THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 15, 17 July 1937, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Weekly Chat on Contract

Sp-cially Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bid

THE USE OF SMALL CARDS IN CONVEYiN-O IPJrORMATIOr ' TO PARTNER

The use of small cards as signals to partner can give much information if played in their-proper order.. The pla\ of a high card as a signal is wide.;-' recognised, bui the opporfunity f'>r signalling with twos and threes, though ar. equally (.important signal, is very often overlooked. The following hand, which vas p.!a^ ed in a teams-of-lu 11 'natch, is a ver\ interesting example of the value of low card signals. <•> k.'io y a 10.7.3 K-ti •• ■ lj» UI" 7 5.3. . $ AJA- nTTTS 4> « -!| ¥ 9- 5- s.■ 7. *$ bA/IA.j.9.8.4.2. > .5 ti. m.7.5.3 4, A.S. 1" South. ~ f?* -I !1.4. 8.r.fi;5.3,2. R.llJ.f. '■' - v ■♦-'■•■' $, X.8.2. ' . ' ' South^-dealer.-The Bidding—Room 1. In this room South, with two bia |dable major suits, opened the bidding with a two-honour-trick hand a light opening, permissible only at duplicate play. The bidding went as follows: — South. West. • Norm East. 1 ♦ .-' ♦ . 3 •?■ ' Pass 3y Pass 4 Pass Pass Pass • , Pass : North-South made game. Room 2. In this room the South player evidently considered the hand too weak to make an opening bid and passed. West opened the bidding, which went as follows:— . South. West. North. East. Pass 1 ' Pass 2 2 4 2 X.T. Pass 3 $ Pass 3 N.T. Pass Pass .. North led the King of Soades, his partner's ssuit. West won the 'rick with the ,Ace, and then led the Ace 0/ diamonds, following with the two North won the trick,- and led another spadq. West made his contract of three no-trumps. • South could have defeated the con tract had he used small cards as signals to his partner -On North's lead of the King of spades he should play his two, a discouraging card, although in his own bid suit. '. On the lead of the diamond Ace he should discard the three of spades, and on the second

! round of diamonds ' the. two, o- ciaos j- (another discoiiraiun--! discard, -as a six or higher club would have been Uscarded to encourage a lead of that suit bj North) from those signals, a • switc.j to the heart, suit vvoJd ba plainly indicated, when North-South, would make five tricks, four hsai't tricks and one diamond trick, setting 'he contract by i-ne trick. " ' It; will be luti.red thai South could not spare the ■lix ot hearts for a strength discard, but .the -small ca'-n st(iri=»ls: would have je?n just* as etVect'iv? ■ -ti directing he .£-3 ci .without tiir- vr fi" it a possible r:ck i:i hearts [1 is iot always 30sjible to employ such definitesignals, bir a enirifi ir".iriunity occurred in. -his- h;:!id The tolliiwuis nand, taken from Culoertson's Red Book, illustrates 'he value cf a low card as a signal to ■ pcrhicr. fy «■•!• "- : . ' ■ ' ' ; 9 s-l! '.. ■ . ..■.-■ <£ a..1.iq j .9".0. C.i "' •'■'''■-■ •. ■ $ .1.10.11.7. North: 0 6.5.3.2. A.lO, ■ ■ f 9 0.7.5.4.5. $ 5.4.2.. ' ■ g -■ I 0 A.5.3. ■^, X.10.5.4. I south- j?, 9. .• A ■'■ K-ti 9 K.Q.J.2. <*. Q-T. - i. %, A.Q.J.ft. South plays the hand at three riatrunips. He wins the opening spada lead, ana leads the Queen of diamonds. It(is obvious then he is trying to establish the.diamond.suit in dummy's hand, which has no ouiside entry East, if left to guess how long 'ie should hold up his Ace. might guess wrongly. West, therefore, makes a conventional play, used in defending a no-trump contract in ' such a situation. * ■ Holding three diamonds he must play his lowest card on Souths Queen of diamonds. Holding either two or four, diamonds he would play ' "highlow." . The play of the two, therefore, marks West with three diamonds, so that East will.know that South can only ho d two diamonds, and that he need only hold up his Ace once. If it shouid happen that West's two of diamonds was a singleton, then South would hold four diamonds and could not be prevented, from establishing the suit in dummy. ' In the above hand, should East hold up his Ace of diamonds twice, Soutli would make his contract..