CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 160, 8 July 1932, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

CATCHING AN UNCATCHABLE KING.

(By ELY CULBfiRTSON.)

When tlio dummy goes down showing three trumps to the Aco and the adversary sitting at the right of the dummy holds four trumps to the King, lie would consider it as certain u.s the truths of the multiplication table that the King of trumps must make a trick unless he were foolish enough to cover a load from the closed hand. However, my good friend, Philip Leon, of Cleveland,' demonstrated recently in a championship match that a King so situated in not always safe. The play of the hand wa.s extremely interesting and most unusual. Mr. Leon was the only one ofi twelve players holding the South cards to make a pi me on the hand.

(Figures after hide in table refer to numbered explanatory paragraphs.)

South West North East 1 & Db!e. (1) Pass (2) 2 * 2 A (3) Pass 3 A (4) Pass 4 A (5) Pass Pass Pass l.—Wcet'e double is not sound. North and South hud a good chance of getting into the wrong declaration, namely, a game bid }n no trump, if West had passed. However, West started • to create the impression of greater strength than ho held and folt the chance of defeating the Spade game was better than of defeating a game at no trump. 2.—Xorth with an evenly-distributed hand, although lie holds two honour tricks, believes it better strategy to permit East to bid and tlms learn whether his partner has a free re-bid, 3, —South lijm six half playing tricks and his bid of one Spade has not presented an accurate picture of this unusual strength. 4. Xorth, holding the Ace of trumps and one honour trick in Hearts feels that he must support his partner's bid even although the distribution is unfavourable. The raise is considerably shaded, but probably justified on the bidding. ,-,.—South is fully justified in bidding for game. In the play West opened the King of Diamonds and followed'with the Ace and his hist Diamond, which South iulVed. South now led the Queen of Spades, and West, of eouree, refused to cover and a small Spade was played from the dummy hand. The second lead of Spades disclosed the fact that West had four, and apparently must iimke a Spado trick. Mr. Leon, however, still had a shot in Ilia locker. He led three rounds of Hearts, eliminating all Heart* from the North and South hands. Fortunately, he found an even distribution of the suit. Next he led the Ace and King of Clubs, and East was compelled to win the third round of that suit. The cards remaining in the various hand* at this time were:

East must lead either a Diamond or a Heart, and West was helpless. South trumped with one of hi.3 equals, and whether West over-trumped or not he could not take the trick. A dangerous situation in which defeat seemed obsolutoly certain had been turned by accurate play into a glorious victory. The student will note that the lino of play adopted by Mr. Leon had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If West ruffed either a Heart or a Club, he wn.s only making a trump that lie must make if the distribution wne siit'li as to permit him to do this. If, however, lie hold three Hearts and three Clubs and was lint able to take the laet round of Clubs, the line of piny adopted by Mr. Leon must win. and it vva« "the only possible play in which ten tricks could be made by the declarer.