| Show BETTER BRIDGE BRIDGEy fH y t G K M. North and South vulnerable East deals North NorthA A Y 4 46 6 West est East EastA A 10 7 5 3 2 A K J V 10 8 5 V Y 6 4 4 A 1074 K 98 2 4 49 9 J 10 7 4 South A A. A fi 9 94 4 4 V 4 Bidding East South West North 1 1 14 IV 1 2 2 24 2 4 Pass 2 V Pa Pass Fass s 3 V Y Pass 4 V Y pass pass Pass Opening lead Ace of diamonds When it is vital to reach partners partner's partners partner's partners partner's part part- ners ner's hand in a hurry and a choice of suits is presented many times the player is left to an out and out guess The bidding will frequently provide the clue and where such assistance is not available partner can at times act as a guide by employment employment employment em em- of the convention known as the suit preference signal This provides that the play of an unnecessarily unnecessarily unnecessarily un un- un- un necessarily high card which obviously obviously obviously ob ob- ob- ob is not a on come-on signal asks partner to return the higher ranking of the remaining suits Emphasis is placed on the phrase which obviously is not a on come-on signal because a on come-on signal is still a on come-on signal and when partner leads an ace or a king and you play playa a high card that means you want some more of that suit Where the dummy makes it apparent apparent apparent ent that you couldn't possibly want that suit continued then the convention convention convention con con- applies Let us see how it applied in to today's today's today's to- to days day's hand South became the declarer declarer declarer de de- at a contract of four hearts and West Vest led the ace of diamonds despite the adverse bid of that suit It must be apparent to every everyone one oneat oneat at the table that it vas was a singleton ace In following suit East played the 10 of diamonds West Vest mindful mindful mindful mind mind- ful of his partners partner's opening bid of ofa ofa ofa a club then shifted to the two of that suit and school was out West Vest had played very thought thought- lessly What could East have meant by the play of the 10 of diamonds It was obviously an unnecessarily unnecessarily unnecessarily un un- un- un necessarily high card and just as obviously could not have been intended intended in intended in- in tended as a come on The suit preference preference preference convention therefore applies applies applies ap ap- plies and the suggestion is being ma made e to partner to lead the higher ranking ing of the remaining suits A spade shift would have defeated the contract two tricks Strange to say even without the signal from partner West Vest should have led spade despite his partners partner's club bid Partner is not necessarily marked with the ace of clubs but it is a moral certainty that he h has s the ace of spades because because because be be- cause without that card he would not have an opening bid Let us suppose that he has the ace and queen of clubs since we must as assign assign assign as- as sign the heart suit to South and then the only available side trick is the ace of spades since it is known kno that he cannot have hav the king and queen To put it in another way way way-if if partner has not the ace of spades the contract cannot be defeated unless he happens to have the ace of hearts in which case the contract contract contract con con- tract will be defeated anyway At any rate rate East was quite helpful and if West Vest couldn't use his own wits he might at least have used his partners Copyright 1918 1948 C. C H H. Goren |
