THE BRIDGE TABLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE BRIDGE TABLE.

DOUBLING FOR PENALTIES. BY MAJOR TENACE. When should the double called for penalties Ijc left in and when should it bo taken out ? This is one of Lhe problems in auction theory for which a systcmatised answer has not be.en supplied by our pundits. I have always maintained that the penalty double should be left to the player who is able to form tho most accurate conception of the combined strength of the partnership : in other words, to llie player who receives more information than he is able to give.

Tho player who makes an initial bid gives information much more definite and complete than the player who merely supports or denies his partner's bid. Therefore, if the opponents bid up, it is tho partner of the initial bidder who should call the penalty doublo. Similarly, the first adverse call, other than a pass made by an opponent of the initial bidder—whether that call be an over-bid or an informatory double—gives more information than any bid' which tho partner of this caller can subsequently make. Hence, if these two players are faced with tho problem of doubling for penalties, it is tho partner of tho player who made an informatory double, or over-bid the initial bid, who should decide it. Matter ol Co-operation. For instance, suppose the initial bidder bids and re-bids hearts and the opponent on his left goes to three spades. Partner of the initial biddei holding S—K, 7, 5; II—4; D—Q, 7, 5, 3, 2; C —A, 6. 4, 2,; should double. He has three fairly certain tricks in his hand played in defence —a trump, a heart ruff, and a club; and his partner by the initial bid has shown two quick tricks, and by the re-bid some other strength as well Penalties of at least a hundred, therefore, seem to be more or less assured, and the prospect of game at, hearts, so far as the partner of tho initial bidder can see, are remote. Hut the final decision should not be left to one player. His partner should consider the information which the double conveys, just as he considers the information conveyed by any other call. It may bo that his own bids have not been as'informative as ho could wish. is impossible to show both length of suit and high cards in bidding. Perhaps ho has to some extent misled the doubler as to the defensive value of his holding. If lie has done so he should set the matter ri"hl by taking oat the double. Tho whole business "of doubling and takingout is a matter of co-operation and copartnership, just like bidding and supporting.

Opposing Trumps in One Hand. The other day I saw a queer deal in which a declarer was compelled to ruff until he held fewer trumps than his .adversary, and yet succeeded in preventing his adversary from scoring a single trick in trumps. Here is the deal:—

Beating the Extra Trump. .•V' love score V. dealt and bid one spade; A. two hearts; Y, two spades; B, no 'iid; X. no hid; -\, three hearts; Y, three spades'; B. double, and all passed. A led the king and the ace oi hearts, ,"ud as his partner followed first with mrie and the.i with the eight. A led a third heart. Z had to ruff, for he still ;iood to lose a trick in clubs, and it he lei the opponent." win three in hearts as well, game would be gone. Z then .'lni-tcd to puil the tramps by leading •lie ace, but A's discard on the first round showed him what lie was up against. It held one 111010 trump than lie did. Realising tho uselessness of continuing with trumps, Z turned to clubs. 1? held up his nee for one round, but clapped it on the second time and led a trump, this drawing two of his opponents' trumps to one of his own. _ Z won tho trick in his own hand, keeping dummv's rjucen. lie then put dumm\ in with the ace cf diamonds, made dummy's king of diamonds, and continued the clubs, i'. followed to tho third round, and Z discarded a diamond. On the fourth club round, howevci, B was compelled to ru fx as lie had nothing but trumps left. Z over-ruffed and led his last diamond, which he ruffed with dummy's queen; and then led dummy's last club, dropping LVs last remaining trump under his own. From this it appears that not even a long trump suit is certain to win a trick. The only card that is certain to win is the ace of trumps, and even that will lose if it is played in a revoke! Two Problems in No Trumps. The chief danger which a declarer has to face in trying to make game at a no trump declaration is a long suit established in the hard of one or other of the two adversaries. If the suit is of five cards and the declarer can stop it only once, the adversary, if he gels in afterwards, will clear four tricks in it; and these, with his card of entry, will prevent the declarer from going game. Here are 'wo situations in which ihe declarer has to face this danger, and they call for very different tactics.

At. love score 1) deals and bids one spade: Z. one no trump: and all pass. A leads the jack of spades. How should Z plav the combined hands in order to have the best chance of getting game? In the above deal the long suit is cleai lv on declarer's right. In the following deal it is on his left:—

Ai luvc score Z bids one no trump, and all pass. A leads tho three of spades; dummy places the five, and -l< puts up the queen. How should Z play to make the nine tricks required for game? I will five the solutions to these two problems next week.