Whenever we play a team’s tournament, fielded by sponsors, the sponsor (given choice) makes a beeline for me and I understand why. They probably think they will be shark fodder against a very aggressive pair of Internationals and will be swallowed whole. One Sponsor told her teammate to try and arrange for me to play against her or she would sit out the match. But it doesn’t always work to their advantage!
It’s difficult to explain why playing against strong opposition is, in many ways, easier than playing poor opponents. Strong players always have a logical reason for their actions, while weaker ones are more random.
Take this hand from a recent tournament (see diagram).
The lead was the ♣K followed by the ♣Q. East overtook and played a Diamond, which is the wrong defence for several reasons, not least because the Jack of Diamonds is a potential trick in its own right.
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