| Show Culbertson on Bridge A LUCKY SLAM SLAt It is my good fortune every m month nth to judge some thousand odd bridge hands which are sent in to a n national magazine as part of ofa a huge prize contest contest con con- test which has has' been running for tor over overa over overa a year Most of these hands are quite interesting inter infer esting erting and many of at them are very fine from a technical point of view However in m the great majority of oC them some fortunate Declarer fulfills a redoubled slam contract by means of three finesses nesses a squeeze and three plays end and plays and occasionally a coup to boot The most comm common n of all the hands submitted for the contest is In other words what might be termed a 1 lucky slam I have a hand of my myown own to contribute contribute con con- tribute which is of ot this typo type On the hand below my partner and I reached a small slam contract due to a slight bit of overbidding on both our parts and made it by virtue of three luck lucky breaks North Dealer Neither side vulnerable 4 K 43 3 A 6 4 0 K 8 G AJ 62 I Q 10 8 lui W c CV I 7 62 1 lo LS 10 8 7 u A 6 Q 10 7 K 9 3 0 A 10 9 7 A QC 2 J The bidding Figures after bids refer to numbered explanatory explanatory atory paragraphs North East Eat South West 1 10 Pass PaM Pass Pass P Pass Pass 1 The two no trump bid is sightly doubtful but two diamonds seemed to me highly inadequate and one no trump would certainly be an n under underbid underbid bid 2 North showed considerable optimism in immediately contracting for forthe forthe forthe the small slam However he knew that my two no trump bids are usually quite sound West's opening lead was a n low club The dummy went down and after alter a aC afew afew C few w seconds seconds' study I good announced to the opposition that the odds were to 1 against my making mak making ing the hand But I added that if it this hand were a hand in the contest I W was lS sure that Declarer would win two finesses and subsequently find a sq squeeze for tor the twelfth trick Believe it or not this is what actually actually actu ally aUy transpired The club knave held the first trick Not being vulnerable I decided to boldly try to make the hand and not to play sa safe e for a set of one or two tricks Immediately I led a low spade from Dummy and played the 10 from my ray hand This held hed the second trick I now led back backa a spade which E East St wo won with theace the theace ace Now no matter what the return I could not lose any more tricks Actually East led a club which I Iwon Iwon Iwon won with the ace in Dumm Dummy I now ran my five diamond tricks discarding discarding discard discard- ing a low heart from my hand on the fifth filth diamond The lead of oC the king of spades now squeezed the West hand He was ras unable to hold on to the club king to top my own queen of f clubs and still hold three hearts to keep the last heart in Dummy from being the thirteenth He chose to discard discard dis dis- dis card a heart and th the last three tricks were won in that suit If I live and play bridge for many more years I do not hope ever to bid and make a luckier slam than that one My only apology to my opponents opponents op op- was wa that at least I announced the possibility of ot making it at the start and even went so far br as to outline outline out out- line the pIa play to them at that time It Itis Itis Itis is interesting to note that strangely enough this slam slain could have been de defeated by a very remarkable play by East If It East had held up his ace on the second round of spades the subsequent squeeze could never have developed as I would have been unable un in able to play playa a third round of ot that suit except at the risk of allowing East to take two vo tricks in that suit immedi immedi- Therefore West would have had to find ind one less discard and been able to keep both hearts and clubs guard guard- ed But I doubt If there are many players who would have seen the possible advantage of refusing the second round of ot spades particularly when holding the knave unless the they looked at all four hands TOMORROWS TOMORROW'S HAND AND If East is playing a contract of or three no trump and South's opening ledd leddis is the club queen what card should South next lead if the queen is pe permitted permitted per per- muted to hold the first trick South Dealer Neither side vulnerable 6 64 4 2 c o Q 4 4 Ics 4 A 4 Q QS Q 9 I V A AK K Q 10 8 EjA W 64 4 0 AK 6 2 1 4 7 6 3 8 8 J 75 42 4 1 I 2 o J I 10 9 Z 2 4 Q J 3 10 S 8 Mr Fry Frt The The- bidding South West North East Pass Pus 14 P Pass ss 1 17 c Pass Pasa 3 30 Pass Pass Pass Pass The hand will be discussed In t tomorrows tomorrow's tomorrows tomorrow's to to- r morrows morrow's article Copyright 1933 Ely Culbertson Free Culb Culbertson r booklet oklet By specIal special cial arrangement readers of ot this newspaper may have a free copy copy of The rhe Rules and Ethics of Bridge by Ely Address Mr Cl Culbertson Culbert Culbert- bert son in care of this newspaper inclosing Inclosing Inclosing ing a stamped addressed sell ope |
