THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 63, 11 September 1937, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

A REVOKE—AND AFTER

The importance of studying the law relating to the revoke is strikingTy illustrated in the' following hand. Players, generally ' speaking, are very vague as to- the provisions of the reyoke, law. This is'not really surprising, as, though many of the bridge laws are easy to understand, this particular law is certainly difficult to interpret, the result being that the average player simply depends upon ,the opinion of others at the table when any. question regarding a revoke has to be settled. In the-hand illustrated, disaster over-, took the.declarer, when playing a slam contract, owing to lgck of. knowledge of the law regarding a revoke. South, dealer: ;' * .'■'..'' , Bot'q sides- vulnerable. . . . . . . ! . 4>*A,K.2. < ...-.':.. * A.Q.J.4. ■-■ ■■"■ '- : ••' ...■■♦ 3- 2- . • ■ • - ■■ Sft 'X.10.9.2.: •' .: tj, .1:10.7.6. ' '■ No Ai,.'~'l ♦ Q-S-'' ' y (1.5..C.2. . i, .. ~ .f) K,10..7.S r f4/ ' '/ ' 5 /. k . 4'J.i0.a.., Jf, Q.5.T.3." ' I^ South. ' 1 Jf, j:0.5'.4.' . . - . . 4 9.8.5.4.. " ;■ ■ : ' ■ . . . 4 .A.K.Q.5.7.6.5. ■ North-South reached a final contract of six ; no-trumps, played by South. West led the, three of clubs. South took the trick, and led the Ace of diamonds, on which, to his dismay, East played the three of • hearts! With his hand devoid of entries and no hope now of a slam, South had to play out his winning diamonds. He led the King, and East, realising too late that he had revoked, now followed to the second trick, but, of course, his failure to play to the first trick meant that he blocked Souths diamond suit. South made only nine tricks,; and after taking two penalty tricks from East-West, was one-down on his contract, whereas, but for East's revoke,: the small slam was unbeatable. ■;" South, uhfortunatety, did not know that, he could ask East whether his failure to follpw suit to the, first trick constituted a revoke. Instead of North-South scoring 1440 points, 'on therharid, they were minus 100 points! i ", ;

Section.3;of. the.revqke;law;reads:— "A player may ask whether a play constitutes a revoke, and may demand that, an opponent correct • his 'revoke, but nothing can alter or postpone the provisions of the preyious section. The declarer's partner may question ■ only the-declarer,/and. if h"e" does so after intentionally' looking-at' a/card in a player's the';declarer ; may not withdraw his card:" V • ". .'• ' - ■'

Players are very; apt to become cons fused over.section 2 of the revoke law, under:the'heading,; "Acts which establish a revoke," and which is set out as-follows:—' ■■>-.- , '. v • ■'

"A revoke' other than .one made in leading becomes established when a player of the offending side leads ;or plays to the next "trick, except that a revoke made in the twelfth trick never becomes established. A revoke, made, in leading becomes established when the offender's partner plays to the revoke trick." A revoke occurs in- leading, when a player, having been, called upon !to make a penalty lead in a specific suit, leads a card of another suit, while holding a card of the,required suit in his hand. If his ' partner follows, to that trick instead of asking "Having.none?"

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with regard to the required suit,' tha revoke becomes established, but until the. offender's partner has played".to ihe trick, the revoke may be corrected. : . .■■■•:.'

■ The only other position 'hi wtiich' a revoke is made in leading arises when the declarer, having led in ■ error from dummy's hand, and. the error haying been pointed out by "an opponent, fails to lead a card of the same suit, from his own hand, though able'to do so; A revoke is automatically established as soon as the declarer plays;a'card to the trick from dummy's; hand.' .' : The following happening is' o^ly one of a number of instances in, which section 2 of the'revoke'law has been mis" interpreted. A player,' after ruffing'a heart trick,, led a .heart at. the' next trick. A revoke ''was. Immediately claimed by the opponent, on his left, but the revoking player held that a* his partner had not played to the trick: the revoke could be corrected, as it was made in leading. He v was wrong in his contention. The revoke'was made in. ruffing the heart on. the.previous trick, tout was established when, the offender led at the next trick. . A CLEVER BID. , ; . ■ . During the course of the. recent' Budapest tournament, in which an English, team, captained by Mr. Konstam, was playing against an Egyptian team, Mr. Konstam, by means of clever deductions drawn during one round pf bidding, reached a game contract, which the opposing team missed^ The hand follov s — (Egypt.) 4 KQxti 9 An ♦ * J.X.X.X. (Konst-ara), (M-uhlcson ) ,^' 1 Lngland 4b x. " 4 A J S 7x. '». -K.lt i I »10 ♦ K.Q7xt *" South I ♦J 9 8 Jf, AK.qx. 4> 30.x. f Qisui 4 10.x.i.\ ' The bidding — Room l, North. ■ East. . South. ' West. Pa ha 3M Piss Pi's Tas Hoorn. - • Xorlh T-xst boulh I Tiss Fa si 2 4 Z' 4 ■ Double Pass ..Pass' Pa«s 4 In Room 1 Mr Konstam, of the English team felt ceitain that his partner would not have reopened the bidding after South s inability to make even a negative no-trump recponse if ha lacked sticngth in both the major faultsAfter North's pass on the second round, Mi Konstam, reasoning that his paitner should be able to take care of the heart suit, as he held no tnejc iin veil her spades or clubs, and, know- ; ing that he had nothing to fear from I South, jumped straight to game in nortrUmps, in spite of the fact that ha ! held only a singleton heart The threa no-trump contract was made.

In Room 2, the two-spade contract was set by only one trick, sb that there was a good swing on this hand, toj tha English team. . ' . .- '