Like most children, I was often told: ‘Count the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.’ I was strangely transfixed by the idea — as though, through some strange alchemy, coins could turn into notes all by themselves if you just waited long enough. But I never did; I couldn’t resist spending my pocket money on penny chews every Saturday.
In adulthood, however, I often find myself thinking how useful the saying is in relation to bridge, reconfigured as: look after the part-scores and the games will look after themselves. Like many players, I struggle to stay focused when playing in low-level contracts: I’m far more interested in games and slams. But how many matches have been won by the smallest of margins? Those dribs and drabs of accumulated part-scores really can reap great riches. Take the recent Gold Cup final between De Botton and Allfrey. The result was a narrow win by Allfrey — and this part-score by Tony Forrester helped tipped the balance:
West led the ♣10 to East’s ♣A, declarer unblocking the ♣K. East returned the ♣2 to the jack, five and queen. With the clubs in dummy now high, Forrester led the ♣9 and pitched a diamond, West ruffing. As East had signalled for a diamond with the ♣2, West underled his honours to East’s ♦K. East continued clubs — and it looked as though one off was inevitable. But Forrester ruffed the club high and led a trump to dummy’s queen. The appearance of West’s ♠J gave him hope. He ruffed a diamond back to hand (East discarding a heart), led a heart to dummy’s queen, then ruffed another diamond. He’d lost three tricks and still had the ♠K9 over East’s ♠1064.
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