Judge — February 1933 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| PROCLAIM 3 DAYS. OF FREEDOM FROM A WORK-A-DAY WORLD Lincoln’s birthday! What happier holiday than three wonderful days at the shore! Bring the family and let them revel in the sparkling sun and salt air, at the edge of the glorious ocean. A_ seashore appetite awaits you... and food fit for the gods. Outdoors there’s golf. In the hotel, squash . . . or a health bath to put you in prime con- dition. Fast hockey to watch Or de- licious idleness all day long on the Ocean Deck. in the Auditorium. At night, Music. Dancing. Bridge. Rates are very special. American and European Plans. CHALFONTE- HADDON HALL ATLANTIC CITY Leeds and Lippincott Company YOUR BRIDGE AND MINE By Sidney S. Lenz Mr. Lens reill welcome correspondence from Judge readers and will give advice and ansicer question related to Auction and Contract provided correspondents send stamped, addressed envelopes for reply F THE many futile and inadequate alibis that the poor card-player stocks in his grab-bag, the least con- vincing is the old, old standby: “hindsight is better than foresight.” Criticism of the partner, when a contract is defeated entirely through a pure guess, stamps the critic as a drib, a whyncha and a poor sport. When, however, the criticism is just, the player at fault should be recep- tive instead of resentful. A bad bridge player who is never criticised will never improve. The following interesting deal was played at a prominent Club in New York, with South as the adage- slinger. THE BIDDING West North 1 2 Diamonds Pass South 1 Club 3. No Trumps East Pass Pass Pass Both sides were vulnerable and the declarant succeeded in getting set five tricks, which brought forth, from dummy, the rather mild pro- test, “partner, you didn’t play that hand so well.” In these parlous times, a thousand point set is a major calamity and a player who incurs such a penalty, without wavering in the belief that his bidding and play is beyond re- proach, has urgent need of a psychia- trist. The adversaries play on this deal helped put the declarant on the spot, a but his piteous plaint that every- body always played terribly as his partner and as though inspired when against him, was not true in this in- stance, A careful diagnosis of this hand shows that North’s criticism was quite justified. The three of Hearts was opened and won by the Jack. The Jack of Diamonds was finessed and held the trick when East craftily refused to play the King. On the second round of Diamonds, the Queen went to the King and the Heart return permitted West to gather in four tricks in that suit, after which a low Spade was led and East’s Queen forced the Ace With no way of getting into dummy to cash in the three good Diamonds, South established — the Clubs and when East won with the King and led a low Spade, South popped up with the Jack and—well it was just too bad. wie at first glance it would ap- pear that the declarant was en- tirely at the mercy of bad distribu- tion, together with clever play by the adversaries—inasmuch as the Kiny of Diamonds in West's hand would have made the contract—the defense by East was the only way that should have allowed South to fulfill his declaration and win the rubb East’s holdup was not open to criti- cism, because he could not possibly know that a lead through South would be good for enough tricks to set the contract. On the bidding it would seem that South might hold another sure stop in the Heart suit. The drop of the Diamond suit was a giveaway that the King could not be in West’s hand. The eight and ten fell on the first two rounds and if West also held the King, he would have covered the Jack on the first round, as he must win a trick in the suit if he does. Going up with the Ace, when West’s ten appeared and finessing the Club, would have been correct play—good enough to win the game and rubber. comicbooks.com