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Show ! Modern Contract : Bridge By Lelia Hattersley I) No. 1. The Approach-Forcing Principle THE first rule of the Approach principle prin-ciple is : "Whenever a hand contains a biddable bidda-ble suit (be it even a four-card minor) an opening bid in the suit and not at no trumps should be preferred." It is on this rule that the whole principle of the approach method rests. For by these low introductory bids, a partnership has room for the full exchange of information so often necessary before they can choose the best bid for their 2G cards. This decided de-cided preference which is given to original suit bids including minor suits, four-card suits, and weak five-card five-card suits, provides against shutting them out with opening no trump bids. The approach principle of opening a suit bid instead of a no trump applies ap-plies even though the hand contains no singleton or unprotected suit. Most hands with sufficient strength for an original bid offer a choice between be-tween a suit and a no trump. In many cases if a no trump is opened the bidding runs so high that it is too late for partners to locate a possible major suit which might have resulted in game where the no trump would fail. The following hand illustrates one of the thousands where a game which could have been scored with modern scientific bidding is thrown away by the old fashioned no trump bidder who has never been schooled in the value of approach methods. NORTH S-A J 9 2 H-A J 7 D-S.4 C-J 10 5 4 WEST EAST S-8 6 S-7 4 3 H-5 4 3 2 H-Q 10 8 6 D-A J 5 3 2 D-K 10 9 C-K 2 C-9 0 3 SOUTH S-K Q 10 5 H-K9 D-Q7 6 C-AQS7 If South, the dealer, opens with a no trump, he will end with that contract con-tract for game, as North, having no take-out, will correctly raise a no trump. In this case West will lead his fourth best diamond, and before South can gain the lead he will be set. But what a difference if the scientific scienti-fic approach principle is followed with an opening bid of one spade. The approach method has simply removed the no trump from its former dominant position in opening bids where it was, so to speak, "blocking the traffic." But at the same time the system has greatly enlarged the range of no trump take-outs, even extending them to include hands containing trump support for partner's major suit bids but better distribution for no trumps. The success of the approach principle prin-ciple is predicated on the fact that the partner of the original bidder, if the next player passes, is forced to keep the bidding open unless his hand is practically a "bust." Lacking a raise or a suit take-out for the original orig-inal declaration, the partner makes a negative no trump bid. The negative no trump is clearly understood to be a sort of courtesy response, not a strength showing bid. In the approach-forcing system, all opening suit bids of one are modified forcing bids. That is, as we have seen, after an original suit bid of one Is opened, if the next player passes, the partner is compelled to bid unless his hand is practically trickless. But the system also includes three absolute forcing bids which compel the partner to keep the contract open until a game is reached even though he holds a bust hand. The three absolute forcing bids are : First THE FORCING TWO-BID. Any opening two-bid in a suit. (Not in no trumps.) Second THE FORCING TAKEOUT. TAKE-OUT. Any jump bid in a new suit by either partner provided one of them previously opened the bidding. Third THE FORCING OVER-CALL. OVER-CALL. A bid of an opponent's suit. (. 1932. by Leila Hattersley.) (WNU Service) |