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Show Xs. How to Play I Wynne Ferguson I Jmwi&ir Author of 'PRACTICAL AUCTION BRIDGE Capyrlcnt, 1929, by Hoyte, Jr. ARTICLE No. 7 The problems of the play of the hand are very different, uccording to thi defensive or offensive petition of the player. Hero are three example hands, twe in defenae and one in offense that will repay careful study: Hand No. 1 Hearts Q, J, 8, 4 1 Clubs Q, 10,9.3 : Y : Diamonda K, J, 9, 8 t A B s Spades 4 t . Z z Hearts K. !, 1 Clubs J. 6 DiamoiuU 7, 5 Spade A, 10,9,8,3,2 No score, rubber game. Z dealt and pasaed. A and V passed and ft bid one no trump. All passed and Z opened the ten of spade. A played the four, Y tfte jack and U won tne trick with the Vr . r, holding the ace queen of diamonds in his own hand, new led out 'our diamond tricks, so Z was forced to make two discards. His first discard Is 1 high heart, to show his partner that l.e has a trick in the heart suit. What ihocld be his second diacard? If Z discards a club on thia trick, B r;ill score game, for he will lead the queen cf clubs from dummy, having I won tbe fourth diamond trick in A'l hai.d, and, as Y has the king, it will be 'ciptured. Z's proper discard on t!iii trick ia the deuce of spades, so thtt il B lends the queen of club 1. 1:1 A's hand, Y can cover and thus niut e Z's jack of clubs good on the second round of that sait. This seems like a simple play, but just watch how often players will discard from jack small of a suit ami thus fail to protect tbeir partner's holding. Study this hand carefully until yon realise the necewity for holding clubs. Hand No. 2 Hearts A, T, 8,5,2 Clubs 6 Diamonds 8, 7, S, 2 Spades 10, 8, i I learts K, Q, 7 Clubs 8, J : Y : Diamonda 10, 6, 3 : A B : Spades J, 9, 7, 5, 2 : Z : No score, rubber game. Z dealt anil bid one no trump, A passed, Y bid two hearts and B passed. Z bid two no trumps and all passed. A opened the live of spades, Y plaved the eight, B the king and Z won the trich with the ace. Z now led the nine of hearu. What ia A's proper play? Should he play a lovir heart or play the queen? Think thia over carefully and conaider the t'iJdire;, before reading further. ' If Z had held three hearts or more,"it in more than probable that he would have passed Y'a two-heart bid. The fact that he has bid two no trump." probably indicates that he has only 11 heart. It is unlikely that he has a nr'ficton for, if he had, he would probably proba-bly not have bid a no trump in the first iiace. Good players always avoid a no tfittntiHifl if thir !k:rut rrtnraina a vrti.l suit or a singleton. The conclusion is, therefore, that Z has exactly two hearts. If A should play the queen of hearts, therefore, aU Z would have to do to make four heart tricka would be to refuse to wia the first trick. Then as soon as he obtained the lead, he could lead his second heart, finesse the jack and so win the next four heart tricks. A can block thia pretty little play, however, by playing the seven of hearu on the second trick. If Z plays the jack from Ys hand, it will win the trick, but the only other heart trick he can win it the ace. A must win the third heart trick and so blocks Y's heart suit as the hand contains no re-entry card. This play, a lito, looks simple, but notice how frequently a player will split his equals when he con only lone by so doing. Hand No. 3 Hearts J, 10,3 Clubs 9, 8, 5 Diamonds Q, 7, 6, 2 Spades 7, 5, 2 Hearts 5, 4 Hearts K, Q, 8, 7 Clubs 7, 6, 2 : Y : Cluba J, 1074 Diamonds 8, 5 : A B : Diamonds K, J, 10, 4. 3 Spades A, K, J, 10, 6, 4 Z : Spade 8 Hearts A, 9, 6, 2 Clubs A, K, 0,3 Diamonds A, 9 Spades Q, 9, 3 No wore, rubber game. Z dealt, bid one no trump and all passed. A opened the ace of sjiadea, Y played the deuce, B the eight and Z the nine. The lead of an ace at a no trump bid asks for partner's highest card, so B's play of riie ciKht indicated to A that B held no higher spade. , howe-er, waa a clever player so i'l-cided to deceive A, if possible. Il played the nine of spades so that A was unable to determine where the trey of opades was. If B held it, Z'a queen must fall, so A led the king o( spades. On thia trick, B should have discarded the ten iif diamonds, but he hated to discard hat appeared to be a winning trick to he discarded the four of dabs. As a result, A received no information as to It's strong suit and decided net to guess, so ird the jack of spades, forcinr Z in the lead. U discarded the four of diamonds. dia-monds. Z cm now score same against any defense. Before reading further, figure out Z's proper play. He should first play out four rounds of clubs. On the third club lead B should discard the seven of hearts. On the fourth club trick A should discard a spade, Y a diamond and B the trey of diamonds. Z should now lead the deuce of hearts, play the ten from Y's hand and H must win tbe trick with the queen. B must now lead a diamond or a heart. If the former, Z lets the queen wia in Y's hand and then leads the jack of I hearts. If B should lead back a heart ! instead of a diamond, Z should let the j jack of hearts wia ia Y's band and theo return the heart, capturing B's king. Played in this way, B must wia a diamond dia-mond trick. In any event, Z must score at least three odd, game and rubber. It is a pretty hand to play and one wJl worthy of closest study. |