THE GAME OF BRIDGE Weekly Ghat on Contract Specially Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bid"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 111, 13 May 1939, Page 19

THE GAME OF BRIDGE Weekly Ghat on Contract Specially Written for "The Post" by "Approach Bid"

The question of what kind of rebid J to make is one which is not always easy for a player to decide. This may apply (1) to the opening bidder after a response to his opening bid, or (2) to the partner after a rebid by the opening bidder. Answers sent in to Mr. Culbertson's examination questions show plainly the need for a clarification of this position. The following summary of Mr. Culbertson's analyses should clear up any misunderstandings. Question: Both sides vudnerable, the bidding has proceeded:— South. West. North. East. 1 Pass 1 jjk Pass ? You are South and hold: 4 5.3, y A.K.T, A.X.6.2, Jf, 6.3.4.3. What call do you make now? Answer: One no-trump. The four honour-tricks may make this rebid appear too conservative, but actually it is by far the best call available. South has only four and a half playing-tricks and North's one-over-one spade response was no guarantee of strength. If North cannot rebid over one notrump, game is extremely remote. This question was deliberately designed to trap players who place inordinate value on mere honour-tricks and who seem unable to visualise the possible weakness of a one-over-one response. Such players, when they receive a one spade response to the above opening bid of one diamond, invariably take the rosiest possible view of the situation. Instead of allowing for the possibility of partner's response being a minimum, they immediately jump to the conclusion that he has a hand something like: 4 A.J.10.tt.-', 9 7.4. 4 Q. 8.3, Jf, X.10.9, though there is absolutely nothing in 'a one-over-one response to justify such a conclusion. Partner's hand may very well be as poor as: j £ Q. 10.9.6.2, 9 6.3.2, + 7.5, £ K- 7-3 > and not only is game out of the question, but the partnership will be well on its way to destruction in even a two no-trump contract. In situations of this type the opening bidder should realise that with not more than five winners at most in his own hand, four more winners are needed to round ou| even a game at no-trumps, and that therefdre there can be no future in the hand unless hi. partner can voluntarily respond to a one no-trump rebid. Question: Both sides vulnerable, the bidding has proceeded: North. East. South. West. 1 y Pass 2 Jf, Pass 2 Pass ? You are South and hold: 4 8.4.2, 9 7.5.2, A.5, Jf, A.Q.9.8.5. What call do you make now? Answer: Three hearts. Since partner has bid two suits you must show a preference, and your two and a half honour tricks, doubleton diamond, and three hearts demand more than the mere preference that two' hearts would show. A deluge of objections from examinees resulted from the publication of the recommended bidding. The burden of their complaint was that South is expected to give a double raise for a suit that has not been rebid. Thei official explanation of the matter is as follows: —

THE REBID PROBLEM

South has no satisfactory rebid after* his partner's switch to diamonds. One thing, however, is certain. He must not pass, as his hand is far too .good for such response. He must choose from the following rebids: (a) two hearts; (b) three hearts; (c) two, notrumps; (d) three clubs (possibly). Rebid (d) can be thrown out without any hesitation as having nothing to recommend it. It announces a rebiddable suit when the suit is not rebiddable, and tells nothing about the diamond Ace. . Rebid (c). —Three experts out of twelve to whom this answer was submitted approved of this rebid. While admitting that it does away with the necessity of choosing between a twoand a three-heart raise at this point, and also that it conveys a picture of general strength, Mr. Culbertson points out that a two no-trump rebid by South would virtually guarantee at least a potential stopper in the spade suit, such as the Queen. If South rebids with two no-trumps and North's holding is something like 4 5.3, A.Q.10.8.4. K.Q.J.6, Jf> K.J, North will jump at the chance to bid three no-trumps, feeling that he has received direct assurance of a spade stopper in his partner's hand. He will regard his King-Jack of clubs as solidi- [ fying cards for Souths suit, and would redouble probably, if the opponents were rash enough (in his eyes) to | double. Naturally, such a double would not be forthcoming unless the I doubler held more than four spades; hence there would be no chance to fulfil the contract. Such a result would be in the nature of a tragedy, in that four hearts would have an odds-on chance of success. Coming back to rebids (a) and (b), two hearts (showing a mere preference) would be entirely too discouraging. North might well pass with a hand that, linked with Souths, would give an excellent play for game. Mr. Culbertson maintains that a two heart bid at this point might lead North to believe that Souths hand was some-, thing like this: 4 8.4, 9 7.5.3, 4 6.3. Jf, K.Q.J.8.6.5. If it were, and North were to put out a feeler bid of three hearts, he would find that he had already overreached himself. If South contents himself with a mere preference between hearts and diamonds on the hand he actually held, restraint on North' 3 part (in fear of the other hand) may easily mean the loss of a game. The above question brings to my mind another situation in which a raise may be given without adequate trump support. Your partner open 3 the bidding with one spade, next hand passes, and you hold the following:— 4|t x.x.x, 9 x, A.J.x.x.x, Jff x.x.i.t. One no-trump is out of the question with the singleton heart, the hand is too weak for a two-diamond response, and there is insufficient trump support for a raise. This is a question of choosing the lesser of two evils and responding with two spades despite the slight lack in trump support. If partner bids three spades you will pass; if he bids two no-trumps you can then bid three diamonds and he will not at that stage expect anything but a weak hand from you.