The bidding will require some explanation. North's one diamond call is on the light side but it is very much the style in matchpoint duplicate competition. East, taking advantage of the favorable vulnerability, pushes his pre-emptive spade call as far as possible.
South has a problem. A double would be for penalties, which might work out, but it is much more likely that there is a vulnerable game or slam available. Four no trump is an attempt to allow for a number of options. Partner may want to bid his second suit, if he has one, or to show his aces, if he thinks that this is an ace-asking bid. There is also the possibility that partner will decide to pass, which may also be right.
The five heart response may show two aces or it may be a four card heart suit. East, having not done enough to cloud the bidding, now doubles. This bid is commonly referred to as a "Striped-Tailed Ape" double. The defender thinks that the opponents could bid and make a slam so he offers them the alternative of playing a doubled game instead. Even with the overtrick, this will not score as well as the slam, if a slam can be made. The name of this ploy is derived from the fact that the defender is prepared to run away (bid his own suit) like a "Striped-Tailed Ape", if the opponents send the auction back to him, redoubled.
South passes the decision around to partner who is unsure what to do. With his heart holding, a redouble is probably correct. He decides to pull to six diamonds. This is obviously not a contract that South wants to sit for. He corrects to six hearts, which ends the auction.
East leads the ace of diamonds and North quickly makes twelve tricks for plus 1430. Five hearts, doubled, making six, would only score plus 1050. This is a huge difference at duplicate bridge.
District 5 of the American Contract Bridge League sponsored the All American Regional Bridge Tournament from May 24 to 31 in Independence. The following players were successful in their respective events on May 25 and 26. Additional results will appear in future columns.
May 25.
Charity Pairs (46 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Kenneth Sacks, Cleveland, and William Kane, Willoughby. 2. Donald Rop, Chagrin Falls, and Jack Knudson, Solon. Stratum B. 1. Sacks and Kane. 2/3. Doris Mikstay, Canton, and Janice Smith, Barberton, with Bernard Heyman, Shaker Heights, and Ken Resnick, Beachwood. Stratum C. 1. Mikstay and Smith. 2. Albert Jennings and Marilyn Painter, Pittsburgh, PA.
May 26. Handicapped Knock Out Teams.
Bracket A (9 teams). 1. Robert Sulgrove, Spring Valley, Richard Rudolph, Westerville, Roy Baldwin, Dublin, and George St. Pierre, Columbus. 2. Jim Bachelder, Columbus, Lloyd Loux, Westlake, Colin Revill, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, Phil Leon, Grosse Pointe, MI, Martin Baff, Beachwood, and Keith Sechler, Middleburg Heights.
Bracket B (16 teams). 1. Kathy Pollack, Tonawanda, NY, Joanne Kelley, Fredonia, NY, Jerry Geiger, Hamburg, NY, and James Gullo, Silver Creek, NY. 2. William Holt, Sewickley, PA, Conner Boyd, Wheeling, WV, William Bedard, Bolivar, PA, and Kitty Jo Hellmann, Latrobe, PA.
Bracket C (10 teams). 1. George Grant, Akron, Dora Rump, Cuyahoga Falls, Jack and Dale Durbin, Stow. 2. Philip and Bunny Miller, Monroeville, PA, Dave Anthony, East Liverpool, and Susan Mulholland, Greenport, NY.
Bracket D (9 teams). 1. Donald Rose, Dublin, William
Zielenbach, Hilliard, Carol Scott, Plain City, and Jean
Lucktenberg, Columbus. 2. Judy Hanna, Chagrin Falls, Martha
Thompson, Cleveland, Jayne Brooks, Gates Mills, and Katy Gleason,
Pepper Pike.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon.