bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK 10 7 6

u9 7 4 2

vA J 5

wA 5

WEST EAST

x5 2 x9 4

u8 uJ 10 5 3

vK Q 10 v9 8 7 6 4 2

wQ J 9 6 4 3 2 w10

SOUTH

xA Q J 8 3

uA K Q 6

v3

wK 8 7

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 2x Pass

4x Pass 4NT Pass

5u Pass 5NT Pass

6v Pass 7x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of w

What would you say were the chances of a slight Broadway chorus girl becoming one of the great bridge players of all time? Zero, you might say. Yet that is the story of the late Helen Sobel Smith who won 35 national titles, mostly in partnership with Charles Goren!

At one such event, their table was surrounded by kibitzers. One of them asked her: “Mrs. Sobel, what does it feel like to play with one of the world’s greatest players?”

“I don’t know,” she riposted, and pointing to Goren she added “Ask him!”

She was declarer on this hand from a high-stake rubber bridge game, her partner was somewhat below expert ranking and as a result of his first two bids she landed in a grand slam. The play did not take long.

Declarer won in hand with the king and the ace and queen of spades were cashed. Next came a diamond to the ace and a diamond ruff in the closed hand. A club to the ace, on which West failed to follow, provided the entry for another diamond ruff. West was now known to have started with seven clubs, two trumps and three diamonds, hence only one heart.

Declarer now cashed the ace of hearts, and was delighted to see that West’s marked singleton was the eight. Dummy was entered with a club ruf,f and the four of hearts was led. East covered with the five, and declarer’s six won the trick. Just another routine grand slam for an extraordinary player!

2012 Tribune Media Services