CONTRACT BRIDGE It’s not how you look but how you play

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 14

CONTRACT BRIDGE It’s not how you look but how you play

The minutes of the Auckland Contract Bridge Club record that back in the thirties a member was expelled for appearing in the club with no tie, no socks and no teeth.

What is acceptable dress for bridge has clearly been a problem for some time. Not

(Contributed by J.R.W.)

| so many years ago standards! were very high, dinner; ‘jackets being almost obli-. gatory at the evening .sessions of major tournaments. The influx of younger players brought with it a more liberal attitude and now in some parts of the world almost anything goes. Periodically authority tries at least to stabilise standards. The latest and possibly ultimate decree comes from California, where District 21. a division of the American Contract Bridge League, has declared the following unacceptable; unshod feet, T shirts as outer garments, I beach attire as outer gar-[ ‘ments. clothing (male or female) that is excessively revealing or distracting, unusually distractive facial make-up, animals in the playing area (except seeing-eye

dogs), individuals with unclean clothing or offensive body odour, players with untended babies. That takes care of most of the people we know. Those of us who are left can reflect that its not how you look, it's how you play that counts in the final analysis: S—J7 4 H—K R 3 D—K J 4 C—Q 9 8 6 W E. S—AKBS S—QlO 6 3 H—9 FI—A 7 6 5 D—9 7 3 D—6 2 C—K10543 C—J72 S. S q 2 H—QJIO42 D—AQIOBS C—A AGGRESSIVE DEFENCE Four hearts by South looks a reasonable contract for the only obvious losers are two spades and the ace of trumps. But a good aggressive defence found a significant chink in the declarer’s armour. West started with the king of spades and continued the suit when East encouraged with the 10. South had to ruff the third round of the suit, and he immediately set about drawing trumps. If East had taken his ace. straight away, there would: have been no defence. The, declarer w’ould win a club or diamond switch in hand,: extract the rest of the trumps! and the remainder of the tricks would be his. Similarly, should East lead a spade dummy could ruff, and South would have few problems. But when East ducked the first and second rounds *of trumps the whole picture changed. Had the declarer continued with a third heart. East would win to lead another spade. When South I ruffs his right-hand opponent has the sole outstanding trump to defeat the contract. So Jiouth. after two rounds of hearts, settled down to the allowing East to beat the game in another

[way by ruffing and cashing ‘his trump ace. This type of forcing defence can be devastating. Sometimes the declarer has no counter but sometimes he can refuse to accept the force. This is almost obligatory when the trump suit is shorter than it might be: N S—K 10 4 H—A J 6 3 D—A Q 4 C—73 2 W. E. S—7 5 S—9 86 3 H—9B7 H—K4 2 D—9 76 2 D—B C—AKJIO C—Q96 54 S. ■ S—A Q J 2 H—Q 10 5 D—KJ 10 5 3 C—B

/ South reaches the inferior , contract of four spades,, against which West leads two rounds of clubs. If the ' declarer ruffs he will quickly ' lose control, for after three; ! rounds of trumps East will' . have the master spade. With i it he will ruff an early round of diamonds and gain the lead to cash enough tricks in clubs to put the contract two down. The declarer must not; trump the second club, but! instead should discard a low! heart. If West continues' with a third club. South dis-, cards a second heart. That is three tricks for the defence, but the declarer is now in; control. Another club from West can be ruffed in dummy, and a diamond or heart switch is taken by the ace. South then draws the trumps and runs off the diamond suit for 10 tricks.