BRIDGE

Get shorty

Andrew Robson

FOR THE past five years the chairman of the English Bridge Union has been Peter Stocken. A jigsaw puzzle maker by profes- sion, Peter has injected the EBU with a new lease of life and has enabled them to start reaching out to all bridge players instead of merely tournament players. His ambassadorial skills have helped to publi- cise the new 'Bridge for All' scheme, led by British Lady International Sandra Landy, which offers a simple and unified program for teachers.

Peter is no mean player himself, as was evidenced by his performance on this week's deal.

Dealer West North-South Vulnerable

K Q 9 4 2

V A K 7

• K J

K9 6

4 A J 10 8 7 4 6 3 '53

W E

Q 10 9

2 • —

• Q 8 6 5

40 A J 10 5 3

2

+874

45 • J 8 6 4 • A 10 9 7 4 3 2 • Q

The Bidding South West North East

1+ 14 pass 2• 3+ 3NT pass 5• pass pass pass West led his 4A and, when dummy was tabled, switched to 4A and continued with 48 hoping his partner held a singleton • Peter won dummy's 4K discarding V4, cashed 4K discarding V6, then trumped +9. This seemingly futile play of trumping in his own hand was made in case East held all four trumps. Under these circum- stances it would be necessary for Peter to shorten his trumps to the same length as East's, whose trumps would then be 'couped'. Watch how the play developed. Peter crossed to dummy's •K and West's 4 discard revealed that East did indeed hold the four missing trumps. Peter next led and ran +.1, trumped 42, East dis- carding 1,2, then crossed to VK and trumped 44. He led VJ to VA and, at trick twelve, the lead was in dummy with East holding +08 and Peter *A10. The lead of either card from dummy trapped East's trumps.