AUCTION BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 102, 2 May 1930, Page 6

AUCTION BRIDGE.

THAT EXTRA TRICK. (By A. E. MANNING FOSTER.) The making of that one extra trick necessary for game or contract when that extra trick is not apparent on the cards is one of the greatest pleasures to the keen player. The following hand is an example of how to make an extra trick by throwing the lead at the appropriate time. Z was the Champion and Y the Booster. It was a game of contract, and the score was game all, love all. A dealt and bid "One No Trump"; Y and B "No bid"; Z (the Champion), not expecting to be able to make a game bid, but wishing to shut out, if possible, a Spade call, said "Three Hearts." A "No bid ; Y (the Booster), thinking he had more strength than his partner could have anticipated, said "Four Hearts"; and thie closed the bidding. The hands were:

A led the Queen of Spades. This was how the Champion managed it. He took the first trick with Dummy's King of Spades, then led the Ace of Spades and discarded on it hie 2 of Diamonds. A third Spade was led from Dummy, trumped by Z, who then led two rounds of Hearts, placing the lead in the second round with Dummy ; At ■this etage the poor player would have tried a Club finesse, which would, as was on the bidding, have been wrong. But the Champion had a better scheme than that. He led out Dummy's laet Spade, throwing on it his own 5 of Clubs, "placing the lead with A. Whatever A did now, the game wae safe for Z. A Diamond lead would give the Champion a trick in that suit, while a Club would ensure winning with both the Ace and Queen. Now suppose Z had played the obvious game of trying for the finesse in Clubs, he would have lost the game. A would have made his King of Clube and would then have led a Spade, which Z would have had to ruff, and eventually have had to lead away from his Diamonds, losing three tricks in that suit and one in Clubs. You may say that Z could not tell for certain that A held the master card in . Spades, and if B got the trick his play would have failed, as B could have led through Z'e Clubs or up to A*3 Diamonds. But on the bidding after A'e original No Trump the Champion was in no doubt that he held the King of Clubs, and the fall of the cards on the three rounds of Spades made his play quite safe. He took the best chance of making game.