AUCTION BRIDGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18785, 14 June 1929, Page 8

AUCTION BRIDGE.

CONTRACT BIDDING.

(By A. E. MANNING FOSTER.) Contract Bridge is all the rage in America, although it has not ousted Auction entirely, as has happened on the Continent. It may prove to be one of those passing phases of fashion in cards which are common in the United States. The Whist Club and the Knickerbocker Whist Club of New York have rescued the game from the many cooks who were tinkering with the broth by providing a standard set of laws for it. Over ten years ago it was acclaimed in America as the game of the century, but after being tried over in England it was rejected. As a club game in England it has now ceased to be, but it is played in private circles, although the scoring is different from the American codes. During the past ten years numerous American books have been published on the game. The latest and liveliest is “ Contract Bridge,” by Sidney Lenz, of which an English edition has been issued by George Allen and Unwin. The great idea of American Contract is to go. for the big thing. It is not enough to make your contract or even game and rubber. You must be looking out always for opportunities to bid Httle or grand slams with their big bonuses. For this purpose you have to make what appear to our conservative British ideas extraordinarily wild or mad bids. You show Aces or ability to stop an adverse Suit by bidding that suit when you are bare of it to indicate that you can ruff it on first round. At no card game other than Contract is the ability to understand what the partner is endeavouring to portray of such value. Many combinations lend themselves to the bidding of little slam with almost exactitude, but rarely can the player bid a grand slam without taking some chance.

The following given by Mr Lenz is a good example of constructive bidding:—

Z deals and bids “Two Hearts”; A, “Three Spades”; Y, “Four Spades”! "No bid”; Z, “Five Diamonds”; A, “No bid”; Y, “Seven Hearts.” Have you got it?

This is how it works out. The original bid by Z was conventional apd A’s pre-emptive bid of three Spades was made with a willingness to accept a penalty to save the game. Y’s bid of four Spades was to assure partner that no tricks would be lost in Spades as he held the Ace. Unless Y had a slam in view he would have bid four Hearts. Z then bids the Diamonds with the same object as Y can always bid five Hearts. The grand slam is bid by Y instead of the little slam because Z’s Diamond bid shows an exceptional hand and Y’s holding is too powerful to expect a Club bid to be raised beyond six Hearts. Of, course, the contract is made witjiout any difficulty. But such bidding makes the brain of the average Britisher to reel! FREAK HANDS. The “ Star ” will be glad to receive news of unusual or freak bridge hands from day to day. Comment will be made on the instances submitted.

S—A 4 3 2 H—Q 10 5 D—Q J 9 C—A 6 4 A. B. S-K Q J 10 8 7 S—9 6 H—9 7 H—8 2 D—8 2 D—10 7 5 3 C—K 9 2 Z. S—5 C—Q 10 7 6 4 II—A K J 6 4 3 D—A K C—J 8 5 3