Mary – The Four of Hearts
Mary's alter ego was a redoubtable lady called Mary Seacole, born in 1805 of mixed Scottish and Jamaican blood.
When a fire destroyed the hotel that was her home and business, she left the Caribbean to seek her fortune in England. Indeed, it was this calamity that set her on the road to becoming a traveller, writer(1), and businesswoman, although it is for her skill as a nurse and herbalist, and her generosity of heart that she is best remembered.
It is slightly bizarre that she and Florence formed a strong friendship in the cupboard because, even though she was a talented "doctress", as she called herself, her application to join Florence Nightingale's staff during the Crimean conflict was declined on the grounds of skin-colour.
Undaunted by this rejection, Mary set off on her own for the Crimea, where she established a hotel cum-kitchen, cum-goods emporium, cum-first aid post. The financial failure of this enterprise was mainly due to her leaving it unattended whilst tending to the sick and dying on the battlefield.
After the conflict she was awarded the British Crimean Medal, the French Legion of Honour and the Turkish Medal. Doubtless she would have received a fourth from Russia if someone had suggested it, because she cared for friend and foe alike.
| Love-all, Dealer North. | Florence | ||
| ♠ Q1083 | |||
| ♥ Q8732 | |||
| ♦ A52 | |||
| ♣ Q | |||
| Sophie | Thoth | ||
| Mary | |||
| ♠ A76 | |||
| ♥ 4 | |||
| ♦ 43 | |||
| ♣ KJ108763 | |||
| West | North | East | South | |
| Sophie | Florence | Thoth | Mary | |
| Pass | Pass | 3♣ | ||
| Dbl1 | Pass | Pass2 | Pass |
1. Take-out
2. A quick pass.
West led the spade four against Mary's doubled contract. Declarer's first thought was that dummy wasn't as bad as she feared it might be. And her second was that Sophie probably hadn't led from the king, which proved a correct assumption when Thoth played that card on the three from north.
After taking the first trick Mary called on the heart's ability to read opponents to help form a plan…
Thoth's a thinking player, yet he passed Florence's double with nary a thought. Likewise, he followed with the king at trick one without a pause. Which means one of two things, either he started with five trumps and a singleton spade or he's in dire need of a comfort break, and I'm inclined towards the former.
Can you deduce Mary's plan before reading on?
Still, this looks easy – I've two trumps losers, assuming the 5-0 break, one heart and one diamond to lose. But I'll think it through, just to be sure. Say I start with a club to table and Thoth ducks, as he might well do to make things awkward, I can play a heart which West will probably win. East can get a spade ruff, but that will be with his second trump trick, so that doesn't matter.
I guess he'll continue with a diamond to dummy's ace. Then I can ruff a heart, and play a club to knock out the ace. Ah no, I see a problem! Thoth will take his ace of clubs and play a diamond to west to get a second spade ruff. Two red suit losers, two ruffs and the ace of trumps is one too many. Like a scorpion, this hand has a nasty sting in its tail!
Mary the herbalist had a favourite saying which was, "Beside the nettle ever grows the cure for its sting." Of course she meant a cure for an illness could usually be found growing close at hand. Well, the hearts are beside the spades in dummy so I wonder if I can do something there?
Let's think; say I play a heart from hand, Sophie will take that trick to give Thoth a ruff. He'll return a diamond as before which I must win. At that point I can ruff a heart and… No that doesn't help…
No wait, I see it! I play, my good friend Florence's name card, the queen of hearts, after winning the diamond return. If the heart honours are split, Thoth will have to play high and I'll discard my losing diamond.
I'll still lose two red-suit tricks, but this way Thoth cannot get two ruffs. All I need is for him to hold the ace or king of hearts which, given Sophie's failure to lead the suit, looks promising.
When Mary played the heart four at trick two Florence won with the ace, and as expected, played a spade for Thoth to ruff. This was the position after East returned a diamond to dummy's ace.
| Florence | |||
| ♠ Q10 | |||
| ♥ Q873 | |||
| ♦ 52 | |||
| ♣ Q | |||
| Sophie | Thoth | ||
| ♠ J95 | ♠ --- | ||
| ♥ J65 | ♥ K10 | ||
| ♦ K76 | ♦ Q109 | ||
| ♣ --- | ♣ A954 | ||
| Mary | |||
| ♠ 7 | |||
| ♥ --- | |||
| ♦ 3 | |||
| ♣ KJ108763 | |||
Mary called for the queen of hearts and discarded the three of diamonds when Thoth covered with the king. With no entry to West's hand the defence couldn't organise a second ruff and the contract was made.
The full deal:
| Florence | |||
| ♠ Q1083 | |||
| ♥ Q8732 | |||
| ♦ A52 | |||
| ♣ Q | |||
| Sophie | Thoth | ||
| ♠ J9542 | ♠ K | ||
| ♥ AJ65 | ♥ K109 | ||
| ♦ KJ76 | ♦ Q1098 | ||
| ♣ --- | ♣ A9542 | ||
| Mary | |||
| ♠ A76 | |||
| ♥ 4 | |||
| ♦ 43 | |||
| ♣ KJ108763 | |||
- Mary's biography, "The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands" is an enthralling read, with its insights into 19th century society.
Mike Chanter
This sequence of articles was written and conceived by Mike Chanter.
Mike has been a member of Suffolk for a long time despite no longer living in the county and retaining his connection by being an associate. He still has many friends in Suffolk and returns from time to time to play in local events. He would be delighted to hear your impressions of Bridge in the Cupboard.