l £96 - Mr Bridge · Finding Slams The Olde Barn Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT 24-27 Dec £455 Just...

Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM

BERNARD MAGEE’S INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS

ACOL BIDDING

l Opening Bids and Responses

l Slams and Strong Openings

l Support for Partner

l Pre-empting

l Overcalls

l No-trump Openings and Responses

l Opener’s and Responder’s Rebids

l Minors and Misfits

l Doubles

l Competitive Auctions

MORE (ADVANCED)

ACOL BIDDING

l Basics

l Advanced Basics

l Weak Twos

l Strong Hands

l Defence to Weak Twos

l Defence to 1NT

l Doubles

l Two-suited Overcalls

l Defences to Other Systems

l Misfits and Distributional Hands

DECLARER PLAY

l Suit Establishment in No-trumps

l Suit Establishment in Suits

l Hold-ups

l Ruffing for Extra Tricks

l Entries in No-trumps

l Delaying Drawing Trumps

l Using the Lead

l Trump Control

l Endplays & Avoidance

l Using the Bidding

ADVANCED DECLARER PLAY

l Making Overtricks in No-trumps

l Making Overtricks in Suit Contracts

l Endplays

l Avoidance

l Wrong Contract

l Simple Squeezes

l Counting the Hand

l Trump Reductions & Coups

l Playing Doubled Contracts

l Safety Plays

DEFENCE

l Lead vs No-trump Contracts

l Lead vs Suit Contracts

l Partner of Leader vs No-trump Contracts

l Partner of Leader vs Suit Contracts

l Count Signals

l Attitude Signals

l Discarding

l Defensive Plan

l Stopping Declarer

l Counting the Hand

£81

£66

£96

£76

£76

FIVE-CARD MAJORS &

Strong No-Trump

l Opening Bids & Responses

l No-Trump Openings

l Support for Partner

l Slams & Strong Openings

l Rebids

l Minors & Misfits

l Pre-empting

l Doubles

l Overcalls

l Competitive Auctions

£89

QPLUS 10

Really user-friendly

bridge-playing software

l Updated comprehensive manual

l Displays on HD screen

l Supports large screens

l Minibridge option

l Extra 500 preplayed hands for teams making 5,000 in all

l Extra 500 preplayed hands for match-point pairs making 4,000 in all

l Improvement over two years from version 9

l New save match function

l Save deals with automatic file labelling

l Closed room – new button to view other table

QPLUS TRADE-IN

OFFERReturn any QPLUS CD and booklet with a cheque for £35 and receive the very latest version of the wonderful QPLUS Bridge.

Order with absolute confidence.

£86

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.

Ryden GrangeKnaphill, Surrey

GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961e-mail:

[email protected]:

www.mrbridge.co.uk

Publisher and Managing Editor

Mr Bridge

Associate Editors Bernard Magee Julian Pottage

Technical Consultant Tony Gordon

Proof Readers Tony & Jan Richards

Danny Roth Richard Wheen Hugh Williams

Office Manager Jane Cavell

Events & Cruises ( 01483 489961

Rosie Baker Jessica Galt

Rachel Everett Megan Riccio

Sophie Pierrepont

Clubs & Charities Maggie Axtell

[email protected]

Address Changes Elizabeth Bryan

( 01483 485342 [email protected]

All correspondence should be addressed to Mr Bridge.Please make sure that all letters, e-mails and faxes carry full postal addresses and telephone numbers.

BRIDGEFEATURES

5 Mr Bridge

10 The Baron Calculates the Odds by Dick Atkinson

13 Justin Corfield says Lead from Length with Four Trumps

15 Heather Dhondy says Pre-empt to the Limit First Time

17 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions

21 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee

22 Bidding Quiz Answers by Bernard Magee

23 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage

24 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage

25 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett

26 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett

27 Lead Quiz by Andrew Kambites

28 Lead Quiz Answers by Andrew Kambites

29 The A to Z of Bridge: M by Julian Pottage

33 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions

37 The Guide To Good Acol Bidding & Play reviewed by David Huggett

41 Readers’ Letters

44 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum

45 Catching Up by Sally Brock

46 Seven Days by Sally Brock

ADVERTISEMENTS

2 QPlus and Tutorial Software

3 2013 Bridge Payers’ Diaries

4 Cruise to the Caribbean on mv Voyager

5 Christmas 2012

6 Voyages to Antiquity August and October Cruises

7 Tunisia 2012/3

8 It’s Only a Game

9 Mail Order Form

9 Cut-out Form

12 Voyages of Discovery 2012 Cruises

14 Voyages of Discovery Voyager 2013 Cruises

16 Voyages of Discovery Discovery 2013 Cruises

18 Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified

20 Bridge Events with Bernard Magee

21 S R Bridge Tables

21 Bridge Tie

22 Mr Bridge Playing Cards

23 Mr Bridge Rubber/Chicago Events

25 Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge

27 Mr Bridge Tutorial Bridge Breaks

32 Bernard Magee’s Hand Evaluation

38 Global Travel Insurance

40 Bridge Event Booking Form

40 Charity Bridge Events

42 Stamps

48 Chetenham Literary Festival

48 Festival Offer

Mr Bridge2013

BridgePlayers’Diaries

Contents include♦ Acol Summary

by Bernard Magee.

♦ Guide to the Laws.

♦ Scoring Tables for duplicate and rubber bridge.

♦ Distributional odds.

♦ Hand patterns and fascinating figures.

♦ Seven cover colours: red, navy blue, tan, black, ivory, green, and burgundy.

♦ All covers printed in gold-coloured ink.

♦ Individual diaries £6.95 each including p&p.

♦ Special concession to bridge clubs. 10 or more diaries £3.50 each including p&p.

♦ Luxury version with super-soft kidrell cover, gilded page edges and a ball-point pen attached, in ruby red, navy blue or green. £14.95 each including p&p.

See Mail Order Form on page 9.

BRIDGE PLAYERS There is a supplement of £30 per person for those wishingto participate in the duplicate bridge programme. Singles are made especially welcome and a partner will always be found.

VOYAGES TOANTIQUITY

DATE PORT

Oct 18 Fly to ATHENS GreeceTransfer to Aegean Odyssey

Oct 19 NAUPLIA GreeceOct 20 MONEMVASÍA GreeceOct 21 RETHIMNON CreteOct 22 RHODES Greek IslandsOct 23 DELOS Greek Islands

MYKONOS Greek IslandsOct 24 SAMOS Greek Islands

KUSADASI TurkeyOct 25 KUSADASI TurkeyOct 26 At SeaOct 27 ISTANBUL TurkeyOct 28 ISTANBUL TurkeyOct 29 SKIATHOS Greek IslandsOct 30 PIRAEUS Greece

Fly home from Athens

13 days from £1,995 including:Guided tours of ancient Mycenae andMonemvasía; Minoan Knossos; theCitadel of the Knights of St John, Rhodes;the sanctuary of Delos; Roman Ephesus;the monuments of Aphrodisias; treasuresof Istanbul; Mount Athos monasteries.

TURKEYAthens

GREECE

Nauplia

RethimnonSantorini

CRETE

Delos Mykonos

Izmir

I�anbul

LemnosSkiathos

DATE PORT

Oct 8 Fly to VENICE ItalyTransfer to Aegean Odyssey

Oct 9 VENICE ItalyOct 10 ZADAR Croatia

Cruising the Kornati IslandsSPLIT Croatia

Oct 11 SPLIT CroatiaOct 12 KORCULA Croatia

DUBROVNIK CroatiaOct 13 DUBROVNIK CroatiaOct 14 CORFU Greek IslandsOct 15 PREVEZA Greece

ITHACA GreeceOct 16 KATAKOLON GreeceOct 17 NAUPLIA GreeceOct 18 PIRAEUS Greece


11 days from £1,795 including:Guided tour of Venice including a private evening visit to St Mark’s; theRoman Forum in Zadar and Palace ofDiocletian in Split; Korcula and Hvar;Dubrovnik and Kotor Bay; VenetianCorfu; Byzantine Arta and Ithaca; ancient Olympia and Mycenae.

DATE PORT

Aug 27 Fly to ISTANBUL TurkeyTransfer to Aegean Odyssey

Aug 28 Cruising the DardanellesLEMNOS Greek Islands

Aug 29 SKIATHOS Greek IslandsAug 30 IZMIR TurkeyAug 31 IZMIR TurkeySept 1 DELOS Greek Islands

MYKONOS Greek IslandsSept 2 SANTORINI Greek IslandsSept 3 RETHIMNON CreteSept 4 NAUPLIA GreeceSept 5 PIRAEUS Greece


10 days from £1,450 including: Views of Mount Athos monasteries; visitsto Ephesus and Pergamon; the Greek islands of Lemnos, Skiathos, Santorini,Delos and Mykonos; Minoan Crete; classical Mycenae.

TURKEY

AthensGREECE

NaupliaMonemvasía

RethimnonCRETE

RhodesDelosMykonosSámos

CYCLADES

Kusadasi

Knossos

I�anbulMountAthos

Skiathos

Mycenæ

Ephesus

Aphrodisias

ITALY Dubrovnik

CROATIA

Split

VeniceZadar

Bay of Kotor

Kornati Islands Hvar

CorfuPreveza

Ithaca Athens

GREECE

Nauplia

MONTENEGRO

Katakolon

Arta

TrogirKorcula

Olympia

SPECIAL FARES INCLUDE:

PROGRAMME OF SHORE EXCURSIONS

EXPERT ANTIQUITY LECTURE PROGRAMME

WINE WITH DINNER & GRATUITIES

EXCLUSIVE COCKTAIL PARTY

SCHEDULED AIR & TRANSFERS ABROAD

Cruise in comfort, relax in styleAegean Odyssey is a premium class ship carrying just 350 passengers. Theatmosphere on board is relaxed withplenty of passenger space, a choice ofrestaurants (with open-seating dining)and generously-sized accommodations,plus the comfort and attentive service of boutique-style cruising.

Prices are per person, double occupancy, and include MR BRIDGE SPECIAL SAVINGS. *The number of cabins with no single supplement is strictly limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

The bridge programme is completely optional and Mr Bridge passengers can participate as much, or as little as they wish. This offer is subject to availability, is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time.

Join us on Aegean Odyssey for a wonderful Voyage to Antiquity and discover the art, history and cultures of the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean.Choose from three Mr Bridge Autumn sailings, each offering extraordinary value for money. More good news is that there are no single supplements*and all cruises are hosted by members of the Mr Bridge team.

CRUISES TO CLASSICALCIVILISATIONSBRIDGE CRUISES - AUTUMN 2012

ISTANBUL TO ATHENS AUGUST 27, 2012

VENICE TO ATHENS OCTOBER 8, 2012

ATHENS TO ATHENS OCTOBER 18, 2012

BOOK NOWCALL ON

01483 489 961 ACCOMPANIED BY

TEAM MEMBERS

ENJOY SPECIAL SAVINGS ON

3 EXCITING VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY

NO

SINGLE CABIN

SUPPLEMENT*

1162 Mr Bridge 3itins ad Final_Layout 1 09/02/2012 13:54 Page 1

Mr BridgeChristmas & New Year

2012/13Duplicate Bridge

Denham GroveNear Uxbridge, UB9 5DU

24-27 Dec £455

Just Bridge(small separate section

for rubber / Chicago)

Jo Walch27-29 Dec £215

Game Tries29 Dec – 1 Jan £445

Finding Slams

The Olde BarnMarston, Lincs NG32 2HT

24-27 Dec £455

Just Bridge27-29 Dec £215

Doubles Patrick Dunham

29 Dec – 1 Jan £445 Losing Trick Count Patrick Dunham

( 01483 [email protected] www.holidaybridge.com

Please call if you would like a sample copy of the programme

INTRODUCING VOYAGER

It is just over nine years since I stood on Harwich quayside in a mid-May hail storm. I was there along with Mrs Bridge, to see mv. Discovery blessed by the local bishop and launched by the redoubtable Mrs Dudley Smith. A truly memorable night. Later this year, the owners, All Leisure plc, are launching their latest acquisition, mv. Voyager, on 3 December.

The next day she sails out of Portsmouth on her inaugural voyage.

Now, who on earth wants to set sail in December? You may well ask. The only people I can think of are bridge players, which is why I commend this inaugural cruise to you.

As there are open dinner sittings every night, you may choose to play either before or after. There will also be lots of days at sea with daily seminars for those that want them. A cracking good price. £999pp, sharing. No single supplement for singles booking outside cabins.

Tony and Jan Richards will host the on board bridge and being the inaugural voyage, I will be on board for the first four nights, looking forward to meeting friends, old and new.

DISTURBED

In the course of writing these pages, I received a note from Mr Cotterill of Great Oak, Raglan, who would like to know why Swiss Teams are called Swiss. He thought it might be because they were developed in Switzerland, but that seems too obvious. It was a good guess. The movement was first used in Switzerland for chess congresses. I just thought you’d like to know. If you have any other bridge related queries, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send an email. If I don’t know the answer, I will pass it to one of my experts.

NEW SOFTWARE

At long last the first Better Bridge with Bernard Magee CD is ready. It is based on the topics covered in the six lectures given by Bernard at Haslemere last year.

There are 20 hands per subject. In the films that were made of the seminars, Bernard explains each topic and the new CD provides the supervised play.

When you have played all 120 hands, you can reset the software to issue the hands randomly. This is a standalone product, although a set of the DVDs will greatly improve both the educational value and the enjoyment.

This is Bernard Magee at his best. A must have.

CHELTENHAM

Bernard Magee will be speaking at this festival on Monday 8 October. Further details on the back cover. Those wishing to hear him live should seize the chance. The Cheltenham Literature Festival has grown over the twelve years since its inception. The organisers are widening its scope and have chosen to include bridge. Hooray.

OVERNIGHT

I have taken all the remaining rooms at the Best Western Cheltenham Regency Hotel. Dinner on Sunday night is followed by duplicate bridge for those who want it, bed and breakfast, parking at the hotel and return coach travel to and from central Cheltenham together with tickets for both seminars, all for £99 per person sharing. Singles £139. Yes, there is a supplement and nothing I can do about it. So please, no complaints. I really do try my best for you and the package is a real bargain for everyone.

A great outing. If it works, I will try and put the same together for Haslemere.

2013 DIARIES

These are now in stock. Standard covers £6.95. See page 9 for details, club price 10 for £35. Luxury kidrell covers £14.95, 10 for £95.

CONSTITUTION

A draft copy will be emailed to you upon request.

All fares shown are correct at time of going to print, include all applicable discounts and are subject to change at any time. £999pp fare is based on two people sharing the lowest grade twin bedded cabin currently available based on price per person. *£1349 fare is based on a single passenger travelling in the lowest outside cabin suitable for a single passenger, exclusive fares are strictly capacity controlled, a cabin number may not be allocated at time of booking and may be withdrawn at any time. † Those wishing to play evening bridge please note there is a bridge supplement of £30 per bridge player to be paid at time of booking. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.

01483 489961 for brochures and bookingswww.bridgecruises.co.uk

Exclusive Fares from £999pp for an

inside cabin

No Single Supplement on selected outside cabins starting from just £1,349*

The ‘Crystal City’ and ‘Pearl of the Atlantic’ are the gems at the forefront of Voyager’s journey taking you across the ocean to where the dazzling blue skies and stunning azure waters of the Caribbean promise four glittering island treasures. St Kitts – once the Mother Colony of the West Indies, Antigua – a showcase of colonial architecture, Martinique – a little piece of France in the Caribbean and Barbados – the Caribbean’s own ‘Little England’. All passengers will be eligible for seminars, drinks parties, quiz competitions, daily evening bridge before and after dinner and afternoon bridge when at sea. The bridge programme is fully optional and you may participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridge actively encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.

*No Single Supplements on selected Outside Cabins

Voyage to the CaribbeanDeparting 4 December-21 December 2012 – 18 daysOn board mv VoyagerPortsmouth ~ La Coruña ~ Funchal ~ St Kitts ~ Antigua Martinique ~ Barbados (overnight)

ST KITTS

ANTIGUA

MARTINIQUE

BARBADOS

PORTSMOUTH

LA CORUÑA

FUNCHAL

YOUR VOYAGE INCLUDES

• Evening Duplicate bridge sessions†

• Afternoon bridge when at sea

• Bridge seminars when at sea

• Exclusive Mr Bridge drinks parties

• All meals, entertainment and gratuities onboard

• Comprehensive lecture and guest speaker programme

• Captain’s cocktail parties and gala dinners

Bridge 116 - Advert 1.indd 1 09/07/2012 10:33:20

Mr Bridge

AT THE ROYAL KENZ

TUNISIA

Two-week half-board duplicate

bridge holiday

4-18 November 2012

Golf available Tony and Jan Richards

£769*

24 Feb – 10 March 2013 Golf available

Bernard Magee and his team

£799* *per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive of bridge fees. Single supplement £6 per night. These prices are based on air travel from Heathrow to Tunis. Flights from other UK airports are available at a supplement. All prices are firm until the end of September 2012. Prices for seven-night stays (November only) are available on application.

Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facing room, tea & coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl of seasonal fruit.

These holidays have been organised for Mr Bridge by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933, working in association with Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited, ATOL 1179.

DETAILS & BOOKINGS

( 01483 489961

ANTIQUITY

Escape from this wet summer and book one of these great cruises, all still available at the lead-in prices quoted.

No single supplement.

On the 27 August cruise, I shall be taking a two night pre-cruise extension and sampling the highlights of Athens. Why not stay at one of the world’s great hotels and enjoy the view over the Acropolis at sunset. That alone should make the stay worthwhile.

CLUB INSURANCE

Sorry to nag but insurance is all about being covered for those risks even the brightest committee members haven’t yet thought of. The premium of just over £60 for the year covers a club of up to 100 members very nicely. There are now over 500 groups in the Mr Bridge scheme. It is really foolish not to be covered and even more foolish to overpay other brokers. Ring Moore Stephens. ( 020 7515 5270.

£169Promoting weekends for my readers is what I do. I held two dates at the Chatsworth Hotel for the end of the year for Bernard Magee only to find he is double-booked. Best to take the loss now than let it creep up on me.

16 – 18 November Crombie McNeil

Finding Slams

30 – 2 December Ned Paul

End Play and Avoidance

There is a full support team for both weekends with full supervised play for those who want it and just duplicate sessions for those who want just duplicate.

£169 per person. No single supplement. Payment in full at time of booking. Debit cards or cheques preferred. Strictly subject to availability.

ONE LAST PUSH

One last push to promote second hand QPlus in support of Little Voice, the charity with a school house in Adis Ababa.

Q Plus 7 donation of £10 Q Plus 8 donation of £16 Q Plus 9 donation of £25

Send me your cheque for the disc of your choice. Please make your cheques

payable to L.U.C.I.A Little Voice and send me two 2nd class stamps to cover the cost of posting. Thank you.

FINAL MAC OFFER

If you’ve a Mac or should I say Apple Macintosh computer and want a play program but do not want the expense of buying the Windows system for Mac, then Bridge Baron 22 is the program for you. £63.

Upgrades from Bridge Baron 21 are £15. Just post in your disc and cheque and receive it by return. To trade in earlier versions, send the old disc and £36.

NO NEED TO CANCEL

Please bear in mind that by agreeing to receive a printed copy of BRIDGE and/or my emag Bridge Weekly you will receive all the Mr Bridge promotional material. This is part of the deal. Sorry, but that’s the way it is.

One of the inserts this time round is from Donald Russell. Just shut your eyes and turn the page.

SPRING CLEAN

Please look at the address label on the back cover of this promotional magazine. If the information is correct then that is how your membership is recorded in my database and BRIDGE and Bridge Weekly will be sent to you for the next two years unless you tell me otherwise.

MORE MATERNITY

Catrina Shackleton, pictured above, our office manager is going on maternity leave.

She is being replaced by Jane Cavell, who joined us six months ago to train-up for the job. I will keep you up to date with birthdays, weights and all that stuff in the next issue.

OTHER STAFF NEWS

Rachel Everett has returned from extended travel leave and seems settled. Hooray.

BOARDS & BOXES

Once again I’m clearing boards and bidding boxes. Those interested should telephone ( 01483 489961. Those living in the local Surrey/Hampshire area will find that their willingness to call for what they want will keep the price really low as the cost of postage these days is prohibitively expensive.

POSTAGE

Talking about being prohibitively expensive, postage certainly is these days so I am having yet another purge on my mailing list and if your friends haven’t received their magazine this time or don’t next time, I will assume that they are either gone away or dead and delete their details.

STAMP SALE 18% OFF

Clive Goff, who makes a regular contribution to help pay for this publication is offering a discount of 18%, yes - 18%, to all readers who want to make up the 50 pence that is the cost of a second class stamp these days. He will send you, for example, a 31p and a 19p stamp but you do have to buy them in batches of 100.

For Clive Goff’s unique service, telephone him on: ( 020 8422 4906. [email protected]

GREAT STUFF

It’s Only a Game, by Marguerite Lihou, the popular cartoonist, is available on a bone china mug at £16.50, see adjacent mail order form.

CLUB QUIZ

If your club would like to have a Bernard Magee quiz for your Christmas party just send in your name and club details by snail mail or email and your quiz will be sent to you by the first week of November. Just be sure to include your clubs’ name and your own full details, including email address and telephone number.

NOT REFUNDABLE

Just what is it about a non-refundable deposit that is unclear? In the unusual event of somebody having to cancel for good reason, if we are able to sell the booking, we charge a modest re-booking fee.

HOLIDAY READ

Send three second class stamps and I will send you a copy of Bernard Magee’s Quiz &Puzzle Book.

All good wishes,

Mr Bridge

Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER

Prices are inclusive of VAT and postage to UK mainland. I enclose a cheque for £..........

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✄

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PLAY SOFTWAREQPlus 10 £86.00 .......QPlus 10 - Trade-in £35.00 .......Bridge Baron

Mac compatible £63.00 .......Bridge Baron – Trade-in £36.00 .......

TUTORIAL SOFTWAREBegin Bridge

Acol Version £66.00 .......Acol Bidding £66.00 .......Advanced Acol Bidding £96.00 .......Declarer Play £76.00 .......Advanced

Declarer Play £81.00 .......Defence £76.00 .......Five-Card Majors

with Strong No-Trump £89.00 .......Better Bridge with

Bernard Magee Haslemere 2011 £69.00 .......

Better Bridge with Bernard Magee In course Haslemere 2012 of preparation

SOFTWARE BUNDLE OFFERAny two software pieces £120.00 .......

BOOKSDuplicate Bridge

Rules Simplified £5.95 .......Better Hand Evaluation £14.00 .......Bernard Magee’s

Bridge Quiz Book £14.00 .......Bernard Magee’s

Quiz and Puzzle Book £14.00 .......Tips for Better Bridge £14.00 .......

Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

✄

✄

TUTORIAL DVDsHaslemere 20111 Ruffing for Extra Tricks £25.00 .......2 Competitive Auctions £25.00 .......3 Making the

Most of High Cards £25.00 .......4 Identifying &

Bidding Slams £25.00 .......5 Play & Defence of

1NT Contracts £25.00 .......6 Doubling & Defence

to Doubled Contracts £25.00 .......All 6 DVDs as a boxed set £100.00 .......Haslemere 20127 Leads £25.00 .......8 Losing Trick Count £25.00 .......9 Making a Plan

as Declarer £25.00 .......10 Responding to 1NT £25.00 .......11 Signals & Discards £25.00 .......12 Endplays £25.00 .......All 6 DVDs as a boxed set £100.00 .......

MR BRIDGE TIE £15.00 .......

BONE CHINA MUGSBidding Sequence £15.00 .......It’s Only a Game £15.00 .......Mystery Man £15.00 .......

BRIDGE PLAYERS’ DIARIESStandard: Red ..... Navy .....

Tan ..... Black ..... Ivory ..... Green ..... Burgundy ..... £6.95 .......

Luxury Kidrell Covers & ball-point pen Ruby Red ..... Navy Blue ..... Green ..... £14.95 .......

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My Uncle Leopold, the Sev-enth Baron von Münchaus-en, has an encyclopaedic

knowledge of the game of bridge. On this occasion, I hoped to catch him out with a hand from a friendly match from 1961 played in Brazil by, argua-bly, France’s greatest ever internation-al team (Bacherich, Deruy, Ghestem, Trézel, and Le Dentu):

NW E

S

Dealer: North. Game All.

Bacherich

♠ Void

♥ A Q 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

♦ Void

♣ K 4

♠ K Q 10 6 5 4 3 ♠ A J 9 8 7 2

♥ Void ♥ Void

♦ 7 6 ♦ 5 4 3 2

♣ J 10 8 6 ♣ 9 7 5

Deruy

♠ Void

♥ K J

♦ A K Q J 10 9 8

♣ A Q 3 2

Both sides were vulnerable. Bacherich had dealt himself the North hand and started with a cunning Pass. After East passed too, West overcalled Deruy’s 2♣ game-forcing opening with 2♠ and then the auction livened up. Bacherich came to life with 7♥, which was passed to West, who sacrificed in 7♠. Deruy evidently felt that East had hesitated over 7♥, giving West the clue, so in a fit of pique (please excuse the French bridge pun) he called 7NT, which West doubled for a penalty of 2,000.

In the other room, North opened 2♣ game forcing and it was Trézel’s turn to blunder. He psyched a 2♥ overcall

as East. For some reason, spades were never mentioned and the Brazilian pair notched up 2,210 in 7♥. The 4210 swing was worth 25 IMPs on the old scale.

Alan Truscott, reporting the deal in the 1971 New York Times, wrote: ‘This record will never be equalled, because the scale was amended in the follow-ing year and the maximum is now 24.’

‘I picked up an amazing hand the other day,’ I lied, jotting North’s cards down for Uncle Leo. ‘What should I open first in hand, both vulnerable, at teams-of-four?’

‘Well now, I would probably bid 6♥, but I suppose you have choices . . . your usual Acol, I presume?’

‘No, er—turally,’ I corrected myself.‘I beg your pardon?’‘Naturally. Yes, Acol.’‘Not quite naturally. However, any-

thing which allows an opponent to come in with 4♠ would be crass.’ So much for the European Champions. ‘But 4NT is perfect, since you’re playing the damned ‘Direct Aces’ convention. If partner shows no Aces (with 5♣), sign off in 5♥. If he has the spade or diamond ace (shown by a 5♠ or 5♦ bid as appropriate), bid 6♥. If he shows the ace of clubs (by bidding 6♣), of course, you bid 7♥, since the trumps will break kindly about 78% of the time.’

‘Two trumps break 1-1 52% of the time, actually,’ I smirked. ‘You’re thinking of three cards breaking 2-1 78% of the time.’

‘Kindly refrain from telling me what I am thinking. There are nine ways of distributing K-J among three hidden hands. Only two – K-J with LHO and K-J with RHO – can cost you a trick. Seven winning chances out of nine come to 78%. QED,’ he smirked. ‘And

what did your partner respond?’‘Ah, well, er, 5NT, showing two aces,’

I mumbled, hoping I had remembered the convention correctly.

‘Then I bid 7♥, as I suppose you did. After all, at worst it’s odds on, since two-thirds of the time he has the ace of clubs.’ I must have looked blank. ‘Come on. You make two-thirds of seven-ninths of the time, that’s exactly fourteen-twenty-sevenths.’

‘But you said ‘at worst’.’‘Of course. When partner does not

have the ace of clubs, it will be with RHO half of the time, when his partner will have a two-thirds chance of pick-ing the wrong side-suit to lead. That’s an extra two-thirds of a half of one-third of seven-ninths, is . . . 14 over 162 . . . which must be . . . nearly 9%.’

Unless he leads a trump, I thought, and started to raise my eyebrows.

‘Unless he leads a singleton trump,’ the Baron pre-empted me, ‘which could theoretically eat up a third of that 9%, though who would really lead a trump honour into the teeth of a strong one-suiter? So the Grand is approaching 6 to 4 on, on the bidding. Perfectly sound odds.’

‘Surely East has a singleton trump more than a third of the time?’

‘Yes, yes. Four out of nine cases. But in one of those cases, your dummy has the king, which gives immediate ac-cess to your two aces. So tell me, what was the outcome?’

I showed him the rest of the deal.He nodded in satisfaction. ‘Jawohl,

as I thought: 6♥ – 7♥ is just as effec-tive. And in the other room?’

I gave him Room 1: ‘Pass, Pass, 2♣, 2♠; 7♥, Pass, Pass, 7♠; Pass, Pass, 7NT, Double. Minus 2000.’

‘7NT?’

The BaronCalculates the Odds

From the Baron’s Archives by Dick Atkinson

‘South bid in anger, thinking that East’s demeanour had helped West to bid 7♠,’ I replied. ‘Ridiculous and in-sulting too, of course.’

‘On the contrary.’ snarled the Baron. ‘Consciously or otherwise, West has certainly drawn conclusions from his partner’s demeanour. How else did he place the ace of spades on that bid-ding? His double is certifiably insane without that knowledge, and his spade lead hardly less so . . .’

One of the Baron’s many talents is the ability to write while he is snarling. He pushed this across to me:

NW E

S

♠ 7 5 4 3 2

♥ K 7 5

♦ K J 3

♣ A Q

♠ A Q 10 8 6

♥ A 4 3

♦ A Q 9

♣ K 8

‘You obviously need a little practice in calculating the odds. The play of this hand can be solved using the tech-nique I described a moment ago, by enumerating all possible cases and as-suming them to be of roughly equal probability. See if you can do any bet-ter this time,’ he invited ominously. ‘Obviously, I was in 6♠ as South and the jack of clubs was led by West.’

‘6NT would play just the same,’ I ob-served sagely.

‘Don’t interrupt, fool. This was the third board of the final sixteen in a match we were losing by 38 IMPs. How did I play the trumps after East follows?’

I couldn’t see the point at first. Ob-viously, the percentage play was to fi-nesse the queen, a 50-50 chance. But, of course, that would just be playing for a flat board. Finessing the ten was a drastic also-ran, a 25% extra chance of failure. ‘You went up with the ace,

in the hope of dropping the singleton king offside and gaining a big swing,’ I answered confidently. There would be a singleton king a quarter of the time.

‘And what are your chances of suc-cess? Since there are only a few cases to consider, work out the odds. The defender who has already played must have K-J-9, K-9, J-9 or 9 alone. A quar-ter of the time – the third case – you can cover yourself in glory by going up with the ace, but three-quarters of the time this line will fail, and one quar-ter of the time – the second case – you will fail while your opponents succeed, burying your chances under another big adverse swing. Is that good enough for you? After all, you only need to average plus 3 IMPs over the last thir-teen boards – quite achievable.’

‘Well, I still guess it’s the only game in town.’

‘Guess? Guess.’‘Well, what did you do?’‘I finessed the ten, of course. Like fi-

nessing the queen, this fails in three of the four cases.’

‘How—’‘You clearly neglected the first case,

K-J-9, where the queen finesse still leaves you with a loser. I can make with a second finesse, however. I have traded the obvious K-9 / J for the less obvious K-J-9 / Void, giving me a good chance of halving our IMP deficit.’

‘But—’‘No indeed, they are only roughly

equal chances – 11% for me, 13% for my opponent – but that is an accepta-ble investment when the possible gain is considered.’

‘And is that what happened?’He lifted the lid of the ebony humi-

dor, delicately carved into the image of a scantily-clad houri lying improbably on a bed of tobacco leaves. ‘No. The singleton knave was offside.’

‘So you—’‘South in the other room was my old

enemy Prince Waldemar of Heck. He knew my style and took exactly the same finesse as I did.’

‘So it—’‘I wish you would stop doing that.’

he snapped, selecting an immense Double Corona. ‘Before I took my fi-nesse, I played a few cautious explora-tory cards in the outside suits, care-fully watching the signals. When West

appeared to have four diamonds, I cashed all my side winners before tak-ing the finesse. He was thrown in, the full deal being:

NW E

S

♠ 7 5 4 3 2

♥ K 7 5

♦ K J 3

♣ A Q

♠ J ♠ K 9

♥ Q 9 ♥ J 10 8 6 2

♦ 10 7 4 2 ♦ 8 6 5

♣ J 10 9 5 4 2 ♣ 7 6 3

♠ A Q 10 8 6

♥ A 4 3

♦ A Q 9

♣ K 8

‘and had to give a ruff-and-discard.’‘But if the Prince knew your style,

why couldn’t he play the same line?’‘Because he was stupid enough to

bid his slam in no-trumps.’And that put me in my place . . .

Author’s Footnote: So what do you open on the hand below?

♠ 9

♥ A J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

♦ Void

♣ 3

4NT, of course, since the calculation is precisely the same. Over 5♣ or 5♦, you sign off in 5♥, and over 5♠ or 6♣, you bid 6♥. Over 5NT, you bid 7♥, as one of his aces is probably in dia-monds. And if partner bids 5♥? He has forgotten the convention and is prob-ably showing two aces, à la Blackwood, so you could well be right to call 6♥. On the other hand, perhaps he has re-membered the convention after all, has a heart void and is pushing for a top, expecting you to pass if your bidding is based on a long solid heart suit . . .

All of which goes to show exactly why the Baron hates conventions: sooner or later you will forget a convention, and will look extremely stupid. ■

The Baron Calculates continued

Previously published in BRIDGE 57

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Bridge 116 - Advert 2.indd 1 09/07/2012 10:35:44

When, as a defender, you find yourself blessed with long trumps, your aim is to

force declarer to ruff something. If this shortens his trumps to the same length as yours, declarer can no longer draw your trumps without removing all of his own.

Take this example:

NW E

S

♠ 9 8 7 ♥ 7 5 3 ♦ J 6 3 2 ♣ Q J 9 ♠ 5 4 3 2 ♠ 6 ♥ A K J 6 4 ♥ 10 9 8 2 ♦ 5 ♦ A 10 8 7 ♣ 10 7 5 ♣ 8 6 4 2 ♠ A K Q J 10 ♥ Q ♦ K Q 9 4 ♣ A K 3

South is in 4♠ after West has bid hearts and East has raised – how do you like South’s chances?

His chances are excellent, in spite of the 4-1 trump division, if West leads his singleton diamond. Although East will produce the ace and give West a ruff, this is no use. Declarer has ten tricks, eleven if West underleads the hearts (in an attempt to get a second ruff).

Now look what happens if West leads hearts. South ruffs the second round and draws a couple of trumps, East throwing a club. Declarer is now a goner.

Both declarer and West have two trumps left. If declarer draws them, East-West will have heart tricks to cash when in with the ♦A. (If declarer abandons trumps, East holds up in diamonds, letting West ruff the second round, again defeating the contract.)

Notice that, here, West had only four small spades, as against declarer’s solid five. These things do not matter.

When declarer plays in a 5-3 fit, it is essential that the hand you force to ruff something is the long trump hand. This can require a little care:

NW E

S

♠ 8 7 6 ♥ 10 8 4 ♦ J 3 2 ♣ K J 8 2 ♠ A 4 3 2 ♠ 5 ♥ A K Q 6 5 ♥ 9 7 3 ♦ 4 ♦ 10 9 8 7 6 5 ♣ 10 7 4 ♣ 9 6 5 ♠ K Q J 10 9 ♥ J 2 ♦ A K Q ♣ A Q 3

This is another 4♠ contract. It looks mildly tempting to lead the singleton diamond – if partner holds the ♥J, perhaps you can come in with the ♠A, switch to a low heart and score a ruff. Better is to start on hearts and force declarer to ruff the third round. When declarer ruffs, you have the same number of trumps as he does. He now plays on spades and it is over to you.

If you win the first or second round of trumps, you cannot force declarer any more, because dummy still has a trump. Instead, hold up your ace until the third round. At that point, you can win and force declarer’s last trump.

When you hold four trumps and the opponents are in a 4-4 fit, a forcing defence can still succeed. Look at it this way – once declarer ruffs, he is effectively in a 4-3 fit. It remains only to hold up your own trump winner until the short trump hand is out of trumps, then you force him again.

On the next deal, the contract was 4♠ doubled (matchpoints can make you do these things when the bidding tells you declarer has nothing to spare):

NW E

S

♠ K Q 6 4 ♥ 10 8 ♦ Q 9 2 ♣ K J 8 2 ♠ A 9 8 7 ♠ 5 ♥ K J 9 5 4 ♥ A 7 3 2 ♦ 8 4 ♦ K 7 6 5 ♣ 10 4 ♣ 9 7 6 5 ♠ J 10 3 2 ♥ Q 6 ♦ A J 10 3 ♣ A Q 3

Once again, West leads his long suit. East takes the ♥A and returns the suit to West’s ♥K. West then plays a third heart, giving up a ruff and discard. Declarer is now going off. If he plays trumps, West ducks two rounds, wins the third and continues with hearts.

Here is one final 4♠ (not doubled):

NW E

S

♠ J 6 ♥ A K ♦ J 3 2 ♣ K J 8 7 5 2 ♠ K 7 4 3 ♠ 5 2 ♥ 10 6 ♥ 9 8 5 3 2 ♦ K Q 10 5 4 ♦ A 7 6 ♣ 10 6 ♣ 9 4 3 ♠ A Q 10 9 8 ♥ Q J 7 4 ♦ 9 8 ♣ A Q

Three rounds of diamonds forces declarer to ruff. Then he crosses to the ♥A to run the ♠J. You win with the ♠K and…

No, you do not take the ♠K. The aim is to force declarer and we cannot do that while dummy still has a trump. Duck the ♠J, win the next spade and make declarer ruff another diamond. ■

Lead from Length

with Four Trumps

Justin Corfield Says

All fares shown are per person, based on two people sharing the lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available (a cabin number may not be given at time of booking), are for new bookings only, subject to availability and include all applicable discounts. Those wishing to play evening bridge please note there is a bridge supplement of £30 per bridge player to be paid at time of booking. All fares shown include current fuel supplements correct at time of printing, but subject to change. See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.


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Bridge 116 - Advert 3_Voyager.indd 1 09/07/2012 10:38:19

Pre-empting to the limit first time means that you should bid directly to the level that you are

prepared to risk at your first go. The idea is to create the maximum pressure on the opponents’ bidding by depriving them of space to investigate, and hoping that they will therefore be unable to judge the final contract correctly.

A classic example is the three-level opening bid. Take this hand, for instance:

♠ K Q J 8 6 5 2 ♥ J 2 ♦ 6 ♣ 10 6 5

This hand is ideal for a 3♠ opening bid, whatever the vulnerability. What makes it so suitable?

Various factors can make your hand more or less suitable for pre-empting.

Vulnerability is key since it determines how many down your side is able to go whilst still showing a profit over what the opponents can make.

Points in your long suit indicate a good hand for pre-empting; points in your short suits are good defensive values. The more defence you have, the less suitable you are for pre-empting since the opponents may not be able to make their contract. With this hand, you probably have no defence at all, unless the second round of spades is cashing.

Doubletons are poor holdings for pre-empting; singletons are better.

Much the same rules apply when you have a big fit for your partner’s opening bid and few values.

Fit is important and bidding to the level of the fit is a good indicator of how high to pre-empt. Simply take the number of trumps you have between your two hands. This will tell you the

level to which you should bid.If your partner opens a weak two in

spades and you have four-card support, you should be thinking in terms of pre-empting to the four-level.

Considering all this, what do you bid on the following hand at game all (or love all)?

NW E

S

♠ 10 6 5 2 ♥ J 2 ♦ A Q 6 ♣ Q 6 5 2

West North East South 2♠ Pass ?

There are conflicting indicators. Bidding to the level of the fit will tell you to go directly to 4♠. Then again, your defensive values in diamonds are a worry, as is your relatively balanced hand and your poor trumps.

Now think about the vulnerability. If you were at favourable (only the other side vulnerable), this would be a clear-cut bid of 4♠, whereas at unfavourable (only your side vulnerable), it would be foolish because of the downsides referred to above. At equal vulnerability, it is very close – but it seems just worth a bid of 4♠.

Whatever you decide you are worth on this hand, the most important thing is to make your decision on the first round. If you hedge your bets with a bid of 3♠ and then bid 4♠ over the opponent’s 4♥, you give them too much room to exchange information. With an extra round of bidding available to them, they are likely to get the final decision right (whether that is to double you or bid a level higher) much more often than if you had bid 4♠ directly. Here is an example of a hand that North might hold on the auction so far (game all):

♠ J 3 ♥ A Q 7 3 ♦ K J 4 3 ♣ A 10 7

West North East South 2♠ Pass 3♠ Dbl Pass 4♥ 4♠ ?

Having described his hand, North is content to pass 4♠ and leave the final decision to his partner. However, if West had jumped to 4♠ over 2♠, North might fail to double or South might take it out into 5♥.

Here is the full deal:

NW E

S

♠ J 3 ♥ A Q 7 3 ♦ K J 4 3 ♣ A 10 7 ♠ 10 6 5 2 ♠ K Q 9 8 7 4 ♥ J 2 ♥ K 4 ♦ A Q 6 ♦ 7 5 ♣ Q 6 5 2 ♣ J 9 3 ♠ A ♥ 10 9 8 6 5 ♦ 10 9 8 2 ♣ K 8 4

Although North-South can make 4♥, 5♥ goes down with a trick in three suits to lose. If West raises directly to 4♠, 5♥ down one may well be the result.

If, though, you raise to 3♠ and later bid 4♠, the opponents will surely just stop and double you, collecting 500.

Summary

Decide how far you are prepared to pre-empt using the indicators referred to above and bid it at your first turn. ■

Pre-empt to the Limit First Time

Heather Dhondy Says

All fares shown are per person, based on two people sharing the lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available (a cabin number may not be allocated at time of booking), are for new bookings only, subject to availability and include all applicable discounts. * Those wishing to play evening bridge please note there is a bridge supplement of £30 per bridge player to be paid at time of booking. All fares shown include current fuel supplements correct at time of printing, but subject to change. See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.


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Bridge 116 - Advert 3_Discovery.indd 1 09/07/2012 17:00:48

QSouth opened 2♣ (artificial game force) with

21 points. The books we have seem to show that you should hold a minimum of 23 points. When challenged, South remarked that her opening was permis-sible. Was she correct? Derek Hirst, Halifax (similar from Bob Matthews, Salisbury).

A It does not matter what the books say. They are merely

advising on how they think you ought to play the game. It is legal to play an artificial 2♣ opening on any balanced hand with at least 16 points, so if South wishes to play her opening as 21+, it is certainly legal. In fact, I play it as 21+ with my favourite partner.

One frequently recurring problem is that players learn a method of bidding and get upset when opponents do not follow it. Actually, there are many ways to bid; the way a player has learnt is not the only way. Players get upset over six-card pre-empts at the three level, very wide range opening 1NT with a part score, overcalls on two points and so on.

While there are certain

rules as to what you can play, they are very broad and much is legal.

♣♦♥♠

QPlaying rubber bridge with both sides vulnerable

and 60 below to the op-ponents, my opponent opened 2♥ on this:

♠ A K Q

♥ A Q 9 4 3 2

♦ 7 6 5

♣ 6

We had all agreed to play weak twos in the majors (six cards and 5-10 points). The bid misled our side; we finished three down doubled in 4♣.Dr Charles Godden, Guildford, Surrey.

A It is perfectly normal bridge to stretch opening bids at

rubber bridge when hold-ing a part score and you should expect it. Many people would open 2♥ with that hand, knowing that 2♥ would be enough for game.

Similarly, with a 60 part score, despite playing a weak

no-trump, people will open 1NT with 11 points and with 20 points. It is just normal rubber bridge tactics.

♣♦♥♠

QI am trying to score our annual teams of four

event over two weeks. We had seven teams entered but one had to leave due to illness, thus not completing their final match. Do the laws cover this situation? Geoff Tremlett, Llanelli.

A According to the laws, you should score the unplayed

boards as Average Minus to the team containing the ill player, -3 IMPs per board, and Average Plus to their op-ponents, +3 IMPs per board.

People always think this is unfair since the player could not help it; I do not suppose anyone would argue with a more generous approach, for example giving Average to the team with the ill player, i.e. 0 IMPs.

I prefer the approach in the EBU White Book, which has force in Wales. This says when a full match cannot be played you give Averages on half the boards. So the

fairest solution is to give the ill team -1.5 IMPs per board, though few would argue with 0 IMPs per board for them, still giving their opponents +1.5 IMPs per board.

♣♦♥♠

QI led to the first trick and won it; declarer won

the second trick but put his card our way round. Dummy tried to draw his attention to the mistake, which we were happy to allow.

What does the law now say?Dan Crofts, Edgbaston, Birmingham.

A It is a change. Now anyone may point out a card has been

put down the wrong way – but only until the lead to the next trick is made. After that, declarer may do so but nobody else.

David Stevenson answers all queries based on the facts supplied by the letter writer.

Neither Mr Bridge nor David Stevenson has any way of knowing whether those facts are correct or complete.

David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

Must the

Opponents Bid

Like You Do?

QIs West’s bidding legal here, playing

transfers?

West North East South

1NT Pass 2♥ Pass

2NT

South was expecting West to rebid 2♠.Niranjan Doshi by email.

AOne thing that players do not always appreciate is

that different people play in different ways. Just because you learnt one way, this does not mean other people play that way, or have to do so.

Once your partner opens 1NT, you may agree with your partner to bid in any way you want. You can make up a set of responses. So breaking the transfer is legal.

Many players break transfers on some hands; in fact, in a tournament, most, if not all, do: it is normal. What is the point? It helps partner to know you have very good support for his suit and acts pre-emptively as well.

♣♦♥♠

QBefore South led, I advised the opponents

that my partner should

have alerted my 2♦ and we called the director. He said that we should play the board and call him back if we thought that North/South suffered damage.

NW E

S

♠ A J 7

♥ 8 5

♦ A J 7 6 5

♣ K J 7

♠ K 10 4 2 ♠ 9 8

♥ A J 9 6 2 ♥ K 4 3

♦ 4 3 ♦ K 10 2

♣ 8 2 ♣ Q 10 9 6 3

♠ Q 6 5 3

♥ Q 10 7

♦ Q 9 8

♣ A 5 4


1NT Pass Pass

2♦* Pass 2♥ Pass

Pass Dble End

*not alerted (both majors)

East proceeded to make 8 tricks and a score of 670.

We called the director back and settled for an average score. What should the ruling have been?John Williams, Montrose.

A You did the right thing in advising opponents before

the lead and calling the director. I cannot say the same for the director.

First, he should have let

South change his last pass if he wished to because of the misinformation (the failure to alert). This might have solved everything because South might have bid something. Second, his ruling of average was illegal. The director has a duty either to decide there is no infraction or no damage, or to adjust to a real score, or, more commonly, to a group of possible real scores with a percentage weighting for each.

I would have asked North what his double meant and what he would have done if correctly informed. I would have asked South why he passed the double. I would have asked a couple of better players what they would have done, giving them the correct information, not telling them what was wrong. Then I would have let the score stand or worked out an adjustment.

While I cannot be sure without asking the questions, I might let the score stand: South’s pass looks ill-judged. I might have concluded that North would double 2♦ (rather than 2♥). I might then have considered a range of contracts, including 2♥, 2♥ doubled, 2NT and 3♦ depending upon South’s action over 2♥. Most likely, I would give a weighted adjustment of these possibilities, something like:

25% of NS +110 + 25% of NS -50 + 25% of NS -110 + 25% of NS -670

♣♦♥♠

QOur club has a ruling that when the buzzer goes,

3 minutes before the end of a round, you cannot play the deal unless the

dummy hand is on the table; can you tell me whether this is legal? Name and address supplied.

A If a board is stopped during the play that is not duplicate

bridge. No law permits it.Incidentally, I regret

to inform everyone who asked about timers that Streamline Technologies is no longer in business. I believe Per Jannersten in Sweden makes timers.

♣♦♥♠

QI led a low club. Dummy followed low,

my partner played the ace and declarer the ace of diamonds (spades were trumps).

Almost as soon as he had played the ace of diamonds, declarer apologised and said that he played the wrong card – he had meant to play a low club. He then withdrew the diamond ace and played his low club. The director did not know what to do.

Does your comment that declarer, having placed a card on the table, may not change it, apply in this situation?Stephen Hanslip, Wakefield.

A No, it is a different situation entirely. Declarer may not

change a card because he accidentally played the wrong one. If, for example, he had no clubs, the diamond ace would stand, however stupid and unintended such a card was. However, there is a different law stating that you must correct a revoke that has yet to become established. The director should have read this law out and followed it.

Ask David continued

DUPLICATE BRIDGE RULES SIMPLIFIED

(otherwise known as the Yellow Book)

by John Rumbelow and revised by David Stevenson

Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961

only

£595

QAfter his second pass and before South calls,

East leads the ♠A. How does the director rule?


3♣ Pass 3♥

Pass 4♣ Pass

How would his ruling change if South, thinking he was dummy, laid down three club cards before North called for the director?Peter Balbi by email.

AOnce someone plays a card during the auction, it stays on

the table for the rest of the auction, though knowledge of that card is unauthorised to partner. In the case that a player has attempted to lead it, partner must pass at his next turn to call: West will thus have to pass. If the player becomes a defender, it will be a penalty card. Since he led an honour, it will be a major penalty card.

If there are two or more cards (as would be the case with South’s three clubs) partner must pass at his next turn to call, so North will now have to pass. If the player becomes a defender, they will be penalty cards. Since there was more than one card, they will be major penalty cards.

Note that these are simple rulings: all the director has to do is read from his law book.

♣♦♥♠

QYou have advised that the director should

score a timed out unplayed board as a form of average.

This benefits the pairs who played the board but achieved less than average, which does not seem fair. Where can I find the regulation preventing the use of a ‘Not Played’ score in this situation?Gerald Hignett by email (similar from Nicholas Beswick, Brynmawr).

A You are wrong to think that it is unfair on other players to

award an average: doing so is the correct and fair thing to do. When you get a top on a board, you do so by beating a certain number of pairs. Suppose there are ten pairs so a top is 18. If one table is unable to play it, a pair who have the top score have beaten only eight other pairs, not nine and might not have scored a top if it had been played the ninth time. Some fair way of working it out to allow for this is thus necessary. This is to give an average and to work the scores out from that. By giving Average, Average Plus or Average Minus, you allow for the possibilities of what would happen if the slow table played the board, tempered with allowing for whoever is at fault.

Note that it is easier to get a big score over fewer boards. If a pair has a good evening and the director gives Not Played illegally for unplayed boards, it is to that pair’s advantage to play slowly to miss as many boards as possible.

Furthermore, many people over many years have helped to formulate the laws, so assuming the lawmakers have gone wrong is not an assumption to make lightly.

Finally, it is not a matter of regulation but a matter of law. Law 12C2 tells the

director what to do with a board due for play but not actually played; since it includes no mention of Not Played, any director who gives Not Played in such circumstances is deliberately flouting the laws of the game.

♣♦♥♠

QWe often use the Howell movement. If you

are playing North at one table and you are due to play E/W at the next, does North become East or West? Does it matter? Iain Campbell, Barrhead, Glasgow.

A It does not matter – and there is no general rule.

Of course, a club could make a rule if it wished. I have never known a club that bothered.

♣♦♥♠

QIf a pair drops out of a duplicate competition,

leaving a half table, is there a formula to calculate scoring? Mary McLean, Yorkshire.

A There are many different approaches dependent on

what happened. If a player falls ill during

a club evening and leaves with six boards unplayed, you score those six boards as Average Minus to the pair concerned, Average Plus to their opponents.

If an event is a qualifying event and a pair drops out before the next round, you promote the

next non-qualifier. In a Swiss Teams, it is

usually acceptable to retire before the end. The team concerned gets no points; the director will re-arrange it so the competition is unaffected.

It is perfectly normal for any pairs’ competition to have a half-table, so if a pair drops out before the start of an event that was meant to be a certain number of full tables, you score normally as though it had a half table. By using percentages for the scores, it does not matter if some pairs play more than others.

♣♦♥♠

QAt a club duplicate, declarer

‘revoked’ at trick twelve (ruffing my boss ♦K and then playing the ♦J). The ♦A-Q and all the other trumps had already gone. I called the director, who ordered us to replay tricks 12 & 13 without the revoke. As a result, each side won one trick. If we had not challenged the revoke, declarer would have won both tricks. To my surprise, the director did not award any penalty trick, explaining that this was because the revoke occurred at trick 12. Was this correct? Raymond Anne by email.

A The director’s ruling was correct, though I am surprised that

he did not take the trouble to show you in the law book since you were obviously doubtful. Revokes at trick twelve never result in penalty tricks. ■

Ask David continued

E-mail your questions on bridge laws to: [email protected]

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Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quiz

You are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and four-card majors. (Answers overleaf.)

NW E

S

1. Dealer North. N/S Vul.

♠ J 10 5

♥ A 6 3 2

♦ K 5 3

♣ Q 9 8


Pass 1NT Pass

?

NW E

S

2. Dealer East. Love All.

♠ K Q 3

♥ Q 7 6

♦ Q 10 9 3

♣ Q 7 4


2♣1 Pass

?

1Acol, strong and artificial

NW E

S

3. Dealer East. Game All.

♠ Q J 4 3

♥ 3 2

♦ 7 6 4

♣ Q 10 8 6


2NT Pass

?

NW E

S


♠ A 9 6 4

♥ 5

♦ A 9 5 4

♣ A 7 5 3


3♥ Pass

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NW E

S

1. Dealer East. Game All.

♠ Q J 4 3 ♠ A K 8 6

♥ 3 2 ♥ A Q 5

♦ 7 6 4 ♦ 8 3

♣ Q 10 8 6 ♣ A K 9 7


2NT Pass

?

3♣. 2NT shows 20-22 points but leaves you no room to invite game; with five points, you just have to go for it. With this hand, you would also like to explore which game.

The solution is to bid Stayman. It is the same as Stayman at the 2-level, just one level higher. Yes, this is a natural extension of Acol, although some play Baron or five-card Stayman (again using the 3♣ bid) – they all enable you to find the 4-4 spade fit.

3♣ asks opener whether he has a four-card major; here your partner would bid 3♠, which you would raise to 4♠.

This would make easily against reasonable breaks, whilst 3NT would fall foul of a diamond lead unless the suit divides 4-4.

NW E

S


♠ K Q 3 ♠ A

♥ Q 7 6 ♥ A K 5 4

♦ Q 10 9 3 ♦ 7

♣ Q 7 4 ♣ A K J 10 9 8 6


2♣1 Pass

? 1Acol, strong and artificial

2NT. What are the responses to the artificial 2♣? 2♦ is weak while all other bids are natural and positive.

You are not weak and have no particu-lar suit to mention, so no-trumps is the best call, but at what level: 2NT or 3NT?

Some might plump for 3NT because 2NT might just show 8-10 points – the snag is that uses up too much space. Re-member partner might have a distribu-tional hand when he opens 2♣ and he might want to tell you about it. East will rebid 3♣ over 2NT, giving you plenty of space to explore on your way to 6♣.

NW E

S

3. Dealer North. N/S Game.

♠ J 10 5 ♠ K Q 7 6

♥ A 6 3 2 ♥ K 5 4

♦ K 5 3 ♦ A 6

♣ Q 9 8 ♣ J 4 3 2


Pass 1NT Pass

?

Pass. 1NT shows 12-14 points and you hold 10 points. That makes a maximum of 24 points – not enough for game. You have no five-card suit, so a no-trump contract is likely to be best.

Is there anything else to consider? Well, you have one ten and one nine, which is merely average, so you should not add on anything for that. Even if you

Answers to Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quiz on page 21

did add anything for intermediates, you would take it off again for your ugly 4333 shape. No, it is certainly right to pass.

In no-trumps the defence start with diamonds; partner wins and knocks out the ♠A; back comes another diamond. There are seven tricks but no more: one of the defenders started with five dia-monds, giving them six tricks – the ♠A, the ♣A-K and three diamonds.

As you can see, it is lucky you did not try 2NT or 2♣ (Stayman). Partner would probably have left 2NT, even that would have been too high.

NW E

S


♠ A 9 6 4 ♠ 7 2

♥ 5 ♥ K J 10 8 7 6 4

♦ A 9 5 4 ♦ 3

♣ A 7 5 3 ♣ K 9 2


3♥ Pass

?

Pass. Is this a slightly easier problem?Partner has made a weak pre-emptive

bid; all you have for him are three aces. With no great fit, you have no reason to to alter the contract. Pre-empts are de-signed to obstruct the opponents’ bid-ding, every so often they affect your own side; the best solution is simply to accept that the gains have to be tempered by a few losses. Here you suffer no adverse affect – 3♥ is the perfect resting place, while 4♥ would need a lot of luck to come home. ■

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31 August – 2 September 2012

Please note there are no seminars or set hands at these events.

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Please see booking form on page 40.

NW E

S

1. ♠ J 6 ♥ J 8 4 3 ♦ Q J ♣ K Q J 8 4 ♠ 8 5 ♥ K 9 6 ♦ K 10 7 6 4 ♣ A 9 5

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♦6 – ♦Q, ♦2 and ♦5. Dummy leads the ♣K – East plays the ♣7. How do you defend?

NW E

S

2. ♠ A 8 6 ♥ A J 8 ♦ A K Q 9 ♣ J 8 4 ♠ K 10 5 4 2 ♥ K 10 6 ♦ 7 6 ♣ A 9 5

West North East South 1♦ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♠4 to the ♠J and ♠Q. Declarer plays a low club to the ♣J (♣5 from you, ♣2 from East) and a club back to the ♣K (♣7 from East). How do you defend?

NW E

S

3. ♠ J 6 ♥ J 8 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ Q J 10 9 6 4 ♠ Q 10 9 8 5 4 ♥ 6 ♦ K J 7 ♣ A K 5

West North East South 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♠10, won by the ♠J. Dummy leads the ♣Q – ♣7 from East, ♣2 from South. What do you do?

NW E

S

4. ♠ A K 8 6 ♥ J 8 ♦ Q J ♣ K Q J 10 4 ♠ 10 9 5 ♥ A 9 6 4 2 ♦ 6 4 ♣ 9 6 5

West North East South 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♦6 – ♦Q, ♦8 and ♦5. Dummy leads the ♥J; East plays the ♥5 and South the ♥3. How do you defend?

DEFENCEQUIZ

by Julian Pottage (Answers overleaf)

You are West in the defensive positions below. It is your turn to play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT.

Answers to Julian Pottage’s Defence Quiz on page 23

NW E

S

1. ♠ J 6

♥ J 8 4 3

♦ Q J

♣ K Q J 8 4

♠ 8 5 ♠ Q 10 7 4 2

♥ K 9 6 ♥ Q 10 2

♦ K 10 7 6 4 ♦ 8 3 2

♣ A 9 5 ♣ 7 6

♠ A K 9 3

♥ A 7 5

♦ A 9 5

♣ 10 3 2


1♠

Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT

Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♦6 – ♦Q, ♦2 and ♦5. Dummy leads the ♣K – East plays the ♣7. How do you defend?

A common technique for declarer is the hold up play. It can prove just as useful for the defenders. By saving your ace of clubs until declarer has run out of clubs, you may be able to shut out the suit. The seven looks like the start of a high-low to show a doubleton, so you hold up until the third round.

NW E

S

2. ♠ A 8 6

♥ A J 8

♦ A K Q 9

♣ J 8 4

♠ K 10 5 4 2 ♠ J 7

♥ K 10 6 ♥ Q 9 3 2

♦ 7 6 ♦ J 8 3 2

♣ A 9 5 ♣ 7 6 2

♠ Q 9 3

♥ 7 5 4

♦ 10 5 4

♣ K Q 10 3


1♦ Pass 1NT

Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♠4 to the ♠J and ♠Q. Declarer plays a low club to the ♣J (♣5 from you, ♣2 from East) and a club back to the ♣K (♣7 from East). How do you defend?

When declarer has a weaker hand than dummy or is short of entries for some other reason, a hold up can also be useful. Here, you know that partner has nothing useful in clubs (the jack would not have won otherwise) and you can see that dummy has a third club. You should hold up the ace until the third round. After taking it, you will continue with the king (or ten) of spades to knock out the ace.

This way you hold declarer to eight tricks by way of two spades, one heart, three diamonds and two clubs. True, if declarer has the jack of diamonds, this will be both an extra winner and an entry to the long club, though in that case your side will make only three tricks whatever you do.

NW E

S

3. ♠ J 6

♥ J 8

♦ A 9 6

♣ Q J 10 9 6 4

♠ Q 10 9 8 5 4 ♠ 7 2

♥ 6 ♥ Q 10 9 5 2

♦ K J 7 ♦ 10 8 3 2

♣ A K 5 ♣ 7 3

♠ A K 3

♥ A K 7 4 3

♦ Q 5 4

♣ 8 2


1♥

1♠ 2♣ Pass 2NT

Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♠10, won by the ♠J. Dummy leads the ♣Q – ♣7 from East, ♣2 from South. What do you do?

The bad news this time is that dummy has a sure entry in the ace of diamonds.

The good news is that you have two club stoppers.

If declarer has only two clubs (and East’s seven suggests this is the case) and the jack of hearts is not a winner, you can shut out the clubs. To do so, you must hold up on the first round. You win the second round perforce and continue spades. With no clubs left in hand, declarer cannot set up the suit without using dummy’s vital ace of diamonds entry.

NW E

S

4. ♠ A K 8 6

♥ J 8

♦ Q J

♣ K Q J 10 4

♠ 10 9 5 ♠ Q J 2

♥ A 9 6 4 2 ♥ 5

♦ 6 4 ♦ K 10 8 7 3 2

♣ 9 6 5 ♣ A 7 3

♠ 7 4 3

♥ K Q 10 7 3

♦ A 9 5

♣ 8 2


1♣ 1♦ 1♥

Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT

Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♦6– ♦Q, ♦8 and ♦5. Dummy leads the ♥J; East plays the ♥5 and South the ♥3. How do you defend?

You must take care not to get into the habit of holding up every ace you hold when you are defending a no-trump contract.

Here, if you duck the first heart, declarer switches to clubs and makes nine tricks by way of two spades, a heart, two diamonds and four clubs.

With the strong clubs and other goodies in dummy, this turn of events is predictable.

You should win the first heart and continue diamonds. Partner can then run the suit when in with the ace of clubs. ■

NW E

S

1. ♠ K 7 2

♥ Q 5 4

♦ A 8 3 2

♣ Q 9 6

♠ A Q J 10 5

♥ A K 6 2

♦ 7 4

♣ 8 3

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ♦K. How do you plan the play?

NW E

S

2. ♠ 6 4 2

♥ A 6

♦ 9 6 2

♣ K Q 10 5 4

♠ A J 9

♥ K 5

♦ Q J 10 7 3

♣ A J 3

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♥Q. How do you plan the play?

NW E

S

3. ♠ A Q 10

♥ A 7 4 2

♦ K 6 2

♣ K 9 4

♠ K J 9 7 3

♥ 6

♦ A Q 7 3

♣ A Q 2

You are declarer in 7♠ and West leads the ♠8. How do you plan the play?

NW E

S

4. ♠ 8 6 5

♥ A 6 2

♦ K 10 6

♣ A J 9 2

♠ K 4

♥ K 8 5

♦ A Q J 4

♣ K 10 5 3

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♥4. How do you plan the play?

DECLARER

PLAY

QUIZby David Huggett

(Answers overleaf)

You are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge. In each case, what is your play strategy?

Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge

65 invaluable tips in 160 pages

Bidding Tips 1 Always consider bidding

spades if you can 2 Bid more aggressively

when non-vulnerable 3 Always double when the

opponents steal your deal 4 A takeout double shows

shortage in the suit doubled 5 ‘Borrow’ a king

to keep the auction open 6 After a penalty double,

don’t let the opponents escape 7 Halve the value of a singleton

honour when opening 8 Only add length-points for a

suit that might be useful 9 Isolated honours are bad

except in partner’s suit 10 Use the jump shift sparingly 11 Consider passing and letting

partner decide 12 You need two top honours

for a second-seat pre-empt 13 Put the brakes on if you have a

misfit 14 Strong and long minors work

well in no-trumps 15 One stop in the opponents’ suit

can be enough for no-trumps 16 Keep your two-level

responses up to strength 17 Use your normal methods in

response to a 1NT overcall 18 Don’t overcall just because

you have opening points 19 Overcalls can be quite weak,

so be prudent when responding 20 Weak overcalls must be based

on strong suits 21 6NT requires 33 points

not 4 aces and 4 kings 22 Raise immediately, if weak

with four-card support 23 In a competitive auction,

show support immediately 24 Bid to the level of your fit

quickly with weak hands 25 With strength and support,

use the opponents’ bid suit

Declarer-play Tips 26 When your contract depends

on a finesse, think ‘endplay’ 27 Consider what a defender

might be thinking about 28 Always take your time

at trick one 29 Establish extra tricks before

cashing your winners 30 Use your opponents’

bidding to your advantage 31 Avoid the ‘baddie’

gaining the lead 32 Use the Rule of Seven when

holding up in no-trumps

33 A low lead usually promises length and an honour

34 When declaring 1NT, try to be patient

35 Duck an early round when you are short of entries

36 Lead up to your two-honour holding

37 Do not always assume a suit will break well

38 Drop a high card to put off the defence

39 Play your highest card to tempt a defender to cover

40 Draw trumps first unless you have a good reason not to

41 Do not waste your trumps 42 Consider leaving a lone defen-

sive trump winner out

Defence Tips 43 Keep four-card suits intact

whenever possible 44 Give count on declarer’s leads 45 Keep the right cards

rather than signal 46 Take your time

when dummy is put down 47 High cards are for killing

other high cards 48 Do not waste

intermediate cards 49 Pick two key suits to concen-

trate on during the play 50 If in doubt, cover an honour

with an honour 51 If a lead is from two honours, it

is best not to cover 52 Keep your honour to kill

dummy’s honour 53 Try to show partner

your solid honour sequences 54 Lead the normal card when

leading partner’s suit 55 Never underlead an ace at trick

one in a suit contract 56 Be wary of leading from

four cards to only one honour 57 Lead a higher card from

a suit without an honour 58 Lead through ‘beatable’

strength and up to weakness 59 Cash your winners before try-

ing for a trump promotion 60 Be patient when defending

1NT 61 Trump leads can be safe

throughout the play

General Tips 62 Do not put important cards

at either end of your hand 63 Avoid being declarer when

you are dummy 64 Before you lead, ask for a

review of the auction 65 Enjoy the Game!

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Answers to David Huggett’s Play Quiz on page 25

NW E

S

1. ♠ K 7 2

♥ Q 5 4

♦ A 8 3 2

♣ Q 9 6

♠ 9 6 ♠ 8 4 3

♥ 10 8 ♥ J 9 7 3

♦ K Q J 9 5 ♦ 10 6

♣ A 10 7 4 ♣ K J 5 2

♠ A Q J 10 5

♥ A K 6 2

♦ 7 4

♣ 8 3

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ♦K. How do you plan the play?

You have nine tricks on top and, barring a miracle in the club suit, it looks as though the extra trick will have to come from hearts.

A simple plan would be to draw trumps and hope for an even split in hearts; you can do better than that. Draw just two rounds of trumps and then play the top hearts ending in hand.

If both defenders follow, you can then draw the remaining trump; occasionally – as here – the hand with only two hearts will only have two trumps as well, so you can go on to ruff the last heart in dummy.

NW E

S

2. ♠ 6 4 2

♥ A 6

♦ 9 6 2

♣ K Q 10 5 4

♠ K 8 3 ♠ Q 10 7 5

♥ Q J 10 7 4 ♥ 9 8 3 2

♦ A 8 ♦ K 5 4

♣ 9 7 2 ♣ 8 6

♠ A J 9

♥ K 5

♦ Q J 10 7 3

♣ A J 3

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♥Q. How do you plan the play?

That heart lead has done you no good at all and, with only eight tricks on top, you are struggling to find the ninth. At first sight, it looks as though diamonds will furnish more than enough tricks once you have dislodged the ace and the king. Of course, that is faulty reasoning because, by then, the defenders will make all their hearts. No, that extra trick must come from spades. The best bet is to lead a low spade from dummy after winning the ace of hearts and insert the nine if East plays low. Hopefully the nine will draw the king or the queen and next time you aim to take a finesse against the remaining honour.

NW E

S

3. ♠ A Q 10

♥ A 7 4 2

♦ K 6 2

♣ K 9 4

♠ 8 6 ♠ 5 4 2

♥ J 9 8 3 ♥ K Q 10 5

♦ J 9 8 4 ♦ 10 5

♣ 8 7 3 ♣ J 10 6 5

♠ K J 9 7 3

♥ 6

♦ A Q 7 3

♣ A Q 2

You are declarer in 7♠ and West leads the ♠8. How do you plan the play?

On first inspection, it might seem that you need the diamonds to break 3-3 for this contract to succeed – that is not the case. Win the trump in dummy, cash the ace of hearts and ruff a heart. Enter dummy with a trump and ruff another heart and now lead a diamond to the king to ruff yet another heart. Now enter dummy yet again, this time with a club, draw the last trump throwing the low diamond from hand and claim. This

clever strategy goes by the name of a dummy reversal and demands merely that trumps break 3-2. If they do not, you will find out at the fourth trick and can fall back on a similar line to problem 1. With the last trump still in dummy, you would play three rounds of diamonds, hoping either that the suit breaks 3-3 or that the defender with long diamonds also has the two outstanding trumps. In the latter case, you would be able to ruff the fourth round of diamonds in dummy.

NW E

S

4. ♠ 8 6 5

♥ A 6 2

♦ K 10 6

♣ A J 9 2

♠ A J 9 ♠ Q 10 7 3 2

♥ J 9 7 4 3 ♥ Q 10

♦ 8 7 3 ♦ 9 5 2

♣ 7 6 ♣ Q 8 4

♠ K 4

♥ K 8 5

♦ A Q J 4

♣ K 10 5 3

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♥4. How do you plan the play?

You are looking for just one extra trick, which clearly the club suit can provide no matter which defender you play for the queen. However, when things look so clear-cut, it is best to look for any possi-ble hidden danger – and that is the case here. Suppose you win the heart in hand, cash the king of clubs and take a finesse against the queen. If it loses – as it would here – a mean East might play a spade and not another heart. Then, with the ace wrong, you would lose a bushel of tricks in that suit. Instead, win the heart in dummy, cash the ace of clubs and con-tinue by playing a club to the ten. Even if it should lose, your king of spades is safe from attack. ■

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Andrew Kambites’

Lead QuizYou are West in the auctions below playing teams or rubber bridge. It is your lead. (Answers overleaf.)

NW E

S

1 ♠ A Q J 3 2 ♥ 7 4 3 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ 5 3


1NT Pass 3NT End

NW E

S

2 ♠ A Q J 3 2 ♥ 7 4 3 ♦ A 5 2 ♣ 5 3


1NT

Pass 3NT End

NW E

S

3 ♠ A K 10 9 8 ♥ 7 4 3 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ 5 3


1NT

Pass 3NT End

NW E

S

4 ♠ A K 10 9 8 ♥ 7 4 3 ♦ A 5 2 ♣ 5 3


1NT Pass 3NT End

SEPTEMbEr 2012

28-30 Ardington Hotel £245 Leads and Defence Crombie McNeil

OcTObEr 2012

12-14 Ardington Hotel £245 Losing Trick Count Sandy Bell

19-21 The Olde Barn Hotel £215 Signals and Discards Stan Powell

NOvEMbEr 2012

2-4 The Olde Barn Hotel £215 Game Tries David Stead

9-11 Blunsdon House Hotel £245 Suit Establishment Ned Paul

16-18 Chatsworth Hotel Worthing £245 Finding Slams Crombie McNeil

23-25 The Olde Barn Hotel £215 Playing Suit Combinations Will Parsons

23-25 Queensferry Hotel £245 Game Tries Crombie McNeil

30-2/12 Chatsworth Hotel Worthing £245 Endplay and Avoidance Ned Paul

FEbrUArY 2013

15 – 17 Cheltenham Regency £245 Hand Evaluation Chris Williams

Tutorial Bridge Breaks

Ardington HotelWorthing BN11 3DZ

See booking form on page 40.

The Olde Barn HotelMarston, Lincs NG32 2HT

Blunsdon House HotelSwindon SN26 7AS

Answers to Andrew Kambites’ Lead Quiz on page 27

These hands demonstrate another reason why I am suspicious of tables of opening leads. Sometimes, the card that you lead from a specific combination might depend on whether you have other entries. These are definitely leads to chew over and work out.

NW E

S

1. ♠ K 8 5

♥ A Q J

♦ K 10 9 3

♣ K 10 6

♠ A Q J 3 2 ♠ 7 6 4

♥ 7 4 3 ♥ 10 9 8 5

♦ 8 5 2 ♦ A 6

♣ 5 3 ♣ 8 7 4 2

♠ 10 9

♥ K 6 2

♦ Q J 7 4

♣ A Q J 9


1NT

Pass 3NT End

Lead the ♠Q. You want to lose the lead early to the ♠K and hope that partner gets in and has a spade left. Alternatively, if declarer has the ♠K and does not take it, perhaps you can switch and wait for part-ner to lead a spade through the ♠K.

NW E

S

2. ♠ 10 9 5 4

♥ A K 10

♦ K J 7

♣ K 10 4

♠ A Q J 3 2 ♠ 8 7

♥ 7 4 3 ♥ Q J 9 6

♦ A 5 2 ♦ 9 8 4

♣ 5 3 ♣ 9 7 6 2

♠ K 6

♥ 8 5 2

♦ Q 10 6 3

♣ A Q J 8


1NT

Pass 3NT End

Same spade holding but this time you have an outside entry. Of course, that means that partner is less likely to have an entry than in problem 1. You could lead the ♠Q as in Hand 1; unless de-clarer can run nine tricks without touch-ing diamonds immediately, doing so will certainly beat the contract if neither de-clarer nor dummy have more than three spades. Can you see an alternative?

If one opponent has ♠K-x and the other four spades, you do better to lead the ♠3 – you can then drop the ♠K on the second round. You must focus upon your main chance. Yes, try to improve your chances, but only if doing so does not compromise your main chance. Hence, leading the ♠3 is trying to be too clever. If declarer has ♠K-10-x and partner has no entry, you will have talked yourself into giving away the contract. However, can it cost to lead the ♠A? While, most of the time, you will continue with the ♠Q, here dummy puts down ♠10-9-5-4. Continuing with the ♠Q would give declarer a second spade stopper, so your only chance is to continue with a low spade – bingo!

NW E

S

3. ♠ 7 3 2

♥ K 10 5

♦ A Q J

♣ K J 10 9

♠ A K 10 9 8 ♠ 6 5

♥ 7 4 3 ♥ J 9 8 6

♦ 8 5 2 ♦ 9 7 6 3

♣ 5 3 ♣ A 8 7

♠ Q J 4

♥ A Q 2

♦ K 10 4

♣ Q 6 4 2


1NT

Pass 3NT End

Lead the ♠10. You want to lose the lead early to the ♠Q or ♠J and hope that partner gets in and has a spade left. No guarantee of success – but you will succeed if neither declarer nor dummy

has more than three spades and partner has a quick entry.

NW E

S

4. ♠ J 6 5 2

♥ K Q 2

♦ K Q 3

♣ K J 10

♠ A K 10 9 8 ♠ 7 4

♥ 7 4 3 ♥ 10 9 8

♦ A 5 2 ♦ J 10 9

♣ 5 3 ♣ 9 8 7 6 4

♠ Q 3

♥ A J 6 5

♦ 8 7 6 4

♣ A Q 2


1NT

Pass 3NT End

Compare Hand 2 with Hand 1 and you will see that having an outside entry al-lows a defender extra options without compromising the main chance (neither declarer nor dummy having more than three spades). The same is true here. You should ask if you can cope with any 4-2 breaks. Once again, the fact that you have an entry on the side lessens the chance that partner will gain the lead.

Obviously, if partner has a spade hon-our, you will usually have no problem. The 4-2 spade break you really can in-fluence is when declarer or dummy has a doubleton honour. In the layout shown, if you lead the ♠10, declarer wins the ♠Q and dummy’s ♠J gives him a second stopper. Correct play is to start with the ♠A and continue with the ♠K, which flat-tens declarer’s ♠Q. The ♠10 then forces out the ♠J and you have 5 tricks.

How do you feel about these hands? They are exploring a world that is foreign to most players. Rather than just lead a particular card because a book tells you it is correct, the defender on lead is trying to work out how things might develop with-out the benefit of seeing dummy. If you can handle this type of thinking, you have the makings of a very fine player. ■

MMAJOR PENALTY CARDAt duplicate, some penalty cards are major penalty cards, requiring their play at the first legal opportunity and giving rise to lead penalties if the offender’s partner gains the lead.

MAJOR SUITSHearts and spades, often called ‘the majors’.

MAJOR TENACEThe holding of the highest and third-highest cards in a suit (A-Q). This combination will always yield one trick and, if the missing card lies in front of the tenace or if you can force the opponent with the missing card to lead the suit, you can make two tricks.

MAKE1. If you shuffle the pack of cards

ready for the next deal, you ‘make’ them.

2. To obtain enough tricks for the contract.

3. If you win a trick, you ‘make’ it. For example, ‘You make five spade tricks and three heart tricks.’

MAKE UP A TABLEFor a fourth player to join with three others to play a game of bridge.

MANNERISMA peculiarity of action or behaviour (such as scratching one’s ear) that one should carefully avoid at the bridge table. Most mannerisms are unconscious and not known by the player himself.

MARKED CARDA card that at least one player knows to be in a particular hand. For instance, whenever one of the unseen hands shows out of a suit, all the remaining unseen cards in that suit become marked in the other player’s hand. Marked cards can also arise by inference from the play. If West, who has bid spades, leads the ♠Q, the ♠J becomes a marked card in West’s hand.

MARKED FINESSEA finesse when one opponent is marked with the missing card.

MASTER1. This can mean an expert or canny

player.2. It is also a player who has won 50

Master Points.

MASTER CARDThe highest outstanding card in a suit. Saying ‘the jack is a master’ means that the jack will win a trick if led, implying that the ace, king and queen of the suit have all gone.

MASTER HANDThe hand with control of the trump suit.

MASTER PAIRSAn event, usually by invitation, for players of a certain standard.

MASTER POINTSPoints issued by the English Bridge Union, other National Bridge organisations and affiliated bodies such as clubs and County Associations for success in certain tournaments. In the UK, there are two types of Master Point, Local and National. Local Points are available in all tournaments including club duplicates. National Points are available only in events run

by national bodies. The accumulation of Master Points is necessary to attain the various grades in the ranking system of the EBU and other home bridge unions.

MATCH PLAYHead-to-head competition between two teams.

MATCHPOINT(S)In a duplicate pairs event, the result of the conversion of a pair’s absolute score on any board to a ranking score. In the UK, you earn two matchpoints for every pair you beat and one for every pair with the same score. To ‘matchpoint’ is to do this conversion. Here is an example:

N/S E/W Cont By Trks Sc Mpoints 7 3 4♠ N 11 450 5 3 9 2 4♠ N 12 480 8 0 6 5 6♠ N 11 -50 0 8 10 8 4♠ N 11 450 5 3 4 1 3NT S 10 430 2 6

Pair 9, who played North-South against pair 2, achieved a top score. Having beaten all the other 4 North-South scores, they get 8 matchpoints. Pair 7 gets 5 matchpoints; they get 4 matchpoints for beating two scores (the 430 and -50) and 1 matchpoint for tying with pair 10’s 450. Pair 4 scores 2 matchpoints. They beat the -50 but lost to all the other pairs. You could calculate the East-West scores the same way, though the easier thing is just to deduct their opponents’ score from 8 (the top on the board).

MATCHPOINT TACTICSOn a minority of deals, you should play differently at matchpoints than you would at rubber bridge or IMPs. What matters is how many scores you beat, rather than how much you beat them by, which can affect tactics.

A to Z of Bridgecompiled by Julian Pottage

A to Z of Bridge continued

1. When the contract is safe, do not just settle for your contract. Look for overtricks. Likewise, when you are defending, do not give up just because the contract is cold – saving an overtrick can be worth many matchpoints.

2. If you are in a normal contract (one you expect most other pairs to reach), you should risk your contract for an overtrick if the chance of making the overtrick is well over 50%.

3. If you are defending and the contract is normal, do not take desperate measures that risk giving an overtrick in an attempt to defeat the contract.

4. If you are in an unusual contract and you have the chance to outscore those playing in a normal contract, it is worth taking a risk to do so.

5. If the opponents outbid you when you are confident of making a contract, look to double them so as to collect a penalty worth more than the contract (even if this means you risk doubling them into game).

6. Do not push for thin games. Positive scores are important.

7. At game level, aim for the highest denomination game (3NT rather than five of a minor).

MEAN SCOREAnother term for the datum, a score computed for a board at duplicate play, from which one can determine IMPs.

MCKENNEYA system of signals and discards to show suit preference, also known as Lavinthal. For many players, the McKenney signal arises in two main defensive situations, normally against trump contracts:1. You give it on the lead of an ace or

winner, when it is obvious from the bidding and sight of dummy that the leader needs to switch. The play of a high card under the ace calls for the higher-ranking of the other two suits, excluding the trump suit; a low card calls for the lower of the other two suits.

2. After the lead of a singleton to your ace, when you return the suit for a ruff, you play a significantly high or low card to indicate the suit of a second entry to your hand, in order to give partner a second ruff.

The McKenney discard works on the similar principle, except that playing it is a matter of partnership agreement and it is available against no-trump contracts as well. A low card asks for the lower of the two remaining suits, other than the suit of the discard; a high card asks for the higher of the other two suits.

Here is an example:

NW E

S

♠ A K J 6

♥ 7

♦ K J 9 3

♣ K J 9 4

♠ 9 7

♥ J 9 3

♦ A Q 7 5

♣ 10 8 5 2

South plays in 4♠ after West opened 3♥ and East raised to 4♥.

When West leads the ♥A, it is clear that a heart continuation will be unproductive.

Accordingly, East’s play gives a McKenney signal, in this case the ♥J, a high card, to ask for the higher-ranking side suit, diamonds. Reverse East’s minors and the signal would be with the ♥3, which West should easily be able to read as low.

MENACEA word primarily used in the context of Squeeze Play.

A menace is a card that might become a winner if an opponent discards from the suit.

MERRIMAC COUPThe sacrifice of an honour, usually a king, as an entry-killing manoeuvre. For example, against 3NT (see hand at the top of the next column), West leads the ♠6 and East wins with the ace. He then plays the ♦K to force out dummy’s ace.

Although this play gives up a trick, it takes out the only entry to dummy’s club winners.

NW E

S

♠ 3 2

♥ 7 6 5

♦ A 8

♣ K Q J 10 8 7

♠ J 9 7 6 5 ♠ A 10 8

♥ 9 2 ♥ Q J 10 8

♦ 7 6 5 ♦ K 10 9 4

♣ 6 3 2 ♣ A 9

♠ K Q 4

♥ A K 4 3

♦ Q J 3 2

♣ 5 4

MICHAELS CUE BIDThe use of the simple cue bid, i.e. a direct overcall in the suit opened by an opponent (as in the sequence 1♣-2♣ or 1♠-2♠), to show a two-suited hand. The cue bid over a minor-suit opening shows both majors, while the cue bid over a major-suit opening shows the other major and a minor suit.

After the overcaller shows both majors, advancer normally shows preference, jumping if appropriate. After the major/minor cue bid, if advancer does not have support for the major, it is usual to play 3♣ as ‘pass or correct’, while 2NT is an enquiry with a stronger hand. The original convention admitted hands with 5-4 shape but the modern style demands at least 5-5. Some partnerships allow the cue bid on weak or strong hands (but not those with intermediate strength) while others allow it on any hand with sufficient values to bid and the right shape.

Here is the Michaels Cue Bid in action:

N

W ES

♠ A Q 8 5 2 ♠ 7 4

♥ K 10 7 5 2 ♥ Q J 9

♦ J 2 ♦ A 9 7 4

♣ 5 ♣ Q 9 7 3


1♦

2♦ Pass 2♥

MILTON WORK COUNTThe 4-3-2-1 honour point count used by most players. Milton Work invented this based on the McCampbell count of 1915.


MINI NO-TRUMPAn opening 1NT bid showing 10-12 high card points.

MINI SEQUENCEA sequence of only two touching cards e.g. J-10-x.

MINI SPLINTERA single jump showing a singleton in the suit bid and primary support for partner.


1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass

3♦

Since a simple reverse of 2♦ would be forcing, West does not need 3♦ as a natural bid. Playing mini splinters, 3♦ usually shows a raise to 4♠ with a singleton diamond; 4♦ would denote a similar hand but with a void diamond.

MINOR PENALTY CARDAt duplicate, a low card played inadvertently may become a minor penalty card. The penalties are far less severe than those that apply for a major penalty card.

MINOR SUITSClubs and diamonds, often called ‘the minors’.

MINOR SUIT SWISSA rare convention whereby responses of 3♥ and 3♠ (and optionally 3♦ after 1♣) to an opening of one of a minor show good trump support, sound values for at least 3NT and some slam interest. The convention has the advantage that responder can show his support and values without taking the bidding beyond 3NT. You may use the Swiss response to show a strong holding in the suit bid or to show specific hand-types.

MINOR TENACEA holding of the second and fourth highest cards in a suit, i.e. K-J.

MIRROR DISTRIBUTIONHaving the same or very similar

distribution as your partner. Mirror distribution tends to be

bad news as it means you cannot ruff anything.

MISBOARDINGTerm used when the hands go back into the wrong slots in the board at duplicate play. If this means that the next table is unable to play the board, then the director may fine the guilty pair or pairs.

By leaving the board in the middle of the table during play and touching only your own cards, you minimise the risk of misboarding.

MISDEALA misdeal occurs if a card turns face up during the deal, or any player receives the incorrect number of cards. A redeal is necessary following a misdeal.

MISÈREA player is said to have followed a misère (slang) line if his play was inferior, especially highly inferior. ‘Butcher’ and ‘Carve’ are similar terms.

MISFITDescription of a situation when both hands of a partnership have distributional hands with shortages in each other’s long suit(s).

N

W ES

♠ K 9 6 5 4 2 ♠ 7

♥ A Q 8 5 4 ♥ 7 3

♦ Void ♦ A Q 9 7 6 4 2

♣ Q 5 ♣ K 8 3

Here East is short in West’s majors while West is very short in East’s diamonds.

The usual rule, when you diagnose a misfit, is to stop the bidding at a low level.

MITCHELL MOVEMENTA simple pairs movement in which the N/S pairs remain stationary, the E/W pairs move to the next higher table and the boards to the next lower table after each round.

If there is an even number of tables, the middle round is a ‘skip’ round,

with boards moving as normal but E/W pairs moving up two tables. Alternatively, a ‘relay’ movement is used with the first and last tables sharing boards and a relay set of boards between the middle tables.

If there is one pair short of having an even number of tables, it is usual to make the N/S at the last table the missing pair, thereby avoiding sharing.

MIXED PAIRSA competition in which each pair comprises a man and a woman.

MIXED RAISEA jump cue bid of opener’s suit to show a hand with 4-card support for partner’s overcall and the strength for a value raise (unassuming cue bid). For example:

N

W ES

♠ K 10 7 5

♥ A 8 6 3

♦ A 10 4

♣ 7 3


1♣ 1♠ Pass

3♣

MIXED TEAMSA competition in which each team includes at least one man and one woman, often, though not necessarily, with changing partnerships.

MODIFIED GRAND SLAM FORCEAfter the trump suit has been agreed, a bid of 5NT, bypassing 4NT, enquires about the Grand Slam. There are various modifications of the convention, but the most common are:1. 6♣ shows none of the top three

honours 6 of the agreed suit shows one of the

top three honours2. 6♣ shows one of the top three

honours 6 of the agreed suit shows none of

the top honoursWith two of the top honours, in both cases responder bids the Grand Slam.

MONSTERA very powerful hand.


MORTON’S FORK COUPA term used to describe a play when, like the victims of Henry VII’s Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Morton, whatever the defender’s action, it is losing. Here is an example:

NW E

S

♠ K 4 2

♥ A 6 5 4

♦ Q 3 2

♣ Q 5 2

♠ 10 9 8 7 ♠ J 6 5 3

♥ 10 3 ♥ 2

♦ A 9 8 4 ♦ J 10 6 5

♣ K 9 4 ♣ 8 7 6 3

♠ A Q

♥ K Q J 9 8 7

♦ K 7

♣ A J 10

As South in 6♥, you receive a spade lead. You win with the ace and use high hearts from hand to draw trumps. It looks as if you might lose a diamond and a club (if the finesse fails). However, if you play a small diamond from hand towards dummy’s Q-3-2, West has no recourse. If he rises with the ace, this will establish dummy’s queen for a second club discard (the ♠K will take care of one losing club).

If West ducks, the queen wins and you can go on to discard the ♦K on a spade, just losing one club.

MOVEThe change of seats by certain players in a duplicate pairs or teams at the end of each round.

MOVEMENTA schedule determining the move at the end of each round. In a Mitchell movement, half the pairs will move. In a pure Howell movement, all but one of the pairs will move. The boards will always move.

MOVEMENT CARDSCards placed on each table in a duplicate event directing players to their next table at the end of each round.

MOYSIAN FITA 4-3 trump fit is a Moysian fit. The term comes from Alphonse Moyse Junior, whose bidding style meant that he finished frequently in trump contracts with only a 4-3 fit.

MUDStanding for Middle-Up-Down, this is a method of leading from a three-card suit (with no honour holding in the suit) by leading the middle card and, on the next play of the suit, following with the highest card. Partner is therefore able to identify that the lead is not from a doubleton. For example, with 7-6-5, you would lead the six and later play the seven and five in that order.

MULTICOLOURED TWO DIAMOND OPENER (MULTI)A conventional 2♦ open-ing bid used to show three or four distinctly different types of hand, including at least one weak and one strong type. The most popu-lar version of the convention shows either a weak two-bid in a major, or a strong two

bid in a minor or a strong balanced hand. Other strong options are a minor two-suited hand and an un-specified three-suited hand (4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0).

Usually, responder bids 2♥ (or 2♠ if holding support for hearts) to allow opener to clarify which type of hand he holds. Opener passes 2♥ with a weak two in hearts or bids 2♠ with a weak two in spades. Other opener’s rebids show strong hands.

MULTI CUE BIDSA system of control-show-ing cue bids, also known as Italian Style Cue Bids, by which you treat first- and second- round controls as of equal importance initially. The purpose is to establish at as low a level as possible that the partnership pos-sesses first- or second-round control in every suit, with a subsequent 4NT enquiry available to confirm that the partnership has sufficient first-round controls.

NW E

S

♠ K 8 5 ♠ A Q J 10 7 2

♥ A K Q 8 4 ♥ 6

♦ 2 ♦ A K J

♣ 10 8 5 3 ♣ J 7 4

West East

1♥ 2♠

3♠ 4♦

East’s 4♦ shows first- or second- round control of diamonds and, just as importantly, denies first- or second-round control of clubs (East would make the cheaper cue bid of 4♣ if holding a club control). This enables the players to stop safely in 4♠. ■

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Better HandEvaluationBernard Magee

Introduction

Better Hand Evaluation is aimed at helping readers to add greater accuracy to their bidding. It deals with auctions in which you and your partner, against silent opponents, can describe your hands fully to each other and, by evaluating them accurately, find the best final contract. The emphasis of all good, accurate bidding is on hand evaluation.

There are two general types of auction: a) a fit is found and b) no fit is found.

When you do not have a fit, you are aiming to describe the strength of your hand as soon as possible, most often using no-trump bids. This book be-gins by discussing balanced hand bidding in Acol, as it is very important that both members of a partnership have an accurate knowledge of how to show hands of different strengths.

When a fit is found, there is much re-evaluation of the hand to be done; point count, though still important, needs to be evaluated together with distribution. The best way of reaching an accurate assess-ment is to use the Losing Trick Count; this is an important method of hand evaluation and takes up a number of chapters.

Finally, we move on to different forms of evaluation including game tries and splinter bids. You can never know enough methods of hand evaluation; the more you learn, the better you get at judging your hand.

Although the Losing Trick Count is used more easily in tandem with your partner, a large proportion of the ideas in this book can be used by an individual. For example, eval-uating your hand to be worth an extra point is going to help anyone you partner – as long as you get it right.

£14 including postage

See Mail Order Form on page 7.

QMy South hand was as follows:

♠ 8 5 4 3 2

♥ J

♦ A K 9 6 3 2

♣ J


1♠ Pass 2♦

Pass 3NT Pass 4NT

Pass 5♦ Pass 5♠

Pass 6NT Pass ?

I passed 6NT, which was a disaster. Should North have trusted his partner, even though South may have misled him?Mary Bartlett by email.

A South’s bidding is indeed misleading. Nothing suggests

possession of 5-card spade support. With no suit agreed, raising 3NT to 4NT should be a quantitative bid. 4♠ is the correct bid at that point. Alternatively, South could start with 4♣ (splinter) or, if you are playing 2NT as a game forcing raise, with 2NT.

Having said that, South should not correct 6NT to 7♠. There could so easily be an ace missing. 6NT could have fair play if partner has something like this:

♠ A K J 7

♥ K 8 4

♦ Q 7 4

♣ A 10 3

♣♦♥♠

Q1. When can partner open 4NT and what

are the responses?2. Defending a 3NT contract, could a singleton ten be a sensible opening lead?Patricia Wicebloom by email.

A 1. A 4NT opening carries a specific meaning. Partner has

a hand with huge playing strength (eleven or twelve tricks) missing an ace or two and wants to know which ace you have. With the ace of spades, hearts or diamonds, you bid the suit with the ace. With no aces, you bid 5♣. With the ace of clubs, you have to jump to 6♣. If you are lucky enough to have two aces, you bid 5NT.

2. Leading a short suit against a no-trump contract can be a good idea if the bidding marks partner with length in the suit. Partner will need a good holding if you have only a singleton,

of course. A short suit lead is more likely to succeed when you have two or three cards in the suit.

♣♦♥♠

QApart from avoiding them, can you offer

any general tips for minimising the result of a bad contract when you end up as declarer in the wrong contract?David Salmon by email .

A If possible, avoid letting on that you are in a bad contract.

For example, if you are in a 4-3 fit, it may be right for the defenders to force the long hand to ruff. So long as they do not know you are in a 4-3 fit, however, they may adopt a different strategy.

Another tip is to concentrate on playing the contract you are in rather than dwelling on the contract you should have been in. If you stop in 4♠ and see that 7♦ has good play, do not waste your effort in working out how you would play in 7♦. Equally, do not argue with your partner about the bidding. Anything that takes your mind away from the task at hand is likely to reduce

Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

Should I Trust my Partner?

your chance of success.If you are simply too

high, try to imagine some favourable layout that would enable you to make your contract – or perhaps a defensive error – if you run a long suit, it is surprising how often the defenders throw the wrong things away.

♣♦♥♠

QPlaying second and fourth leads, I led the 10 from

K-10-9-8-4. My partner would lead the jack from K-J-10-9-4 and the 8 from K-10-9-8-4. What is the difference?Geoff Simpson by email.

A If you lead the 10 from K-10-9-8-4 and the jack

from K-J-10-9-4, these are standard leads. If you lead the 10 from either holding, that is a strong 10 lead.

Your partner is the first person I have come across who would lead the 8 from K-10-9-8-4. Nobody else leads fourth highest when holding an interior sequence. Anyone playing standard leads or strong 10s would lead the ten; those playing zero or two higher leads would lead the 9.

QIs Acol played widely anywhere else in the world

apart from the UK?Judith Munzinger, Switzerland.

A You will find Acol widely played in Ireland as well as the

UK. I understand that some players in the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also play Acol.

I just had a quick look at the Acol Players’ Bridge Club on BBO. With one exception, all the players I found came from the UK or Ireland.

♣♦♥♠

QYou and Bernard recommend that 1♥-1♠-1NT shows

15-17 points. How does responder know how many points you have in the 15–17 range?Beryl Pattinson by email.

A If you want to play in no-trump and just want to know

whether you have game values, you can simply raise to 2NT, invitational. Partner then passes or goes on to 3NT as appropriate.

If you want to know because you are thinking of a slam or you might wish to play in a major, you find out by using 2♣ as an artificial enquiry ‘Checkback’. This asks for more information about opener’s hand. It is similar in concept to using 2♣ Stayman in reply to a 1NT opening, though opener’s replies are a bit more informative.

The replies to the 2♣ Checkback enquiry are as follows:

2♦ Minimum without length in the majors

2♥ Minimum with heart length

2♠ Minimum with spade length

2NT Maximum with-out major length

3♥ Maximum with heart length

3♠ Maximum with spade length

What ‘length’ means de-pends upon the previous bidding. In an unbid suit, it means 4 cards. In your own suit, it means 5 cards. In responder’s suit, it means 3 cards. In the sequence you cite, 2♥ (or 3♥) would show 5 hearts while 2♠ (or 3♠) would show 3 spades.

Minimum will mean 15 or a poor 16. Maximum will mean 17 or a good 16.

♣♦♥♠

QAre there any websites or downloads

where a single person can bid and play a hand of bridge?Brian Joyce, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex.

A You can buy QPlus bridge to play on your Windows

computer. You can try a demo version here: http://www.mrbridge.co.uk/downloads/download.php?program=qplus

By playing online, you can play 24 hours a day 7 days a week with or without a partner. There are various options at www.bridgebase.com

BBO is free (with certain exceptions).

If you play only Acol, I suggest you go to the Acol players’ club on BBO. You need to go to ‘list all tables’ then ‘all public and private

clubs’ and then select ‘Acol Players bridge club’.

♣♦♥♠

QPlaying transfers and Stayman, my partner opened

1NT (weak). I wished to play in diamonds:

♠ 10 9 8

♥ 3

♦ A Q 9 6 4 2

♣ Q J 10

I bid 2♦, which partner converted to 2♥. I rebid 3♦. Partner mistook this as 5-5 in the red suits and bid 4♥. We went 5 off. Partner said that if I wished to play in diamonds, then I should bid 2♣ after his 1NT and then rebid 3♦. Is this correct?M C J Jefferies, Padbury, Bucks.

A If you open 1♥ and rebid 2♦, you would not expect

your partner to think you had diamonds only, would you? It is the same playing transfers. If you bid 2♦ and then 3♦, you show hearts and diamonds. Your rebid adds to the description you have already made; it does not cancel it.

You can play as partner suggests for a weak hand with diamonds, though, these days, many people play that Stayman followed by a new suit at the three level is forcing.

If you want to keep 1NT-2♣-2♥/♠-3♦ for a stronger hand, how you get to sign off in diamonds depends on how you play 1NT-2NT and 1NT-2♠. Presumably, one of those bids is your way to show a game-invitational

balanced hand. This leaves the other bid free for weak hands with a long minor. Thus, if you play 1NT-2♠ as a range enquiry, you use 1NT-2NT on weak hands with a long minor. Partner has to rebid 3♣ over your 2NT. Then, you pass if your long suit is clubs or convert to 3♦ when, as here, your long suit is diamonds.

♣♦♥♠

QWith a regular partner, I play duplicate pairs

on Bridge Club Live frequently. The results of all the pairs are available together with the bidding and the play of all pairs on all the boards that we played. Do you know of a method by which to analyse these results, to determine where we can improve our performance, both bidding and play?Mike Bass by email.

A If you are playing matchpoints, I suggest you look

at all the boards where you and your partner scored 25% or less.

Sometimes the opponents got lucky – they stayed out of a doomed game that everyone else was bidding – or they bid a slam that nobody else bid. Most of the time, however, if you score 0-25% on a board, you and your partner could have done something about it.

Then, you need to ask yourself why you scored poorly. Three questions will probably resolve 90% of your poor scores: (i) Did you misdefend?(ii) Were you in the

wrong contract? (iii) Did you get off to a poor

lead?

Ask Julian continued

QThese players finished in 6NT going down

with the two aces missing. North had 3 losers and South 7.

NW E

S

♠ Void

♥ A K 9 2

♦ A Q 8 6

♣ K Q J 3 2

♠ K Q 10 8 7 6 2

♥ Q 10

♦ 10 4

♣ 6 4

How should they have bid (North was dealer)?John Smith by email.

A The losing trick count works only when you have a

fit. You should not expect it to work on a misfit deal.

The auction would have been very easy had the other hand been the dealer (3♠-4♠-end).

With the strong hand as the dealer, you could bid 1♣-1♠-2♥-2♠-3NT-4♠.

Opener has shown a strong hand by reversing and then jumping to 3NT. Responder has no interest in a slam knowing the deal is a misfit (opener has shown two suits and a good stopper in the third, so must be short in spades).

♣♦♥♠

QPlaying Roman Keycard Blackwood,

the bidding started as follows:

Opener Responder

1♠ 2♥

2♠ 4NT

5♦ 5NT

Is 5NT a sign off?K L Mills, Bournemouth.

A The simple answer is no. Whatever form of Blackwood you

play, a 5NT bid by the player who bid 4NT carries the same message, ‘We have no obvious losers – please let me know more about your hand – particularly kings.’

In the situation you have given, responder is an-nouncing that he has 4 key cards and the ♠Q (thereby giving the partnership all 5 key cards and the ♠Q). Opener should then show kings. Some people play that you show how many kings you have i.e. 6♣=0, 6♦=1 etc; some play that you show specific kings i.e. 6♣=♣K, 6♦=♦K etc.

The only way responder can sign off is to bid 5♠ – he cannot sign off in 5♥ because 5♥, being the next suit up, would be asking whether opener has the ♠Q.

♣♦♥♠

QWhen my RHO opened 3♥, I had a good open-

ing hand, 15 points, but balanced. I hesitated over what to bid, eventu-ally passing. Did I have enough to overcall 3NT?Margaret Johnson, Solihull.

A A usual yardstick when deciding whether you are

strong enough to bid over an opposing pre-empt is to put partner with a flattish 8 count. With 15 facing 8 and bad breaks, you would not really expect to make 3NT, so you would normally pass.

QAs West, I held the follow-ing hand:

♠ K Q 6 3

♥ 6 4

♦ 8 3

♣ A Q 9 8 5


1♣ Dbl 1♥ 2♦

?

Should I pass (as South’s bid was higher than my planned 1♠ rebid)? What would a double have meant?Ron Turner, Alton (similar from Heather Thomson).

AWith a minimum opening, it seems right to pass when

the opposing action means that you cannot make your intended rebid. Partner will have another chance and can work out that you were intending to rebid 1♠ or 2♣, acting accordingly.

There are three common ways to play your double (i) strong no-trump values (ii) 3-card heart support or (iii) penalties. It is up to you and your partner to agree on the meaning. On any of these three meanings, a double would not fit your hand.

♣♦♥♠

QMy partner opened 1NT (12-14) and I

bid 2♦ (transfer) with 4 poor spades and 5 hearts. The next hand doubled. My partner passed with ♦A-J-x-x. I took his pass as showing loads of diamonds; with ♦K-10-9, I passed.

What action should have taken place after the double and

what is the minimum holding in my hand to pass 2♦ doubled?Name and address supplied.

A It is quite common to play that, when an opponent doubles

the transfer, opener com-pletes the transfer only when holding three-card (or better) support. Your partner’s pass thus indicates a doubleton heart. Opener will often have four diamonds but might be 4-2-3-4 or 3-2-3-5.

Since your spades were poor, it seems reasonable to rebid 2♥ even though you expect to be facing a dou-bleton. This is also consistent with your original decision to use a transfer rather than Stayman. As it was, leav-ing in 2♦ doubled does not sound like a disaster. A-J-x-x facing K-10-9 sounds like quite a playable trump suit.

♣♦♥♠

QPartner opens a weak no-trump.You hold a 5332

hand with the 5-card suit a major and 0-10 HCP.

What factors do you take into consideration before deciding whether to ‘pass’ or ‘transfer’?Paul Jesper by email (similar from Gillian Glynne-Davies).

A Different people use different rules in this situation. I am not

sure whether anyone has done any computer simula-tions to produce a definitive answer. I look at the double-ton and at the long suit. If the doubleton is Q-x and the 5-card suit is poor (one hon-our), I would often pass 1NT. If the doubleton contains any honour but the 5-card suit does not, I would often pass. Probably 90% or more of the time, I would transfer.


QPlaying Standard Acol and third in hand, I held

the West cards:

NW E

S

♠ A K J 6 ♠ 4

♥ K Q J 7 4 ♥ A 10 9 5 2

♦ J 10 6 ♦ A Q 5 4

♣ K ♣ 9 8 3

West East

Pass

1♥ 4♥

Pass

My instinct was to investigate further but I thought better of it. I made 13 tricks when North had ♦K-x-x and I was able to discard the ♣K. Several pairs had bid 6♥.

My partner was not at all pleased, as several pairs had bid the small slam. I thought that partner’s hand was too good for a direct raise to game.

Was I correct? Margaret Bleakley by email (similar from K Davies, Birmingham).

A Your partner’s simple raise to 4♥ was a poor choice.

She should have done something more descriptive.

One possible bid would be 3♦. As a passed hand, she cannot have 15 points or so. The jump shift shows a maximum pass with at least nine cards between your suit and the suit bid (including at least four cards in your suit). The alternative is a splinter of 3♠, assuming you play splinters. This shows a raise to 4♥ with a singleton or void in spades.

QWhat do you think of our bidding on the

following deal? I realise East should have given preference to 5♠.

NW E

S

N/S Vul.

♠ 10 9 6

♥ K 9 7 5 4 2

♦ A Q J 9

♣ Void

♠ A K J 8 7 2 ♠ 3

♥ Void ♥ J 10 8

♦ K 10 6 3 2 ♦ 7

♣ A 5 ♣ K J 10 9

7 6 4 2

♠ Q 5 4

♥ A Q 6 3

♦ 8 5 4

♣ Q 8 3


1♠ 2♥ Pass Pass

2♠ Pass Pass 3♥

4♦ Pass 5♣ Pass

5♦ End

Bryan Newman, Bishopsteignton, Devon.

AWith 10 HCP and 4-card support, admittedly in a

completely flat hand, South should not be passing 2♥. A raise to 3♥ is in order. West would then not have had the chance to bid 3♦ (or his actual 2♠).

West should not have rebid 2♠: this was a false economy – with the heart void, the bidding is unlikely to end – besides, it understates the playing strength. If he had got over the strength of the hand and shown the second suit by rebidding 3♦, he would have had no reason to bid again after that.

North’s final pass is being overly sporting. If the opponents are in a silly contract, you can double. Given that the opponents tried to stop in 2♠, it is

unlikely that they can make a successful retreat to 5♠. North should lead a trump against 5♠ doubled to cut down diamond ruffs in dummy.

If South correctly raises to 3♥, West’s action is less clear. If West bids 4♦, North has more reason to fear a correction to 4♠ than he did on the sequence at the table. However, with the ♦K almost certainly onside, 4♥ looks a good spot, so North probably bids 4♥ rather than doubling. If East-West buy the contract, they will do so at the four lev-el. I am afraid I cannot see a way for East to bid his clubs.

♣♦♥♠

QHow should I play this combination to secure four

tricks? Dummy has no side entries.

NW E

S

A K 9 8 4

10 7

I reasoned that the outstanding cards might be divided 4-2 with an honour in each hand. I proceeded to lead the 10 and let it run to East’s queen. Then, on regaining the lead, I played the 7 to dummy’s 9. This lost to East’s jack and the roof fell in.David Amon by email.

A Against most opponents, your play was correct.

You are more likely to find J-x-x-x or Q-x-x-x on your left than Q-J-x on your right. Your right hand opponent is unlikely to consider holding up with J-x or Q-x. However, if you were playing against

a top-notch pair, your RHO might work out that you have a doubleton in the suit and that you need four tricks in the suit and so hold up with such holdings. In that case, it could well be correct to play for the 3-3 break.

♣♦♥♠

QWith a 4441 hand and 12-14 points, would it be

sensible to ‘pass’ and await developments? If opposition bid your short suit, you can make a takeout double. If the opposition pass and partner bids, you can respond accordingly. There seems every chance that either partner or opposition will have sufficient points to make a bid.Martin McNeill, Richmond, Surrey.

AWhile it is true that when you have 12-13 points and a single-

ton, someone else will often have sufficient values to open the bidding, it will not solve all your problems if you pass. Partner will not play you for such a good hand – you may need to take over the subsequent bidding, guess-ing how high you should go.

With 14 points, the chance someone else has opening values goes down. There is also the possibility that your partner also has a 4441 type.

It would be embarrassing if you and your partner held:

NW E

S

♠ A 9 4 2 ♠ K Q 10 3

♥ A 9 4 2 ♥ 5

♦ 5 ♦ A 7 6 2

♣ K Q 10 3 ♣ A 9 5 2

You would rather be in a slam than pass out the deal.


QI was on lead against 3NT after my partner had

bid diamonds. This was the layout in the suit:

NW E

S

♦ 8 6

♦ Q 7 2 ♦ A K 9 4 3

♦ J 10 5

I led the two, which my partner won with the ace. Then, he led the king and I unblocked the suit by playing the queen. The ♦J was declarer’s ninth trick. As it turned out, partner had the ♥A as well, so we would have beaten the contract easily on a different defence. Did I do wrong?Charles Fernandes, Littlestone, Kent.

A At expert level it is quite common to play that you lead

third and fifth in partner’s suit. Your partner would then know you could not hold J-x-x-x when you led the two and could defend accordingly.

On the scenario as given, you have not said whether declarer dropped the 10 on the first round. If declarer failed to drop the 10, your partner might work out that with J-10-x-x you could have led the jack and so play you for your actual holding.

Another possible solution is that partner wins the first trick with the ace when wanting you to unblock (e.g.

when holding A-K-J-x-x) and the king when not wanting you to unblock. Since it is normal to play the lower of touching honours, the ace is an unusual card to play from ace-king, asking you to do something unusual. It seems that your partner was at fault in playing the ace on the first round.

♣♦♥♠

QIn teaching the Jacoby 2NT response (game

forcing raise of opener’s suit) to an opening bid of 1♥/1♠, I recommend that following the 2NT bid, the bidding up to 4NT should be Italian cue bidding. I would be interested in your comments.Alan Mansell, Milford-on-Sea.

A 1. It is common to play that opener’s initial rebid shows

something about the shape of the hand and perhaps whether it is minimum. For example, the bid of a new suit at the three level shows either a singleton in the suit or four cards in the suit (obviously you and your partner have to agree which way round you are playing it). Cue bidding can come later.

2. Amongst the top players, it has become almost universal to use Italian style (multi style) cue bidding, whereby you show the cheapest control first, whether it is a first-round or second-round control. When experts agree about an aspect of bidding (which does not happen very often), they are usually right. ■


E-mail your questions for Julian to: [email protected]

This book was first published in Great Britain in 1978 and

the fact that this is the fif-teenth impression gives testament to what an out-standing piece of work it is. It tells you just about everything you would ever need to know about how to play this game. In fact, if you know nothing at all, you will if you read the first thirty pages or so.

Once the book starts in earnest, there are fifteen chapters starting with bal-anced hands and gradually progressing with advice on how to deal with less-bal-anced and stronger hands. About halfway through, the book starts to look at the competitive auction, dealing with overcalls and the requirements for mak-ing a low-level takeout double.

What is so good about this is that, both during and at the end of each chapter, there are lots of ex-amples and practice hands for you and your partner to get to grips with. But what is better is that, through-out the chapters on bid-ding, the writers never lose sight of the fact that, hav-ing reached a contract, it needs to be played in the right way, so that bidding, play and, later, defence ap-pear together. (I know as a teacher one can spend too much time on the bidding to the detriment of other facets of the game.)

The later chapters deal more exclusively with de-clarer play and defensive strategies and, if that is not enough, there are a number of appendices at the end re-lating to particular topics. Maybe it is about which suit to lead, or what card from that suit once you have chosen the suit, but, to my mind, the best one is the de-bunking of all the myths and fallacies that surround the game. As an aside, I can tell you that people who learned at their mother’s knee re-member all the things that are just not true and few of the things that are.

I really wish I had come across this book earlier be-cause, from a teacher’s point of view as well as the stu-dent’s, it is a gold mine of information and the prac-tice hands alone are enough to warrant the cost.

So did I like everything about this book? Not quite: I disliked the way the authors recommended adding on extra points for distribution. The average learner finds it hard enough as it is with the simple 4-3-2-1 count. I am not convinced either of the merits of opening the lower of two four-card suits in an otherwise balanced hand but maybe that is just a personal preference and these are minor quibbles. The book deservedly merits its undoubted acclaim and it should be compulsory read-ing for anyone hoping to get to grips with the game.

Basic BridgeThe Guide To Good Acol Bidding & Play

by Ron Klinger in collaboration with Pat Husband & Andrew Kambites

reviewed by David Huggett

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♦ Full-board

♦ All rooms with en-suite facilities

♦ No single supplement

♦ Two seminars*

♦ Two supervised play sessions*

♦ Four duplicate sessions**

Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH.

( 01483 489961e-mail: [email protected]

website: www.holidaybridge.com*on tutorial weekends. **6 sessions on rubber/Chicago events.

AUGUST 2012

8 MACMILLAN BRIDGE TROPHY St Georges Bridge Centre Darlington at 2pm. Duplicate bridge; good prizes; master points. 36 boards and tea followed by excellent meal. £12.50. ( 01325 360340

22 WEST NORfOLk DEAf ASSOCIATION CHILDREN’S BREAk-OuT CLuB Charity Duplicate. South Wootton Village Hall. Cream tea and raffle. 1.45pm Tickets £5.00. Ivan Gerstel ( 01553 768236

24 ALL SAINTS’ CHuRCH Village Hall Sawtry. 1pm for 1.30pm. Champagne ‘Ritz Tea’. £10. Pat Walters ( 01487 830674 Malcolm Howarth ( 01480 212910

SEPTEMBER 2012

5 GYDA (Gulu Youth Development Association, Northern uganda) Corn Exchange, faringdon. £15. Steve Braithwaite ( 01367 240929

13 THE PHYLLIS TuCkWELL HOSPICE. Guildford Cafe bridge. A day of fun bridge in Guildford played in various venues in the city centre. £22 per player to include coffee & lunch. [email protected] polly.youngs2@ hotmail.co.uk

14 ST MARY’S CHuRCH Eaton Socon, St Neots. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480 212910

19 PRINCESS ALICE HOSPICE Putney Leisure Centre, The Dryburgh Hall, Putney, 11am–3pm. £68 per table to include lunch. Pam Turner ( 020 8995 2270

E-mail your charity events: [email protected]

CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTS

20 HuDDERSfIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLuB 12 for 12.30pm. Outlane Golf Club. £44 per table inc. lunch, tea and biscuits. Brian Noble ( 01484 427356

22 CHRISTIAN AID Bridge at Preston Church Rooms, Weymouth. 1.45 for 2pm. £6.50 with tea. Julia Moore ( 01305 776138

25 ST TERESA’S HOSPICE Bridge The Gap afternoon at Richmond Support Group (N Yorks) followed by tea. Mary Lovell ( 01748 850208

26 fRIENDS Of EAST SuSSEX HOSPICES Glyndebourne Opera House, The Mildmay Hall. 1.30pm. Gardens open 12.30pm. Champagne & tea. Dianne Steele ( 01435 813630 [email protected]

OCTOBER 2012

5 ST ANDREW’S CHuRCH The Mandeville Village Hall, kimbolton. 10.00 for 10.30am. £14. Mavis Campion ( 01480 860477

5 RNLI Bridge Drive, Salwarpe Village Hall, Droitwich. 10.30 for 11am £10 inc. buffet. Mrs P Main ( 01905 381935

6 NSPCC Bridge & Supper, Royal British Legion, Sutton. £10. Wendy Powell ( 01353 664752 Silvia farmer ( 01353 777373 Margaret Law ( 01353 860334

16 CHRISTCHuRCH & EAST DORSET CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION. 7.00pm. West Parley Memorial Hall, Christchurch Road, West Parley. £26/table inc. supper. Maureen Anderson ( 01202 894819 Lesley Wilson ( 01202 875574

READERS’LETTERSGOTCHAModernising the Game – BRIDGE April 2012. You fooled me, but not my wife, with your ‘April Fool’s Trick’ article about modernising the game (page 22). She saw through its absurd suggestions right away. It took me a whole day to cool down from the ill-temper I got into because of the ridiculous, stupid and ill-founded ideas put forward for changing the greatest trick taking card game ever.

The obvious and urgent need to increase the number of new young players entering the game was the imaginative magical ingredient needed to make this splendid spoof article work. Congratulations.Bryn Gravenor, Swansea.

MORE MODERNISINGHaving read your article ‘Modernising the Game’, I think that as April 1st is just approaching, it is an appropriate time to publish it. If it bears just a grain of truth, my decision to leave the EBU some 15 – 20 years ago is now vindicated.

Our (unaffiliated) Lawn Bridge Club in Swindon is really taking off now, using 52 card packs. Currently we have in excess of 60 regular members and there is a steady stream of newcomers eager to learn the game. Our training sessions at our sister club in Gorse Hill attract 6 – 8 tables on a Friday.Derek Fenn, Swindon.

NEW SUIT

It would be nice to see a separate colour for each suit as part of any modernisation.

I would also like to see the introduction of another court card in the 15-card suits. A Duchess perhaps? Paul Oates by email.

NO JOKEI read this a couple of times as I couldn’t believe it was not a joke.

I agree it is good to encourage new players of this challenging game, but the EBU proposals, if implemented, would certainly put me off bridge and many others I would think. The EBU seems to be proposing radical changes which I fail to see would do anything other than discourage current players.

Let’s leave bridge as it is and as it has basically been for the last many decades. I disagreed with the EBU ‘Pay2Play’ change and quit the EBU and also quit playing in EBU clubs.Mr Millis Miller, Epsom, Surrey.

GREEN PAPER PLEASEI was interested to read your article ‘Modernising the Game’ BRIDGE 114 and should very much like to have a copy of the green paper when it is ready.Carole Gibbons, Blackheath, Guildford.We received many letters regarding the green paper.This will be forwarded free of charge when ready.

MORE GREEN PAPERI read with interest, BRIDGE 114, that the EBU are considering modernising the game and would welcome ideas.

By and large, the game is OK as it is but I would like to see a possible change in scoring overtricks. At present, overtricks are valued at trick value. This means that a bid of one heart with two overtricks will score the same as three hearts. If overtricks were valued at say half the trick value then players would start to bid up to the full value of their hands. This would bring duplicate scoring more in line with rubber bridge where three hearts bid and made shows 90 points below the line, whereas one heart with two overtricks would show only 30 points below the line.Brian Berlanny, Drayton, Portsmouth.

GREAT FUNI felt I had to write and say just how much I enjoyed the article in BRIDGE 114 about modernising the game. I laughed out loud it was so funny – well done to the author. I can’t wait to try out some of the ideas.Gillian Machie, Insch, Aberdeenshire.

NEGATIVE BIDSI very much enjoy receiving my copy of BRIDGE (as well

as the emailed newsletter). I particularly enjoyed your article ‘Modernising the Game’, BRIDGE 114, noting full well that it is in the April edition.

I have a further suggestion, namely allowing negative bids. The order of bids would be 1♣, -1♣, 1♦, -1♦ ..., 7NT, -7NT.

In the case of negative bids, you, as declarer, are saying that you will make that many tricks fewer than 6, with that suit as trumps.

This matter should be explored and included in the EBU green paper.Richard Moss, Urmston, Manchester.

WELL DONECongratulations again on attaining your 25th Anniversary and thank you for celebrating it with the Festival of Bridge Cruise.

As first timers on your cruise holidays, my cousin Belinda Martin and I have enjoyed every moment, in and out of the bridge room and in the Palm Court. What a delightful team you have assembled, all competent, caring and charming.

And a wonderful business partnership with Voyages of Discovery – a great ship, a super crew and most agreeable fellow passengers.

We shall return.Judith Jones and Belinda Martin.

A ROSE BYMost of your contributors seem to play four-card majors. (Acol).

Just about everyone in our small club plays five-card majors. Are we unrepresentative of UK practice? (We also mostly favour weak no-trump). Thanks.Pat Barry, Thetford, Norfolk.

D

D

READERS’ LETTERScontinued

REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGEPostage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value,

all mint with full gum. Quotations for commercial quantities

available on request.

Values supplied in 100s, higher values available as well as 1st and 2nd class (eg 1st class: 100x37p+100x9p)

(/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: [email protected]

HELPFUL PLUGHart Bridge Club are looking for new members. Meeting Tuesday 7pm at Clarence Road, Fleet. For details contact either Ian Bonser (Secretary)( 01252 [email protected] Willshire (Treasurer)( 01252 [email protected]:Hartbridgeclub.co.ukMr A Baker by email.

JUST A SUGGESTIONI am delighted to have the DVD ‘Ruffing For Extra Tricks’ and thank you again for the generous present. If these excellent seminars are ever made in the future could I put in a plea for a reduction in ‘camera flicking’? It seems pointless when really all one wants to see and plan is the layout of cards with Bernard’s clear instruction as voice over. The constant return to his face and to the jolly looking audience breaks the train of thought making it harder and less enjoyable to follow.

Apart from this distraction, the seminar itself is brilliant.Rosemary Morton Jack by email.

FUNDRAISERThe Exeter Golf & Country Club Bridge Section’s nineteenth Annual Charity

Swiss Teams is in aid of Hospiscare. Since the inception of this event, The Section has raised over £55,000 for The Exeter and District Hospice.Mr O Amor, Chair. Bridge Charity Committee.

THANKSThanks for your recent helpful response to my cry for help regarding the location of a source of printed table cards for use with multiple team events.

As you suggested I spoke to John Pain at the EBU who recommended a website of Jeff Smith.

While I am reasonably adept with day to day online usage, I am afraid that although that website looked at the start likely to offer what I was seeking, in the end I could not make progress so I abandoned it.

However, being retired, with plenty of time for worthwhile tasks, I set about compiling table cards myself and so now have sets for the combination of tables experienced at our club. The next step is to put them into use over the next few months, as the opportunity arises and, when this has proved them to be accurate, I propose to let you have a letter for the magazine offering them to anyone who is in need.

Thanks again for your help – and indeed, on the wider front, for your splendid service to the bridge-playing community.

Long may it continue. This message presents an

opportunity to mention our recent experience on holiday in Gran Canaria. Having holidayed there over many years, we thought it was time we looked for a friendly game of bridge there.

Googling produced all sorts of responses, among which was reference to a chap who called himself Rambling Roger and whose CV referred to his role as a walking leader on the island, in the course of which he had met bridge players. I was able to contact him by email and this led to a further contact with the leaders of bridge at the Scandinavian Club in San Agustin. Having established details of the location and bridge programme at this club, we were able to visit it on a recent holiday and were made most welcome by the leaders and players, all of whom were Scandinavian, mostly Swedes and most of them speaking very acceptable English. As expected, they all played strong no-trump and five-card majors and the standard of play was at the level of most clubs in the UK.

We shall certainly play there again on our next visit and would recommend the experience to any player of average club ability.Bill Hirst, Bramhall, Manchester.

DIRECTORYYou once published a list of clubs – would it not be a good idea to update and reprint especially as there are going to be even more not in the EBU? What about including websites as well?

If so can Hart Bridge Club be added?Tony Baker, Charvil, Reading.

NOTHING CHANGESIn celebration of Dickens’ bicentenary, your readers would surely sympathise with Mr Pickwick. I quote from page 503 of The Pickwick Papers, first published in 1837.

.....Poor Mr Pickwick! he had never played with three thorough-paced female card-players before. They were so desperately sharp, that they quite frightened him. If he played a wrong card, Miss Bolo [his partner] looked a small armoury of daggers; if he stopped to consider which was the right one, Lady Snuphanugh would throw herself back in her chair, and smile with a mingled glance of impatience and pity to Mrs Colonel Wugsby; at which Mrs Colonel Wugsby would shrug up her shoulders, and cough, as much as to say she wondered whether he would ever begin. Then, at the end of every hand, Miss Bolo would inquire with a dismal countenance and reproachful sigh, why Mr Pickwick had not returned that diamond, or led the club, or roughed the spade, or finessed the heart, or led through the honour, or brought out the ace, or played up to the king, or some such thing; and in reply to all these grave charges, Mr Pickwick would be wholly unable to plead any justification whatever... Rupert Timpson by email.

READERS’ LETTERScontinued

NOW YOU KNOWI play regularly in the simultaneous pairs events run by the EBU, previously under the Ecats banner but now by the EBU.

While looking at results in Cornwall earlier this year I noticed that Bude, a Cornish club, were obtaining what seemed to be very skewed results, in particular, large boosts in percentages for the N/S stream in a two winner field. I followed this up in other events this year, for Bude and also for the Sims results for other clubs, but concentrating on ‘two winner’ clubs. It was clear that some two winner fields were being set up to favour a particular orientation, sometimes N/S and sometimes E/W. This manipulation produces skewed national results for both the ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ members of the club and distorts national results as well. Clearly, the practice could be described as ‘sharp’ by any criterion.

When I took this up with various members of the EBU (John Pain, Max Bavin) they recognised that it was occuring. However, their tournament committee was not prepared to issue any directives to clubs which would ensure ‘randomisation’ of the field. Max Bavin did say that if I wanted to take the matter further I should proceed through my ‘shareholder’ rep on the EBU committee.

These responses hardly seem in line with the ‘best behaviour’ philosophy espoused by the EBU.

I have had considerable support for my view from fellow bridge players in Cornwall and the Country,

(though not from Bude) and can provide analyses of recent Sims results. If you think you can help, for example by publicising the problem or by me producing a ‘letter to the editor’, I and possibly bridge players in general would be grateful.Brian Colvin, Secretary, St. Austell Bridge Club,St. Austell, Cornwall.

ONLY A NAMEApropos M J Gurney’s question in ‘Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions’, in the June 2012 issue, I learnt the ‘Pudding Raise’ from Paul Mendelson’s Guide to The Bidding Battle. Paul does not claim to have coined the term; he merely states, ‘the 3NT response, which we call a ‘Pudding Raise’, replaces the inefficient and outmoded Delayed Game Raise.’ I looked up the term in the Official Encylopedia, which states, ‘A balanced raise on high card strength alone’ (British). So, as Julian states, its nomenclature originates from a British player, who, is still unknown. Paul Mendelson gives a brilliant exposition of how to use the ‘Pudding Raise’ in his chapter on Slam Bidding on page 153.

Paul writes a weekly bridge column for The Financial Times and is widely acclaimed as a brilliant teacher, author, successful tournament player and a National Champion.

I hope this, at least partly, answers the question. Evan Stclair Sepion by email.Certainly does.

SO BE ITThank you for your recent communications regarding cruises. However, I am no longer interested in a cruise holiday. Although I have

the greatest confidence in Mr Bridge, there has been so much adverse publicity recently re cruises in general, that I have decided to abandon the idea.Miss D Durham, Shirley, Solihull.

STARK RAVINGWe’re looking forward eagerly to coming over and joining Discovery for a cruise. If Stan Powell needs any assistance, I’d be glad to help. I’m EBU certified.Brian Moakes by email.

COMING SOONCould you please publish an article on the pros and cons of arrow switching at duplicate. I know many people do not understand why this is necessary.Mr George Quinton, Hedge End, Southampton.I will start a new column, Frequently Asked Questions, in the October issue. This can be the very first question.

MORE FOR THREEI venture to offer my own version of ‘Bridge for three’ which I think has some advantages over various alternatives, viz:-

1. Deal four hands face down. The dealer (e.g. North) checks their point counts quickly and gives the two with the highest count to East and West who bid them.

2. The player who is to be dummy moves to the South position and plays that hand as a defender.

3. North or South make

the opening lead and dummy is exposed. Play continues normally.

Notes: If East/West are relative newcomers to the game, North can remain as dealer throughout, so that the East/West pair experience bidding, declarer play and defence with every deal. Otherwise, the dealer can rotate as normal using individual scoring.Bert Howard, High Peak, Derbyshire.

UPS AND DOWNSWith regard to Bob’s Blog (BRIDGE 115), we play regularly at clubs in France where, inevitably, the majority play five card majors, whilst we play our version of standard Acol with suitable alerts. Sometimes we get a top and sometimes a bottom and sometimes in the middle. We also play regularly in a club in England where the majority play some version of Acol. Sometimes we get a top and sometimes a bottom and sometimes in the middle. It seems that the advice given to Jack would have made little difference to us.Mr R Hutty, Burgess Hill, West Sussex.

THANKSLike so many of your readers, I would just like to thank you once again for the informative and helpful read. After half a lifetime at the game, I realise how little I really know.Mr Martin Ison, London N3. ■

Write to Mr Bridge at: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH or e-mail [email protected]

E-mail correspondents are asked to include their name, full postal address, telephone number and to send no attachments.

Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

It was a trio that boarded a plane at Norwich International Airport. Following our trip to Spain, my

friend Millie and I were looking forward to our latest venture, a bridge holiday in Rhodes. However, this time, unlike the Spanish jaunt, my husband decided to accompany us on the strict understanding that he would not be required to play any bridge. Millie and I agreed willingly; he is a most reluctant player who dropped out of bridge classes at an early stage.

Our hotel was situated in Rhodes Town, close to the castle, overlooking the ancient harbour once guarded by the Colossus of Rhodes.

Spouse explored the town, while Millie and I settled down to our first session of bridge. ‘Why Rhodes?’ I pondered when Millie first suggested the holiday. The answer became apparent when the handsome stranger, Justin from the Spanish jaunt, approached from the other end of the room. Still handsome but no longer a stranger, he and Millie were reacquainted in traditional Mediterranean style. Millie looked quite flushed as bridge proceeded.

I was not surprised to learn that we finished third from bottom with a measly 44%, whereas Justin and his regular bridge partner, Bryn, finished top with a sparkling 67%.

That evening, Spouse took me to his discovery of the afternoon, a delightful taverna close by the Turkish quarter within the ancient walled town. Millie, Justin and Bryn dined elsewhere, consuming several litres of local wine, followed by a few brandies, probably at Millie’s request.

On the next day, Millie and I were due to play in the team event with

Justin and Bryn. Unfortunately, the latter had overindulged the previous evening and was suffering from a need to lie motionless in his darkened room. A substitute partner for Justin had to be found urgently and Millie volunteered eagerly. This caused another problem and an emergency solution was required. ‘No, No, NO!’ shrieked Spouse, as he was dragged into the bridge room. ‘I mean NO!’ exploded Spouse, as he was deposited unceremoniously at the bridge table. ‘I’ll pass throughout,’ he spluttered as the TD announced that play was underway. ‘Don’t you dare call a spade a shovel’, I warned him, ‘and don’t bid no-trumps first.’ Spouse sat South, white-faced and trembling. Bridge began and, as luck would have it, he was dealer on our first board:

NW E

S

♠ Q 9 7 3

♥ 10 8 6

♦ 6 4

♣ A K Q 7

♠ 2 ♠ J 8 4

♥ A K 9 5 2 ♥ Q J 7 3

♦ Q 10 5 3 2 ♦ K J 8 7

♣ J 6 ♣ 8 5

♠ A K 10 6 5

♥ 4

♦ A 9

♣ 10 9 4 3 2

Immediately, Spouse broke rule 1 by opening ‘One shovel.’ I glared at him venomously and he converted to one spade using the bidding box, simultaneously smiling sweetly at our bemused opponents. I perused my hand and, when West passed, I made the practical bid of four spades. East

passed and Spouse broke rule 2 by bidding four no-trumps (Blackwood). I sighed inwardly and considered passing, but felt obliged to show one ace by responding five diamonds. Spouse counted aces carefully and finding only one missing, jumped to six spades. The complete auction was:

North South

1♠

4♠ 4NT1

5♦2 6♠

End1Blackwood 2One ace

I groaned inaudibly, but then watched in amazement as Spouse ruffed the king of hearts continuation after the initial ace lead, remembered to remove trumps, ruffed another heart and discarded the losing diamond on the fifth club to bring home the contract. There was no stopping him now. His confidence grew rapidly. By mid-session, he was advising me on bidding and play and, as the session came to a close, he was giving opponents the full benefit of his wisdom and bridge theories.

As we scored up at the end, it emerged that, on that first hand, Justin had played in four hearts as West. North led the ace of clubs, followed by the king. With two other aces to lose, the contract went one off for an excellent result. A few other good scores followed and our scratch team won the event by a narrow margin. ‘When is our next event, then?’ enquired Spouse enthusiastically. I groaned again, but this time audibly. One bridge addict in the family is bad enough, but two! ■

The Diaries of Wendy Wensum

Episode 8: A Grecian Jaunt

Part 1: Beware the Novice

It has been quite a quiet couple of months. There was the Easter Festival

in London. I played on the Sunday only, in the Swiss Teams with Michael Byrne. I had not played with him before and it was great fun. We were never threatening to win the event but finished a respectable fifth.

The following weekend saw my first efforts for England as captain of the women’s team, for the Lady Milne home international weekend. Although the weekend in Llandrindod Wells was very enjoyable – run efficiently and very sociable – I did not manage to inspire my team. It was the worst performance by an English team for quite a while. This was one of our losses:

NW E

S

Dealer West. E/W Vul.

♠ Q 9 6 3

♥ 6

♦ A J 7 4

♣ A 9 6 5

♠ Void ♠ A J 10 2

♥ Q 8 7 2 ♥ A J 9 4 3

♦ 9 8 6 5 3 2 ♦ 10

♣ 8 4 3 ♣ K J 10

♠ K 8 7 5 4

♥ K 10 5

♦ K Q

♣ Q 7 2


Pass Pass 1♥ 1♠

2♥ 4♠ All Pass

When England was declar-ing, West led a heart to East’s ace and East contin-ued the suit. Our declarer thought the hand was go-ing to be easy; she ruffed the heart in the dummy and

played a spade to her king. That was the end of it. She should have been thinking, ‘What can go wrong?’ The only problem is going to be three trump losers, i.e. a 4-0 break. There is little room for West to hold all four spades (given she has the heart queen or jack as promised by the opening lead). Even if it were possi-ble, you can guarantee the contract in several ways; the easiest is to win with the king of hearts and play a spade, simply covering whatever card West plays. When West shows out, de-clarer plays dummy’s queen and should have no problem in picking up East’s trumps for one more loser.

What about the defence? In the other room, East took the ♥A and switched to her singleton diamond. Declarer won in hand, after which the natural play was a spade towards the queen. Now she could not go down. So two things to note:

1 Unless you have a clear route to success via a different route, follow partner’s defence. Every time you switch to a new suit when you are defending, you cost, on average, half a trick. Here it is inconceivable that you can get a diamond ruff, while your trump holding is likely to prove much more problematic for declarer if you try to make her ruff.

2 When you have a nasty surprise for declarer in the trump suit, put some thought into considering which hand you want to put her in. Careless

Catching Up by Sally Brock

declarers tend to win a lead and play a low trump towards the other hand. Here, the declarer in the other room might also have failed had the defence put her in dummy at trick two.

Congratulations to Scotland on their decisive victory.

The following weekend, Barry and I went with Chris and Brian to France for a slap-up meal and overnight stay.

The second Bank Holiday weekend was the Spring Foursomes. The format and standard of play is excellent.

While our performance was undistinguished, the final was one of the more exciting I have seen. The format of the competition is double elimination, i.e. you need to lose twice before you are knocked out. This often leads to a situation where, in the final, one team is undefeated and one not. In this instance, the undefeated team has the option of playing an extra set of eight boards if they are losing after 32 boards. This is what happened, as the undefeated team, captained by Glyn Liggins, were trailing by 29 IMPs (their opponents were the England national team). On the first board, England added another double-figure swing to their total by making two spades doubled in one room and one spade in the other. However, things now started to go very wrong for England and eventually Liggins won ‘comfortably’ by 14 IMPs.Congratulations to Glyn Liggins, Joe Fawcett, John Holland and Ben Green. ■

Dramatis Personae

Sally Brock lives in High Wy-combe with her two teenagers, her husband Raymond having died in early 2008. She works partly as a bridge professional, occasionally playing for pay but more often writing (she is the bridge columnist for The Sunday Times) and teaching online; the rest of the time she works on the production of travel guides. She has been a member of the British/English women’s team on and off since 1979.

Briony & Toby are Sally’s 16-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son.

Barry Myers is Sally’s new part-ner, both at and away from the bridge table. He is a criminal defence barrister and lives in Shepherd’s Bush.

Nicola Smith is Sally’s current international bridge partner. They formed a last-minute partnership in 2008 to join the England women’s team for the World Mind Sports Games in Beijing where they won the gold medal. Nicola has been playing international bridge since she was 17, which is rather a long time ago.

Chris Duckworth and Brian Cal-laghan are friends living in West London.

Richard and Gerry are two of Sally’s regular online clients. Richard lives in North London and Gerry lives in Toronto. Every week Sally plays against them for a couple of hours, stopping to discuss problems that arise – sometimes with Barry if he is not working, and sometimes with herself (when she is almost flawless).

Rodney and Lorraine Lighton are friends with whom Sally and Barry usually stay when they go to Manchester. Both were friends of Barry’s when he was at university. Rodney is a regu-lar county player but Lorraine only plays occasionally.

John Holland is another friend and Manchester resident – hus-band of Michelle Brunner who died last year.

Heather Dhondy is a youthful and athletic professional bridge player, teacher and writer, liv-ing in London with husband Jeremy. She played with Nicola until 2007 but now plays with Nevena.

Nevena Senior is slim, elegant and feisty, and partner of Heath-er. Born and raised in Bulgaria, but now lives in Nottingham with husband Brian. She is a full-time bridge professional.

Seven Daysby Sally Brock

MondayOur household is somewhat dominated by exams just now. Briony is in the middle of her AS levels, and Toby’s A levels start in a few weeks – he is now on study leave. Today is just a revision day for both of them.

I am up first thing and off to the gym. Then back for an online practice session with Nicola. We have made sig-nificant changes to our sys-tem in preparation for the European Championships. We play a strong no-trump five-card major system that involves opening all our no-trump hands (outside the 15-17 range) with one club. We have now started playing transfer responses to the one club opening. I think the change is excellent but it has needed a lot of work for our ageing brains to take it all in. I would say we have been practising online for four or five hours a week for the past two or three months. This means that we have had the side benefit of practis-ing many other things too. Let us just hope it all brings benefits in Dublin.

We work all morning and then Briony and I have lunch together. She thinks she has done enough revision and wants a break. She suggests that we should spring-clean the kitchen. I am the big-gest slob in the world, which is why it constantly amazes me that I have managed to

produce a daughter so or-ganised, clean and tidy. We spend an enjoyable after-noon taking everything out of cupboards and cleaning shelves, then putting it all back again.

After dinner I Skype with Barry for a while. He has developed a rather alarming allergy to something. It started a week or so ago with a lump on his forehead – but the lump started on the right and moved across to the left (do you remember that movie Alien?). Then various lumps, bumps and rashes started to appear and disappear all over the place. Ear, eye, hand, leg. He was prescribed antihistamine, which does not seem to have made any difference.

TuesdayBriony has her second his-tory exam this morning. I take her to school just be-fore lunch and then go off to meet some of my travel-guide colleagues for lunch. I also pop into the office to meet a couple of new folk who until now I have only known via email.

Back to school to pick Briony up and we sort out another set of kitchen cupboards before supper.

WednesdayI get up early and manage another of my week’s three gym sessions. Then I go and

have lunch with Barry. He is on steroids now and they seem to have helped. At least the lumps and bumps on his face seem to have gone but there are still rashes/bumps in other places.

In the afternoon, we play online against Richard and Gerry. Then I do some Bradt work on my laptop – Sierra Leone and Nigeria are the current ones – before meet-ing Nicola at Zizzi’s in prep-aration for our evening’s bridge.

We play for Team Teltscher in the London Super League. Although we won the league in the last series, we are struggling to avoid relegation this time. This is the last match of the season. It is quite exciting, though I am afraid it does not rival the football league.

We play Jones tonight. If we beat them 16-4 we are OK. We do not. We are 2 IMPs short (and I played a 1NT contract so badly to lose 5 IMPs). We are also OK if de Botton (one of the best teams) beats Essex (one of the worst) heavily. They do not. In fact, they lose. Thus, it all looks hopeless. However, we are rescued by Huggins (the team ly-ing bottom) beating Martin (one of the teams not too far ahead of us) 19-1. Phew! We live to fight another season.

The boards are quite excit-ing. We start with a bit of a disaster, but our opponents make it very difficult.

NW E

S

Dealer West. Love All.

♠ J 9 6 3

♥ Q 9 8 7

♦ 7 6 5 4 2

♣ Void

♠ A K Q 10 8 5 ♠ 7

♥ K 6 4 ♥ A 10 3 2

♦ J ♦ A K Q 10 9 3

♣ A K 3 ♣ J 2

♠ 4 2

♥ J 5

♦ 8

♣ Q 10 9 8 7 6 5 4

Nicola, West, opens 1♠ and I respond 2♦. Then South joins in with 4♣. Nicola doubles. Though on this occasion she has good clubs and a strong hand, the double would usually be more takeout orientated. I am a bit stuck and decide to try 4NT, which I intend to show a hand with more than one place to play (she can easily have four hearts). She closes proceedings with a leap to 6♠ and I do not think I can really bid on. While perhaps that 6♠ bid is a little premature, even if she bids 5♣ and I bid 6♦, it is hard for us to bid the grand slam (7NT) that they bid in the other room where the opening bid was 2♣. Is that a 2♣ opener? Not for me – I am with Nicola on that one.

Later I hear of at least one match where East/West did worse (much worse) by bid-ding to 7♦. They had no op-position bidding and this was the sequence:

Seven Days continued


1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass

3♠ Pass 4♦ Pass

4♥ Pass 4NT Pass

5♥ Pass 5NT Pass

7♦! All Pass

That 7♦ bid was seriously misjudged. If partner has ♦A-K-Q-x-x-x and the ♥A, West can count thirteen tricks in no-trumps (three spades, two hearts, six dia-monds and two clubs). Of course, here he was pun-ished and the club ruff beat the grand slam.

ThursdayBoth children have the same maths exam this morning. I deliver them safely and then have a couple of hours online with Nicola. We are doing some entertaining at the weekend so after I pick Briony up we go to Waitrose to do a food shop. In the afternoon, I have an online teaching session and spend the rest of the day cooking, tidying and cleaning.

FridayBriony’s last exam. After dropping her at school, I go to the gym and then home for a bit of work before pick-ing her up again. I should have an afternoon session with new Scottish clients Tony and John, but John cannot manage to get on to BBO so eventually we aban-don it for another day.

I suddenly realise what a terrible state our garden is in. I do have a gardener who keeps most of it at bay but the weather has been so bad that he has only been once this year. The main body of

the garden is not too bad but the patio is terrible. The weather now is wonderful so for sure we will all want to be outside in the early eve-nings. So, rather pleased to have an unexpected couple of hours, Briony and I whizz off to our local nursery to buy some bedding plants, and then set to weeding and planting. Just as we finish, the gardener turns up.

SaturdayThere is quite a lot to do to-day as there are going to be 12 of us for dinner followed by bridge this evening, but I did as much as I could yesterday, so everything is more or less under control.

After a late, light breakfast I send Barry and our guests out – they are going for a walk around Hughenden and having lunch out – so Briony and I can get on with cooking and setting the ta-ble, etc. Guests arrive at 6.30 and we again have drinks in our tidy garden before din-ner. There is a mild panic when I realise that I forgot to put the onions in for the last stage of cooking the crispy, slow-cooked belly pork, but we put them in the microwave for ten min-utes, add some red wine and some Bisto, put them back for a couple more minutes and no-one notices.

After the main course, we play some bridge: a three-table individual. Briony has made up the boards for me using TOPS. You can buy sets of hands that have come from previous high-level pairs’ events. You play the boards and then can com-pare how you did with the frequency charts that actu-ally occurred in the event. The advantage of this is that you are all playing the boards simultaneously, so if

it gets a bit late and you want to stop you can. Moreover, after each two-board round, the boards are dead so peo-ple can talk about them amongst themselves.

After dinner, while Rod-ney is scoring, we have des-sert and cheese. The scoring does involve quite a lot of adding up – no computers or bridgemates here. Even-tually, Rodney announces the winner: Rodney. Two world champions finish in the bottom two places – one of them was me and I feel I have an excuse, but the other … my lips are sealed. Nicola finishes below her husband (aided for a few rounds by Briony) who has not played duplicate before.

SundayAfter a cooked breakfast Barry, Rodney and Lorraine set off to do some kite flying – Barry’s ancient Golf con-vertible certainly comes into its own in this glorious sum-mer weather – while John and I set off for TGR’s in London where we are going to play against each other in a women versus seniors practice match.

We (the women) are 8 down after 16 boards, 37 down after 32 boards, but 1 up (actually we make it 4 but cannot be bothered to argue) after 48: very satisfy-ing. This is one of our gains in the final set.

Our other pair, Heather and Nevena, play a style whereby they open one club on all hands that look like a weak no-trump (unless they have a five-card major). So for them this board is routine: 1♣ – 1♠ – 1NT – 2♦ (checkback) – 2NT – 3NT, and the game makes in comfort on a heart lead.

In the other room, though, the opening bid is 1♦…

NW E

S

Dealer West. Game All.

♠ J 4

♥ A 7 3

♦ A J 10 8 5

♣ Q 10 2

♠ A 8 6 5 2 ♠ 7

♥ 9 5 ♥ K 10 8 6 4 2

♦ 4 ♦ Q 9 6

♣ K J 9 8 4 ♣ 6 5 3

♠ K Q 10 9 3

♥ Q J

♦ K 7 3 2

♣ A 7


Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠

Pass 1NT Pass 2♦

Pass 2NT Pass 3♦

Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠

Pass 4♠ All Pass

After the 1♦ opening, South can see that either 4♠ or 5♦ could easily be a better contract than 3NT, if North is weak in either clubs or hearts. In any event, 4♠ looks to be a perfectly acceptable contract.

I decide that I want to lead a club, but am a bit anxious about leading the eight. I do not want Nicola to refuse to play an honour because she thinks I have only small cards. Thus, I choose to lead the four. Declarer plays the queen, which wins the trick, and starts on trumps – I duck the first, win the sec-ond and play another club to declarer’s ace. With spades 5-1, he is going to have to guess diamonds. He draws all the trumps and, after a lot of thought, gets diamonds wrong. He still has the heart finesse in reserve, but as that is wrong, he has to go down.

Afterwards a whole crowd of us go out for a curry – good meal but terrible ser-vice, so much so that we re-fuse to pay the 15% service they added to the bill.

Tired now, it seems a long drive home… ■

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