Helen of Troy   (Evelyn de Morgan)

     The beauty is springing out of Helen like therapeutic thermal water. The source of her beauty was the water in Turkish baths. That is why Turkish Baths (Turkish Hamam) are so famous in all over the world; They bring you health and beauty.. Did you know that Cleopatra (Egyptian queen) visited Turkey once in a while to protect her beauty? (Permission of Helen's picture from:
  http://www.mezzo-mondo.com)

Helen's Story:

"Throughout time, men have waged war. Some for power, some for glory, some for honor – and some for love"

If you read Homer's  Odyssey and Illiad epics you must know Troy. Troy is in Anatolia, near Dardanel (which you know from Lesson-3). Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was married to the King Menelaus of Sparta. Paris was the son of the King of Troy. He went to visit Menelaus. Then, Paris left Sparta with Helen. Menelaus was furious. In order to take his wife back he gathered 1000 ships full of soldiers and sailed for Troy..They beseiged Troy for ten years. In the tenth year they built an immense wooden horse in which Menelaus and  his warriors were hidden.

(For further information about Çanakkale and hot spring resorts in TURKEY:
 http://www.turizm.gov.tr)

     Other soldiers left the horse at the gate of Troy and they sailed away as pretending to retreat. Trojans thought they left forever and they accepted the horse as a gift. They took the horse inside the walls of Troy.. Following night Menelaus and his warriors left the wooden horse and opened the city gates, gave the signal to other soldiers...Later, the main army came and destroyed the city.. From that on, dangereous gifts are called "Trojan Horse"..

    
     Some of your suits may be dangerous. Because some cards may help opponents to communicate. Also, some cards may help opponents to obtain ruff.. Those cards are like Trojan Horses (read Helen's story at the left) in your hands..When you see dummy's hand, look for the dangerous cards in your hand.. Get rid of them as soon as possible.

     In below example hand diagrams flashing cards are dangerous cards. Pay extra attention to them.

Contract: 4	Q 8 3  9 6 5 4  J 8 5 A J 8
A 4 2 A J 3 2    A 2 Q 10 4 3		6    K Q 10 8 9 7 4 3 9 6 5 2
	K J 10 9 7 5 K Q 10 6 K 7

     West leads A and plays 2. South wins and plays  King of trumps.. West wins with A and leads a low heart to East's King.. East wins and returns a diamond  to West for ruffing. West's ruff defeats the contract.. 

     What was wrong? Could declarer avert the ruff?

      Opponents could make three tricks with their three aces; the only danger here was the diamond ruff.. Declarer would see that the opponents can communicate through their hearts. So he was supposed to eliminate 7. As soon as he won 2 at the second round, he would play clubs: Wins with K then wins with A and plays J whenever East plays low, discarding 7.  When West wins  J, he can not give a trick to his partner in hearts for a return of diamond ruff.. Here declarer used scissors to cut opponent's communication lines.

     Now, look at the below hand diagram for the second example:

Contract: 6	A 6 5 Q 8 A  Q  8  9 7 5 3 2
J 10 9 8 4 2 10 9 7 5   7 5 6		K Q 7 3   3 2 K 10  Q J 10 8 4
	-  A K J 6 4 J 10 9 6 4 2 A

      The contract is 6 diamonds. West leads 6. South wins with A and immediately plays J to finess K. East wins and plays a club, South plays King and West ruffs to defeat the contract.. 

      What was wrong? Could declarer avert the ruff?

     The only danger here was club ruff. To prevent club ruff, South should win the second trick with ace of trumps. Then he would play A discarding the Trojan Horse K as soon as possible. Eliminating the danger.

     Trump control is very important in bridge.. Learn the techniques of averting a ruff.. If you learn these techniques, you will not blame your luck...

DANGEROUS GIFT

If you click above link, you can play a hand which is taken from World Bridge Federation- WBF.