The past players guide the present

All games go through a life. The early participants are like children, trying to work out the complexities, but starting from a limited database.

Some of the fledgling bridge players had ideas that were not accepted at the time, only later. S. Garton Churchill, who died in 1992 at the age of 92, comes to mind. Known to his friends as Church, he learned auction bridge in 1916, before progressing to contract in 1928. Many of his proposed bidding methods were ridiculed at the time, but have since been adopted.

Church was proud of today’s deal, which he played in 1960 in partnership with Cecil Head, the founder of the sporting goods company. They won the 1948 Life Master Pairs national title with a record average of 65.5% over the four sessions.

Head (North) reversed on the second round because of his excellent diamond fit. Three clubs was fourth-suit forcing, marking time. Four diamonds was their “picture bid,” promising four-card support, usually with two honors. Knowing his partner had at most one club, Church immediately jumped to seven diamonds. Real bridge players don’t need Blackwood! They had reached the excellent grand slam with only 25 combined high-card points.

The play was a simple matter of technique. Church won the spade lead with dummy’s ace, played a diamond to his ace, cashed dummy’s two high hearts and ruffed a heart high in hand. He took the club ace, ruffed a club and trumped another heart high. A second club ruff was followed by the diamond king and, finally, dummy’s established heart nine, upon which declarer threw his spade loser.