BRIDGE NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21418, 9 March 1935, Page 11

BRIDGE NOTES

"UNDERBIDS" (SPECIALLY WSITTEN TOR THE TRKSS.) [By WILLIAM SHACKLE-] One of the greatest difficulties experienced, when one is changing ovei from the illegal majority bidding to the correct value bidding, is to avoid making underbids. Especially is this so against another suit bid, for erally speaking one seems to bo able to realise quite easily that care is needed against a no-trump bid, it one would avoid this pitfall. Incidentally many players, w'ho otherwise know the laws of bridge, are most vague regarding the penalties for an underbid and the correct I 3 1 " 0" ccdure necessary to enforce which cyct penalty is deemed to be to one s side s advantage. In my mail-bag this week Ihore is a query from "Beginner which may be found interesting u others as well as l.he players actually concerned. The game is auction bridge. A bids Com' hearts and then i' makes an underbid of live clubs. Question 1: B claims to stop the bidding at six clubs. Can lie do so: Answer: B is not entil led to make any suggestion regarding what penalty lie desires to enforce. He may indeed call his partner's attention 1o the underbid, by saying "Insullicient bid," but that is his only privilege. Even had A, without any word from B, decided to make Y increase his bid to six clubs, the bidding could not have been stopped. It would just continue as it no error had occurred. Question 2: Y claims that as B had no right to name a penalty the bidding should continue from his bid of live clubs. Is Y justitied? Anwscr: Y is correct. Thus if B and Z say "No bid," A again bids four hearts, and Y can increase his bid or say "No bid" as he pleases on Ihe next

round. Question 15: Is the player on the offender's right the only one entitled lo name the penalty'.' Answer: Yes. He has a choice of two alternatives: <a> Make- the defaulter increase his bid lo a sullicicnf number of tricks mo change can be made in the suit), in which case Ihe bidding continues; or <b> say "We will play it at four hearts" 'his last bid), in which case there can be no more bidding, and the game commences as if all had said "No bid" after he had made his bid of four hearts. It is most helpful to keep these points in mind, for it saves a deal of unpleasantness at times when one can definitely give a correct ruling in such cases. Another query this week was ;>s follows:—A playing a suit bid held K x of clubs (not trumps) in dummy and two small clubs only in his own hand. If Y led a small club should A put up his king from dummy? The answer is yes, the reason being that B must hold at least cither Q, J, 10 °f clubs, for if A held them he would have led queen. Therefore if B has the ace also he will certainly hold it till king is played and take the trick with his other honour. Thus A's only hope is to put the king on tirst round. — | -■■ ■ i