BRIDGE NOTES.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20790, 25 February 1933, Page 3

BRIDGE NOTES.

FALSE CARDING. (SPECIALLY WRITTEff FOB THE I'RKSS.) [By William Shackle.] However carefully or scientifically one may bid at contract there is always a danger that ono suit may be insufficiently held to ensure contract. Sometimes this suit is at once made patent to opponents, anemia that case one can do nothing except pay up pleasantly and hope -for better luclc next time. On still other occasions, this weak suit is known only to 1 declarer, and in this case it is sometimes possible by playing a false card to' deceive opponents Jnto either leading into one's strength or at least not loading up to one's weakness. - False carding in tho case of declarer can deceive only the opponents, so mo question of misleading one's partner applies in such an instance. Naturally, any attempt to mislead opponents must be made early in the hand, as otherwise there is a risk of one's weakness being recognised before any false carding has taken place, thus nullifying sucfi a ruse. The following hand, which was sent to me recently, illustrates my point:— > > S5 4 3 ■lB2 J) K 4 CKJB 6 5 2 SK9S<TS A J 10 8 7 HK 10 7-6 3 A B HJ 9 5 DQ652 Z 3J 7 CO 0 Q 10 4 3 SQ6 . ' HA Q 4 'DAJIO 9 8 3 0 A 7 Bidding. Z ■ A Y B 2No trumps No bid 3 clubs No bid 3No trumps No bid No bid No bid Z's opening bid of two jio trumps was certainly on the light side, and •again, when B had shown his club suit, as of course lie was forced to do, Z should have bid 3 diamonds instead of 3 no trumps. It would then have been left for Y to go back with no trumps if ho so desired. A led fourth highest of his longest suit, 6 hearts, which was his correct lead. At once Z saw that neither he nor dummy held up spades and that the opponents must make one other trick in clubs or diamonds before cither of these suits could be - established. Provided, therefore, that AB did not discover his weakness in spades before one of these suits was established, all might yet be well. But how to avoid them doing this was at first a problem. Could Z ensure the lead coming from A and also contrive that lead should bo a heart? Only by a ruse, thought Z, so when B played jack of hearts on Ist round, Z played his ace instead of queen. What inference would A draw from that! Why, that queen of hearts was with his partner, and therefore by leading hearts at first opportunity AB would make 4 tricks. Z then proceeded to establish a suit, and he rightly decided to go for diamonds as showing the better chance of success. He led jack of diamonds, which, however, was not covered by A, who held 4 to the queen. Dummy took with king, and a further round of diamonds showed B to be non-suited. Z played his 8 and A took with queen, B immediately played a heart, as he was quite confident that queen was in Ms partner's hand, and his annoyance can bo better imagined than expressed when Z took the trick and straight away proceeded to make contract, game. The whole point was the successful deception of A at first trick, and afterwards to ensure that the lead came from A when Z's suit was established. Had he played queen .of hearts on first round, it was quite possible, even probablo; that A would have tried spades the next time in, and then, of course, Z could not possibly have made his oontraet.