Correct contract bridge / by E.V. Shepard ; including the official Laws of contract bridge adopted by the Whist Club, New York, and by all the leading clubs in America.

INFORMATORY DOUBLES

89

versary is forced to open that suit. Z must not
touch diamonds; the only thing left for him to do
is to lead a small club from his own hand, winning
with dummy's ace. He must lead back a low club
towards his queen, if B unexpectedly has the king
Z will win two club tricks, but when he finds that A
holds the high club he must yield his adversaries
two club tricks, as A will return a club and B will
win that trick. B is in a hole; he cannot lead another club without allowing Z to ruff in one hand
and discard a low diamond from the other hand, so
B must lead back his fourth-best diamond; Z will
play low second hand but A sees that he must go up
with his queen or lose the trick to dummy's Io. As
long as both the Q J of that suit are not held by
one player Z will win the balance of the tricks, just
going game.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
GOVERNING RESPONSES
Ordinarily the result of an informatory double
cannot be foretold by the doubler's partner, whose
sole obligation is to make his most appropriate bid.
A barely sufficient responsive bid is noncommittal
(Requiring the doubler to hold greater values than
shown by his informatory double to assist); a bid
of one trick greater than necessary (As 2-Spades
over a double of I-Heart) shows probable game
strength (Allowing the doubler to assist in case the
response fits his hand, although he holds no strength