Four paper backs on bridge for the Christmas stocking

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 15

Four paper backs on bridge for the Christmas stocking

CONTRACT BRIDGE

By

J.R. Wignall

In time for the Christmas trade, Faber and Faber have from their now extensive catalogue of bridge books made a welcome re-issue in paperback of four of their most popular titles. Two are by High Kelsey and two by Victor Mollo, authors who in their different ways are masters of their subject. Mollo’s is the lighter touch. His “Bridge: case for the defence” contains 311 pages, retails at $B.lO, and is based on the quiz format. All 150 questions are problems facing the defenders. Generally the reader is shown two hands, his own and the dummy, he is told the bidding, the final contract and the opening lead, and is then asked how he would defend at the crucial point. Two pages later he sees the full deal with the correct answer. The quizzes vary in difficulty but Mollo manages to make the answers so clear that they all seem easy. Certainly his claim that anyone who works their way through the book will notice an improvement in their defensive play is well justified. By contrast the same

author’s “Bridge in the Menagerie” (152 pages at $6.30) is sheer entertainment. It is an account of the goings-on at the Griffin's Club, and it will surprise all Mollo fans to learn that it was originally published in 1965. The most infamous of the characters we meet is the Hideous Hog and the first speech of his we read is the plaintive cri de coeur: “Please, please partner, let me play the hand. I assure you it’s in your own best interests.” His natural enemy is the Rueful Rabbit, by his own estimate the second worst player in the world, who, guided by the best Guardian Angel in the business, commits all manner of blunders that somehow turn out to his advantage. Anyone who knows anything about bridge will enjoy the exploits of these and other characters like the club’s senior kibitzer Oscar the Owl; or its second best player. Papa the Greek, cunning, wily and far too clever for his own good. It is amazing how much amusement Mollo can create from the doings of his mythical but life-like performers. H. W. Kelsey by contrast and as befits a Scottish international writes mainly for the serious player, though he presents his excellent material with a lucidity many would or should envy. "Match Point Bridge” (240 pages, $6.30), written for those with already at least a slight acquaintance with competition bridge, was, when it was originally published in 1970, one of the first attempts to describe the particular problems posed by this variety of the game. In some 200 examples Kelsey analyses with great clarity how bidding defence and dummy play are affected by, and should be adjusted in the light of, special conditions of duplicate bridge. Much of his advice would also profit a rubber bridge player

but the book’s main appeal will be to those who have been mildly or even seriously bitten by the duplicate bug. In “How to Improve your Bridge” (192 pages, $6.30) Kelsey presents another 200 hands which are both instructive and entertaining. Pointing out in his introduction that the most effective way to improve one’s ability at bridge is to eliminate errors, he classifies under 13 headings some of the more obvious types of mistake. As always his writing is easily followed and his examples .of the highest quality. It is a book that can be given with confidence to the vast majority of players; they will certainly benefit from it. This example comes from the chapter on “Mistiming.” North was the dealer with neither side vulnerable - N A KQ6 V AJ74 ♦ 10854 4 K 3 W. E. A J 93 A A 10 5 2 V 62 VKS ♦ Q 762 6 J 93 A A 9 85 A 10 742 S A 874 V Q 109 83 6 AK A QJ6 After North had opened with a weak one no-trump showing 13 or 14 high card points, his partner made a game-forcing jump to three hearts which the dealer raised to game. Against this confident bidding West quite correctly decided to attack with the lead of a low diamond and East’s nine was captured by the king. (The ace might have been a better and less revealing card.) At the second trick South led the 10 of hearts, and when he played low from dummy East’s king won. Realising, since his partner had probably led a fourth highest diamond and would not lead away from the ace, that the declarer

certainly had both the ace and king, East reasoned that the defenders would need to win two tricks in spades and one in clubs to defeat the contract. Accordingly he found the bright return of a low spade and the nine forced dummy’s queen. After the declarer had drawn the outstanding trumps he turned his attention to clubs but it was too late. West took the ace of clubs and led back the knave of spades allowing East to make the ace and 10 for a one-trick defeat. Though the defence was imaginative the fault was in South’s timing. He should have realised that there was no need for haste in the trump suit and that his first task was to establish the clubs. At the second trick he should lead a low club to the king and continue the suit forcing out the ace. West can switch to a spade now to the king and ace, but South wins the continuation with dummy’s queen returns to hand via the ace of diamonds and cashes his j’ack of clubs, discarding the last spade from the table. He then loses a trick in trumps but can claim his contract. Obviously an initial spade lead would defeat the contract out of hand but South should have been able to take advantage of his good fortune in receiving the gift of the timing.