Claus Converts Results 6/18

Claus converts a balancing double

            This was Board 21 in West Tisbury on 9/18

                                           ♠ KQJT42
                                           ♥ K92
                                           ♦ 87
                                           ♣ 82
                                              N
              ♠ 7                                            ♠ A98653
              ♥ AT4                                       ♥  J8
              ♦ QT543      W                     E  ♦  K
              ♣ KJ53                                     ♣ AQ76
                                              S
                                         ♠ –
                                         ♥ Q7653
                                         ♦ AJ962
                                         ♣  T94

            Dealer North. N-S vulnerable

            North               East                  South               West
                                    Claus                                         me

              2♠                  Pass                 Pass                   Dbl
            Pass                 Pass!                Pass

            It’s always fun to play with Claus as a partner. On 9/18, North opened Board 21 a very standard weak 2♠. With 14 HCP and six spades, Claus had no reasonable bid and passed. South passed, and I made a balancing double. With 10 HCP and a singleton spade, it is likely that the hand belongs to us. (A balancing double doesn’t promise much, just a willingness to compete. With this hand, I planned to pass whatever Claus bid. With a big hand, I’d have bid again at my next turn.) Claus, happy to play 2♠-doubled, converted my take-out double to penalties. This was exactly the correct bid! North was down two doubled and vulnerable, to give us +500 and a next-to-top. (One South apparently tried to save by running to 3♦, also doubled, which went for -800.)

            If Claus bids a suit, trouble lies ahead. One EW somehow wound up in 6♣ doubled, down 5 for -1100, but nothing E-W can do on offense will be better than +500.

Results 9/18 in West Tisbury. 6 tables in play. 1 Bill Blakesley & Hugh Knipmeyer. 2 Barbara Besse & Jim Kaplan. 3/4 Dan Cabot & Claus Buchthal. 3/4 Gail Farrish & Patsy McCornack. 5. Nancy Neal & Carol Whitmarsh.