CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 16, 20 January 1933, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

THREE QUESTIONS. (By ELY CULBERTSON.) Question: The following hand was bid and played at duplicate Contract in a team-of-four match. North-South vulnerable. South deals, no score. Both sides use Culbertson system.

It seems obvious that any game contract by East-West will be defeated, and I should appreciate vour comment on the proper bidding of the hand. Is this not the cose where the unfavourable concentration of the missing honour strength must inevitably penalise East-West? Answer: It is true that a contract of three no trump by East-West would be defeated one trick (East-West take three Diamonds, three Spades, one Heart and one Club; Wcs-t cannot o-et back to his hand to take a finesse in Spades, so drops the Queen). Failure to score game is due to the fact that West holds an absolutely blank hand and in' all such cases game cannot alwave. surely be made, even with a sound opening two-bid. East's hand has five half honour tricks and may therefore bid two Diamonds. The very unfavourable distribution of his hand, however (4-4-3-2), together with the lack of a strong suit, makes a bid of two no trump (instead of ■two Diamonds) optional. Preferring Defence to Attack. Question: Please give correct bid of second hand. Denier bids one Heart. Second hand holds and passes:

First hand insists proper bid was one no trump; second hand insists a defeat is- in sight, and. if partner t£.kes out no trump on Clubs or Spades, second hand has no rescue bid. Would you please settle? . Answer: Second hand's only proper bid is a pass. He has splendid defence against Hearts and is unprepared for any forced take-out by his partner. While his hand is too weak to overcall with a no trump (almost all his strength being bunched in Hearts), he has very fair prospects of defeating an adverse three no-trump contract. Finesse or Drop?

Question: Will you kindly give me your opinion of how the following should played at Contract bridge? The only question involved is the nlav of the trumps. South bids two Hearts. West passes, North bids three Hearts. East bids throe Spades; South pets the bid. South sets in and leads the trumps. South holds in trumps. A J 10 04. North, partner, holds K 7 5 3. The only question is how would you play the trumps, South leading? Answer: Upon examining the dummy and the lead, it may be possible to determine that East holds six Spades (which is probable in any event). Should you read him for Ave Spades, only attempt to determine, whether he may hold high cards in Diamonds or Clubs. In a decided majority of ernes on biddinjr of this kind it will be advisable to lead the Heart Ape and then the Knave, finessing against West if he ph'ys a low card to the second trick. Your proper procedure in the band submitted by you would be, doubtful only if you should have* reason to suppose that East has only five Spades and few, if any, high cards in Diamonds or Clubs.