THE GAME OF BRIDGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE

X Weekly Chat on Contract Specially Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bid"

An additional defensive bid, one I which will tie found most useful, has [ been introduced into' the Culbertson system. This bid concerns the situation in which the partner of the defensive overcaller is fairly certain that his side can make game in some suit or possibly in no-trumps, in spite of the adverse opening bid, provided that he and his partner can arrive, at the contract best suited to their combined hands. ■•• He can now make a bid that is absolutely forcing for one round only, as follows:-T . r •-..-'■ East. ' South..;: • West. North,. •..-'■. •; i* .'i-^.1 ■■;••■■"■ Pass • 2 ♦•'"■' ■■■" a jump bid in his own suit. ■ North's hand is of this type: 4 A.Q.10.8.4. 9 Q.J. + A.J.6.3. £ 9.3. With this hand, North feels that game is practically, in sight after'partner's overcall in hearts. In. order to investigate the possibilities of' the combined hands, and at the same time to assure himself of another bidding opportunity, North should now bid two spades as an absolute one-round force. 'His final decision will depend, of course, on his partner's forced rebid. If South makes the minimum rebid of three hearts, as he may be forced to, without any additional values, the responsibility is entirely North's. South must realise that North is prepared for the hand to be played, at three hearts, otherwise he would not have forced his partner to rebid in the face of an adverse open--ing bid. .--... . A POINT OF LAW. ".''" An interesting position arose during a rubber game, when the following hand was bid: — - * X.9.8. 9 A.K.Q.J.9.7. ' ~ -. " . + 5.3. . .... ■■ , * 10.6. 4Q. 7.6.3.2. ,—TfwtE J* J. 10.5.4. 4.3. . a- • a- v v-io.e. + Q.J.T.4. g. k V^ A.X.8.6.2. •b 5-4. * ' 'South- ' Jft 9.3J ' ■"♦A.. ■ . ■. V 6-5-2. ~+ io.o. ;■•■•'. \ .■ - Jf, A.K.Q.J.8.7.2. Score: Love-all:— .-;.- • North was the dealer, and the bidding was: . ' '■'■> . North. feouth. ■f' •■■ *♦► 29: ' : ■■' ■-•■■ 4 N.T. :" '■' •■ At this stage East doubled, and, without waiting for South to speak, led the King of diamonds. South drew attention to the irregularity, pointing out that the auction had not closed. As no one at the table was certain as to the penalty attached to this particular irregularity, no penalty was claimed. East made his Ace and King of diamonds, thus defeating the small slam contract. "East's King of diamonds, when led, became a card exposed during the auction, as it I led before South had the opportunity I to bid. The position is fully/covered by Law-23 (International Laws of Contract Bridge), which reads as follows:—

"If, during the auction period, a player faces a card on the table, or sees the face of a card belonging to his partner, or makes a remark which discloses a card in his hand to his partner, such card (or cards) must be placed face upwards on the table during the auction (1) and—(a) If the owner becames a defender, the" declarer may either prohibit the opening lead from being made in the suit of such card (or cards) or treat such card or cards as penalty cards (law 32); and (b) if such card M of jhonour rank,t«r if there are two or m^re such cards, the owner's partner :nruss also pass whenever it is his turn to call. (1) Unless such card becames, a penalty card

FORCING TAKE-OUT AFTER PARTNER'S DEFENSIVE OVERCALL V

it may be picked up when the auction is closed." ;

Under law 23, therefore, North could have prohibited a diamond lead. With any other lead he must have made all thirteen tricks—his doubled contract; plus an overtrick, instead of which he was down one trick. .Instead of scoring 1160 :-.points* he was" minus 100. points, a heavy penalty to; pay for not knowing the-law, '■■•■•',' -;■•":

Another law which is not clearlyunderstood by the majority of players relates to ' the J position of a declarer who, having/led from the* dummy hand when the; lead should have;...been made . from his own hand, is required to lead/ a card of "the same suit as that led from the dummy, hand. If, holding a card of the required suiti; h;e leads instead a card of another suit, a revoke" is established against him if the error is not corrected before he. plays to the trick from the dummy hand. It is important, therefore^ that dummy, if the card of another, suit' is led by the declarer, should 'immediatelyl ask hi! partner if he has no card of the re quired suit. • - . :