The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-20
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST.

within tho brond meaning OF the term
"fincsse," that style OF the game which
may bo termod playing for position"
may bo very properly included. It is based
on the Same principle which underlies the
simple 1nesso by ono player in order 20
catch. high card which probably lies to
the right of the ono finessing. 10 is really
nnesse by two players instead OF one.
Thus II =. holding queen, jack and
Others leads the queen, through the king
held by w., N. having ace, the effect Is
just the same as though ". held both ace
and queen.
The same principle lies back OF all so
called strengthening" leads. II ten spot
Is lead by = in this game under average
conditions n. may decline TO take o Ger
tain tri,k and reserve his high cards, fisk
ing a unesso, which, oven IL successful,
reduces the forces OF the opponents at lit
tie expense 20 bis own side. However such
leads are hardly justihablc except upon the
indication that, Of the opponents, second
hand is stronger In the suit and when tho
lead OF your own long suit or the return
Of your partners lead is inadvisable.
Great care should be taken I'm this esti~
nation Of the relative strength Of tho
hands Of your opponents. If fourth hand
is deep ilnesser he may have given false
evidence by bis previous play of the state
of his hand and be able TO capture by his
reserved force tho cards played by your
partner.
For example, In n previous round, on
the lcad Of "a jack heading four Others by
W. n playing low from queen, and r., with
king In hand refusing to play it, II s., after
taking the trick, supposes II. to be weak
and leads the same suit, his partners
queen is sacrificed and the suit established
In the hands Of w.
II, however, Il. had played the king and
thereby disclosed the resultant weakness
Of his hand, tho lead Of low through W.,
would, IL s. had enough of the suit remain
ing to fight II out afterward with W., be
quito advantageous.
With opponents who flnesse very little
or never at all and with partner who is
given TO rescrving his forces and trusting
to you, the lead through strength Is not
only very safe, but often n great trick win
ner Ii might be urged that declared weak
ness In your right hand opponent might
be taken as an indication that trunps
could be expected from him on the next
round, but, with no indicstion of q signal
from tho others, the drawing of n trump
OF no great momont.
The great merit Of this style Of play Is
that II compols the man desirous of estab-
fishing his suit To play bis high cards at q
disadvantage not knowing whether the
commanding card lies with the first or
third hand. The best method for him to
adopt Is to play the highest In his hand.
IL he takes tho trick he must lead a card
which your partner may take and which
you, holding the master card, are certain,
barring trumps, to capture, or he must
turn to another unknown suit and give
you, at fourth hand, a decided advantage
In position.
How strong this may be can be seen
when 1t Is taken into consideration that
you can again lead through strength, at
the expense of trump from an opponent,
who by this tinfe mny be wildly signaling.
OF course In this game the commanding
card of your left hand opponents declared
suit should never be led by you. You
would be then dcing that which your op.
ponent Is most desirous you should do.
| A good ruie to follow In this case Is the
reverse of the golden one. It Is, What
ever you see your enemy doesn't like to do,
make him do II" When you know that
from the fail Of the cards on the previous
round, If he could regain the lead, he
would not continue tho suit Mt least with
the lead OF "a high card, then, by your play
Of that suit, put him In dilemma about
playing that high card There Is a great
deal of need for good judgment in adopt.
ing this style of play. DIEDRIcH.
Knickerl, -7~ Whist Club, New York.