Contract Bridge

Generally speaking, there are two schools of bidders. The first is composed of those whose chief goal in bidding is to reach the best possible contract for their side. This group represents the overwhelming majority of bridge players.

Members of the second school are those whose chief purpose is to try to prevent the opponents from reaching their best contract. The tactics employed by these players can take many forms, but the aim is always the same — to do as much damage to the opponents’ bidding structure as possible.

It is evident from this deal, played in the 1978 women’s world pair championship, that North-South, who shall remain nameless, were both full-fledged members of the second school.

South opened the bidding in third seat with one diamond, presumably because it was her turn to bid. West doubled, and North, attempting to muddy the waters, bid one spade! East entered the fray with two hearts, employing her partnership’s peculiar system of bidding what you have rather than what you don’t have.

West raised two hearts to four, and this rolled around to South, who apparently thought she had not yet expressed the full value of her hand. Accordingly, she bid four spades! West, who no doubt could not believe her ears, found a double, and North retreated to five diamonds, also doubled.

Then came five spades and six diamonds, both doubled, at which point the bidding mercifully came to a grinding halt. Declarer finished down six — 1,700 points — and North-South were left with a gnawing feeling that perhaps something had gone wrong with their system.