Bridge

THE Teams Final at the SBU Summer Congress was won by George Plant, Peter Moss, Nigel Guthrie and Ying Piper and the Consolation teams by Sam Punch, Tim Rees, Jenny Cooper and Ian Reissman.

This deal looked an easy slam for East-West, but it was not so simple in practice. Pairs playing a convention such as Ghestem, or Roman jump overcalls, had no problem when West could show his two suits in a single bid. But the most popular two-suited convention is Michaels, which has no way to show spades and clubs over 1D. This leaves West with the choice of double, getting neither of his suits bid and hoping to catch up, or a simple 1S overcall, planning to show the clubs later.

One pair played in 1S when East decided his hand was not worth a bid opposite a 1S overcall. It is true that overcalls can be made with weak hands, but remember that they are very wide-ranging, so when third hand passes you should try to dredge up a response. Where East bid 2C West was able to drive to slam one way or another. In the featured auction 4C was Roman Keycard with clubs agreed.

Many Norths were not so co-operative as to pass and leave the field to East-West. A pre-emptive raise to 5D gives them a harder run to slam.

But North-South are vulnerable, so when East decided to take the money with a double the mirror distribution meant -800, not much of a save.