AUCTION BRIDGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18804, 5 July 1929, Page 6

AUCTION BRIDGE.

A SECOND SUIT.

(Written for the “Star" by

A. E.

MANNING FOSTER.)

Should you, as dealer, bid a suit and your partner bid No Trumps over an adverse declaration upon your left, it is most important to take the first opportunity of showing him what further pronounced strength, if any, your hand contains. The following is an example from actual play. Z held S —s 4; H —9 3; D—K Q 9 7 5; C—A K 4 2, and called “ One Diamond A said “ One Spade”; V, “One No Trump*”; B, Two Spades”; Z now called “Three Clubs.” With two certain tricks in the suit. Z was quite right to give this further and very valuable information to V. Z, of course, never wanted to play the hand in Clubs, but his Club declaration enabled Y to call “ Two No Trumps,” and make three by cards and game, although he had called rather a weak No Trumper, his hand being:—S—A 10 3 2; H—A Q 4; D—lo 3; C—J 10 9 7. Both the Heart and Glob finesses, however, were right. A correspondent has written asking for an opinion as to what he ought to have done, the score being love all in the final game, and having dealt himself the following hartfi:—S—lo 6 5; H —7 5; D— A K Q; C—K J 9 7 4. This is undoubtedly far too good a hand upon which to pass. At any declaration it can be considered worth, at the very least, three tricks, while upon a No Trump declaration it can fairly be valued at nearly five tricks, and that is the point. The player should try to get his partner into a No Trump declaration if possible, and the question is what bid upon his part is most likely to produce this result. To declare One Diamond would be a comparatively safe proceeding, but as he holds such length and strength in Clubs that, in all probability, is the suit his partner would like to know something about; while if he declares his Clubs, his partner must place him with other strength outside. Unless his partner is guarded in both the major suits he can hardly declare No Trumps, and having no high honour in Diamonds himself, he must take this to be the declarer's second suit. Actually he called “ One Club,” and T think he was right. With such a solid block of tricks as Ace, King, Queen of Diamonds in addition to his Clubs he was bound to give his partner some indication of his holding such a strong hand. The dealer’s partner declared No Trumps and made game. I saw the following hand dealt to a very proficient performer. The score wav love all in the final game, and there were three passes up to him. He held:—S—A 4: H— 8 5; D—9 2; C A K 10 9 7 5 2. The player in question looked at his hand for some moments and then said “ Three Clubs,” and it struck me as being the correct declaration. In the first place it shut out an}* adverse suit bid of two, while telling his partner almost exactly of what his own hand consisted. He was nearly certain to hold a suit of six i lubs to the Ace, King, Queen, or seven Clubs to the Ace, King, and in either case, an outside Ace as well. Upon anything less he would not have been entitled to open the bidding fourth in hand. His partner took him out into “Two No Trumps” and made game. Another correspondent, whom we will call Z,'wants to know what he should have done under the following circumstances. The score was love all in the final game, and he held:—S—6 4; ll—9 3; D—J 7 5; C—A K Q J 7 4. A called “One Spade”; Y said, “Two Diamonds”: B, “Two Hearts”; Z then •.ailed “ Three Clubs.” A now called ** Three Spades.” Z said “ Four Dia-

mor.ds.” ani B said “Four Spades.” What should Z now have done? Although his Clubs were probably as good or better than Y’s Diamonds, he should not have overcalled B with a bid of “ Six Clubs,” neither should he have doubled the four Spades bid, but he should have called six Diamonds. Y, in addition to his Diamonds, probably holds either the Ace of Spades or the Ace of Hearts, with a singleton in either one or other of these suits, and he must be left to play the hand and to be led up to in either Spades or Hearts by B with every probability .of making his contract.