Show BETTER BRIDGE rf Iy ly C. C H. H GOREN North and South vulnerable and have 60 SO part score West deal deals NORTH NORrEll 8 5 3 94 WEST VEST EAST None A 8 54 1852 K 8 5 2 7 Q J 10 3 0 J 76 K 2 K J 7 2 Q 10 6 SOUTH K 3 The bidding West Vest North East South Pass Pass- Pass 1 spade 1 INT NT 2 diamonds Pass ass Pass 2 NT p Pass s Pass Pa Pass s Opening lead Jack of ot diamonds diamond While there may be nothing no hing new under the sun our fancies can be captured by variations of ot the old especially if It they have a neat twist to them Contrary to general belief be be- lid lief the most b brilliant plays do not involve a complicated series of maneuvers but but are are conceived inthe Inthe in inthe the essence of simplicity One that that- especially appeals to tomy tomy o omy my fancy is today's morsel dug up from an old collection of ot my fa- fa fa fa- deceptive plays This one j was perpetrated by Howard Shen- Shen ken against Sam Fry who submitted submitted sub sub- this hand to me as an II illustration of his own susceptibility ity to the shell sheU game Same c Some readers may may take take issue with the tho- bidding with which we weare weare are aro not at this time primarily con con- With the advanced part score the vulnerable overcall of one no trump is surely sound and West's bid of ot two diamonds was a desperate attempt to stave off the loss of the rubber While it is true that a contract of three spades could have been fulfilled by North and South Frys Fry's light third hand bid made it very difficult to reach inasmuch as North was too weak to venture a afree afree afree free bid in spades though he suspected suspected sus sus- sabotage by East The Jack of ot diamonds was opened and the king went to declarers declarer's declarers declarer's de de- carer's ace It will be seen that the contract cannot be fulfilled without assistance from the opposition opposition opposition op op- position since the long spade which would be the eighth trick cannot be cashed if it East holds up for three rounds and shuts out the dummy If spades are attacked at once it will all be clear to East one hope was to induce Fry to let go a small spade This he accomplished in an almost naive manner At trick two he returned the four of ot diamonds West won with the nine and with two potential entries decided to establish his suit On this trick Mr Fry had t to tomake tomake make a discard and finding it awkward to part with a heart or ora ora ora a club and not at the time realizing realizing realize ing the importance of the fourth spade let go the four of that suit It wa was now a simple matter for to clear the spade suit by conceding the ace and claimIng claimIng claim- claim Ing lug eight tricks The hand once again proved d quicker than the eye Copyright 1948 C. C H H. Goren |