Show BETTER BRIDGE ly tv c C G H. H GOREN NORTH NORTHA A K Q 6 5 4 2 V A 7 48 18 S WEST VEST EAST 49 9 43 3 1 4 K Q 6 2 10 9 7 5 4 eYe K Q S 2 10 5 51 1 SOUTH SOUTHA A A J 10 S 7 Q 10 9 93 Neither side vulnerable South deals South West Vest North E East t 1 spade Double Redouble 2 Pass Pass 6 spades Pass Pass Pass Opening lead 9 of spades While there is rio lio acknowledged premium on speed in the bidding and play of a hand at contract bridge today's lantern slide from the recent national championships in Chicago a smooth bit of workmanship workmanship workmanship work work- manship on the part of John Crawford Crawford Craw Craw- ford Is offered in support of the theory that brevity is the soul of wit Crawford with Margaret Wagar of Atlanta Ga my teammates teammates team- team mates in the mixed foursome were the only double winners of the tournament having captured the knockout team of four in conjunction tion with Howard George Rape and Sam Stayman of New York The bidding was not ultra scientific scientific selen- selen but I think acceptable for practical purposes The opening bid is somewhat shaded but it willbe will willbe willbe be found that tournament players are not inclined to pass hands of this type West's takeout double though it contains but 2 21 z high card tricks is accepted practice The shaded double is looked upon with favor where the doublers doubler's hand will prove an ideal dummy for partner That is to say he will provide at least four trumps for any suit partner may name in re response response response re- re to the double Norths North's redouble was routine East showed his longest suit and Crawford dutifully passed Mrs Wagar might have resorted to various various various var var- ious scientific maneuvers at this point joint but decided that there was wasa wasi a i good chance for slam and therefore therefore there- there fore ore up and bid it A Blackwood bid id to determine whether partner partner partner part part- ner had both ac aces s would not be helpful since t there ere was still the matter of taking care of the small card losers in clubs She reasoned reasoned reasoned rea rea- that if it a club finesse were necessary it would probably work In n view of the double by West vest The nine of spades was was' opened and Crawford saw that the only hope of fulfillment lay In West's possession of the king of hearts both oth club honors as well as the thelong thelong long ong club In less time than it takes akes to describe it he proceeded to bring home the hand A low club was led at once and West Vest was obliged to split his honors declarer returned to his hand land with a a. di diamond mond and led another club West Vest won and continued continued con- con with a club declarer discarding discarding discarding dis dis- carding the nine of hearts on the jack ack of clubs Both diamonds were ruffed in dummy and trumps led lcd Declarers Declarer's last three cards were a trump and the ten queen-ten of oC hearts Dummy held the seven ace-seven of hearts and the seven of clubs West Vest the king-eight king of hearts and the he eight of clubs As South led his last trump West Vest found It impossible impossible im- im possible to discard safely Copyright 1948 1945 by C. C H H. Goren |