Säffle Spade
Encyclopedia
In the game of contract bridge
, Säffle Spade (or Säfflespader in Swedish) is a forcing pass system developed by Einar Bergh and Pontus Svinhufvud (Säffle
is the name of a small city in Sweden, where they lived in the past). There are at least 3 different variants of the system: Super Säffle Spade (most advanced), Small Säffle Spade, and Small Happy Säffle Spade (simplest).
Opening bids PASS and 1: While the "opening bid" PASS is forcing one round, it does not promise a very strong hand. The basic idea is that all hands (except certain pre-emptive ones) with 8+hcp
and 4+ are opened with PASS (may also contain a longer side-suit). While if you have 8+hcp and no suit, but 4+, you open 1 (may also contain a longer minor suit
).
The general rationale behind this, is that when you open very low you want to have and show majors, so opponents cannot easily pre-empt against you. Another advantage is that when you have 8+hcp you often tell partner immediately which major suit
(s) you do not have, and when he sees that your side cannot have any major-suit fit, if appropriate, he can quickly pre-empt with a minor-suit bid.
Opening bid 1 is used on all weak hands, 0-7hcp.
Opening bid 1 shows 8+hcp and an unbalanced hand with no major (or 22+hcp balanced with no major).
Opening bid 1 is "mini-NT" with 8-12hcp, while 1NT is 13-18hcp, and 2NT is 19-21 hcp—all denying 4+major.
Opening bids 2/2/2 show 4+cards in the suit bid plus a 5+card major side-suit.
Opening bid 2 shows any solid suit (AKQxxxx).
Higher openings are normal pre-empts.
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
, Säffle Spade (or Säfflespader in Swedish) is a forcing pass system developed by Einar Bergh and Pontus Svinhufvud (Säffle
Säffle
Säffle is a locality and the seat of Säffle Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 9,156 inhabitants in 2005.Säffle is known for being the last place in Sweden formally getting the title of a City in 1951. This status was abolished in 1971...
is the name of a small city in Sweden, where they lived in the past). There are at least 3 different variants of the system: Super Säffle Spade (most advanced), Small Säffle Spade, and Small Happy Säffle Spade (simplest).
Opening bids PASS and 1: While the "opening bid" PASS is forcing one round, it does not promise a very strong hand. The basic idea is that all hands (except certain pre-emptive ones) with 8+hcp
Hand evaluation
In contract bridge, various bidding systems have been devised to enable partners to describe their hands to each other so that they may reach the optimum contract. Key to this process is that players evaluate and re-evaluate the trick-taking potential of their hands as the auction proceeds and...
and 4+ are opened with PASS (may also contain a longer side-suit). While if you have 8+hcp and no suit, but 4+, you open 1 (may also contain a longer minor suit
Minor suit
In contract bridge the minor suits are diamonds and clubs . They are given that name because contracts made in those suits score less than contracts made in the major suits , and they rank lower in bidding. In particular, one can make game with a bid of 4 in a major suit, while a bid of 5 is...
).
The general rationale behind this, is that when you open very low you want to have and show majors, so opponents cannot easily pre-empt against you. Another advantage is that when you have 8+hcp you often tell partner immediately which major suit
Major suit
In the card game contract bridge, the major suits are spades and hearts . The major suits are of prime importance for tactics and scoring as they outrank the minor suits while bidding and also outscore them...
(s) you do not have, and when he sees that your side cannot have any major-suit fit, if appropriate, he can quickly pre-empt with a minor-suit bid.
Opening bid 1 is used on all weak hands, 0-7hcp.
Opening bid 1 shows 8+hcp and an unbalanced hand with no major (or 22+hcp balanced with no major).
Opening bid 1 is "mini-NT" with 8-12hcp, while 1NT is 13-18hcp, and 2NT is 19-21 hcp—all denying 4+major.
Opening bids 2/2/2 show 4+cards in the suit bid plus a 5+card major side-suit.
Opening bid 2 shows any solid suit (AKQxxxx).
Higher openings are normal pre-empts.
External links
- http://www.bridgefederation.se/landslag/obs/obs00-01/humsystem/lillasaffle.PDF The Small Säfflespader
- http://www.syskon.nu/system/002_lgs_01.pdf (in Swedish) Lilla glada Säfflespadern