CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 290, 8 December 1933, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

MASTERS OF THE GAME,

(By ]3LY CUL/BEKTSON.)

Mr. George S. Kaufman, the well-known playwright and co-author of "Of Thee I Sing," sometimes goes for months without playing a game of' bridge. At other times he plays afternoons and evenings, enjoying a veritable "bridge spree," according to no les« an autho,rity than Mrs. Kaufman. His style of bidding is both brilliant and forceful, as is illustrated oil the halid below, in which, with Mr. Oswald Jftcoby as a partner, he. reached a grand slam in a recent rubber game at Crockford's Club.

North dealer. Neither side vulnerable. Mr. Kaufman. A —A K 9 7 7 5 ♦—A 4,—A K QJ 6 4 ~N . W E S 4 —Q J 6 4 3 V—A J 8 ♦— Q J 8 7 *-5 Mr. JacOby. The Bidding. (Figures after bids in table refer to numbered explanatory paragraphs.) North South 2*(1) 2*(2) 3 * (3) 5 A (4) 5 N.T. (5) 6 V (6) 7* (7) Pass 1.* —Mr. Kaufman's hand is strong enough to justify opening with a forcing bid of two. While the hand contains only five honour tricks, it has a very strong trump suit, as well as an alternative Shorter and weaker biddable suit. 2.—Of course, with two honour tricks and a five-Card biddable suit, South's response is ObviOUs. 3.—There is no oce&Sion for crowding the bidding, ais the opening forcing bid assures every chance to explore the possibilities of the hand. 4.—Mr. Jacoby visions a slim. 5.—A very fine bid, showing three Aces and the King of a bid 6uit. It likewise infers that the Olub suit is quite solid, although it has never been re-bid. 6.—'A brilliant bid to show the possession of the 'Heart Ace, which may be all that is necessary for a grand slam. 7.—'After learning that his partner holds the Heart Ace, which can. of course, be the only object of the six-Heart bid, Mr. Kaufman correctly bids the grand slam, which is made laid down.

The bidding and play of the hand printed below will be discussed next week: North dealer. North and South vulnerable. A-K 9 7 4 ¥ —A 7 ♦—K Q6 5 A 3 2 A—lo 65 2 sj Q J V—S 4 3 2 w P V —Q 10 6 ♦—9 3 2 e ♦—A J 10 7 4 *—Q 7 _ *—10 8 5 A—A 83 - V—K J9 5 ♦ — 8 KJ9 6 4 Study the hand, decide how you would bid and play it, and then compare thp results you obtain with those shown in next week's article.