Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures: Gisborne’s Excellent Dummy

By David Bird

The Sheriff of Nottingham’s high-stake game against Edwynne de Rayne and Roland Bloch had started disastrously.

The Sheriff could stand a big loss, if the worst came to the worst, since the entire tax take of the shire was at his disposal.

More worried was his partner, Sir Guy of Gisborne, who would be liable for one quarter of any loss. Unless matters improved, he would have to visit the extortionate town money-lenders to pay his share.

The fourth rubber began with this deal:

Dealer South. Love All

When Bloch entered the auction, Gisborne turned towards the whitehaired Edwynne de Rayne. ‘How many points does your partner’s 2NT show?’ he enquired.

‘It’s a new idea from London,’ de Rayne replied. ‘They call it the Bizarre No-trump.’

‘A strange name indeed,’ said Gisborne, ‘but how many points does it show?’

The Sheriff was losing his patience. Did Gisborne know nothing about the game? ‘It shows length in the minor suits,’ he informed him. ‘Most members of the court play the BNT, even here in Nottingham. You should keep up with these new methods.’

Not overjoyed at being reprimanded so openly, Gisborne looked again at his cards. ‘I shall bid Six Spades,’ he said.

There was no further bidding. The king of diamonds was led and down went the dummy. Gisborne looked apprehensively across the table. When no immediate outburst came, he deduced that his bid had met with approval.

The Sheriff ruffed the diamond lead in dummy and played a trump to the king, both defenders following. The only possible problem would be if East held all four missing hearts. He ruffed his remaining diamond and cashed the ace and king of clubs. With both minor suits eliminated, his next move was to lead the ❤️9, intending to run the card. If West won the trick, the remaining hearts would be good.

Sensing that this was declarer’s intention, de Rayne inserted the ❤️10. The Sheriff won with the king, happy indeed to see West show out on the trick. If that oaf Gisborne could play and defend as well as he did, they would have a healthy profit by now. He continued with a low heart to dummy’s eight and the jack, leaving East endplayed. A heart return would run into dummy’s ❤️A-7; a club or a diamond would concede a ruff-and discard.

When Edwynne de Rayne eventually returned a club, the Sheriff disposed of a heart from his hand and ruffed in the dummy. The remaining tricks were his and the small slam was made.

‘My 6♠️ was to your liking, my Lord?’ queried Gisborne. ‘Not many would bid so boldly.’

‘It served well enough,’ the Sheriff replied. ‘The main interest was in the cardplay.’

Edwynne de Rayne nodded. ‘You were planning to run dummy’s ❤️9, of course.’

‘Yes, indeed,’ replied the Sheriff. Thank heavens he had played the contract. Gisborne would never have found the winning line. ‘It was lucky that we played the slam the right way round… if you get my meaning.’

‘Quite so,’ replied de Rayne. ‘A heart lead from my side would have beaten it.’

Shortly afterwards, the Sheriff had a chance to win the rubber:

Dealer North. N/S Game

Roland Bloch led the ♠️10 and cast an eye over Gisborne’s dummy. ‘You raised spades on just three cards?’ he queried.

‘I thought it a good idea on this hand,’ Gisborne replied.

The Sheriff counted his top tricks: five trumps and three winners in the minors. Two heart ruffs would bring the total to ten but this annoying trump lead seemingly prevented one of the required ruffs. What else could he try? The Sheriff won the trump lead in his hand, crossed to the ♣️A and played the ace and jack of diamonds, discarding a club and a heart. Bloch won with the diamond queen and returned the ♠️2 to declarer’s ♠️8.

The Sheriff returned to dummy with the ♣️K and led the ♦️10, throwing another heart. Roland Bloch won with the king and saw that a further trump lead to the jack would be giving up. Dummy’s ♦️9-3 were good and would bring declarer’s total to ten.

Bloch switched to the ❤️K and played a second round of the suit. The Sheriff ruffed with dummy’s ♠️J and played the ♦️9, throwing yet another heart. When no-one ruffed, he returned to hand by ruffing a club with the ♠️K. He drew the last trump and claimed his ten tricks.

‘The 2♠️ rebid worked well, my Lord,’ declared Gisborne. ‘We made game on just 22 points.’ Over the next few rubbers the cards continued to favour the Sheriff and Gisborne. Contrary to earlier expectations, they managed to recover their losses from the earlier rubbers. The final rubber of the session had reached Game All when this deal arrived:

Dealer South. Game All

With an ace in his hand, Edwynne de Rayne was quick to double the grand slam. Without a double, his partner might lead a trump and allow declarer to discard his diamonds. He was not overjoyed to see the ♣️J appear from his partner.

‘I think you’ll be pleased with the dummy, my Lord,’ declared Gisborne. ‘I have the queen of trumps for you and an unexpected source of extra tricks in clubs.’

‘Put it down, put it down,’ grunted the Sheriff.

Edwynne de Rayne winced as the dummy appeared. If declarer could dispose of his diamonds, what a fiendishly expensive deal this would be.

The Sheriff reached for dummy’s ♣️A and played two more top clubs, discarding three of his diamonds. He then led a fourth round of clubs, ruffing with the ♠️9. The suit split 4-4 and the Sheriff’s eyes lit up. Perhaps, God willing, he might make this truly awful contract.

All followed to the ♠️A and the Sheriff led the ♠️10 to dummy’s ♠️Q. The last of his diamonds was discarded on the thirteenth club and he then led the ♦️9.

‘I presume you have the ace, Edwynne,’ said the Sheriff triumphantly.

When the ♦️A appeared, he ruffed with the ♠️J. He returned to dummy by overtaking the ♠️2 with the ♠️5 and threw his small heart on the ♦️8. The doubled grand slam had been made.

‘Lead a diamond!’ cried Edwynne de Rayne. ‘You heard them bidding clubs, didn’t you?’

‘After your double, I thought you must be void in clubs,’ Bloch replied. ‘I wouldn’t lead a diamond, anyway. If you don’t double, I’d lead a trump.’

The Sheriff was gleefully calculating his winnings on the final rubber. ‘A trump lead would beat it too,’ he informed the opponents. ‘Any lead but a club, in fact.’

Bloch and de Rayne paid their dues in coin and bid their farewells.

‘I believe I have deserved my quarter share of the winnings on this occasion, my Lord,’ said Gisborne. ‘Few players would have found my successful 7♠️ bid.’

‘There I agree with you,’ replied the Sheriff, rising to his feet. ‘I’ll calculate what, if anything, you are due tomorrow morning. Good night!’