190 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[.June 1, 1887. 



-{ 



THE HANDS. 

 S. (^trumj/ny—Kn, S, 6, 5, 2. 

 H.— 8, 6, 5, 4. 



D.- 

 C- 



', 6./ 



-10, 7 

 ■10, 



'S. (tps).—K. 



H.— Kn, i), 3. 



C— 8, 7, 4, 3, 2. 

 I D.— K, 8, 4, 3. 



S (tj)s).-Q. 7, 4, 3, 

 H.— A, K, Q. 10. 

 C— A, Kn, !i. ( 



D.— Kn, 9. J 



2 



, f S (triimps).- 

 ^IH.— 7, 2. 



-A, 10, 9. 



A B play against Y and Z. 

 Card underlined wins trick ; 



10 



11 



—1— 



— 4— 



D.— A, Q, e, r,, 2.\ 



C.-K, Q, 5. / 



Score -.—A B four ; T Z tour, 

 card underneath leading next. 



Notes by the Wiiist Editor 

 of the " austeal.isian." 



Trick l.^At the end of this 

 trick Y knew that there were at 

 most two Diamonds of unknown 

 comparative values, to distribute 

 between I' and Z. The only pos- 

 sible arrangements were : — B two 

 Diamonds, if none ; B one, .?one ; 

 B none, Ztwo. Consequently, on 

 the assumption that A led from 

 five Diamonds, the odds were two 

 to one that B or Z was void of the 

 diamond suit. Again, incase that 

 the distribution turned out to be 

 one Diamond with B and one with 

 Z, it was exactly an even chance 

 that Z would be able to win the 

 trick. Of course Y was bound to 

 bear in mind the contingency that 

 Z had begun to call for trumps. 

 But with the score at four all 

 strong trumps in Z's hand would 

 win without his resorting, on the 

 first opportunity, to a call for a 

 trump lead. 



Trick 2. — Without reference to 

 the wisdom or otherwise of the 

 adoption generally of the system 

 of American leads, A ought to 

 have played the diamond five 

 rather than the Diamond two. 

 For by leading the Diamond two 

 he practically relieved Y's mind 

 of all doubt as to wliether Z had 

 or had not begun at Trick 1 to call 

 for trumps. Z was right in plaj- 

 ing the Diamond four. For on the 

 contingency that one or other of 

 the two players behind him was 

 void of the Diamond suit, it was 

 an even chance it would be B who 

 would trump; and on the other 

 contingency that there was a 

 Diamond in each of the hands, it 

 was also an even chance, as has 

 been already pointed out in the 

 note on Trick 1, that Z would be 

 able to win the trick. Again, if 

 3' had put on the Diamond king 

 and won the tiick, he could not 

 have led a Club from a suit of five 

 headed by the eight. He must 

 have led the Heart knave. But 

 with his weak cards he wanted 

 guidance from Z as to what to do 

 in the interests of the combined 

 hands. Besides, in any case he 

 blocked the opponent's suit, and 

 this was pretty well all the lielp 

 he was able to give towards 

 winning the game. 



Trick 3. — Z had four trumps, 

 together with Club ace and the 

 complete command of Hearts. 

 Also the command of Diamonds was with T. Consequently at this 

 stage of the game the Spade three looked like the best lead. 



-6— 





off^i*!^ 



LijaJ 



—6- 



4^ ♦! 



if 4 



And 1',? win the odd trick 

 the game. 



Trick 6. — A very naturally placed the Diamond eight with Y, and 

 the Diamond king with Z. But as the event proved, both these cards 

 were with Y. 



Trick 8.— Fnow played the Diamond king with deadly effect. B 

 properly trumped with the knave, not with the eight, because he 

 wished to puzzle Zas to the position of that card. But as the Club 

 ace was with 1", the game was lost to A B at the next trick. 



One of Mr. F. H. Lewis's published games, which has been repro- 

 duced in The Australasian, admirably illustrates the point of 

 keeping back the best card of a plain suit. But in that example the 

 necessity of that line of action was not developed till near the end of 

 the play of the hand, while in the preceding hand the possibility 

 of having to resort to it was suggested to I'at the end of the very 

 first trick. 



Notes by " Five of Clubs." 



Tricks 1 and 2. — A is evidently not a believer in the American 

 leads, according to which the five should have been led second 

 round. Y's play of the four, where usually the best card would be 

 played second round, is the point of the game. Holding the eight 

 himself, he knows, from the play of B and Z to the first round, that 

 only ten, knave, and queen can possibly be held by B or Z, unless 

 one or other is signalling ; and from ^'s lead, indicating five 

 Diamonds in -I's hand, I" knows that only two of these high cards (it 

 matters little which two) can be between B and Z — possibly but one. 

 (There must be one, and, if one, it must be either queen or knave, 

 since otherwise A would not h.ive followed with the small card.) In 

 the more probable event that two cards lie between B and Z, it is 

 an even chance that one or other is void. For calling these cards 

 knave and ten, the possible arrangements, all equally likely, are : — 

 B holds both, Z none ; B holds knave, Z ten ; B holds ten, Z 

 knave ; and B holds none, Z both. If there is only one Diamond 

 between B and Z, it is, of course, an equal chance that B or ^ holds 

 it. It is an even chance, in all events, that B or Z can take the 

 trick, supposing Y plays his small card. At the score I cannot 

 recognise the expediency of keeping back the king to block J's 

 long suit. The odd trick is apt to depend on other considerations. 

 I should have played the king, and, on the fall of the other two 

 Diamonds, have led the Diamond four, enabling .?'to ruff under favour- 

 able conditions. The 4th, 5th, and 6th tricks would thus have been iden- 

 tical with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the actual game ; and YZvujuld have 

 needed only three tricks to make the odd. If A had gone on with 

 the Diamond queen, if would have captured her, leading a Heart for 

 I' to win by overrulEng A ; and the ace of Clubs would have made 

 the odd trick sure. If .4. had lo-l Club king, it would have fallen to 

 Z's ace, i" would have overruffed Hearts as before, and leading a 

 Diamond, if would have made ihe odd trick by ruffing. I'could not 

 know that Z could thus support his strategy; but I submit that 

 this is the right sort of strategy for securing the odd trick. Had 

 the play been for or against bringing in a long suit, I"s holding back 

 the king might have been justified. 



Trick 3. — At the score the lead seems just. 



Trick 5.— Here, I think, iT should have led trumps (holding length 

 in them). The odds are in favour of A being able to ruff, as he 

 certainly holds three Diamonds, w-hereas Y cannot hold more than 

 two. Forcing the enemy is certainly not Z's game at the score. 



Trick 8. — Y plays his best Diamond effectively, but not more 

 effectively than he might have played a losing Diamond at Trick 3, 

 had he taken Trick 2 with his king. 



The best proof that Y gave up some of his chances by pUying the 

 small Diamond ma}' be seen in the play of the game when the 

 Diamond knave and ten are interchanged. It is obvious that had 

 B held the knave I''s actual play would h.ave lost the game. But 

 the plain strategy I have suggested above would have won the 

 game even in this case, as the following play shows : — 



Trick 1. 



2. 



„ 3. 



„ 4. 



,4 



D A 

 — 1— 

 D 2 



D 5 



H2 



H 7 



S 9 



2 



C K 



r 

 D 3 



DK 

 — 1— 

 D 4 



H 3 



n9 



HKn 

 C2 



B 



D 7 



D Kn 

 C G 

 H 4 

 H 5 

 H .3 

 C 10 



Z 



D 9 



D 10 



S 3 

 — 2— 

 H K 

 -3-- 

 H Q 

 — 4- 

 H A 



C A 



