Show Culbertson Analyzes Bridge Systems Upon Results of Tourney S Stresses Presses Futility of Opening Two Bid as Shown b by Y Typical Hand Editors Editor's note This Is the first of a series of or four foor articles by EI Ely Culbertson Colbertson on the tho results of his tournament with Sidney S. S to tote te test t the official and approach forcing systems of or contract bridge e 4 eD D By fly ELY Culbertson Who Has lias Dramatized Bridge for tor Millions Copyright ht 1932 NEW YORK Jan Jon 11 There II-There There is never 1 a J. J bridge g game mc without a postmortem postmortem postmortem post post- mortem and thus it seems fitting that thai the longest a and and n d dIn m In most o 0 s t important t bridge e tournament in history should i t d dhave I have one although r j not perhaps ps as c ex extensive l s' s y or as ns heated heat heat- heat 1 I cd ed as follows the V play of some hands at the bridge table One of the questions questions questions ques ques- that occur in f connection w with wit f t h hany hany any game of bridge t is the question of ot luck Luck as ns applied applied ap plied to bridge is of two kinds the kinds the 7 1 r possession of the the r-r- r aces and kings and C the other honors Culbertson and the element clement of vt luck in distribution tion that tion-that that is suit lengths My partners and I in the rubber ISO rubber match with Sidney and his partners held aces and kings Our opponents held DIFFERENCES SLIGHT Using the Culbertson honor trick table which is the most accurate yardstick there is for the measurement measurement measurement measure measure- ment of high card values we had 2 1 honor tricks while Mr Lenz and his partners held Thus the difference in the aces and kings was eight in our favor in honor tricks one and one The difference in inthe inthe inthe the score was 8 80 As to luck in distribution that seems at the moment to be the last refuge for the more scientific alibis now being offered Luck in distribution distribution tion is partly the matter of successful finesses partly in suit lengths or orthe orthe orthe the ruffing of suit making of no value aces and kings hint adversely held In Inthis Inthis Inthis this our opponents had by far the best of it Skill in bridge is of two kinds the skill of the player and the accuracy of the system he uses You can give a skillful driver a poor engine but buthe buthe buthe he would still be beaten by an equally equall skillful driver equipped with a better engine The skill of the players is not in question so it is very apparent that the difference of points with only eight more aces and kings is due to the superiority of the system FUTILITY SHOWN AU All versions of the official system of ot contract bridge have for their cornerstone cornerstone cor cor- the optional bid of two in ina a suit to show a hand that is stronger than one bid This match has demon demonstrated demonstrated the utter futility of this bid In no case was a game contract reached through its use that would not have been reached more scientifically cally and more safely had the opening bid of one been made In addition by the USe of this bid it is impossible to compute the penalties which we might have suffered had we not been warned of the strength of oC our opponents opponents' opponents opponents' opponents opponents' hands Take as os an example the first optional optional op op- two bid used in m the match It was the fourth hand in the first rub rub- ber Dealer was west and north and south vere were vulnerable The hand follows North Mr Lenz Spades Spades A 6 hearts A Q diamonds A Q 10 9 G 6 i 3 2 clubs 9 4 West Mr Culbertson Culbertson Spades Spades K 9 8 5 4 3 hearts 9 4 3 diamonds 5 4 clubs 10 8 East Mrs Spades Culbertson-Spades Spades 10 7 2 hearts J 10 8 7 6 5 diamonds J clubs A J 2 2 South Mr Jacoby Spades Jacoby-Spades Spades Q J hearts K 2 diamonds K 8 7 clubs K Q 7 6 5 3 The bidding was West pass north 2 diamonds cast east pass south 3 clubs west pass north 3 no trump east cast pass south 4 no trump west pass north pass east cast pass Contract Four no trump Result Dc Defeated two tricks for penalty of oC The result of this bidding was the playing of oC the band at no trumps when it should have been played in diamonds and the missing of a slam through the foreclosing of ot the exchange ex cx- change hange of information AFRAID TO REDID Mr Lenz on the second round of ot bidding was afraid to the diamonds diamonds diamonds dia dia- monds fearing that his partner might not respond When after his bid of three no trumps Mr Jacoby bid four fourno no trumps in an attempt to reach a aslam aslam aslam slam Mr Lenz could not go on because because be be- cause he knew nothing of the diamond support held b by his partner Consider now the scientific preci preci- lion jion of ot Inferences with natural bidding bid ding and how simply the mystery of Jt f distribution is unraveled As the bidding might have been West pass north 1 diamond cast pass south 2 clubs west vest pass north 3 diamonds cast pass south 5 diamonds dia dia- monds west pass north 6 G diamonds east cast pass south pass west pass While norths north's hand was very strong it could not go game ame unless south held sufficient cards to make a free re re- Through the added round of ol bidding given by opening the hand with a bid of one a slam can be easily reached Contrast this with the use we of the opening forcing bid of two in a suit the big bid of the forcing approach-forcing system The first bid of this kind was made in the twenty fourth rubber on the following hand band North Noth No th Mr Lenz Spades Lenz-Spades Spades J 7 6 G 2 hearts Q 8 diamonds 10 8 6 5 5 4 clubs 7 2 West Vest Mr Spades Culbertson-Spades Spades A 4 3 hearts A J diamonds A K Q C 9 9 7 clubs A Q 5 5 Dealer East Mrs Culbertson Culbertson- Spades 9 hearts 9 7 6 5 2 diamonds 3 clubs K K- KJ J 9 8 6 4 South Mr Jacoby Spades Jacoby Spades K Q O 10 8 5 hearts K 10 4 3 diamonds J 2 clubs 10 3 The bidding East pass south pass west 2 diamonds dia dla ponds monds north pass cast 3 clubs ou pass west 3 diamonds north t tI I pass cast east 3 no trump south pass west G 6 i clubs north pass cast east pass south pass By using the precise bidding of the forcing approach system both partners partners partners part part- ners were informed as to the strength held opposite And thus a slam was safely reached ached r In view of the no trump rump complex which marks the official official of- of system throughout it seems fair fairo to o predict that had this hand been held by the users of that system a aslam aslam aslam slam contract in no trumps would have been reached and could not have been een made While one ran eon select a aland hand land to prove most any point it is obvious that in m the first hand a two bid is for it utterly superfluous can cando cando do nothing that a natural one bid would do while in the second hand a game is possible even if partner holds a very ery weak hand I |