IN THIS ISSUE:

• Solitaire Challenge Release
• Discontinued Support for Online Play
• Euchre: Trump Management
• Answers to Last Month's Contest
• Ice Cream Trivia

New Game Release! Championship Solitaire Challenge

Be the first to try our newest Championship Solitaire Challenge for Windows!

Race your opponent in an exciting match of Klondike or Freecell Solitaire with our new Challenge Mode, a head-to-head solitaire match to see who can order their cards the quickest!

Play your favorite variations of Solitaire like Freecell, Klondike and Addiction, or try one of our other 99 variations! Access over 101 different Solitaire variations to challenge and excite you!

Discontinued Support For Online Play

Effective as of noon (MST) Monday, September 17th, DreamQuest Software will no longer support nor offer online play for any Championship Pro games .

As many of you are aware, we have struggled with online play problems over the last two years. Our engineers have spent countless hours trying to correct these issues. In that time we have strived to simultaneously improve online play, develop new games, and explore more markets for all of our card and board games.

Despite our best efforts, the major online play problems we hoped would at last be fixed with the 7.10 All-Stars Expansion still persist. DreamQuest's goals and future projects have been repeatedly postponed to get these problems resolved, becoming a financial burden to the company. Unfortunately, we find freely supporting the online players untenable given our future projects and goals. Thus, we are forced to cease support for online play.

It is with much regret that we will discontinue support for DQZone.com, http://DQForums.com and online play in all our card and board games, effective Monday, September 17th at noon (MST.) DreamQuest Software will instead focus on what we do best, developing character based, casual games with complex play and humor. Our newest title, Championship Solitaire Challenge, will be released later this month. We appreciate your business and hope we can continue our long-term relationship with you.

Online players that would like to get in touch with each other may do so at http://dqfriends.healingokhearts.org/index.php.

Euchre: Trump Management, The Cross Ruff

It's back to basics, as we explore a familiar motif in the game of Euchre. Trump management is part of the game. In order to be a successful player, you must observe the cards that have been played, especially in the trump suit. In addition to this, you will need to determine when it is time to extract the opponent's trump, and when it's proper to win trump separately. Let us observe a few illustrative examples:

You are playing a standard 10-point game limit, and your side is on the short end of a 9-8 score. Fortunately, it is your deal, and you pick up this collection (the turned card is the King of Spades):

J 10 ( 9) K 10

You decide to pick up the King of Spades and discard the 9 of Hearts. After all, three trump are three trump! The opening lead from your left is the Ace of Hearts, followed by partner's Jack of Hearts, and the Heart Queen from the next player. You trump with the 10, and immediately place the Right on the table. This fetches the Ace of Spades from the opponent on your left, the ninespot from across the table, and the Jack of Clubs (the Left) from the fellow on your right. A lazy player might be tempted to continue with trump, assuming that one of the opponents held the Spade Queen. In the end, the 10 of Clubs is conceded, and 1 point is earned for your side. Good, yes -- but not good enough. Why not try for the win? It will not cost your side anything.

A smart player notes the opponents' drop of the Ace of trump, as well as the Left. This implies strongly that the enemy has no more trumps. Yes, a clever opponent may have disguised the presence of the Spade Queen with the drop of a higher trump. That is not the point. The King of Spades is still the master trump. With 1 point guaranteed, the time has come to explore. You thus lead your low spot card in Clubs, followed by the King. Now your pard trumps with the Spade Queen. What a pleasant surprise! Back comes a Heart, and now you burn your last trump. Finally, Lady Luck smiles on you, as your King of Diamonds walks through for a march, and 2 points. (The Ace of dimes was buried in the "kitty.") What a vast improvement over the routine cashing of your last trump on trick #3.

A new game begins, and this time you (dealer) and your partner hold these hands:

Partner:
A
None
K 10
Q 9

You:
Q
K Q
Q
( 10)

The Jack of Spades is turned. You have a marginal hand, at best. Furthermore, you fear a next (Clubs) Loner. Adhering to the principle of "Turn down a Bower and lose for an hour," you take in the Right, naming Spades as trump, while you discard the singleton Club. The Ace of Clubs is led, as partner drops his 9, and the fellow on your right chucks the King. You are thrilled to trump with the Spade Queen. Now the key play -- the King of Hearts. It is covered with the Ace, and your glorious partner trumps with his singleton Ace of trump! Your right-hand opponent produces a low Heart, (whew!) and you get home with the Right! The lead of a Heart on trick #2 was a much better play than the premature lead of the Right. Once again, a little luck, and a little discipline saved the day...

One day later, this incredible deal occurs: You are sitting South, as dealer, and the Jack of Diamonds is turned. The score is tied, 9-9. Here is the layout:

North                 K Q 10                 J                                 A
West 9 A Q K Q	East A K 10 9 10
South (You - Dealer)                                 K Q 9                                J (9)

The final hand of a match has been dealt. West passes, and partner displays guts and recklessness, as he orders the Right into your hand. Looking at all four hands, you will soon observe that this is going to be a tough road to travel. You discard the 9 of Clubs. West opens with his King of Clubs, as partner wins the Ace. Fearing a possible singleton trump in your hand, he tries a bold play of the King of Spades. This catches the Ace from East, and you burn your Right on this trick! You exit with a high Heart, as West desperately trumps with the Ace of dimes. Your partner bangs the Left on the table, and that is that! "Gimme a break" declares East, as he disgustedly tables his hand with those three beautiful trump. Highway robbery to be sure! However, partner knew you held the Right. He knew your Right was always going to win a trick. He merely wanted to avoid clashing the two Bowers together!

Make the effort to count and observe, and your game will improve by leaps and bounds.

Question: Which institution of higher learning was the first coeducational school, with an enrollment class of 78 male and 36 female students, in the United States?

Answer:

1. Oberlin College
2. Standford University
3. Harvard University
4. Franklin and Marshall College

Franklin and Marshall College, first known as "Franklin College" was the first coeducational insitution of higher education, established in 1787. Its first enrollment class in 1787 consisted of 78 male and 36 female students. The longest continuously operating coedcuational school in the United States is Oberline College, established in 1833.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coeducation)

• Michael Wake
• Elizabeth Griffiths
• Jim Hall

Congratulations and thanks for playing.

Ice Cream Trivia

It may be the end of Summer, but the warm weather still invites us to a refreshing ice cream cone! So let's see how savvy you are on this longtime favorite.

Question: Anaheim, CA is known for making the largest Ice Cream Sundae. How tall was it?

Answer:

1. 22 ft.
2. 12 ft.
3. 4 ft.
4. 19 ft.

3 correct entries chosen at random will receive a deck of official DreamQuest playing cards!

Submit entries to by October 5th.