The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-02-03

WIFI the ace ana SQ11CcQ 10 the ten
Of spades. One heart and five spade
tricks defeated the declarer's contract
py two tricks.
East's opening was not q shot In
the dark, but the result Of logical
reasoning, and he was repaid by q
! gain of exactly five tricks over those
who made the conventional spade
lead.
Copyright, 1888, NEA Service, Incl
BY WIN. E. MCKINNEY
Secretary, American Bridge League
It is very seldom that you will find
an opponent willing to extent the
helping hand-that is, help you to
make your contract-and of course, he
shouldn't. However, hands do arise
sometimes in which you can force
your opponent to help you make your
contract.
This point is we'll brought out In
the following hand, and In addition
1t shows you why you should not take
what may prove to be losing finesse
If there is any better way of playing
the hand.
South became the declarer at q
three no trump contract. The bid
ding Is very simple. While the hand
contains five quick tricks, South's
hand cannot be opened with a two
no trump bid as he does not have the
strong five-card suit which is required
for such a bid.
However, 1t Is too strong to open
with suit bid of one, therefore 1t
Is an ideal hand with which to open
enc no trump, as this bid shows
partner a very fine hand. North will
then bid two no trump and South will
60 to three no trump.
The Play
It Is Vests opening lead. When
your strong suit is headed by three
touching honors. open the top honor
in this case the queen OF hearts.
East must not carelessly play the
nine spot, but should unlock i'm
mediately by playing his king.
The declarer will refuse to win the
trick, East will then return the nine
of hearts. This play, of course, marks
East with only two hearts and the de-
clarer can safely win the second heart
lead. There would be no harm, how
ever, In holding up one more round.
Let us assume that the declarer
wins the second heart trick. He must
Tow stop and take inventory. He is
sure Of three club tricks, one diamond,
the heart trick, and three spade
tricks, or eight in all. To make his
contract either the spades must break
CT the diamond finesse must work.
If the diamond finesse Is tried and
fails, the contract Is defeated at once.
II the spades do not break, in all
probability East holds the four spades,
f, as West held five hearts.
The declarer can further hope that
West does not hold more than three
clubs. He Is not interested in how
many diamonds West holds, as what
! ne IS now planning to do is to force
West to lead diamonds.
His first play should be to see II
the spades break. He leads the ace
and king of Spades-on the second
spade Vests jack drops. marking him
out of spades.
However, to make sure that West is
not false-carding, the declarer leads
his third spade and West makes the
natural discard Of q small club.
Now the dummys ace and queen OF
clubs and the small club led, which
the declarer wins with the king. On
the third club West is forced to dis
card diamond.
IT the declarer had left the lead
in the dummy on the third club trick
and had led a diamond and taken the
flnesse. West would have won with
the king of diamonds and then CASH
ed his three good hearts which, with
the heart trick they had already won,
would have defeated the declarer's
contract.
However, the declarer made the
unusual play Of leading his opponents
suit and led the seven Of hearts,
throwing West in the lead. All that
West can now do Is to cash his three
good heart tricks. and he is then
forced to lead q diamond into the de-
c!arer's ace queen, which gives the
declarer the extra trick needed for
game.
Copyright. 1888. NEA Service, Inc,