Dubious Logic

Moyse, Sub-Moyse and Super-Moyse

Alphonse 'Sonny' Moyse was editor of the American magazine, Bridge World, responsible for shaping it from Culbertson's personal vehicle towards the publication as it appears today. He is more famous however, for espousing the virtues of 4-3 trump fit and his name has become synonymous with it, now known universally as a 'Moysian'.

While Moyse sought out the 4-3 fit we non-devotees play with seven trumps as a matter of either accident or last resort. The conditions are ideal when the three trump hand has a shortage, take this example from last year's Buxton Swiss Pairs:

Two spades introduced a three suiter, three diamonds showed the shortage and 3N denied a four card major. Nevertheless, four hearts (+1) was the best scoring spot (North held ♦ K10xxxx). But this isn't going to be a technical treatise, it's about those times you find yourself in a less than ideal spot. To get there the bidding will have to be a bit suspect so, unless it has a bearing on the play, I shall suppress it. Also, unless their reputations are august enough to take it or sufficient funds have been received, I shall omit the names of the participants. Play these hands for me:

1)

North leads the ♣Q, you have to play game in diamonds with a spade grand slam in the wings.

2)

Burdened by an artificial system, East expected to hear spades from North when the suit below would have shown the hand he held. When the overcall was hearts, the same principle was erroneously applied, now effectively promising four spades. North led the Ace of hearts. Forced a trick one, take it from there.

3)

Not so daft here. It may not be clear to many partnerships whether 3♦ is stopper or long weak suit. It is clear that they outrank clubs though, you are lucky to receive a trump lead against your slam.

4)

One diamond was the equivalent of a pass and your partnership had agreed to ignore it but the exact nature of two clubs was not fully discussed. Ten of hearts led, can you get over your disappointment?

If we can learn anything from these episodes it is not to panic. As we shall see, defence is often very difficult and getting back to respectability at the cost of an IMP or two can be viewed as a major triumph. It also serves as the proper mental training to attain the inner calm necessary for the full and frank exchange of views about the auction.

West was determined to show that a grand slam was available in diamonds as well but the first move of ruffing a club high in dummy was unfortunate. When trumps broke 5-1 declarer had given the defence the club suit with which to beat him. The correct line? Win ♣K and play a top trump from dummy then low to the ten. If trumps fail, draw as many as you can and run the spades. If trumps are 4-2, show your stupid partner the cross-ruff line to all the tricks.

Another of our disasters. I was East again having had my faculties temporarily abducted by aliens but the professor was a hero this time. Calm as a cucumber he ruffed the opening lead and making no mistake, he drew trumps - or those he was able to. Next a club to the king and ace and South decided to extract declarer's last spade. There was a moment of confusion but West now had ten tricks. I have seen the 4-2 fit called a 'Sub-Moysian', how about 'Super-Moysian'? But I'm open to suggestions for a bon mot here.

After a trump lead how do you play six diamonds? Your plan should be to establish thirteen winners and draw trumps. Clearly you cannot afford to play off the ace of spades as then the suit will be wide open when you lose the lead. Also you must take the club finesse and pray for an even break with the king onside. So win the lead in hand and ruff a heart. Now top trump and take the club finesse, after winning the ace, draw a third round of trumps. They can ruff in with their trump but you have the rest. Notice that the defence cannot thwart you. If South pitches a club on the heart and subsequently ruffs one, he does so with the long diamond.

At the table declarer just relied on hearts 3-3 to get the hand over with as quickly as possible. Imagine the glee in telling the tale - or maybe you can keep it quiet. If others have made an overtrick in six clubs you can castigate them saying you made the correct play of club ace first. In the absence of precedent, I would like to name the 3-3 fit a 'Trixibelle' (much in the same vein as the 2-2, a 'Desmond').

And this was in a World Championship Final. Hugh Ross made the two club overcall/opening and was left to play there as if it was a beginners' foursome. He showed a certain fortitude you wouldn't find in a lower game as he set out to make his part score. He played two rounds of hearts and three rounds of clubs. South didn't know who had the last club (as we saw in #2) and drew his partner's trump, declarer now had the remainder. It needs a low diamond switch to beat two clubs. Perhaps West should have tried to ruff a diamond after the second heart stood up. Maybe, but matching +90 against -1010 was not going to make any difference (the scale is 900-1090 for 14 IMPs) - was Ross that cool?

Victor Mollo famously gave a hand where the Hideous Hog makes a grand slam with a trump suit of AKQ opposite J9 - eight side suit winners and a cross ruff (Bridge in the Menagerie - The Hog under the spotlight). So it seems clear that the 3-2 should be a 'Mollo'. It is also the worst fit to have as trumps at the seven level; A8 opposite KJ7, the proof of that, assuming a trump lead is barred, I leave to the reader's amusement.