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high-level meddling.

“Meddling” at the 6 level.

I was not quite sure what “meddling” meant but it seems to involve interfering where really one should not be. The two deals featured today involve a spot of high-level “meddling”.

Firstly, though, we have a low- level problem about what to open the following North hand. Only your side is vulnerable.

 

This hand does actually conform to the Rule of 20 for 1-level openers. That alone put me off my legitimate 2-level opening of 2, showing less than an opener and hearts and a minor. Somehow, the thought of playing 2x with minimal trumps opposite did not feel good. Opening at the 1 -level is safer but which suit?

Opening 1 and hearing a spade pre-emption is hardly ideal. Indeed, that was about to happen. Partner might not get a real impression of our hand by opening 1. Indeed, another suggestion is not to open this hand at all, fine as long as you are prepared to be brave later. However, 1 it was and let’s look at all 4 hands:

 

4NT was Key Card though the 5 1 or 4 response covered the possibility partner had both minors. Not today, as it appeared 6 was about to end the auction…and a good spot it was about to be for us …until East did a piece of high-level meddling.

The double was correct and on a high heart lead, East would have been pleased with their partner’s trump support but temporarily horrified to see two aces in dummy. However, a piece of spade counting confirmed that both opponents could not hold a spade each….and therefore the defence could take their 4 tricks…-500 being a better score for East-West than had their opponents stopped in game, let alone making slam. “High level meddling” was worth  56% to East-West whereas they would only have scored 20% for their opponents’ making slam.

The second piece of “high level meddling” was very delicate and again involved hearts and spades.

 

2 was 5 spades and 4+ minor, less than an opener. East showed their strong no trump, South their spade support and West their intent. North believed them all and decided it was time to bid to slam, without the intent of recording a plus score. East-West could not be sure of a plus score higher than 6 and therefore “took the money”. Would it be sufficient?

 

 

A top club, two hearts, two diamonds, a diamond ruff with 10 and the trump ace led to 6 down and +1400 to East-West, compared with 1460 for 6 making all 13. The same number of tricks were also available in no-trumps. With many not in any slam, that was worth 42% to East-West whereas 6 was worth 65% and the heart grand 94%. No-one bid to  7NT.

Some dangerous “high-level meddling “you might say. Somehow, so often the vulnerability in such deals seems to favour the pair who have so little.

Richard Solomon

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