Judge — December 1933 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

DEAL A Monthly Folio of Contract Vol. 105 HAVE recently received several let- ters inquiring whether or not the statements of a small publication called The Bridge World (house organ of Ely Culbertson, whom you will perhaps re- member in connection with the Lenz- Culbertson match) could be taken as au- thoritative with respect to the Sims Sy: tem. With great reluctance I must say that statements made in The Bridge World in reference to my system have been untrue. This is unfortunate, for I am sure intention was to do me a favor and to spread the doctrine which I preach. Rather than take an unfriendly attitude towards The Bridge World, Mr. Culbertson, or even G. M. C., I extend an invitation to Mr, Culbertson to attend my next Teachers’ Conference. Perhaps when it is over he might have even greater interest in, and certainly more actual knowledge of, my system than he has manifested up to date. UPLICATE Contract seems almost to have equalled the popularity that Duplicate Whist enjoyed fifty years ago. In writing about Contract now, one must take into consideration match- point scoring. Next month DEAL will start a series of articles discussing dif- ferent phases of rubber and duplicate pls THINK the players of America should become better acquainted with the work done by the American Bridge League in encouraging and sanctioning tournaments, other than its own national championship tournaments, in many parts of the country. I hope that those of my readers who feel that the bridge players in their several States would like to organize authentic te cham- pionships, assuming that no such tourna- ments exist at present, will get together and take the necessary steps. When representatives of a number of centers of interest in bridge can arrange to put the necessary trophies into play, and can Edited by Philip Hal Sims Bridge JUDGE—DECEMBER, 1933 2661 agree on a date and locality, the Amer- ican Bridge League is eager to help them and sanction their tournament, if its very few and simple conditions are complied with. These conditions insure that championship events will be cor- rectly managed and scored, so that the winners of such events may be recog- nized as authentic State champions. The American Bridge League makes no charge whatever for its cooperation and does not take one penny from the re- ceipts of such tournaments. Only if the Committee desires to engage the services of one of the League's official scorers is there to be any charge, and that only for the personal services of such expert, as an individual engaged for a specific task. District and regional champion- ships, subsidiary to State championships, are authorized under exactly the same conditions, P. H. S. ypothetical Technicalities By Dorothy Rice Sims T° THOSE people who sigh and ay, “How wonderful it must be for you to be able to play with all the experts!” I answer, “There are many thorns among the roses.” Here is an example: The other day I was fortunate enough to cut Baron von Zedtwitz for a partner. His pal, Eddie Hymes, immediately pulled up a chair behind him, eager to assume the réle of sympathizer should the Baron's emo- tions be too heavy for one man to bear. The very first hand I managed to set the contract two tricks. The Baron looked at Eddie. Eddie groaned appro- priately, and mournfully shook his head. “What's wrong?” I asked erything!"" wailed the chorus. You should have led the heart.” “But if I had, the result would have been exactly the same.” “Technique,” ‘wearily, from Eddie. “The Baron could then have held the last two tricks. When you play with a 18 fine player, you should never take the play away from him!” On the following hand I again set the contract two tricks. I pecting approval. Two big tears were bubbling out of Eddie’s eyes. The was becoming listless under the str: “What's the kick now? courage to ask. Mr. Hymes, ignoring me, addressed the Baron: t's probably useless to explain to her that a club was her proper pl “But if Thad led a club, I would only have set the contract one trick!” [ in- terrupted. “What's the use?” the chief mourner inquired of my frustrated partner. “She'd never understand that the way she played it, had the king of diamonds been in the other hand, she would have set the contract only one instead of two; also, her whole defense was wooden.” But now comes the climax. The con- tract was three no trumps. The Baron led an insignificant heart. In the dummy were the ten and one other. My holding was K J.987. I played the king. The king stood up, but the Baron collapsed. At the completion of play asked What's it all about? The Baron was taking the count, but Mr. H. explained, “You should have played the nine! How otherwise could your partner read your hand?” “But, if the queen had been to my left, what avail would a count of my hand be to my unfortunate partner?” Then, in the patient voice used in dressing children and morons, I was in- formed that the bidding should have in- dicated to me the location of the cards: that every contract cannot be beaten, and that proper technique is a higher art than plunking down high cards merely to save a mechanical game. But I had a good come-back. I sub- mitted to their technical minds the fol- lowing problem in primary hypothetics : “Which is better, 3+0 or 2+1? They are still trying to figure it out. anced up, ex- I summoned comicbooks.com