AUCTION BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 216, 12 September 1930, Page 6

AUCTION BRIDGE.

BRILLIANT DEFENCE

(Bv A. E. .MANNING FOSTER.)

Examples of clever defensive play ai '<? somewhat rare and I seldom receive any from readers. As a rule attention is focussed on the declarer. If he brings off a brilliant coup it is noticed, and if ho makes some egregious error it is also observed.

It is in defence most of us fail, although often our sins of omission or commission p.-}ss unheeded. The highest praise is really due to the player who saves the game by prompt action and quick thinking.

The following hand from actual, ; play' is remarkably good. At first sight you may not think much of it, but the more you ponder on it the more you will be impressed by it, especially when you realise the player had to work it out in a few seconds. Here are the hands: . '

Score, game all. Y dealt and bid '"One Spade": B "Two Clubs"; Z "Two No Trumps." All passed.

A led the 7. of Clubs and Z played Dummy's S. B was just about to play the -Jack of Clubs —the natural card to play—when he realised that if he did so it might help Z materially if Z held three Clubs and only two Spades.

B could take care of the Queen of Diamonds, and he could hold up the Spades once, and it was quite possible, although not certain, that Z might want a Club entry in Dummy. So instead of playing his Jack of Clubs B played the 2. This was a bit of quick thinking on B's part, which turned out to be absolutely accurate. Z hesitated whether to leave Dummy with the lead with the S of Clubs, but finally decided to take the trick with his 10. 3ut as "a matter of fact it did not matter which he did. His game was entirely spoilt by this cleVcr play on the part of B. , At trick two he led a Spade, which, of course, was allowed to make. A second Spade trick gave the lead perforce to B, who then led his Queen of Hearts. This, of course, was the only IcaJ for B to make. He could not, with the Queen in Dummy, lead a Diamond, nor could he lead, a Club, and as the Heart lead Was indicated the Queen .and not the little one was the correct lead. Z took the tricK with the King and was now in a quandary, as be had no certain card of entry in Dummy. His best hope was finding the King of Diamonds with A, so lie led the 3' of Diamonds. A played the 8, Dummy the Queen, and B won with the King.

B then led the 3 of Hearts, Z played the. 4, and A took the trick with the 10 and led the 4 of Clubs. To cut short a. sad story, Z made only six tricks—viz., one Spade, two Hearts, one Diamond, and two Clubs, and was two down on his contract! If B had played the Jack of Clubs at trick one, as nine out of ten players would have done, Z must have made game without difficulty and no subsequent play on the part of A and B could have saved it. Z's Ace of Clubs would have.taken the first trick. Two rounds of Spades would have established that suit in Dummy. At trick four, if B leads a Heart (his best lead), Z wins and then leads 30 of Clubs, taking over with Dummy's' Queen of Clubs. Whether B takes with the King or not is immaterial. If he does the 9 of Clubs is good in Dummy, and Z must make game with four Spades, two Hearts, one Diamond and two Clubs.

B's play, therefore, not only saved the game but actually penalised Z.