The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-16
Radio Bridge Gan1eNo. 10

oUVEE W. Il " Il
But Mrs. Traver, North, noting
the Declarer's very peculiar play,
sought the reason and discovered it.
1t was evident to her Whitehead,
South, must have held at least
three hearts Cor more) to warrant
his raise.
Therefore, Mrs. Todhunter, De-
clarer, at most could hold but one,
and would trump the second round
of hearts, if not the first. Only
one heart trick, therefore, was OBJ
tainable; and Mrs. Trayer, North,
RELAXED that she must take that
trick at once, if possible.
Then by leading clubs from her
queen, jack, ten UP to Dummy's
weakness, three club tricks, which
would stop game, might be OBJ
tainable. Accordingly Mrs. Traver,
North, played the ace of hearts;
Mrs Todhunter, Declarer, played
her lone 9.
Mrs. Traver then led the queen of
clubs; Mrs. Todhunter, Declarer,
played the king, realizing that it
must be lost sooner or later, unless
Mrs. Traver, North, held the ace.
Whitehead, South, won with the
ace; Dummy played the 8.
| y =
VETHITEHEAD returned the 9 OF
w clubs; Dummy played the s.;
Mrs. Traver the 10; Declarer the 4.
Mrs. Traver continued clubs with
the jack; Declarer played the g.;
Whitehead the 5; Dummy the 2.
Mrs. Traver then led the 6 of
| spades; Mrs. Todhunter played the
2; Whitehead the king; Dummy
the 4.
Whitehead south, then led the 3
of diamonds, Dummy played the 2,
Mrs. Traver the 8, and Mrs. Tod
hunter, Declarer, won with the 9.
Mrs. Todhunter then spread her
hand, announcing that she intended
to lead trumps after which her dia-
mondsN were good.
The adversaries conceded Mrs
Todhunter's claim. they had taken
one spade trick, one heart trick, and
three club tricks, thus holding Mrs.
Todhunter to her contract of two
spades, for which she scored Is trick
points and 10 for honorS.
This hand was remarkable for it's
two unusual plays on the first trick.
The first card led was the queen
of hearts, and Dummy, holding the
king jack, had what is known as a
"fourchette A fourchette is the
next card higher and the next card
lower than the card led or played
by the opponent on the right.
When high card is led or played,
the rule is to cover when holding
a fourchette. because, even if the
other adversary plays higher card,
the maneuver takes two high cards
for one and helps to establish the
lower card of the fourchette.
The cover-with-a -fourchette rule
is especially important when a.
queen is led and the next player
has king Jack; thus in this hand
ninety-nine Declarers out of every
hundred would have played the
king from Dummy as matter of
course, failing to appreciate that
with the nine falling on the trick
from the East hand, North would
not continue the suit up to the ex-
posed jacks.
NF course the play of the king
" would make the jack of hearts
winner, but it would mean a shift
ing from that suit Declarer could
be sure that if a shift took place it
would he to clubs; and if South
held the ace of clubs, the shift must
cost game. Consequently the hand
illustrates a case in which it is a6-
viSable for Declarer to depart from
an established rule.
Dummy's underplay put most
unusual situation up to North.
North realized there must be some
very important and unusual reason
for Declarer's failing to cover the
queen led with the higher card of
the exposed fourchette.
North'S keen inference was that
Declarer feared a club lead from
North, and hoped, by underplayinc
from Dummy, to keep the lead with
South.
Consequently it was excellent play
for North to sacrifice her ace of
hearts on her partners queen and
thus become able to lead her queen
of clubs to trick 2; as by doing so
she must thwart the scheme of the
Declarer.
The bidding of this hand at con-
tract affords wide opportunities for
differences of opinion. South, of
course, would pass, just as in auc-
ton; but some players who do not
approve of four-card suit-bids in
contract would pass with the West
hand, although they would bid it in
auction: others would bid one dia-
mond, just as is concededly proper
in auction.
| If the diamond bid should not be
made, North would not bid the
heart: and even with the diamond
bid. there are many contract play
ers who would consider North's hand
too weak for defensive bid, es-
pecially after South's original pass.
Without the heart bid. the queen
of hearts would not be led originally.
and the features of the hand would
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