The sun., 1910-01-30
PROBLEMS FOR sun READERS
BRIDGE PLAYERS CAUGHT IN A
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAP.

Ingenious Idea OF New COmpOser-PrOb.
lem az Two Men IN Boats TO EXer.
else the TheOrIsts-A New Defence in
an Old Chess Problem Pointed out.
The composer OF bridge problem No d.
So would probably smile If he could read
the letters from people who are quit .
sure they have solved IL when the fact
10 that they have walked right into the
trap which A. p of Yonkers set for them
and which he covered up so nicely that
the longer they looked at it the less they
saw 1t.
The composer Of No. 5S has fully jus.
titled the faith expressed by readers OF
The Sun who struggled with his first
effort. No. a. in his ability to give them
another hard one. In No. az the trap
was baited with the king OF spades. to
discard which apparently made two
spade tricks good In the adversaries'
hands. In No. SO the bait was completely
changed and was hung on a nice new
| ook.
This problem is a study in psychology.
its object being TO make the victim see
something so plainly that he cannot see
anything else, The thing that he sees
Is that IL B does not keep both his clubs
Y and Y will make six tricks instead
OF five. The next thing he sees is that
Y and Y cannot get even five tricks unless
they can catch BIS king of clubs. and that
the only way to catch it is to get rid OF
Y's jack and then make A lead clubs by
putting him in with the ten of diamonds.
The trouble is that A sees through that
little game. and so does b.
II Y starts out with the jack Of dia monds
A gives up the ten on the first trick. so as
to avoid the lead. Now. IL Y gets in and
leads the club, B will not cover 1t and z
cannot AFFORD to win it. When Y leads the
heart. B will make two hearts. but that
is all.
The same result is brought about il Il
leads the spade queen after the jack Of
diamonds. If A does not give up the
ten, u leads the spade queen. so as TO
avoid the lead in that suit. and then puts
in, winning six tricks. instead OF FIVE.
! This being all nicely figured out by
those who got the correct solution. they
gave the key move as the lead Of the dia-
mond. to see IL A would give up the ten.
which he did. OF course, and the rest
followed easily enough. n Y led the
spade queen before the second round of
diamonds, Y gave up a small heart dis
oarding the club only in case A kept the
ten OF diamonds.
The trap is in fixing the soIver's mind
on the Importance OF BIS keeping two
clubs, no matter what leads or which
diamond A plays; so may discard his
smallest heart or one Of his spades. When
leads spades, viii stiH have left the
That is all
This being the scheme, an astonishing
number of would-be solvers work out
the rPaiIf ny a n ~ N nth b.
OF spades, and ID is easily possible TO
imagine that the problem can be solved
with that opening unless the mind can be
completely disabused OF the idea derived
from the first examinations Of the posi-
ton. which is that B must keep both
those clubs. Once get rid OF that notion
ana II will be found impossible to solve
the problem by starting with the spade
~ leads the spade queen for the first
trick y has the choice of two discards.
The favorite one seems to be-the jack Of
clubs. so as to be out OF the way when
leads clubs II A gets in. z now leads
the jack OF diamonds and A gives up the
ten, discarding a small heart
now leads another diamond. putting
in. and on this trick B discards club.
because that suit 10 dead now having
no club to lead. B makes two hearts
and the spade jack. leaving Y and z with
II Y keeps the jack Of clubs when z
starts out with the spade, discsrding a
heart, A does not give up the ten of dia-
monds. but wins the second trick with
IT,. because has no chance now TO get
rid OF the club jack B discards q small
heart on the first diamond lead and the
spade on the next, keeping two clubs
When A plumps his club through Y's
jack b ducks II, and as before cannot
anord to overtake it.. Having nothing
but hearts left. Y leads a heart. and B
makes two hear to. which with As trick
In diamonds leaves Y and 2 only four.
Correct solutions from:
j; g. Walsh. A. NJ. Harrington. Sadie
Baggs. Arthur L. Brown, r. II, Hawkins,
n. II. Herbert. s. G. Kinsey, William A
Grout. III. X. Thaw, L. q. e., M. B. b,
J. W. Cromwell, Jr., c. F. johnson, Atb-
letic Edith, e. L. Tyler, b. F. McKeage.
Jr., III. C. Jewett, John 8. SAKE, Oscar n |
IhOnet, NJ. B. L., Algernon Bray, N. ID. w, |
w. b. Cosgrave, Ben Kard, Frederick L, |
Churchill, Mrs. s. W. Whitney, Percival |
Levy, s. P. j.. Richard F. Hall. Il. A. |
Gunther, ID. A. W., l.. d. Judd, Mack, |
William j. Lippmann, A. |. StrasburRer.
z. u. Thompson. William Kent, II. E. w
G: Walton. Aborn, II. r. w, George b
Glover. L. c. b.. Victor Du Pont. Jr..
w. p. W, William II. Baker, A. 8. Kirk |
man, j. L. Geist, Elizabeth White. r. q. r. |
II. {; Schwecke, s. p. H., A. Il. Hunting
ton. W. W. Dudley. I c. Fetter, b. M. e., |
Charles b, Weikel. Everett A. Aborn,
Tramp Trays. DR.. George c. Bailey,
D.. c. Shanks, +. b. Willetts, Jr., Tgoe.
j. L. Scott, Edgar Body and-M T.. j.
Here Is something from shin another
new hand at the composing game. After
Tour no trumpers In succession il is going
IN fha NvT.v,,