MSO World: Bridge Articles

Tony has expanded on the original points made and grouped them into chapters such as Conventions, Do We Need Them? Weak or Strong No Trump? (both of which contain much food for thought for players of all standards), and Who Was the Greatest?

So who was the greatest? Forrester votes for ten-times world champion Benito Garozzo. He cites the following hand, on which the great Italian sat East.

Even looking at all four hands, you will be doing well to match him:

Vintage Forrester Cover

Q J 8 6 3

J 7 4

A Q 6

Q 2

7 5

	N
W		E
	S

K 10 9 4 2

Q 9 6 2

A 3

9 2

7 4 3

A 10 9 5 3

8 7 4

K 10 8 5

K J 10 8 5

K J 6

Against 3NT, West leads 5. Declarer puts up Q and plays 6. A spade to the ace is followed by a diamond to the queen and Q.

You decide to win K, declarer pitching a heart, leaving this position:

J 8 6

J 7 4

A 6

	N
W		E
	S

10 9 4

Q 9 6 2

A 3

7 4

A 10 9 3

8 7

K 10 8

K J 10 8

K J

How should East proceed?

Declarer seemingly has tricks to burn - that is, until Garozzo returned a diamond! Declarer won this on the table. He could not afford to cash the J, so he tried a heart, but Garozzo just hopped up with the A and played another heart, establishing two further heart tricks for his partner.

If you want to know the reasoning behind this defence, you will have to buy the book, but I can give you Forrester's comments: "A truly remarkable defence by Garozzo which many consider to be one of the most brilliant ever. Not because it was sensational or clever, but because it required incredible vision and clarity of thought. My case rests."

"The hands are new; the stories are fresh; the commentary is very interesting; and Forrester is very entertaining." Ron Garber, Southern Californian Bridge News