Blackwood

[pilowsky]

Since my friend Spade7 was asking about Bridge World the other day, I thought I would reproduce this famous rejection letter on its 85th anniversary.

THE BRIDGE WORLD

May 24, 1935

Mr. R.E.Blackwood

Room 1411

11 South Meridian St.,

Indianapolis, Ind.

Dear Mr. Blackwood!

We read your article with interest and enjoyment, but we fear that we cannot use it in the Bridge World.

While the suggestion is a good one, the four-no-trump bid will remain informative rather than an interrogative bid and our subscribers are too prone to accept anything printed in the Bridge World as a recommended change in the Culbertson system, unless it is specifically part of another known system.

We hope that you will at some time submit another manuscript to us for, judging by the merit of this one, we are sure that we can make use of it.

Yours sincerely,

The Bridge World

Albert H. Morehead

Editor

 

Easley Blackwood Snr (June 1903- March 1992) was amongst many other things Executive Secretary of the ACBL. His son Easley Blackwood Jr is a noted musician.

In 1949, fourteen years later, the convention had been mentioned in fifty-seven books and translated into seventeen languages.

Edited in light of the eagle-eyed Brian and friends (slightly embarrassed emoticon)

[pescetom]

Easley Blackwood Snr (June 1925- March 1992)

 

It would be doubly remarkable if the manuscript was submitted by a ten year old B-)

[LBengtsson]

It would be doubly remarkable if the manuscript was submitted by a ten year old B-)

 

LOL 1903 born, not 1925.

[pilowsky]

Even John Atthey who started playing aged ten would be more than doubly embarrassed since he became a grandmaster at 26 - 2.6 times later. Mind you Magnus Carlsen had to wait until he was 13 to become a grandmaster - which just proves that chess is 24/13 ~1.8 times easier than Bridge. Makes sense really since there are half as many people at the table. Thanks for the correction .

[pescetom]

More surprising than the stolidity demonstrated by The Bridge World here is the fact that nobody seems to know who invented Roman Keycard Blackwood and there is even some uncertainty about where and when it emerged. There was also someone who quite early on published the idea of replying with 5 "Aces" when trumps are known but retaining the customary Blackwood reply scheme, just to muddy the waters.

[msjennifer]

Sir,

With due apologies and in a very lighter mood my colleague(And I ,with emphasis, say I am not that impudent)) remarked that perhaps Albert Morehead was regarded as "Albert MORE HEAD" in those days.

[Vampyr]

More surprising than the stolidity demonstrated by The Bridge World here is the fact that nobody seems to know who invented Roman Keycard Blackwood and there is even some uncertainty about where and when it emerged. There was also someone who quite early on published the idea of replying with 5 "Aces" when trumps are known but retaining the customary Blackwood reply scheme, just to muddy the waters.

 

I would have guessed it was Eddie Kantar, and found this:

 

Roman Key Card Blackwood was initially based on Roman Blackwood, a Blackwood variant that was used by the famous Italian Blue Team in the 1960s. American expert Eddie Kantar is credited with popularizing the "key card" nature of the convention thereafter.

 

on this website

[Tramticket]

I would have guessed it was Eddie Kantar, and found this:

 

on this website

 

 

Yes, I think that Roman Keycard Blackwood was a fusion of two previous methods: Roman Blackwood which showed Aces in an either/or method (0 or 4 then 1 or 3) and Keycard Blackwood which shows the Keycards (including the King of trumps) but using the standard Blackwood steps.

 

Bizarrely, the Mr Bridge organisation, which runs bridge cruises and holidays, still seems to recommend this Keycard Blackwood.

[pilowsky]

Which is the bizarre bit? "running the cruises or recommending this Keycard Blackwood."?

[pescetom]

Which is the bizarre bit? "running the cruises or recommending this Keycard Blackwood."?

 

Decidedly recommending KCB... running cruises (or running to edit Le Bridgeur for that matter) is just business.

[bluenikki]

More surprising than the stolidity demonstrated by The Bridge World here is the fact that nobody seems to know who invented Roman Keycard Blackwood and there is even some uncertainty about where and when it emerged. There was also someone who quite early on published the idea of replying with 5 "Aces" when trumps are known but retaining the customary Blackwood reply scheme, just to muddy the waters.

There was a convention structure called Byzantine Blackwood, developed by Jack Marx. Hugh Kelsey described it in his 1972 book "Slam Bidding."

 

The elaborate structure involved the kings of *every* suit the pair had bid and raised, and sometimes the queens of bid suits if accompanying the king. It was the first method I heard of that involved queens.

 

With only one key suit

 

5♣: 0 or 3 aces, or AAK

5♦: 1 or 4 aces or AAAK

5♥: 2 aces or AKQ or AK(K) where (K) is in a suit bid naturally but not raised

5♠: AAKQ or AAA(K)

5NT: AAAKQ or AAAAK or AA(K)

 

With two key suits:

 

5♣: 0 or 3 aces or AAK, as before

5♦: 1 or 4 aces or AAAK, as before

5♥: 2 aces or AKQ or AKK

5♠: AAKQ or AAKK or AKQK

5NT: AAAKQ or AAAKK or AAAAK or AAKQK or AKQKQ

[pescetom]

There was a convention structure called Byzantine Blackwood, developed by Jack Marx. Hugh Kelsey described it in his 1972 book "Slam Bidding."

 

The elaborate structure involved the kings of *every* suit the pair had bid and raised, and sometimes the queens of bid suits if accompanying the king. It was the first method I heard of that involved queens.

 

With only one key suit

 

5♣: 0 or 3 aces, or AAK

5♦: 1 or 4 aces or AAAK

5♥: 2 aces or AKQ or AK(K) where (K) is in a suit bid naturally but not raised

5♠: AAKQ or AAA(K)

5NT: AAAKQ or AAAAK or AA(K)

 

With two key suits:

 

5♣: 0 or 3 aces or AAK, as before

5♦: 1 or 4 aces or AAAK, as before

5♥: 2 aces or AKQ or AKK

5♠: AAKQ or AAKK or AKQK

5NT: AAAKQ or AAAKK or AAAAK or AAKQK or AKQKQ

 

Wow, that is quite a headache for partner.

Thanks, I had heard of Byzantine Blackwood but did not realise how advanced it was.

Jack Marx was a genius, playing "Stayman" long before Rape'e and Stayman and with just three replies too.