A Trick For The Wizard

When I read the other day that Harry Fishbein was retiring as the head of the Mayfair Bridge Club in New York City, I stopped for a moment to ask myself why, not consciously realizing that ever-youthful Harry, who has spiced so many tournaments with the flamboyant berets that have become his trademark and his ability to destroy the English language with each sentence, is now 68 years old.

Perhaps the reason for my confusion is that Harry was such a late starter in the world of tournament bridge. He was 36 before he moved into the echelon of top players and 38 before he scored a big win, the Vanderbilt Team championship of 1936. It was about this time that he earned a special reputation for being an inspired player, one of those position-takers with such remarkable table presence that he could make contrary decisions on consecutive hands and be right both times. This takes a certain amount of wizardry, and Harry Fishbein brings a wizard's talents with him when he plays. Consider this hand.

Both sides vulnerable North dealer

NORTH

[Queen of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[6 of Hearts]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[King of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[5 of Clubs]

WEST

[2 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[10 of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[8 of Hearts]
[7 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
[Jack of Clubs]
[9 of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]

SOUTH

[King of Spades]
[8 of Spades]
[7 of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[4 of Hearts]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
[King of Clubs]
[7 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]

EAST