The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-29
RY WIN. 3. McKENNEY


BY VIM. e. MCKINNEY
In the Vanderbilt system, OPEN
ing bids Of one spade, one heart, one
diamond or two clubs require two
quick tricks plus, and experience has
proved that these requirements may
be shaded to two high card tricks.
For instance: spades 4 3; hearts, a
@ 10 5 4; diamonds, K o. 8; clubs,
2 might be bid as one heart not vul-
nerable.
Both Won Zedtwitz and vander-
bilt have found that such q bid IN
actual play does not bring trouble In
its wake. The negative inference
that the hand lacks the strength re-
Quired for q one club or one no
trump opening safeguards the part
nership, If partner passes, then 1t Is
quite true that opponents may con.
tract for game, but this will hap.
pen no more frequently than In the
use Of other systems, and to say
the least the interference bid has
cost nothing.
If you open with such q shaded
bid, and II your partner then
makes free bid which you pass,
your opponents are In the dark.
Even though they enter the bidding,
no harm can result. If, on the other
hand, your partners response IL
forcing, there will be q safe play
for game In spite of your weak hold
ing.
II you wish your bidding to be
model of soundness, you will not
shade your opening bids to the de-
gree indicated here. II, however,
you wish to play an aggressive
game, you will find many hands
with only one full trick on which
an opening bid may be made with
out getting your partnership into
trouble.
In bridge 1t is well to remeln-
Der that your bidding and play Is
against your opponents, and Is not
designed to keep your partner out
of trouble. An intelligent partner
using the Vanderbilt system will
be we'll able to take care of him.
self IN that respect. In making
shaded bids, however. always keep
In mind the strength of the OPP
posing players, and their reaction
to different bidding situations, and
be sure that you can rely on your
partner.
These shaded bids are not the
oretically part Of the system, but
any OF them may be made with
practical impunity, particularly
when not vulnerable.
II, however, you are vulnerable
and the opponents are not, keer
In mind the danger that strong
players, even knowing that they
have q game, will elect instead to
take their points above the line
IN the way Of penalties.
The opening bid Of two cluba
has the same significance as one
club with players using other sys-
TENS, with this important excep-
ton: that theoretically 1t shows a
suit Of at least five cards. There
might be instances In which the
two-club opening would be made
with only four cards, but the rule
applies In at least nine cases out
Of 10.
The opening bid Of one diamond
sometimes presents q slight irreg.
ularity, as 1t may be made on a
hand In which clubs, not dia-
monds, Is the predominant suit.
Such a bid would be made when
you did not wish to bid two clubs.
as for example: spades, A @ 10:
hearts, 2: diamonds, A 10 2:
clube, 9876.
With this holding a bid OF two
clubs would be unsound. II the
hand were opened with one dia-
mond, however, and partner re-
sponded with one heart, then the
opening bidder would probably
suppress the weak club suit at
least for one round, and bid one
no trump.
Again, with: spades, K766:
hearts, A 2; diamonds @ 8:
clubs, A 10 8 2, a bid of one spade
would be misleading, a bid of two
clubs is undesirable, and you thus
select the bid Of one diamond as
conveying the best picture of your
hand.
NEXT: The opening two bid.