Invitation v. Command

Invitation Command

Scheduled for next week at Manhattan's Hotel Chatham was the beginning of the most advertised, most bitter, most ambitious bridge match ever held. Manhattan card sharps could recall no card contest of any kind quite like it. Though bridge is a four-handed game, this match will be essentially between Sidney S. Lenz, long-recognized bridge authority and Ely Culbertson, young, brilliant, individualistic and--to conservatives--extremely unpopular contract expert. The match was arranged after months of acrimonious wrangling, conducted with due regard to the publicity value of a grudge fight, but also representing a basic disagreement as to how contract hands should be bid.

The bridge world is currently divided between followers of the Lenz (a version of the Official) system and the Culbertson (or approach-forcing) system of play. Virtually all other bridge experts have joined with Mr. Lenz in approving the Official System, which was adopted largely to eliminate confusion during contract's experimental period. Mr. Culbertson, however, flatly refused to toss his system into the common pot. He has bitterly attacked the Official System and Mr. Lenz as one of its prime movers.

The Lenz-Culbertson test match was finally fixed at 150 rubbers. Mr. Culbertson will play a portion of the match with chic Mrs. Culbertson as his partner. His alternate partners will be Baron Waldemar von Zedtwitz and Theodore A. Lightner. Mr. Lenz will play the entire match paired with Oswald Jacoby, member of the team which recently won the Vanderbilt Cup. Cocky Mr. Culbertson has backed himself with a $5,000 wager against $1,000 on the Lenz side. Culbertson winnings are promised to the New York Infirmary for Women and Children; Lenz winnings to the Unemployed.

The Lenz and Culbertson systems, one of which will supposedly be proven superior, differ chiefly in that when Lenz makes an opening bid of two in any suit, he invites (without compelling) his partner to make an answering bid. Culbertson's initial bid of two is a command for partner to respond, no matter how weak partner's hand may be. Here is what each expert feels he must have in his hand for opening suit bids of one, two or three: Bid Lenz Culbertson 1 2 1/2 tricks 2 1/2 tricks No difference 2 3 or 3 1/2 tricks 5 or 5 1/2tricks Culbertson force 3 or 10 tricks 8 tricks Lenz force

Advantage of the Lenz system is that there are many hands too strong for a bid of one and not strong enough for a forcing bid. The Lenz two-bid works well with this type of hand, since it encourages partner to reply if he has a little help but does not compel him to reply even when he has no help. To bid two, Mr. Culbertson's hand must be so strong that if partner replies with two no-trumps (standard indication of a "bust''), Mr. Culbertson can either let the declaration stand or take it out with a bid of three in some suit. Opponents of the Culbertson system maintain that he has no way of indicating a hand that is one trick or even two-tricks stronger than the requirements for a one-bid. Opponents of the Official system maintain that this very fact gives added merit to the Culbertson system: the opposing side does not know the exact strength of the bidder's hand.

A less vital difference in the two systems lies in Culbertson's strong preference for an opening suit bid as opposed to an opening no-trump bid. In estimating the trick-taking possibilities of high cards, Culbertson counts ace. king and queen in one suit as two tricks, Lenz counts the same holding as three.

It is doubtful whether even 150 rubbers will prove anything as to comparative merits, since the result must also depend upon the distribution of the cards, the skill of the players. Both Culbertson and Lenz will get a great deal of advertising, and all bridge teachers will profit by having two systems to teach their pupils. Public interest in the match may also assist contract to withstand the onslaught of back: gammon as a leading indoor sport.

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