Evening Star Newspaper, November 30, 1930, Page 104

[ — & /HE .THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, . C, NOVEMBER 3, ™% RIDGE JFORUM Any Question, Be It Silly or Valid, Will Be Answered Gratis by a Bridge Authority. é¢ S the leaping finesse all right if the dummy plays out of the l bidder’s hand?” Anybody who cannot guess the submitter of that question must be funnier than Arthur (“Bugs”) Baer, who propounded it. And the same goes for his second query: “Is there such a bid as three no clubs?” “Bugs” probably heard that the con- ductor of this forum is the only man who ever guaranteed an absolutely cor- reet answer to any bridge question. He probably was not aware that thg also- lutely correct answer sometimes is, “I don’t know.” The leaping finesse, however, involves no deep problems. It is one of those obvious plays which are specially cov- ered by the laws of the game. When dummy leaps cver the table to make for ‘the declarer a finesse the latter hadn't thought of, the opponents have the privilege of compelling the finesse or preventing it (Law 30, b2). The answer, therefore, is yes. It is all right for dummy to do that, since it proves him a real dummy and invariably pleases the op- ponents. As to the “three no clubs,” there is in- "deed such a bid, but it can be used only by permission of the other side. It is similar in meaning to “yes, we have no bananas,” implying “we have nobody home,” or words to that effect. The only disadvantage it carries is the impossi- %Iny of obtaining a partner if you wish use such declarations. Information Gratis. There is not on record a solitary case of any bridge authority ever charging a fee for answering a question. Several years ago a canard began to go around, generally involving Milton C. Work, sometimes other experts. It bobbed up in different parts of the country, usually quoting somebody as having written, asking about a bridge law; after the answer was given the questioner re- ceived a bill for some large amount “for professional services.”” The tale then has the supposed victim asking his lawyer if he must pay, the attorney answering in the affirmative and in turn presenting a bill for his services. Suffice it to say, that nobody has yet come for- ward to sponsor the lie and say that the experience was his own. You may safely wager your life that no bridge authority — Work, Whitehead, Lenz, Shepard, Culbertson, Reith, the writer of this Forum or any other bridge professional-—has ever charged any one -for answering a question, and probably none of them ever will. They feel that answering such questions is part of their obligation in serving the game and its playess. A Law a Week. What occurs if dummy has left the table and, during his absence, declarer revokes? He cannot be penalized unless one of the adversaries has called to his attention the fact that he failed to fol- low suit in time to correct his renounce, and he failed to correct it. A Long-Awaited Book. Y CULBERTSON resisted for years that impulse to write a book pre- senting his ideas on “apprcach bidding” and, since the azdvent of contract, on “forcing bids”—two things for which he has become noted. So “The Contract Bridge Blue Book” by him has been long awaited by his admirers and f{ollowers. Now that it is out they cannot be disap- pointed unless they prefer a book which was not thorough, efficient, understand- oPble, interesting and crammed with striking examples of each maneuver de- scribed. One very useful point stressed is the dmportance of seeking scores on the de- mflve when opportunity affords, since possible gain on the offensive is nec- essarily confined within rather definite limits, whereas those obtainable for heavily setting the opponents are rela- tively unlimited. Besides searchingly " Treating the tactics of bidding, he adds some truly post-graduate observations By Shepard Barclay. Lost! What has become of the perfect hand That used to thrill us so? Newspapers found it all over the land A year or so ago, Playing a stirring range of parts In many different scenes, Clothed all in spades or clubs or hearts Or aces, kings and queens. Many the months that have now gone by Since we have heard about it; Maybe this phase is the reason why— Some one would always doubt it. Could it be true that the cards were stacked— Pranks of the coy and youthful? Possibly this is the simple fact— Bridgers may be more. frutiful? on the nsychology of contract, present- ing many of the stratagems used by most advanced players. Contract Systems. OW many different grades of strength can a bidder reveal in overcalling an original suit bid made at his right? There are very sligpt differences be- tween systems in this situation. Prac- tically all good players are prepared to use any cne of seven different declara- tions, dependent, of course, on which most truly fits their hand: 1. Pass, showing a hand varying from a worthless one to just barely beneath the requirements for a following or de- fensive bid. 2. A minimum overcall with a bid of one. Most players with this show at least cne and a half high card defensive tricks, at least three and a half or four probable offensive tricks. Some cut the defensive strength to ome if extra offensive tricks are held. If the bid be no trump it shows also two stoppers of the adverse suit. 3. A minimum overcall with a suit bid of two, such as two of a minor over one of a major. This usually shows same defensive strength as a one minimum overcall, but at least four, four and a half or five probable offensive tricks, the smaller when at least two defensive tricks are held. 4. An informatory double (or chal- lenge, if that is being used). Some re- quire “at least five high cards which may take tricks,” some “at least three honor tricks,” some “at least five prob- able tricks, including two and a half to three quick tricks.” (All of the three foregoing require extra probable trick strength if the hos- tile bid is more than one.) 5. A “forcing overcall,” as it is usually called—a suit bid one higher than nec- essary to barely overcall the original bid, such as two spades over one heart or three clubs over one spade. This is gen- erally a semi-forcing bid, partner being obliged to respond with very moderate strength. Some use this bid only to show two-sulters, preferring a “strategic” in- formatory double with strong one-suiters, a normal double with three-suiters and a no-trump with virtual four-suiters. 6. A higher bid of the same suit bid by the original bidder, such as two hearts over the opponent’s call of one heart. This always shows a powerful hand, and partner must not pass. Also shows game practically certain and slam likely at some declaration. Also indi- cates likely control of first round of the suit bid, possibly no losers at all in the suit, through™ability to ruff it, or the singleton ace or doubleton king-queen. 7. A pre-emptive overcall, at least two higher than necessary, such as three spades over one heart or four clubs over one diamond. These bids usually indicate probable offensive trick strength within two of the number of tricks bid if the side is vulnerable, within three if not vulnerable, and a hand practically value- less except at the bid suit. Many play- ers make no guarantee of any defensive " strength with such bids. If South opens with one heart, West bids one spade, North two hearts, East three spades, South four clubs and West passes, what should North now do? Auction Problems. HOW would you bid and play the fol- lowing hand, South being the dealer? AAIBT63 9953 ®K3 & 65 NORTH g 3 SOUTH AK104 YAQ4 ¢ Q5 SKT432 Some players would bid ope ne trump in the South. Others, fearing the non- 4Q2 YK62 ®AJ10862 &108 stopped diamond doubleton, would start with one club. In the latter case, North would bid one spade, East two diamonds, Bouth two spades, West pass, North pass, East three diamonds, South three spades, West four diamonds, North four spades. In the former, North would bid two spades, East three diamonds, South three spades, West four diamonds and North four spades. Declarer has a real job to do with this hand, which actually came up in a con- tract game, with a redoubtable player, Charles H. Angle, doing the worrying in the North. East opened the ace of dia- monds, West giving him a discouraging card. His best game-saving chance was to find West with the ace-queen of clubs and later ruff the third round with his queen of spades. So he led the 10. South and West playing low, East repeated the club lead to West’s jack, and the latter returned a club. North could now read East’s scheme, and his hope of overtrumping declarer. 8o he ruffed with the ace and returned the jack, which East covered, the king winning. The 10 now consumed the last hostile trumps. A trumped club lead set up the long club, and after the heart finesse won, the club was cashed for a heart discard by North, assuring game. East could make it still harder for North with a second diamond lead. North now must lead a club and lose his king to West, who sees the plan to set up a club and so assails the side entries with a heart lead. A club lead from dummy loses and a second heart by West drives out the ace. Dummy’s next club lead must be trumped by the ace, but declarer would not do that except upon a pure guess that East has the queen; in this situation its location is not marked. Many good declarers would trump low and lose the game. Thus, a diamond lead on the second trick would turn out the best defensive play for East, but one which would not be-made by a good player unless he possessed a divin- ing rod to tell him about the hidden hands. The New Problem. HOW would you bid and play the fol- lowing hand, South being the dealer? AJ1043 vse @ AKJI9E &85 EAST 415 E VAQT4 ] ¢ None HKJI109749 LSAM AAKO863 vJ9s Q10 HQ6 Flight Over the Seine. Here is a little story of man and his ate tempts to fly: In the year 1742 King Louis XV, that gor- geous monarch, was on the throne of France and his country was in the midst of its golden age. In the same year the Marquis de Basque- ville was 62 years of age and living the life of a gentleman in the city of Paris. One would imagine that such a man, of such an age, in such a place, would content himself in his de- clining years by sunning himself on his Parisian boulevards or sitting under the awnings of his favorite cafe. But no. The Marquis must make him wings and fly. And he succeeded in a fashion in what was one of the first plausible flights on record. He strapped himself in the apparatus, got on top of his house on the Quai des Theatins, waited for a favorable breeze and directed his course across the Seine in the di- rection of the Tuilleries Gardens. The multitude on the ground gaped at the daring Marquis as we gaped at the daring Wrights. They saw him move his wings with a motion that belied his age and they saw him make steady progress toward the river. And then they saw him stop and then come down in a beautifully perpendicular line for 900 feet until he hit the bottom of a laundry boat with @& suddenness that was appalling. He fractured both legs ani all faith in aviation, but he was fortunate at that, for he survived his injuries. The same old trouble: the muscles of man are not strong enough for sustained flight with any appara‘ts he may make. Men and birds are simply different animals.