Chattanooga Times Free Press

Sing a song of contract bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Have you played bridge with an Oscar winner? I have had that pleasure twice, partnering Stephen Schwartz. He has won three Oscars: two for “Pocahontas” (Best Score and Best Song) and one for “The Prince of Egypt” (Best Song).

If only Stephen wouldn’t waste so much time dreaming up lyrics and music, he could be a bridge winner. He handled this four-heart contract nicely during a rubber-bridge game some years ago. How would you have played the cards after West began with three rounds of clubs?

Two spades was a natural game-try, showing four spades and at least the values to try for game. Sitting North, I was happy to jump to four hearts with my fitting spade card and good trumps. (It was possible that we had a better spade fit than heart fit, my having five spades and three hearts.)

Faced with three inescapable minor-suit losers, Stephen couldn’t afford a fourth-round spade loser.

Stephen ruffed the third club, played a heart to dummy’s queen and led a heart back to his jack. Then he cashed the spade ace, spade king and spade queen. If the spades had broken 3-3, Stephen would have drawn the missing trump and claimed. But here his luck held. The player with the four spades had also started with three trumps. Stephen ruffed his spade loser in the dummy, played a diamond to his ace, drew the last trump and conceded a diamond trick. We had won the rubber, but as we were playing against Stephen’s wife, Carol, and his mother, Sheila, we had agreed to play for a song. (Sorry!)

LIFE

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2021-06-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

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