Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
SHORT SUITS ARE
HARD TO HANDLE
Should Never Be Tried With
a Poor Whist
Player.

Few men have written ShreWder thlnSs
about whist than John Petch Hewby.
better known. perhaps. by his nom-de-
plume of "Pembridge." And of all his
keen remarks none ever went more
directly to the point than this: with
a weak partner. strengthening cards are
either futile or dangerous as he will In
all probability at once eisenhower nm
self" Any one who has ever tried
such scheme does not need to be told
that Pembridge's axiom is true The
success of short-suit play depends almost
entirely upon judicious handling of the
situation by the partner. There are many
,hands from which q short lead will bring
about favorable development if handled
with Judgment, but il not so treated
loss rather than gain will probably re-
suit.
What Is the usual course adopted by
those who attempt to play short suits
without knowing how? To force the
original leader at the earliest possible
moment. playing off the command of the
suit If held. or. lacking this. to return
the suit up to the leader at the first OPP
portunity. They never seem to realize
that such suits belong to the adversaries
except for such shoppers to complete
establishment as they hold in their own
hand. One OF the first principles of whist
is to retain command of the adversaries
suits. or keep guarded cards therein. as
long as possible, and this rule is not
abrogated simply because your partner
has opened a weak suit. There are times.
certainly. when nothing better can be
done than to give partner force. as:
for instance. when you hold a powerful
trump hand or are In condition to play
the ruffing game yourself: But in the
majority of cases you will do better to
accept the hint he has given you and
spar for position. This is just where the
necessity for good judgment comes In: in
deciding which CT two or three possible
courses to adopt. and the decision rests
with the partner of the one who has
chosen to open a short suit. Openings of
that character are direct request to
partner to run the deal to suit himself.
Hence il he cannot rise to the emergency
If the only thing he knows how to do is
TO ''disembowel himself" such openings
-" e-nnhn ticaliy mot only futile. but
DANGEROUS"
Take Wrong Tack.
The fact that many people undertake to
play the short-suit game without the
slightest idea of its underlying prnci-
pies can hardly be taken as a sound ar
gument against It, though the results OF
their play. which In the nature of things
must ne unsuccessful. are greedily seized
upon by long-suit writer's as proof that
short suits are losers" 1t is poor rule
that won't work both ways. Consequent
ly, If pair of players lead their long
suits religiously according to Cavendish.
but get bottom score by rotten play in
the middle and end game, why ''long
suits are losers" There is just as much
sense In one of these arguments as in the
other-that is to say, not particle in
either.
short-suit play seem to have an idea that
IL consists in leading short suit when
ever you find one in your hand. Many
follow this course, and think that they
y.Iav vi he thor R,,f f1,a
lead is not the important factor; the
handling Of the lead by the partner Is
what counts. The combination of unsound
short leads on the one hand and unskillful
management on the other can hardly fail
10 result in disaster. and players who thus
monkey with buzz-saw are soon glad to
return to the orthodox fold. which,
indeed. they should have never left. And
then we hear it proclaimed from the
housetops. or in the "off1cial organ of the
league" or are Informed through a re-
liable correspondent'-and in any case
with generous use OF sounding brass and
Puppee, or Mesdames Ruffe and Revoake
of the Swampville Saturday Whist Club
have announced to an awe-struck uni
verse that they have got through with
the detection Of these brilliant players
and eminent analysts. but when we read
further. and find that they made low score
al the last meeting of the club. there is
wisdom and confess that our own faith
has received a rude shock.
\ good illustration Of the Importance of
handling short leads in the proper man
is seen In the following deal, which
was played In one of last winters
tournament games. \ clear swing OF five
tricks depends upon the course adopted by
the leaders partner. and n variation of
SIX was actually made through the op-
portunity afforded for a skillful UNDER
Play. deals. turning the Jack of clubs,
and led to the first trick
The play at table 1: