“NOT SO SIMPLE.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20233, 17 February 1934, Page 21 (Supplement)

“NOT SO SIMPLE.”

An Unusual Hand in Contract Bridge. (By ELY CULBERTSON.) Caution in play is always a fine principle, and many a declarer can save himself points by merely looking out for every possible contingency. The hand below was played by Mr Julian Barth, of New York City, and while at first glance it seems simple enough, the fact remains that very few players would have been as careful in their plans as Mr Barth was. North dealer. Neither side vulnerable.

The bidding does not call for any comment, and, naturally, West’s opening lead was the Queen of Spades. East unblocked by playing the King and returned the low Spade, which declarer again passed. For lack of anything else to do West returned the third Spade, which Mr Barth won with the Ace. Eight top tricks were apparent, and the ninth was possible through either a break in Diamonds, a finesse in Diamonds or a break in Hearts. Mr Barth’s first play, therefore, was to lead a low Heart and finesse the ten in dummy. East won with the Queen and returned the Queen of Clubs, whereupon the declarer made the one brilliant play of the hand. He allowed this card to hold, knowing that in this way he was certain of obtaining a perfect count on the West hand. When another Club was returned he cashed two Club tricks and two Heart tricks, finding that the latter suit did not break. West, meanwhile, was having his difficulties and was forced to discard both his good Spades in order to protect his Knave of Diamonds. Consequently, with the count firmly placed in his mind, Mr Barth led over to the Queen of Diamonds and returned to the King in his own hand. It was a simple matter to place West with the remaining two Diamonds, and, consequently, the ten was good for the twelfth trick and the Ace for the thirteenth. This extremely careful play earned a just reward, but the hand is also interesting from another angle. Had declarer found the four Diamonds in the East hand and also four Hearts, he -would have assured himself of a perfect squeeze by passing the Club. Without passing it, the squeeze could not have been executed because declarer would have had no card to use to force East to discard. The hand belongs to that type which looks extremely simple, but which is frequently abused.