Nimue – The Ten of Clubs
The Lady of the Lake of Arthurian legend is a complex character, both in the literary sphere and within the Pack. In one incarnation she was the student of Merlin who refused his advances until he'd revealed his secrets, and then sealed him away in a magical prison. In another persona, she is depicted as the water spirit who became foster-mother to Sir Lancelot and gave the sword Excalibur to King Arthur.
Most ancient cultures ascribe mystical properties to water – the giver of life. Deities, predominantly female, were believed to inhabit, rivers, springs and lakes. In Shinto she's Suijin, in Aztec Chalchiuhtlicue (Woman of the Jade Skirt), in Persia Anahita and in Scotland Latis.
Archaeologists frequently unearth votive offerings of swords, statues and money at special watery sites. Of course these days we're more sophisticated in our beliefs and today no one would throw coins into a wishing well or fountain to earn a smile from Lady Luck. Would they?
Nimue has been identified with various goddesses of antiquity, most appropriately, in a bridge sense, the Greek goddess Mnemosyne.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 67. 3 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.):
Of the female Titanes they say that Mnemosyne discovered the uses of the power of reason, and that she gave a designation to every object about us by means of the names which we use to express whatever we would and to hold conversation one with another. And to this goddess is also attributed the power to call things to memory and to remembrance which men possess, and it is this power which gave her the name she received.
Love All, Dealer South.
| Idnar | |||
| ♠ 962 | |||
| ♥ KJ972 | |||
| ♦ AK3 | |||
| ♣ 106 | |||
| Bard | A.D. | ||
| Nimue | |||
| ♠ J54 | |||
| ♥ AQ104 | |||
| ♦ 842 | |||
| ♣ AK5 | |||
| West | North | East | South | |
| Bard | Idnar | A.D. | Nimue | |
| 1NT | ||||
| Pass | 2♦1 | Pass | 2♥2 | |
| Pass | 2NT3 | Pass | 4♥4 | |
| All Pass | ||||
1. Transfer
2. Idnar and Nimue had agreed never to break the transfer.
3. Balanced and invitational.
4. Accepting the invitation.
West led the three of clubs to dummy's six, A.D's queen and declarer's Ace.
What are my chances? Not good I think! Even a cursory glance shows there're three spades and a diamond to lose. It's a shame partner didn't have fewer spades and more red cards. Maybe I should have tried 3NT with my 4333 shape. But that, as they say, is water under the bridge.
There's a possible salvation. Provided hearts break 2-2 or 3-1, I can draw trumps, eliminate the club suit with a ruff, and then throw the opponents in with ace king and a third diamond. If east or west started with doubleton AK, AQ or KQ of spades, they'll have to concede a ruff and discard for a tenth trick.
So again, what are my chances? Well the odds of a 5-2 spade break is roughly 30%, and there are 21 combinations. Making each holding about a 30/21 percent chance, let's say 1.5 %. There're three winning holdings, AK, AQ and KQ – which adds up to 4.5%. I can add a splash for singleton ace, king or queen, say about five percent in total.
I expect the mathematical Spades would calculate the odds to seven decimal places, but the bottom line is I can expect to make the contract about once in twenty hands.
Perhaps a sprinkle of magic might help. It looks from the opening lead as though West holds the jack of clubs, and as I took the first trick with the ace he can't be certain whether I or A.D. hold the king.
It's easy to read Bard with a hand where he'd like to have spades played through to his honours in the suit. So if, at trick two, I play a low club towards my name card… the Ten of Clubs he's unlikely to place me with the king and there's fair chance he'll duck and let the ten win. Better than one in twenty? Far better I think.
When there's a choice between a technical and a deceptive play we Clubs try to select the one that's most likely to succeed – though there's no strict mathematical formula. There're two other points to consider. One, it pays to develop a sneaky reputation; sometimes opponents will suspect you're trying a swindle and misdefend, even when you're being honest, and secondly, larceny at bridge is fun.
Here goes, let's see if it works.
Lady Luck smiled on Nimue as west ducked the club in anticipation of a spade return from A.D. When the ten held declarer wrapped up the next eight tricks while Bard sat in embarrassed silence.
The full deal.
| Idnar | |||
| ♠ 962 | |||
| ♥ KJ972 | |||
| ♦ AK3 | |||
| ♣ 106 | |||
| Bard | A.D. | ||
| ♠ AQ83 | ♠ K107 | ||
| ♥ 85 | ♥ 63 | ||
| ♦ 1076 | ♦ QJ95 | ||
| ♣ J983 | ♣ Q742 | ||
| Nimue | |||
| ♠ J54 | |||
| ♥ AQ104 | |||
| ♦ 842 | |||
| ♣ AK5 | |||
A moment later salt was rubbed even deeper into the 'follically challenged' Bard's wound as Confucius walked by and asked, "Hey, do you know the main problem with playing chess with bald men?"
"No I don't…," growled Bard
"Why, it's the problem of getting thirty-two of them together at the same time of course."
The answer to Charles's puzzle from last month – "ONE WORD".
Mike Chanter
This sequence of articles was written and conceived by Mike Chanter.
Mike has been a member of Suffolk for a long time despite no longer living in the county and retaining his connection by being an associate. He still has many friends in Suffolk and returns from time to time to play in local events. He would be delighted to hear your impressions of Bridge in the Cupboard.