THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 13, 15 July 1939, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Weekly Chat on Contract Spr ciALLY Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bid"

Continuing ■ the official analysis of the sixteen set hands played in he 1939 Olympic, three interesting hands follow. HAND No. 14. North-South par: Bid and make 4 hearts. X..1.5. f A.Q.J.10.C. 7.3. $> X.9.5.. 4 10- —North. ' ♦ Q-8.7.6.3.2. A.K.Q.10.6.2. gj t§ ♦ 8- 4Jf, A.8.2. |" South. I Jft 7.G.4.3. £ A.8.4. * . j 9 X.9.5.2. j <\ J. 9.5. I 4* Q-J-10. East, dealer. Neither side vulnerable.] Bidding: j East. South. West. North. j Pass Pass 1 + If Pass 2 f 3 3 y Pass 4 y Pass ■ Pass Pass Official comment: "Diamonds are opened and North ruffs high on the third round, guarding against an overruff. After drawing three rounds of trumps, North should delay the playing of spades until 'all the returns are in.' The clubs are attacked, West taking his Ace and exiting in the same suit. "After playing three rounds of clubs, North can count out the unseen hands with accuracy. The first three tricks j show that West started with * six-card j diamond suit; the play of trumps and clubs show that he started with three trumps and either three or four clubs. T-welve of West's cards are accounted for; the thirteenth card must be the singleton spade Queen or ten if North is to make his contract. North hopefully lays down his spade King, therefore, and is rewarded when West drops the ten. Dummy then has a tenace over East's Queen, and no spade trick is lost." HAND No. 15. North-South par: Bid at least 3 notrumps and win 12 tricks. £ A.K.Q.2. 9 A.5.6. 4 K.Q.4. Jf, 10.8.6. 4 J. 10.9.8. North, "j <|k 7-5.3. <p K.Q.J.10.9. -s a 9 3.2. 4 J. 9.5.7. > H ♦ 6-5. Jft — I South. 1 J. 9.7.5.4.3. * 6.4. 9 7.5.4. 4 A.10.3.2. * A.K.Q.2. I South dealer. North-South vulnerable. Bidding: South. West. North. East. 1 If 3 N.T. Pass j Pass Pass Official comment: "Only the absence

FURTHER OLYMPIC HANDS

of long or fitting suits prevents NorthSouth from getting to a slam on this deal. As it is, many fine players will arrive at no-trump contracts of more than game. "East opens a heart, and declarer wins at once. He first leads clubs, since there is no finesse in the suit and if it does not break . 3-3, the only chance for four tricks is to drop the Jack before the third round. When West shows void in clubs, declarer cashes all three tops in order to damage West is much as possible. "West suffers a forced squeeze, 'f he lets go a diamond or a spade declarer will naturally try breaking the suit from which he discards, and .will thus squeeze West a second time.. If West, in order to hold the stoppers in spades and diamonds, discards three hearts, declarer can give him his heart trick and then use the established heart to squeeze West a second time. (The same repeated squeeze develop* if declarer ducks the opening heart lead.)" HAND No. 16. East-West par: Bid and make 4 spades. fy 0.5.5.4.3. > Q. 6. Q.J.10.7. * 5-2. 4 A.K.Q.J.10.2. North ."-| 4|k 7. y A.5.2. -rj £ V 10.7.4.3. <t — % H ♦ X.9.8.5.4. Jf, 10.9.8.7. 1 South. IJ^ K.Q.J. . . ' ♦ 0. <y K.J.9.5. 4 A.6.3.2. Jf, A.6.4.3. West, dealer. East-West vulnerable. Bidding: West. North. , East. South. 3 jgk Pass 3 N.T. Pass 4 4|t . Pass Pass Pass Official comment: "North's natural lead is the Queen of diamonds. Declarer may cover with dummy's King, but it is better to duck. He ruffs in his own hand and begins to draw trumps. The 'key' play is to discard all of dummy's clubs on his own trumps. Otherwise, his only entry to the fourth club in his own hand may be knocked out before he has had a chance to cash dummy's-higher dubs. Since the clubs' are all equals, the discards can do no harm. "West must exhaust all his own trumps in order to draw North-*. b*» can afford to do so. When th« td««* Ace is knocked out, West can attaint! w» discard low hearts on diamonc leaci^i dummy's holding will surely wm the fourth round of the suit, and West aona not care whether he loses a club and two diamonds or a club and * two hearts."