Collings
Psyche
By Mark Horton
Psychic Bids are a perfectly
legitimate tactic, but they have a horrible habit of rebounding
on their perpetrators.
This classic case occurred in the
1965 European Championships in the match between Great Britain
and Germany.
Dealer
West.
East-West Game.
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Q
5 2 |
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8 3 |
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Q 10 9 4 3 |
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10 7 3 |
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A K 9 3 |
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J 8 7 4 |
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K Q 10 2 |
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A J 6 5 4 |
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A K 8 7 2 |
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J 5 |
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- |
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J
9 |
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10 6 |
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9
7 |
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6 |
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A K Q 8 6 5 4
2 |
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| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Deneke |
Cansino |
Chodziesner |
Collings |
2 |
Pass |
2 |
4 |
| 5NT |
7 |
Pass |
Pass |
| Dbl |
All Pass |
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John Collings, one
of those players blessed (or perhaps cursed) with a vivid imagination,
decided to try and disrupt his opponents auction with a psychic
overcall at the four level. Well, at least he wasn't vulnerable!
With a huge fit for his partner's
suit, West, confident that there would be no spade losers, gambled
on his partner being able to control the third round of diamonds,
and used the Grand Slam force to make sure there was no trump loser.
When Jonathan Cansino mysteriously bid Seven Spades,
Collings had nowhere to go.
Clearly, declarer can be held to
one trick, but West led the ace of diamonds, and then played a heart.
East won, and played a club for his partner to ruff. West tried
a cunning nine of spades, but declarer went up with dummy's queen
and ruffed a diamond. He eventually came to a diamond trick, so
he was only ten down, -1900 on the scoring scale in force at the
time.
The British non-playing captain was
so incensed by Collings effort, that he declared that he would never
play for his country again. The irrepressible John replied by
pointing out that only he could have made three tricks in Seven
Spades!
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