Turning small cards into winners

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 14

Turning small cards into winners

One of the most fruitful sources of tricks for an expert declarer is the establishment of the small cards in a long suit. By “ruffing it out”, this can sometimes be accomplished without the loss of any tricks to the opponents as the following deal shows. But first a word about the setting, since, in one way at least, the hand is unique. ft was played by probably the most famous bridge player of his day, one President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in the White House during his regular Saturday evening game back in 1953. “Time” magazine, which had an affection for the President bordering on idolatry, reported enthusiastically on his ability, and this became the first bridge hand to appear in “Time.” North was the dealer, both sides, vulnerable: N. A K9B V AKJS3 A Q J 10 A 83 W. E. A 52 A 64 V 82 V Q 1094 A 9873 A A 62 A K 7542 AJ1096 S. 1073 A AQJ V 76 A K 54 A AQ Eisenhower occupied the South seat, partnering Osward Jacoby, who would be ranked high on anyone’s list of the best bridge players Of all time.

Together they quickly bid to the good small slam: N. E. S. W. IV Pass 2A Pass 3A Pass 4NT Pass 5,A Pass 6A All Pass After his partner had opened the bidding and having established the fit in spades, Eisenhower used Blackwood to check on aces before contracting for six spades. The opening lead of a small diamond was taken by East’s ace on which the declarer dropped his

king to ensure an adequate supply of entries. to dummy. At the second trick East switched to the jack of clubs presenting South with a choice of plays for his contract. He could finesse the queen, a line that offered him a 50 per c.ent chance of success but .which on the actual lay-out would have resulted in immediate defeat when West won the trick with his king. The preferable line was to establish a long card in dummy’s heart suit to provide a discard. Since this offered much better odds of success, Eisenhower opted for the second choice. He took the second trick with the ace of clubs, drew

the outstanding spades with his ace and queen, cashed the ace and king of hearts and ruffed a small heart in hand. He returned to dummy with a diamond to the jack to ruff another heart thus setting up dummy’s last card in that suit. It was then an easy matter to enter the North hand again with another diamond in order to cash the last heart on which the queen of clubs was discarded. Six tricks in spades, three in hearts, two in diamonds and the ace of clubs provided the 12 for which he had contracted. Quite often the establishment of a long card is not quite so apparent on the surface. This hand was dealt by South with neither side vulnerable: N. A A J 10 y Q 10 9 8 A 7542 A 62 W. E. A KQ9864 A 7532 y 2 y 6 A KJIO A 98 A KJ9 A 10 87543 S. A - y AKJ7543 A AQ63 A A Q The auction was as follows: S. W. N. E. 2y 2A 3y Pass 6y Pass Pass Pass It was clear to South that his left-hand opponent who had over-called would have most or all of the missing high cards so that the chances of finesses in the minor suits succeeding were very small. So the declarer adopted a line of play which elimin-

ated the need for any finesses. Believe it or not he established dummy’s two of diamonds. After winning the first trick with the ace of spades, discarding a diamond, he continued with the jack of spades on which another diamond went away. On lead with the queen of spades West returned a heart which was won in dummy. The queen of diamonds went away on the 10 of spades and South returned to hand with the ace of diamonds. After crossing to the table with a heart he

trumped dummy’s five of diamonds with the ace of hearts returned once more to the queen of hearts and trumped the seven of diamonds high. A low trump to dummy now enabled the declarer to cash the established two of diamonds on which his queen of clubs was discarded. The declarer’s careful handling of the diamond suit had enabled him to promote a card which on the surface appeared incapable of establishment.