LEARNING TO PLAY BRIDGE GETS EASIER WITH WEB SITE
By: Eric Kokish and Beverly Kraft

If you’re interested in learning bridge and have Internet access, head for http://www.acbl.org, the Web site of the American Contract Bridge League. You will find directions for downloading a free program that will teach you how to play bridge.

Toronto’s Fred Gitelman, who has developed superior bridge software for nearly a decade, wrote and designed the program, Learn To Play Bridge, with step by step instructions featuring interactive quizzes and exercises, emphasizing the play of the cards.

In his pushy 4 contract, declarer won the A and led a club to the Q. East’s K was a blow, but when a high diamond came back, declarer was still alive. He ruffed in dummy, cashed the A, and led a spade to the 9 and K, certain it would lose to West’s A. West played ... a “safe” third club. Declarer ruffed, ruffed a diamond, came to a high trump and ruffed his last diamond with the A. There were two trumps out, but declarer could not afford another round as it was essential to retain a trump in each hand. He called for a spade.

If East’s J were permitted to hold he would have to concede a ruff-and-discard. If West overtook the J with his Q, however, he would establish a natural spade trick for declarer. At this point, there was no defense to declarer’s partial elimination.

Kraft: Very pretty, but don’t you think that our expert defenders should have done something more effective in spades?

Kokish:Yes. East had an early blind spot; if declarer had two spade honours, staying off spades would not gain. West, playing reverse count signals, could identify the 9 as a singleton or from J9 doubleton but not from 984 (declarer would lead a spade to the J with KJ doubleton). West may have believed that his partner would hot have a trump to ruff the third spade, but a small spade return really could not lose.