The Crocodile Coup

By Djanwar Madjolelo

JAKARTA (JP): Alfred Sheinwold was a Briton who became one of America's leading bridge writers, he died in Los Angeles on March 8, 1997, aged 85.

He was born in London in 1912 but emigrated during his youth, graduating from the City College of New York in 1933.

He wrote a dozen books, with his Five Weeks To Winning Bridge selling over a million copies.

He edited Bridge World from 1934 to 1963 and ACBL Bulletin 1952 to 1958. With Edgar Kaplan he invented "The Kaplan-Sheinwold Bidding System".

He was bridge columnist at the Los Angeles Times for 35 years and continued until shortly before his death.

He was non-playing captain of the U.S. team in the 1975 Bermuda Bowl when two members of the Italian team were accused of cheating.

Sheinwold withdrew from the U.S. team when tournament officials decided to take no action. He was over-ruled by the U.S. authorities and Italy won the world title on the last deal of the final against the Americans.

In 1985 he returned as captain of the American team which won the Bermuda Bowl.

Matthew Granovetter, a bridge writer, reported this deal:

Dealer: North

Vulnerable: East/West

NORTH

(S) J 8 6 5 3

(H) 10 7 4

(D) K 9 3

(C) 10 8

WEST EAST

(S) K (S) 9 4

(H) A Q J 6 5 2 (H) K

(D) A Q 8 5 (D) 10 7 6 4

(C) Q 7 (C) J 9 6 5 3 2

SOUTH

(S) A Q 10 7 2

(H) 9 8 3

(D) J 2

(C) A K 4

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

- Pass Pass 1S

Double Pass 2C Pass

2H 2S Pass Pass

3H 3S Pass 4S

All pass

Against West's Queen Club lead, Sheinwold won and immediately led a Diamond to West's Ace. West returned 7 Club, East covered dummy's 10 with the Jack, and Sheinwold suddenly had a good picture of distribution.

West had started with a doubleton Club and 6 Hearts for repeated Heart calls.

It was also likely that East held the singleton King Heart, else West would have tried to cash some Heart tricks.

Sheinwold's final assumption was that West held King singleton Spade. Why persist with Club leads if he could not ruff higher than dummy's Jack?

So Sheinwold cashed Ace Spade and down came the King. He cashed a second trump, ruffed a Club in dummy, cashed Diamond King and ruffed a Diamond in his hand. With nothing left but trumps and hearts, he led a low Heart from his hand toward the 10-7-4 in dummy.

West played Jack Heart. But East's King won the trick and East was endplayed. East had to lead a minor suit, presenting Sheinwold with a ruff and sluff.

To defeat the contract, West had to put up the Ace Heart on the lead of a Heart from South's hand.

This defensive maneuver is known as "the crocodile coup".