Partnership trust

By Djanwar Madjolelo

The Macallan International Pairs Championships 1996

Dealer : North

Vulnerable: East-West

NORTH

(S) A J 9 4 2

(H) J 10 7 3

(D) J 4

(C) 7 2

WEST EAST

(S) 5 (S) 8 7 6 3

(H) Q 9 2 (H) A K

(D) Q 8 6 5 (D) 10 9 3

(C) A 10 9 8 4 (C) K Q 6 3

SOUTH

(S) K Q 10

(H) 8 6 5 4

(D) A K 7 2

(C) J 5

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Mittleman Wolff Gitelman Hamman

- - - 1H

Pass 2H All pass

One of the areas which distinguishes the expert from the competent player is signalling. It is all too easy to signal attitude at your first opportunity and then follow thoughtlessly with your lowest card, but the expert uses his sport-cards to impart subtle suit-preference messages.

The following hand from the Macallan World Invitational Pairs 1996 tournament shows an attractive example of partnership trust.

It seems as if the defense can only get three trump trick and their two Club winners against Two Hearts, but Mittleman (runner- up world champion: Bermuda Bowl 1995 from Canada) led a Spade, Hamman (world champion: Bermuda Bowl 1995 from USA) won this in dummy with the Ace of Spades, following deceptively with the Queen of Spades, to play a trump. But Gitelman took his King of Hearts and played a low Spade to give his partner a ruff; then Mittleman confidently under led his Ace of Clubs and got a second Spade ruff to beat the contract.

How did George Mittleman know this was the right defense?

Well, Gitelman had followed with a low Spade at his first turn, which might simply have been discouraging, but had then won the first Heart with the King of Hearts, from a known holding of Ace King, and had then given his partner a ruff with a low Spade.

The combination of low card had to be suit-preference for Clubs rather than Diamonds.