| Show CULBERTSON on CONTRACT CONTRACT l By Ely Culbertson I Worlds World's Champion Player and Greatest Card Analyst I V A SQUEEZE THROUGH BAD DEFENSE In a recent Howell game played in New York City a very interesting hand came up The first problem that had to be solved by the North and South pair was how to reach a game contract after West had opened the bidding Assuming that odd four-odd in hearts was reached the next problem was the best plan of play to fulfill this contract followed by correct handling han hen to give declarer a play for five- five odd Since the game gam was vas was scored ona on ona ona a point match-point basis overtricks were of or considerable importance West Vest dealer Neither side vulnerable A AK 8 7 V Q 9 3 0 o K 2 Ti A Q 9 4 A B 5 53 3 Q J r 10 K 5 6 I N I 9 96 6 O. O A J 10 Iw W W E 1 84 6 63 3 Q 6 ft K I IJ J 6 3 5 8 5 3 A 4 2 A 10 7 6 G 2 0 9 8 7 1 10 0 7 West North orth East r South 10 Dbl DM 1 14 4 2 7 2 71 1 Pass 4 CV 7 pass as V Pass Pass ass ass' 1 A doubtful free b bid d. d South however however decided to show his suit atthe at atthe the level le of two while he could in fn view of his partners partner's takeout double tte He feared a tv two spade bid by West Vest followed by two vo passes and then of c course he himself would h have ve to pass West's opening lead was th the five lve of spades which was naturally lly won with the king in dummy Declarer immediately immediately imme imme- saw on the bidding that it was not riot the type lype of hand on which to try to ruff his losing diamond tricks in dummy But in view of the bidding h he saw considerable hope of being able to discard some of his losers on the club suit if jf the double finesse was successful Accordingly u his ne next I play was wa-s to test out the thc trump situa tion Hon The best st way of playing this type lype of ot trump suit is to play for tor the opposing honors to be split and to finesse two up to his own hand The Thc queen was led from Crom dummy so 50 that if the king were wrong and the knave right two entries into declarers declarer's declarers declarer's ers er's own hand would be bo found West Wesl won this trick with the king and had no better alternative than a second sp spade de lead This trick was vas won In dummy and declarer returned to his own hand through a successful finesse against the heart knave He now immediately immediately im ira- mediately led the ten of clubs West realizing that a no double finesse would probably be made decided to cover knowing that the South hand was short of entries The Thc queen won this trick in m dummy and a 1 sp spade de was re returned re- re turned and rutted ruffed in declarers declarer's hand South realizing that to have a possible possible possible pos pos- sible squeeze for odd five he must keep a club entry into dummy now led up to the diamond king West won this trick with wilh the ace ace and at this point could have made a star stat stat-de- de play If he now had returned a club declarers declarer's last entry-card entry would have been dummy before be be- fore tore the squeeze cards could be played However West Vest was not nol s sufficiently suf suf- f- f discerning and almost automatically automatically automatically auto auto- returned another diamond This diamond trick was won with aith the king in in dummy and d a trump led and won with the theace ace in declarers declarer's hand hancL The lead of the last trump now hope hope- lessly squeezed West If he discarded his top diamond South's diamonds would be good and if he hc released an another another an- an other club there would be three e club tricks left in n dummy dumm- He chose to adopt the possible winning course rather than the sure losing course and discarded a low club hoping that South would not take a second finesse in that suit South of course realizing the situation situation situ- situ led the seven of clubs played hc the nine of clubs from dummy and won von the thc last two tricks with the ace and four spot Due Duc to sound play by declarer and a slip by the defense a highly doubtful contract of odd four was converted into a successful game with an overtrick TOMORROWS TOl HAND How should North and South bid he the hands below and what should be behe bethe he the eventual contract A vt o oS S K J 5 o 5 V. V N W S SA E A A J 10 6 I i S A V. V 0 Q J 10 6 K 10 3 S 7 The hand will be discussed In to tomorrows tomorrow's tomorrows tomorrow's tomorrows tomorrow's to- to morrows morrow's article S Copyright 1933 Ely Culbertson |
