A field of 218 pairs were competing in the St.Titus charity speed-ball. The Abbot was in a bad mood, having admonished Brother Aelred for his opening choice in the previous set. He looked up from his upholstered South chair to see Brothers Cameron and Lucius arrive to take the specially provisioned cane chairs for East-West pairs at that table.
Brother Cameron, the upstart novice who annoyed The Abbot immensely, considered his bid over One Diamond. He had too much playing strength for the weak TWO HEART response he had convinced Brother Lucius to play. He started with ONE HEART, Brother Aelred entering this live auction on the North cards with ONE SPADE, Brother Lucius found the most deceptive bid he could, calling ONE NOTRUMP with no clear spade stop. The Abbot had a clear raise on values, but he lay possum. He did not want Brother Aelred to be declaring, heaven forfend. Brother Cameron came to life. His partner had bid NOTRUMP. Any spade tenace or finesse was likely on, and they had magnificent offense in hearts. He trotted out a nonchalant FOUR HEARTS that all passed.
The defense did not distinguish itself. Bro Aelred led SA to have a glimpse of dummy. He persisted in spades, declarer ruffed, and in time took club finesse twice to dispose of a losing diamond, only to lose a spade, a trump Ace and a diamond.
The Abbot: "Shift to a diamond at trick two partner, looking at that dummy, it should be obvious and your only hope." Brother Cameron shot back: "That is too late Abbot, I am cold for 4 then, I can rise DA, ruff a spade to hand, finesse clubs, ruff another spade to hand, finesse again and dispose of my diamond." Brother Aelred was nodding in agreement as The Abbot's cheek reddened.
To add further insult to injury, Brother Aelred piped up. " My first choice was the doubleton lead. Declarer would have gone down with no chance. I was still thinking about your rebuke about my doubleton lead on board 9, Abbot."
The Abbot was not finished. There was a third string to his harangue of Brother Aelred. "Or you could lead the HA to look at dummy, we can hardly have two trump winners on that auction. Then the diamond shift is obvious and, for one, dummy has no more trump for transportation, and for another, he has no spade ruff to hand before we take the diamond setting tricks"
Brother Lucius said "That leads to a most interesting middle game. HA at trick one, D shift, declarer ducks this trick and the Abbot has to win DQ. He appears to be endplayed but he can get out with DK, a sort-of Merrimac coup. Dummy has to win this trick. If declarer now attacks spades, The Abbot rises King and gives Brother Aelred a ruff.
The Abbot pointed to the next board. "We will be here all night. This is speedball. I was just about to point out the Merrimac possibility myself, but there is only so much you can talk about with novices aboard at speedball. Brother Aelred, could you fetch the satin cushion on the skip table chair? I have to speak to the directors about better furnishing."
