Evening star., 1946-08-08

| Goren on Bridge
North and South vulnerable. West
deals.
ASA
! H87
oKQ62
| &9762
AA32 AKJ107
7K62 VIZ V1053
/ Q AJ10 oe83
&A5s3 @QJ8
AQ8s
VAQJe4
o754
/ %Kl0
The bidding:
West North East South
| l Mt Pass Pass 20
Pass Pass Double Pass
Pass Pass
| Opening lead, two of hearts.
| A player who seems not to be able
to make up his mind about a hand
is a menace to his partner I do not
here refer to the type that takes q
long time to make decision. There's
nothing wrong with that unless the
other players at the table are unduly
restless. I mean the player who
makes bid manifesting a certain
attitude toward his hand and then
on the next round for no special rea-
son assumes different attitude.
Such player is a dangerous part
ner, because he may have made a
response indicating that he has a
weak hand, and on the basis of
which you stretch point to 60 to
game, fully confident that since he
has announced lack of interest in
the proceedings he win not get YOU
into trouble. A moment later he bids
a slam.
| Another case. You open with one
spade on minimum. hand. Partner
responds with two no trump. This
announces that he has the equal of
an opening bid and is therefore in
tereSted IN game. Nothing is said
about anything more than game.
You dutifully go three no trump
with some doubts, when suddenly
your partner invites a slam by bid
ding four no trump. You pass but
1t is too late and you are down one.
Partner, If you were interested in a
slam, why didn't you say so in the
first place?" you justifiably COM
plain. You could have indicated
you had more than two no trump
response by Immediately responding
with three no trump. Your bidding
was the same as responding to the
opening spade bid with four no
trump"
Another scene frequently enacted:
Your partner opens with one spade.
You are persuaded there is game in
the hand, though partner may have
minimum; and your hand contains
lew high cards. You jump to three
spades, forcing to game. Partner in
vltes you to bid slam by going to
hVe. You now make a sporting bid
OF SIX spades, whereupon he goes
TO seven and is set one. You see how
helpless you are. If you pass five
you miss a slam. If you bid six you
ind yourself in seven. All because
partner could not make up his mind.
II you know you can make six bid it
and don't ask partner to do so. If
you ask your partner to bid little
slam, he is accepting that invitation
and not an invitation to 60 to seven.
In todays hand East would appear
to be such player. First he passes
his partner in one no trump and
then he doubles the opponents in
two hearts. 1t seems inconsistent
but actually it isn't. 1t was his
opinion that his side did not have
enough cards to score nine tricks at
no trumps yet he felt that it would
be easy to take six or seven tricks
against the enemy His reasoning
was that the no trump bidder could
be counted on to take four defensive
tricks and that his black suit hold
ing was good enough to develop two
to three tricks in the play.
I He was right. The defense took
seven tricks and scored 500 points
whereas it is extremely doubtful
that they coul have gotten away
with nine tricks as no trump. With
the best defense b game contract
could not be fulfilled.
! (Copyrisht, 1a46, by Charles n Gor.n,