THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19780, 29 October 1927, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

INFORMATORY DOUBLES. 81 MA «>OB XENACZ. A well-known English writer on auction bridge " Yarhforough," of ther Sunday Times, has been urging that the double of a suit bid of one should always be regarded as informatory, even when partner has already made a bid. There is much to be said in favour of regarding the double of a suit bid of one after partner has bid as inforxnatory and only one thing to be said against it. It does not interfere in any way with the business double, for no one would want to double a bid of one for business; and it is often the best way of showing two four-card suits.

Take the following lay-out for instance

Z, with the initial bid, goes one club, and A overcalls with one diamond. If Y cannot double the diamond bid except for business, he has two courses open to him. He can raise the club bid in the vain hope that Z will show a secondary major suit on the next round, or he can choose between his own hearts and spades. If he adopts the latter "course he will certainly bid spades, his partner will support him, and the hearts will never bo shown. Valuable Information, But suppose that Y can double the diamond bid for information. The double can only mean that he holds the unbid suits in strength and offers his partner the choice between them. Z would then take out to hearts, and Y-Z could bid up, confident that they had combined their hands the best suit. It does not need any expert analysis to see that Y-Z can go game in hearts, but cannot make more than three odd at spades, Game at clubs, of course, is out of the question. For purposes of giving information, this double would be most, usefully employed whsn both the minor suits have been bid; but it could also be used with effect when partner's minor suit had been overcalled by a major in order to show strength in the other major. Here is an example: 7: bids one diamond; A, one heart; and Y {Z's partner) holds spades—A, Q, J, 8; hearts—7, 2; diamonds —Q, 3; clubs— K, Q, 10, 8, 4. Y might also double the heart bid with sue'i a holding as spades—-K, Q, J, 7; hearts—B, 5, 2; diamonds —Q, 10, 6, 3; clubs —9, 8. He has not strength in both the unbidden suits, it is true; but he is strong in spades, and if his partner takes out to clubs, he can deny the suit by going back to diamonds, his partner's original bid. Unwelcome Complication. So much in favour of the double in these circumstances being regarded a3 informatory. The sole objection against it is that it tends to complicate a convention on the simplification of which so much time and thought have been spent. The rules for distinguishing between infori matory and business doubles which seem to meet with the widest acceptance now are so simple that they can be mastered and remembered without undue effort by people who have neither time nor the inclination to play auction regularly, but regard the game as an occasional relaxation. They may be stated thus: Doubles of a no-trump bid of one, and of suit bids of one and two, if made at the first opportunity and before partner has bid or doubled, are informatory. All oth« doubles are business. The conditions in which an informatory double can be made are the same for notrump as for suit bids. The only difference is that the convention does not apply to a bid of two no-trumps. If, however, we are going to class the double of a suit bid of one, made after partner has bid, as informatoiy. we immediately establish a vital distinction between the conditions for the informatory double of suit and no-trump bids and of a suit bid of one and a suit bid of two—a distinction that is sure to lead to confusion. The Demand For Simplicity. This is not a vague fear based on a low view of the general intelligence of bridge players. I can quote an example of its having actually occurred. " Yarborough" is not the first authority to advocate the inclusion of the double of a suit bid of one after partner has bid among the informatory doubles. Mr. Milton C. Work recommended it some time ago; and Mr. A. E. Manning Fester and Air. George F. Hervey, in their book. " Auction Bridge Informatory Doubles," represented him as saying that a double of a bid of one, either in a suit or notrumps, is always Informatory!

In his latest book, Mr. Work definitely lays down that the double of a suit bid of one made after tne partner has bid is a business double, and I should think it highly probable that he has abandoned his contention in the interests of simplicity. If so, it was a sacrifice in a worthy cause. Until recently, informatory doubles, in their elaboration and comSlexity, were almost a separate science. Tow, by judicious elimination, they have been brought within the grasp of the average player; and the process of elimination has detracted little, if at all, from the interest and variety they give to the Same. I think, therefore, that any attempt to reimpose a part of the superstructure that has been abolished should be strongly resisted.