Contract Bridge

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21326, 29 October 1932, Page 5 (Supplement)

Contract Bridge

HINTS REGARDING THE BIDS Br PAM No. ni. We come now to the class of hands where it is apparent that game is certain or reasonably probable, and here it is essential to make certain that the bidding is carried on up to game. It is equally essential to ensure that the final contract arrived at is in the right suit. Such a position calls for a " Force " —namely, a bid that commands you and your partner to keep the bidding open until game is reached. The commonest case is where your partner makes an original bid of one, either in a suit or in no-trumps, and you hold three or more honour tricks. Your partner's original bid shows at least 2£, and so the two hands together contain s£. This should be enough for game in notrumps. It does not follow that three no-trumps is the safest or best reply, but at the same time you must make certain that your partner keeps the bidding open. So you respond with what is known as a forcing take-out." That is, you overcall his bid with your best suit, if biddable, by one, and only one, more trick than is necessary; e.g., three clubs or two hearts I over one diamond, or three of a suit over j one no-trump. Two no-trumps over one ; of a suit is not a forcing take-out.. It I simply shows 2' s honour tricks. Message to the Partner A forcing take-out means " Partner, i wc must both keep the bidding open till ! game is reached. I hold at least three ■ honour tricks, and at least five playing j tricks in the suit I have just bid. Rebid i your first suit, bid another suit, or—if you have minimum trump support—jump ! my suit, as seems best. Or if you can do none of these, bid no-trumps, and I'll i do the same. The one thing we must not <lo is to pass. This is a command to you and a pledge by me." A forcing take-out does not necessarily deny support for the original bid. If you have a choice between jumping your j partner's bid and bidding a forcing take- i out, do the latter every time. You can always return later to your partner's suit. If the original bidder can only respond to the forcing take-out by bidding notrumps it is usually best to'say two or three no-trumps, i.e., the minimum number necessary. Similarly a rebid or a response in a different suit should be a minimum, so as to leave the field open for further bidding. But once the suit (or no-trumps) is agreed, then jump the bid to the limit, whether game; or slam. An Illustration One example will illustrate these points. South deals and North, holds. S—K XXX. S—A JXX X. • H—X. H-A Q J X X. D—X XX. D—A X. C—A KQX X. C—X. South bids a club and North bids a forcing take-out of two hearts (his stronger suit). South responds with two no-trumps, as his clubs are just too short to rebid to three. North then says three spades. South values his hand in spades and makes it playing tricks. North has promised at least 5 playing tricks, 'so South bids five spades. North actually has playing tricks, and so can bid the small slam. Occasionally the original bidder will have a hand so strong that game seems probable, even though the partner holds less than one and a-half honour tricks. If all his strength is packed in one suit, lie pre-empts with at least three of a major and four of a minor. These hands will be dealt with in the next article. If his strength is general, he makes an opening bid of two. The opening bid of two no-trumps is very simple. It shows 4-5 honour tricks, and no biddable suit. It is a strong invitation to the partner to go on, but is not a force. A More Complex Bid The opening bid of two of a suit is more complex. Culbertson laid down in the approach-forcing system thai it showed honour tricks, and was a force. The partner had to respond, even on a yarborough or bust, and the bidding had to be kept open till game was reached. The obligatory response on a hand with less than one honour trick was two notrumps. With one honour trick the original bid could be jumped or another suit bid. With 1£ honour tricks, a three notrump response was permissible. I have two objections to this convention. One is that it forces the partner to bid and keep on bidding on a trickless hand. The other and more .serious objection_ is that under this limitation an original bid of one has the very indeterminate value of 2£ to 4£ honour tricks inclusive. Furthermore an original bid of one on honour tricks will very likely be passed by the partner, so that game is missed. My requirements for an original bid of two in a suit are:—(l) Four or more honour tricks. (2) A biddable suit, may be a four-card suit. (3) Either a rebiddable suit, or a. second suit, or a guard in three out of the four suits. _ This hand may be taken to be worth six playing tricks in the suit originally bid. This bid is a strong invitation, but not a force. , Response by Partner The partner's responses are as follows: (1) With minimum trump support for original bid he may raise it to three if he holds three playing tricks in support, to four on four playing tricks, and so on. (2) Otherwise, on a yarborough he passes. (3) With £-1 honour tricks and inability to jump the original bid, he bids two notrumps, just to keep the bidding open. He should not bid a suit. This bid is not a force. (4) With l£-2 honour tricks he either bids three no-trumps, or preferably bids a minimum take-out in his best biddable suit if he has one. The suit take-out!" is a force, and both sides proceed just as they do after a forcing takeout of an original one bid. It shows at least three playing tricks in the suit bid. (5) With or more honour tricks and a biddable ,suit, he bids a jump take-out, such as rfcree spades or four clubs over an original two hearts. This is a slam invitation. It means: "Partner, trust me for '2£ honour tricks and 4 playing tricks in my suit. Between us we are very likely strong enough for a slam if we can find the right call. In any case we can safely keep the bidding open up to a limit of four no-trumps,, by which time we should discover if a slam exists and how to bid it." Example of Original Bids examples of original two bids are give" '>elow:— Sou.li deal and North holds. S—A QX. S—X XX. lI—X. H—A Q, XX X. D—K JXX X. D-Q X. C—A KQX. C—XXX. South bids two diamonds (his longest suit). North makes a forcing response of two hearts on bis lj honour tricks and his biddable suit. South now bids three clubs, his second suit. North cannot rebid his hearts, or support either of South's suits, so he says three no-trumps. South deal and holds North holds. S—A KQX X. S—X. H—A JlO X. H—K QX X. D—X. I)—A Q X X X. C—A QX. G-X XXI South two spades; North four diamonds (a slam invitation on 2£ honour tricks); South four hearts (which are just " biddable"); NoUh six hearts on his 6£ playing tricks. If a two-bid is also a game bid (as at a score of 60) it loses its normal meaning, and simply indicates five playing tricks in the suit bid. Finally—and this is a warning—if the enemy interposes a bid after your twobid or forcing take-out, always stop and think whether it would not bo best to double him. One thousand above the line is hotter value than game or rubber.