CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1937, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

FORCING DUMMY'S 1 RUMPS. (By THE FOUR ACES.) In defending against a suit contract jnany players sliv away from forcing dummy to rufl", I'vi'ii though in many instances a play of that type is by far tlit* best defence. Ihe following hand furnishes an interesting illustration of tile necessity for this particular kind of defence. South dealer. Neither side vulnerable. Moth sides 40 011 score.

In extenuation of South s hiding, we must explain that North was an ultra-conservative player. West's double of the three Spades was. of course, sound. as was East's take-out to four Heart*, which, incidentally, was a lay-down. Finally, we cannot blame Went at all for doubling the four Spades, since he should have set it. However, West slipped somewhat oil the defence. The King of Clubs was o|>ened, and the Queen continued. East played the deuce and then the four, while South dropped the five and then the .lack. West now shifted to the Kinjr of Hearts. Declarer won with the Ace in dummy and led the King of Spades, which West won with the Ace. Now West led another Heart. Declarer trumped in his own hand, led i the nine of Spades and finessed, East showing out. The eight of Spades was next led, and, when West again played low, dummy's tens[>ot took the trick. * The Queen of Spades now pulled West's last trump, declarer discarding the six of Clubs, and spreading the hand for four odd. East immediately brought out the fact that West could have beaten the hand by leading the Ace of Clubs to the third trick instead of shifting to a Heart, which would have forced dummy and left West with two sure trump tricks. West stated that he did not lead the third Club since he thought declarer was also out of Clulm and would have been able to ruff in one hand and discard from the other. We cannot give West much credit for his excuse. If declarer had five Diamonds and five Spades, there would be no way of beating the !ha lid in any event; while if he had five Diamonds, four Spades, two Club.* and two Hearts 'a t'lub continuation would have forced declarer either to ruff in dummy and discard a Heart from hi-* own hand (in which ease West would | have had two trump tricks), or declarer might have discarded in dummy, ruffed in his own hand and led trumps. Now all West would have had to do to beat the hand would be to stav off the two-Spade leads.—(Copyright: X.A.N*.A.)