CONTRACT BRIDGE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1920, Page 4

CONTRACT BRIDGE

Have YOU played IT YET?

(By A. E. Manning Foster, Author of “American Bridge Table Talk.”)

Will the" new Contract Bridge displace the present form of “Auction,” just as Auction superseded “Royal Spades,” whioli ousted the original form of Auction—the first departure from the fine game of ordinary Bridge? It is quite likely.

Americans, who perhaps do not regard tradition so highly as we, have been tinkering with the game.of Bridge ever since it was invented. Contract Bridge is the latest invention, and it remains to be seen whether it will “catch on” here and dethrone “Auction.” It has been played for some time in France, although I am told that some Parisian clubs where it was tried are discarding it and going back to “Auction.”

The idea of Contract Bridge is that you only score towards game the number of tricks you contract to obtain. Thus if you go one “No Trumps” and make three No Trumps you only score 10 below towards game.. However many tricks you win above your contract does not affect the score below the line. You only score below what you declare to make.

As originally played, if overtricks were made, you scored the trick values of the overtricks above the line like honours. If you declared two hearts and made four you scored 16 below the line and 16 above the line, and - so on.

But another system of- scoring, whether of American origin or not I do not know, has been introduced here, and the game is being played by a few people in one or two London clubs on the following lines: —

1. Nothing to be scored below the line for tricks gained in excess of the contract. 2. 50 above the line is scored for every contract gained and 50 above the line for each trick over the contract.

3. If the contract is not gained, 100 is lost for the first trick down and 50 for, every other trick. 4. To overcall a previous declaration, a greater number of tricks must be called, with the exception that an equal number may be called in a suit of greater value. 'A greater number of tricks will always overcall a previous declaration. (Thus 4 diamonds or 4 clubs overcalf 3 no trumps; but 3 hearts overcalls 3 diamonds and 3 spades overcalls 3 hearts.) 5. There is no score for chicane and none for honours except 4 in one hand or over (i.e., 5 in one hand, or 4 in one hand and 1 in a partner’s.) 6. For each game 100 points are scored, and for the rubber 300 points are scored.

7. Grand slam counts 200 and little slam 100. 8. Doubling and redoubling have the same effect as in auction.

Now on the face of it this method of scoring is open to many objections. It puts a very high premium on good cards, and the lucky holders of them make a score out of all proportion to their skill. It is quite bad enough now when your opponents make a grand slam in no trumps and hold 100 aces. But consider the position in contract bridge where the partners contract to make 3 no trumps and actually obtain grand slam and hold 100 aces. They score 30 below the line, and above they take 100 for game, 200 for grand slam, 50 for contract, 100 for four- aces, and 200 for overtricks —680 points in a single hand without a double!

Grand slams, no doubt, are rare, and they are the fortune of war. Cards equalise themselves in the long run, and why, it may be argued, should not i~»o holders of,big hands get their chance of a big score? Granted, if it is desired to make auction bridge more of a gamble than it is at present. Why not go further and let the holder of the ace of hearts score 100 points or so each time it is in the hand? You can get to a reductio ad absurdum in these matters.

Contract bridge does, no doubt, encourage clever calling, and it has several points in its favour. In an. average rubber, where! the cards are. fairly evenly divided, it gives great opportunities for skill. It is worth a trial. But play it for points at least one-third lower than you are accustomed to play “auction.” Even then I think you will find it will work out higher. And if it is to supersede “auction,” I. hope that the scoring will be arranged on a more equitable basis.