New-York tribune., 1901-03-10


To the ardent followers of bridge whist who
have increased SO amazingly within the last few
years this book viii prove welcome. The game
being Of recent devising. its laws have not been
thoroughly digested: they have been taken over
from the ancient game OF whist. with such
notifications have been made necessary by
the difference in the play. but not always with
discrimination Neither have the principles
leading To successful utilization of fortunes
favors in the deal been thoroughly worked out
they have been by uncountod generations of
whist players and theorists. Mr. Melrose has
attempted. far he could. TO supply these
deficiencies in this book. which he calls AN
oVeThauling Of the pres mt code That the laws
OF bridge whist at present in leave much
room for amendment he believes TO be the gem
eral opinion among players Of the game, for re
menbering that the time they were drafted
there practically past experience what
ever to draw upon, il would be expecting the
humanity impossible to expect any body
OF men to anticipate all possible questions and
difficulties that bound to arise"
He has noted various questions and disputes
they have arisen In actual play, and has done
his best to gauge the general opinion of players
disputed points he has taken cognizance.
too, Of the questions frequently arising for
which no provision is made in the hitherto ac-
cepted laws; of laws carrying no penalties for
their infraction and Of others operating unjustly
because borrowed from those Of whist without
8 proper allowance for the difference in the two
games. In this light the author has endeavOred |
TO formulate code for bridge whist that
shall better regulate its procedure. The whist
code is the basis for his work. though he has
not followed il slavishly, and it has been his in
tention to leave nothing to b. inferred guessed
A as he
on a question likely arise from time to time /
is better than no provision all. The value |
OF Mr. Melrose's work will have to be judged |
by its results in practice; that such an at |
tempt he has made is valuable contribution |
TO the literature OF the game few viii be found
10 deny.
The penalty for the revoke is amusing in
stance Of the ineptitude of certain unchanged
whist laws for use in bridge whist:
As the scoring Of points at bridge whis; is not
limited as at whist, the result is that players
can score sometimes far more tricks than the
pack contains ! have seen player declare mo
trumT5s." take eleven tricks and then add the
value Of six tricks TO his score for two reVOkes
-four more than the possible tricks in the pack.
Now, whatever loss he may have sustained by
the revokes. he certainly was not prevented
from making imaginary tricks that have no ex-
istence IL fact The thing is simply a huge alb
surdity.
Mr.. Melroses remedy is to incorporate pro-
vision in the rule that the penalty, or penal
ties in whatever form eXacted, cannot exceed
the possible number Of tricks in the pack
The matter Of the declaration is one that holds
an important place in the practice Of bridge
whist play. The great advantage given 10y the
deal, theoretically fault is believed 10y Mr..
helrose to be rather OF the great charms
of the game, since the law Of averages VIII in
e1itaBy annul undue prelominarce III one play
e-'s favor. This advantage being great, it
becomes of the utmost Importance to utilize it
in properly approaching the declaring value Of
d hand, both on its own merits and in relation
10 the state Of the score. Here, too, is mat
ter in which bridge whist accumulate a
past and an experience before the theorists may
be allowed to have their say:
There is as yet no body Il recorded experience
which to base any hing like an exhaustive
analysis Of thu declaring value Of various com
b5nati0ne. Apart from the question of
CurT.stly approaching what is demanded 10y the
state Of the score he Ghe b. gInucID viii find that
il requires Il certain amount Of mental discipline
before one gets accustomed t. l.ok to thc score
lahitUally. The practiSed whist player should
also remember that play ing To the scpr- Is 10y
means lh- thing declaring to the
score, and that OF the the latter is decidedly
tAe more important.
one result Of the present state Of bridge whist
aIpears to be the fact that one must be pre-
I-red To be faultcd 10y one's partner occasion
ally, however much the declaration may have