Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-15
SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
ProbIen 4-Sectjon 2

This problem is solved in two ways,
but the principle Is the same in each
solution, to wit, to secure at least one
rough from the weak hand. The nat
ural solution is to win the first trick
with the nine of diamonds. Next, ace
of diamonds followed by trump lead,
which is properly finessed. Next lead
king of diamonds, upon which dummy
discards a small spade. Ace and king
of spades, followed by small spade,
which is trumped by dummy. Dummy
leads trump, which dealer illnesses and
follows with trump and, by making the
good spade and diamond and leading
the club and f1nessing, wins all thirteen
tricks. Correct solution received from
"Redondo," "E. A. B." and *. NJ. D."
An ingenious variation, which seems
to have escaped all solvers except Mrs.
j. F., is given below. 1t is regretted
that at trick four she overlooked the
play of spade queen by second hand,
as otherwise it is most probable she
would have correctly solved the prob
lem, as the proper principle was dis
covered and it only remained to be very
careful. Trick one should be won by
ace of diamonds. Dummy leads trump,
which dealer illnesses. Dealer leads king
of diamonds and follows with small
diamond, which dummy trumps. Dunn
nv leads trump, which dealer illnesses
and then leads 2 of trumps. The orig
inal leader is compelled TO discard
either club, diamond or spade, and
either results in dealer winning all the
tricks.
Article 7-Section
The "eleven rule" is probably known
to 80 per cent of those who play whist,
as Is the opening of fourth best; but
it is astonishing how few players apply
the rule, and probably not 10 per cent
can explain why it is so. This is not
due to any particular difficulty in the
rule, but to the fact that so many
people are willing to play conventions
without requiring any reason therefor,
with the general result that If the
slightest deviation from accepted hands
arises they are at a loss as to the proper
procedure.
The Eleven Rule
If low card be led by your partner
YOU can determine the number of cards
in that suit held by all other players
which are higher than the one led by
subtracting the card led from eleven.
For instance If your partner leads {,
YOU know that there are five cards
higher than a held by all other play
ers; hence if you hold three and dunn
my two higher than 6, you know that
the dealer holds no card In that suit
higher than a 6, and therefore you can
finesse accordingly. Furthermore, as
Won know that with certain combina-
lions of honors your partner will lead
an honor and not lead fourth best, 1t is
generally easy to determine from the
cards held by yourself and by dummy
lust which of the high cards are held
by the leader and which by the dealer.
In those cases in which the leader
does not hold certain high cards he is
t. y hnc Of f
ing from the top down. For instance,
holding ace, jack, 8, 7, 2, the proper
lead is T. Surprising dummy lays down
queen, 8, 4, and you hold king, 10, b;
applying the rule, you find that from
II leaves 4, and, since you and dummy
hold four higher than the card led, 1t
is evident that the dealer has no card
higher than the Z, and hence, unless
dummy plays higher, 1t is unnecessary
for you to do so. Again, with the same
opening, If dummy holds queen, 8, 4.
and you hold 10, 5, 8, it is evident that
the dealer holds the king or ace. He
can only hold one higher than the Z,
and if it were either jack or it follows
that YOUR partner has led small from
ace. king, which he would never do at
declared trump, but might at no trump.
Hence if it be no-trump, and the dealer
win with either jack or 9, it marks
your partner with both ace and king,
and consequently an established suit if
the suit be led again.
The reason why the eleve rule is
true is thai if your partner leads his
fourth best he must hold three higher.
Now, if we call the jack IL, the queen
~, the king 10 and the ace IA, 1t is
evident that if be subtracted from IA
we have IL Hence, if we take the
card led from eleven the remainder
represents the higher cards held by the
other players; or. taking it another
way, if we take the card led from four
teen we know the higher cards held by
all players, and we know that the
leader holds three of Them. OF course,
the rule does not apply unless the play