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VoLUME 2 OcTOBER, 1948 NUMBER 12 CA LEN DAR .CONTENTS • Oct. Page 15 Derbvshire Association 16 Congress at Ashbourne. CALENDAR OF E\"ENTS 1 17 } North Eastern Congress. . EDITORIAL • • 2 18 Entries due for South of · THE NEW LAWS England Pairs (E.B.U.) · Sir A. Noel Mobbs, K:c.y.o., O.B.E. 4 · 29 Tournament Bridge Association 30 Meeting at Bournemouth. LY);CH LAw-Edgar Lynch 8 Enquiries to Mrs. . Clifford Cru~tE AND PUNISHMENT Nov. } Trol/ope, TVanborouglr 1\'fanor, Jf. Harrison-Gray 10 1 Near Guildford, Surrey. · I ETERNAL TRIANGLE Entries due for London and Palooka Wife 12 Home Counties events. PRAISE FOR · SIR HUBERT Correspondence to:- Guy Ramsey 14 P. R. G. Charters, · 58 Penywem Road, "DoDDS" • . 15 London, S.\V.S. ORIGIN OF DUPLICATE SPECIES E. Bruce Parker .. · 16 }North Western Association 5 Congress, Cliffs Hotel, MR. NoT-So-S~tuG . Blackpool. Enquiries to Hon. S. J. Simo~r 17 6 . Sec., F. 0. Farrington, ilfoor READERS' FoRUM • . 19 7 Edge, Chapeltorcn Road, T~trlon, Near Bolton. PsYcHE-WARD Ho A. G. Figgins . . . 21 England v. Scotland, at Leeds. MoNSTER-V. H. Walker.. 24 .U } SURPRISE SQUEEZE "North" 26 ~~ } Ilk ley Congress 28 (in aid of St. Dunstan's.) · FIND THE LADY T. S. MacCarrick · 27 L.C.C.B.A. events entries due lllte in OCTOBER CoMPETITION October. Guy R amsey 30 Second Round of Crockford's .Cup to be completed by December. * * * All Corresp1mdeuce to the Editor : DO YOU know a good . GUY RAMSEY, Bridge story ? If you do, send 13, Cannon Place, it along to us for publication. 1 Other readers may like to London, N.W.J. hear it.

.\ , I EDITORIAL

HE Contract Bridge Joumal them, before the new Lm·s come is privileged to print in into operation. T. this · issue the first official It remains to gi,·c the new Laws Commentary on the new · Laws. an Editorial blessing and to offer It comes, rightly enough, from to Sir Noel and the the pen of Sir A. Noel ' Mobbs, an Editorial vote of thanks. Chairman of the Portland Club, * * * and the chief British architect· of Changes, .like misfortunes, come the code by which we shall play not in single spies but in battalions. for many years. Mr. H. D. King has vacated the A fundamental ·change is post of Secretary to the · English perceptible ; and this should Bridge Union. operate solely for the good of the game. Penalties there must be, This decision follows hard upon, but the whole emphasis in the new though we cannot claim it to be code is on ' equity rather thim . due to, the article in tht; September legality. issue by in which In practice" the new Laws enable the expense of a full-time paid •. I a generous player to give effective Secretary was challenged. The · scope to his instincts, but debar decision so to reduce the o\·erheads. the player (thank goodness, · rare) were taken by the E.B. U. Executive who · would snatch an advantage under its Chairman, Geoffrey from requesting sueh generosity Butler. to be exercised in his favour. Mr. King, however, has agreed The generous player is, wisely, to stay on temporarily so that there safeguarded against over­ need ben~ over-rapid appointment ; generosity : it is expressly stated and he Will, doutbless, make him­ that in all uormal cases the best self .available to acquaint his interests of the game are served ' part-ttme, . and less expensive, by . complying strictly· with the succ~ssor m the very considerable . Laws ; only when the innocent routme of the Secretary's · duties. side suffers no .damage whatsoever 1 should it- if so disposed- waive It is devoutly to be hoped that those penalties which are prescribed whoever may be appointed in the as waivable. future, may be instructed that Time is of the essence in the plaving-off The ti~e of transition will, of all competitions. A good start doubtless, prove difficult- as such has already been made bv the times always prove-for the persons out-goi~g Secretary who, in sending charged with the administration of out nottc~s dealing with the first .the new code : · tournament of the E.B. U · contests- Crockford's directors, Club secretaties, hosts Cup- has given specific details not and hostesses ;· and it is well that only of the Draw but of the dates copies of the Laws are available for some time before their operative by which all rounds must be c~mpletcd, and the date of the date, which may-and should- Fmal. . profitably be devoted to study of This will make it possible for 2 CONTR:\CT BRIDGE JOURNAL _(:ompetitors-savc for unavoidable parts of the original article will personal occurrences- to keep free appear in November. the date in question and both There are two reasons · for the ensure smooth-running and obviate fact that the defenders of the undesirable delays. E.B.Q. do not appear immediately The avoidance of extensions is upon the pm?ocation: primarily, another desideratum on which the because the October issue was incoming ·secretary should receive Editorially complete only a day specific instructions from the or so after the Septcmb'er issue was Executive. distributed, on account of this In wishing the new Secretary­ month's Commentary upon the when appointed-the most success­ Laws and the replies were not . ful . of tenures, we should like to .written in time to catch the press ; thank Mr. King for his services and secondly because we must during the difficult post-war period aim at a certain balance in our and to wish him good fortune in own contents. · the future. Space must be, allocated, in each * * * successive issue, to the politiq;, · By dint of superhuman efforts, the news; and the technical, this October issue of the Joumal instructional, and entertainment has been published-so as to sides of bridge : what one might ac'l}laint players.as early as possible . call Bridge Proper. ... vith the changes in the Laws­ This month, our main feature during the first week of the month. is of News ; next month, it will This desirable condition we shall be of Views. endeavour to sustain. * * * The closenes.s of the September Many readers have written and October issues necessitates complaining, bitterly that they li~e .the hold-over. until November of in areas to 'which Bridge on the· the . resultS of the September Air is not available, and asking Competition. . In ·the November for Editorial action: .number two monthly results will . Much as it goes against our be published. Editorial vanity, we are realistic enough to admit our ~elief that Thereafter, the Journal will the Journal cuts little ice in B.B.C. revert to its old practice of printing circles. in every issue the result of the While we ourselves should, of . previous month's contest. course, welcome the widest *· dissemination possible of this * * programme, which has high It must not be thought that entertainment as well as instruc­ Terence Reese's searching article tional value to bridge players of on . Duplicate's future, which every rank, we suggest that those appeared last month, ·is . to go in the Midlands and the North unanswered. Both Gordon D. who cannot receive it should Johnstone -and E. Bruce Parker apply in writing to the relevant have replied to it. Regional Directors of the B.B.C., Their careful and balanced who are, rightly enough, profoundly .acceptance of parts, ~ejection of suliceptible to " listener reaction." 3 -

THE ·NE·W LA s (Issued Q_y the Card Committee of the Portland Club)

HE 19~8 Intern ~ tional Code ' of but introduce the operation of the Laws arc operative as from new Laws wherever T Octobtr 1st in America ; from possible. November 1st in Europe. The change (from 1935 to 19~8) These are Rubber Bridge · Laws. should take place e\·c n in the middle 1· A Code of International Laws for of a Competition. • Duplicate will be published as soon as possible by the three bodies • This is held to mean that- purely as I mz example-if in Round 1 of fhe ! concerned (the Portland· Club, the 'l European Bridge Lea'gue and the played in Ortober 1\fr. A. N. National Laws Commission .of America. Other plays 2 0 Doubled and makes I them, he scores 80 + 50 (part score} ·j The present Duplicate Lm\·s will · = 130 points. If, i 11 Round 2 of tire operate until October 31. There­ same event, played i11 Noveniber, Ire after, until the issue., of the new gets into the same co11tract tcitlz the 1: Duplicate Laws, it is recommended same resu!t, he scores 80 + 50 (part· that Tournament Directors should score)' + 50 (making do ubled contract) il . follow the p.resent Duplicate Laws, = 180 points.-ED!TOR. I,I I lt II COMMENTARY 'I ' !· by- Sir A. Noe! Mobbs, K.C.V.O., O.BE I' I Foreword Chairman of the Portland Club. HE FIRST lntemqtional Code The same spirit has been even more of Contract · Bridge Laws in e\·idence in·Americn ; and while the T. . appeared in 1932.. A revised ful~ text of _ the Duplicate · Laws is ·version was promulgated in 1935, and stnctly followed in the prinCipal :j a long overdue Edition is now to be :rournaments : reserved by the three contracting understand!ng that apparently non­ I parttes. · ~onsequennal offenct>~ should be· tgnored; .' The dr;fting of the · 1948 Laws has been undertaken with n different This tendency seems one that approach to the purpose of the Laws s~o u ld be encouraged rather than from that which has hitherto existed. dtscouraged ; and as a contribution· . . to it, there is, in the 1948 Edition n Previous Editions have been based general lessening in the severin· 'of upon the · principle. that there will be penalties. · a uniform e~forcement of all penalties, even though no damage has occurred . The. most difficult problem artsmg as n result of the offence. · 10 ethtcs out of the Laws is the great burden of honour which is placed In many of the ·principal. London upon the person who has accidental!\· acquired iinproper information: · Clubs, there has peen a growing . in'clinntion by partners- and . particularly b}• declarers-not to take ~ -player may hesitate for a long wlu!e and then pass. · It m11st be :'dvantage. of . a rn~her se~• ere penalty II) those cases m whtch the mfringement Ob\'lous that he has a perfect right has not prejudiced the non-offending .to do &o, and .to take as much 'time side's po~ition in any way. · as h~ needs for ronest consideration of hts problem. A lend out of tum CONTHACT BHIDGE JOURNAL

may similarly give a vast arriount of The Law is 'perhaps the information. most difficult one in which fairly to A partner in each -of these cases assess the damage that has been done. should be very careful to disrt!gard Inevitably the arbitrary penalty must · the informuti\·e effect of the hesitation sometimes be insufficient and some­ or of. the wrong lead. He need not times. too se~· ere. lie quixotic enough to pass automatic­ ally, but should bid as he would hnve The 1948 Laws do not, in mv done without the informatory opinion, prohibit defenders (in excep:. implication ' of his partner's action. tiona! cases in which they have, by an In International Matches and unintentional revoke, prevented their important Tournaments, the opponents from winning a game) from Tournament Director is placed by a.II owing opponents to score their game ; the Laws of in a nor do they, in all circumstances, position to protect the field by an compel a declarer to claim two tricks adjustment of penalties. In drafting for a revoke which has clearly done the new Laws, no regard has been no harm whatever. paid to the possibility of i11t c11tiu11al violation of the Laws. ft should be emphasised, however, The aim of the Laws is to restore that the normal procedure is for the "to the respective sides the rights they penalties prescribed by the Laws to would have had if no irregularity had be adopted ; and it would be quite occurred ; and every endeavour has unethical for any player to suggest been made not to give a side . anything that his side should receive the benefit more than their cards would entitle of any such concessions. It is for the them to ha~e. 11011-ojJendi11g side to offer it.

Differences Between 1935 and 1948

The Scope of the Laws that side if reclaimed at any The one important, but not to be time except during the course over-emphasised, ,alteration between of a Den]; the two Editions is the climination, 2. The confinement of the right to already referred to, of the statement shuffle to the D ealer and his ·that harmony and the interests of the' left-hand opponent ; and · game are best served by a uniforin 3. The unconditional right of any enforcement of all . penalties. player to demand a new shuffle It is nevertheless desirable in all (by those entitled to shuffle) or 11ormal or ordi11ary cases for tht.= a new cut ·at any time before prescribed penalty to be paid. the commencement of the Deal. Definitions · General Lawli Covering There are a numbt!r of changes m Irregularities the definitions for the purpose of The system of dividing the Laws clarity, but .they do not affect the into arbitrary periods has been play of the hands in any way. abandoned, ana the General Laws covering Irregularities npply to all The' Draw, the Shuffle, npproprinte sections. the Deal, the Cut A plnyer is prohibited, the moment In this Section there ure some uttcntion hns been called to an unimportant minor changes, the · only irregularity, from either calling or important difference being- playing until all questions of rectification 1. Tlie puck which belongs to a and penalty enforcement have been side nt the beginning of u determined.t Rubbor must be restored* to t For em e.\·ample, set Questio11 i11 .. A premium 011 superstitio11 ?-EDITOR. " Readers' Forum," Page 19.-Eo. 5 ~r~~~===--~~~~------~------~ I

CONTRACT · BRIDGE JO U R NA L

In view of the reduction 'in the Auction had the effect of enabling­ severity of penalties, a new-and the opponents to stop the Bidding important- Law 20 has been introduced when the silenced partner had, perhaps, to cover improper actions generally, an easy game hand. for which in the 1935 Laws there were penalties of a severe nature in - It was a severe pt!nalty and in the­ particular instances. present Laws there is no pennltv' ·whatever if the Bid is made· good b~ This enacts that' if one partner makes the . larL·est sufficient Bid in the sa11i~r a remark or gesture advocating a line denomination. • I. of play, revealing· an as-yet-unshown card, or directing attention improperly It can still be made good by any ! to the cards on a trick to· which partner other Bid- in which case the offender's has still to play, such an offence carries· partner must pass whenever it is his turn' to Call (i.e., th rou ~ ho ut ). ' I·' a penalty. If the offence he committed during the Auction, either opponent I; may require the offending side to puss There i~ an entirely new alternative, 'I under wh1ch the offender may· pass. · : throughout and, if the innocent side obtain the contract, Declarer mav call In this case, not only must the offender's. a lead. If the offence occur: after the • partner pass whenever it is his tum Auction, Declarer. or either Defender to Call ; but, if the offending side may require offender's partner ·to become the Defenders, D eclarer may I withdraw a card played in conformity require or forbid the opponents' lend \., of a specific suit. . · I'· with tlie suggestion and to play a card I' whic:h does not so conform. . II There is a new Law under wliich a. It is hoped that the presence of this Call made simultaneouslv with another I i Law will prevent such actions, and player's proper Call is -deemed· to be­ that there will seldom be the necessity n subsequent Call. • to enforce it. Its very presence should be a deterrent to reprehensible· activities There is, finally, a slight lessening of the kind described. of the penalties in the very rare cases of a player re-doubling when his side­ The Auction ·has already doubled doubling ones. partner's Bid, or ' doubling when In this section of the Laws the required by Law to pass. I right to ·call a lend is abolished and 'i there is no penalty for the Accidental i•' Exposure of a single card lower than The Play ' a Knave, which has not been , prematurely led. In this section the first important I' change is in -La;\. 45 where dummv ; ~ is g~ven the. right to try to pre\·ent I There is n new Law 29 dealing with I' a Change of Call which is not practically an · 1rregulanty which is apparently in the same breath; and where the about to be committed. This will have -first Call was a proper Call. · u far-rea_ching e~ect upon the verr common 1rregulanty of Declarer leading The offender must allow his first from the wror:'g han~. If it be apparent Call to stand, in which case his partner must pass when next it is his turn to • Example : South, dealer, bids One call (i.e., for one round) or the offender Club a11d West simulta11eously bids One may substitute any other proper Cnll Spade ; South is held to have bid' ' in which cnse his partner must pus~ O!ze Club a11ci Jl'e st to have Or:erbid whenever it ·is his turn to Cull (i.e., tclth 011e S.P.ade. · But if, 1111der the throughout the Auction on that hand). same COIIdltzo11s, South bids One ?Pade cmd Tl'est, 011e Club, South An outstanding chnnJ;:e hus been IS lzeld to have bid o,e Spade and made in respect of Insufficient Bids Tl'est . to have made a11 illslljJicimt: These occur, in ~ c ry many cases, us ~ overbzcl of 011e Club. If 11'11st bicls result of not heurmg clearly u previous T~t· o Cl!tbs, there is 110 penalty ; if Cull ; and the pennln• in the 1935 fl Laws of silencinl:' the offender's partner est bu/s a11y thi11g else or passts East • IIIIIs t pass throughout tlttr' for one ·round or throughout the Auct10 11.-E o iTon. · 6

j: \ CONTRACT URIDGE JOURNAL that he is about to do so, Dummy Declarer Claiming or may point out his error to the declarer Concedinf! Tricks before the offence has been committed. These two Laws have been simplified, Under the sub-section of Leads and and there is a highly important new Play, there arc several small changes provision in Law 89 under which but they make no material difference Declarer, if asked to play on, may to the game as now played, except in not, if he has any cards of other suits, the case of a Lead out of Turn. lend n while either defender has a trump.t Here, in Law 46, there is a provision that the moment a Defender draws The Score attention to a Declarer's lend out of No changes have been made in the . turn, he is requiring its retraction ; Score e:o:cept that there is a bonus of and there is no longer the right to SO points for Declarer obtaining his either opponent to decide whether Contract if doubled or re-doubled. the lead shall stand as played or be There is no additional bonus in the made from the other hnnd. It must, case of a redouble. automatically, be ·- made from the correct hand. In an mifinished rubber, a bonus of SO points is awarded for the possession of a part-score i,n an uncompleted The Revoke game. The Revoke Law has been much The Proprieties simplified and clarified. The only material change is that there is no The Proprieties, instead of appearing penalty 'for subsequent ill the under each period, now become general. same suit by the same player. On the There are two important additions. other hand, if there is a revoke by the same side in · another suit, there is the Under Propriety No. 1, it is clearly full penalt)• of two further tricks. laid down that it is reprehensible to profit by information gained as a For example : a player leads out a result of an irregularit)• committed by suit of seven Diamonds. Another ones own side, for whic)l no penalty player revokes twice ; he is guilty of (or a penalty incommensurate with only one (penalisable) revoke. Later the information given) is prescribed. in the hand, the revoking player also revokes on a Spade. He is liable Propriet)• No. 2; ~~kes it · clear that for this re\·oke also. it is improper to infringe a Law deliberately, as by making an Insufficient Bid, Calling out of Tum, or any other Tricks form or method of obtaining an unfair advantage by a conscious breach of The 1935 Law under which there the Laws: was a penalty of 50 points for looking at a qu_itted trick is abolished. Declarer t This prevents the request to play out or either Defender may, until the side the hand from automatically itifonning has Jed or played a card to the next Declaret· of the most probable potential trick, inspect the trick and enquire source of loss.-EDITOR. what card each hand played to it. Thereafter, 110 trick may be turned We can bind your own for inspection-:-except in those cases for which the Laws specifically copies of Volume I in blue provide.• Rexine with gold lettering . at an inclusive cost of 21 /-. • Assume South tahes Trich 1 ami leads Please send · orders, with to Trick 2. Arzy other player (save Dummy) may ash to impect Trick 1 Journals, to PRIESTLEY before fo/lou:ing to Trich 2:-bnt rzot STUDIOS LTD., Commercial after he or his partner has played Road, Gloucester. to Trick 2.

7 I '' LYNC_H .LAW" by Edgar Lynch

1\fr. Lynch sends us his viervs and rve print them rdth pleawre, :II I but rdtlwut necessarily endorsing them. In fact, so contra?' are ·I they to normal expert practice that t~: e lw.ve ot~rs~lves r'nttcu a I rebuttal of some of them. l'vfr. Lynch is cordtally wvzted to re- rebut 'I I our footnotes in a subsequent issue. It is in no seme as a "11w n of strmo" or an Aunt Sally that we print this article; but as a sp ur to controversy and 'experiment.

HIS may be heresy-but then 3 NT is as easy to achieve it is · the convinced and as Three in a suit. T considered logic of an . As a consequence, I amended ') heretic. my bids, with a marked I read in the June~July issue improvement in the results column. of the Journal details of the I am well aware that deals can I' ,.,. Copenhagen Champions~i~ ; and be arranged to disprO\·e this ·, in one case both . Bntam and theory ; but just as many can be t~ Denmark opened a 4-card Major produced to support it- and I am ,i and both teams, rHraining from primarily concerned with aYerage a "cold" Three No Trump deals such· .as one encounters in contract, went down. Denmark · th~ run of the game. was one off in 5 + and Britain's worthy representatives ( congratu­ If, on-the average, normal deal, · lations to· them on their merited a contract of (say) 4 is arri'l'ed at eventual victory) were · two off one after opening one of the suit on trick higher. only four cards_of it, then a certain amount of the calculated strength This bears out my · own of each. hand is concentrated in . experience over many years of that suit a11d each hand must be club play ; so tha.t I have long perforce powerful enough in out­ since abandoned the opening of a side suits to make the contract : Ir· One-bid on a 4-card Major. (Lion so much so that 3 NT is probably r, of . the North Ewart Kempson a ·safer venture as it requires only ir' similarly disapproves of tbe bid- · •· nine tricks as against the suit-call's ! ~ with certain exceptions__:..Editor). ten. I found th'at as many contracts failed as succeeded and that, in Should a Declarer in a 4 contract the case of the failures, a 3 NT (holding only four cards in trumps) game had usually been missed. be quickly forced, he is likelv to find himself equalled, or e'fen . I devoted both· time and study out-numbered by the opposition­ to this phenomenon and came to and" loss of Trump control means· tire irresistible conclusion that, if a bad result. a contract of Four can be made By confining the opening of on a 4-card Major, then there is One in a Major to a 5-card suit sufficient material in the combined (Q J x x x minimum), I find hands to ensure the making of matte:-' are simplified for partner, 3 NT ; and if Three Hearts or who 1s not tormented by doubts Spades can be made but not Four, of a 4-carder and can raise to + 8 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL in confidence on, say, J x x in 2. I have an opener ; trumps and an approximate count 3. I lack a stop in one suit or of 12-a bid he could not make I would have bid No unless he can trust partner to Trumps. hold a 5-card trump suit. Under the system we play-the . What, I can hear the Orthodox Diamond System~ne does bid saying at once, if the holdin.g be 1·NT on a count of 16 even with a A K to four in both majors, four singleton and partner, with no Diamonds to the 10 and a single 5-card Major, or 6-card Minor; Club ? I recommend the opening replies 3 NT on anything from of a 4-card minor (in this case 10 to 12. Diamonds) pending partner's bid The late S. J. Simon (what a ·which should clarify matters. loss to bridge !) would frown upon A Diamond bid (shaded) tells barging into No Trumps on a Singleton, but I find strong hands partner:- of this nature respond more readily 1. I hold no 5-card biddable and more profitably to a deviation Major; from Orthodoxy. THE EDITOR REPLIES; · T HE FEAR of a 4-card suit to many modern systems, notably is as old as bridge, and it Vienna which first elevated it to still operates on modern the dignity of a systematised cult. players to so great an e>..-tent that The weakness, to our view, of the Baron . System specifically the system, even so skeletonly requires its opening bids (which presented as above, lies in the may well be made on [our cards fallacy expressed in the fourth to the 5) to be supported immediately only on four trumps paragraph : that . 3 NT can be made on a hand capable of making irrespective of the rest of the hand. 4 + or 4 \? on a 4-card suit. Cop.versely, however, the relapse into No Trump deification We remember too many hands . suggested by Mr. Lynch is a when a single guard in the led . regression to the days not only of suit in NT has proved disastrous ; Criticus (1934) but of pre­ too ~any hands when even a Culbertson Auction. double guard is not enough. We have known not a few hands 'vith Mr. Lynch does not say what a mere seven trumps divided 4 - 3 he bids on a 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 hand bring home 10 tricks-usually with worth an opening bid with all the a singleton or in the Dummy. strength concentrated in the 4-card Majors ; and he has not outlined It is unfair to criticise Mr. his system in sufficient detail to Lynch's Diamond System. without inform readers whether a Club is a full statement of how he exploits as admissable as a Diamond. If 4-card suits when desirable ; not, it appears simply to substitute perhaps he has taken a leaf out a " phoney " Diamond for the of Kempson and Marx : that a " phoney " Club that is integral (Continued on page 25)

Jl 9 ·CRIME A'ND PUNISHMENT by M. Harrison-Gray

5~ British players have to contend + A6542 with an interference bid of 1 + \? A853 by West that had a surprising 0 65 repercussion. + 42 North considers that he is too + KQ987 + 3 · good to pass, and doubles for \? 1072 \? K964 penalties-a doubtful bid,· but the ,0. Q 9 4 0 J 10 8 7 3 2 alternative of 1 NT is . also ..• J 10 + K 7 unsatisfactory with su.ch poor intermediates. East rescues, and 10 • J South is on the spot. \? QJ o · AK At first sight,· his pass appears + AQ98653 preposterous. It was apparently Dealer, East. Love All. dictated by the fear that North's prompt double of 1 + might have Bidding-Room 1 been intended to convey a veiled warning against Clubs ; and North EAST SouTH WEST NoRTH mi~ht be only too pleased to have No bid 1 + No bid 1 • . No bid the chance of doubling 2 0. 2 + No bid 2\? Again, South's best bid is far No bid 3 NT from obvious : 2 NT and 3 + 0 4 led . . South made 10 tricks. will be passed by North, who has 430 points to North-South. more than done his bit ; 3 NT will be a wild gamble. Bidding-Room 2 South therefore passes, convinc.ed EAST SouTH WEST NORTH that North will find another bid. No bid 1 + 1 . Dble. But that worthy has fi.\:ed himself 20 completely, and the simple game . + J led. E~t made 7 tricks. goes out of the window. ' 50 points to North-South. Perhaps we should say " simple on paper," for in practice declarer COMMENT will have moments of horrible Britain v. Denmark, Copenhagen, anxiety .. 1948. One of the few British set-backs that can be definitely So, far we have attempted to list crimcd. · Attention is focussed on the British crimes in this set-to ; Room 2 and the reasons for but there is one " crime " by the missing this easy game. opposition that is worthy of mention. West's of 1 + In Ro~m 2, the Danes have a in Room 2 appears to be well clear run and bid competently below standard ; yet study the along the lines of the Vienna disintegrating effett that it had on System. In the other room, the the opponents' bidding, and reflect

10

.I (,,I CONTRACT B RIDGE JOURNAL on how many similar light over- them completely satisfactory: 1 +, calls work to the disadvantage of 1 NT, 2 , Double, even a waiting the side with the better cards. pass. As it happens, any one of Is it time that we revised our these bids should lead eventually standards in this respect: at least to a comfortable 3 NT (against for duplicate play? which East-West have no defence) or a profitable double. · 53 Over 1 + East · wisely retires + AK93 from the fray, but South is curiously !VJ A 3 reticent. After East's pass he can 0 A 7 be in no doubt as to which side + J 8 4 32 holds the balance of strength. Here it is clearly a case of " when ... i07 2 • J 54 in doubt, bid something." Whether ~ 9 8 6 !VJK J 42 he elects to bid 1 NT or to raise Q9 82 K43 0 0 the Spades, the final outcome ·+ Q106 + A97 should be the same. + Q S 6 !VJ Q1075 The Room 2 bidding shows up 0 J 10 6 5 one of the disadvantages of phoney + KS Club openings. Here North feels compelled to show his five-card Dealer, East. East-,¥est Game. suit first on the second round ; South, anxious to expose the Bidding- Room 2 respectable values camouflaged ' by .EAST ·souTH WEST · NoRTH his negative 1 0, has to bid 2 NT, 1 + No bid 1 0 1 + and North raises to game. But . !VJ 2 led. North made 11 tricks. no attempt has been made to find a major suit fit. North's .200 points to North-South. · holding in Spades and Hearts, and Bidding- Room 2 his side will finish in a bad contract of 3 NT instead of an odds-on 4 !VJ; :EAST SouTH WEST NORTH No bid · No bid No bid 1 + No bid 1 o· No bid 2+ 3 NT No bid 2 ·NT No bid " MUSIC HATH CHARl\15 " !VJ 9 led. South made 9 ~ricks . (!Ve [lope !) 400 · points to North-South. In our own Gossip last month, we referred to Mrs. B. Davies, a ·COMMENT popular member of Crockford's, Another example of a missed as " the sister of Harriet Cohen." game in an important match. She is, in fact, the sister of Dame In Room 1 East opens with an Myra Hess. As we have no good ultra-light (Vienna) 1 + ; West excuse to offer, s_ave a momentary responds with a conventional 1 0, mental confusion between two .and North is faced with a wide distinguished pianists, we beg all range of possible bids, none of three ladies to forgive us.- G.R.

II BY Palooka Wife ETERNAL TRIANGLE . I Do Not Play Bridge. Of course, I've learnt something More : Only by looking closely through the years. Little. nodules and thinking before I speak can of jargon: occasionally slip off my I tell one card from another. tongue, and I have been kno,vn to refer to someone as a palooka. I 'Further : I have no ide·a how If my husband, 'reproved, let us t• many cards then: are in a pack, say, for coming home from the nor do I care. club a couple' of hours lat.e for dinner, remarks " Sorry - big I Yet I am married to one of those chuck," I know what he means. I things· called An Expert. I I recognise, though unreliably, ' I Ho\v this. happened we are members of the Baron, the Stem neither of us sure: In the early and all the other sects ; I am days of our wooing I ·used some­ aware that . several totally useless times to call for him at the club silver cups have to be polished in where he then· played. I had to our house, and that my husband depend on his recognising me, for has every hope of providing me once insiqe th~ place I always 'more with more. or less' passed out through suffoca­ tion, coughing and choking and What I cannot get used to is practically blind from that inimi­ being the third leg of an Eternal table atniosphere-half chimney Triangle. and hidf oven-in which For instance : I was awakened apparently, . the hest Bridge is the ·· other night by my husband playe.d. talking in his sleep. He sounded I would dimly sense his unruffied reasonable, persuasive, eloquent. presence hunched at some table, At last, I thought, it has happened ; and vaguely hear his cry of welcome I shall hear just now much he has over the grunts, hisses and mutters lost lately ; shall learn the name by which bridge-players communi­ of the Other· Woman, if she•exists. cate with one another during the I reared up on my elbow, bent game. In at least one corner of over him and listened. He was the room, a duel was usually not so articulate as he sounded, about to be fought. .Out on the and. I had to listen for a long time, pavement again in the clear gettmg rather cold. At last I was starlight I would look at my rewarded. . Loud and clear, with husband-to-be's · healthy, serene a hint of arrogance, he cried .. .. face and Wonder. " One Spade." · I am s'till Wondering. You see? CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL Then, again, it is no uncommon people to earn their bread. But thing for my husband to discuss no one would ever think it. I can nothing but bridge over the think o.ff-hand of only one bridge­ telephone for not less, and probably player by whom I have never been more, than half-an-hour at a excluded for a moment from stretch-usually at breakfast-time. conversation because she is talking "Coffee's ready," I cry Bridge-bless her heart. But no winningly. doubt she's regarded as eccentric. "No, no. You lead the In the home, of course, Bridge Diamond ..." · provides me with the opportunity "Darling-your coffee's cold ! " to cringe in a corner, emptying ashtrays and providing coffee for " But of course, old man, if three people who have little to West holds Ace-Queen to nine, say to me, or I to them, save your only response ..." " Hullo, how are you " and " I'm washing up I " I snarl. " Goodnight, it's been so nice." Alternatively, I can spend jolly 'Vhereat : " Sorry, old chap. evenings with the cat and a good I My wife wants me. must fly," book while my husband. plays at says he, and comes blandly to my the club. side, leaving his Bridge Buddy to shake his head and go back to his A couple of winters ago-you copy of the Contract Bridge Joumal may remember it was very awful, thinking " Big chuck, poor fellow­ except in bridge clubs, which ~arried palooka wife." al}vays have roaring fires-I was .. At ·one time we both toyed with disturbed at my good book by the ide;t of ·my learning;, but the sound of rushing water. On observation of all but a few notable investigation I found that the _ Jlr:idge marriages led us to decide pipes in the flat above ours had to stay happy. We don't think burst, and that water was cascading I'm the type. through the nursery ceiling- on to our little boy's bed, with the little ' All the same, I sometimes creep boy asleep inside it. For a merry into · a Bridge shrine- a club,. a three or four hours the tenants of place of tournament, or even a the whole house toiled with buckets, broadcasting studio. I sit mum saucepans, stop-cocks, wet ceiling iri .a corner, till one of the players paper and the Metropolitan Water amiably putS some incomprehens­ Board ; and I at length fell into ible question to me. I confess I an exhausted sleep on a mattress Don't Play. The smile dies on which was sodden only at one .his lips, he coughs, he moves away. corner. They are all very kind, of course, but they have nothing ,to say Where, you may ask, was my to me. husband during all this- my prop, That seems to be the trouble with my stay, my helpmeet, my mate ? such a lot of Bridge players : they talk only Bridg~:. I suppose they I give you one guess . do have professions, are under the same compulsion _ as normal Quite right. He was. 13 PRAISE FOR SIR HUBERT

UBERT PHILLIPS, that Also for the expert, Phillips the stalwart of pre-war bridge Mathematician has demanded from H who may still be found Hubert the Bridge-player a chapter playing a hilarious and " flair " this reviewer (who can barely get game at · Crockford's when he his score correct) is incompetent isn't busy broadcasting, writing to analyse or criticise : a section for the News Chronicle and several working out just what, and why, magazines, compiling m:tthematical you should in any given teasers, or getting out a novel, has situation. come back into the world of serious bridge with a bang. Duplicate aspirants will be amused, and perhaps instructed, He has completely re-written by a series of hands from old the pre-war best-seller, Thorne's matches 'vorked into a match !. " Contract Bridge Complete." between teams rejoicing in those eighteenth- century type- names Harold Thorne would be the beloved of the author : Major I first to admit he is no bridge expert Dithering and Captain Deuceace. I and no practised writer : Phillips Frankly, the pre-war bidding was :is both, and th'e new edition gains so atrocious that the hands might much thereby. ·. -.... have been more inspiredly selected. The main value of the volume, A section of 40 illustrative hands to the average player, is the fact is, instructionally, the most valuable that it outlines with brief lucidity section of the book. There has the salient features of almost every never,. I suppose, been a bridge system one is likely to encounter text-book without some sort of either at the Club.or in competitive error, printer's or author's ; and events. When you have read the this volume is no exception. In two · or three pages about Vienna fact, some of the proof-reading is or Kempson, Acbl or Barton (but, grossly misleading, and I could unhappily, no Baron : a bad name at least one hand where the " chuck" this), you can play author's ~alysis is at fa~lt. .,j~ 'with-or against-practitioners of But all in all, the book­ any of them with a reasonable published by Eyre and chance of success. Spottiswoode-is well · worth the 9s. at which it is listed. It is a To the expert, who will not bridge player's vade mecum. G.R. learn a great deal from the book, there is a history of the game that • evokes an acute nostalgia among those whose memories still cherish TO CLUB SECRETARIES. Spread the news of your such phrases as " Heart and Strong," "W'eak and Vleak" or activities. Write 01id tell us " I leave it to you, partner " and of your special events. Items the frantic days when Spades had of general interest are always two values. welcome. HE SAME risk is run writing But the man is generally more about one's -bridge partner interesting than his achievements, T as about one's wife ; for, and it is of him that I would write. if the praise be too glowing, the author is automatically condemned Leslie is a perfectionist, which as ·not being sufficient of a realist ; explains in a nutsh.ell his skill and & approach to bridge. He came in I while if commendable restraint is shown in dealing with this difficult on the ground floor with Contract, · and delicate subject, one's friends, and, to a genuine extent, grew up be they bridge players or not, with the game. As a theorist start whispering that the bonds of .· he is unrivalled, and this, com­ mental sympathy which first bined with the fact that he brought you together are now inherited from his chess-playing sho\ving signs of becoming more days a prodigious memory, than slightly frayed. produced that brand of bridge which is peculiarly his own. · Leslie Dodds and I are not contemplating a bridge divorce ; H~ has always been regarded as and it is most unlikely' that our " brilliant but erratic "-especially partnership will be dissolved until in his bidding ; but this, besides that unhappy day when he really being an unmerited criticism, can lives up ·to his annual threat of have been prompted only by a too retirement from . superficial analysis of his game. This impend- His bidding ing withdrawal, , '-DOD system, although when it eventually _ ,, based entirely on · takes place, (which 0 5 natural inferences I have every and common sense, reason to believe will not material­ contains much that is like the laws ise until well ·into the late half of the Medes and Persians ; and of the centvry) will, in very truth, I, for one, am sure that it is the prove a great loss to British bridge. most scientifically successful bid­ Leslie has been one of the most ding · system in use- in England ' outstanding players in· the game today : all challenges accepted. ever since 'Contract first . started . Dodds has sometimes been in this country ; and it is accused of immodesty, but surely no exaggeration to state that no there must be a s!rong element of England team would be complete iconoclasm- a form of the Bath without him : a viewpoint borne - in the make-up of any out by the fact that he is the only perfectionist. player to have been selected three times to play for us in the European And if one's standards are as Championships. high as Leslie's, it is not astonishing His other successes are almost that occasionally he should criticise too numerous to catalogue. He the game of some of our leading has been capped 10 times in the players- frequently that of his Camrose ':frophy and, before the partner, good though he is !­ war,. was never out of the final of the Gold Cup, playing every year and, always, his own. in a different team. E. R. IS ORIGIN OF (DLJ.PLICATE) SP ECI~$ by E. Bruce Parker ' ULLY half of thos'e who G.O.M. of every card game, George enter for any competition· ("Two 'Art " ) Nelson. · F from the Gold Cup to the The third was the North Western, Little Muggleton Pairs have no covering Lancashire, Cheshire and idea of the history of Duplicate l .i l the North West of England Bridge in Britain. They have a generally, formed by' myself. vague idea ·that there are various bodies, with as many initials as All these three bodies were the War Office, which run the absolute democracies : committees game ; but· that is all ; and it and officers being elected by the may be of interest to new:.comers members. They were, naturally, · to know how the present set-up non-profit-making. But, while' came into being. · there were, in the Northern half of the . country at least, three. In the. early days of Contract, Duplicate was fostered · by two associations of this type, there was associations; each with its magazine no national single body for England. · and each supported by one of the Scotland and Eire, however, had I' playing-~ard manufacturers. national contr.ol.. At the request Editor of one magazine and head of these twc:>. national organisations, ~ of one association was · the late a meeting was called, and held in ·.· Liverpool,· to try to work out some I A: E. Manning Foster. His "rival," ,. head of the other association and form of democratic set-up which magazine, was Hubert Phillips, s.hould cover the British Isles. who is Caliban of the Puzzle books, At this . meeting, Scotland, Eire, · Dogberry of the News .Chronicle, ' Northern Ireland and \Vales were. an ex-captain of England, a wit a)l represen~ed. .and a present sotirce of good : On the English side there were fellowship to. his many iriends in representatives of the three the game. . . Northern associations, lVIr. Hubert ! The rivalry benv~en the two Phillips and Lord Tollemache, associations and the two magazines Col. (" Pops ") ·Beasley and many 'yas· a 'bitter o11e; ·and; although of the well-known London tourna­ they provided · fine facilities and ment players of the day. Manning staged many important .events, Foster was not present. there was.still no democratic control. Wide discussion took place. The : The· fi'rst local as;ociati~n to be three regional Northern Associa­ created was the North Eastern ~ions were prepared to join together with . its H.Q. at Newcastle. Th~ m the formation of a single guiding star of this . body was Northern Association but the inevitably, that Phoenix of bridge: Scottish and Irish representatives ~wart Kempson. re.fused to meet on equal terms I I Soon afterwards a similar Wtth any body but a national association was formed in Yorkshire (and democratic) organisation. under the chairmanship of that (C o11tiuued 0 11 page 29) 16 MR. NOT-SO-SMUG by S. J. Simon

Dealer, North. Both vulnerable. This hand, opposite Mr. (Mrs. Guggenheim) Smug's, probably ends up • Q854 in a peaceful contract of AKJ9 Q42 doubled. 0 32 0 AS (ii) When opponents upset the + J 10 6 + 8 7 4 3 2 planned . For instance, (Futile Vlillie) Smug's hand opens 1 Club + J9 and the bidding proceeds : 10 8 3 WEsT NoRTH EAsT Sourn 0 }98764 1 1 2 0 No + A9 + + What does \Vest bid now ? THE 'BIDDING 2 Hearts and get a preference . NoRTH EAST SouTH WEST of Clubs? No bid No bid No bid r1 + (a) No bid 2 + (b) No bid No bid I am a simple soul. I still No bid believe that the best way of finding ·out whether· partner (a) Just a few words of contempt has a fit for my majors is to , for those Scientists who prefer to .bid them. Qxx 0 Axxx + Oxxxx dares to double. I7 i.~ CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL l But what does a bid of Two settl~d down to ponder the handh .I Clubs tell? It tells partner that He saw that he had to lose 3 Clubs I you have a few points, and that's and 1 Diamond, so that his contract ll all. It suggests that you have a depended on not losing more than I decent Club suit, which you 1 trick in Spades. i haven't and it doesn't tell him A simple hand, he decided. If you've 'got any Spades, which he they broke 3 - 3 or he dropped would almost certainly like to know. the Queen Jack blank, he'd make. Further, practically any bid that And if he didn't, he wouldn't. he elects· to make over it gives you a headache what to do next. For, So he played out two rounds having already sent out one mis­ of trumps. And then he hesitated. leading message, you will be both It had dawned on him that he frightened of sending· out· an was going an awful lot down if encouraging bid and yet vaguely the trumps didn't break. unhappy at not showing your " Oh well, partner," he said, Spade support. For instance, if " all or nothing." his rebid is Two Hearts, the urge And he played the third round. to bid Three Spades · is quite Had he played the Ten all might strong. But dare you ? have been comparatively well, for You have already showri him it is unlikely that Mrs. Guggenheim however many; . points your silly would haye known her Eight w~ bid .of Two Clubs shows. If you high. But he played the Seven bid Three Spades, he'll put you ·and so Mrs. Guggenheim drew with more. So you bid only T,vo his last tiump and the defence Spades and partner holding, say, made the rest. 5 down. + Axxxx ~AKxx 0 Kxx + x · PosT MoRTEM pass~s regretfully and makes five. " I know I could have gone one On a direct raise of Spades he down," said Mr. .Smug, stung by would have made another try, but Futile Willie's grin and his partner's when your Spades might be as pained eyebrows. " But I had to bad as a doubleton, how dare he ? try for the . contract, hadn't I ? '' So, please, when your hand is . worth only one bid, let that bid, " There WaS a rather better way if at all possible, support partner's of trying," said. the Unlucky Expert suit. Never mind if the . hand is coldly. · a little too strong or the support "Vlhat? "demanded Mr. Smug. a little too weak. At least' you will Can you tell him ? be letting your partner know tha~ you don't abhor his suit. It is actually remarkably simple It's likely to be much more but it is amazing how many players, useful to him 'than the fact that capable of making many far more you have however many points difficult plays, fail to achieve it. it is. It is, in fact, so simple that the only reason that they don't is that THE P LAY it has never occurred to them. Mrs. Guggenheim led the King ~o ! in case this means you, here of Diamonds. Mr. Smug immedi­ lt lS. ately ordered on the Ace and then the first round of trumps. 18 R EADERS' FORUM

WAS asked to give a ruling, Playing , the bidding has and would be glad of confirm­ gone: West, 3 \? ; North, 3 ~T ; I ation or correction. All four East, No. South holds : players were experienced-South +Axx \?9876 OQxx + K109 a Finalist in the 1948 National What should he bid ? Actually, ~ - Pairs. South left 3 NT, trusting North The bidding reaches 4 + by had one honour in Hearts, and North (an Asking Bid) and South achieved the bad result of Three out of turn, makes a bid. East Down. But any other bid by points out that he has not yet bid South would, normally, show a and says 4 • . South now says Four-card suit. As it turned out, 4 NT, and, when North opens any bid by South at the 4-level his mouth, is told he is barred would hilVe led to a Cl\lb grand from bidding. North-South then slam of which North held six. argu~d that East--West should have card~, and a Heart "void. stated they were claiming this · (f.F.S., St. Albans) right at the time. The Acol players of the top I ruled that : East pointed out rank (following Harrison-Gray and ' the bid out -of turn and therefore the late S. J. Simon, J. C. H. Marx the penalty was automatic (like a and others) have abandoned 3 ~T double-fault or an lbw). South as a take-out over a pre-empttve could have asked if the penalty 3-bid ; but play it as a natural was being exacted or if he was bid (Threes being generally pretty to be let off.- Clarissa Balfour, W.2. awful). . The Acol text-book, however, still ranks 3 NT as the Miss Balfour's decision was orthodox cry for take-out, and it unquestionably correct ; - and it is is to be assumed this is what regretably characteristic of certain North intended. F.F.S.'s conten­ players who ought to know better tion that any bid announces a that a question even arose. North 4-card suit omits the bid which ' should certainly not have attempted in the view of seven experts out to bid after his partner's out­ of ten consulted, on this hand, is of-turn irregularity. the best: viz., the (false) cue-bid The ne\v Laws give a specific of 4\?- made irrespective of the instruction on this point. No play, number of cards in the suit. In or bid, should be made after a these circumstances, it does not ·dispute until the position . is promise. control (any more than. it clarified. No claim for concessiOn would m answer to a negattve is permissible or desirable, and even double) but merely says: I am generous players should not be good, even better than you could over-prone to waive a penalty duly hope ; you pick the suit, I can incurred. support them aU-or at least In this case the penalty- since have a further constructive bid to the offence gave improper inform­ make. If the cue-bid is really the ation- is automatic under the New Ace or void, subsequent bidding Code as under the old. can show it. The South hand in 19 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL ·question is, under these bidding opposed to that of other systems. ·Conditions, a whale : three to a It is normal to open One Spade high honour in each of the partner's and subsequently bid Hearts; presumed strong suits : and should playing Acol, only when you are · be announced forthwith. A possible prepared to be re~rned to the bid is+ NT, merely announcing a first suit you have hid. The hand big hand and slam hopes ; but in question is, at . firsJ-and .this implies a Heart guard. second-sight, pre-emmently a No Trumper. By bidding One I have been endeavouring to Heart (the best suit in the hand) 'improve my indifferent bridge by you are in no trouble at all : ~~er studying the Acol System, Mollo's · , d partner's Spade, you can raise ; " Streamline d Bndge an your over Two in either Minor, you excellent Journal. I hoped I was can-and should-bid Two No· making some progress towards Trumps. Granted that Ace and mastering, at any rate, the main three small is a legitimate bid, it principles underlying sound bidding is not a desirable one ; and, in when suddenly· I was thrown into . confusion by the publication of a sober truth, you are not ai1XJous to play in Spades unless partner hand : : shows interest : which he · will + AB65 <\)AJ75 OA2 + A64. with four cards of the suit (which This was drawn from the European alone makes so weak ··a holding championships . and I gather the comfortably playabl7). _B_y opening pair in question were playing Acol. a Spade, and re-biddmg Hearts, I understand, further, that Acol you imply either that you have players bid the hand naturally- 5 cards in one of the suits or that i~e., with touching suits of equal you are +- + - + - 1 ; there is length they bid the higher-ranking no advantage in bidding two +-.card · except when it might be difficult suits othenvise. The hand reminds to find a suitable re-bid, when it us ofthat Anglo-vVelsh controversy: ~ : permissible to . open a short On A J x x in Spades, A 10 x x x_ minor of. not less than 3 to an in Hearts, Ace x x· in Diamonds honour. On this hand, was not and a single Club, the ·welsh the correct opening One Spade or, Approach-Forcer opened a possibly, One Club, but certainly " prepared " Spade, got preference not One Heart ? It is true that in a suit he did not prefer and Opene·r got the convenient response went down in + +· He felt he .of One Spade, but what would the was too weak to reverse, and did re-bid have been had partner not want to "sink" the Spades. responded with Two in either The English Baronite opened a· .Minor ? Doubtless the' expert in similar " prepared " Spade and question would regard my question ended up in a better contract of .as puerile, but to one struggling 5 Diamonds. An Acol player Acolite, the calling on the face of would open with a Heart and, it appears illogical. · over Two Diamonds (which (R. S. Armitage, Nettlebed, Oxon) improves the hand), would .now ,_ reverse with . Spades, being well I This goes to the root of modern able to stand either red suit ; over bidding of the Acol school, as Two Clubs, on the other hand,

20

I ' CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL the rebid is T\m Hearts since the system, or are prone . to Phoney Spades are really, with so moderate Clubs,_ North's bid may merely . a hand, not worth showing unless proclatm a whale of a Club suit. . pdrtner bids them. Many modem players believe that I should appreciate your ruling the best defence to phoney Clubs­ ori the following : Playing the is to bid the suit as early-as possible­ ) where expedient ; and North­ I Two Olub, I was sitting South~ South-if a partnership-should ~ The bidding was East (dealer) One Club ; South, No Bid ; settle this between them before they begin to play. If they are West, 2 Spades ; North, 3 Clubs; strangers casually . playing at a East, -No Bid. 'Vhat should I bid holding·:- Club or private house, South must " take a view " which sort of hand + xxx (\/xxx (> AlOxx + xxx? North . possesses. Out of ten (C. H. Jlti. Stwies, Taunton) experts consulted, three plumped for a No Bid ; the other seven Major Sturges has stated what came down solidly for Three system he and his partner were Diamonds. One, avowedly at a. playing, but not that played by loss for the right bid, said : "Three the oppooents, which is the cru.x Diamonds for two reasons: (a) it of his prol?lem. If the Club is a may be right ; (b) even if it's genuine bid; North's cue-bid (on wrong, the hand for Clubs is far the Simop. theory) announces a better thim it need be with three gigantic Two:Suiter in the reds, Clubs aU:d an Ace." Add to which, prepared to sacrifice against an the Diamond bid shows an opening bid and a forcing take-out, additional stopping place for or even to out-bid the opposition sacrifice if it suits partner, and on merit. If, on the other hand, the display of strength may give ~ast-Vi'est are playing a One Clu~ East-West pause. r ·psYCHE-WARD Ho ! (I) by A. G. Figgins· HERE is an old, and very course, a survival ·from Auction · true, proverb to the effect Bridge, in which game it was T that a house built on sand perfectly valid. cannot endure. For the same Unfortunately it has obsessed reason, it is as certain as that the minds of contract players to ·night follows day that, as our such an extent that all real bridge education progresses present development of the intellectual methods of bidding are, (since side of the game has been stultified. they are founded entirely on a Indeed, when I reflect on the fallacy), 'doomed to extinction. sublimity of the idea that only This fallacy* is the assumption tricks contracted for should count that bidding a suit implies the towards game, and compare it holding of a certain number of with the dreary methods of the cards in that suit ; and is, of a\·erage player of today, I am *?-EDITOR. inclined to despair.

21 I· I f . I CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL It is the very essence of Contract proverbial barge-pole-except in ·that its devotees should be certain circumstances which will .completely released from the be dealt with in due course. bondage of· bidding only suits The classification of bids is a which they hold and should be matter of the simplest common­ ·free as air· to exercise their mental sense. All opening bids are, of -powers with a view to extracting course, attacking, as are also ·the full value from every one of Partner's responses-unless there their thirteen cards. Let us has been an attacking intervention, ·, ·therefore make usc of this golden such as a take-out double ; in _key to Freedom and see whither which event a plain over-bid would it·willlead us. become defensive. Bidding suits one does not hold When partner has passed and

I . in any strength is invariably termed the bidding .has been opened by .Psychic, but this term is often the opponent on the right, any inaccurate. There are two varieties overbid is defensive ; but \Vhen .of these bids:. viz.,' attacking bids the opponent on the right has .and defensive bids. · opened as dealer, an over-bid is The attacking bids ·are not as a " neutral "-that is to say, it may ·rule psychic in the usual sense of be either attacking : or defensive, ·- the word but ·" asking " bids, of and the partner must be guided which the obj~ct is to ascertain in his action by the reaction of the best contract for the combined the other opponent. If. the latter hands, and to play them in _it. passes, then the bid may be treated The defensive bids are genuine· as attacking ; but if he bids or Psychics, intended only as bricks doubles, the opposite may be thrown into opponents' bidding assumed to be the case. machinery, and the last thing the Jt will be appreciated that, as bidder desires is to be left in to in all other aspects of bridge, no play the hand. . hard and fast rules can, in this The partner of a. so-called connection, be laid down. The ·psychic bidder is obviously never essential point is that the player -in a position to -know; in the first must make the fullest use of such instance, whether or not the bidder powers of deduction as he possesses • 1 holds the suit he calls nor is it before making any bid, and must necessary for him to .do so. endeavour to draw the right It is, however, absolutely essential conclusion from the whole of the that he should be able to determine bidding. whether the bid is attacking or If he .does this, no difficulty .defensive. rieed ever arise from the fact that If it is an attacking bid, it is up any specific bid may be " psychic." to him to respond to it in the Now, let us consider the normal manner (always bearing attacking bids. In the tentative in mind, however, that the object days of my method, the opening .of the bid may be a final contract psychic became somewhat dis­ in No Trumps) ; but if, on the credited owing to its being used .other ha'nd, it is a defensive one, on hands that were too light to .he will not touch it with the stand the strain. . With · more

22 -

CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL experience it became evident that be Two No Trumps-not in any this type of bid should only be circumstances Three, as there is used on hands strong enough to (so far) no evidence that partner ·.a peri · with a Two bid-more has any Hearts( I) If he has Hearts, particularly hands suitable for T,yo he will, provided his other cards · ·.No Trumps, apart from a weakness justify a further effort, raise the 1n · one suit. bid to Three No Trumps. Used in this way the upenilig A "neutral 11 overbid which .Psychic is very valuable. A pretty may often become an attacking -example occurred in a recent bid is made when the bidding is duplicate competition in which I opened by the opponent on the picked up the following hand :- right as dealer. As an example :- ·+ AQx\?AJxOKxx+AQxx + xx \?KJxx OAxx +Axxx I opened this with a Diamond The opponent o" the right which was ·passed all round. I having bid a Heart, the orthodox found my partner with a " bust 11 player is in a difficulty. The hand ·which, however, contained five is not good enough for a Take-out Diamonds to the Ten. One Double which may result in an Diamond was the only possible unmakeable and doubled co_ntract contract for the hand. in Spades or No Trumps. A bid · The considerations which make it of One Trump is dangerous, but, .necessary to be very strong for an on the other hand, to Pass is :Opening Psychic do nqt exist. in poor-sprited policy. l-· I the case of second round b1ds, The solution is a bid of One :and here the Attacking Psychic Spade which, probably at no -comes into its own. Having opened expense, will throw a great deal ·with :in orthodox bid and obtained !lf light on the situation. Should a response from our partne·r, we the other opponent bid, Partner -can make an " asking 11 * bid with will . treat the Spade bid as p~rfect safety. · defensive and pass ; but should the third-in-hand opponent pass, he . Take for example the following will treat the bid as attacking. :hand:- It should be borne in mind that :+xxx c:?xx OAKxx + AQxx in this type of bidding, the popular · This should be opened with a jump bid of Two No Trumps is Diamond and, if partner·. responds of very little use. Suit bids which ivith a Heart the next b1d should either ·convey, or ask for, inform­ be a Spade. 'If gartner raises this ation from the partner should to Two Spades, the response must almost invariably be preferred.

11 No Trump bids at the same level * Tlze Figgins " _asking bi~s (in as partner's · bids are used as quotation marks and wztlz a " sign-offs 11 indicating an absence small "a") have nothing to . ~o of support for his suit, uot with tlze artificial and ngzd additional strength. sequences invented by Culbertso11 and now largely co11jined. . to Next month I propose to deal Vienna. They_ are bz~s whzch with the most fascinating subject .simply ash for informatwn-ED. in Bridge-the genuine Psychic . 23 MONSTER~ by V. H. Walke; HE exciting, desirable, yet followed by a sever:e Double and horrible hand which offers no-one has anything more to say. T a multitude of bids not Dummy goes down with only-naturally-commands more consideration, both at the table, +Jx \?KJ9xxx 0 lOx + Axx in discussion and in print than The Heart lead, which the the humdrum, "automatic" -Double possibly suggested, is duly assortment of cards, but is forthcoming, and the contract can productive 'of Trouble wit~ a (fortunately) now be made. captial T. Many a Duplicate the Heart, play off. the Ace of match of the regulation 32 boards Clubs (the Knave comes down is decided by a single specimen but the King does not), and now of this virulent type. play three rounds of Spades, Consider, for example, this : chucking Dummy's Diamond. If the holder of the King of Clubs + AKQxx\?VoidOx+QlOxxxxx has three Spades, you are through, Dealer, on .the right opens One for Dummy's last Diamond goes Diamond. What do YOU find? on the fourth Spade whether it be Two Clubs, Three Clubs, One ruffed or not. " They " can make Spade, T'~o ,Spades, Two the King of Clubs when they like, Diamonds, Double-even a super­ but the rest of the hand is frigid. cunning Pass all offer themselves · On the lead of the obvious - a~;;' candidates. -write off the Pass Diamond,, the slam cannot be with a two-suiter, or you will made ; it must, therefore, be, never have time to show both automatically, a bad contract. The suits ; write off Double for the fault lies with the first overbid same reason (plus the fact that of 2 0. A forcing-bid cannot be ·you would not relish a business justified on any shape on an .pass or a high pre-empt in Hearts), 11-count. and you are still down to no fewer than five p~tential bids. Moreover, there is a classical hand, played by the late S. J. · In actual play, the holder bid Simon and lain Macleod, recorded Two Diamonds-perhaps the best in a pre-w~r classic, " The Bridge of the strong bids available, since Player's Bedside Book" by N. de V . .it is at the lowest level. A dreary Hart, which gave advice so good pass · on the left and an excited it will bear repeating. - I cannot Three Hearts by partner is ·passed quote it verbatim, but the substance by the dealer. You say Four Clubs. is : with a " shapely " hand with Left hand opponent risks Four poor defensive values, the best Diamonds and partner, chance is to underbid it so that disappointed, passes. Opener opponents do not know how freak passes and ·you show the Spades, you are. You may then buy the which partner removes to Five contract reasonably cheaply if you Clubs. Opener now covers with give the impression you have been I. Five Diamonds, to which Six I• reluctantly pushed into it defens­ · Cl~bs is bid with at least a show ive!)• ; and you may even be 'I _of confidence. Two passe~> are doubled. ' 24 CONTRACT BRIDGE . JOI[RNAL (Such " reluctance " must be Redouble will give away what you c?nv~yed, of course, only by the have so carefully· concealed : your b1ddmg ; not by mannerism freak shape. They may easily hesitation, or tone of voice). ' " escape " into Five Diamonds . M~re especially should you thus which y ou have 110 assurance of d!sg~1se . the power of your defeating. For all you can tell ?Js~nbutJOn ~vhen your n:ain length pjll'tner's Club preference ove; 1s m the smt most eas1ly outbid. Spades. does not mean the Ace ; The best overbid on this hand your Spades may not live for two 1s a simple Two Clubs. Now the rounds, let alone Three ; you sequence may well proceed with cannot lead to partner's Hearts this hand as South : · and may· never come to a ruff in EAST SoUTH WEST NoRTH them. · 10 2+ 20 2\? As the cards actually lay, Five 3 0 3 + No 4 + Diamonds goes three off ; but 4 0 5 + No No the 3 - 3 Spade break is against Dble No No No the odds ; and even a 3 - 0 Club · East is . now fogged as to your split is not beyond the bounds of holding ; granted he knows you intelligent anticipation considering are short in the red suits, he cannot your own cards. know. you are 7 - 5 - 1 - 0 with An axiom of the New York A K Q at the top of your Major or, Stock Exchange used to run : If he would think, you would have your foresight were as good as -biq more ambitiously. He cannot your hind-sight, you'd make a -imagine you have a Heart void ; damn' site. I am writing about and 'with A Q over the Heart bid, this hand out of (bitter) experience, A K of Diamonds, _and · the for I learned of the Bedside Book conviction that West has a Spade hand, alas!, after, not before, I trick · behind you, . will surely held the monster. . Double. I made the overbid of Two But do not .be . tempted to Diamonds. I got into Six Clubs Redouble. Five Clubs is as cold Doubled. And I went One Down. as New Zealand lamb ; but your Go thou and do NOT likewise.

LYNCH LAW (Couti1medfrom page 9) - Minor 2 bid (either Minor for Heresy ; and we issue against it E.K., Clubs only for Marx) over no absolute ban, nor place it (with a No Trump requires the No say, the Scarfi or Taylor systems) Trumpist to bid a respectable upon the Index . Expurgatorius ; 4-card major if held : thus but we warn the faithful to beware ?chieving a 4 - + trump suii: that . lest they be led astray : oven if, 1s the .(theoretical) safeguard of on subsequent amplification, we the weak Baron openings. find (as we shall announce ·if we arc justified in so doing) that this, On the face of it, so far as we too, is a route to that Promised lmve been allowed to know, we" Land wherein no bad contracts should say that this Heresy is an ;Ire ever reached. .SURPRISE SQUEEZE by "North ••

. T HIS is the story of a Squeeze followed with a small Heart which that (a) was not played for ; was won by Dummy: ' Vest, (b) was not recognised ; curiously, holding off. Now a Club and (c) was not exploited. It is was finessed and a third Trump the story of a hand misplayed led. West got off play with the which still might have been made, Spade Knave and South won and It is also true. - went into a profound huddle. South dealt at Game All and the It • would seem fairly obvious cards fell thus :- that Vlest, with two Spades (played), three Hearts (played), + XXX one Club (played) was pretty well · ~ J 10 9 XX marked with seven Diamonds ;· 0 lOx but South either thought West · + XXX had only si.x Diamonds or hadn't + ' OJ + 109876 bothered to count the hand. The ~ Q xx ~K correct play is to lead the Diamond 0 A QJ xx xx 0 XXX King and ruff the secceeding + x + KlOxx Queen with the closed hand's last + AK. x Heart ; then lead the losing Spade ~ A8xx and let East either lead a Club for OK ·a at least three-quarters + AQJ9 x proven (West is not the player to South bid a Club and West, for with a K x) or a Spade reasons best known to herself, for a subsequent Club finesse. · found Three Dia~o n ds. No'rth But . South's huddle w as (p~ov.erbially the worst card-holder productive of a different line of - in his own yiew- in the club) thought and a different sequ.ence muttered · his usual disgusted of play. ·South decided that " Brompton ,Road " and East also (despite the Three Diamond bid passed. · · over a Club) West could now . . South, flushed with 4! Honour defeat the contract by playing the Tricks (but no Martinis), found Ace of Diamonds ove r the IG ng Three Hearts : a Double, negative led ; cashing a presumed Spade at this point, is the better bid. Ten ; leading the Queen. of \Yest, having done her stuff, passed Diamonds to be ruffed ; and and North, accurately assessing Declarer would now be locked South's hand as a Whale, deter­ in her hand with' nothing but mined that fi ve Trumps were not Clubs to lead away from the major to be sneezed at and found the tenace. Master Bid of Four Hearts. This Sou~h also came to the conclusion was pa~ se d out (and about time that a simple Club finesse would too). solve her troubles (West credited \Vest led the Spade Queen ; with a third Spade and:_now- a South won and led Ace of Trumps, second Club, made a Three fortunately dropping a blank honour Diamond bid on A Q J x x and (on an unexpected side) and a couple of Queens !), and led her CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL last trump. The . second Club East shed the top Spade as the­ finesse was taken With the Knave Dummy ruffed : good judgment, · and, when \Vest showed out, for it was certain that Declarer South said " Oh, dear I " and . had considered her Club suit but huddl~d again. there was just a . chance she' had resigned herself from the outset The King of Diamonds was to a losing Spade in ali events. played att long, long last ana \Vest pounced upon it, cashing the now And so it was : South · omitted unassailable Diamond Queen. But to play North's now outstanding poor East began (though not Spade, led. the Club and resigned. obviously) to squirm. ' A deadly Justly enough, East-West went and inescapable squeeze was in out with ·an unbreakable game-hand irresistible progress. Either next deal. Dummy's Spade would be set up And North (who chronicles this or the Club King denuded. history) gloomed : It always \Vith commendable fortitude, happens to me.

fiND THE LADY by T. S. MacCarrick ' OR THE first time in Irish Bidding- Room 1 Bridge history, a provincial SOUTH NORTH ' F ·team, Ennis, seemed likely "'b (Mrs. McConkey · (Dr. O'Dowd) to win tlie Kelbourne Cup. Dublin No 1 0 (Dr. P. J. O'Dowd, Capt. Mrs. 5 0 6 0 R. J. . McConkey, Mrs. J. J. O'Doherty and P. McKenna) Bidding- Room 2 opposed Ennis (Mrs.. F. E. , Dowling, Capt.; T. D. Coo_per, SouTH Nonn-1 V. Roughan and T. S. MacCarnck). (V. Roughan) (T. S. MacCarrick} No 2 +. ' After 12 Boards, Dublin was up 3 0 3 . 310 ; ,after 24 (half-time), the lea.d 4 0 4 NT had risen to 830 ; after 36, Enms 50 5 NT had fought back ~o such purpose 6 + 7 0 1. that they had wiped off the arrears and · had their noses in _front by In Room 2, North-South were ! 430 and seemed to be playing so showing Aces over the 2 + I well that victory was within t~eir game-force ;_ 4 0 . showed a I grasp, when East dealt the followmg biddable Diamond smt ; 4- and I hand with game to North-South. 5 NT asked for Kings and Queens on the Blackwood principle. I, · SouTH N onTH + Void + A K Q J 4 In Room 2, \\'est opened the · \? Q 6 + \? A 10 t- Before going· further, how A 8 6 5 2 K J 10 9 3 + +. O 0 would you have played the hand ? + K108 52 + A I I •

CONT RA CT BRID GE J OU RNAL It is my view that Delcarer On reflection, I am com-inced · should from his own holding that Declarer should, at trick 2, anticipate a 3-0 Diamond split ; either ruff Dummy's + 4 and lead the lead . of the low Club should toward the O King (when West's induce South to place West with show-out would make the hand long Clubs ; ·and, therefore, on a a pianola) or lead the King of mere percentage basis, fewer Trumps at once. D iamonds. The chances must It is an arm-chair deduction ; now favo ur leading the Diamo.nd admittedly : not one made in the King from North's hand, playing heat of a clo<;c game (against fine East, .if anyone, for the trumps. and charming opponents), with This reading of the cards is the hope of making history hovering enhanced .by the fact that East, at one's elbow. on the lead, dropped the Knave The hand is worth printing, I of Clubs under Dummy's Ace. feel, because, should you encounter In practice, South led the a similar situation, this may well Diamond Knave, .hoping for a be a tip worth remembering : cover (fond hope in a Seven Don't worry about complicated contract !-Ed.) and went up with percentages, but play that opponent the Ace. West showed out ! for a void or shortage who, either And that put " paid 11 to Ennis's during the bidding or the play, chances. Dublin, only in Six, has given evidence that he is long made 12 tricks, gained in both in a side-suit. . rooms, and won the match by 1,470. You Have 'Been \Yarned.

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS . . ;T HE BIDDING ·in Room 1 even explored (and the Blackwood is almost incredible. The comes ·in too early) ; it is ' true author has not told· us what tl:lat North " shot 11 the grand system Dublin was playing ; but slam even over .a "No Queens· ~ a 1-bid (unless strict Approach-' ' response ·to his Blach."\vood 5 NT Forcing was en regie) seems under­ and this latter bid was, therefore, cooking a fine hand; Even with a work of supererogation. rigid Culbertson, a ·Spade. seems the book opening- unless (in the . It is sure that Seven Diamonds words of ) North was is a better contract than Six on one of those Black Magicians who the cards, and should be bid · Reverse merely to show strength. . ' and we commend ·Mr. MacCarrick'~ thoughtful an.alysis of the plays. The bidding in ·Room 2 is, vVe would pomt out, liowever, by :assuredly, better than in Room 1. wa~ of emollient to Mr. Roughan's It is true that CAB so crowds the feehngs (he must have spent a Auction . that it precludes South sleepless night !), that the small fro m showing a 5-card Club suit Club led might have been a to the King before the 5-Ievel, singleton, and East might (should !) ' with -the result that a possible have false-carded (since his Club optimum resting-place ts never Queen was safe from a lead-through 28 CONTnACT BRIDGE JOURNAL anyway), purely to induce Declarer seems, to say "the least, uninspired. to mis-guess the lie of the trumps. Our own choice, as a misleading Our mm view is that Dublin card and one that would give deserved to lose on this hand Declarer no · indication of the instead of gaining heavily in on~ outlying distribution, would be room and registering a small gain the . .. Knave of Hearts·! ·, in the other. The lead of the small Cluh by West (from For the rest : how this hand must make the " Queen over + 108762 \7 KJ7 0 Void +9764-3) Knave .. brigade chortle !-EDITOR.

IN PRAISE OF PALOOKADOM · regrets but- no promise to amend l\-Iany correspondents-including our ways. Mr. E. G. Lawford, who wrote a While golf ha5 its foozlers, personal note--complain bitte~ly tennis its rabbits, chess its Giuco· of the Bridge Slanguage which Pianissimo and · its "j'adoube," Bridge shall, in this Magazine at makes its app earan~e in the Joumal: " Cluck " for Club, " kibitz " for least, have its own idiosyncratic oyerlook (and criticise), "pop" or terminology. · · · " crack " for double, " psyche " or Only with the introduction of " psike " for blu·ff, " alibi " for new (and often coarse) blood is a excuse, " chuck " for error, and­ tongue--as a race-kept vigorous. Without it, the heavy hand of eve~-Jack for Knave. · Academe falls- and lies-hean: To these purists, we offer our upon a moribund speech. ·

ORIGIN OF (DUPLICATE) SPECIES (Co11timted from page z6) ' Ultimateiy it ~vas decided to my last) experience of Dublin: form an English Bridge Union, hospitality, so the fact that my composed of the three established memory of the event is hazy, to· Northern assocjations ; a proposed say the least, must be excused. r" . London · association (now the I do remember presenting a volum~ L.C.C.B.A.- a pos~-war ,product in which should be recorded the­ l .. · .started by England's "1948 captain, result of this first (and subsequent)• -M. Harrison-Gray), and as many matches. • I County associations as could be wonder if it still exists ... . formed. · That, briefly- purged of the­ The E.-B.U, Wl\.S to join with squabbles, the intrigues, the jockey­ Scothind, Eire, Wales and Northern i~g for places, the jealousies Ireland to control Duplicate in inseparable from such associations these islands and to run an -is the history of Duplicate Bridge International between · all five control. Two or three of the constituent members- the Camrose original stalwarts have di~d or Trophy. _ retired from the game ; but there The first of theiie matches was are still many of them left who· played in Dublin and I (with have lived to see much, though Yorkshire's Rex Vincent as my not yet all, the progress at which right hand) refereed it. It was my they aimed and who still hope to· first (but, I am glad to say, not see (and play) a great deal more. 29 This by Guy Ramsey

The CONTRACT BRIDGE 3. You hold : JOURNAL offers a prize of TWO +AQ109xx IVl K 0 10 xx +A10:;c GUINEAS for the best set of solutions to the following problems. In the Partner opens a Club ; You bid a event of two or more sets of solutions Spade ; partner now finds 2 NT. being of equal merit; the monthly What do you bid wi th (i) An expert ; :prize will be divided. (ii) An overage player ; (i ii) A palooka ? Answers to CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL (Editorial Department) 4. At the score of 60 up in the 13, Cannon Place, London, N.'\y.J, rubber game,. you hold : .not Inter than October 20th, 1948. + AJx IVl AJx <) Kx +KQJlOx Solutions and names ·of p~e winners in the September ·Competition will What do you bid with (i) An expert ; .. appear . nex~ month: '(ii) An average player ; (iii) A palooka ? The best laid plans of mice and .editors gang aft agley ; and our hopes ~. You hold:. 'for' the. Six-Monthly Competition to + K Q lOxxxx 1V1 Axxxx 0 Void + A . : present problems set exclusively by members of the England team have What do you bid with (i) An e.xpert ; .come .to grief. Unhappily, for various (ii) An average player ; (iii) A palooka ? unavoidable reasons, this scheme has ·proved impossible ; and this .month . we nrc making a sligHtly, new departure in the form of the <;ontest. Each problem has three parts . Answers to .Part I, worth 8 points, pre-supposes ·vou are playing with an Expert ; September Part II, worth 6· points, pre-supposes ryou ·are playing with an average Club Competition ·performer ; Part III, also· worth -- ·6 points, pre-supposes you are playing ·with Mrs. Guggenheim.- by, Boris Shapiro • 1. Both sides vulnerable, the 1. Yo!J .hold: bidding hns proceeded as follows : -+ x IVlQx <)AQ109xx + KJ9x West 1 IVl ; North 1 + ; East 3 ~Vl- · Your partner opens One Spade ; You, South, hoi~ the following : -you bid. Two Diamonds ; partner + 065432 ~Vl- OKJ92 + J75 jumps to 3 No Trumps. What do you bid with (i) An expert ; (ii) An What do you bid ? average player ; (iii) A palooka ? ANSWER 2. 'You hold: 3 Spades-15 points. 4 Spades 5 points. -+ KQ10x 1Vll{109x Ox + AKJx The reason thnt 15 points is given East·, on your right, bids a Diamond ; for 3 Spades is that it looks unlikely you Double ; \Vest passes nnd partner that the bidding will end there, it is bids One Heart. Dealer East passes. very probable ·in view of South's ·what do you bid with (i) an expert ; distribution that \Vest will go on to .(ii) An a\·erage player ; (iii) A palooka ? 4 Hearts and in that case South is JO

~ . CONTRACT . BRIDGE JOURNAL then mo're likely to " buy " the contract 4. The bidding has proceeded at 4 ~pades,_ thus un~erbidding the (vulnerability immaterial) as follows : first time Will muke 1t appear that EAST SoUTH WEST NonTH . ~outh is sacrificing. 1 + No bid 1 NT Xo bid -3 + Nq bid 4 + :1:\o bid No bid _No bid 21 Vulnerability immaterial the : bidding· hns gone as follows : ' South leads the Queen of Clubs WEST ' . ' East · and " rest being silent throughout, • J 4 \7 A642 North South 0 K754 2. 3 <> + J 53 - 3 \7 3 • 4 + SOUTH 4. QS ? + s ·_+ . \7 53 You, South, hold the following, what 0 AQ98632 do you bid? · + Q6 . + A7 ; \7932 O AQ753 + 843 North plays the . 8 of Clubs, West and East duly following suit, South : pl~ys his 6 . of Clubs, North winning ANSWER· w1th the King. .East and West still No Bid-20 points. Any other bid following, North now plays the Ace . nil.' - · of Clubs, East still following suit. It is fairly obvious that the Ace of What do you, South, now plav, and w~? . Diamonds is a useless card, partner being surely out of Diamonds. If · there were 2 · Clubs in South's hand ANSWER J~nd 3 Spades to· the Ace the recom­ The Ace of Diamonds-20 points. mended bid would have been 6 Spades, Any other card nil. the trebleton however in adtlition to It should not be too difficult for the three small Hearts make it most North to work out that You want him unlikely that there would be a play to continue with another Club, as ior 6 Spades. there could be no other reason for this spectacular discard. True East may have a singleton or even a 3. The bidding has gone : doubleton Diamond, and You ma\' well have thrown a\vay a winner, but Y~u are SouTH \VEST NoRTH EAST absolutely sure of beating the c~ntract 1 <> No bid 1 \7 No bid on a Club co~tinuati~n by 'orth. You, South, hold the · following : . 5. The bidding has proceeded + :A K4 \7 K 6 5 0 A K 8 4 2 + 54 North, 3 + ;· East, No bid. You, South, What do you bid ? hold the following. What do you bid ? + - \7AK64 OAK63 + AK742 .ANSWEH ANSWEH • 1 Spade-10 points. 3 Hearts-- ·6 points. 2 Hearts-l- points. 6 Spades-IS points. 4 NT- 5 points.- This is nn ideal hand for the lnte :S. ,J. Simon's 3 card suit bid, it is the . On .South's powerful holding North ·most natural waiting bid at this stage, should have for his vulnerable bid a 2. \7 would be an underbid with this solid Spade suit possibly missing the powerful holding, and 3 \7 rather n Ace or. the King of Trumps. 7 + is oStretch. Of the two bids I favour the a possibility but in my o_pinion too · latter, although I . would prefer slightly big a gamble. It is of course unthinkable more powerful trump support. No to play this hand in nny other contract trumps is unthinkable. but Spades. CONT RACT BRI DGE JOURNAL

ENGLIS BRIDGE UNION LIST OF SECRET ARIES

E l'G LI SII Bnll!GE UNIO!i-ll. D. King, Esq., NOTTINGHAll CONTRACT llRIDGB ABBOCLI.TJO N 21 H11Ie Grove GardenR, N.W.i. -Mrs• . Bull, 28 Addison Street, Nottingham . ESSE.."< CONTRACT JlRIDGE ABSOCLITION­ NORTH lJlASTKltN CONTRACT BRIDG!l ASSOmA.­ F . Ill. Fletcher, Esq., 22 ]'outnync Avenue, TION-G. I. Rhodes, & 'Voodblnc A\'enne, Chigwell, Essex. Go2forth, Nowcastlo-on-T)·nc, 3. .• DERDYSUffiR CONTR;ICT BiU>G:C ASOOOIATIO!l­ NoRTII WF.STERN CotrriUCT llruDGII Associ.t.­ W . Jlumstonc, Eso., C/O Town Clcrk'R Olficc, TION-W. R. Preece, Esq., 14 Brown Street , Markr t Plncc, Derby. Manchester. DEVON CONTRACT BRIDGE ASSOCIATION-Mra. 01FORD8WRR CO!

CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL Regional ~itors- Eire . . NoEL BYRNE North Eastern EWART KEMPSON Northern Ireland A. J. FLETcHER North Western A. C. DouOLASS Scotland .. · H . KERSHA'¥ : Yorkshire Mns. L . L . BEDFORD ·wales 'W. H . RICARDO London " Au nt " Competition Editor-PI!Duo JuAN The CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL is the officinl orgnn of the English Bridge Union. Publishers- PRIESTLEY STUDIOS, LTD., .Phone- COMMERCIAL ROAD, ~OUCESTE R . Gloucester 2 u8r./J . All Bridge Correspondence to- ,' EDITOR, CoNTRACT BmDGE JouRNAL, 16, C.\NN'~N Puca, LoNDON, N.\V.J

32 BRIDGE INDEX CLASSIFIED LIST OF HOTELS AND CLUBS

HARROW LU!I0(' :0. liAilllO.W IIIUDOI·: CJ.UIJ-16, Nnrlhwlcl; DOHRET CLUD-3·5 Olentworth Street, Pnrk Uoall, 11.\RROW, Mhhlx. Tel. ll :orro 11 llakcr Street, N.W.l. Tel. Welbeck 1031!. 31!08. Good standard llrhluo In cnjoya!JI<' Jl <' gulur Jlnrtuershlp and duplicate. Stakes atmosphere. l:ic!alona twlco dnlly. l'••rtuershipa 1/·, '.!. /6 and 10/·. nnd Duplicate. LEIJERER'S-116 Mount Street, W.l. Td. No. )Ja~· fulr 7851!. Continuous piny from .. LONDON 2-30 to 12 p.m. Duplicate, Tuesday cvenln~A. CllOCKFOJlD'B-16 Cnrlton Ilou•c 1'crmce. London, S.W.l. Tel. No. Whitehall, ll:J l. 6/· l'artnen!hlp, Tuesday Evcrdn~s. 2'· l'art· NOTIINGHAM nershlp, Weduesday nnd Frldny cvenln~s . Private ltooms for Duplicate Compcllllon•. Cn.INTnt:K llnrnot.: cr.un-480 lllan~ndd ll. Pnovosr, Managing Director. lload, ~ottlogham. Tel. .No. Notlluaham 05021. l'roprietre,;s : ,\Ins, D. M. IlOPGWELlk A. J. HOI\SNF.LL, Secretary. llon. Secretary: .N. ll. C. Fmru. Visitors welcomed. Excellent venue for matchL'S In ~lldJnnds. · Tho GLF.NALVON llllJIJOF. CLUIJ, 22 Netherlmll ------~ Gardens, N.W.!I. :: Stukes fld. un

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