The Game Of Bridge

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1940, Page 19

The Game Of Bridge

Specially Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bid." THIRD HAND PLAY IN DEFENCE AGAINST NO-TRUMPS

In general, the following rule will hold:—When your partner's opening lead against no-trumps is obviously aplain length lead, and your highest cards are not in sequence, you should play your highest if the dummy has no more than three cards in the suit, of which the highest is the ten or lower. (It is assumed that your highest card is higher than the ten.) Whenever your original holding in the suit led by your partner is three cards, the highest (not the lowest) should be returned by you. This immediately tells your partner that he can expect no higher cards in this suit from you. Consequently he can locate them all in the hand of the declarer and plan his play accordingly. The situation is different when you held four cards (or ,more) of his suit. In these cases you must return your original- fourth best, which is bound to be a low card. Partner will then be able to read your return lead and so obtain a complete count of the suit. The following hand illustrates the importance of indicating length in the suit led by partner.

,$, South is playing a contract of three no-trumps. West leads the four of spades, East plays the Queen and South wins the trick with the Ace. South leads the Queen of hearts and East wins with the King. East now leads the three of spades (his original fourth highest). Suppose South plays the nine and West wins with the ten. He can now count the whole suit, as he knows that his partner held four spades originally. Consequently, West knows that declarer can hold only one more spade, therefore he can lead his King of spades in the certainty that declarer's Jack will fall. Without this information from his partner, West could not tell whether or not another lead through declarer would be necessary to catch the Jack. East should play the eight on West's King (the card next the highest originally held by East) in order, to unblock the suit for his partner. PLAYING DEFENSIVELY, (a) BEFORE DUMMY," (b) BEFORE DECLARER. The general rule in this position for the defender who is second player be-

. fore dummy is: "Play low unless you have a good reason for doing otherwise." When playing defensively before the declarer, you must try to establish your partner's low cards by sacrificing a high card of your own, but at the same time you must not cover an honour led if it may establish a tenace against him. Apply the following rule: "Any bare honour which is led from dummy should be covered, but an honour should not be covered when dummy holds also the card directly below it (as, for instance, Q. J.x.x.). This rule, of course, applies only when you are considering your partner's possible cards in the suit led. When you are considering yoar own possibilities in the suit and know that by covering you will eventually make a trick in that suit, you will play accordingly. SCALE OF RAISES BY THE PARTNER OF AN OVERCALLER. With adequate trump support, a nonvulnerable overcall at the range of one may be raised'once for every playing trick over three in his hand. For example, suppose first- hand opens the bidding with one club and second hand responds with a spade. If third hand passes the overcaller's partner may raise to two spades, holding:— £ X.x.x.x. 9 x.x. K.s.s. Jft A.x.x.x. (i playing tricks). A vulnerable overcall by partner at the range of one should be raised once for every playing trick over two (as any vulnerable overcall denotes a stronger hand than required when not vulnerable, partner may raise on one playing trick less, when vulnerable). A non-vulnerable overcall by partner at the range of two should be raised once for every playing trick in excess of three, and when vulnerable, for every playing trick in excess of two. The overcaller's partner may take out his partner's overcall (when adequate trump support is not held) with a five' card biddable suit and about two honour tricks in the hand. For example, if the bidding is opened with one club, on your left, and your partner overcalls with one spade, you should take out into two diamonds holding: fa x.x. 9 x.x.s. A.K.J.x.x. 4t x.x.x. Take out with one no-trump, if holding a stopper in opponent's suit, and slightly more than two honour tricks, with a hand such as the following, your partner having overcalled atfi opponent's opening bid of one club with one heart. A k.x.x. * q.s.x. * q.io.x.x. A £>*•*<