CONTRACT BRIDGE Success Of Psychic Bidding

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31680, 16 May 1968, Page 8

CONTRACT BRIDGE Success Of Psychic Bidding

(Contributed by .J R.W.) In the bridge world Britain’s finest hour was in January, 1955, when the United States was beaten in New York for the world championship. At the time this was on a par with the defeat of an All Black XV, but the Americans have never been able to regain their old supremacy.

The match was between teams of six players, of whom only four were in action at any one time. An American pair sat North-South at one table, with their team-mates East-West in the other room, and the British were EastWest and North-South respectively. Since each deal was played at both tables it was possible to compare the scores of both sides.

The British team was much the same throughout the match. Terence Reese and Boris Shapiro played mostly in the open room, while Adam Meredith remained in the closed room, partnered by one of the other three. A brilliant card-player then in his late thirties, Plum Meredith was a true bridge professional, whose only income was his winnings from rubber bridge.

In the initial settling-ln period he played a restrained game, but then he elected to open one spade on: S—K JlO 11—Q .1 2 D—K Q 9 2 C—s 4 3

Though he did not prevent his opponents from calling three no-trumps, for one reason or another the declarer misplayed it, going one down in a contract made by his British counterpart. Having tasted blood. Mere-

dith set out to prove his rather unorthodox theories on the pre-emptive value of the spade suit. Regardless of his partner, opponents, vulnerability, state of the match, his high card holding, or the length of his suit, he toiled on, bidding like a poker player in the small hours. He overcalled one spade on a suit consisting of a queen, jack and a small card, with two other jacks outside. Then he opened one spade on: S—J 6 5 2 lI—J 7 D—K .16 3 2 C—A Q His partner raised him to two and he made eight tricks. The opponents could have made a vulnerable four hearts but never entered the auction. Then came this deal: N. S—A KQ 4 2 H—B 6 3 D—KB C—6s 3 W. E. S—lo 9 8 S—s 3 H—K9 2 lI—QJ4 D—A 96 4 2 D—lo 75 3 C—9 2 C—Q J 8 4 S. S—J 7 6 H—A 10 7 5 D—Q J C—A KlO 7 W. N. E. S. No 1C IS Dble No No INT No No Dble 2C No No Dble 2D No No 2S No 4S All pass. West of course was Meredith, the originator of this intriguing auction. The Americans did well to reach game at all, but though four spades was just made, three no-trumps was by far the better contract.

The next exploit was an opening bid of three hearts on a poor six-card suit headed by the king and queen with no outside strength. His opponents failed to call their cold vulnerable game in spades. Throughout this period he bore a charmed life. Even when he opened his favourite one spade on a hand distinctly lacking in high cards and. his partner put him to game he managed by skilful play to make it. With this sort of pressure on the nerves of the other players something sooner or later was bound to crack, and the stage was set for an exquisite double-cross when this deal arrived: N. S—A K 8 7 6 lI—Q D—KB 5 4 3 C—9 2 W. E S—QJIO2 S—9 H—K 86 4 2 H—lo 5 3 D—lo 6 2 D—A J 9 7 C—4 C—K Q 8 6 5 S. S—s 4 3 H—A J 9 7 D—Q C—A JlO 7 3 WN E S ID Dble IS Dble 2C No 3D 4S All pass. East stretched to open one diamond, the American South made a takeout double, and Meredith called one spade.: To North it was crystal clear what was going on. His partner's double had promised some values in spades, he had a good spade suit himself, so obviously Meredith was up to his tricks again. This impression was confirmed when West enthusiastically raised diamonds on the next round. Instead of doubling and collecting 700 or 900, North proved once and for all that he could not be fooled by psychic bidding. He played his four spade contract very well indeed to be only one down, but in the other room the American East, after some rather strange bidding, played in two clubs doubled, conceding a penalty of 900. It was not so much the size of the swing as the manner of its achievement that dealt a hard blow i to American hopes. After this Meredith settled back into a restrained game and left the table only when the issue was beyond doubt, with Great Britain over 5000 points ahead. He had made a deep impression on the Americans and they on him, so much so that some years later he took up permanent residence in New York. He is now unique, even in the strange world of bridge. An American widow left him the income for life on her not inconsiderable estate “for the furtherance of his bridge activities,” so he is now, so to speak, a Bridge Institution of his own.