Salt Lake Telegram | 1942-03-18 | Page 11 | William McKenney

William M McKenney Improving Your Bridge I r happened to be a kibitzer at a rubber bridge game when today's hand was dealt The bidding of course was Inaccurate inaccurate ate since it failed to uncover the fact that South North-South held no diamond stopper But a very pretty point arose in the play East won the opening lead with the king He returned the jack avoiding the usual return of the fourth highest card since to do so might block the suit Then he led the nine West overtook and East was surprised to find himself back in the lead with the three of or diamonds diamondson on the fourth trick This was saved because West had carefully carefully carefully care care- fully saved the deuce to force him in East made the tho obvious lead of ofa a spade and so West made a atrick atrick atrick trick with the queen of spades which otherwise would have been lost I said to West How did you have the foresight to save the deuce of diamonds He replied When I saw dummy dummy dummy dum dum- my I knew that declarer could cash five clubs and some hearts as soon as he got in We were sure to get five diamonds and the ace of spades but the minute minute minute min min- ute the jack of diamonds came down I planned to block our suit and force E East st to lead spades So I played the eight eighton on the jack instead of the deuce Well I said I only wish that the late Milton C C. Work could have been here Back in I 1925 or earlier in one of his auction bridge books he gave a hand just like this to show how a defender might gain by deliberately blocking a suit In some points the resemblance resemblance resemblance blance to the han just played is startling The crucial suit was diamonds the leader held five headed by queen ace-queen and ending with the deuce his partner held four diamonds topped by the king and the leaders leader's leaders leader's leaders leader's lead lead- ers er's that he wanted led up to was the queen ace-queen of spades doubleton