DESERT ISLAND HANDS: ANDREW LINTOTT

 

One of the most pleasant opponents you will meet on the Oxfordshire Bridge scene is a University Don - Andrew Lintott. Andrew is a Professor and Fellow of Worcester College, specialising in the history of Ancient Rome.

He started playing Bridge around 1950, "on a slow train from Cambridge to London":

We had been on a school trip to see a Greek play. My friend and I found ourselves in the same compartment (and otherwise alone) with the head of the Classical VI (also the school's fastest bowler) and his friend. They looked at us with gloomy contempt and said, "I wonder if they can play Bridge". We didn't really, but we tried.

Andrew has picked two memorable hands. The first one hit Andrew where it hurt - in the pocket, when he was a (poor) young student. The second hand is an example of fine declarer play from the Tollemache Finals, but it didn't earn him a penny! That doesn't seem fair, does it?

The first hand has stuck in my memory since undergraduate days. My partner and I, who were in and out of the University team of eight, were playing Rubber Bridge against two hospitable (the Madeira was excellent), but as we thought weaker, opponents in St. John's College. It was past midnight, and the last rubber. We were down, and I was not looking forward to having to climb out of St. John's and into Exeter, as we had to after midnight in those days. The stakes were one old penny per hundred.

 

ª x x x x
© 10 x x x
¨ J
§ 9 x x x

 EW Game and 40

ª Q J x x x
© x
¨ K 10 x x
§ 10 x x

 

ª x
© A J x x
¨ A 9 x x x x
§ A x

 

ª A K x
© K Q x x
¨ Q x
§ K Q J x

 

N

E

S (Andrew)

W

 

1¨

Double

2¨

Pass

3¨

Double

Pass

Pass

Redouble

All Pass

 

My lead was the King of Spades and, by setting up the Spade suit, declarer made three diamonds redoubled with three overtricks.

We lost four shillings and ninepence that night: enough to buy two meals at the Stowaway - a "greasy spoon" off the High Street.

This next hand is Board 22 of the second session of the Tollemache Final in 1993 - the only year in recent memory when we were in it.

 

ª J 10 4 2
© 10
¨ 9 5 4
§ J 8 6 4 3

 EW Vul.

ª K Q
© A K Q 9 7 3 2
¨ Q 3
§ 9 7

 

ª 8 6 5
© 8
¨ A K 6
§ A K Q 10 5 2

 

ª A 9 7 3
© J 6 5 4
¨ J 10 8 7 2
§ -

 

I can't remember the bidding precisely, but it was a bit bizarre - something like:

N

E

S

W (Andrew)

 

1§ (16+)

Double (majors)

1©

2ª

3§

Pass

3©

Pass

3ª (seeking 3NT)

Pass

6NT

All Pass

 

 

 

North led a low club, and I put an honour up, cursing when I found that I should have run it to the 97 in hand. It seemed possible that the hearts also wouldn't break, so I ran a spade towards the KQ. South, thinking that I was on a guess with KJ, ducked. I now finessed §10 and had 11 tricks in the bag. I cashed two more clubs and three diamonds. South was forced to discard down to ªA and his hearts. When North discarded on the second round of hearts, I could simply throw in South with a carefully preserved spade Queen to lead away from J6 in hearts.

This helped to take us temporarily up to second place, if my memory is correct.