Contract bridge is one of the most popular indoor games of the intellectuals. Over 200 million people throughout the world play it. It has the recognition and support of the International Olympic Committee. Like other noble sports, bridge too has no barrier for nationality, religion, cast, creed, colour, language or gender. The bridge community demonstrates the highest standard of sportsmanship, ethics and universal brotherhood. Bridge players, wherever they are or wherever they go, prove to be one of the finest ambassadors of peace and goodwill. Accordingly, the apex body, the World Bridge Federation has "Bridge for Peace" as its inspiring slogan.

The research based Orient Bidding System is my humble contribution towards the progress and well being of bridge. In keeping with the spirit of the International Bridge Press Association - an organization of around 500 members comprising of the world's leading journalists, authors, and editors of news, books and articles about contract bridge -  the newly developed System has been launched on the Internet for promotion of the game and benefit of the world bridge community.
 
 
 

RESEARCH  BACKGROUND

At the topmost level, the table-play and the defense are usually of the same standard. It is the bidding that actually generates swings and distinguishes a winning team from a losing one. Bidding as such constitutes one of the most important aspects of the game of bridge. The aim is to reach the best possible contract level on most occasions. You cannot bid correctly if you do not know the worth of your hand. To know the worth, you need a uniform and reliable yardstick. The reliability of the Point Count Method, the most widely hand valuation method, leaves much to be desired. It works fine on balanced hands but fails to deliver the goods on distributional ones. It is perhaps for this reason that experts, where distribution is concerned, seldom pay much attention to point count.

In the field of bidding, there is no doubt that the experts have tremendous advantage over a great majority of bridge players for they have come across virtually every conceivable bidding situation and know how to handle them. Their bidding styles are quite complex and beyond the comprehension of an average player. Their method of final contract arrival is based on decades playing experience and extraordinary judgment. Not every one can possess such gifted qualities.

The Orient System offers a reliable alternative route for arriving at a final contract level. Just as the computer has replaced most of human skill and judgment in solving complex scientific formulas, so has the System by doing away with the complex approach and ONE NO LONGER NEED BE AN EXPERT TO BID LIKE AN EXPERT. Any player, with average abilities (except the beginners) can achieve the distinction of arriving at the best possible contract level on most occasions without having to rely on too many assumptions - the ultimate goal in sound bidding and a quality that is exclusively found in the bidding approach of truly great players.

Competitive bridge is like an on-going war. You cannot win a nuclear war with bow and arrows. You need equal, if not better fire powers. The Orient System provides the necessary technologically advanced means to achieve the desired objectives.
 
 

PROFILE

The Orient Bidding System is a new bidding approach based on hitherto untapped concept of COMBINED STRENGTH COUNT. In combination with the formula style bidding, it offers a unique opportunity for precise and targeted bidding. The pioneering creation is the outcome of research spanned over a period of five years. The System operates within the framework of WBF Systems Policy, and fulfills the requirement of Rule of Eighteen in respect of opening bids.
 

Development Features

• First independent system of the East.
• Original concept on altogether new theme.
• Development based exclusively on research.
• New Formula style of bidding.
• Practically tested over a long period of time in a competitive environment.
• Statistically ascertained to be over 80% accurate

• Precise first round combined strength assessment
• Playable level assessment in very first round of bidding
• Modified distributional method of hand evaluation
• Projections of full or nearly full strength of a hand in one bid
• Point showing limit opening bids 1§ , 1¨ , 1© and 1ª .
• Tailor made Asking Bids

• Bids for almost every situation fully documented and defined leaving little or no room for continuation of age-old controversy, as to 'what should and not have been the correct bid'
• Guesswork and speculative bidding reduced to barest minimum
• Fosters greater partnership harmony, relaxed and tension free bidding

Most of the natural systems focus primarily on fit finding, paying secondary importance to point holding. The Orient System works the other way round - points first, fit later. The one -level suit opening bids are artificial, points showing limit bids and may have any distribution. The purpose of the points showing opening bids is to project full or nearly full strength of a hand in a single bid for the responder to assess the combined strength holding in the very first round of bidding. The responses are ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ depending upon the initial combined strength count. Combined strength of 25+ points is taken as positive response (1NT) and 24 or less as negative (cheapest suit). Positive response signifies game going hand subject to fit and negative response no immediate interest in a game. The opening bids and responses may include values for distribution. An average opening bid contains 10 HCP, however a light opening bid (distributional hand) may be made on 9 HCP subject to fulfillment of Rule of Eighteen. A balanced hand may not contain less than 12 HCP. Rebid by opener after the point showing first round is natural. Suit bid by opener and responder is 5+ cards regardless of ranking, except when opener's hand is 4-4-4-1. The second suit bid by opener may consist of 4+ cards. As the one-level suit opening bid is artificial, responder may be forced to respond even on a yarborough hand. The two-level opening bids are control asking for 9+ playing trick hands. Like the opening bids, some of the System's overcalls are also artificial, point showing and may include distributional values ahead of fit. For the one-level suit opening bids the responder controls the auction on the basis of combined strength count and for the rest, the opener The conventional bids, as per the Law, require compliance of 'alert' procedure.

The System also provides an alternative range of opening bids where 1¨ , 1© and 1ª  may be used as natural suits with fixed 14-15 points and 1§ as artificial having 12-13 or 18-19 points.

Bidding Efficiency
A Statistical Analysis using 100 hands^* played in the 1997 World Bridge Championships (Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cups) was undertaken in order to ascertain the bidding efficiency of the Orient System. The analysis indicates a strikingly high efficiency rate:

  Analysis:

Details	Other Systems		Orient System
	Open Room	Closed Room	-
‘Correct’ contracts reached ( %)	46	47	85
‘Incorrect’ contracts reached ( %)	54	53	15
Total hands analyzed	100	100	100
Bidding efficiency (%)	-	-	85

INTRODUCTION