The Expert Animal

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday August 28, 2008

Ron Klinger

This deal was reported M. J. Sullivan in the 1952 European Bridge Review:

East dealer : Nil vulnerable

NORTH

West North East South

  Pass 1H (1)

1S 4H All Pass

(1) Playing 4-card suits

West starts with the SK: three  two (discouraging)  five and shifts to the D3: queen  king  seven. East returns the S9: ace  four  ten. A diamond to the ace is followed by the HJ: king  ace  three.

South continues with the S8: jack  H10  S6 and the H2: seven  queen  eight. This is now the position:

NORTH

From the play so far, West knows that East began with three spades and two hearts exactly and two or more diamonds.

South began with exactly three spades and four hearts, plus two or more diamonds.

South leads the C9. Which club should

West play? Does it matter?

This was the complete deal:

NORTH

West was Tim Seres and when South led the C9, Tim played the C10, taken in dummy. South returned to hand with a trump and played the C8, C2 from West.

What should South do?

Should he play West for J-10-2 or A-J-10-2 or play East for J-3 doubleton?

Tim had created a losing option for declarer and South went for the gag, letting the C8 run. East won with the CJ, but the ensuing ruff-and-discard did South no good. Tims CA was the setting trick.

The deal was recounted by Michael Courtney in Play Cards with Tim Seres where he records Mick Sullivans description of Tim as . . . Machiavelli and Ananias rolled into one the minute he holds thirteen cards. Machiavelli advocated the discreet dissemination of information.

Ananias, a member of an early Christian sect, was executed for lying. Give declarer enough rope was Tims Bols Tip, the principle being to create a losing option for an opponent.

Life Magazine in an article lists the characteristics of a top class bridge player as the conceit of the peacock, the night habits of an owl, the rapacity of a crocodile, the inscrutability of a snake, the memory of an elephant, the boldness of a lion, the killer instinct of a wolf.

(K. Chandramouli in the Delhi Bridge

Association Newsletter)

Tomorrows problem:

West North East South

 2C (1) 3S 4C (2)

4S Pass Pass 5C

5H Dble 5S 6D

Dble Pass Pass Pass

(1) Multi

(2) Offer to play

One of the options for the multi-2C is a weak, three-suited hand, short in a major and that is Norths highly likely holding. What would you lead as

West from:

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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