CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 206, 1 September 1933, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

MASTERS OF BRIDGE

(By ELY OULBERTSON.)

Mr. Lloyd Damron, of St. Louis, is not only ono of tho leading authorities on finance in the capital of the South-West, but he is recognised as ono of the ranking bridge players of the country. He made his reputation on the hotlycontested fields of rubber bridge play, and places .small emphasis, indeed, upon the tilings which Howell players hold ho dear—namely, the choice of two game bids, one of which may net 100 points, and the Other give a top on the board, with a score of 120. His splendid appreciation of the values in bridge is shown by his bidding of the hand below at the Jefferson Whist Club, in St. Louis, which is conducted by Mr. Fred. Ingalls. The other participants in the game were Mr. Irving Heller, Mr. W. T. Brooking and Mr. E. T. Oakley. The hand and bidding were: Pouth dealer. East and West vulnerable.

The Bidding. (Figures after bids in table refer to numbered explanatory paragraphs.) South V/est North East 4 V Pass Pass 4 N.T. (1) Pass 5 £ (2) Pass 7 & (3) Pass Pass Pass l._A beautiful hand upon which to make this splendid forcing bid, which requires partner to respond. To bid four Spades docs not begin to picture the strength of the hand, and Mr. Damron rightly visions the probability of a grand slam in cither Spades or Diamonds. As a matter of fact, it is available at either declaration. 2.—Correctly responding with his best suit. Obviously, Mr. Damron is prepared for a Spade response. 3.—A vulnerable grand slam bonus of 2250 points dictated this slight over-bid. Mr. Damron knows that his partner holds four Spades, and, of course, hopes that tho Queen is among them, or that, failing that, two leads will drop it. There is nothing to tho play of the hand. The adverse trumps were picked up after the first Heart was ruffed, and the contract easily fulfilled. In sending in the hand, Mr. Damron comments that the vulnerable grand slain could not, in all probability, have been reached except with the forcing no trump over-call of a pre-emptive game bid. Tho bidding and play of the hand printed below will be discussed next week. South dealer. Both sides vulnerable.

Study the hand, decide how yon would bid and play it, and then compare the results you obtain with those shown in next week's article.