Handbook - International Bridge Press Association

♠ K Q 9 6 A 9 6 5 2 5 ♣ Q J 6
or
♠ 9 6 A K 6 5 2 K Q 8 5 ♣ Q 6.
With the first hand, partner wants to defend four
spades doubled. With the second, he will bid five
diamonds or five hearts himself if you pass (which you
should normally do with a singleton or void in spades).
However, he will choose to defend if you double
(showing two or more spades). One hand partner
should not have is,
♠ 9 A J 7 6 5 2 K 8 5 ♣ 8 6 2.
With this hand he could try three (or four) diamonds
over two spades, in order to suggest spade shortness
plus a diamond fit, and to bring you into the picture.
You would then be permitted to bid over four spades.
Most American experts feel they are never barred.
Their fine judgment is what makes them experts, and
they like to exercise that judgment whenever the spirit
moves them. However, in certain situations partner is
captain. In those cases, the decision is his, not yours.
Bobby Wolff (BRIDGE WORLD, April 1972, page 28)
put it another way:
"If the Aces have learned one thing during their three
years of existence, it is not to be supermen. And this
alone has contributed ... more than any other single
factor to our. . . success.”
Captaincy issues in constructive auctions (especially
slam sequences) are often quite complex. Consider
an auction like:
Opener Responder
1 1♠
2♣ 3♠
5♠
Is opener issuing a command (bid on with diamonds
controlled)? Is he simply describing his hand? If so,
what is he describing? Who is in control? Experts
disagree. Because captaincy issues are difficult to
resolve, and general rules hard to formulate, relay
systems have been devised. Although very difficult to
learn, they have proven remarkably effective. The
theory is that by placing one partner in charge, captaincy
problems can be eliminated.
Captaincy in competitive situations is conceptually
much easier to deal with. All that is needed are a few
simple rules and large doses of discipline. The basic
captaincy rule for competitive auctions is: Once a
trump suit has been found, a limited hand can't bid
again.
This rule, which I call "The Fundamental Law of
Competitive Bidding," is simple and easy to apply.
However, American experts violate it frequently. Often,
this is because they have failed to describe their
116 IBPA Handbook 2010
hands early in the auction, and then, later on, they feel
they must compensate. Championship records are
studded with such instances. Even the former Aces
(probably our most disciplined and successful players)
violate the Law occasionally. Usually they get what
they deserve.
NS vulnerable
World Championship (1973)
♠ 7 5 2
A Q 9 6
K IO
♣ K 10 5 2
♠ A J 10 6 4 ♠ 9 8 3
5 3 4
9 2 A J 8 4 3
♣ Q 9 4 3 ♣ A J 7 6
♠ K Q
K J 10 8 7 2
Q 7 6 5
♣ 8
West North East South
Garozzo Lawrence Belladonna Goldman
Pass 1♣ 1 1
1♠ Pass 2♠ 4
4♠ 5 Dbl All Pass
North-South –200
West North East South
Wolff Forquet Hamman Bianchi
Pass 1 Pass 1
1♠ 2 2♠ 4
Pass Pass Pass
North-South +620
Lawrence "artfully" concealed his hearts at the twolevel,
and then felt compelled to violate captaincy by
bidding them at the five-level. At the other table,
Hamman had an impossible guess to make over four
hearts. Largely, this was because he had failed to
describe his hand adequately earlier. He guessed
wrong. A well-deserved 14 imp loss. Note that both
Forquet and Belladonna described their hands early in
the auction, and thereby avoided any later problems.