My friend Victor Silverstone sadly passed away recently at the age of 80. He was well-known to Woodberry members as he played in most London events and I had the pleasure of being at the Camrose and Senior Camrose with him. He was always a pleasure to chat with, in his broad Scottish accent, and I used one of his tips recently in the Lockdown League, playing for Woodberry. West is on lead against 4S, and in the other room led a trump and the contract made.
Victor's advice was to lead the top card in a suit where partner has doubled for the lead. Our auction went, with South dealer, 1S-P-2C*-X-2S-P-4S-All Pass. 2C was artificial and game-forcing and double showed clubs, so I led the queen!
Red suit leads are immediately fatal, and declarer can succeed easily as well on a trump lead as he can just play a diamond to the jack or king after drawing trumps. However, the queen of clubs is a dagger to the heart of the contract and now East has safe club exits after trumps are drawn. I am sure the opponents thought I was self-kibitzing but I wasn't.
I remember Victor saying, on a similar hand. "Leid th' hi'est caird or it wull be tatties o'er the side". This is wonderful Scottish Slang and gives our tip for the day.
"Lead the highest card in the suit in which partner asks for the lead, or it will go pear-shaped." And the last expression is much newer, from pilots in the Air Force who performed loops which were imperfect in the air. If they weren't round, they were "pear-shaped", as mentioned in the 1983 book Air Force South Atlantic.
RIP Victor. You were a great player, but an even greater person.
His funeral is at Carpender's Park, Lawn Cemetery Watford at 11 am on 13 December.
I am sorry to hear of Victor's death. He lived in Stanmore, in the same housing development as my father. We often met as I visited my Dad, and we would always have a friendly chat. He was an outstanding player too.
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