One of the greatest ever bridge writers was the great Victor Mollo from London whose Bridge in the Menagerie series of books were just a joy to read.

I was lucky to meet him when my partner (Guven the Turk!) and I fluked a result to lead after the first session of the first ever tournament we entered at The Europa hotel in Grosvenor Square – now a Marriott. We, inevitably, got killed in the second session but the prize for winning the first session was a signed book by Mollo, presented by the great man himself!

I am going to cover a Mollo hand today, but before that a little bit on him – he passed away in 1987. Victor was born in 1909 to a very wealthy Russian-Jewish family in St Petersburg. When the October Revolution happened in 1917 his family fled Russia in a train purchased by his father, with forged Red Cross papers – they travelled to Finland, Stockholm, Paris and finally London, where he became a legend in the bridge world.

His lifestyle was also exceptional – he liked rubber bridge and would play every single afternoon, followed every evening with dinner and wine with his wife and he would then work all night until 6am! Then a brief six-hour sleep and he was …..back at the bridge club!

The star of his books was The Hideous Hog,who was a brilliant player, always lucky but always rude and sarcastic to fellow players Papa the Greek, The Rueful Rabbit, Walter the Walrus, Molly the (stubborn) Mule and many others. Here is Hideous in action (see Figure 1)!

Hideous opened the South hand one spade (which in those days in Acol only promised four) and after partner bid two diamonds he bid hearts twice and partner jumped to four spades.

West led the club ten – East won and played Ace and another heart, ruffed in dummy.

Most would take the spade finesse here but not the arrogant, know-it-all Hog, who knew that East would overruff hearts.

He played a spade to the Ace, surprisingly dropping the King and then cashed the Queen of spades to arrive at this position (see Figure 2).

It still looks like he has two hearts to lose after drawing the last trump – so he did not!

Instead he played the club King and gave East an unexpected spade trick by playing a low one from his hand!

East was now left with only clubs and diamonds and had to give the hog an entry to dummy to discard his three hearts!

Hog of course had the last word when The Secretary Bird, who was kibitzing, complimented him, “Thank you SB – this would be a brilliant once-in-a-lifetime play in the hands of others, but for me it is quite normal”…..and then, not content with that he continued, ”Of course Papa could have beaten me by throwing his spade ten under my Queen, but that would be beyond a player of his capabilities ……“

You have to love him …. or maybe not! Grab hold of one of his Menagerie books – I donated some to the Bridge Club a few years ago, and I know you will find them entertaining – and even helpful!

• David Ezekiel can be reached on davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, May 9

1 Sancia Garrison/Jane Smith

2 Gertrude Barker/Martha Ferguson

3 Judith Bussell/Diana Diel

Monday, May 12

North/South

1 Tony Saunders/Molly Taussig

2 Charles Hall/Gertrude Barker

3 Betsy Baillie/Joyce Pearson

East/West

1 Sancia Garrison/Lynanne Bolton

2= Wendy Krupp/Jane Gregory

2= Margaret Way/Martha Ferguson

Tuesday, May 13

North/South

1 Ben Stone/Mark Stevens

2 Erika Jones/Desiree Woods

3 Ross Cooper/Gareth Cooper

East/West

1 Richard Bruton/Chris Van Rooyen

2 Davina Dickenson/Sheena Trott

3 Colin James/Anna White

Wednesday, May 14

North/South

1 Jane Smith/Sancia Garrison

2 Charles Hall/Margaret Way

East/West

1 Lynanne Bolton/Heather Woolf

2 Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

Thursday, May 15

1 Tim Mardon/Delton Outerbridge

2 Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton

3 Wenda Krupp/Jane Gregory