I witnessed utter carnage at the bridge table the other week. I was watching the European Champions Cup online when a brilliantly imaginative bid by one of France’s top players, Philippe Cronier, backfired horribly (always fun to see disaster befall a professional). When the dust had settled, Cronier had gone for one of the largest penalties I’ve ever seen — 4300.
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The problem came with a misunderstanding of what a ‘redouble’ by Cronier meant. He intended it to be an ‘SOS’, asking his partner to rescue him from the spot he was in. His partner — who will remain anonymous — saw it as a display of confidence. It’s a misunderstanding which happens fairly often: is a redouble a fearless battle-cry or a desperate plea for help?
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