BRIDGE

Well played

Andrew Robson

WHO IS the greatest declarer in the histo- ry of bridge? Many would argue that it is likely to be an expert of yesteryear; with the bidding more bucolic and the contracts less accurate, more skill by declarer was generally required. Candidates perhaps include Howard Schenken and Johnny Crawford from the US, Benito and Geor- gio Belladonna from Italy, and our own Terence Reese.

However many votes would be given to a player who is still at the top of his game, despite having turned sixty: American Bob Hamman. Here is a hand he played over thirty years ago.

Dealer West North-South Vulnerable

The Bidding

South

West North East

pass 14 pass 111

1NT 2V pass

4V

pass pass pass

North was playing a Strong Nortrump and Five-card Majors, hence his 14 open- er. West's 1NT overcall — as a passed hand — indicated five cards in both unbid suits. Whilst such a bid might have allowed East to compete effectively on another occasion, here it helped Hamman to read the opposing distributions perfectly. Watch.

West led 43 to East's 4A and won *4 return with •K, before exiting with 42, a likely singleton. Hamman won East's 410 with 4A, successfully finessed 4Q, cashed 4A, and ruffed a 4. East discarding a V. He cashed 11J, crossed to 11K, and led dummy's fourth 4. It would have done East no good to discard a 4 or to trump (though both lead to interesting variants), so he discarded his last 4. Hamman trumped, drew East's last trump (and both his and dummy's!) and ran 49. East won 43 but had to lead into dummy's 4K8 at trick twelve.