Evening star., 1939-07-30

he looked down at his remarkable
holding-l3 spades. Not wishing to
appear excited or to tip OF his
hand he studied 1t q moment and
then called Seven spades" South
had to pass, but Miss Wilmington
in the North doubled. Mr.. Dean
redoubled and grand slam in
spades became the contract.
In these circumstances the super
expert would have taken action.
Sitting South. that hand after the
redouble should have bid seven no
trump. It can easily be made with
South playing it; II North were to
play it at seven no trump she would
not make a single trick, but with
West being on lead and unable to
lead a spade, because East had
them all, there is no difiiculty In
making the contract. It would make
little or no difference what she
first lays down, South controls all
the suits except the spades. Prob
ably the fourth club would be led
up to South's jack-10 and South
must know that East's hand is q
solid suit and that he cannot take
a trick; If he had held one losing
trick with spades the trump he
would have bid six spades over six
hearts, instead of seven. Therefore
he can have no card of an of suit
and the seven spot in South's hand
must win the four of clubs led by
West. The rest is simple; the fourth
and fifth heart leads squeeze West
and force the discarding of clubs
and diamonds which enables South
to win all the tricks. It would
be sad indeed. however, to hold
East's solid suit hand and be un-
able to play it and at the same
time to see the adversaries make
a grand slam in no trump. Neither
side was vulnerable on the deal.
One of the old stories which al
ways gets q big laugh especially
when told to the newcomers at the
bridge table in the National Press
Club, concerns the experience Of
Everett Watkins, the popular WASH
ington correspondent of the In
dianapolis Star. "Watty" knows his
aces and is regarded as very good
player, but sometimes like all the
rest of us, he makes an error that is
expensive.
In the particular game in question
both sides were vulnerable and Mr..
Watson's side had a part score of
80 while the other side had a good
count above the line. The next
dealer did not have enough to open,
and the second and third hands were
reluctant to name suit. Mr.. Wat
son in fourth position called one
club. Then every one passed, which
in itself was unusual because al
lowing a vulnerable side with a part
score of 80 to have the contract at
one club would mean game and rub
ber, If successful. After q half dozen
tricks had been played it looked
improbably, If not impossible, that
the contract would be defeated and
the adversaries announced their
willingness to concede one club, espe-
cially as the winning score would be
small in view OF what they had
above the line.
"Oh, no." replied Mr.. Watson.
"1ll make more than one"
Leading to the next trick he made
an unsuccessful finesse which was
quite unnecessary to the fulfillment
Of the contract and went down two
tricks, whereas by accepting the
offer Of his opponents he might
have made game and rubber. The
deal that followed gave Mr.. Wat
sons adversaries small slam and a
rubber which netted them 20 points
instead Of the loss they had ex-
pected.
In bridge, as In many other situa-
tions, it Is not bad idea to take
the goods the gods provide.
Dick Skinner, part-time resident
of Washington and winner of sew
eral bridge events here and in Bal
timore, and Mrs. Eva Latter of Will
mington, Del, also well known
bridge winner. were recently mar
ried and are on their honeymoon in
California. They will reside upon
their return to the East In Alton
Bay, N. H.
Mr.. and Mrs. Goeffrey Mott
Smith, the former chairman of the
I aurc and Rulas Gam N iffao Of fha