The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-23
BRIDGE CODE
IS AGREED ON
BY EXPERTS
Best Known World Players
to Issue Universal
Contract System.
CULBERTSONS SNUBBED
City Followers of Noted
Teachers May Have to
'UnIearn' Play.

From now on, Mr. and Mrs. Ely
Culbertson, two fthe best and
most publicized contract bridge
players in the world, will appear in
a dramatic and heart wringing skit
entitled, orphans of the Storm,
or 1.-TWO Against the World"
AT least, that appears to be the
purpose of the bridge arInistice
signed today by such leading con-
tract opponents as Sidney S. Lentz,
Milton c. Work, Wilbur c. White
head, Shepard Barclay and others
who have allied themselves to adopt
a universal system of contract
bridge bidding
The Culbertsons, well-known in
indianapolis through personal ap-
pearances here and the teaching of
their individual system of contract
by Mrs. A. R. Coffin and Mrs. Grace
G. Buschman, indianapolis have
been given the cold shoulder by the
Old Guard of LEM, Whitehead and
Work. And thus, indianapolis
bridge players may have to "un-
learn" themselves of much hard won
knowledge.
First Pact of Kind
Adoption of the new code marks
the first definite agreement on con-
tract between a group Of recognized
experts who have as their avowed
purpose making it possible when
contract players meet anywhere for
them to play pleasantly, harmoni-
ouSly and successfully"
The boys may be suspected of
little undue optimism here, as con-
tract players have been known to
be put off their game by the color
of an opponents tie.
Spokesman for the bridge trust"
further announce that in the flu
ture, players will not have to
preface their play with a long series
of questions and answers about each
others bidding method, in order to
prevent costly misunderstanding"
This is something else and may
fill the well-known "long-felt want"
Two Club Bid Confusing
Although no mention of it is made
in the trusts" announcement, it
may be regarded probable that The
misleading two-club bid may be
junked.
The two-club bid is bit of deli
cate Subterfuge invented by Com
modore Harold Vanderbilt of Upton
cup yachting fame, and was de-
signed to convey to the partner the
information that the bidder had no
clubs, but had lot Of other val
liable tickets"
It usually succeeded in fooling
everyone at the table, the hosts
Aunt Mehitabel and the people next
door who are playing backgammon.
The CulbertSonS, international
match players of repute, have been
regarded as the renegades of bridge
because of their radical departure
from conservative bridge teaching,
this Notwithstanding their success.
Chief feature of their system is
the two-demand bid which is cal
culated to force a suit bid from the
partner. If the partner is unable
because of general weakness to
overbid in a suit, he is obligated
under the Culbertson system to bid
two no-trumps in order to keep the
auction open, thus allowing the
original bidder to rebid.
Because of general adoption Of
the Culbertson system, the new code
to be issued within the next two
weeks by the bridge trust" may
have difficult Shedding for a while.
The new combine will be known
as Bridge Headquarters, Inc" and
besides Work, Whitehead, LEM and
Barclay, includes such players and
teachers as Commander Winfield
Liggett Jr., George Reith and E. v.
Shepard of New York, R. R. Rich
ards of Detroit, Charles T. Adams
of Chicago, Walter Wyman of Bos-
ton and Edward c. Wolfe and Hen
ny P. Jaeger of Cleveland.
The new system will describe four
distinctly different types of con-
t,-a IF Ioy-irjya bonds