How the game has progressed

It is interesting to read old bridge articles. You see very quickly how the game has progressed, especially on defense. Life has become more scientific and, therefore, more accurate.

Look at this deal. What do you think of the bidding? How should the play proceed in six hearts doubled after West leads the spade king?

Because this deal was played several decades ago, South opened with a strong two hearts, not with an artificial and forcing two clubs. After that, there were several debatable choices. South jumped to four hearts, hoping to buy the contract. But why not show the club suit? Similarly, if West had guessed that South was going to proceed to five hearts, he should have bid five diamonds over four hearts. Note that, assuming West guesses spades, it takes a club lead to defeat seven diamonds. Five spades would have made unless North led a diamond for South to ruff. Since that would not have been obvious, South did well to bid six hearts.

At the table, West led the spade king. Convinced that South would not have bid the slam looking at two immediate spade losers, West shifted to the diamond king.

Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and ran the clubs, discarding dummy’s remaining spade. Then a spade ruff on the board was South’s 12th trick, giving North-south 1,660 points.

Today, East would have auto<00ad>matically given a count signal at trick one, playing the three to show an odd number of spades. Then West could not have gone wrong.