598 



KNOWLEDGE 



[May 12, 1882. 



Fiisec. — Vou nro quite correct in your explanation. 



H. J. Burkor. — W. W. Morfrnn, 23, Groat Queen-street, sells 

 pocket chess-boards. It is quito "straightforward" to draw by 

 liorpetnal ciieek ; in some cases even highly creditable. 



Correct solution of I'robleni No. 39 received from Sloloqno, 

 Fusee, Alfred U. I'almer, Hoc, J. Wriglev, J. P., U. A. L. S., 

 II. A. N. 



SohitioTia of Xo». 38 and 39 also received from J. Griffith, J. B.. 

 of Bosford. 



J. C. Koylo r. J. Griffith. 



(But aanoi'st column. 



By " Five of Clubs." 



A GAME FOU STUDY. 



A. 



Clubs— K, 10,9,8,7,0,2. 

 Spades — ^K. 

 Hearts — K, 4. 

 Diamonds — K, Kn, 9. 



li. 

 Cluhs—A, Ku. 

 Spa'^les— Q, 0. 

 Hearts— Kn, 10, 9, 8, 7. 

 Diamonds— 7, 6, 4, 3. 



Y. 



Cluhs—q, l, 3. 

 Spades — Kn, 8, 5. 

 Hearts — A, 5, 2. 

 Diamonds — A, Q,10,2. 



Z. 



Cluls—5. 



Spades— A, 10, 7, G, 4, 



3, 2. 

 Hearts— Q, 6, 3. 

 Diamonds — 8, 5. 



Score.— 4 B, 3 ; T Z, 4. 



Players are invited by a correspondent to tost these l^nds (which 

 will be familiar to readers of Cavendish) by playing them in the 

 usual way, and report through our columns — with the original 

 lead in each case — the results of their game. 



Solutions of Problem IV. — H. L. L., K. C, Corrigan, and others 

 correct. We propose to publish the solution next week. 



A Two-Suit Hand. 



A correspondent, W. H. G., points out correctly that a two-suit 

 hand, 7 of one suit and 6 of another, may be formed in twice as 

 many ways as we liave indicated in our discussion of such Iiands 

 at page 561. Our reasoning assumes that each set of six from 

 one suit may be combined with each set of seven from another, 

 or vice Der.5i, whereas for or we should read and, thus of course 

 doubling the actual number of such combinations. Thus, instead 

 of the odds being 53,911 to 1 against snch a combination out- 

 side of trumps, we should have obtained 26,955 to 1 ; and 

 instead of 35,940 to 1 for such a combination in any suit, we 

 should have obtained 17,970 to 1. W. H. G. suggests also, but 

 with less confidence, that instead of considering that there 

 are 51 cards out of which a combination of the former kmd 

 may be made, we should have taken the whole pack. Let us 

 consider this point. Any player but the dealer is to have thii-teen 

 cards dealt to him, and the question is, what is the chance that 

 theso thirteen cards will consist of seven of one suit, six of 

 another, neither suit being that to which a certain card in the 

 dealer's hand, the last he deals himself, belongs .' Now if we con- 

 sider these conditions (more carefully than I did ia replying at 

 p. 561 to my correspondent's query), we shall see that it is not the 

 pai-ticular card which the dealer turns up last which should be 

 excluded, but one suit, which has been already done. In fact, the 

 question really is this. What is the chance that a given set of 

 thirteen cards taken at random will be six of one suit, seven of 

 another suit, out of three suits ? Tlio chance of this is just half 

 tho chance that the thirteen cards will be six of one suit, seven of 

 another suit, out of all four suits ; hence the odds against are 

 rather more than 35,940 to 1, instead of 20,955 to 1.— En.] 



J. MoxTAGUE. — It is the same problem. Mr. Clay's treatise 

 appeared in 186 1; but, in the latest edition, tho wording is un- 

 altered. Doubtless, had he been alive, he would not have allowed 

 the words " a few months back " to stand. — Five of Clubs. 



"WHIST FOR BEGINNERS."* 



It is somewhat singular that when a very small and clcmentarv 



book is to be written, the writer seems to" think the occasion one 



for being discursive. In this little book, with only twenty-seven 



• " Whist for Beginners." By C. T. Buckland, F.R.Z.S. (London : 

 W. II. Allen & Co.) 



very small pages, there are more wasted word.i and sentences than 

 in Cavendish or Pole. The mistake is made, in fact, of RupposinK 

 that the best way to explain matters for beginners is to wander 

 round and round the point as long as possible. For instance, wheq^ 

 except in a ten-volume treatise on whist, ought tho writer to 

 expatiate like thi.s over the suits : — 



" When the beginner lias sorted his cards into the four suits, Ift 

 will greatly assist his memory if ho will try to consider his hand all' 

 c<mtnining only four units, each suit being treated as an unit o^ 

 more or less strength. Ii is difficult to remember all the thirteen 

 cards in detail ; but if each suit is treated as an unit of strength^' 

 the memory huH to deal i>riuiarily with only four things instead at 

 thirteen. It is something like treating each suit as a separate 

 regiment ; if yon call your tramp suit artillery, and your long snit, 

 i.e., the suit in which you hold most cards, cavalry, the other two 

 suits are your infantry. This metaphor may seem strained, but 

 whist is a battle, and you mast at once begin to attack or to defend 

 yourself." More than a page taken np in saying what might be said 

 in two lines. 



If, with all this palaver, tho rules for correct whist play in all ordin- 

 ary cases were properly given, we might still be content. But they arc 

 not. Thus, the only rule given for a suit headed by Aco King is this 

 — if you have Aco and King and three small cards in a suit, yon 

 should lead tho King first ; and similarly with King Queen ; as 

 though with Ace, King, and two small ones, or King, Queen, and 

 two small ones, the lead should bo different. Hero again is a 

 general rule which is enough te make Cla)' rise from the grave : — 

 " As the game progresses, you may find yourself obliged to lead from 

 a suit in which you hold only three cards. It is the safest plan to lead 

 tho highest of the three cards, as it may strengthen your partner : " 

 the truth being that in a great number of cases your only chance 

 is to retain the best in a three-card suit, as a defence against 

 your adversaries, while in every case in which you have nothing to 

 guide you, the odds arc 2 to 1 against your partner being stronger 

 than either adversary in the suit in which you are weak. 



Again, instead of the general rule that in returning your 

 partner's lead, yon should return the best of two cards left, and 

 lowest of tlu-ee cards left, Mr. Buckland says, " When you take the 

 trick in the suit led '..^ ~ Jiaitner, you should return," &c., im- 

 plying not only that when an adversary has taken the first trick, 

 the rule does not hold, but also that you ought always to return 

 the lead when you take the trick in your partner's suit. 



The rule given for the discard is also only true when trumps are 

 not declared against you ; when they are, the discard should be 

 from longest sixit. 



A little book like this might contain a great deal of useful and 

 correct information. This little book does not. 



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