The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-08
FOR LOVERS OF WHIST
Diedrich Gives an Example
From Actual Play.
LOGIC OF THE AMERICAN LEADS.

conventional Rays Legitimate when NOT
Running Counter to Logio-Neglect OF
an Opportunity to Give Information Is
Often Positive Transformation.
The American leads arc bnsed both up
on logic and convention, the latter not
contrayoning, but rather cOmplementing,
tho former. Tho information that is given
to the partner through logical Inference
may BIO very summarily discussed and dis.
missed. A lead from sequences, beginning
with the ace, since It is impossible for tho
trick to be taken except by trump, indi-
Gates clearly the position Of tho command
of tho suit. Leads from suits lacking the
king aro also logical. When three OF moro
high cards arc present. and always when
there arc five or more in suit tho ace is
led, since with either strong cards or long
suits, it is reasonable to utilize your forces
carly to establish tho suit or force trumps,
when this latter is advisable
Tho logical lead from sequences lacking
the aco is the king. 1t compols tho play
of the AGO when it lies with tho opponents
and saves it when it is held by the partner.
With five or moro cards in suits, however,
from logical point of view the play OF n
lower card is equally good, oven though ut
times it may bring ali acc unnecessarily
from tho partner. Tho suit is thereby cs-
tablishcd In the hand of oncplaycr, Il very
desirable thing, especially when trumps
have been led. For similar reasons from
sequences lacking both AGO and king tho
queen Is led.
When 1t is logical to lead Il low card,
convention points to tho original Fourth
Best rs tho proper ono, for subsequent
play, when u low card is called for, will
Indicate tho longth of tho suit led from
Thus tho lead of u six, taken by your part
ner, who leads buck from four in suit q
commanding card on which you discard
tho five, both opponents following suit,
indicates to your partner that you have
the other three cards of tho suit besides
his two, eight having been played. AS,
from the convention of his return, which
will be explained in tho play of third hand,
you know he had four in tho suit, every
card is also located by you.
1t may be urged in this connection by
the novice who is skcptiGal of these ostab-
lished conventions, that they inform the
opponents rs we'll as tho partner of tho
state of your handt But what if they do?
In tho example, given above, while it
would BIO disastrous to your side to have
tho suit Jed the third time, since tho
weaker OF tho opponents could trump in
and the stronger increase his strength by
the discard of u losing card, tho opponents
cannot lead 1t because they have neither
tho lead nor tho cards In tho suit, and
your partner, who can, will not. It is
true that In somo cases, especially when
the lead Is in tho hands of tho opponents
opportunities for giving information may
be designedly neglected by experts, but
this Is not tho rule for novices.
We will close with an illustration of the
evils resulting from misinformation con-
veyod i'll two leads of seemingly indifferent
cards from the correct suit.
In all those illustrative games hearts
arc trumps, and south leads. The under
lined card wins tho trick.
GAME I-MISINFORMATIoN IN CARD LED.
Cards held, South-Hearts, 10, 0, 4; clubs, A,
g; diamonds, j. 4, 3. 2; spades 8. 6. G, 3.
Cards held, West-Hearts, Z, Q: clubs. 10, 5, 3.
2; diamonds, K. 10. 0, 8; spades, ]. 5, 4.
Cards held, North-Hearts, A, K, Q, S; clubs,
K, j, 0, z, O; diamonds, A, Q, 0; spade. K.
Cards held. East : Hearts, j turned up
trump, s, 5. 2; clubs, Q, 4; diamonds. Z. 81
SHADES A O. 10 a y