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Demon Defense and Demon Doubling: |
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$11.25 |
June 2004 |
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Preface
Since this is
a bridge book, let'get right to it. You hold:
sJ32 hJ963 dAQ104 cJ6
With
opponents vulnerable, partner opens 1c, right-hand opponet (
The world
champion who faced this decision passed. His partner bid on to 5c, which could only be made with an inspired guess. Doubling 4s, followed by killing defense,
the underpinning to doubling, would have netted plus 1100!
This is not to take a potshot at a world-class player.
Bridge is an enormously challenging game, and everyone makes mistakes
(even though a stubborn few never admit them). Knowing when to double for
penalties can swing more points in your direction than any other part of the
game. Some benefits are obvious, such as plus 1100 on this deal, but others
are intangible. If you become known as a Demon Doubler, most opponents pull in
their bidding horns a notch, recognizing that you are quick to wield the ax.
Wary opponents are much easier to play against than aggressive bidders who
constantly confront you with problems.
Doubling for penalties increases the stakes and raises the
blood pressure. For this you need confidence, and that is where tight defense
plays a crucial role. Good defenders risk more penalty doubles. Demon Doublers
are not born; they rise from the ranks of Demon Defenders. That is why this
book begins with defense, to build a confident foundation for doubling. A sound
bidding style also helps: it inspires confidence to know that partner has his
bids.
This is not a book for beginners; I assume you know your
basics about leads and signals. It teaches you how to use defensive
information. The Socratic method (constant questioning) that I use promotes logical
thinking in a way that promulgating rules cannot.
By the end of Part I, as a graduate Demon Defender, you
should be primed for the adventurous world of penalty doubles. Part II explains
when to double (and when not to) and shows how defending doubled contracts,
especially partials, has a rhythm of its own. When you have absorbed the
lessons in this book, be prepared for a change in your bridge life. You will
win more硠lot more.