Chess
COMPETITIVE chess faces a serious chal lenge in 2007 and years to come from new technology – the technology of cheating.
In 2006, there were cheating scandals involving devices like Bluetooths and Phonitos that were considered science fiction not long ago. And no one has figured out what device was used by cheaters at the 2006 World Open.
Chess officials have tried to meet the threat with:
* Metal detectors: These are standard at a few international events, but create considerable delays getting in and out of playing sites. They may not be effective against the next generation of techno-cheats.
* Punishment: Last month, an Indian player whose rating soared suspiciously in the previous 18 months was banned from tournaments in his country for 10 years after a wireless Bluetooth was found stitched into the cap he pulled over his ears.
* Jamming and shields: There were plans for a “Faraday cage” to block outside electromagnetism during the world championship match in Elista, Russia, last fall. The world chess federation is considering installing jamming devices at playing sites. But jamming faces legal problems in the United States.
Bridge
“YOU’VE warned me against relying on defensive ‘rules,’ ” a pupil told me, “but I never fail to return my partner’s lead.”
“Never?” I queried.
“If I return the lead,” she said, “and it doesn’t work, partner may not be too upset with me. But if I shift and that’s wrong, I’ll hear about it for days.”
I displayed today’s deal from a team match.
“You’re East,” I said, “and West leads the jack of hearts against 3NT. You take the ace, and declarer plays low. Do you return the lead?”
“Sure,” she replied. “What if West has K-J-10-x-x?”
“No rush to return a heart then,” I said. “You’ll get another chance when you’re in with a minor-suit king.”
When I watched the deal, East at one table returned a heart. South won, lost a diamond finesse and had nine easy tricks. But at the other table, East was more interested in beating the contract than in rules: At Trick Two he led the king of clubs, killing dummy’s entry to the diamonds.
Declarer took the ace, led a heart to his hand and let the queen of diamonds ride. East played low. If South had repeated the finesse he’d have gone down, but he was suspicious and led to the ace next. He took the Q-J of clubs and his last high heart and exited with his last club.
West won and cashed a heart, but then had to lead a spade from his king. So South took two spades, three clubs, two hearts and two diamonds, but he’d had a struggle because East refused to follow a defensive “rule.”
