In the countries of European continent Spain is known for its beautiful landscape and a colour blend of modern and ancient civilisation. The younger generation is ambitious and forward-looking appears keen to promote cultural activity with particular emphasis on sports. Their national game is football and they have made a mark, more often than not in European football championship.
Other then football, Hockey and Cycling is the second line of their interest. Besides, there is diversity of pursuits in outdoor and indoor sporting events. Among indoor games bridge is played at the social clubs, though not a popular past time. But some of the bridge players have acquired proficiency in bridge as good as its neighbouring countries with advanced stage of the game. The Spanish bridge teams regularly takes part in European bridge championships and it is said that they are comfortable playing against East European countries which are less known for their bridge acumen.
In one of the recently held European championships, the Spanish bridge team was to play with the British by virtue of grouping of teams. The British players reputed for their high standard of strategy and technique of bridge in Europe. While playing against the British team in the 12th round of the tournament an interesting hand became the central topic of the tournament for its highly contesting and competitive bidding. The British team undermining the bidding skill of Spanish players tried to browbeat them on this deal and later came of grief at the end result.
THE COMPLETE DEAL IN QUESTION IS GIVEN BELOW WITH THE BIDDING: -
NORTH LED DIAMOND ACE:
East-West Spanish pair played all two openings are strong with natural suit. When the heated bidding was over at the level of seven spades, the North thought that the opponents could not make grand slam as such were trapped for a vulnerable penalty. Therefore he doubled.
When the dummy was put down, the declarer assessed the possibility of making a grand slam in spades, he was pushed to bid by British opponents. The contract entirely depended on the successful finesse of heart queen, which was in all probabilities should succeed when the South bid five hearts. He would not have made that bid at the level of five with ace, king and queen of hearts missing. So with that strong presumption of successful finesse in heart the West ruffed the ace of diamonds in hand and played two rounds of trumps ending in the East hand and played a small heart from the dummy and confidently finessed the queen of hearts that succeeded.
The Spanish player jumped from his seat with joy to claim the contract, which sent the British pair in absolute dejection with a pall of gloom on their faces for pushing the opponents to bid grand slam with a grossly miscalculating approach in bidding. The British player sitting in the south position was making sacrificing bids and at the same trying to dissuade the Spaniard opponents from reaching a slam. But they proved smarter to beat the British strategy.
In fact the North-South pair was likely to make seven diamonds with a proper cross ruff in heart and club suit. But that was only possible when all the four hands were exposed.
The British pair also regretted for stretching the bidding too far which forced the opponents to bid chancy grand slam.
Whereas they were only interested in bidding a small slam with their card holding potential.
However, the British pair in the closed room stopped at six spades following almost the same pattern of bidding and made the contract with an overtrick.
DEALER WEST
EAST-WEST VULNERABLE:
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North West East South
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S 92 S AQJ 1075 S K 8643 S -----
H ----- H AQ 74 H 85 H KQ 109632
D AQ 43 D ------ D 876 D KJ 10952
C 9876542 C AJ 10 C KQ 3 C -----
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THE BIDDING:
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West North East South
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S 92 S AQJ 1075 S K 8643 S -----
2 S Pass 4 S 5 H
6 H Pass 6 S 7 D
7 S Db1 Pass Pass
Pass - - -
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