Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16

| II Az AAk1aSAANN1 1lLSUOl VI kIlC
business or penalty double, we
must first 60 back to the old game
= OF bridge whist. In bridge whist
| the dealer would either name trump
or bridge it" to his partner, who
would then be compelled to name q
trump. Since this gave the dealer
and his partner great advantage, it
was compensated for in slight
measure by the fact that the opponents
had the privilege of doubling, where
upon the dealer or his partner might
redouble.
As matter of fact, in the first days
OF bridge whist there was no limit
on the number of doubles and re-
doubles. But shortly afterWard, fol-
lowing very famous hand in which
a game Of normal stakes was suddenly
transformed into most enormous
game due to a series of doubles and
redoubles, eventually multiplying the
original stake by several thousand,
limit of one redouble was placed
on the game.
The redouble naturally remained
in auction bridge, in which game 1t
was absolutely essential to prevent
Overlooking by defending player,
and was naturally carried along to
contract with the same idea in mind
However, there was a great difference
between contract and auction. At
auction the defending side was likely
to be doubled. In contract, however,
since games or slams must be bid in
order that the side bidding them be
properly rewarded, it frequently hap
pens that the attacking side will
reach too ambitious a contract and
find itself doubled
However, after years of experience,
we discovered that in the case of
practically all freely7bid slam con-
tracts, it was sufficient to set the con-
tract undoubled, since invariably the
side that did go down was losing
game anyway. 1t was also found that
in many instances the partner of the
player on lead would say to himself,
If only my partner makes the cor
rect lead, we will defeat this slam
contract. While, if he makes any
other lead, the hand will be a lay
down."
WITH this in mind, We invented
the Four Aces lead-directing
double of slam contracts, the basis
being that the double of a freely-bid
slam contract by the partner of the
leader is primarily to ask partner to
make a certain opening which he
normally would not make, in the
certainty or hope that the lead de-
manced will result in the defeat Of
the contract. Accordingly, the lead
demanded is as follows:
Cd in the event that dummy has
bid any suit other than the final de-
nomination, the first suit so bid by
dummy.
90 In the event that dummy has
bid no side suit but declarer has, the
first side suit so bid by declarer.
go In the event that neither dunn
my nor declarer has bid any suit ex-
cept the final denomination, whereas
your side has made a defense bid in
some suit, the double tells partner
not to lead the suit you have bid.
As this last variation sounds rather
complicated we will illustrate it. You
are fourth hand and the bidding has
gone: One club. pass, three clubs,
three spades, six clubs, pass, pass,
double. Your hand is:
j 10 9xxxx
AK
AK
4
You do not want spade lead even
though you bid the suit at the level Of
three. BY doubling you are demanding
a Lead of either heart or a diamond.
OF course, declarer may be void in one
OF the suits and still make his con-
tract, but you reason that the chance
is much greater that he will hold
singleton in one of those suits, which
he may be able to discard if spade
is opened.
A MOTHER example of the lead-di-
recting double Is taken from a re-
cent rubber game. The bidding with