Bridge Column for December 4, 1994 
Both sides vulnerable.  South deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: K 7 2            
                              H: K 3       
                              D: A 9 8 6 5   
                              C: A 7 2       
            WEST                             EAST
            S: Q 10 5                        S: J 9 4        
            H: J 9 8 6 5 2                   H: Q 10 4       
            D: 2                             D: Q J 10 7          
            C: 9 4 3                         C: K J 5       
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: A 8 6 3  
                              H: A 7         
                              D: K 4 3    
                              C: Q 10 8 6 
                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                   1C      Pass     1D      Pass
                   1S      Pass     2H(1)   Pass
                   2NT     Pass     3NT     (All Pass)
     (1) Fourth suit forcing.
     If you are still trying to find the right holiday present
for your favorite bridge partner, a new book on his or her
favorite subject might be just the ticket.  Martin Hoffman of
London, England and Matthew Granovetter of Netanya, Israel have
collaborated to produce "Jenny Mae the Bridge Pro".  The setting
is New York and the characters are in the best tradition of Damon
Runyon, as is the first person style in which the book is
written.  
     The hand above appears in the first chapter.  Jenny Mae
first explains how her partner uses and abuses a new convention,
fourth suit forcing, and then goes on to explain the play of the
hand.  I'll let Jenny Mae tell you all about it.
     "West leads a heart and I see that the hand depends
basically on the diamond suit.  Four tricks are needed, so I win
the first trick and carefully lay down the king of diamonds
before ducking a diamond.  If East has a singleton honor, I can
still make four diamond tricks.  But when I lead a second round
of diamonds, West shows out and now I know there is no hope in
the suit.  So I rise with dummy's ace and play on the club suit
for my contract.  As you can see, the club suit behaves nicely
and in the end I score two spades, two hearts, two diamonds and
three clubs, nine tricks in all."
     "When we open the traveling score slip, we are happy to see
that quite a few pairs are down in three no trump.  My guess is
that these declarers duck a diamond before leading the king, and
by the time they see that the diamonds are four-one, it is too
late to switch their attention to clubs."
     "Jenny Mae the Bridge Pro" is a bridge novel as opposed to a
book on systems or declarer play.  The hands around which the
chapters have been constructed were selected to illustrate expert
thinking at the table.   It is available for $8.95 plus $3.00
shipping and handling per address.  You may order any Granovetter
book locally by calling 371-5849.