Trump squeeze. diamonds
In contract bridge, the trump squeeze is a variant of the simple squeeze. (Squeezes are techniques in this game to gain extra tricks.)
In a trump squeeze, declarer has a suit that can be established by ruffing, but the defender being squeezed is guarding that suit. However, if he happens to also guard another suit, the squeeze card will force him to unguard one. This end position below shows a trump squeeze in action:
Hearts are trumps, and the lead is in the North hand. Declarer plays the A, discarding the 3 from hand, and East has no good discard. If East plays a spade, declarer cashes the A to set up the spade suit. If East plays a club, declarer cashes the K ruffs a club, and has the Ace of spades as an entry to dummy.
The key elements are:
- A suit that declarer can ruff to set up extra tricks
- An entry in another suit which can also yield extra tricks
- One defender that guards both suits
A very rare example is the double trump squeeze, where both opponents suffer the same fate. Here is an example from the quarterfinals of the 2004 Olympiad, in the match between Italy and the USA. Declarer, Norberto Bocchi of Italy, declared 4 and achieved the following end position with the lead in dummy:
Declarer led the Ace of Hearts from dummy, discarding the 8, and the defence had no answer. If both pitched spades, declarer could play the Ace and King of spades, establishing the ten. If both pitched diamonds, a spade to the Ace and a diamond ruff would establish the Queen. Declarer’s play depended on who released the diamond guard. If it were West, a spade to the Ace and the Ten of diamonds would set up the Queen. If it was East, a spade to the Ace and the Queen of diamonds would smother the Jack and create a ruffing finesse position.
Note that the squeeze was not automatic, but Bocchi read the situation accurately when West discarded the seven of diamonds.
Steinmetz Pink Diamond. gia diamonds
The Steinmetz Pink is a diamond weighing 59.60 carats (11.92 g), rated in color as Fancy Vivid Pink by the Gemological Institute of America. The Steinmetz Pink is the largest known diamond having been rated Vivid Pink. As a result of this exceptional rarity, the Steinmetz Group took a cautious 20 months to cut the Pink. It was unveiled in Monaco on May 29 2003, in a public ceremony.
The Steinmetz Pink was displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit, alongside the De Beers Millennium Star, the world’s second largest (the Centenary Diamond is the largest) top colour (D) internally and externally flawless pear-shaped diamond at 203.04 carat (40.608 g), the Heart of Eternity Diamond, a 27.64 carat (5.582 g) heart-cut blue diamond and the Moussaieff Red Diamond, the world’s largest known Fancy Red diamond at 5.11 carats (1.102 g).
Marcel Tolkowsky. gia diamonds
Marcel Tolkowsky (1899-1991) was a member of a Belgian family of diamond cutters and an engineer by education. He is generally acknowledged as the father of the modern round brilliant diamond cut. Developed by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, the American Standard (also known as the American Ideal Cut, Tolkowsky cut, and Tolkowsky Brilliant) is the benchmark in North America. It was derived from mathematical calculations that considered both brilliance and fire of diamonds. Later modifications of round brilliants differ in minor ways.
The design was published in 1919 by Tolkowsky in his book Diamond Design.
Limitation of Tolkowsky Proportions
It has been indicated that Tolkowsky’s “ideal” model has been overused contemporarily. The original model was intended to be a set of general guidelines; several aspects of a diamond’s cut had not been accounted for or explored. Following are excerpts from a GIA article, “What did Marcel Tolkowsky really say?”[1]:
- “Because every facet has the potential to change a light ray’s plane of travel, every facet must be considered in any complete calculation of light paths. Just as a two-dimensional slice of a diamond provides incomplete information about the three-dimensional nature of light behavior inside a diamond, this two-dimensional slice also provides incomplete information about light behavior outside the diamond. A diamond’s panorama is three-dimensional. Although diamonds are highly symmetrical, light can enter a diamond from many directions and many angles. This factor further highlights the need to reevaluate Tolkowsky’s results, and to recalculate the effects of a diamond’s proportions on its appearance aspects.
- “Another important point to consider is that Tolkowsky did not follow the path of a ray that was reflected more than twice in the diamond. However, we now know that a diamond’s appearance is composed of many light paths that reflect considerably more than two times within that diamond. Once again, we can see that Tolkowsky’s predictions are helpful in explaining optimal diamond performance, but they are incomplete by today’s technological standards.”
The Three Aces. diamonds
The Three Aces is a card trick where the magician places the Ace of Diamonds in the middle of the deck, and the two black Aces (Spades and Clubs) on the top and bottom of the deck. The deck is cut, and all three aces are found together in the middle of the deck.
The magician starts with the Ace of Diamonds on top of the deck, and the other three aces in his hands. When the three cards are shown to the audience, they are arranged so that the center pip on the Ace of Hearts is up side down, and the two black Aces in front of it make a V that makes the bottom of the heart look like the bottom of a diamond. The three cards are set on top of the deck with the Ace of Hearts on top and black Aces below them. The top card pushed into the middle and the next one placed on the bottom, the deck is cut, and the trick is done.
Ocean Dream Diamond. diamonds
The Ocean Dream is a diamond measuring 5.51 carats (1.102 g), rated in color as Fancy Deep Blue-Green by the Gemological Institute of America. The Ocean Dream is the only natural diamond known to the GIA to possess a blue-green hue, making it one of the rarest diamonds in the world. (A blue-green colour is commonly seen in artificially enhanced diamonds, whose colour is imparted by various irradiation methods.) After careful study, the GIA concluded that its distinct hue is a result of millions of years of exposure to natural radiation. The Ocean Dream originated in Central Africa, and is currently owned by the Cora Diamond Corporation.
The Ocean Dream was displayed as part of the Smithsonian’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit, alongside the De Beers Millennium Star, The Heart of Eternity and the Moussaieff Red.
Chris Hope (footballer). diamonds
Christopher Jonathan “Chris” Hope (born 14 November 1972 in Sheffield) is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Rushden & Diamonds.
Chris Hope began his career as a trainee with Darlington. However, before he had even made a first team appearance, he joined Nottingham Forest at the beginning of the 1990/91 season and spent two seasons at the City Ground. Again, Hope did not make a first team for Nottingham Forest, and so a move away from the City Ground beckoned and he joined Scunthorpe for £50,000 at the beginning of the 1993/94 season.
Hope was an integral part of the side at Glanford Park and notched up 333 appearances (288 in the league) in seven seasons. A steady influence at the back, Hope managed an impressive 177 successive appearances without missing a game. A move from Lincolnshire to Kent soon beckoned, however, and Hope swapped Scunthorpe for Gillingham who paid £250,000 for his services. Hope made his debut in the club’s first ever game in the First Division (a 3-1 home defeat to Stockport County) and went on to play in more than 200 appearances for the Gills. Following on from his time at Scunthorpe, Hope managed to play in 176 successive games, before finally missing a game through suspension.
Following the departure of ex-club captain Paul Smith, Hope was appointed the club captain for the Gills for their first season back in League One in the 2005/06 season.
Hope signed an extension to his contract keeping him at Priestfield until the summer of 2006, however, he missed much of the 2005/2006 season due to injury and was released on 9 May 2006.
On 7 July it was announced that he had signed a 2 year deal with Rushden & Diamonds F.C.[1]
Hope is predominantly a central defender, although he has operated on both the right and the left side of defence as well as in midfield during his career. Hope’s height and strength mean he is a fomidable force at the back where he is rarely beaten in the air.
