THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 114, 10 November 1934, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Weekly Chat on Contract

The present system of contract scoring has long'been considered unsatisfactoiy by tho majority of contract players, and many suggestions' have been mado as to alterations. The National Bridge Association (London) will shoitly try out some changes in tho 'scoring, the card' committee of-Crock-ford's Club leaving sponsored the -proposed chaiijges. A number of teams ,will play matches, using this scoring,., and will, report to the National Bridge Association. The result will be awaited with i interest. Tho new principles of scoring to beused are as follows: — 1. Trick Values.—For each trick mi any suit, 30 points; for each trick at no-trump, 40, points.. - . i _ ~ ' 2.' Game Value.—l2o points for game. Thus 10 tricks give game at any suit declaration; 9 tricks,.at rio-trump. 3. Slam Premiums.—Small slam: Not vulnerable, 300 points; vulnerable, 600 points. Grand slam: Not vulnerable, 750 points; vulneiable, 1500 points. 4. Bonus When Doubled. —For making contract: Not vulnerable,. 100; points; vulnerable M 2OO points. Overtricks: Per trick, as above1. • When redoubled: Above bonuses are doubled. 5. Rubber Points.—7so points for rubber, whether completed in two games or three. AN INTERESTING HAND. ' The following hand'appeared in,tho last issue of tho "British Bridge ■World," and shows some unusual situations:— / 3 4.3.2. y 5.5: l , £ Q. 10.9.8.0.3.2, * 7.6. I North ,"' '4 ' A\K 10----9 AJ.IO 6.2.' \S " PQ. 9 4.3. AAQ.J.8.6.5. I' 3' ", Jft —' ' I ?°" th 4» ' 3-P A: 4 Q.B.S.d. ' • - 9 X.7. J I-T h ". J * '-'• ' 1 A.X 7. . . Dealer': South. " Score: Love all. The bidding: 'Room 1." South. West. North. E\st. 1 X.T. Double J>o bid ' No bid - Kedouble Xo bid 3 Jf, No bid No bid 3^ No bid 3N.T. No bid ' 4^ No bid No bid No bid -" ' l * ■ West made 13 tricks. Eoom 2: The bidding:— South. Vest. North. East. 1 N.T. Double' " ' 2 Double No bid " 2^ 3* 3f No bid ■' 4 'ff No bid No bid. ■ No bid East made thirteen tricks. In Eoom 1 East made a penalty pass, but after tho 3-club bid by North, West bid his suit, instead of first showing his distribution. An overcall in the ' opponent's suit "instead of calling the diamonds would have conveyed definite information to his partner, and 1 t

Sp-.cially Written for "The Post" py "Approach Bid"

PROPOSED CHANGES FOR CONTRACT. SCORING .

would, at the same,time, have enabled East to1 show ,his longest suit,, as by this time a "fit" between the .two hands was to be sought. , The 3 übtrump bid by East was misleading, as it suggested a stopper in ,the club .suit. ' In Boom 2, after Wests take'rout double of the opening' bid, North intervened with ,an overeali of: 2- clubs, which East doubled for penalties. West then, bid' 3' diamonds. Here' again, an overeali of, 3 clubs instead would have been of gieat value to his partner. It is not often that the chance of a penalty pass and an overeali in the opponent's suit occurs in the same hand between two partners, but these bids ! are so informative that tho opportunity of using- them should "never" be missed. A'grand) slam would have; been arrived at by the following 'bidding:-— South. West. ,North. East. IN.T. . Double(l) No bid No bid (2) Redouble (SOS) (3) No bid 3^(4) 'No bid (5) No bid 4£(G) No bid 4 y (T) , No bid a + (8) No.bld 6 + (fl) No bid 6 9 (10) No bid 7 9 (11) I. West's double of 1 no-trump, though made on a {wo-suited hand, has two escape suits, a hand on which he can afford to await his' partner's response, before deciding on his best course. 2.; East makes a. penalty pass, showing definitely a hand strong 'enough in, honour-tricks substantially to ' defeat the contract. With 3 honour-tricks in his own halid, he knows that at least G.honour-trieks'are held1 by tho partnership. .' ' ' 3.' Souths redouble is an SOS call, demanding his partner to call1 his longest, suit, and made in the hope of lessening the penalties, by finding 'some sort of "fit" between their two hands a 4. North's response of 3 clubs is justified by the great length of the suit. (If the hand'is played'in 3 clubs, 9 tricks will be made.) 5. East, having already indicated that he has a strong hand, passes the_ bid up to his partner, whose turn it is to make the next move. 6. "West bids 4 clubs, showing no loser in the suit, and at the same time slam ' possibilities after 'his partner's first encouraging response. 7. East now bids his.longest' suit, i hearts. 8. West in turn bids his own long suit,'s.diamonds.— -■. - ' ' 9. East .raises/the. bid-to 6 diamonds. 10. West,"1 fairly certain now that the heart and diamond .suits are complete, bids 6 hearts. 11. East knows that his partner has no losing club, and most probably has a blank in that puit, taking into consideration North's ,iump response of 3 clubs to Souths SOS redouble.' He places the Ace and King of clubs with tho opponents, and therefore the high hearts ana -diamonds with his partner. He. holds the Ace and King of spades himself, and trusts that he will be able to discard his losing spade on his" partner's diamonds. Ho therefore bids 7: hearts. ;