Two Bridge Dont’s by William E. McKenney

Wednesday, December 10 2014

Today almost in all the newspapers of the world you coul read: Famous footballer Diego Maradona has fallen asleep on an official event, which was held on Tuesday, December 9, in Venezuela. According to El Universal, the situation has been during the speech of President Nicolas Maduro..

Watching the video I remembered The bridge hand below, published in 1938 by William E. Mckenney entitled: Two Bridge Dont’s …

The Evening Independent – Feb 7, 1938

Today’s hand has two morals. The first is the old one, «Let sleeping dogs lie». The second is more modern and more strictly bridge. Don’t advertise your distribution unless a useful purpose can be served thereby, Morton A. Selinger and Irving Valentine, two New York business men who are also good bridge players, taught West the truth behind both aphorisms.

Instead of letting the bidding die at one no trump. West reopened the bidding and Selinger and Valentine then reached the somewhat doubtful contract of four hearts.

West, wanting a ruff with his singleton king, opened the ace and followed with the king of clubs, the conventional manner of showing no more of that suit. Then he led the queen of diamonds, which was won by Sanger with the king in dummy.

The ace of diamonds was cashed, then South, who from the bidding had marked West with a singleton heart, led a small heart to its queen. Of course, the singleton king won, but West was effectively endplayed.

If he led back a spade, it would run to the queen in the South hand and South would then pick up the trumps and cash the rest of the tricks.

A diamond return would be equally ineffective as, after winning in the dummy, East’s trumps would be drawn and the finesse taken, against the king of spades which was equally marked in the West hand by the bidding, showing a two suiter of probably five cards in each suit.

With the Play at the two high clubs and the two bids by West, it was not hard work to read the exact distribution of the West hand.