ONE WRONG CARD

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 72, 27 March 1933, Page 11

ONE WRONG CARD

BRIDGE AND DIVORCE

American bridge enthusiasts are eagerly discussing a contract hand which so disturbed the equanimity of a husband and wife that.they now find themselves in the divorce Court, (states an overseas exchange). The wife seeks a divorce, on the grounds of "dementia bridgeitis," from Mr. G. Nelson Allen, .of Los Angeles, where the trouble-brewing game was played. Here is- the hand and the bidding:— South (dealer). —Spades, 3, 2; Hearts, ace, queen, 3; diamonds, ace/ king, queen, knave, 5, 4, 2; clubs, ace.

West (Mrs. Allen).—Spades, 10, 6, 5, 4; hearts, 2; diamonds, 8; clubs, ki»g, knave, 9, 6, 5, 4, 3.

North.—Spades, 9, 8; hearts, king, knave, 10, 6, 5, 4; diamonds, 9; clubs, queen, 8, 7, 2.

East (Mr. Allen). —Spades, ace, king, queen, knave, 7; hearts, 9, 8, 7; diamonds, 10, 7, 6, 3; clubs, 10.•. South opened with a bid of "two diamonds"; North, "two no trumps"; Mr. Allen, "three spades"; his wife not bidding.

Finally, after his partner had bid "four hearts," South bid a small slam in diamonds, which Mr; Allen promptly doubled and South redoubled.

Mrs. Allen lea her the only heart, and there the game ended. She asserts in her divorce suit that her husband threw his cards in her face and overturned the table because she had not responded to his call with a spade lead.

• Bridge enthusiasts, who are disposed to blame the wife, assert that'a spade lead would have enabled the husband to win two spade tricks, thus beatings his opponent on the redoubled score. Others think that by leading her singleton heart Mrs. Allen hoped to make good her singleton diamond by trumping the second round of hearts.

Mrs. Allen's lawyers are calling bridge experts to give evidence on her behalf. She says her husband takes the game too seriously.