These opening bids were developed by Mr. Alvin Leon Roth and Mr. Tobias Stone. Mr. Alvin Leon Roth was born on November 6, 1914 and died April 18, 2007. He played for the United States in the three Bermuda Bowl world team championships, in 1955, 1958 and 1967, winning the silver medal each time.

Note: The 5th World Team Championships was conducted in New York, New York, United States, from January 9 to January 14, 1955. Team mates: Cliford Bishop, Milton Q. Ellenby, Lewis Mathe, Johan H. Moran, William A. Rosen, Peter A .Leventritt (npc).

Note: The 8th World Team Championships was conducted in Como, Italy, in the year 1958. Team mates: Benjamin J. Becker, John R. Crawford, George Rapee, Sidney Silodor, Tobias Stone, Joseph G. Ripstra (npc).

Note: The 15th World Team Championships was conducted in Miami, Florida, United States, from May 26 to June 4, 1967. Team mates: Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Sammy Kehela (Canada), Eric Murray (Canada), William Root, Julius Rosenblum (npc).

Note: Mr. Alvin Leon Roth was a Grand Life Master of the American Contract Bridge League, and a World Life Master of the World Bridge Federation.

Biographical Information

Mr. Tobias Stone was born June 6, 1919, according to the Archived Obituary Data of the Collection of Nevada Death Index (source), and died February 15, 2012, in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, United States, according to the same source.

Note: Mr. Tobias Stone was born in the Bronx, New York. The Bronx is the northern-most of the five boroughs of New York City. Co-extensive with Bronx County, it was the last of the sixty-two counties of New York State to be incorporated. Located north of Manhattan and Queens, and south of Westchester County, the Bronx is the only borough that is located primarily on the mainland. However, a very small portion of Manhattan, namely the Marble Hill neighborhood, is physically located on the mainland, because of the rerouting of the Harlem River in the year 1897.

Note: The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, Newly Revised Sixth Edition, page 745 of the American Contract Bridge League provides the birth-year as 1921, but no birthdate. The News Archive of the ACBL provides the birthyear as 1919 . Other online sources provide the birthyear of 1914.

Note: Mr. Tobias Stone won 16 North American Championships. He was known to many bridge friends as Stony. He was Life Master Number 85. His other gaming careers included the game of chess, the game of poker, and he was also an international backgammon champion.

Note: Mr. Alan Truscott authored his bridge column of July 27, 1970, and described the victory of Mr. Alvin Leon Roth and Mr. Tobias Stone at the Deauvill Invitational. This article from The New York Times has only been archived and preserved on this site in .pdf file format for future reference.

Note: In his bridge column of April 19, 2007, Mr. Phillip Alder publishes in The New York Times a deal played by him and Mr. Alvin Leon Roth, which occurred during an Open Pairs qualifying session at the 1967 Spring Nationals in Seattle, Washington, United States. This article from The New York Times has only been archived and preserved on this site in .pdf file format for future reference.

Note: In his bridge column of The New York Times Mr. Phillip Alder announces the death of Mr. Tobias Stone at the age of 92. This particular bridge column also presents a short summary of the achievements of Mr. Tobias Stone at the bridge table, a short biological summary of his career following his stint in the United States army and also mentions the names of his wives. He especially mentions that Mr. Tobias Stone was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League's Hall of Fame in the year 2003. This article from The New York Times has only been archived and preserved on this site in .pdf file format for future reference.

Publication

The interested bridge student can purchase a copy of the publication Bridge Is A Partnership Game, published in 1958 by E.P. Dutton of New York, New York, United States.

Opening Bids Only

Bids		Strength		Meaning
1 :		13-21 high card points		Promises 3 plus Clubs.
1 :		13-21 high card points		Promises 3 plus Diamonds.
1 :		13-21 high card points		Promises 5 plus Hearts.
1 :		13-21 high card points		Promises 5 plus Spades.
1 NT:		15-17 high card points		Shows balanced shape.
2 :		22+ high card points		Shows any shape.
2 :		8-12 high card points		Promises 6 Diamonds.
2 :		8-12 high card points		Promises 6 Hearts.
2 :		8-12 high card points		Promises 6 Spades.
2NT:		20-22 high card points		Shows balanced shape.

Continuances

The bidding sequence of 1 Major - 1 No Trump, in their system is forcing for one round, which is now considered to be the 1 No Trump Forcing convention. Any 2-over-1 bidding sequence is considered to be game-forcing. The system also employs controlled psychic bids and is considered to be the forerunner or foundation, upon which Mr. Richard Walsh based his more modern version.

 

 

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.