AUCTION BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 97, 26 April 1930, Page 8

AUCTION BRIDGE.

SQUEEZE PLAY.

(By A. E. MANNING FOSTER.) "American writers/' eaid tlie Champion, "are awfully clever about bridge. I have read, or rather looked at, a ,boolc published in the United States by Sidney Lenz. The idea of the book is -on the lines of golf. The player plays against bogey and discovers for himself the various merits and demerits of his bidding and play. Here is a contract hand which one might easily bid and play wrong. At love score Y deals and bids 'One Diamond'; A 'No bid'; Z holds S. —A 3, H—A Q 8 G, D—J 10 5, C.—A KlO 6. What should he bid?" "Two No Trumps," replied the Boob promptly. • "Wrong," said the Champion. "His proper bid is 'Pour No Trumps,' announcing slam possibilities. One more than game must be called so that if Y (the Diamond bidder) has strength outside Diamonds he can advance to slam. As a matter of fact, Y holds S.—K JlO 9, H.—K 10, D.—A K Q 9, C.—9 5 4, and therefore after Z has called 'Four No Trumps' he bids 'Six No Trumps,' and Z in turn bids the grand slam. Here are all four hands—now sec."

A opens the 5 of Spades and Y puts down his hand. There are twelve tricks in sight. The problem is to know where the best chance for the necessary extra trick to make grand slam is to be found. The first trick is taken by Dummy with the 9 of Spades, B playing the 2. There is no object in overtaking with the Ace, as Z cannot make more than three tricks in Spades, and a crafty B mi-lit be holding back the Quefin. Z now tries three rounds of Hearts, but that does not work. Ho then leads the King of Clubs. But neither the Jack nor the Queen falls. He then plays out his Ace of Spades and follows with four rounds of Diamonds to force discards from A and B. A must play a Club or a Spade on that Diamond, and, as the necessity for holding his Queen of Spades is apparent, he must throw his Club and trust to his partner to look after that suit. The ,lead of the King of Spades now completes the double squeeze. B has either to throw away his winning Heart or unguard his Jack of Clubs. Whichever ho elects to do Z dis-. cards accordingly. In play he discarded his 3 of Clubs and r A got rid of his 8 of Hearts. A Club is led from Dummy and Z gathers in the last two tricks and grand slam! A pretty example of squeeze play: Tricks A Y B Z x S. —5 S.—o S.—2 S.—3 2 H.—4 H.—K H.—2 H— 6 3 H.—7 H—lo H.—J H.—Q 4 D.—3 C.—4 H.—3 H—A g c—7 C.—s C.—2 C.—K 0 S._7 S.—lo S.—4 S.—A 7 D. —4 D.—9 D.—2 P.—J 8 P.— 6 P.—Q. P.—7 P.—lo 9 D.—B P.—A' H.—s P.—s 10 C.—B P.—KSS i 6 C.—i 6 11 s -— 8 S. —K C.—3 H.—lß 12 C.—Q C.—9 C—J " C.—A 13 S.—Q S.—J H.—9 C—lo.