THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

A DISASTROUS DOUBLE*

BY MAJOR TENACE.

Informntorx doubles are a fascinating and useful convention as long as things go well; that is to say, as long as the deal does not result in any very marEed lopsidedness of strength distribution or suit division. But when things "gang agley" there is apt to be serious trouble. And a player who doubles for information must expect it occasionally. After all, by doubling ho expresses his willingness to support any bid made by his partner or to go no trumps; he relies on his partner to have some sort of a hand and some sort of a bid. It must sometimes happen that his partner is not worth a single trick. He is then in the awkward predicament of having launched an attack with no support, and while wedged between two strong opponents. Happily, if the informatory doubles are used judiciously, such misfortunes aro rare. This is all the comfort and solace I can offer to a correspondent who sends mo the following deal: —

At score, Y-Z one game up, no score in tho second game, A dealt and bid one spade; Y doubled; B redoubled; Z took out to two hearts; and at this contract, doubled by B, Z played the hands. The play, I am told, went thus (winning cards starred): — Tricks. Score. A Y B Z Y-Z A-B 1. DK* S3 D2 D 7 0 X 2. H2 H 5 Hlo* H 8 0 2 3. C2 C 6 CA* C 3 0 v 3 4. C 5 CQ* C 9 C 4 13 5. D 5 D 4 D 8 H 4* 2 3 C. SK* SQ S5 S2 2 4 7. C 8 C 7 EB* CIO 2 5 8. D 6 H 6 HA* H 7 2 G 9. S3 HK* HQ H 9 3 6 10. S6 HJ* D 9 S4 4 6 11. CJ CK* DlO S7 6 6 A and B won the last two tricks, and got 300 in penalties. This Opening Bid. Both bidding and play present some points of interest. For my own part I should have preferred a bid of one diamond to one spade as an opener on A's hand. If Ais to combine to the best advantage with his partner, it is essential that he should know his partner's major suit strength; and the best way to elicit this information is to bid a minor suit on die first round; for a minor suit bid is an encouragement to partner to show a major or go no trumps while a major suit bid merely invites support. If B had bid spades over A's diamonds, A could have supported him freely; if he had bid hearts, A could Eave gone to no trumps. Further, after B's redouble, A's strength warranted his breaking general rule prohibiting a change of suit against an informatory double, and bidding diamonds over Z's hearts. , ' B was wise to play for penalties. Game at either spades or no trumps would only have improved his chances of ultimately winning the rubber from three to one against to evens. The penalty points, on the other hand, would go far to compensate for loss of rubber, should this occur; and would make a useful addition to the rubber points, should these be won. Tho danger of doubling the opponents out was nil. Had the same deal and auction occurred in the first or third game of a rubber, B should have supported his partner's spades in preference to redoubling. Strength for a Double.

It is easy enough, in the light of the actual deal, to argue that Y should not have doubled; to point out that his heart strength, -which should have been real, was illusory; and to raise other objections. We can reach a fair judgment, however, by comparing Y's hand with some of those given by recognised authorities to illustrate the necessary strength for the double. Mr. Wilbur C. Whitehead invented this double, and probably knows as much about the strength necessary for it as anyone. He gives as good hands on which to double a bid of one heart the following:—(1) Spades, J. 10,7,6; hearts, 10; diamonds, A,Q,10,7; clubs, K,J,6,3; and (2) spades, A,Q,6; hearts, 9,3; diamonds, K,J,4,3; clubs, K,J,9,2. I do not think Y's hand can be classed as weaker than these on any system of assessing strength. He was certainly justified, then, in his double. The whole trouble was Z's weakness. ' Z, of course, could only choose between evils, and he did the orthodox thing by bidding his four-card suit. I wonder, however, whether he paused to weigh up the possible cost of making ft business pass. It would have given the opponents game, which, in the circumstances, was comparatively small loss: and it would have given tliem 100 for fulfilling contract and 100 for each overtrick. This, however, is assuming that A would be content—a" very big assumption. As tie cards lay, he would probably have gone two diamonds; B would have taken him into two no trumps; and thare the auction would have stopped. Here,is a little problem of play. The solution will be given next week:— Score, love all; Z, the dealer, one no trump; all pass. A leads the six of hearts. The hands of declarer and dummy are as follows: —

How should Z plan the play of the hands ?