19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER

AMBASSADOR IN CHECK
Sirs:
I was astounded and ashamed to read about our chess champion Bobby Fischer. His comments on the character of Mr. Tal are childish. Whether he likes it or not, Bobby Fischer is an ambassador of the U.S. Admittedly a tremendously talented chess player, Bobby nevertheless has a great deal to learn about the other spheres of life, of which there are many (whether he realizes it or not).
W. GERALD SKEY
Princeton, N.J.

Sirs:
Your article on young chess deity Bobby Fischer was an outstanding job of biography. Regardless of how one feels about Bobby personally, it should be readily admitted that he possesses potential greatness in the chess world and perhaps something of lasting value in the more human realm, too.
BOB WILSON
Cambridge, Mass.

PROGRESS AND PLUNDER
Sirs:
Congratulations on the amazingly accurate and excellent writing by Coles Phinizy in The Savers vs. the Spoilers (Jan. 16).
JOHN M. ANDERSON
Port Clinton, Ohio

Sirs:
Why must progress always be measured in terms of huge ugly cities, a bulging population, production of steel and automobiles, construction of dams, soil put to the plow, bushels of excess corn and all the other phony indices, including successful rockets?

It would seem that a better measure of progress would be in terms of stable population, unpolluted streams, wilderness areas, undrained prairie potholes, beautiful forests, a cool mountain pool, an abundance of fish and wildlife, and a place in nature where man can be at peace with himself in this confused world.
GLEN SHERWOOD
Providence, Utah

Sirs:
Excellent!
H. RODNEY MILLER
Ely, Nev.

SARTORIALLY SOFT
Sirs:
When you put together the articles about Bill Veeck's aversion to neckties, and the Toronto Maple Leafs and their minked box-seat patrons, you hit the nail on the head (SCORECARD, Jan. 23). Besides guarding against becoming "physically soft," we must also guard against a deterioration in traditional dressing habits.

If Bill Veeck's mother-in-law would be good enough to give him a snappy tie for a birthday present, I think he would wear it with her blessing, and dress up like a successful businessman should.
ART IZARD
Huntley, Ill.

BILL OF RIGHTS?
Sirs:
I agree wholeheartedly with Billy Talbert concerning the merger of amateur and pro tennis (The Cup Runneth Out, Jan. 16). If tennis dies nationally it will die in the individual. We amend the Constitution of the U.S., so why not the Davis deed of gift?
CHARLES J. KELLY
Villanova, Pa.

INDOOR STORY
Sirs:
You state "America's 73rd indoor track season opens..." (Olympians Indoors, Jan. 16). This is the 93rd indoor track season.
WALLY DONOVAN
Liberty, N.Y.

•Wally Donovan, author and publisher of the All Time Indoor Track and Field Record Book, is right; the first indoor track meet was held in 1868. However, it was not until 1888 that indoor track was formally organized under the AAU.—ED.

POOR KIDD
Sirs:
I was very disappointed by Gwilym Brown's implication that pressures from other schools could dissuade record-breaking two-miler Bruce Kidd from seeking admission to Harvard University next fall (The Kiwi and the Kid, Jan. 23).

The ostensible advantages of superior athletic facilities at a lesser scholastic institution is no substitute for the intellectual excellence of one of the world's great universities.
MICHAEL JAY LEVINE
Chicago

Sirs:
Kidd happens to be a bona fide candidate for admission to both Toronto and Harvard. He has told Harvard interviewers that track is important only for the next four years and he would drop out of the Harvard race now if he thought Harvard would exploit his track the way Boston University does High Jumper John Thomas. If Bruce does not enter either Toronto or Harvard, it will be because of those leechlike track coaches who descended upon him after his record race and now harass him to death.
BAYLEY F. MASON
Boston

QUIZ QUIZZED
Sirs:
Re Charles Goren's Year-end Bridge Quiz (Dec. 26): Surely the hand in problem 7 is worth a slam attempt, and just as surely three no trump by South fails to indicate the slam possibility. Since North was vulnerable and had not heard from East or South, five clubs must, be a laydown.

If North has the ace-king of hearts and ace-king of diamonds, a single spade and good club support, six clubs is odds-on. A five-club bid by South has a better chance to get there than three no trump.

Then in problem 18, assuming that a three no-trump bid by North denies three-card spade support to the king or queen, wouldn't a four no-trump response by South ask for a maximum or minimum for North's opening bid?

If North holds king-small or queen-small in spades and the queen of diamonds among his 16 points, he will certainly have real tough sledding to make a bid of six no trump.
G. R. WILSON
Winnipeg, Man.

•In problem 7, Editor Goren says that slam will depend upon finding partner with enough assets to induce him to move out of three no trump. Any of the following hands would qualify as an adequate double of three spades but would not produce a slam; the first two might be set at five clubs:

[Queen of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[Jack of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[King of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[Jack of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]

[Queen of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[Jack of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
[Jack of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]

[Ace of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[Jack of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[King of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[Jack of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]

As for problem 18, there is no valid reason for assuming that North's hand does not include three spades to the king or queen; nor would four no trump do justice to the hand.

With 16 high-card points in South's hand, North knows that the partnership total is at least 32, assuming that he has the minimum. This would leave the hand a bit shaky for a no-trump slam.

Playing the hand at a suit would add two full points of distributional value to South's assets and put the combined holding at the 34 mark at least.

One possible North hand should reveal the value of the four-diamond bid:

[King of Spades]
[10 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[Jack of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[King of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]

North has an absolute minimum, and six no trump hinges entirely on catching the spade queen; yet six diamonds is a laydown.—ED.

ILLUSTRATION

PROBLEM 7, shown above, gives hand and previous bidding to South who is vulnerable. South should bid three no trump. Less desirable bids are pass or five clubs.

ILLUSTRATION

PROBLEM 18 again shows South hand with previous bidding. South's best bid now is four diamonds. Other acceptable bids are six no trump or five no trump.