Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-09-05 | Page 6 | Culbertson on Contract

CULBERTSON on CONTRACT By Ely y Culbertson Worlds World's Champion Player and Greatest Card Analyst I i AN UNCONVENTIONAL O OPENING ENING Opening leads are about the mos most difficult plays in the game of oC Contract Bridge Certain conventions convention govern the he choice of a lead but there are arc frequently occasions when none o of oC these conventions apply and the player is forc forced d to diagnose the situation situ- situ for himself himsel At certain of these times imes he may choose to do something unusual and if the unusual thing i is backed sacked by a certain amount of logical reasoning he may often find himself himseL rewarded b beyond yond his expectations The hand below was played recently recent recent- ly in a New Nev York Bridge club anc and South who had been complaining about his cards all evening made i a play of this kind which he clai claimed ned almost compensated him for his losses of the evening East East Dealer o Q J iT 10 9 8 6 4 Q 10 5 EN I A 3 I I o K 10 4 I W E I 0 J 8 6 5 7 76 6 0 J J The Bidding East South Vest West VestIA North J. J Pass Pass 34 3 Pass Pass 4 4 Pass Pass Pass The bidding was conventional conventional- there is no need to discuss i it South felt that the opponents were almost certain to make their contract unless he could produce some unusual play The heart and club suits seemed to contain no no rio possibilities the diamond suit at least included an Ace With v w verv rv little id nf whit n he finally decided on a lead of a j I best diamond feeling that if h his p ner ncr was nuzzled at least t DPI Del would be also The t results W lb-W were re but very gratifying D Dec cli played low from the Dummy K N took the trick with the Queen turned the 3 and South was ab abl cash his Ac Ace Ace- and lead the third n ro for Cor his partner to ruff North then down the heart King which taken in Dummy with the Ace East at this point was quite gusted and did not fail Cail to show sho He belonged to the school w wI 1 thinks that every play must be rn be-rn r according to rule and that at no not noti should deviations be allowed allowe grumbling to himself he took o ou out t outstanding spades and then trie 1st break the club clubs club's suit it for his hea heart hearl card This failing Cailing he angrily triO ceded a trick and proceeded t tl rate South for Cor his Opening South vas was too pic please take the harangue seriously North feeling that his partner perhaps being criticized too lot lo turned to East and asked him wh had bad not made the contract an anIt an anIt ans It required only a few minu minutes minutes' for East to see how he be ci 1 have done this and he was then obito obi to subside The proper pl play f. f very simple Norths North's heart King had lad established a perfect squeeze for Declarer and all that necessary was to le lead d out all alit trumps rumps retaining his four club Dummy North could coWd have d discar safely on four o of them but on last ast trump he would have been either to throw one of or his long longor c cor fl flor or discard th the heart hearl Queen and e elish lish Ush the 10 In Declarers Declarer's hand 1 TODAY'S POINTERS While general principles gOY gay gove the ing-the ng the choice of an art Opening lead be jc laid down only wooden pi pl J follow them blindly Often otten the o method of defeating a contract i 4 deviate materially from a acc CC ce R standards of play 1032 hv Elv Culbert