BRIDGE NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21133, 7 April 1934, Page 7

BRIDGE NOTES

+ USES OF THE ELEVEN RULE '.SPECIALLY WKITTF.S TOW WI TRtSS.) [By WILIJAM SIIACKI.KI Though many players use the eleven rule, most of them think that it is much more use to the declarer than to the defender. Undoubtedly it is often a very decided help to the declarer, yet on many occasions it is only by the lead of the fourth card from the top of a long suit that a team is able to defeat the declaration. Naturally to obtain full value from the information given by the eleven rule, the third player must act intelligently and make the correct deductions as to the cards held by declarer. The following three hands will serve to illustrate this point, for in each case game was saved by the third player making the correct deduction from his partner's initial lead of fourth best and noting the value of dummy's cards in that suit. In the first example Z is playing a contract of four Hearts. The hands are:—

A does not like to lead spades from ace, queen, so he leads four of diamonds, on which Z plays dummy's five. B now reasons with his partner either led from queen and two others, or fourth from top of a long suit. In either case. Z must hold queen or jack. If, therefore, he plays his ace, and the queen is with Z, the opposition will make two tricks in diamonds. If, however, he plays his nine they cannot make more than one trick in that suit, unless, of course, Z holds queen, jack, a most unlikely risk. By the play of the nine, B definitely kills any chances Z may have of making king from dummy. The next two examples are from declarations of three no trumps, two in I each case playing the hand. j

A opens with seven of diamonds and by the eleven rule B knows that Z has only one card to beat the seven, for he holds two and one is with dummy. In view of the bidding, Z must hold cither aco or queen. If he holds the ace then nothing matters, biu if it is the queen, then his own play will materially affect the game Suppose he plays (ho nine and later when he is "in." leads jack. Z has only to pass the trick and B will not be able to lead any card which will put his partner in a position to convert into tricks his diamonds, which are now established. If. however, he plavs thr- jack on the first round, he will bo Jiblo to lead the nine later, with disastrous results to his opponents. The last hand is an easier example, yet one which is often played inaccurately.

A leads six of spades, and seven is played from dummy. B knows thai. Z holds one card only to beat (he six. and again, in view of the bidding, il is a high card. He realises that Z"holds either A x 2. A x or Q x 2. probably the former. Therefore. if he plavs his nine instead of king, Z cannot"make more than one trick in spades, while if he plays the king and Z holds the ace, a second trick will be made in this suit by dummy. It is just a question of reasoning from the information supplied by the bidding, the lead and dummy's exposed hand.