Bridge

It was the Rev Sydney Smith who wrote: "I never read a book before reviewing it; it prejudices a man so." Although I may have followed his advice in the past, I certainly read More Bedside Bridge, edited by Elena Jeronimidis (Collins Willow, pounds 5.99). Is it bad, I wonder, for me, as one of the contributers, to write about the book? No, for if all of us abstained on those grounds, there would be no reviews at all, because there are nearly 100 of us.

I liked this deal, described by Guy Dupont (an editor of Le Bridgeur). In an Entente Cordiale match between England and France, John Reardon and Richard Butland, playing North-South for England, bid unopposed: 14 - 2!; 32 - 3#; 3! - 4#; 4NT - 5!; 64 - pass.

Yes, Six Hearts might have been a better resting-spot, but Six Spades certainly seemed reasonable.

West led #4, dummy played low, and East (Michel Lebel) won with the queen. Any passive continuation now allows declarer to win, draw trumps, and establish dummy's hearts with one ruff, with the #A remaining on the table as a vital entry. But there was a defence, and Lebel found it. Breaking all the rules instilled into beginners, he returned a diamond into dummy's tenace!

Now there was no escape for declarer. With the outside entry gone there was no point in establishing the hearts with a ruff and the finesse against the queen was wrong. And, although the king of clubs was well placed for him, any attempt to ruff a club in dummy would be greeted with an over- ruff.

Love all; dealer East

North

46 5

!A J 10 8 5 2

#A J 2

26 3

West East

410 3 2 49 8 7

!6 3 !Q 9 4

#10 8 4 #K Q 7 6 3

2J 9 7 5 2 2K 4

South

4A K Q J 4

!K 7

#9 5

2A Q 10 8