THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 27 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

THE DANGER OF SWITCHING. BT MAJOR TENACE. At love scoro in tho rubber game Z dealt and secured tho contract with an original bid of ono no-trump. A led the two of clubs, and when dummy's hand went down A could see tho following cards:

Dummy played tho five of cljibs on A's two ; B put up the queen, and Z dropped the seven. B then led the four and A won with the ace over Z's nine. My correspondent, who hold A's cards, wanted to know how A should continue. I replied that A should continue the suit. I got in return a long letter, accusing mo of grossest ignoranco of the game. Could I not see from B's play, my correspondent asked, that B held no more than two clubs, and that Z must make the last two tricks in the suit? Did I not know the general rule that second player should lead through exposed strength, and did not this rule clearly indicate a switch to diamonds? B's play and the three and the two of cluhs in A's hand did inform me that B held no more clubs after the second round, and from this information I gathered that Z would make the king and tho jack. But if he must make them, anyway, why not let him do so at once and get on with the job ? Leading Through Minor Tenace. I certainly think this is preferable to tho switch to diamonds. 1 have never cared for the lead at no-trumps through a minor tenaco in dummy. It is unlikely that B holds both ace and queon over the minor tenaco, and if (as is probable) B holds only tho queen, the lead through the minor tenace takes this card out of his hand under Z's ace; whereas, if Z is left to finesse tho lower card of Y's minor tenaco, E will be fourth player, and his queen will win. My correspondent, like many others, seemed to think that as long as he could quote a rule, it coni stitutcd a complete defence for his play. I asked him to supply me with tho full deal. Here it is:

The full deal illustrates my point perfectly. If A, on making his ace of clubsat trick two, switches to diamonds, Z can make game against any defence with ono trick in spades, three in hearts, three in diamonds, and two in clubs. But if A sticks to the club suit, Z will find tho going very heavy indeed. A Bidding Quandary. A correspondent's inquiry which has caused mo a good deal more thought is the following: At love score what should Z, having the first bid, say on the following hand: Spades, Q, 10, 9, 5, 4; hearts, K; Q, 7, 6, 4, 2; diamonds, K; clubs, 8 ? On no system of reckoning can tho high cards in the hand be assessed at the two quick tricks which is the minimum for an initial bid, yet tho game going possibilities of the band are so great that no player could bo expected to pass on if. Yet my correspondent did and got soundly rated by his partner for adhering so strictly to rule, and partner has reason for his chagrin; for tho hands w&re passed cut while, as the full deal given below will show, Z had a silting game in hearts:

Reluctant as 1 am to depart from the rulo than an initial bid should be made i on two quick tricks I think a hand such as this must he treated' as exceptional. Anyone who plays the deal out will see that Y's hand is stronger than is absolutely necessary for game. All that ho needs to hold are three trumps, the king of spades guarded and the aco of diamonds. Absurd " Conventions." I noticed in the last set of decisions given by the card committee of the Portland Club the denial of a theory very widespread among players who do not observo tho full rigour of tho club game. It is that if declare! lays down his cards and claims the rest when one opponent has tho lead, tho partner of that opponent may say what suit he wishes led to him. This, of courso, is quite wrong, and tho declarer can enforco the penalty for tho irregularity. Where the idea originated is beyond conjecture; but there aro a number of absurd misapprehensions of equally obscure birth. Among them is tho idea that after throo passes fourth hand must bid ono no-trump; that tho last quitted trick may bo turned up without incurring a penalty; and that, after four passes, tho declarer has ono more chance of bidding. Only within tho last month ono player asked mo whether it was not legitimate to bid eight clubs in order to shut tho opponents out, and another refused to tako my assuranco that ho could not double again after an adverse redouble. The origin of such nrisapprchensions is obscure, but anyone can realise how easily they gain credit by asking all tho casual players of his acquaintance whether they have ever looked through tho official laws. My estimate is that not more than ono in twenty can honestly say that ho has.