q-3, ♦K-10-♣9-♦6, ♦7-♠A-♥7-♦8, ♠K-8-3-2, ♠Q-9-5-♥6, ♣3-K-4-7, ♣2-Q-8-5, ♥8-4-♠4-♥5, ♣A-♠J-♦9-♣J after which three down was agreed. At the other, ♥Q was led to 3-A-K after which only a shift to one of ♦AK avoids the loss a potential EW trick. ♠2-A-9-3, ♣3-K-4-8, ♥J-8-2-♠4, ♠K-8-5-♦2, ♣5-9-Q-7, ♠Q-♥6-♠Q-J, ♣6-2-♠10-♣J resulted in only two down and two IMPs changed hands. Visit abf.com.au for links to not only full details of of what happened in that match but also to much else about the entire Congress. 

Events in the near future that may interest readers include:- 

A cost-free World Bridge Federation online Women's Festival from November 6 to 12. A brochure can be found at http://www.wbfwomensbridgeclub.org/images/WBF%20Women's%20Online%20%20Autumn%20Festival%20BBO%20--%20%20NOV%206%20TO%2012%202023.pdf  

And a six-day play-off to select Australia's 2024 open team will take place in the Canberra Bridge Club from November 11. If more than eight (self-formed) four-player or six-player teams have entered by November 3 their respective PQP totals will be used to determine which ones are accepted. At the time of writing, however, only four teams have entered. For more details visit abfevents.com.au/events/playoffs/2024/open/index.asp#target