Contract Bridge

1. Redouble. The redouble of a takeout double after partner opens the bidding with one of a suit indicates 10 or more high- card points. The purpose of the redouble is to alert partner to the possibility of either making a game or exacting a penalty from the opponents. Trump support for partner is not implied by the redouble.

2. One notrump. Over a takeout double, this shows a balanced hand of six to nine points, after which partner may carry on as he sees fit. To pass is inadvisable because it may become more difficult to show your scattered values at your next turn to bid.

3. Two clubs. Bidding a new suit over a double denies the ability to redouble and therefore indicates a hand with less than 10 points in high cards. The two- club bid is not forcing and warns partner that spade support is either negligible or nonexistent.

4. Two spades. This denotes a relatively weak hand with spade support. It offers the advantage of making it more difficult for the next player to respond to his partner’s double.

5. Four spades. The best way of dealing with hands of this type is to leap right to game. There is no way of knowing whether partner can make four spades, but you bid it just the same.

Partner doesn’t need much of a hand to make 10 tricks opposite yours -- for example, he might have as little as

and come home with 10 or 11 tricks.

But equally important is the possibility that the opponents can make 10 or 11 tricks with clubs or hearts as trumps. If so, they might find it extremely difficult to contest the bidding over four spades. The immediate leap to game thus serves as a double- edged sword from which you can gain in two different ways.

Tomorrow: That old black magic.