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.

I
VIVE LE ROI
E roi est mort, vive le roil Auction Bridge has
L passed on. Club and Society hail the accession to
rule of Contract Bridge. Americans were not ready
for Contract when it sought recognition fifteen years
ago. I think that my pupils in 1924 were the first
to really study the game and that my book on
Contract, published January i i, 1927, was the first
one printed in the United States. On January 25,
1927, the Knickerbocker Whist Club issued the first
official Laws of Contract Bridge. September 15,
1927, the present "Laws of Contract Bridge" were
issued by the Whist Club, with the approval of the
leading card clubs and organizations of the country.
Contract, better than Auction, expresses the spirit
of the times-speed, thrill, verve. The old guard
fought hard for Auction, just as those of a past
generation defended Whist, but in both cases progress demand the change. As yet a mere handful of players have sensed the vital differences between the newer and older games-the vast majority of players, including former Auction authorities and experts, merely changed their scoring, bid
higher, called their altered procedure Contract, and
continue to play Auction. In reality Contract
strategy and technique are unique, and necessary to
obtain maximum scores with minimum risks.
3