The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15
THREE SPADE BIDS
AT ROYAL AUCTION
Some Losses Ascribed to Them
Really Due to Errors
Of Players.
TEST OF THE DECLARATION
Illustrative Hands Show Wrong
Uses Of the Con.
vention.
TEST OF THE DECLARATION

Considerable attention has lately been
directed to the so-called high spade bids
at royal auction and their standing
among the better class Of players. The
popular verdict seems to agree with the
opinions expressed by the presidents and
leading players Of several local clubs,
which were given In a series OF inter.
views printed In THE Sun on May II
last. Their Judgment was TO the effect
that any bid which named one suit when
IL meant another was Ia the nature Of q
private convention and should not ne al
lowed In any self-respecting club.
The question now seems to be lust
where to draw the line. Every one admits
that n bid Of one spade Is perfectly iegiti-
mate, although u has nothing to do with
the spade suit and simply means. ~
pass" Players are also agreed that there
must be some way Of showing that the
only strength In the dealers hand 10 In
the shade suit
bid OF one club or one diamond sh rvs
at least two sure tricks in the suit called.
and II shows nothing else. But a bid ~
one spade does not show two sure tricks
In the spade suit therefore the only way
to Indicate such holding is to bid tive
spades. In order to Justify the extra
trick that Is bid the player must hold II
In some suit other than spades. In other
words, the call Of two spades means Just
what II says-two sure tricks In the spade
suit and trick outside.
II Is when we come TO the three spade
bid that the paths divide and opinions
differ. For a long time any bid Of two
tricks In any suit other than spades meant
long suit without the tops. and a will
ingness to play that suit as the trump.
The theory OF all such bids was that
II the partner could not support the
hearts as trump they would at least ro-
tect the suit II he wanted to 20 no
couple Of sure tricks at the least In some
other suit cr suits.
But two spades cannot mean the o. me
as two hearts because the two spade
bid has already been set apart to mean
something else. There was, therefore.
nothing left for the player who held fve
or six spades to the queen Jack and q
couple OF tricks outside but to bid three
spades and force his partner either to
Call royal or no trumps II he had
not better game In hearts.
The object Of the three spade bid 10
to ask the partner to declare 4 royal
only II he has the top spades, warning
him at the same time that II the oppo-
nents should get 10 bidding on anything
the dealer is not to be trusted for any
sure tricks in the spade suit itself.
Now the argument against the three
spade bid is that the chances are against
the partner having the top honors In
spades because he has only one chance
in three 10 hold any named card. and
that the Information Of weakness In trick
winning spades is decided advantage
To the opponents in case the partner can
not go TO royals when the dealer starts
with three spade bid.
1t is curious that this was never OBJ
served In all the years they called two
hearts on precisely the same holding.
although the two heart call forced tho
partner 10 higher contract than three
spades ever did. The truth OF the matter
is simply that the danger il Imaginary.
A number OF example hands have been
trotted out In support OF this argument.
showing the difficulties that the third
hand is placed in by his partners three
spade calls. which he IL obliged to take
out with something or other. A careful
examination OF these hands discloses the
curious fast that the trouble 10 not with
tho third hand at all II he knows the
convention, but it Is With the original
declaration, the three spades having been
called upon cards that do not come within
= mile OF justifying such a declaration.
In every Illustrative hand so far brought
to the writers notice as a witness against
the three spade bid the true fault lies
either Ia the declaration itself or in the
PARTNERS response to II. one or both
players showing complete ignorance Of
the convention. Here Ii typical case
given by a leading writer on the game;