The Washington times., 1905-11-12
DUPLICATE VHIST'S
SERIOUS PROBLEM
The Guarding of HOnors
Fully Explained.
ROTARY DISCARD NOT LIKED
System, However, Finds FavoT Else
where-Only Used by Highest Class
of Whist Players.

N-KN. YORK. Nov 1I.-Siuce the very
beginning of duplicate whist, the alb
sence of any rule sufficiently broad to
cover the difficulties surrounding the
discard has been apparent. If it is TAX
en- as an infieXible rule that under Ger
tain circumstances the discard must be
from the long suit how many times
viii it follow that II results in throwing
just so many tricks to the adversary.
While. on the other hand, such a suit as
that Of three small cards, headed by
the Jack, is seldom worth preserving.
Og ooarua, tt ts imperative 10 keep In
tact such short suits as consist OF an
honor once guarded. as king and one or
queen and one. It may. therefore. be
taken as a fundamental principle that
with one guard TO an honor no discard
. should be made. while if there are as
many as three guards TO a card as low
as the jack, the guards become so nu-
merous that the suit becomes unwieldy,
and II is not so important 10 preserve
such suit intact unless distinct circum-
stances point TO its possible establish
ment in the hand OF the adversaries.
Discard Difficulty.
Accepting. then, as a principle the
necessity of guarding hOnors. a discard
Gan Dc A44eANE Sa-EAE rum AAA4lf1 WIN ~ y
or more small cards from nneen
three or more. and from jack with FIVE
or more, other conditions being equal. A
serious burden of difficulty which next
appears for consideration is the choice
of the selection Of the discard by the
partner in the absence Of other infor-
nation. The hand contains three plain
suits-a discard from any of the three
does not infallibly indicate either one
of the two remaining. while ordinarily
a first discard conveys the impression
that the suit thrown away is of no
value. it says in the absence of spe-
ciaI meaning. Partner. do not lead this
suit"
1t is easy TO see that the question Of
guarding honors is a prOdigi0us stump-
ling block in the way Of formulating a
general rule regarding the discard, and
while the subject has a fascination for
eEery player. so far nothing has been
done 20 place this portion of the game
upon satisfactory basis.
Rotary Unpopular.
a few years ago The league had the
opportunity of passing upon the advis-
ability OF approving the rotary discard,
but in the wisdom Of the governors at
that lime this was not done. For some
reason, the rotary has never gained
any popularity in this community, al
though elsewhere II has been tried, and
after now, some five or six years OF
experience. is still IN use. The stumb-
ling block in the way Of its acceptance
by the league was The fact that some
teams were using it IN the regular order,
while others played it in the bridge
order Of the suite.
This. of course. was the cause Of end
less confusion in the correct reading OF
the convention by the enemy and gave
the rotary a decided unpOpularity al
that time.
Another objection to the use OF the
rotary Is that it is beyond the capae-
fly OF all except the highest order nf
whist players. on the other hand. many
of the more ambitious among the lesser
lights would possibly be urged to grea5-
er study in order to perfect themselves
IN the use OF this convention II the
league would authorize II as a legal
component Of the game. This could be
done by selecting a rotation, stamping
Il as official and by defining any varia-
tion from the leagues dictum as pri-
vate convention and Illegal under the
rules OF the game.