CONTRACT BRIDGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22619, 6 January 1937, Page 14

CONTRACT BRIDGE

REBIDDING THE HAND SWING PERCENTAGES BY FINESSE In an article on rcbids a couple of weeks ago I mentioned the fact that there could exist a wide margin of error, and that in rebidding the hand is where most players go wrong, when they do go wrong, and occasionally end iu a disastrous contract. It is not too much to say that all players should pay a little more attention to this part of the game, and when they come across a partner, or opponents, who have different ideas on the question of a certain bill, an endeavour should be made to sift- the matter and have it cleared up. I have often heard such arguments, where both sides have valiantly stuck to their guns and would not give in. It is, however, a simple matter to refer to a text-book at the first opportunity, and not be afraid to admit where you have gone wrong. It often amounts to this; that you have two players travelling in diverse ways away from the centre line, and when it occurs in a ticklish contract that difference in the interpretation of a vital bid means the difference of hundreds of points. Remember, swing hands, although relatively rare, control about 70 per cent of a player's net profit or loss. Rebidding Over Double Raise Previously 1 traversed the situations arising in the four zones (minimum, or part-score; intermediate; game; and slam), which arc disclosed in the course of the bidding of any hand. Rebids after a force by partner were touched on, and now let us look n.t the rebids after partner has given a double raise of a suit bid of one. Game lias to bo gone to, and the opening hand should first of all ask himself whether there is any reasonable chance of a slam. This' may depend upon freakish distribution and a fit with partner's hand, or a good deal of extra honour-strength. I shall deal with slam tries later, but sufficient to say that the. combined hands should contain at least six to seven honour-tricks- and about 11 winners. Tho six honour-tricks apply to "freaks," hands with a void suit or a couple of singletons. However, if the slam docs not appear very probable, the opening hand may rebid in three no-trump with a balanced distribution, anil wait for partner to confirm or otherwise; or rebid the suit, to four if a major. If a minor, a shaded major four-card suit may be shown, or lacking tliis rebid in three no-trmnp, oven with a hand which does not altogether look very favourable to no-trump. The main reason is that it is too weak perhaps to make five over. Partner's bid shows about two and a-half to three honour-tricks, which will generally provide stoppers for your weak suits. The principal message conveyed by the three no-trump is that opening hand cannot see any chance of a slam, and that it would be unwise for partner to explore. If you are playing asking bids, any new bid at the range of four on the part of the original bidder is an asking bid, of course, after a double raise, and shows an interest in slam possibilities. Following a Jump Response

Then we come to rebids after partner has given a jump response in no-trump after an opening suit bid. As in a ! double raise, it is forcing to game, and the opening bidder has the advantage of knowing a good deal about his partner's honour-strength and distribution. He will more readily be able to predict whether there is the possibility of a slam in the two hands, and whether it is worth while to make a slam try. He should always endeavour to respond in such a way as to show his general strength and distribution, and the contract he prefers. A rebid ff three no-trump should logically close the bidding. A player may be wise to make this rebid even with a five-card rebiddable suit; but a six-card suit, rebiddable, should be rebid. For instance: When the opening one-spado bid has been taken out with two notrump, with |A A J 10 8 5 7 6 3 0 AQ 8 *J 4 the opener should bid three no-trump; but with: *KIOB 7 6 5 KQ 2 OA4 A 7 3 |it would be better to rebid three spades. Having a rebiddable suit and another biddable suit, which usually shows an unbalanced distribution, the opener should decide whether to rebid his suit or show the other suit. A lot will depend upon the strength of the two suits. With a 5-4-2-2 and stoppers or semi-stoppers in the doubletons it may still be better to play it in. no-trump. Rebids Alter One Round Force Perhaps because this is the most common situation of all, particular attention should be paid'to it. The opening hand becomes the responding hand, and he must respond to his partner's take-out in such a way as to endeavour to show the strength and the contract he prefers in accordance with his distribution. Sometimes he has a rebiddable suit, another biddable suit and/or adequate trump support for partner's suit. With only one of these there is no choice. With a choice between two or more of these rebids he should, with four honour-tricks or more, look for some strength-showing rebid: the bid of a new suit at the level of three; a double raise of partner's suit—provided he has four trumps—or a jump rebid in the original suit if it is rebiddable and the hand contains 4§ to 5 honour-tricks. With a fair hand containing about 3J honour-tricks, he should show a new biddable suit if it does not require a bid of three; should give partner a single raise, or make the minimum rebid in his own suit. The bidding of a new suit would perhaps be the first choice, and as regards the latter two, it will depend upon the ranks of suits concerned. 1 would always be inclined to favour the major in preference to the minor. Possible No-Trump Rebid In addition to suit bids and raises, the opener has the possibility of a rebid in no-trump; with a 4-3-3-.'} holding lie has little option but to do this. A rebid of one no-trump, when the response was a one-over-one is a negative or minimum rebid; when the response was in a lower-ranking suit, however, the rebid must be two notrump, which shows a stronger hand, about honour-tricks in three 'suits, or a little less with all suits stopped and added values in tens and nines. When two no-trump is a jump rebid: (South I heart; North 1 spade; South two no-trump) the hand must be very strong, about 4J honour-tricks. The opening hand with trump support for partner's take-out suit may count his winners exactly s if he were the responding hand. To give a double raise the opener should have at least four trumps and one honour-trick more than he needed for his opening bid; without this honour-trick he should have strong distributional support and about 6J to 7 winners. He should bo careful not to raise a minor suit to four, passing the three no-trump level, without at least seven supporting winners and 4i honour-tricks.