PRINCESSES' LEAD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 109, 4 November 1939, Page 19

PRINCESSES' LEAD

"SOMEWHERE" IN ENGLAND

Somewhere in the country will be the address of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret until the end of the war, states the London "Sunday Dispatch." The, King and Queen are setting an example to other parents by sacrificing their xiatural wishes for their children's company, and preferring that the Princesses should remain where they can continue their education as quietly and safely as possible.

• When the Queen visited the Princesses in Scotland last month she gave them their first news of the struggle in which Britain is engaged. It was the King's particular wish that their mother should explain matters to them.

- Before the Queen returned to London she impressed upon 13-years-old Princess Elizabeth that she was now the temporary "head of the household" just as while the Court was absent in Canada last May. So Princess Elizabeth is. accordingly looking after her younger sister and telling her mother all about their daily doings when the Queen makes her morning telephone call. ' . . '■ ■ ,■■,■■.■■■•'■ ■ ■ ■

Both Princesses Write regular letters to the King and Queen, to Queen Mary, and to other members of the Royal Family. With their governess, Miss Crawford, they spend a good deal of time out of doors and are learning different kinds of craftwork on the Queen's instructions. .

They are also knitting simple scarves and operation stockings that will be handed over to the Red Cross.

COUNTING THE HAND

The best defence against.a contract is not always easy to find, particularly when a defender has to make a "blind" lead, but. inferences drawn frora the bidding, plus the cards shown' 1, in the* dummy hand, will often enable a defender to obtain a fairly accurate estimate of his partner's.distribution and so arrive at the correct defensive play. An illustration of this important point occurred in a hand which was played recently in a Victorian championship tearii-of-four match. 4 X.10.8.5.4. •'■'•■■ ' . • 10.9. . , : . Jft 3.8.6.5. ' ♦ A.J.9.7.2. jj^ * Q-6.3. fJ.7. ~ ■• S V 8.6.4.2.. . 4 A.J.7.4. §, ;''47> 8I South. . 1 Jf* K.Q.9.7.4. ; ♦ •;. .'. .. ' ■■'•■.■ V A.K.Q.5.3. . t 4 K.Q.10.9.3.2. " " " * A- 3' . ■'■' South, dealer. Both sides vulnerable. The bidding, which was the same in both .rooms, was as follows:— ' South. West. North. East. 14> Pass 1 N.T. 7 Pass , 39 Pass 3 N.T. Pass .4 Pass . Pass /Pass In room 1 West led the ten of clubs — the least dangerous choice with/ his holding. ' The Jack was played from dummy, East covered with the Queen, and South won with the Ace.- South then led the.Queen of diamonds and West won with the Ace. Before proceeding further, West carefully considered{Sbuth's bidding; in relation to the cards held,by himself and duriixny South had indicated; a holding of six diamonds arid five hearts (bidding his second suit twice in succession gave that information). His forcing-to-game bid in another suit—-hearts—in spite. of his partner's, minimum response to the. opening bid, showed a hand powerful in honour-tricks as well as in distribution. If South held two clubs and no spade, which was quite possible from the number of spades held between the dummy and West's own hand, West saw a possibility of a cross-ruff for East-West, as East was marked with a singleton and there was a chance that West would over-ruff South on a third club lead. After winning th^ second trick with the Ace of diamonds, therefore, West led a small diamond which East ruffed. He played the King of Clubs and then a small one. South ruffed and West over-ruffed. The contract was set two tricks for a score of 200 points to East.West. 7.■ .. : ■• ■.■•■.'■■ ■-. . In room. 2 West led the Jack of trumps. South won the, trick, drew trumps,.and conceded one club and two diamonds for a score of 620 points, the swing on the hand being 820 points. Here is,a hand in which Mr. Walter Malowan, the famous New York expert, playing on defence, deduced from his partner's opening lead the entire

THE GAME OF BRIDGE i .• ■ . . *■ ■. ■ . ■■■-■ Weekly.Cbai/on:'.C6^it'aciSpecially Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bin" ■■"'■'• ■ ■- ■ ■ * .'■'■- •->■-.

distribution of his hand as early ai the play to the third trick. The knowledge thus gained enabled Mr. Malowan to immediately drop on to th* only vulnerable spot in the declarer 1! hand. ■ •■■■■• -.♦ 5.4.^-7 ; ,-- ..■•■:•;.:••;:■■ 10.8.7.2. ;; •' .'■■■.■ 4:K.J.6.4.-' •' '•■ ' 7,-, A ' ■ ■'■ ; *M£___ " ■ :V'^7-7-;: ♦ Q-T.6.2. ' North. I £ J;10.57 ■ ■%'.:- ~ M A.Q.9.3. ■♦"■?•. b « AQ.10.2: v. 7 4t 9.8.7 J. 1 South. [ a j.x0.5. . ■ ■.-. . 4 a.k.9. '■:■ ■ ■:■'■■ ';■■ ■■ ■"■-■■.•■ • ■■• •-: :-»f;' -J.':' ■'7--;:::7;7 A.9.8.7,5; :• ■■ _ ;■■ .^;-A.Q.4J3. ; 7_7 /^r , ']. North-South were/ vulnerable and the bidding proceeded as follows:—...-. ~-..-7■ ":,'■■ ■ ':: South. West.- . North. East. 7 7 7 1-+> .. Pass 7 .2-^ ; ; Pass 2 N.T. Pass 3 N.T. Pass • / Pass ■. ■- :Pass ■ .••*'.'■ V 7;;. ■■-■./, V.v.V West led the two of spades on which East (Mr. Malowan) played -the ; ten. South winning the trick with the King. .South then led the Ace of., diamonds and another. Finding that the, suit did not break favourably, he allowed; ; East to win the trick, f Mr. Malowaii now began to count. His partner 'hadopened: with the two of spades,; shoeing that he held not riiore thah*^four A spades originally.; West also' hSd: showd"7 i a singleton diamond, \yhich niarked. j him with eight cards in hearts : arid clubs. It was unlikely that; he held, five cards in either ofTthese suits, as : he would have opened, a five-card: suit in preference to a fouric^rd- suit; \His : hand, then, riiust iCoritain 'three'?four-/ card-suits.'.' ..■' -.-..'. .-;" '.''.'' "■''■'. •■'.":' 77, If West held four hearts, Soutfii jpiiist hold a singleton, as dummy ?held four : hearts, and Mr. Malowan also held fouir.; He therefore led the Ace of hearts, and-: Souths singleton King fell. A small heart then to West's Jack enabled a: return through dummy's ten up: to! East's Queen-nine.; The contract jyds^f defeated one' trick, while ari orcfihai^r: • return of partner's suit woiijd \\*&yp '':■' permitted it to be made. 7/ ; v