The Game Of Bridge

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 39, 15 February 1941, Page 17

The Game Of Bridge

An. unusually interesting hand was played in a duplicate tournament, when at most of the tables, a contract of four spades was defeated, while at two tables it succeeded. At one table a sacrifice bid of five spades over the opponents' bid of five hearts was doubled, and was defeated by one trick. As the five heart contract was undefeatable and vulnerable, the saving made by the sacrifice bid was considerable. 4 10.9.7. 97.3. + 8.5,4. $, A.J.7.5.2. 815>2> North, i 4* —• 9 Q.J.5. « ♦? V A.E.10.9.5.6. K.Q.J.2. > W ♦ 10.9.3. \ South. I K.Q.10.6. A.K.Q.J.6.4.3. '*«•*• l + A.7.6. ♦ »• East, dealer. East-West vulnerable. East. South. West. North. 1 V 2 4 (1) 3 ff S^ (2) 4 V 4 ♦ paS3 £' ass I pass, 1. Souths jump overcall of two spades after East's one heart opening bid is a strength-showing bid, indicating a hand containing about 3J honour-tricks with eight sure tricks. 2. After this jump overcall, his partner, provided he holds three trumps, can raise on as little as half an hon-our-trick. West led the Queen of hearts and followed with the Jack, which was overtaken by East, who then led a diamond. South won this trick. With two losing diamonds in each hand, it seemed that the contract must be defeated. There was one chance for success, however. If the adverse clubs were divided 4-3, * he could establish in Cumrny a

STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN!

By "Approach Bid."

second club trick, which would provide for a discard of one of his losing diamonds. Three re-en-tries would be required in dummy's hand, and these re-entries South counted on "'finding in dummy's three trumps. When he won trick three with the Ace of diamonds, he immediately entered the dummy hand with the Ace of clubs and ruffed a second , club —being careful to play the Jack of trumps on the trick. The three of spades was next led, and the ten won the trick, East disclosing a void. A third club from dummy was ruffed with the Queen of spades, and the four of spades was led to dummy's seven. A fourth club was now led and was ruffed by South with the King of spades. The six of spades was next led, dummy's nine winning the trick. The now-established Jack of clubs was played, and South discarded a diamond and thus made his contract of four spades. It will be seen that if South simply ruffed the second club lead with a low trump, the contract would have been defeated, as his high trumps would then have blocked the needed re-entries into dummy's hand. "The same applies to Souths second and third ruffs—the low trumps in Souths hand must be kept, to put the lead into dummy's hand. The strength-showing single-jump defensive overcall is a specialised bid in the Culbertson system, the requirements for which are: A hand containing eight sure winners, including about 8£ honourtricks, with either one long and very powerful suit, or two five-card biddable suits. Though many players are familiar with this overcall, the responses are not so well known. The following table will be found helpful. 1. Raise partner's suit if holding three trumps, and: (a) no honourtricks when holding a singleton; (b) i honour-trick when holding a doubleton; (c) 1 honour-trick, lacking a short suit 2. Lacking trump support, bid two no-trumps when holding one honour trick or more. This no-trump response to a strength-showing over call does not guarantee a stopper in the opponent's suit; it is a conven tiona] response, indicating honour trick value in the hand, and is foro ing for one round. 3. Make a suit takeout with at least 1$ honour-tricks, and a biddabb suit. . This response also is forcing for one round. When the defender who has made the iump oVercall is raised, or when his bid is taken out. into two no-trumps or in a,suit, he guarantees to rebid at least once. If his jump overcall was based on a two-suiter, he should show his second suit. If it was based on one long powerful suit, he should simply bid game. In the above hand, it was practjcaj]y certain from the bidding that a four heart contract could be made. North* raise only promised one trick, and though South could make nine certain tricks at a spade contract, he was very weak In defence. The four-spadp contract, even if defeated, would be a "save" '