Show CULBERTSON onI on CONTRACT I by Ely L Worlds World's Champion Player and Greatest Card Cud TilE THE TACTICS OF CONTRACT As bidding is the strategy of ot con- con tract the the part of the game which deal deals cals with selecting the battlefield battlefield- so o the play of the hand deals with the tic question of tactics and thus the declarer is in the position of a general general genral gen- gen eral ral making a plan In regard to the thc disposition and use of his troops where battle has already been joined This is the reason so frequently emphasized emphasized em by writers on bridge that when the first lead is made and the dummy lummy goes down on the table the declarer should make an adequate plan lan This plan of cour course e is subject subject sub- sub to change as the battle wages and tricks arc are won or lost but even evena a bad plan is better than none at all aU The following hand illustrates vivid vivid- vividly ly Iy y the value of a playing plan and the means whereby it was as carried out North North Dealer North and south vulnerable I Q 7 C Q 10 0 A K 10 8 5 S 6 4 41 1 r N K S Ei 4 c W 7 AS 5 J 4 I 4 10 8 1 G 4 S 5 i. i Q 1 A 10 3 2 c K 7 4 7 3 2 4 6 2 The Bidding South West North East 10 14 1 NT Pau Pasa Pats Pass PaM Against this game ame contract wes west opened the knave of spades How should south plan the play It is of course obvious that he must play for the diamond suit and it is probable able that he will lose Jose a trick in that tha suit He is sure of two tricks in spades probably four In diamonds diamond and two in clubs However he faces face the danger of east establishing tricks trick in spades to defeat the contract i if he holds three diamonds to the queen To cover the knave of or spades with the queen would be to limit south to two tricks in the spade suit suiL South therefore with this holding should hould not cover but r sh should six ix from the dummy and md win tj trick rick with the ace East East's then bi spades coupled with the t he the C north and south hands boldine 8 idi indica quite clearly that thal west ca can JS lead ead spades a again ain North has n stoppers toppers in that suit provid provided leads cads a spade This hand which J was Pl play played d duplicate game ame in Akron Ohio J I bid at an all tables In the Sm same JS rn but where the queen of spades pa played ayed from the north hand handI ill covered vered with the king and ioS r with the ace The contract south QI of trump no-trump was defeated tL a as e with the queen of dla i diamonds diamond WU to clear the thc spade A b suit so o a. a as to three tricks in n that suit Which the queen of oC diamonds and iT hearts defeated the contract ace One player pla er in making h h hi 2 j of oC play this P possibility p seeing that he could gain p playing the queen to the first played the six a and d won with the The diamond suit was th then n dl 1 i. i lt by conceding to east cast a tri trick k j inT monds but the making of ot th the ts contract had been assured TODA TODAY'S YS Y'S POINTER J JAn 1 An adequate plan for the play plaYe a 1 hand should be made before tri tit the first card is played from dummy This plan of course subject to change a as greater W Wedge edge is learned of distribution b beven even a bad plan is better than n at all aJI TOMORROWS TOMORROW'S HAND 1 The bidding and pIa play of ot the hi hi bi printed below will vill be d dis td tc morrow J South South Dealer Dealer S S J 7 6 2 9 8 7 8 8 82 2 I A Q 1 9 5 N I 6 3 W o 0 Q J G 5 E 0 10 11 4 K S 5 3 S 5 10 T. T j l' l 0 OAK 9 I 64 1 Study the hand decide how howe j 1 would bid and play i and then cc tn pare the results you obtain s tj r. those shown in tomorrows tomorrow's 1932 Ely |