| Show CULBERTSON on CONTRACT by Ely Cut bethon Wo d' d Champion Player and Greatest test Card Analyst 29 RESPONSES TO A TAKEOUT DOUBLE Examples LESSON NO 21 This is the twenty first of a series of ol articles In response to requests from numerous readers designed to explain the elementary elemen clemen tary principles of contract bridge One of these will wm appear each week In them Mr Culbertson will write especially for the benefit bene benc- fit of those who have never played contract and who may even be unfamiliar with the methods meth of ot playing it The articles will cover the game from its basic elements to the higher phases of or contract bridge The series in its entirety will vill comprise a complete course of instruction in How to toPIa PIa Play Contract When you have not yet iet had an opportunity opportunity opportunity op op- op- op to bid or have passed and your partner doubles the opponents opponents' bid id of or not more than one no trump or orvo two vo in a suit uit he is doubling for tor a takeout I If the next player passes you are forced to bid bid to to t take out your our partners partner's double which h has ls shown hown you at least three honor tricks and probably strength in the major suits You may respond with a single takeout if it you have one and a half hall honor tricks or less even with no honor tricks or with a jump takeout strength response with about two honor tricks and a major suit uit with even one half honor trick or a stronger minor suit or with a double jump takeout when holding more than two honor tricks and a biddable biddable bid bid- dable suit with four tour trump tricks in it Holding Spades Spades 9 D 8 7 6 Hearts 7 Hearts 7 6 65 5 Diamonds I 4 3 2 Clubs Clubs 9 9 7 5 a a complete bust if there ever was one the one the proper response to partners partner's takeout double of or one spade is two clubs clubs-a lubs a simple takeout in the lowest card three minor suit stilL A pass would be disastrous for it would perm permit t the opponents to play the hand at one spade doubled If holding the above hand when partner has doubled a bid of one heart hear the proper response is one spade since the doubler can take this out casU easily or he can perhaps raise it as a takeout double is seldom made without strength in the major suits If partner has doubled one no trump the response is as before two clubs Holding Spades Q Spades Q 8 7 6 Hearts Hearts K K 6 5 I Diamonds 4 4 3 2 I Clubs Clubs 9 9 7 5 opposite partners partner's double of ot one spade the response is one no trump trump- having no four card suit other than opponents' opponents suit but with a stopper in it and arid one honor trick in the hand Change Chanse the hearts to 7 6 5 however and the proper response is two clubs for the hand then contains less than thais one honor trick With the second hand given iven above if f opposite a double of one heart respond respond re re- spond with one spade even though molding holding a stopper in irs n opponents' opponents suit heart king Opposite the same double double dou dou- ble bic of or one he heart with Spades Spades Spades-Q Q 8 7 6 Hearts Hearts ti 3 5 Di Diamonds K Diamonds K 10 9 8 7 Clubs Clubs 3 3 2 you should still bid one spade s since nce a four-card four major is to be preferred even to a five card minor of greater strength strength-if th-if th if the major suit is headed by a knave c or better But with Spades Spades Spades-Q Q 8 7 6 Hearts Hearts Hearts-C 6 5 Diamonds Diamonds K K J 10 9 8 7 Clubs Clubs 2 2 opposite a double of 0 one heart bid two diamonds The six-card six minor suit is to be preferred to a four card major of or only fair fajr strength If It your our partner makes a takeout double of or one spade and you OU hold Sp Spades Spades 9 ldes 9 9 6 Hearts J Hearts J 10 8 7 Diamonds 6 6 5 4 Clubs Clubs Clubs-A A Q 10 6 bid id two hearts The four card major majoris is to be preferred even thou though h the four card minor is the stronger suit Opposite a takeout double of two diamonds if you hold Spades Spades Spades-J J 10 9 8 Hearts Hearts K K J 10 9 Diamonds 7 7 6 5 Clubs Clubs 8 8 6 bid two spades The spade suit is preferred when holding two four card majors even i if the heart is the stronger strong strong- er suit You must always alwa's remember that your partners partner's takeout double is based not only on distributed honor strength but very probably on strength in the major suits and especially espe espe- in spades Strength responses to a takeout double double dou dou- Ible ble show two or more honor tricks in 10 inthe inthe the hand though they do not indicate any great strength inthe in inthe the bid suit unless the takeout is jumped twice twice that that is unless the takeout is given a double jump of oC two wo more than necessary to overcall the doubled bid As a matter of or fact tact a jump bid may be bc made on a suit SUlt that thatis is not biddable it it is JS the only instance in contract when a suit ma may be in in effect bid twice if it is below the biddable biddable bid bid- dable minimum Holding I Spades Spades Spades-Q Q J r 6 5 Hearts Hearts 3 3 Diamonds Diamonds-A A 5 4 3 Clubs Clubs K K 4 3 2 you have two honor tricks an and a rather weak major t suit uit one and a half honor tricks at the top Opposite Opposite site a tal takeout cout double of one heart you should respond with two spades a spades a jump takeout showing strength Your partner having about three honor tricks you have lire five honor tricks or orso orso orso so in the combined hands But holding Spades Spades Spades-K K Q J 6 5 Hearts Hearts 3 3 Diamonds Diamonds-A A 5 3 Clubs Clubs K K 10 3 2 with three honor tricks the proper response to a takeout double of or one heart is three spa spades spades spades-a es-a es a double jump tak takeout out showing greater greatel- strength sti than two honor tricks and four tour tricks in the bid suit Opposite the strength shown by partners partner's takeout double this is a hand of great power Even opposite a takeout double of oC two hearts it has splendid possibilities especially with the singleton heart so that the response should then probably probably probe abl ably be four lour spades As a matter of oC fact the direct game bid of or four spades is made even when responding respond respond- ing to a double of one heart with such sucha a hand as the following Spades K Spades K Q J 5 4 Hearts 3 Hearts 3 Diamonds Diamonds-A A Q 2 Clubs Clubs K K 5 4 3 the response to a takeout double of or orone one heart should be four spades for lot forthe I Ithe the hand contains four honor tricks and d a spade suit promising four trump ump I tricks If It an opponent takes ou out your part partners partner's ners ner's double you need not respond at atall atall atall I all if you have a weak cak hand But with enough strength to have madea made a jump takeout of or the double you OU should now make a free response response I accordingly to show your strength Occasionally a takeout double may maybe maybe maybe be passed b by partner partner-a a penalty pass it if if the takeout double is of a no trump bid and partner holds more than two honor tricks apply the rule of ot eight or if It the takeout double Isor is of or a suit bid and partner holds at the very least four sure trump tricks A penalty pass of a suit bid doubled for tor fora tora a takeout is very cry rarely justified TODA TODAY'S YS Y'S POINTER In the approach forcing approach forcing system a agra gra ed series of or responses are provided pro I vided when your partner makes a atal tal takeout double By familiarizing I yourself with them you ou will be able I Ito to show him quite accurately the I trick taking possibilities of your hand at the selected declaration ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS The Choice of or a a. Bid Did I Question Your Question Your opinion will viiI be a a- predated on the bidding o of the f I tollow ing tag hand A Q S C 5 V A K J I J 0 A K 8 1 4 5 l T C 42 N 97 10 5 W E 0 Q J 10 o G S 5 AK 1 62 2 4 K KJ J c o 0 7 6 8 J Neither side vulnerable no partial scores North the dealer bid one spade East bid two clubs dubs South passed North bid two hearts East passed South reading his partners partner's hand as a five card spade suit and a card our heart suit bid three spades and all aU passed Should North not have bid cither either a no trump or a heart in preference to toI to I the spade and in either cither case what should the bidding have been after that I Answer The Answer The correct corred bidding of the hand above e would ouid be I North Bast EMt sst South West 1 1 1 2 24 Pass Pass j 3 7 72 Pa Pass 4 3 6 Pa PaM I pass Paa P Pass ass 1 With WIlh three biddable suits North shows the higher rank ranking in first as all arc of or equal length lenth The bid of one spade is correct 2 2 Despite the fact that partner 1 has passed North feels that there is isa a strong likelihood of or game in the hand He therefore makes a forcing by showing his second suit a 3 3 South makes the choice between the two suits bid by his partner supporting supporting sup supporting porting hearts in preference to spades because of the greater len length th Copyright ht 1932 Ely Culbertson |
