BRIDGE NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21330, 24 November 1934, Page 7

BRIDGE NOTES

"DEFENSIVE PLAY" ! t»r»'.!ALLT WIITTIX »0E Tl» P»S8».) (Dy WILLIAM SHACKLE.' j Good bidding, the correct initial I lead, and signalling, by playing high- I low. or by means of a discard, all help | towards making a good partner, yet | it is still very necessary to use dis- | j cretion and judgment when playing : the band. This is especially the case ■ when by good play an opponent's bid i ; may be defeated, or if this is not , ; possible a game score may be avoided, j ' Apart from the bidding and (he ! initial lead, one mujt be guided in : I one's subsequent play by (a) dummy's j ; hand, which, of course, is not exposed I ! till these first points are completed, l j and (b) the cards which may have j been previously played before one has I I to make one's decision. '■ I First, do not change a suit which i ' one has led unless the reason for doing ; iso is patent 1o one's partner as well.; las to self. Do not, however, hesitate : ~ to change the suit if, by the fall oi . ; the cards in the previous round, the j j reason for such change can be de- j I duccd by one's partner. ] ■ Sometimes late in the game it can be realised Dial one does not wish ! to be forced to lead, as one holds, say. j a major tetiace, and if one has to lead j . away from it only one trick will be j obtained, while if the suit is led to , ' one two tricks are assured. At other ; nines it can be seem trial if dummy is i i put into the lead, at the right moment, j j one must be able to make certain ( | tricks, because the lead must come , i from a six-chic suit up to one's own | | tcnace or other strength at a later ; ; stage, because declarer will be unable ; | to put the lead into his own hand, | i Particularly will the foregoing be , | found when the hand is being played i in no trumps. i Quite often one realises that unless ' parlner holds a particular card Ihe , i opponents are bound to get their bid. In such cases one should always as- : sume that partner docs actually hold : that card and prepare one's plan of ; campaign accordingly. Even should ; j one possibly sacrifice two or three < 1 extra tricks'by such action it is right! i to do so, if ihe result means saving i game or rubber. If the contract is for ■ less than game, think lirst of saving I the game before taking a risk to de- : 'foKt'thc bid. for naturally one should' • only take a risk if the proportionate : gain is going to be worth il. On the other hand, do not let any ' consideration, such as the making of . two or three extra tricks, hinder one ;/roin saving game or defeating the contract, if one can plainly see that ■ by the play of a certain card game can he saved. i Such points as given above are rei peatedly occurring in the play of the : hand, anil it is only when one thoroughly realises their importance that. I one takes Ihe trouble to memorise ; lin .--..• Utile axioms. When one does make a practice of working such little ■ liuiig.- out and acting upon the answers . the time employed will be considered ■ (juite worth while.