CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 307, 28 December 1934, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

SUPER-PSYCHIC BIDDING AND BAD DEFENCE.

(By ELY CULBERTSON.) The bidding and play °f to-day s hand teach practically nothing except possibly what Lot to do. The various bids made by everylone but South transcend explanation and aie absolutely impossible to justify. As for the subsequent defence, which enabled the declarer to fulfil* the contract, the West player does deserve some sympathy, as his play was due not to a foolish decision but merely to an unfortunate guess. West dealer. North and South vulnerable. A—98 3 2 V —None —K Q 10 74 3 2 —Q 8 A—J 10 65 4 j jTj A— A K V—A J 6 w E V 10 985 4 2 o—9 5 A I—6 4 2 1 - *—J 10 9 5 A —Q V—K Q7 3 <s>—J 8 6 —A K7 3 The Bidding. (Figures after bids refer to numbered explanatory paragraphs.) West North East South 1 ▲ (1) Dbl. (2) 2 V (3) Dbl. (4) Pass 3 $ (5) Pass 3 N.T. (6) Pass Pass Pass 1, —~\ semi-psychic. The hand is not good enough for a sound opening. bid, and, in inv opinion, is too strong for a psychic. 2.—Another would-be brilliant psychic. 3,—East should redouble. However, it is probable that the East player suspected his partner's bid as being not exactly sound. 4. —The first normal bid ofi the auction. ! —North naturally must rescue, quite properly feeling' that he has misled his partner bv his previous take-out double. o,—South admittedly was quite bewildered at this point. Not knowing whose bids were honest and whose were dishonest, he decided to gamble on a game contract, realising that if it was doubled his part; ner could always run to four Diamonds. West correctly opened a low Heart, which South won with the King, hast took the I second trick wi'h the Diamond Ace", and returned a heart. The declarer decided from the bidding that the Acc of Hearts was in the East hand and went up with the Queen, although it would have been»a better play to stav off at least once. West, of course, won with the Heart Acc and laid down the Knave. Since the suit was blocked West now had a guess whether to play Spades or Clubs, in order to allow East to collect his Heart tricks. Unfortunately, the West plaVeV guessed wrong, and led a Club, and the declarer was able to take the balance of the tricks. The Club Queen in dummy won the trick, and declarer discarded all' his remaining losers on the established Diamonds. As a result, the declarer made four no trump, whereas if West had returned a Spade instead of a Club at trirk live the three-no-trump contract would have been defeated four tricks. Against a Spade opening by East, how can North make live odd in Hearts on the hand below ? West dealer. North and South vulnerable. A- 7 . V _A Q J'lo 9 6 2 «> —7 6 . tft —A 4 3 A—A Q J 10 3 , j A—6 4 2 • V—B 7 3 w F V— s 4—3 3 2 c 'a J 10 5 *—7 6 -5 ! *£• —K QlO 8 2 A—K 98 5. V—K 4 4_A K 9 4 Jfa —J 9 5 The hand will be discussed in next week's article.