BITS AND PIECES
Bits and Pieces comprises letters to the editor, announcements of current events, and commentary on material in earlier issues. Probably the department with the most widely varied subject matter, it pokes into any corner that seems interesting or controversial. (We thrive on controversy.)
Below are extracts from items that appeared in Bits and Pieces for June, 1994.
Two June Corrections
Our proofreaders, reacting to the unseasonably hot weather in New York by leaving for the beach, let two analytical errors slip into the June, 1993, issue. First, . . .
Second, the solution to "Test Your Play" (A) overlooked a superior line of play, although the pretty jettison pin that we recommended was certainly more aesthetically satisfying.
| NORTH ♠ 5 3 ♥ A ♦ Q 9 8 6 4 2 ♣ K J 10 7 |
||
| SOUTH ♠ K Q J ♥ Q 7 5 4 2 ♦ A 3 ♣ A Q 5 |
South reached three notrump after an auction suggesting that East had 11-14 HCP in a balanced hand with five spades and three hearts. After the spade deuce to the ace and a spade back, the official line suggested beginning with a low diamond. A better play is to start with four rounds of clubs, confirming the exact count and squeezing East, who, depending on the discards, can be endplayed in various ways when he started with three diamonds. When East's diamonds are exactly king-jack-ten, this line succeeds where the official line fails.
* * *
Another Social Movement
TO THE EDITOR:
For three-table bridge parties, we arrange for round-robin IMP competition among six pairs. By playing two mini-matches in each of five rounds, we provide every pair with each other pair as teammates, and each other possible team as opponents (while meeting each other pair twice as table opponents). By varying the number of boards in a set, you can use an appropriate number of boards, and you can break after any round (to eat, perhaps).
Pair 1 is stationary at Table 1 North-South; the other pairs play as North-South twice and East-West three times. Each round begins with one set of boards on each of the three tables, and an extra set temporarily out of play. (It is possible to get by with only three sets of boards, but when a set contains four boards, as it usually does at our parties, the extra-table arrangement allows us to use all 16 combinations of dealer and vulnerability.) Beginning with the second round, Tables 1 and 2 use the boards left there from the previous round while Table 3 switches boards with the extra table.
Within each round, all the boards to be used are shuffled, then two sets of boards are played at each table. After the first set, boards move down and East-West move up (the standard three-table team-of-four movement). The starting positions of the pairs, numbered 1 to 6, on each round, showing North-South and East-West table by table, are:
Round 1: 1/5 3/2 6/4
Round 2: 1/2 4/3 5/6
Round 3: 1/6 5/4 2/3
Round 4: 1/3 2/5 6/4
Round 5: 1/5 3/6 4/2
ALICE and MARVIN FRENCH
San Diego
* * *
Interesting Idea
In May, 1993, "Test Your Play" (B), South reached three notrump after East had opened one spade in third position.
| NORTH ♠ 9 6 5 ♥ 10 6 2 ♦ 7 5 ♣ Q J 10 7 3 |
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| SOUTH ♠ A K 2 ♥ A Q J 3 ♦ K Q 10 6 ♣ A K |
The official line was: Duck the spade opening lead; win the second spade; win the queen of hearts; cash ace-king of clubs (East follows); win the jack of hearts; test hearts with the ace. When East shows up with four hearts, play a low diamond, losing only when East started with ace-jack doubleton in diamonds.
Although it is difficult to say briefly (or perhaps at all) whether it represents an improvement or not, Stefan Ralescu, Riverdale, NY, has an interesting idea to try to avoid losing to that ace-jack doubleton of diamonds. He suggests that South win trick one, then play the heart queen, club ace-king, heart jack, and diamond king. If East wins and continues spades, declarer wins, tries the ace of hearts, and, when East shows up with four hearts, plays the queen of diamonds. If this fails to drop the jack from East, South continues diamonds, expecting West to be stuck with all clubs when he runs out of diamonds.
* * *
Percentage Play?
TO THE EDITOR:
In "K. C. Vanderbilt, III," (August issue), Edgar Kaplan comments on this deal where Bjorn Fallenius, South, played three notrump against a spade lead.
| NORTH ♠ 5 4 ♥ K 9 4 ♦ A J 10 8 5 2 ♣ K 8 |
||
| WEST ♠ A 10 6 3 ♥ 10 7 3 ♦ 9 7 ♣ A 6 5 4 |
EAST ♠ Q J 8 7 ♥ J 6 2 ♦ Q 6 ♣ Q J 7 2 | |
| SOUTH ♠ K 9 2 ♥ A Q 8 5 ♦ K 4 3 ♣ 10 9 3 |
After winning the first trick, declarer tested hearts, then played king of diamonds, diamond to the jack. The report calls this decision "perverse" and asks why.
Perhaps because declarer judged it was the percentage play. He knew West was either 4=3=2=4 or 4=3=3=3. A priori, West was five-to-four to be 4=3=2=4, but these odds are tempered by the fact that West chose to lead a spade. He would always lead a spade from 4=3=3=3, but might have chosen a club from 4=3=2=4. If you judge that he would lead a club one time in five, the finesse becomes the percentage play.
Perhaps you don't think West would lead a club as often as one time in five. [We don't.--Ed.] But it is an arguable point. However, if hearts and clubs were reversed, making West's choice with four-four random, the finesse would be a 4 to 2.5 favorite.
PHILLIP MARTIN
Bronxville, NY
The reasoning leading to the "4 to 2.5" conclusion presumes that West's four-card holdings are equally attractive. That would be the case if, for example, declarer knew that West held no honors in either suit. Lacking that information, the analysis is much more complicated; it hinges on East's play to trick one and West's lead proclivities.
* * *
Silly Discussion
In Nines and Fives, in the October issue, South plays six notrump against the club-ten lead after West has opened the bidding with one spade:
| NORTH ♠ Q J 2 ♥ — ♦ A Q 10 6 5 3 ♣ K Q J 9 |
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| SOUTH ♠ K 9 4 ♥ A Q 6 3 ♦ 7 4 ♣ A 4 3 2 |
The correct play, as stated, is to win three clubs in dummy, then, assuming West is out of clubs, play the spade queen to the king.
A parenthetical discussion about the possibility of an early lead to the club ace is irrelevant, since after club ace, diamond finesse, and spade queen to the king, West, when he holds the spade ten, can successully lock declarer in dummy with a diamond. The editors were entirely responsible for this silliness.
* * *
A Subterranean Throw-In
TO THE EDITOR:
Readers may enjoy trying their skill at this problem from a recent rubber-bridge game.
South dealer
North-South vulnerable
| NORTH ♠ A K 10 4 ♥ 5 3 2 ♦ J 7 4 ♣ 9 7 2 |
||
| SOUTH ♠ Q 7 6 ♥ 10 ♦ K 5 ♣ A K Q J 8 6 4 |
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ♣ | 2 ♦ | Double | 2 ♥ |
| 3 ♣ | Pass | 4 ♣ | Pass |
| 5 ♣ | Pass | Pass | Pass |
West leads the heart eight to East's king. East tries the ace of hearts, but you ruff high, West playing the nine. When you draw trumps, East throws a heart on the second round.
Plan the play.
P. K. BISHOP
New Russia, NY
Solution
| NORTH ♠ A K 10 4 ♥ 5 3 2 ♦ J 7 4 ♣ 9 7 2 |
||
| WEST ♠ 5 2 ♥ Q 9 8 ♦ A 10 9 8 6 3 ♣ 10 5 |
EAST ♠ J 9 8 3 ♥ A K J 7 6 4 ♦ Q 2 ♣ 3 | |
| SOUTH ♠ Q 7 6 ♥ 10 ♦ K 5 ♣ A K Q J 8 6 4 |
West apparently had three hearts and two clubs, and probably six diamonds (at least) for his overcall, so he will have at most two spades. To prepare for the possibility that East has a spade stopper, and can be subjected to a throw-in, declarer must strip West's possible exit card in hearts. Thus, after drawing trumps, declarer should play a spade to dummy's ace and ruff the last heart. Then, if the spade jack does not drop under the queen, declarer runs his trumps, leaving:
| NORTH ♠ K 10 ♥ — ♦ J ♣ — |
||
| SOUTH ♠ 7 ♥ — ♦ K 5 ♣ — |
Among his last three cards, East must keep two spades. If he started with either high diamond honor, the contract is home on an endplay. If East discards his diamond honor, declarer establishes a diamond trick; if East keeps his diamond honor, South leads a low diamond at trick eleven. This line was executed by Dorn Bishop.
Here's a sampler of the features, articles and columns that you will find in the pages of The Bridge World each month.