ent001386-025

?╟úMV* . ' i 4teMv !V . ftH? *?·? THE* NEW* YORK TfSilfe', SUNDAY, OCTOBER ;S&' ^966 H V1: m iafti:-: ?√ß m-f ' *.* vs Bridge; t-ff j* $ The Big Deal in Las Vegas MJ By Alan truscott ?╟úANY enthusiasts of rubber bridge dabble in duplicate play, but then return to their first love. Some dislike the artificialities of tournament scoring, some are irritated by the proliferation of.conven-. tions and others miss the fi- nancial incentive of the. rub- ber game or the sheet luck introduced by the deal. * For such players, a unique event, beginning next Sun- day, will have a strong ap- peal. It is a five-day Rubber Bridge Tournament at the Sands Hotel in Las Yegas, and it promises the biggest cash prizes ever offered in a bridge competition. The first prize is $10,000, and the Winning pair is likely ?, to double this sum by taking part in a sweepstake. Lesser prizes will be awarded to other ranked pairs and to the leaders in a consolation tour- nament, so that the total prize money supplied by the organizers is expected to be well over $30,000. Play by Pairs Regular rubber-bridge scor-' ing will be used, and each match will be for a number of deals that increases as the tournament progresses. Play is by pairs, but participants need not fear having to op- pose the massive armory of conventional bidding weap- ons that is often encountered in regular tournament com- petition. * The contestants are allowed a maximum of three devia- tions from standard methods, so play should resemble what one Would expect when two strangers form a partnership in a club game. As the luck of the deal will be of great importance, there is a theoretical danger of at- tracting a few of those people with the manual dexterity to influence the luck in their own favor. *v' ?╟≤ 1 ?╟úA few sharp-eyed men will ?╟úContract Bridge?╟Ñ ?╟÷ news about the gams and how the experts play it, by Alan Truscott?╟÷appears dolly. keep watch on the dealing,?╟Ñ says Alfred Sheinwold, chief judge of the tournament. ?╟úWe don?╟╓t really expect any 'me- chanics?╟╓ to enter the tourna- ment, but the protection will make all the players feel more comfortable.?╟Ñ | Guarantee of Fairness Sheinwold?╟╓s name serves as ?√ß a guarantee that the event " j will be efficiently organized > \ and fairly conducted. He is a I member of the National Laws \ f Commission, and has been one ! of the world's top-ranking player?writers for far longer than his youthful appearance ! would suggest. The following deal was played at the Brooklyn Bridge Club some 30 years ago, and Sheinwold succeeded in mak- ing an ?╟úimpossible?╟Ñ grand slam. NORTH 4 AQ65 V y 1083 O AQ9 A53 WEST EAST 4b 10 7 2 4b KJS3 T? 9 6 0 2 O J105 O K874 32 * J10 6 4 2 4 98 1 SOUTH 4k 94 ' 0 AKQJ754 0-6 * KQ7 Sheinwold sat South, and reached a contract of seven hearts after his partner had opened the bidding with one no-trump and East had over- called two diamonds. The dia- mond jack was led, and there were 12 obvious tricks at the declarer?╟╓s disposal* The 13th was far from obvious, for it was virtually certain that East held the two missing kings for his overcall. Abnormal Squeeze Play ' The only chance seemed to, lie in a squeeze, but no nor- mal squeeze was possible. An abnormal one proved to be / the solution, ^ The first trick was :won" with the diamond ace/ and South cashed six of his seven trumps. Dummy discarded three spades, arid the king and queen of clubs were taken, leaving this position: NORTH ?╓¬ A . . .. ;J . ?╟÷ Q9 A West 4b 107 V r?╟÷ O 105 *---- o ?╓¬ EAST * 4b KJ <0 ?╟÷ O +---- SOUTH 4b 94 4 <> -- + 7 This ending is a very rare one indeed: the double trump squeeze. South led his club seven, and West was under pressure. If he had discarded a diamond, South would have been able to lead the diamond queen from dummy at the next trick, pinning the ten. West, therefore, parted with the spade seven, and it was East?╟╓s turn to worry. A dia- mond discard would have al- lowed South to establish the diamond queen by leading the nine from dummy, so East threw a spade in his turn. South cashed the spade ace, and the spade nine in his own hand was set up as the 13th trick. Sheinwold won a regional team championship in San Francisco last month with the help of the following deal, which is another example of his skill in end-game ma- neuver. NORTH ?╓¬ KJ7 V 3 0 J652 , * AJ973 WEST EAST 4b 94 4b Q108 5 2 A86 <0 75 O A87 O K109 4> KQ1084 * 652 SOUTH 4b A 6 3 ' V KQJ10942 O Q 4 3 - North and South were vul- nerable, and North dealt. Aft- er two passes, Sheinwold opened and closed the auction With a bid Of four hearts. Opposite a partner who had failed to open the bidding, the chance of slam was remote, and a slower approach to game might have permitted East-West to locate a cheap save at favorable vulnerabil- ity.' West led the club king, and South discarded the diamond three on dummy?╟╓s club ace. It still appears that the de- clarer must lose two dia- monds, a heart and a spade, but a solution developed, thanks to a slight slip by West. A trump was led to the king at the secohd trick, and West held up the ace un?·il the second round of the suit. He shifted to the spade nine, which was best for the de- fense, and East signaled with the eight as South won with the ace. This suggested that East held the spade queen, so , prospects seemed bleak. Jack Unguarded South had thrown one club from dummy on the second round of trumps, and he threw two more clubs on two more winning trumps. This left the jack unguarded in the dummy, preparing a tempta- tion for West. The position was how this: V NORTH 4b KJ ------ 0 J6 52, ?╓¬ J WEST 4b * 9 -- 0 A87 * Q10 8 EAST 4b Q105 ?╟÷~ 0 K109 SOUTH 4b 6 3 9 942 > O Q4 4?? ?╟ú?╟ú?√ß* South led the diamond queen, and West rightly won with the ace/But he theft fell into the trap by leading the club queen instead of a sec- ond spade. South ruffed and . cashed his last two trumps. East was forced to keep the diamond kflig and the guarded spade queen, so he was thrown in with a diamond at the 11th trick and forced to lead into dummy?╟╓s king-jack 6f spades. ?√ß/?√ß; V ?√ß< > > V ;f . . iftfl r* f <?╟╓?╟≤ 19: * itP ?╟≤V?╟╓ ; 4 ' ?╟╓ ?√ß' '}?√ß , ' ' ':f* ?√ß \v ;j'V: