A BRIDGE CLINIC

Southland Times, Issue 22008, 6 May 1933, Page 11

A BRIDGE CLINIC

AUCTION AND CONTRACT DEFENSIVE SIGNALS. (By Horatius.) in all bidding problems one must remember there are no unbreakable rules, unless one is playing a system •which has unbreakable rules. For instance the Culbertson method requires a suit bid in preference to No Trumps in Opening bids and responses, so that the No-Trump always denotes the lack of a biddable suit in these early bids, and, of course, after a suit bid by the enemy reveals a guard in that suit. Culbertson allows of no release by either bidder once the Forcing Bid has been made, a fact which explains the low bidding after the Force has been introduced. Here is a hand which supplies some material for study. E-W were vulnerable and North, whose side was 60 on in. the second game, dealt:

In play North, playing no system, said One Spade, which was an underbid, and South replied with Two NoTrumps, game, where the bidding ended. Captain Mundy under his Direct System would have the bidding go: N: Two Spades, showing seven probable tricks; S: Six Spades; N: Seven Spades. South knows nothing of the King situation. If North held A-K-Q-----j-x-x in Spades and K-x in Hearts the small slam could be beaten easily. If South held S: 10-9-x-x; H: A-K-x; A-Q-10-x; C: A-Q-x, he could still jump to Six Spades and the Seven Spades would be a big risk for North. Is it not better to go slowly and make sure? N s IS 3C 3S 4D 6D 7 D One Spade: North Shows 21 Honour Tricks, and at least A-Q-x-x in Spades with an outside A or K-Q; or A-K-x-x in Spades and K-x outside. Three Clubs: South holds 4 Honour Tricks and with Norths 21, sees that game is probable if the right contract is found, therefore, he Forces. Three Spades: North reblds the Spades showing A-K-Q-x-x or A-Q-J-10-x. four certain tricks in that suit. Four Diamonds: South, still_ within game, shows his second suit which j s ’ 4-card, because it was bid after the Clubs, necessarily a 5-card suit- _ , , Six Diamonds: North knows Souths hand is 5 Clubs, 4 Diamonds, so that at worst he has 2 Spades, 2 Hearts. If he had held 3 Spades he would have raised the Spades. Now the problem is the Heart. North counts in Diamonds C-S: 41; H: 2; D: 1; C: 1) 8, and he has shown, say 5. If he passes he will show preference of Diamonds over Clubs; if he bid Five Diamonds, one raise, and if Six Diamonds, two raises. Seven Diamonds: South places North with Five Spades, and at least 3 Diamonds. He must be sure of the Little Slam or he would have gone for game, leaving the Little Slam bid to South. But his Little Slam suggests a fear of a suit—Hearts have not been mentioned. In any case if North holds 3 Clubs he has only 2 Hearts and South will discard on the Spades. He must, hold two Kings—(one in the original bid and one for the re-bid in Spades). The Seven Diamonds is practically certain. Surely that is better than the Direct System’s gambler’s leap! —The Grand Coup.— When the Declarer wishes to continue leading through an opponent he may have to trump his own winners so as to avoid being left with only winners in his own hand:

C: A-J-2 South bids Two Spades; West, Three Hearts; North, Three Spades; South, Four Spades; East, doubles. West led the King of Hearts, followed by the Queen, so that everyone knew he still held Ace. He leads this, and South ruffs it. He leads a small Club and wins in North. This is followed by 9 of Spades which is finessed through East, followed by another Spade, showing West’s void. Now if he has to lead up to East, the enemy must make two more tricks. He must reduce his trumps to the number East holds. South leads Ace of Diamonds, followed by Queen, which North overtakes; North leads a winning Diamond which South ruffs. The position for the coup is now ready. There are two rounds of Clubs (if East has not two more Clubs game cannot be won anyway), and the fourth round of Clubs is like a lead of trumps through East’s A-Q to South’s K-J.

South is playing Five Diamonds and West opens with the Spade 4 which East trumps with the 4 of Diamonds. Can South make his contract? LAST WEEK'S HAND. S: A-10-5-4-3 H: 4-3 D: K-Q-J C: Q-10-7 N I S » S: — H: A-Q-J-10-8-7-6-2 D: A C: A-9-4-3 South Is playing Six Hearts and West leads the King of Spades. How should South Play? Here the secret of the play is the Diamond suit in Dummy’s hand, which Souths Ace stops. He must take the King with Dummy's Ace and discard the Ace of Diamonds. After this he makes King, Queen, Jack of Diamonds, discarding the three losing Spades. Then he will play trumps for the drop, and even if the King does not fall he will lose only one trick in trumps, making his Little Slam.