Did you know that a ‘heartbreaker’ is a real term in bridge? It’s described in The Bridge Player’s Encyclopedia as ‘a hand which fails to live up to one’s original expectations’.But that’s way too flat a definition. A heartbreaker causes emotional distress; it hurts. That might sound a bit dramatic to non-players, but bridge is a game which mimics the extreme highs and lows of a love affair – a hand which dashes your hopes can depress you out of all proportion.
It’s not just bad luck which can turn a hand into a heartbreaker – sometimes it’s the opponents’ skill. I’ve never forgotten the time, many years ago, when the most beautiful hand I’ve ever picked up turned to ash. I was playing rubber bridge, and it was my misfortune to have the great Gunnar Hallberg to my left (see diagram).
What a hand! With no real bidding methods in rubber to explore a grand, I settled for 6♥. Gunnar (West) led the ♠Q. I won with the ♠A and drew trumps, ending in dummy. Next I played a diamond to the ◆Q… and Gunnar smoothly ducked! I now had a choice: I could cash the ◆A and if the ◆K didn’t drop, use my last entry to dummy (the ♠K) to finesse the ♣K. Or I could cross to dummy, repeat the diamond finesse and hope the suit broke 3-2. I chose the latter. When Gunnar won and returned a spade, I had to lose a club. One down. Do you know what it feels like when the most alluring hand you’ve ever picked up ends up running off with one of your opponents?
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