CONTRACT BRIDGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19314, 15 October 1932, Page 22

CONTRACT BRIDGE

(By William Shackle.) (Specially Written for “ The Herald.”) NO. 20. TOO MANY TRICKS. At first glance it seems absurd to suggest that one can hold too many trick-making cards in own and dummy’s hand, yet in actual play this position does often happen. Occasions do occur even when one holds even two or three trumps too many, as in the instance given in last week’s article. The reason being, of course, that holding those extra trumps one is unable to get over into dummy at exactly the right time in order to lead through one’s opponent on the right, who must make a certain trick if trumps are led up to him. The great thing is naturally to.see this position at an early stage of the play, as only thus can one make a genuine so called Grand Coup. The purpose of this article is to explain how such difficulties can be overcome and full advantage taken of one’s good fortune in high cards or trumps. In the following example Z requires 4 tricks to make game and contract, while he know ? s by the preceding play that B holds King. Jack of Spades, and that he is blank suited in Clubs. Y is to lead and spades are trumps. S H J D QJ C 10 5 Y S KJ H 10 H 5 D7A B D 9 CJ 9 C Z S AQS H D 5 C Should Y lead Jack of Hearts and Z discard his small Diamond, Z must perforce take the next trick, and leading up to B give his opponents a trick in Spades. In the same w r ay should Y play Q, then J of Diamonds, B would be able to discard his small Heart and the same position would result later. The same must happen if 10 of Clubs is led, provided B discards instead of trumping. For the above reasons Y leads Jack of Hearts and Z trumps it, though it is a winning card. Then by leading 5 of Diamonds and overtaking it in Dummy, B is placed in an impossible position as he is quite helpless now, whichever card is led from Y. Z must make his 4 tricks, game and contract. Take another somewhat similar position; S H D AK C A 6 Y Z S AQS H D C 4 In this case, Z knows that Kx of Spades, which are trumps, are in B's hand. Y leads Ace of Diamonds and Z must trump in over Dummy in order to ensure obtaining all four tricks. Such instances occur surprisingly often, and it is most important that one should keep a strict look-out for them in order to ensure obtaining full value from one’s cards. In some hands, it will be found necessary to take over partner’s trick on two or even three occasions, and suoh play is called Double or Triple Grand Coup.