Paul Trent

by Phillip Alder

Paul Trent was a colorful, popular, diminutive New York bridge player and attorney who died on February 5 at the age of 79. He was a conservative bidder, especially when opening the bidding, because he was an advo- cate of Al Roth's methods. You can get a good feel for this if you read his answers on the Master Sol- vers' Club panel in magazine. Trent was first noticed when he captured the 1957 Intercollegiate Par Championship. He went on to win the Men's -a-Match Teams (now called the Mitchell Open Board-a-Match Teams) in 1969 and 1971, and the Marcus Cup in 1959 (which is no longer contested). Here are some problems from deals featuring Trent, which I saw originally in 's column in The New York Times . 1. North (Dummy) Dlr: South ‰ K 10 5 Vul: Both Š A 6 ‹ J 10 9 5 3 Œ Q 10 2 West (You) ‰ 4 2 Š J 10 9 7 3 ‹ A Q 8 Œ 9 6 3 South opened one diamond, North strangely responded two clubs (perhaps because two diamonds would have been weak and three diamonds game-forcing), South rebid two notrump, and North raised to three notrump. You lead the heart jack. Declarer wins with dummy's ace (partner plays the deuce) and runs the diamond jack (partner plays the seven). How would you plan the defense? 2. Dummy Dlr: South ‰ 10 Vul: N-S Š A 6 3 ‹ A K 5 Œ K 9 8 7 4 3 : Œ Q Declarer (You) ‰ A K Q J 8 5 Š K Q 8 ‹ 6 Œ J 6 5 West North East South Dummy You 1‰ 3‹ (a) 4Œ Pass 4NT (b) Pass 5Š Pass 6‰ Pass Pass Pass (a) Weak jump (b) Regular Blackwood West leads the club queen. What would you do?

1 3. Dummy Dlr: West ‰ K 6 Vul: N-S Š – ‹ A Q 7 5 2 Œ K Q J 6 4 3 Opening lead: Š K Declarer (You) ‰ A Q 5 2 Š J 9 8 5 3 2 ‹ 8 Œ A 2 West North East South Dummy You 3Š Dble Pass 6‰ Pass Pass Pass

This deal occurred during a pair tournament. Do you agree with your partner's and your jump to six spades? If not, what would you have done differently? How would you play in your slam after West leads the heart king?

Let's go back to the defensive problem.

1. North (Dummy) Dlr: South ‰ K 10 5 Vul: Both Š A 6 ‹ J 10 9 5 3 Œ Q 10 2 West (You) ‰ 4 2 Š J 10 9 7 3 ‹ A Q 8 Œ 9 6 3 West North East South You Dummy Partner Declarer 1‹ Pass 2Œ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

After the heart jack to dummy's ace and the diamond jack, you should smoothly, primarily to give partner a chance to discard on the next round of diamonds. And when declarer does continue the suit, East pitches the spade three. How would you play from there?

2 This was the full deal:

North Dlr: South ‰ K 10 5 Vul: Both Š A 6 ‹ J 10 9 5 3 Œ Q 10 2 West East ‰ 4 2 ‰ A J 8 7 3 Š J 10 9 7 3 Š 8 2 ‹ A Q 8 ‹ 7 Œ 9 6 3 Œ A J 7 5 4 South ‰ Q 9 6 Š K Q 5 4 ‹ K 6 4 2 Œ K 8

At trick four, Trent shifted to the club nine, top of nothing. (Yes, here, a spade switch is also okay, but partner discouraged in that suit.) The nine was covered by the ten, jack and king. Then declarer played another diamond, but Trent continued clubs, and South had only eight winners: three hearts, three diamonds and two clubs.

3 The full deal in problem two is going to surprise you.

North Dlr: South ‰ 10 Vul: N-S Š A 6 3 ‹ A K 5 Œ K 9 8 7 4 3 West East ‰ 6 4 ‰ 9 7 3 2 Š 7 5 2 Š J 10 9 4 ‹ Q J 10 8 4 2 ‹ 9 7 3 Œ A Q Œ 10 2 South ‰ A K Q J 8 5 Š K Q 8 ‹ 6 Œ J 6 5 West North East South 1‰ 3‹ (a) 4Œ Pass 4NT (b) Pass 5Š Pass 6‰ Pass Pass Pass (a) Weak jump overcall (b) Regular Blackwood

When West led the club queen, Trent (South) believed that it was a singleton. So, he anticipated that if he covered with dummy's king, East would win with the ace and give his partner a . Instead, Trent played low from the board, leaving – or so he thought – East to wonder if West had led from the club queen-jack. Trent hoped that East would play a low club. Then, after, say, a diamond shift, declarer would discard a club on the second high diamond, draw trumps, return to the dummy with a heart, and lead a club toward his hand. Maybe East would play low again. Imagine Trent's shock when West cashed the club ace at trick two! Sitting West was Jack Dreyfus, who was the founder of the Dreyfus Fund. What a lead!

4 The third deal was well played by Trent. North Dlr: West ‰ K 6 Vul: N-S Š – ‹ A Q 7 5 2 Œ K Q J 6 4 3 West East ‰ 10 8 7 ‰ J 9 4 3 Š A K 10 7 6 4 Š Q ‹ 9 8 3 ‹ K J 10 4 Œ 8 Œ 10 9 7 5 South ‰ A Q 5 2 Š J 9 8 5 3 2 ‹ 8 Œ A 2 West North East South 3Š Dble Pass 6‰ Pass Pass Pass Most experts today would overcall four notrump with that North hand, showing a big minor two-suiter. Then the final contract would be five or six clubs. After North's takeout double, it is surprising that Trent (South) did not pass, turning it into a penalty double. That probably would have resulted in down four. But since it was a pair event, Trent feared that his side could make a slam, even though there was a risk that the heart suit was 7=0=0=6 around the table, with East threatening to overruff the dummy at trick one. South ruffed the heart-king lead, cashed the spade king, crossed to his club ace, drew two more rounds of trumps, and played on clubs. After four rounds of that suit, this was the position: North ‰ – Š – ‹ A Q 7 Œ 6 4 West East ‰ – ‰ J Š A 10 7 Š – ‹ 9 8 ‹ K J 10 4 Œ – Œ – South ‰ 5 Š J 9 8 ‹ 8 Œ – East saw that if he ruffed a club, he would have to lead away from the diamond king. But after he dis- carded two more diamonds, Trent cashed the diamond ace and ruffed a diamond in his hand to make the slam. Then East-West realized that six clubs would have failed on a heart (or spade) lead; and that six spades would have died after any lead but a heart! Still, that does not detract from Trent's play – and when did you last bid and make a slam in a 4-2 fit? In recent years, Trent has not played much bridge, but he will be missed by all of those who were lucky enough to know him.

5