Evening Star Newspaper, November 8, 1931, Page 95

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D, C, NOVEMBER 8, 1931, # 7THE BrIDGE ForuwMm Great Bridge Teams Vie for Vanderbilt Cup . This Week—Highlights of the New Official System of Bidding. Symbols The coat of arms, the swastika, the grace- ful fleur-de-lis, The cross, the shield, the star, the crest and marks of heraldry, All have their own significance to sym- bolize some fact, But each is used so many ways it can't be called exact. Three symbols that we find on cards play no specific part; They're useg on many other things—the diamond, club and heart; . But one has true distinctiveness, it's no- where else displayed. S0 as the emblem of our game we recog- nize the spade. NCE again the Vanderbilt Cup competition is at hand. This blue- ribbon event of the bridge year, which has gained a standing un- like that of any other competition on the calendar, will have more great teams engaged than ever before, including the trophy donor's. own entry— Harold S. Vanderbilt, Ralph J. Leibenderfer, Gratz M. Scott and Edwin A. Wetzlar. Last year they were close up at the finish and they are sure to be formidable contenders this time. When play begins Thursday afternoon in the Waldor{-Astoria, New York's great new hotel, the present holders of the big silver cup—Mr. and Mrs. Ely Culbertson, Baron Waldemar von Zedtwitz and Theodore A. Ligi]tnerrwm endeavor to repeat their victory. Among thrlr opponents they will find the team of Philip Hal Sims, Willard S. Karn, Oswald Jacoby and David Burnstine, which has been christened “The Four Horsemen” because of their un- broken string of triumphs since they first banded together last Spring. Other strong teams entered include the New York Bridge Whist Club, which won two years ago, Mrs, J. S. Jones, Mrs. H. L. Peterson, Levis R. Ayres and Capt. Fred G. French of Philadelphia, and Sidney S. Lenz, Comdr. Winfield Liggett, jr., George Reith and Charles S. Lochridge of the Knickerbocker Whist Club. Several Western teams will give the event 2 more representative status than on previous oceasions. It is hoped that within the next year or two there may be an entry from Eng- land or perhaps the great Austrian team of Scudier, Spanner, Foregger and Tafler, which last Summer defeated Mr. and Mrs. Culbertson, Dr. Berger and Kurt Bendix of Berlin by 3,885 points in a team match played in Vienna. Wilbur C. Whitehead, who died last June, had been the “permanent chairman” of the Cup Committee since the institution of the event. Douglas Paige, another close friend of Mr. Vanderbilt, is now the permanent chair- man, with Comdr. Winfield Liggett, jr., again secretary. The New “Official” System The greatest advantage of having an in- termediate suit bid of two in a player's bidding vocabulary has long been recognized by those who consider that informing a partner ac- curately is more important than keeping the opponents uninformed. The advantage lies in the fact that a one-bid denies ability to make a two-bid. When & player bids one, his partner knows his hand is not strong enough to bid two. He consequently is not tempted to raise or make a takeout with strength so inadequate that the side is sometimes defeated unneces- sarily. He knows the side cannot possibly have a game unless he has at least a reasonable amount of strength opposite the original hand. The second great advantage of an inter- mediate two bid lies in the making of the bid itself. It tells the partner that a strong hand is held, so strong that he can respond to it with less strength than he would need to respond to a one bid. It enables the partner to make with perfect safety raises and takeouts that would be risky opposite a hand which might be minimum. Such responses frequently result in games which would be impossible if the partner had called only one. The partner would have enough to complete a ga re opposite the strong hand, but not nearly enough to tinker safely with a one bid. A third big advantage of the intermediate two is the fact that frequently it shuts out the opponents from bidding. Either foe may have enough strength to overcall a one bid, but not enough to overcall the higher declaration. When both opponents have about that much their side really possesses game ability, but is prevented from showing it. The one great disadvantage of the interme- diate two bids that had prevailed in the past was that the partner, with really good strength, was afraid the original bidder might drop the bidding after the first response if his hand hap- pened to be barely strong enough to make the two bid. This was as true of those who showed abcut seven probable tricks with about four high ones as of those who showed as low as six with about three high ones. The partner, fearing the bidding might end after his response, would feel compelled to show his full strength at once. If a dealer bid two diamonds, his partner with a doubtful raise to five diamonds would be afraid to call only four, thus perhaps leaving the side in a contract of less than game; he would bid the doubtful five, and perhaps it could not be made. Instead, the side might have been able to make four hearts or spades, or possibly three no trump if he had not made his great jump. 2 Old Danger Eliminated That danger has been eliminated by the latest bidding device. It is a promise on the part of the original bidder that, if his partner BY SHEPARD can respond to the two bid with anything but a pass, the original bidder will bid at least once more. In view of his absolute guarantee of a second bid after a response, he commands his partner not to respond with anything but a minimum. Now, in the case of a two diamond bid, the partner is not permitted to raise to more than three diamonds. He must wait to hear what is the next bid of the original caller. If that next bid is a rebid of diamonds, the partner now can go to five. But if it is hearts or spades, the partner may prefer to put the hand in a contract of four of the major. And per- haps exactly four-odd could be made at either the diamonds or the major. Or the low re- sponse may bring a perfect three no-trump con- tract. ‘That promise of a rebid response also simpli- fies the partner’s duty when he is considering whether to raise or make a takeout. He must now make the takeout; failure to do so denies ability to do so. There is no need to raise the partner’s suit; support for it can be shown after the promised rebid. In the meantime the early showing of the other suit may plug up the only gap in the original hand, enabling the latter to bid game in no trumps without risk. This “promissory bid,” as its originator likes to call it, since all other intermediate two- bids were “invitation” bids, is the only brand- device in the new “Official Sys- tem,” every other feature of which had pre- viously been tried and proved thoroughly in one system or another published by various authorities. It incidentally is the only brand- new bidding device introduced in the last two years. The conductor of the Bridge Forum hopes, therefore, that he will be pardoned for feeling pleased over its acceptance by so many acknowledged experts, since it was developed by him in the Shepard Barclay Bridge Club in New York, now located in the Waldorf-Astoria. The strength requisite for the suit two-bid one-half when five and one-half held. This is easy to remember, of probable and high-card tricks al at least ten, of which at be high. Continued from Twelfth Page I was mate and she was master. I don't mean that she ever mutinied, but I no that when- ever we didn’t agree she always manoovered to windward. May be it is all right for she could sail closer to the wind than I could. “Item. I want mother to have the house cn Union street until she goes aloft. Then I want it to go to the children in equal lays and if any child dies I want the lay of the parent to go to the parent’s young one, but I don’t want my daughter, Belindy, to have anything .as long as her husband is living. He is a Lubber, but she has been cruisin’ with him for years. I haven®t got anything par- tickler agin him, but he doesn’t no how to navigate the sea of life. I do believe if he wanted to leak board ship, it would be go into the hole with an hole threw the plankin to r out into the sea. But That's just like a woman. give the lay out and out to her, her husband would manocover to want mother and Jotham to put terest, and give what comes out until her husband ships for a W decks in the graveyard. Then i i I g2 8 g is ig frioh F BARCLAY Responses, in order of preference, all of them minimums, are as follows: First, a bidable suit take-out if kolding cone high-card trick plus, or three plus probable tricks; second, a bid of two no-trump holding six count (rating A 4, K 3,Q2 J 1, two tens 1) in two other suits or five in three others; third, a raise to three with normal trump support and two support- ing tricks or one and one-half high-card tricks; fourth, if lacking any of these pass. In all caces, reserved trump support or extra strength of any kind can be shown on the second round or later, if advisable. Problems How would you bid and play the following hand, South being the dealer with both sides vulnerable? 464 v1073 @ A54 $AQJI9S NORTH exes : ¥5 Q1097 :.\n'na &QJ1095 YPKE3 B sia B 854 ¢ SOUTH &AT YAQJIf8e ¢ K863 &K At one table of a recent duplicate match South bid a heart, his partner two clubs, South three hearts and North four, all passing. At the other South started with the intermediate two-heart bid of the new “official” system, and after North’s three clubs rebid his hearts at four. North, knowing South had at least three high-card tricks and a goodly number of probable tricks, reckoned his two spades as the side’s only possible losers, so boldly bid five hearts, which South took to six. The six-heart declarer had a nice job to do after West led the spade queen. Seeking a chance at all 13 tricks, he led the club king and overtook it with the ace, so he might get she can take the lay and do what she wants to with it. I don’t think Belindy’s busband will make any fuss about the way I have care of her unless she runs head on to shoals of a lawyer’s office. Then look out squalls. I hope sheel stand off if she a lawyer coming thort her bows.” O THE student of human nature in peculiar manifestations there is whole range of writings emanating mind of man, none that gives a clearer in the characters of the authors wills, for the grace with which part with our earthly belongings lays bare spirits and hearts as no other Dominant traits show there as nowhere else. malice, hatred, jealousy, vanity—all and carried beyond the grave. are manifested generosity, gratitude, prudence, benevolence and wit. The interest in wills, however, is not wholly confined to students of human nature, for ex- pectant relatives have a peculiar way of scan- ning last testaments for reasons far removed from intellectual curiosity. A fact which no doubt is responsible for the old proverbial quip: “Where there’s a will there's a wake.” a discard of his lesing spade at ence on his club queen before risking the spade finesse. When the finesse lost, West returned the jack of spades for a ruff by South. The ace of hearts was fcllowed by the nine to dummy’s ten. The jack of clubs furnished a discard of one diamond, the three of clubs was ruffed to set up the last club, the diamond six to the ace made an entry to lead the final club for a discard of the second losing diamond, and the rest of South’'s hand was good. A Law a Week What occurs if South bid oune spade, West doubled, North passed and East redoubled? The redouble is void and the opposing side may add one hundred points to its hcnor score. The same penalty applies to a double of a partner’s bid. A reader sends in this: “Dummy not heving forfeited his rights as a player und declarer leading from the wrong hand, his own, dummy, realizing that a lead can be cailed by the ad- versaries, as declarer has in dummy mnome Of the suit which he was about to lead; dummy asked declarer for the privilegc of seeing the last trick. It is faced, and declarer is thereby tipped off that he is leading jrom his own hand when the lead should be from the table, Had he led fjrom his own hand the adversary could have called a lead and thereby set the contract. Please rule on the ethics of this.” What is wrong with this size-up of the situd- tion? The New Problem Hcw would you bid and play the following bhand, both sides being vulnerableeand Scuth the dealcr? AKJIINB42 vJ ®AQ532 a»J aAQ NORTH v8432 ®KJI64 H10654 410859 vor é 1098 »9873 @AT VAKQI1065 &7 #AKQ2 Ford’s Cousins Continued from Thirteenth Page to her grave. But there are many descendants of these three immigrant Ford brothers living; and once a year they have a family reunion, meeting at the home of Oliver Ford near i ht E?i assistance was so hard to get. TheElusive Enzyme Pursued HE Department of Agriculture is out to solve one of nature’s mysteries, the enzyme. These ferments, sometimes plant and sometimes animal, are the cause of spoilage of foodstufis, and while their habits are known to some extent and their results to a great wasteful extent, little is actually known about the enzymes themselves. They seem to act as catalytic agents which through their presence cause chemical change to take place without partici- pating themselves to any noticeable extent. Dr. Amold Kent Balls, one of the great world : authorities on enzymes, has been engaged as senior chemist of the food research division of the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils, and is directing the new study, which will be com- prehensive. Methods of combating the de- structive work of the enzymes will be sought and improved shipping practice, as well as stor- age measures, will be sought through the wide experimentation about te be undertaken, the planting prospects indicate a curtailing ef 25 per cent of last year’s plantings.