Standard of play

A player at my club was remarking on the rise of technological innovation and what he perceived as the world’s concurrent intellectual decline. “I remember when I knew more than my smartphone,” he said ruefully. I fear that the standard of play among all players has declined. Players focus on bidding and spend too little time on play technique. In a team match, both Souths leaped to four hearts over East’s opening bid — reasonably enough since North was a passed hand. Nobody could act over that, and both Wests led the ten and (not best) another diamond. At one table, South ruffed and drew trumps with the A-Q. He next led a club to his jack. West took the ace and led another diamond. South ruffed again and then took the king of clubs. He hoped for a miracle, but East followed low and scored his queen. The defense also got a spade for down one. At the other table, South ruffed the second diamond but looked for an extra entry to dummy: He led a trump to the eight! South then returned the deuce of clubs: six, jack, ace. He ruffed the next diamond, led a trump to the queen and let the nine of clubs ride. He led a club to his ten and lost only a spade, making his game. The result might have been down one at both tables. At the second table, West should have let South’s jack of clubs win. Even if South led the eight or ten next, West could win, lead a spade to East and get a club ruff. South could have succeeded by leading a spade earlier. If he had found such a series of plays, he would have convinced me that the standard of play isn’t so low after all.