Culbertson Culbertson on Bridge CLAIMING TRICKS It is true truc that laying down ones one's hand and claiming the balance of ot th the tricks is at times very annoying to th the opposition The line of at play which declarer is pl planning nning to pursue is no not always clear and excessive lion tion is likely to confuse the entire is Is- sue Sometimes the matter becomes become so involved that the declarer is unable unable un un- able to decide whether a certain play plas is Ls obvious or is taking advantage o a of some Information he has gained alter after he tie has exposed his hand and the question question ques ques- tion becomes one of ethics as well as 38 of oC fact All this is freely admitted but it is nevertheless a fact that failing to tc claim the balance when the way In ir which the tricks may be taken is very obvious is also bad policy The game gamt is lInne unnecessarily delayed and the opponents op op- op forced to concentrate on or something which requires no concentration concen concen- whatsoever Even Evenso so however it Is not always certain that the declarer will make a hand I have in mind the following rather amusing series ol of incidents which happened not long longo igo go o in a New York bridge club East East Dealer Neither sid side vulnerable A Q 10 G 6 6 5 IV Q 8 2 o 0 A Q J 4 AG A 8 2 J 9 3 IV 10 3 IV J 9 7 09 W T 10 S 75 ifs 1 Q J 4 43 3 A K IC 7 V IV A K 6 5 6 4 0 o 10 8 7 1 3 2 A 9 The bidding East South West North 1 if iv 2 20 Pass 40 Pass 4 c 1 Pass Pass Pass The bidding does not call for m much ch comment Obviously east's bid is a and the south north-south pair did lid quite well to reach a game In the theace face ace of it il As a matter a of fact tact north and md south could not have been criticised too severely for lor reaching a slam lam as a. ac this contract Is dependent only on a diamond finesse and a heart heartbreak heartbreak break reak break At any rate rte there they are at atour four our hearts The opening lead was a club which declarer won in the dummy with the ace ice At this thi point the dummy somewhat some some- some somewhat what interested in finding out the contents con con- tents of the south hand asked to be shown hown the thc closed hand This request was vas granted and the dummy grasped the he wa situation at once Then in order orde to o find out whether a slam had been missed he leaned over to look at east's lasts hand Seeing the king of diamonds dia dia- monds he decided that it had not and md so told his partner to lay the theland hand land down and claim caim five as n it was wa obvious with the trumps breaking that no 10 more than one one diamond and ore one spade could This Thi the de declarer larer refused to do however perhaps however perhaps feeing feeling feeling feel feel- ing ng that some chance existed a of play play- ing ng for lor some sort of a pseudo squeeze His lis first play was the queen of hearts and ind he followed this with two more rounds a of th the same suit The trumps being icing exhausted dummy dumy again agai insisted insisted in- in that declarer lay his hi hand down and md claim five Again he was refused and ind this time the ten of diamonds was led ed an dummy playing low East Et won with the king and returned a club This wih Thi card declarer ruffed rufed and the dummy lummy now saw that the situation wa-s wa was vas fast becoming very dangerous dangerous- that hat if i declarer made one more false move move nove the hand would be blocked He therefore made the same request the third hird time this time perhaps some some- some unethically as a he was beginning to o fear that his partner parter might mislay misplay mis mis- mi play lay ply the hand Declarer again waived the he request aside aide He now led a low diamond Dummy Dumy of course held the trick rick and now a low spade was led le and md covered with the king At this thi point joint it i was apparent that that the blocking block block- ing ng situation which was feared by dummy lummy dumy had actually occurred All that west had to do was win with the theace te teace ace ice and lead another club cub which de- de darer would be bc forced to ruff rt with his lis carer last trump The dummy would then hold lold two high diamonds diamond and the ten queen of spades spade and It would consequently con- con be impossible imposible to avoid the loss los oss of the spade trick at th the tho end Sice Since the hand was being played in a duplicate match where every trick might night mean the difference between a aop atop atop top op and ad anda a bottom it is quite quit apparent that hat to to tomake make four instead of five fhle would be quite a serious error By this time dummy was in agony and was wa Inwardly cursing partner parter for having failed ailed faie to take his hi advice Just as he reached cached the height of his rage how- how ever iver a rather remarkable event took place Declarer laid his hand down and md said Partner I guess gue you were right I I cannot make more than five This Thi seemed about all aU that the north nort player play play- er r was capable of standing but he had still sti another surprise in reserve for him dm Both the opponents opponents studied stud stud- led the situation for a I. I moment and then hen threw their cards inI in I I 1 guess gue youre you're right they tey agreed agree It I took ten minutes mInute for dummy to tor r recover over S Copyright 1933 Ely Culbertson Culberton S FREE CULBERTSON BOOKLET By special arrangement readers of this thi newspaper may have a free copy of if The Rules Rule and Ethics Ethes of Bridge by oy Ely Culbertson Address Mr Culbertson Cul- Cul bertson in care of this newspaper inclosing in in- losing closing a stamped stampe self addressed en en-