Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-31


winter meeting Of the league at Buffalo,
where 1t was handed to the committee by
the American Club of Boston, and will now
go to thu west, where Toledo and Chicago
will strive for its possession at Jackson,
Mich. next Saturday.
Contest for Women's Trophies
The contest for women's trophies is over,
and Mrs. Andrews team has won. After a
series Of Interesting contests lasting for
three years, during which time the stand
ard Of play steadily improved. the long
drawn-oTt struggle has come to an end
and the team Of the donor of the trophies
has appropriately been the one to win the
manent possession of the emblems The
last match was between the holders and
the A. b. c. Club challengers. The score
was: Holders IS; challengers, S.
The four trophy winners are Mrs. T. H.
Andrews, Mrs. j. Z. Goodman, Mrs. E. L.
Ellison and Mrs. H. Toumlin, who is now
living in Milwaukee Wis. During the last
few games Miss Getchell ably filled the
place of Mrs. TOumln, but as the latter
played in the majority of the contests She
bis entitled to the trophy.
Mrs. Newbold's team, consisting of Mrs.
Silas Petit, Mrs. Rodman Wistar and Mrs.
Frank Samuel, will play at the Baltimore
Whist Club this evening. this being the
regular monthly ladies' night of that club.
AS they will have for partners four of Bal
timores strongest men players. they are
expected to make a great score. Tomor
row morning they will play a match game
of twenty-four deals with a team of the
Baltimore Ladies' Club.
Aiding Ones Partner.
If it is adopted as a team rule that the
weaker hand shall always consider itself
| subservient to the stronger, ready at all
times to sacrifice the high card holding SO
that it will be a gain to partner ultimately
not recklessly unlocking when partner
has sure re-entries in trumps. mindful at
all times to lead through strength again
and again. 1t will be found a sure trick
winner. If partner has shown weakness in
a suit, play your highest card second hand
the first time the suit Is opened. The ad-
versaries know his declared weakness in
that suit and are taking advantage of the
knowledge. Nothing is more indicative of
a selfish disposition than to make all the
winning cards of a suit. and then to play
the rest of the cards in an automatic man.
ner. often leading the enemy's established
suit, refusing to open a suit because one
has no winning card in the suit, entirely
ignoring the fact that the thirteen cards
that partner holds are part of the hand,
if it is wist ed to play 1t as one. Bouve
gives the reason for not leading the
highest to partners declared or inferred
suit lack Of courage" Under this head
he says:
Many tricks are lost at whist by all
classes Of players which could be saved
by the exercise of more courage. In re-
.
hand is the secret of large proportion
of the losses of the character to be de-
scribed. The reason for the book rule
which tells one to lead the ace of trumps.
regardless of number held in answer to
call from partner should be borne in
mind as applicable to a certain way to
analogous situations In plain suits. The
ace at the head of four or more would not
be led except in rare cases, but with three
of partners suit no hesitation is shown
in leading the highest, and II the lead is
held following with the card next in value.
1t Is when there is some doubt as to part
ner's suit that players show the lack of
requisite courage. Even when perfectly
aware that the suit they are about to
lead Is the only one in which partner can
hold any strength. they seem unwilling to
assist him to the utmost Of their ability.
Several cases have been noticed recently
IN important games where heavy losses
were cccasioned by the timid course taken
AT the American Whist Club (Boston)
in a recent session of the winter tourna-
nlent. after one opponent had shown
strength In diamonds, player holding a
strong terrace in spades his partner hav-
ing shown weakness In that suit. led the
deuce of clubs from king. ten, two. As a
result, the lone queen won. fourth hand,
the ace was still retained second hand and
his partner, holding jack and five small
ones. was prevented from bringing In his
four small clubs. A similar case to which
the writer's attention was called occurred
In an important match for one of the n
high spade on opponents lead Of club.
South won the trick and led short trumps;
north exhausted uumps south discarding
spades, whereupon north led the middle
heart from king and two others; south.
holding ace. jack ten and others. hnessed
the ten; the queen, once guarded. won the
trick. and eeveral spades were made which
might have easily been shut out. BY de-
Ginning to lead the best of three in such
cases, not only does partner frequently feel
Obliged to fneeee, but also II the added
risk taken Of blocking his suit after two
rounds. The fact that partners suit II
thus blocked b quite rs likely to cause
the loss as Is an unsuccessful fnesse on
his part. Tho trying position in other
respects In which partner 10 placed. even
II his hneese Ii successful. Is entirely un-
old story OF trying to make a possible
trick and In the effort losing several"
Conservatism.
It would greatly improve the game of
many Of our best players II they would
heed the following excellent advice from
E. C. Howell: Don't try for too much 4
There are only thirteen tricks. Don't
play to try to get fourteen. It can't be
done The great success Of the famous Al.
bany team for several years was due main
ly to fts sound, conservative play. They
lost very few tricks They won match az
ter match on the tricks given away by
their opponents. The players who are con-
stantly looking for coups. who are always
looking for big gains. are the ones that
lose. Occasionally. OF course they hit il
Just ngzt-just about often enough to en-
courage them to perBevere and make them
think that their system IL q winner-but
4he judgMout OF all experienced observers
10 that this system IL loser in the long |
run"
Masratfng Caused ~ Lack.
The present tnefacient manner Of scoring |