BRIDGE NOTES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20328, 29 August 1931, Page 29

BRIDGE NOTES.

DEFENSIVE PLAY 'Sriitl.U.l.Y WRITTEN FOP, THE PRESS.) [fi,y William Shackle.] Though one may not be ablo to make more than a certain number of tricks, one is often able to make tricks possible for one's partner by holding off, so that declarer cannot get into dummy, or by playing up to dummy's card of re-entry before the declarer wishes to get into that hand. An instance of this I saw only this week: S. lOxx, ll.xx, D.AQxxx, C.xx was "Y's" (dummy) hand. While "Z", who had bid No Trumps, held QJxx Spades and Jx Diamonds, "B" holding Spade AKx. After two rounds of Diamonds had been played there were left three tricks in dummy if only "Z" could get into that hand, so he led his Q of Spades, which was taken by "B's" King.. JS'ext time in "Z" led Jack of Spades, which trick again was taken by "13", with the result that "Y's" three Diamonds were all able to make by reason of the fact that "Z" was able to take a trick by 10 Spades. Had "B" held off on ono round of Spadeß it would have been quite impossible for "Y" to make those Diamonds, yet "B" had absolutely nothing to lose -b.y waiting, as' he could noifc possibly have made more than two tricks in Spades. In the meanwhile "A" was 1 having to discard three Hearts which j should have been tricks. The same evening another rubber was lost, and again 10 Spades was" the card that made the difference. "Y>-—SiOxx Hxx —SAKQxi Hxxs Spades were trumps and "A" led his King of Hearts, showing he held the Ace. As soon aB "Z" was-in be led two rounds of JCrumps* and then

lie led a small Heart, which again " A'' took and returned a Club, as this suit had. been previously led by "B." Naturally later "Z" played another Heart from his hand and trumped in with dummy's 10 of Spades, the only ■way in which it was possible for him to make his contract gamo and rubber. "A" was satisfied that ho had played as he said "by the book," but surely one must be expected to make some deductions from opponents' play. ii Z" obviously must have had some reason for discontinuing his trumps before clearing them, and when ho led his small heart it became obvious that ho hoped to make an extra trick by using his 10 of Spades 011 a further round of Hearts. "A", who held another trump, should, of course, have led it and taken two trumps for one instead of just allowing his last trump to be wasted when it later fell on "Z's" Queen. It is good to find that more enquiries are now reaching me, and I find these most interesting, as by these questions I am often able to give help to others by means of this column. Questions am always welcome and readily answered.