Evening star., 1935-03-17
BY HOWARD p. BAILEY.


UMMIES no longer must be
dumb under the new bridge
rules announced last night by
the Whist Club as a result
Of an international agree
ment revising the present code.
Neither will fortunate distribution or
two resulting IN grand slams, nor an
unfortunate bid that may be set four or
five tricks throw out of balance an
otherwise fought battle.
The rules become effective tomor-
row.
Heretofore the dummy has been
limited to the regulation question,
NO spades, partner, when the part
ner fails to follow spade lead and
the inalienable and reprehenSible
practice of telling a partner who goes
down Just how he might have made
the contract.
Slam Bonuses Sliced.
The new rules. announced by Har-
old S. Vanderbilt, cut the slam bonus
vulnerable from 2,25o points PACK TO
the old bonus of 1900 vulnerable and
from l.5O0 to 1000 invulnerable.
The iaded brain, near exhaustion
from fighting out the play of 13 cards,
will find scoring somewhat easier.
The old 3C-40-30- 40-etc. score for
1 no trump has been simplified. The
first trick scores as 40 and each sub
seouent trick 80. This incidentally
permits game through three successive
one no trump contracts, not possible
heretofore.
Undertricks not vulnerable but
doubled are penalized at the rate OF
100 for the first trick and $50 for each
successive trick, replacing the former
graduated system of rising penalties.
In the case of vulnerable undertricks
undoubled, the cost is 100 a trick;
that is. three tricks would entail a
penalty of 300 rather than 45O under
the progressive method. Doubled, the
undertricks would cost 200 for the
first and 30C for each successive un-
dertrick.
Single Hands in Control.
The object of these changes Is
obvious, the trainers OF the new cooe
believing that more vulnerable bidding
will occur with the lighter penaltles
and that a close-fought evening at
bridge will not be thrown out OF oal-
ance by the outcome of single deal.
The rights of the dummy are ex-
pressly stated and strictly limited,
but nevertheless they constitute rights
which only the dummy can take from
himself. A glance. that is an lnten-
tional glance, into an opponents hano
seals his lips during the subsequent
play. but should he keep his eyes
where they belong, he may reply to
players proper question, discuss
questions of fact or law, II invited
to do so, question the declarer re-
parding his possible revoke and call
attention to a defenders irregularlty
and ask the declarer whether he
knows his rights. In other words,
the dummy is permitted to be in the
game
However, if by touching card or
in any other way he should suggest
its play, the defender OH the left may
specify whether or not that particular
card shall be played at that time.
If he tells his partner from which
hand to lead without being asked, the
defender to the left may specify from
which hand the lead shall come. So
it may be as we'll for the dummy to
maintain his dumbness and depart
therefrom only with the greatest OF
caution.
Protest Timing Fixed.
The periods of play are divided into
five, known as the preliminaries to
the rubber, the shuttle and deal. the
auction, the play and the score. Any
cause for protest which may arise