THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

FORCING IN AN UNBIDDABLE SUIT

It quite often happens that, after a player has made au opening bid of one no-trump and his partner, with more than 3 honour tricks,- perhaps a full 3i, has raised him to- 3 no-tninips, "the partnership is defeated owing-to the fact that both hands are short in- the same suit. They may even have' one certain! trick in the suit, but if it' happens that one opponent has five-cards in tlie suit and a certain, entry card, the contract may be defeated, -winning cards having eventually to "be discarded on the. opponents', long suit. It will often be found that the opening no-trump hand contains a useful though unbiddable four-card major suit, which, if supported by four cards of that suit in the responding hand, will offer the be^t chance of game. In order to.discover the possibilities in this direction Culbertson, in his 1934 Contract' Blue Book, has introduced a new forcing I take-out of a partner's opening ■' notrump bid, in an unbidda-ble minor suit (consisting of as little as two or three cards -with an honour in the suit). , . To make this forcing take-out the responding hand must hold^ the-necessary honour-trick strength for a raise to game in'no-trumps: , ■" ' ,': ''. After such a forcing take-out, the opening hand, is compelled to respond in a major suit, if he'holds any four cards in that suit. If ho has no four-card major suit, he simply bids three notrumps in the ordinary way. ' . After partner's opening bid of one no-trump, the responding hand holding: Spades, A.J.6.5, Hearts, K.Q.J.6, Diamonds, X.4.3, Clubs, 6.2,- should mako a; forcing take-out o,f. three diamonds, to ivhieh the opening bidder must respond with either three spades or threo hearts, if lie- holds four cards in either suit. !

■Any response by the original notrump bidder, to his ■- partner's minor suit, forcing take-out, other than a bid of three in a major suit, absolutely denies a four-card'major. This type of forcing take-out may be employed when holding five cards of one major suit and-four of the other, or occasionally with only-one . four-card major suit, when three' no-trumps will be safe if partner responds with three of the other major. ■ ■ l

, The use of this convention will not mislead partner if the responding hand has actually a genuine forcing take-out in the minor suit (with, perhaps, a powerful trump' length) as in that case the final contract will ■ usually be in notrumps . rather than a contract of five in a minor suit. If, on the other hand, it is betterj from the point of view of tho responding hand, to play the hand in the minor, suit, he will rebid his suit after, the original bidder's response to the forcing take-out, thus showing a long suit with a distribution calculated to-make tho'game in the minor suit,, The opening bidder will then, bid game in the minor, or if he has further honour values'in Ms hand, may usothe four-five no-trump convention if his hand justifiies further bidding. Suppose the partner's hands are:— North—dealer. ■ 4K.9.5.8. y a:0.5.3. ■■ ■■ ■ ' ■ ;♦ a.q.7, : • * SA' North. I . ..I , f "* South." : 4 A.J.5.3. - • ■■• : ■■■■.-. 4K.5.3. ■ • ; ■ *3.2. ■ .;.- ' ..■ ' . Tho Siading should go >—■ ■' North. South. • . IK.T. 3A . 3* 4* :.< .:.■ ■;;■;.. .■ '■ . _ The- following hand shows-the posi-l tion when the forcing take-out is made j 1 ':■■''. •

Weekly Chat on Contract

Specially Written for "The Post" by "ApproachVßid"

on a hand which: contains a powerful minor suit, ■but a. distribution-more suited to trump play; than.to no-trump play. ■■-.-.:..•■ \ North—dealer. • ■;:."'..< ,:" .';■■.• 4UTi v ■■.;■";.■■... . . • . -' '4k'A.Q.9.: ■ ' . i I ■ North. I •..;,' | ' .' : I ■ - s ■]■■■[:'■ - : South. ■ ; <M- 3- ;:' '" ■•■■'•'• 9 A.X.3. " ■ :^A.Q.J.T.G.S.S:- '_ : .. ■.♦' a y '. '' - .'-."■. ''' The bidding :— - ' North. South.; « ', ; ' IN.T. 3 + ''. , ' : '.."- ' ' ' 3> 4- + (I).' • .-■• ' 4N.T. (2). '74 (3). ■■.;. , . , 1. After North's response to the forcing take-but, South rebids his diamond suit,.his hand not being suited "for jotrump play, nor for either, of the major suits. . . ■ . . • ' ..... 2. North, with a hand containing' 3J -j-' honour tricks, including; two. Aces and the King of his partner's bid suit, bids 4 no-trumps. . , ~•.,- ; ;•'. 3.- South could now bid 5 no-trumps to show tho remaining two Aces, but in this instance it is not necessary, as, knowing that the King of diamonds is with his partner, he will be" able, to make the opponents discard so much on his long trump suit that a.' grand slanx is almost a; certainty, at any rate it; is well worth a try. r ■ '• ." ' A revised bid in Culbcrtson's 1934 Blue Book concerns th<? simple .'takeout after a.partner's:opening' one no? trump bid.' With extremely unbalanced distribution, the responding hand, may make a simple. take-out j: regardless; of his weakness in honour-tricks.; (His trump length must be very long to justify this bid.) : On- such a<hand..as.HSpades, 8.3, Hearts,' 6, .^iamp^di, J. 10.8.7.6.4.2, Clubs, -9.5.3,, a ", take-out of partner's one no-trump bid- into,-two diamonds is in order; If the: opening bidder then calls two. nortrumps, the responding hand will : bid three;; diamonds, which his.partner must read definitely as a sign-off, and: not an..ea* eouragement to proceed to game. ;...

The opening bidder may rebid once in no-trumps (after the take-out), for any additional half-honour-trick; -he may raise his partner's bid with <an additional playing trick (provided, of course, that he has' adequate' trump support), whether it be honour strength1 or trump length'and a ruffing.trick. ■ A. rebid of two no-trumps after partner's take-out may be based upon exceptional honour:trick strength in partner's'suit, though the hand contains ''■ no actual added strength. "With A.X.x. .of A.Q.x. of partner's suit, for example,'a rebid of two no-trumps is in'order, because' there is every reason, to 'believe that the long cards of partner's suit can be easily established. ]•'■; '■"

Since a regulation take-out ,of- a one-no-trump bid may be based'sbloly upon inability to support a- no-trump contract in any -way (as -with.- a hand'of the above type), thY no-trump bidder r should not show his full supporting-value"in, that suit until the-respqnding^hand: has had an opportunity to confirm any inference of strength -which may-have been implied in the first take-put. This will allow the responding hand to.sign off at the range of three (by rebiddirig his.suit1 if the original, bidder's'rebid is two no-trumps; or'bypassing-if the original bidder raises the suit take-ou^ to'three). ' : ■ ■■ '■ '■