Show BETTER t G BRIDGE fJ X fl By c. c H. H GOREN Jj North and South vulnerable South dea deals NORTH NORTHA A Q J 10 7 6 5 2 K KJ J 42 2 WEST ST EAST 3 84 10 8 6 2 K Q J 5 8 6 5 1 9 7 3 2 eTe 4 eTe SOUTH SOUTHA A A tit 4 A Q 10 4 A 10 9 8 6 3 The bidding South Vest Nest North East 1 Pass 1 A Pass 3 Pass 3 A Pass 4 A Pass 5 Y Pass 6 A Pass 7 A Pass PasS Pass Opening lead King of hearts It is a bit of a paradox that occasionally the most effective manner of getting the truth across to your partner is by means of a falsehood South's opening bid of one club and Norths North's response of one spade are standard It is with South's that we are at the moment principally concerned If technical correctness is being sought what is the proper bid Actually to tomy tomy tomy my way of thinking there is no correct bid One of the first to suggest itself is the call of three spades but there are several ob objections objections ob- ob Ob-j Ob to it Firstly one should L avoid if possible making a jump raise in a suit which has not been holding less than four trumps That however is only a minor objection The real objection objection objection tion is that partner might with certain holdings refuse to carry on This would be his prerogative if he happened to have made a shaded takeout consisting of something something something some some- thing like five spades to the queen and a side king Even with that holding as South I would be unwilling unwilling unwilling un un- willing to play the hand for less than game A jump of three clubs is open to the same tion The only that guarantees guarantees guarantees guaran guaran- tees opener another chance is a a. jump in a new suit Which leads us to the white lie be South's bid of three diamonds forcing the partnership to a game contract When North heard the game force he prepared for big doings South had promised a game although although although al al- al- al though North might have no more than one trick The excess made a little slam a virtual certainty with plenty of time to investigate for forthe forthe forthe the big bonus North merely the spades and South raised to four This was as far as it was permissible for South to go inasmuch inasmuch inas inasmuch inas- inas much as he had previously announced announced announced an an- a a. hand of game going proportions Norths North's showing of the ace of hearts was routine whereupon South leaped to a small slam knowing that partner had a dable spade suit and tho the heart control This latter bid I am inclined in in- in inclined elined to view as rather overaggressive overaggressive overaggressive in view of South's previous previous pre pre- demonstration of vigor Of ot course his call left North in no doubt as to the proper procedure It now no became a a. certainty that South held two spade honors and that was all that North was really concerned about South's bidding incidentally marks him with a maximum of or one heart Copyright 19 1919 C. C H. H Goren |