PENCIL BRIDGE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 20, 18 October 1930, Page 25

PENCIL BRIDGE

(AH rights reserved by Australian United Press.)

SOLUTION OF THURSDAY’S HAND.

North A—.l-5-4 (p- A-J.-10-B-3-2 O-K-2 *-7-2 West East 'A—Q-8-2 * K-10-9-8 S-Q-8-0 m_9-7-4 O-J-d-4 0— Q-S-5-3 Jf,— .Q-10-5-4 ,A-3 South 4-A-7-G S?-K o—'A-10-9-7 ♦— 1 K-J-9-8-6 Before you note the entire play examine first tkr bi tiding. If you find it is different .fro 1 ! 1 y»ur own make a note of what you scored with yout own bidding, then rub out your play and replay the hand in accordance with Mott-Smith s biddfag Then you can actually compare your playing, trick by trick, with the expert’s. THE BIDDING. Ist. Round: S, one No Trump; W, pass; N, two Hearts; E, pass. 2nd. Round: S, two No Trumps; al* pass. THE PLAY. Trick 1: W leads 4 of Clubs; N, 2 of Clubs; E, Ace of Clubs; S, 9 of Clubs. Trick 2: E leads 3 of Spades; S, 6 of Spades; W, Q of Spades; N, 4 of Spades. Trick 3: W leads 8 of Spades; N, J of Spades; E, K of Spades; S. 7 of Spades. Trick 4: E leads 3 of Clubs; S, K ol Clubs; W, 5 of Clubs; N, 7 of Clubs. Trick 5: S leads K of Hearts; W, 0 of Hearts; N, Ace of Hearts; E, 4 of Hearts. _ _ . TrUit «: H leads J of Hearts; H. T

Hearts; S, 7 of Diamonds; W. Q of Hearts. Trick 7: W leads Q of Clubs; N, 2 of Hearts; B, 3 of S, C of Clubs. Declarer claims the rest. He wMs eight tricks, the Adversaries saving game. COMMENT. N’s Heart suit would normally call for a rebid after S’s return to No Trump, but N properly leaves two No Trumps alone because liis seven side cards are distributed as evenly as possible, and therefore offer the least possible advantage for u suit declaration as against No Trump. Trick 2: E knows that W’ ,iad only four Clubs and S had live, nonce there is a prima facie case against continuing tlie Club suit. Yet, with the menacing Heart suit in Dummy that the Adversaries cannot stop more than once (S must have nt least one Heart; all of K. Q. x In W’s liand would be but one stopper), the Adversaries must hasten to establish gamisaving tricks before the Heart suit is brought in. E shifts to Spades since the suit will furnish two tricks if W holds either Ace or Queen. Trick 4: Now that the two Spade tricks are in, shall E establish another Spade trick by knocking out the Ace? With no Heart entry and only a remote chance of entry In Diamonds, E can see that lie can scarcely hope to make his thirteenth Spade.

It is fairly clear that Declarer will have to tackle the Heart suit to go game (S cannot make more than four Diamonds, else, he would have a minor two-suiter and would not have opened with No Trump). As W holds the only Heart stopper, if any. ' discretion dictates a shift back to Clubs, in order to establish a trick in Wk hand, if possible, that he can cash on gain ; ing the lead through bis presumable Heart , stopper. Two Spades, two Clubs, and >i I Heart will save game. I Note that a Club return at Trick 2 would , hand Declarer the game on a silver . platter. He would win a Club, five Hearts, I two Diamonds, and a Spada. *