New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
IIearts-A, X. q.
Clubs-lO.
DinmOnds-lO. @.

DiamOnds-l0, o.
Here A is to lead, and ABB to make all the
tricks The players are supposed to all the
cards and of course the six tricks are to be made
against the best possible play. 1t is easy to
make six tricks if or Il play ILL., as for instance if
throws away Club, at any stage of
the play; for then. of course ABB have two
certain tricks in Clubs which with the two IN
Hearts and the two in trumps make the six
required But against proper play by w, the
probem is not very easy. In fact TO unpractscd
payers it will appear after few attempts alto
gether hopeless because on every line II seems as
though and could make sure of one trick, either
In Hearts Clubs or Diamonds, all three suits being
perfectly guarded. For the guidance of such
PLAYERS note that the success of Alb depends on
their keeping open all three plain suits according
to the play of w. ABB may have to make, outside
tie two trump tricks, three tricks i'll Hearts and
in Clubs or two tricks in Hearts, one in Clubs and
one in Diamonds or two tricks in Hearts and two
IN Clubs. BY keeping these three possibilities open
ms long as possible, the problem can be solved.
IL is stated that the above position occurred In
actual play with four players but that is mani
estly impossible for ten Hearts remain in the four
hands so that not one round of Hearts can have
been played, so that the position of the III arts
could not possibly have beer known, as the con-
fltions of the problem require. In actual double
dummy play as distinguished from double dummy
probleins the position may have presented itself.
III SO, and A played correctly at inmates notice,
he must have been a capital player FOR even an
experenced double dummy player need not be
ashamed at being several minutes before he sees the
solution of the problem. The inst "pent in the
solution is indeed such as would occur to every
whist player at Once,-but the second is not so
obvious Yet in reality the play throughout is such
as true whist principles suggest rs the only sound
course and though player might be few minutes
seeing the solution without the cards, with the
cards he would probably play right throughout.
The solution will be given the week after next
but solvers need not forward solutions. as every
letter so sent wOud have to travel half over the
States to reach me i'll my wandeilngs.
auerist Bumblepuppy" asks how one can
tell from the proper return lead CT lowest from
three or highest from two left in hand, that the
card return Is of three or one OF two seeing that
the position of The other cards Is not known The
answer is that in almost every case the third ronnd
gives the necessary information, which Is then
usually in good time to be OF service but that in
many cases the second round, and even the mere
OPENING of the round tells the number OF cards lett
and ofI,p tells more Thus suppose | lead three the
lowest of suit lace. ten nine, three. and the cards
fall six, Queen, five. IL my partner now returns
the eight / am almost certain that he holds either
the two OF the four and quite certain that he does
not hold both for if lie held both, as well as the
eight. he would have returned the lowest. Thus
possible that both the .adversarles have begun a
signal holding the two, the other the four and
this bare possibility prevents me from being quite
either the two or the four. L am, however quite
certain that he Is short in my suit and can only
hold one ltie ono alteI MS return io"u' my atlei
lion is directed further to the enemy's signal.
suppose that the second round runs eight, six,
Ace. two; | now know this about the suit My
partner holds the four and no more; opponent on
INV right may hold the knave. but can hold no
other; opponent on my left holds King certainly
that could not tell certainly from the first round,
and may hold the Knave. He has also sgnalled.
now have the choice of going OH with nv snt and
giving opponent the left the lead when he will
doubtless open trulnps though perhaps less advan.
tageousiy than had he heen led to by his partner
or Of changing suit II ! am myself strong in
trumps, and especially if l hold Ace Queen. OF
King. Knavc. or Ace Knave. throwing the lead into
the hand of my opponent the left may be eX
collent policy; King and Knave of my suit may fall
together, mag wrest the command in trumps from
the strong hand on my left. and make my thir-
forcing card. the right time being when opponent
on my right shows signs of trump exhaustion
Or suppose the two first rounds OF my suit to fall