BRIDGE NOTES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21086, 10 February 1934, Page 19

BRIDGE NOTES

THE REDOUBLE

(SPECIALLY WRITTkX TOB. THE PRESS.) {By WILLIAM SHACKLE.] I In last week's article we saw that there cannot possibly be any set rule regarding the double. Circumstances such as the position of the original j declarer, the score, and the early bidI ding of partner all require to be taken into consideration. Generally speaking, one redoubles only if one is satisfied that one will obtain one's contract, though because one does so assume, it is not always advisable to redouble. A redouble opens the bidding, with the result that one may drive an opponent into a further bid and thus stop oneself from obtaining a game which must have resulted had one played the hand in the doubled declaration. A bluff redouble is often quite effective provided the opposition "bites," but as such bids can be very expensive, if one is left in, it is most important to be reasonably sure of one of the opponents bidding back into another suit, before one makes such a bid. The right moment is when one has reason to suppose that either opponent has made either a false or a forced bid which has been accepted by his partner at its full face value. For instance, suppose A opens with a spade declaration without top honours, and Y goes into hearts and B into three diamonds. Z three spades, A holding S. ace, H, K Q 10 x x x, D. x x x, C. x x x, is most anxious for the hand to be played in hearts, yet at this stage he dare not double the spade bid in Ihe hope of Y getting nervous and bidding four hearts. So he bids four diamonds, which is ultimately doubled by Z. At once A realises that Z's original bid of spades was from, say, five spades, with possibly Q J an d two outside tricks, sav, ace of clubs and diamonds. If that were the correct position, B could count on only one trick in A's hand, as hearts would probably go round only once. A now has one chance only or setting out of his troubles and that is by making Y bid back into his hearts. He works on the assumption that.Y has the following, one, or at most two, little spades, because he took his partner out of a major suit into another suit, though he himself could not have held more than A, J, in honours of his own bid. No tricks in diamonds, because his partner B bid three and he has already placed the ace in Z's hand, plus at most K Q of clubs, possibly only Q.~ a really poor hand! Perhaps, though, he holds six or even seven hearts, and it is with this hope that A says: "Redouble four diamonds." It is truly surprising how many quite fair players would "fall" for such a trap, and in Y's position bid into four hearts. It is. of course, a fatal bid, as whatever Z says Y Z are down some hundreds, for A will double hearts and B double spades if i Z returns to his original suit. | With such a hand and bidding as the following, however, one must not redouble, even though one realises that one can make contract. Be content with double points plus 50 for each overtrick rather than take any risk of further bidding, which might mean 200 points as penalties but not a game.

A holds:—S, —: H, x; D. A K J 10 x x x: C. Q 10 x x x. and the bidding was as follows: P. Z AY 1 civil; 1 spade 3 diamonds 3 hearts No bid 3 spades 4 diamonds 4 spades Nobid Nobid 5 diamonds shcarls No bid Nobid 6 diamonds Double No bid No bid No bid (Majority bidding being played.)