A BRIDGE CLINIC

Southland Times, Issue 22188, 2 December 1933, Page 11

A BRIDGE CLINIC

AUCTION AND CONTRACT THE INTELLIGENT DEFENDER.

(By

Horatius.)

No hand is so bad that a player can afford to handle it without concern. If you hold a Yarborough, the . chances that your partner has something useful are increased, and your obvious relinquishing of all interest in the hand will inform the Declarant that any strength is concentrated in one position. As soon as a player can picture three of the hands positively, he is playing for his contract at double dummy. This is the opening given to him by the player who reveals that his hand is worthless.

Actually, too, he handicaps and may mislead his own partner by this lacklustre treatment of the hand. For instance, he says “It doesn’t matter what I play” and while holding the 2 of a suit, throws the 3. His partner, finding that the 2 has not fallen, concludes, as it is not in dummy, that the Declarant holds it, and so forms an estimate of his hand on that basis. This is quite an important point. Look for the deuce and if it does not appear, ask yourself why it has not been played. When a winning honour is lead this is particularly important. When the defending hands are forced to discard under squeeze play, the knowledge that a deuce remains can be enough to tell the defence how to save a vital trick. But confident reading is impossible if your partner is playing carelessly because he thinks “It doesn’t matter what I play.” Here is a hand to illustrate the point: S: J-5-4 H: A-K-J-8 D: Q-8-6 C: A-Q-3 N. S' A S: 7-2 H: 10-6-2 W—E H: Q-9-5-3 D: A-K-10-9-5-4 D: 3 C: J-10-9 C: K-8-7-5-4-2 S. S: K-Q-10-9-8-6-3 H: 7-4 D: J-7-2 C: 6 North was dealer and opened with One Heart, South called Spades, West Diamonds, and in the end South was playing Four Spades. West opened with the King of Diamonds, and South threw the Jack as a false card. This was ridiculous play. Bad false carding is invariably costly. In this case it cost the contract. West, noticing that the deuce had not been played, credited South with it, and continued the suit, with the result that East was shown with no more and the third round was ruffed. This defeated the contract This hand was played in a tournament and at every table where South threw the 2 of Diamonds, West switched to the Jack of Clubs and after making the Ace of Spades, continued the suit so that South cleared the trumps and made Four Spades. At all these tables but one East blundered by throwing the 8 of Clubs to encourage another lead in that suit, and at the other- the significance of the deuce was not noticed. East could see from dummy’s cards and West’s bidding that South’s Spades must be of extra length, which meant that he was short suited. East’s solitary Diamond could warn him that South probably had more in that suit, and his long Clubs predicted a shortage of Clubs with South. Dummy’s Queen was not risked and that was a further’ indication. Now East knew more than West, and so his one play was to shift West from Clubs, if possible. The only way was to play the 2 on the Ace. If West read that aright, he would on regaining the lead lay down the Ace of Diamonds as the one hope of making it, and then, seeing East’s failure to follow, go for the ruff. Here we have the Time Factor: the defence making its play before the Declarant can bring his forces into action. If East, with a poor hand, had held 3-2 of Diamonds and thrown the 3 on the opening lead, the false card by South would have been harmless. Switching is often vital to the defence in the early tricks, but frequently it is missed because the leader has had no warning. His partner should warn him as soon as possible. Take this hand which was played in a New York tournament: S: K-J-10-9 H: 7-5 D: 6 C: A-Q-J-9-7-4 S: 7-5-4-3-2 N S: A-Q H: A-3 W E H: Q-J-10-9-8-6 D: 7-5-4-2 S D: 9-3 C: 10-6 C: 8-3-2 S: 8-6 H: K-4-2 D: A-K-Q-J-10-8 C: K-5 South was playing Five Diamonds and West led the Ace of Hearts. West could see that the only hope was an immediate shift to Spades, because the Clubs would offer chances for discards, and as soon as South got in he would draw the trumps and, if he did not hold the King of Clubs, finesse against West. East threw the Queen of Hearts. This high card attracted West. This is what West would think: If this were the beginning of a high-low to show only two cards, South must hold 7 Hearts with the King. But he did not bid Hearts! Therefore, it is not an echo! East has a sequence to the Queen and he is throwing that card to show he has not the King (if he had held the King-Queen he would have thrown the higher honour). He signals this, because it may tell West South has the King and a switch is desirable. Looking at dummy, West can see that the best lead is Spades, and the contract is defeated. At all the other tables, East threw the 6 of Hearts, the suit was continued, and South made a Little Slam in Diamonds. Here is an amusing incident—after it was all over. The bidding went (N-S vulnerable):

South held: S: 6-4-3-2; H: K-6-5; D: 8-6-5-3-2; C: 4. East led the 5 of Hearts, on which dummy’s 6 was played West,, after deep thought, played the Ace and returned the Queen. North played the 10 and took the trick with the King. Then the lone Club was led from dummy, and North took every trick. She had held: S: ; H: 10-9; D: ; C: A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-6-5-3-2. That sort of thing can happen only once in a life-time, and think of the damage done to the partner I PROBLEM NO. 22. S: A-K-6-4-3 H: A-10-8-4 D: 8-4 C: 6 S: Q-J-2 N S: 10-8-7-5 H: K-9-5 H: 7-6 D: A-10-9 W ED: 7-6-3-2 C: J-5-2 S C: 8-7 S: 9 H: Q-J-3-2 D: K-Q-J-5 C: A-K-9 Hearts are trumps and South, who leads, must make all the twelve tricks.

LAST WEEK’S HAND. S: 5-4-3 H: 8-7-6-2 D: A-K-Q C: 7-6-4 N I S S: A-K-Q-J-6 H: J D: J-10-9-7-2 C: K-TO South is playing Four Spades which West has doubled, at Contract. West led King of Hearts, followed by the Queen which South ruffed with the 6 of Spades. How should South play to give himself the best chance of making his contract? South should lead the ace and King of Spades. . „ The East and West hands are as follows: West East. S: 10-9-8-2 S: 7 H. A-K-Q-4 H: 10-9-5-3 D: 6-5 D: 8-4-3 C: A-Q-5 C: J-9-8-3-2 When East fails to follow the second Spade lead. South should shift to Diamonds and make North’s Ace and King, followed by Dummy’s last Spade to his own Queen. The Jack draws West’s last trump on which the Queen of Diamonds is discarded from Dummy, allowing South to make J-10-9 of that suit. He thus makes his contract, losing one Heart and two Clubs.

w. N. E. S. 2H 2NT No No 3H 3NT No No 4H 4NT No No 5H 5NT No No 6H 6NT No No Dbl No No No