Bridge - The Scotsman 06/01/2012

Friday’s bridge...

THIS deal from the Round Robin at the World Championships set the record for the biggest penalty. Carla Arnolds and Bep Vriend of the Netherlands are a long-standing partnership with a string of successes behind them, but they were on completely different wavelengths in this auction against Morocco.

Vriend opened an off-centre strong 1NT with her solid minor. Arnolds transferred into spades and West doubled to show a heart suit. South’s pass showed a doubleton spade, and North’s redouble was intended as a retransfer, asking partner to bid spades anyway. It was at this point that the auction started to unravel. South, unsure of the meaning of the redouble, decided there was less chance of being doubled in her solid club suit. North did not agree, and bid hearts again as another transfer. East still had hearts, and said so, and North redoubled as another re-transfer. South now tried 3NT, but North was determined that she should bid spades. Another double was followed by another redouble, but South now completely lost, passed. North transferred into spades no fewer than six times, at every opportunity that she had to call, but South has yet to obey her instructions. East doubled hearts at every opportunity, but nobody paid much heed. The outcome was -3400, seven down redoubled.

The Netherlands pair in the other room doubled 4S. They managed to promote a third trump trick for West’s jack, scoring +500 and holding the loss to -21 imps.