The Game Of Bridge

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 84, 5 October 1940, Page 17

The Game Of Bridge

AN INTERESTING SLAM HAND

To bid and make a slam always pro- j vides a thrill, even if the contract is; i undefeatable, but when the success of the slam is the result of clever play, the thrill is even greater. The following hand played in a rubber game is interesting:— y Q. 7.3.2. 4 A.X.4.3. x & A.Q. North. I I South. £ K.J.6. $ A.5.4. 4 Q. 7.2. Jfc K.J.10.6. South dealer. North-South vulnerable. The bidding: South. West. North. East. 1 Jf, Pass 2 4 Pass 3 4 Pass 4 N.T. Pass 5 y Pass 6 X.T. Pass Pass Pass East led the ten of spades. When dummy's hand was tabled North could see eleven certain tricks —four clubs, three diamonds, three spades, and one heart. There were two chances of making the necessary twelfth trick— the diamond suit might break 3-3, or the King of hearts might lie in West's hand. j

North took the first trick in dummy, and immediately ied a small heart up to his own Queen, in order to establish a second heart trick if possible. This play was successful and his contract was then safe. If East had held the King of hearts, North would have had to play for a 3-3 break in the diamond suit, which if successful would give him his contract. In the event of the diamonds breaking unevenly the contract would be defeated.

North's procedure in immediately trying to establish a second heart trick was in the nature of a safety play, as, in the event of an unfavourable distribution in the diamond suit, there would be the risk that both the winning diamond and the King of hearts would make tricks and so defeat the contract. The wisdom of North's procedure is borne out by an

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illustration of the full hand, which was as folows:— A A.Q.7. if Q. 7.3.2. A.X.4.3. * A.Q. 4 53- North. | 10.9,8.4.2. V X.9.6. % ~ y J. 10.8. 4 J. 10.8.6. g . « 9.5. 8.4.3.2. I" South. IJ^ 9.7.5. K.J.6. 9 A.5.4. 4 Q. 7.2. 4; K.J.10.6. Here is another hand (illustrated by Louis Watson) in playing which, the declarer guards against an unfavourable distribution in a suit which looks promising. 4 X.4.2. V Q. 7.3. 4 X.5.3.2. * A.7.6. * 6. NSrthT- * J-10-S- - - S V J-10.9.6. Q.J.9.7.6. I |4 10.8. K.J.5.4.3. Somh. j Jj, Q. 10.9.2. A.Q.9.5.7.3. y A.X.5.2. * A.4. South is playing a seven-spade contract. West leads the Queen of diamonds and South wins with the Ace. He then leads a small spade to the King. (By playing the King on the first trump lead he prepares for the possibility of finding East with all the adverse trumps.) A second round of spades brings a discard from West.

While to now play the hearts in an attempt to ruff his last heart is dangerous while East still holds a trump, it is still the best play South can make, for it is apparent that everything depends on the heart suit. If it is divided 3-3 the contract is safe, but if 4-2, a trick must be lost if dummy's last trump is taken out. There is a chance, however, that if the.hearts break 4-2, the hand which holds the remaining trump will also hold four hearts. This proves to be the case, and Souths fourth heart can be ruffed in dummy to make the sevenspade contract.

The principle involved in this situation is that if the hearts are divided 3-3, all is well, and they may just as well be led first if so divided, because the hand with the trump can make no use of it. The above method of play is a safety measure, as the hearts may be divided 4-2.