You might think that in the final of one of world’s most prestigious team events, you wouldn’t see many shenanigans: players trying to sow confusion by bidding what they don’t have. But even world champions can take flyers.
In the 2011 Spingold final, Nick Nickell’s fearsome squad faced six Europeans playing as “Team Monaco.” At one table, South for Team Monaco opened 1NT, and North responded two diamonds, a “transfer.” East bid two hearts, for takeout, and when South boosted to three hearts, West jumped to four spades. He played it well to make five, plus 450 to NICKELL.
In the other room, NICKELL’s South, Ralph Katz, opened one heart, and Nickell, North, dusted off an antiquated strategy with a “psychic” response of one spade.
Alas, he couldn’t get untangled. Katz raised to two spades, and when Nickell jumped to four hearts next, Katz apparently thought he showed slam interest and a singleton heart. (Expert pairs use “splinter bids” — unusual jumps to show shortness — in many situations.) By the time Katz caught on, the auction was at the six level, and the doubling had started.
West led the ace of diamonds and then, unwisely, the ace of spades. Declarer lost a third trick for down two, minus 500. Team Monaco gained 2 IMPs, but it should have been more.
Team Monaco — Zimmermann-Multon, Helgemo-Helness, Fantoni-Nunes — won deservedly, 132 to 86. Their victory was a product of steady, solid effort.