The Washington times., 1932-05-09
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Unless criticism is constructive
it is out Of place. One Of the
most common species o. carping
is to find fault with bidder
who has not bid the slam that
results, when his values do not
justify such high contracting and
when only a lucky happening
enables the declarer to make a
slam. The hand below afforded
an example of stupid criticism.
AK95
OI09
&A9652
HI043
AJ7642 ~ AQ8
Oe2 i OF
&e74 AKO1O3
1KJs Z HAS7652
AAI03
OAKQJ6543
90
4 A 1903
OAKQJ6543
~
90

z made an opening bid of 4
Hearts on his ability to count
9 certain tricks. Both sides were
vulnerable, and he wished no
opposing bids that might oblige
him to overcall his values. A
passed; so also did both Y
and B.
The opening lead was the 4
of Spades. Y played the 5, and
B had to put up his @. The de-
clarer won the trick.
We must give the declarer
credit for playing the hand well.
He led back his only club. Win
ming the trick in dummy, z led
a low club and ruffed the trick
with his 3. He led his 4 and
overlook with dummy's 9 of
Hearts. Then he made another
lead of clubs, and ruffed the
trick with his j. 2 took no un-
reasonable chances that he
might be overtrumped by A, and
have a diamond led.
Next z led a low trump, and
dummy'S 10 won the trick. rs
return lead of a club brought
down the last opposing card of
that suit, leaving one long club
in dummy. z trumped the trick.
z led his lowest spade, and be-
lieving BIS announcement of
lacking the J to be true (because
B played his @ on the first
trick, dummy's 9 was played,
winning the trick. Upon a lead
of Y'S long club the declarer dis
carded his only diamond. Then
he spread his hand, claiming a
grand slam, made but not bid.
Immediately z upbraided his
partner because he had not bid
6 Hearts. To this Y replied
that he would have done so had
z made an opening bid of S
Hearts,. ~~
To prove how unjust rs crit
icism was, suppose that the
opening lead had been a trump,
removing one of the cards of re-
entry required to establish clubs.
Let dummy win the trick, and
lay down the Ace of Clubs. Lead
another club and have the de-
clarer ruff. Two adverse clubs
are down. Put dummy in with
it's last trump. Lead another
club, bringing down BIS third
club. Entry can still be had by
leading a spade, and playing
dummy'S K. Another lead of
clubs will clear dummy's suit,
but no way remains to enter
dummy, to obtain the desired
discard of rs lone diamond
upon the good club remaining in
dummy. Then the declarer must
lose one diamond and one spade,
making only five-odd.
In case a club is made an
opening lead, it will have the
same effect as if z led that suit.
A single club can be established,
affording the declarer an oppor-
tunity to discard one card,
either his lone diamond or his
losing spade, and giving him a
small slam, but not a grand
slam.
An opening lead of a diamond
will cause the declarer to lose
one trick in that suit. In case
a second diamond is led, the de-
clarer can ruff. Then he can
lead and establish one club in
dummy, upon which to discard
his losing spade. But if only
single diamond is led, then a
heart is led, the declarer can
win only five-odd.
Copyright, 1882, King Features
Syndicate, Inc.)