CONTRACT BRIDGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23058, 8 June 1938, Page 22

CONTRACT BRIDGE

THE BRITISH LEAGUE GOLD CUP CONTEST BJ' C. L. F.ASTGATE Competitive duplicate bridge, it is not surprising to note, enjoys a very wide popularity in England, as in other countries, and the British Bridge League's 1938 Congress had an entry of no less than 64 teams in the congress t«;ams-of-four competition for tho Gold Cup. In the semi-finals Mrs. T. S. Crisford's Warwickshire team, according to the bridge correspondent of the Times, upset all calculations by defeating the strong London team captained by Mr. W. Hose, by 1950 points. They were defeated in the final, however, by Mr. N. M. Bach's London team by 3680 points. A Decisive Hand Here is a hand which had an important bearing on the result of the match between Mrs. Crisford's and Mr. Rose's team: — South dealer.

In one room Mrs. Crisford's team bid six clubs, were doubled, and made their contract. In the other room Mr. Hose's team, anxious to wipe off an adverse balance, bid the grand slam but only made 12 tricks. Mrs. Crisford's team gained 1490 points on the hand. Should Have Been, Got Tho opening lead is not given, but on looking at this hand I am slightly at a loss to understand the inability to make the grand slam,, with practically any lead. It is fairly obvious that to make the contract the diamond suit has to be brought in without the loss of a trick, and the following line of play should, I think, suggest itself to a first-class player. Whatever the opening lead, the ace-king-queen of hearts should be played before trumps are touched, assuming that the spade suit was opened and one of dummy's entries taken out. On the third lead of hearts the diamond is discarded in South's hand. The ace of diamonds is then played, and a small diamond lead and ruffed with one of South's high trumps. A small trump to the jack, and when both opponents follow the worst that can happen is that one opponent has the remaining two trumps still out. Another diamond is led and ruffed with a high trump, and another small trump' led to tho ten in dummy. Another diamond from dummy and ruffed in the South hand clears the diamond suit and the North hand is now good. The diamond finesse (which apparently was attempted'* does not offer nearly so good a percentage play as the above.

North and South have clambered hopefully into a small slam in spades with South as declarer. West leads tho eight of clubs, taken by East with the ace, who returns another club. I saw this hand given as an illustration of a declarer who, like many others, is inclined to bo a little careless in his count of c-xpected winners. As this hand was actually played, the declarer saw that the diamond finesse was vital to its success, and so, on getting in with the jack of clubs, immediately led a diamond toward dummy and finessed tho queen. When this held, however, he unfortunately relaxed vigilance. Assuming, perhaps, that all the diamonds would be good, he drew all the trumps, and took the second diamond finesse. It worked, but when the king failed to drop on the ace, declarer found that he was 'still one'vital trick short. A careful count at the start would have shown that there was nothing to be lost in ruffing a heart in case tho diamonds were badly distributed, and would ensure the contract. He should therefore have returned to his hand after the first diamond finesse with the nine of spades, ruffed a heart and overtaken the king of trumps with his ace; drawn the remaining trumps and then taken the second diamond finesse, and the rest was easy. CURRENT EVENTS At the Northern Contract Bridge Club the teams-of-four match against the Auckland Bridge Club resulted in a win for the Northern by six matches to two. In most cases winning margins were small. Prize for the best North-South score: Messrs. J. Yock and A. N. Lamb, plus 4G40; EastWest: Mesdames Acheson and Balhintyne, minus 570. Miss Coutts' afternoon tournament resulted:—North - South: Mesdames Hcighway and Richards, 57 per cent, 1; Mesdames Green and Th0ma5,.53.5 per cent, 2. East-West: Mesdames Reid and Cook, 72.1 per cent, 1; Mesdames Cadman and Abbott. 62.1 per cent. 2.

\Vest opened his singleton club. Declarer ruffed East's king and drew every trump, discarding four spades and a heart from dummy. Declarer then led a spade. East won and laid down tho club ace. Declarer discarded a spado. East had to return another club, and dummy cashed three club tricks and his ace-king of hearts for the fulfilling tricks. After the opening lead, could the contract have been defeated P