Number: 180 UK £3.95 Europe €5.00 December 2017 Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quiz

This month we are dealing with hands when the opponents open with a weak 1NT. You are West in the BRIDGEauctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no- (12-14 points) and four-card majors.

1. Dealer South. Love All. 4. Dealer North. Love All. 7. Dealer North. Game All. 10. Dealer North. Love All. ♠ K Q J 6 5 4 ♠ 7 ♠ 8 7 6 5 ♠ K 7 6 5

♥ A 7 N ♥ A 7 6 4 3 N ♥ Q 4 3 2 N ♥ 4 2 N ♦ A K 2 W E ♦ A 8 4 3 W E ♦ 7 6 5 W E ♦ A 9 2 W E ♣ 4 3 S ♣ Q J 2 S ♣ 4 2 S ♣ K J 6 5 S

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1NT 1NT 2♠ Pass 1NT Dbl Pass 1NT Pass 2♦1 ? ? ? Pass 2♥ Pass Pass ? 1Transfer to hearts

2. Dealer South. Love All. 5. Dealer North. Love All. 8. Dealer North. Love All. 11. Dealer South. Love All. ♠ 6 ♠ K 8 4 2 ♠ A 7 ♠ 4 2 ♥ 4 2 N ♥ A 6 3 N ♥ 9 7 6 N ♥ J 9 8 7 N ♦ 9 7 3 W E ♦ 7 6 5 W E ♦ Q J 6 5 W E ♦ 8 7 W E ♣ A Q J 7 6 5 4 S ♣ 7 6 5 S ♣ J 7 6 5 S ♣ A K 9 5 2 S

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1NT 1NT 2♠ Pass 1NT Dbl 2♦ 1NT 1 ? ? ? Pass 2♥ Dbl 2♠ ? 1Transfer to spades

3. Dealer South. Love All. 6. Dealer North. Love All. 9. Dealer North. E/W Game. 12. Dealer North. Game All. ♠ 5 ♠ 3 ♠ A 8 7 ♠ 4 3 2 ♥ ♥ ♥ 7 6 N ♥ A 5 2 N K Q 8 7 6 N A 10 8 N ♦ K Q 4 3 2 W E ♦ Q J 3 W E ♦ 5 4 W E ♦ K Q 3 W E ♣ A Q J 9 4 S ♣ A K 8 7 6 5 S ♣ 6 5 3 S ♣ Q 9 4 3 S

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1NT 1NT 2♠ Pass 1NT Dbl 2♦ 1NT 2♦ 2♥ ? ? ? ?

Answers on page 39 Answers on page 41 Answers on page 45 Answers on page 47

Features this month include: BRIDGE 1 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee 5 Mr Bridge Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH 7 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee ( 01483 489961 9 Defence Quiz by [email protected] 9 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett www.mrbridge.co.uk 10 Robin Hood’s Overbidding by shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/ mrbridge-shop 12 Special Cards for Bridge by Paul Bostock Publisher and 14 Bring on the Juniors by Jeremy Dhondy Managing Editor 16 Stayman and Transfers – Are They Profitable? Mr Bridge by Ian Dalziel Bridge Consultant 18 Sally’s Slam Clinic Bernard Magee 19 About Squeezes by Andrew Kambites bernardmagee @mrbridge.co.uk 21 About Squeezes Quiz by Andrew Kambites Cartoons & Illustrations 22 More Signalling by Bernard Magee Marguerite Lihou 23 Christmas Quiz by Mike Orriel www.margueritelihou.co.uk 25 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions Technical Consultant Tony Gordon 27 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett Typesetting & Design 28 Lives and Times - Part Three by Shireen Mohandes Ruth Edmondson 32 New Combinations Missing the King and Jack [email protected] by Michael Byrne Proof Readers 34 Catching Up with Julian Pottage Mike Orriel 35 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage Catrina Shackleton 36 About Squeezes Answers by Andrew Kambites Richard Wheen 37 Too Many High Cards by John Barr Customer Services 38 Readers’ Letters Catrina Shackleton [email protected] 39 Bidding Quiz Answers (1-3) by Bernard Magee Events & Cruises 41 Bidding Quiz Answers (4-6) by Bernard Magee ( 01483 489961 42 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions Jessica Galt [email protected] 45 Bidding Quiz Answers (7-9) by Bernard Magee Megan Riccio 46 Which Opener’s Rebids are Game Forcing? [email protected] by Julian Pottage Sophie Pierrepont [email protected] 47 Bidding Quiz Answers (10-12) by Bernard Magee Clubs & Charities 48 Seven Days by Sally Brock Maggie Axtell 49 More Tips by Bernard Magee [email protected] 50 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum Address Changes ( 01483 485342 Elizabeth Bryan REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE [email protected] Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value, all mint with full gum. Quotations for commercial quantities available on request. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Values supplied in 100s, higher values available as well as Printing Company 1st and 2nd class (eg 2nd class: 100x38p+100x18p). www.magprint.co.uk ( 020 8422 4906 e-mail: [email protected]

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 3

BACK IN OFFICE you will never forget and is something everyone should be involved in at least once. BERNARD MAGEE The full programme of the six lectures to be filmed are at Denham Grove displayed in the adjacent advert. For further details near Uxbridge, Bucks UB9 5DG. and/or to make a booking, please call my office asap. 12-15 January 2018 My treatment is finished TRY QPLUS for the time being and I £399pp Friday – Monday wait patiently to see if it One of the by-products of has been successful. At my trade-in offers is that Full – No Single Supplement1 least I can work a full day, I have lots of old versions of QPlus. I am loathe to Limited places for Thursday night available. even if it is in random fits £67pp single, £45pp double/twin. and starts in the course send them to the tip. So, of any given 24 hours. if you send me four first class stamps, I will send As I indicated earlier you an early version of this year in this column, QPlus. You will have full Topics my enforced rest has Mr Bridge back up and TEAMS OF FOUR me bubbling with fresh advice. Send your four This form of the game is the most common at international level ideas. Online provision of stamps with confidence. and is great fun to play at club level and even in the home. I will the full text of the latest discuss the basic format and then look at the tactics you might use in the bidding and play. edition of the Yellow Book RHINE CRUISE being the first of many. GAME TRIES Please see the facing When your partner raises your suit to the two-level, you have a YELLOW BOOK advertisement for this variety of options available to you, in order to find out whether lovely springtime cruise. game is a sensible option. I will talk about game Rules I am sorry but there tries to find better games and game tries, when you Simplified (DBRS) is consider the option of a no-trump contract. are no cabins for single available as a free-to- occupancy remaining. DISRUPTING DECLARER download cross-linked A defender needs to try and predict what declarer might want to PDF from my website CROATIA do. Your job is then to disrupt declarer’s plan. Stop him ruffing, homepage. This means that stop him establishing suits and generally try to put him off, by you can access the rules on Bernard Magee’s favourite using only your cards, of course. your tablet, smartphone or holiday destination. Please DEFENDING SLAMS other devices while you are see the full page advert Making the right plays against slams can make a huge difference. on the go. To download, on the back cover. Knowing when to attack and when to lie low: should you lead go to my homepage, an ace or not? We will not just consider slam contracts, but also other high level contracts in competitive auctions. www.mrbridge.co.uk HAPPY CHRISTMAS and click on ‘Download OVERCALLING cross-linked PDF copy’, Duplicate bridge is so much more competitive now and it under the Yellow Book. is important you are part of this. Knowing the reasons for overcalling and understanding them will allow you to compete To quickly link to the more and at the right time. required topic, click on PRESSING THE DEFENCE the blue ‘index’ on page As declarer there are ways you can make life more awkward for 3. From the index, just the defenders, particularly by disguising holdings in your hand click on the required for a little longer. I will be exploring a number of tactics that will topic and you’ll be taken help you to exploit the defenders, including the dreaded squeeze. straight to chapter and To all my loyal office staff, verse. The index is sorted 2 alphabetically for easy use. team leaders and hosts, 6 seminar sessions with Bernard writers and contributors 3 Do tell your friends about as well as you, the readers. 6 sessions of supervised play this helpful Mr Bridge I wish you all I wish for Contact Mr Bridge to book your place initiative. myself this Christmas. or for further details ( 01483 489961

FILMED EVENT Love, Peace and Blessings. 1Subject to availability 2Filmed 3Not with Bernard Magee This will be an experience Mr Bridge

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 5

Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz

This month we are dealing with hands when the opponents open with a weak 1NT. You are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and four-card majors.

1. Dealer South. Love All. 4. Dealer North. Love All. 7. Dealer North. Game All. 10. Dealer North. Love All. ♠ K Q J 6 5 4 ♠ 7 ♠ 8 7 6 5 ♠ K 7 6 5 ♥ A 7 N ♥ A 7 6 4 3 N ♥ Q 4 3 2 N ♥ 4 2 N W E W E W E W E ♦ A K 2 ♦ 7 6 5 S ♦ A 8 4 3 S S ♦ A 9 2 S ♣ 4 3 ♣ Q J 2 ♣ 4 2 ♣ K J 6 5

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1NT 1NT 2♠ Pass 1NT Dbl Pass 1NT Pass 2♦1 ? ? ? Pass 2♥ Pass Pass ? 1Transfer to hearts

2. Dealer South. Love All. 5. Dealer North. Love All. 8. Dealer North. Love All. 11. Dealer South. Love All. ♠ 6 ♠ K 8 4 2 ♠ A 7 ♠ 4 2 N N N N ♥ 4 2 ♥ A 6 3 ♥ 9 7 6 ♥ J 9 8 7 W E W E W E W E ♦ 9 7 3 S ♦ 7 6 5 S ♦ Q J 6 5 S ♦ 8 7 S ♣ A Q J 7 6 5 4 ♣ 7 6 5 ♣ J 7 6 5 ♣ A K 9 5 2

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1NT 1NT 2♠ Pass 1NT Dbl 2♦ 1NT ? ? ? Pass 2♥1 Dbl 2♠ ? 1Transfer to spades

3. Dealer South. Love All. 6. Dealer North. Love All. 9. Dealer North. E/W Game. 12. Dealer North. Game All. ♠ 5 ♠ 3 ♠ A 8 7 ♠ 4 3 2 ♥ 7 6 N ♥ A 5 2 ♥ K Q 8 7 6 N ♥ A 10 8 W E W E ♦ K Q 4 3 2 ♦ Q J 3 N ♦ 5 4 ♦ K Q 3 N S S ♣ A Q J 9 4 ♣ A K 8 7 6 5 W E ♣ 6 5 3 ♣ Q 9 4 3 W E S S

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1NT 1NT 2♠ Pass 1NT Dbl 2♦ 1NT 2♦ 2♥ ? ? ? ?

My Answers: My Answers: My Answers: My Answers:

1...... 4...... 7...... 10......

2...... 5...... 8...... 11......

3...... 6...... 9...... 12......

Answers on page 39 Answers on page 41 Answers on page 45 Answers on page 47

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 7 Mr Bridge UK Events

Tutorial Events with Bernard Magee PROGRAMME DAY 1 Chatsworth Hotel Elstead Hotel Four-Night Break at 1500 Mr Bridge Bournemouth BH1 3QP 2-4 February £252 the Trouville Hotel, Welcome Desk open Supporting Majors Tea or coffee on arrival Sandown, From 1745 to 1830 13-15 April £258 £399* Ruffing for Extra Tricks Isle of Wight Welcome drinks 1830 to 2000 Thursday to Monday Dinner Elstead Hotel 15-19 February 23-25 February £252 2015 BRIDGE 1 Distributional Hands DUPLICATE PAIRS 4-4-4-1 Hands and Sacrificing DAY 2 Inn on the Prom www.mrbridge.co.uk 0800 to 0930 Denham Grove Mon-Wed *Price includes ferry fare Breakfast Near Uxbridge, UB9 5DG for two adults in one car. 5-7 March £252 1000 to 1230 Supporting Majors SEMINAR & PLAY of SET HANDS or DUPLICATE BRIDGE Gourmet Food and Duplicate (Just Duplicate Events) at Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor 1230 to 1330 Cold Buffet Lunch Mondays to Wednesdays 1400 to 1645 From £349 12-14 March Doubles BRIDGE 2 TEAMS of FOUR 9-11 April Finding Slams (Bernard Magee Events) Ramada Resort, Grantham DUPLICATE PAIRS Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT (otherwise) 1815 to 2000 Dinner Just Duplicate Tutorial Events 2015 BRIDGE 3 DUPLICATE PAIRS Ramada Resort Ramada Resort DAY 3 Grantham Grantham 0800 to 0930 19-21 January £199 16-18 February £212 Breakfast Hosted by John Ronan Leads and Defence 1000 to 1230 Hosted by John Ronan SEMINAR & PLAY Chatsworth Hotel 2-4 February £199 of SET HANDS or Worthing BN11 3DU 11-13 May £218 Hosted by Sheila Rogers DUPLICATE PAIRS Stayman and Transfers 2-4 March £199 (Just Duplicate Events) Hosted by Elaine Duff Hosted by Sheila Rogers 1230 to 1400 20-22 April £208 Sunday Lunch Denham Grove (weekend events only) Elstead Hotel 27-29 April £228 1400 to 1645 Finding Slams BRIDGE 4 26-28 January £212 Hosted by John Ronan DUPLICATE PAIRS Hosted by Val Heath Elstead Hotel Inn on the Prom Chatsworth Hotel Full Board St Annes On Sea FY8 1LU 11-13 May £228 16-18 February £212 Leads and Defence Hosted by Val Heath Hosted by Hilary Levett No Single 2-4 March £212 15-17 June £228 Supplement* Hosted by John Cobbett Stayman and Transfers Hosted by Sandy Bell Denham Grove ( 01483 6-8 April £218 Chatsworth Hotel 489961 Hosted by Alison Nicolson 8-10 June £228 www.mrbridge.co.uk Please note there are no seminars, Further into the Auction Two Bridges Hotel set hands or prizes at these events. Hosted by Will Parsons *subject to availability. Single Dartmoor PL20 6SW supplement applies at Two Bridges. DEFENCE DECLARER QUIZ PLAY by Julian Pottage QUIZ (Answers on page 35) by David Huggett (Answers on page 27) ou are East in the defensive positions below playing Ymatchpoint pairs with neither side vulnerable. Both sides ou are South as declarer playing teams or . are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT and 2♣ Stayman. YIn each case, what is your play strategy?

1. ♠ K J 3. ♠ 10 6 4 ♥ Q J 10 3 ♥ A 1. ♠ Q J 10 9 3. ♠ J 7 5 ♦ K 10 3 ♦ J 10 8 7 4 ♥ 7 4 ♥ 6 3 ♣ K 9 5 2 ♣ A K Q 4 ♦ 6 4 3 ♦ K Q J 9 2 ♠ 9 5 ♠ K Q 8 7 3 ♣ 9 7 6 5 ♣ K 8 2 N ♥ 9 6 N ♥ J 5 4 W E W E ♦ A 9 7 4 2 ♦ A 3 2 N N S S ♣ Q 8 6 4 ♣ 10 7 W E W E S S

♠ A 5 2 ♠ A 10 6 2 West North East South West North East South ♥ A K ♥ A K Q 1♠ 1♦ 1♠ Dbl1 ♦ A K Q ♦ 8 5 Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT ♣ A 8 4 3 2 ♣ A 6 5 4 Pass 4♥ All Pass Pass 3NT All Pass 1Take-out, normally with four Partner leads the ♦8, cov- hearts. ered by the ♦10. What is You are declarer in 3NT You are declarer in 3NT your plan? Partner leads the ♠9. What after West opens a weak and West leads the ♥10. is your plan? 2♥. West leads the ♥Q. How do you plan the play? How do you plan the play?

2. ♠ 10 7 4 4. ♠ A K Q 4 ♥ A ♥ 5 2. ♠ J 7 4 3 2 4. ♠ K 9 8 7 ♦ J 10 8 7 4 ♦ K Q 10 9 7 ♥ A K ♥ J 6 5 2 ♣ A K 5 4 ♣ 10 6 4 ♦ A K ♦ K 8 2 ♠ A K 8 6 3 ♠ 8 3 ♣ A 8 6 2 ♣ 3 2 N ♥ 10 7 5 4 N ♥ J 10 2 W E W E N N S ♦ K 3 S ♦ 8 3 2 ♣ 10 7 ♣ A J 8 7 2 W E W E S S

♠ ♠ A Q J 10 6 West North East South West North East South ♥ Q J 10 9 2 ♥ K 10 1♦ 1♠ Dbl1 Pass 1NT ♦ Q J 6 5 ♦ A 6 5 Pass 2♣ Pass 3NT Pass 2♣ Dbl 2♥ ♣ 9 7 5 4 ♣ A 9 4 All Pass Pass 3NT All Pass

1Take-out, normally with four hearts Partner leads the ♣9. What You are declarer in 4♥ and You are declarer in 4♠ and is your plan? West leads the ♠A. How West leads the ♣K. How Partner leads the ♠9 and dummy plays low. What is do you plan the play? do you plan the play? your plan?

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 9 Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures by David Bird Robin Hood’s Overbidding

obin Hood had little time for unripe apples.’ Maid Marian crossed to the ♥A and social bridge but Maid Marian ‘It tastes fine to me, my love,’ his wife led a second round of diamonds. When had persuaded him to give up replied. ‘You can pour me some more Peryth Burnton won and returned Ran afternoon to play against her long- when this hand’s over.’ a trump to dummy’s king, Marian time friend, Elayne Burnton, and her Maid Marian was not entranced had to hope for the best in hearts. husband Peryth. with Robin’s bidding. Only 29 points Two further rounds stood up and ‘A glass of cider-wine before we between the hands? That wasn’t she discarded two diamonds. When start?’ suggested Peryth Burnton, who enough for a slam, surely? And was it she led dummy’s last heart honour, was several years older than his wife. not customary to use the Richmond discarding her losing club, West ruffed ‘It’s quite fresh. I bought it at the week- 4NT to ask for aces? She won the first and the slam was one down. end market.’ trick with dummy’s ♦A and paused to ‘I nearly made it, Robin,’ declared Robin and Marian nodded their make a plan. Maid Marian. ‘It was the bad heart acceptance and the players took their If she gave up a diamond, the break that caused the problem.’ seats around a table that had been defenders would doubtless prevent a It seemed to Robin Hood that placed near a window to provide some diamond by removing dummy’s Marian might have made the slam. light. This was an early board: trump. In that case she would need Suppose she had allowed the ♦K lead to take three discards on dummy’s to win the first trick. If West switched heart suit before she could draw the to a trump, she could draw all the Dealer South. Love All. remaining trumps. They should have trumps, unblock the ♥A and cross to ♠ K stopped in 4♠; that much was clear. the ♦A to score three more heart tricks. ♥ K Q J 7 ♦ A J ♣ 10 8 7 6 5 3 ♠ 7 6 3 ♠ 8 5 2 N ♥ 8 4 2 W E ♥ 10 9 6 5 3 ♦ K Q 10 9 S ♦ 8 5 4 ♣ K J 9 ♣ Q 2 ♠ A Q J 10 9 4 ♥ A ♦ 7 6 3 2 ♣ A 4

West North East South Peryth Robin Elayne Maid Burnton Hood Burnton Marian 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 4♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass

Peryth Burnton led the ♦K and leaned forward to take a sip of his drink while Robin Hood laid out his dummy. ‘A bit sharp, if you ask me,’ he said. ‘Mistress Samson seems to have made it with

Page 10 BRIDGE December 2017 If instead West persisted with a second two rounds of trumps with the king all. Perhaps it was right on this much diamond, she could win and cross to and queen. East showed out on the better hand to bid 4♥? If Robin had the ♥A. A diamond ruff followed by second round, leaving ♠J still at large. a singleton spade, the five trumps in two discards on the ♥K-Q would give What now? her hand and three spade ruffs in the her the twelve tricks she required. If she drew the last trump, she would dummy would produce eight trump Marian sighed. ‘I would have passed need a 3-3 club break to make the tricks. She would need only two more 4♠ on your hand,’ she said. slam. Perhaps it was better to play on tricks in the minors and game would The rubber had reached Game All clubs before drawing the last trump? be there. when Marian picked up another hand Nothing would be lost if clubs were Marian bid 4♥ and sat back in her with a good spade suit. 3-3; she could draw the last trump chair, waiting for Peryth to make his then. . It was not to be. Robin Marian played the club ace and bid a Richmond 4NT and raised her Dealer East. Game All. continued with dummy’s king and to 6♥. The ♣Q was led and down went ♠ A 4 3 queen of the suit, discarding a heart. the dummy. ♥ A 5 2 East showed out on the third round Marian looked at the four suits ♦ 10 2 but this caused no problem. She ruffed in turn. There was one spade loser ♣ K Q 9 6 2 a fourth round of clubs in her hand, and another unavoidable loser in ♠ J 9 2 ♠ 8 West following suit, and returned to N diamonds. Why did Robin bid so ♥ J 10 4 W E ♥ K Q 8 7 dummy with the ♠A. ‘I can throw one many slams with hardly any points? If ♦ K 7 4 S ♦ Q 9 8 6 5 3 of my two losers on the last club,’ she he’d passed her excellent 4♥ bid, the ♣ J 8 7 4 ♣ 10 3 said, facing her remaining cards. rubber would have been theirs. ♠ K Q 10 7 6 5 ‘What a great play, my love,’ Marian won the club lead with ♥ 9 6 3 exclaimed Robin Hood. ‘Wonderful!’ dummy’s ace and drew trumps with ♦ A J Marian smiled happily. ‘The way the ace and king. She then led dummy’s ♣ A 5 you bid leaves me no alternative,’ she ♠2, covering East’s ♠10 with her queen. replied. ‘I have to play the cards well.’ West won with the ace and persevered Robin and Marian were a game to with another club. Marian ruffed in her West North East South the good in the next rubber when this hand and ruffed the♠ 3 in dummy. On Peryth Robin Elayne Maid deal arose: this trick the king fell from East. Burnton Hood Burnton Marian Robin Hood was following Pass 1♠ proceedings with interest. Some big Pass 2♣ Pass 3♠ Dealer West. N/S Game. spades had fallen: the ace, king, queen Pass 6♠ All Pass ♠ 2 and 10. If, by some quirk of fate, ♥ K Q 9 8 6 Marian now held the ♠9-8 against Mindful of Robin’s tendency to ♦ A K 6 West’s ♠J, they would be good for a overbid, Marian decided not to rebid ♣ A 7 6 2 ruffing . ♠ ♠ A J 7 6 5 4 ♠ K 10 Arriving at the same conclusion, 4 this time. Anyway, her spade suit N had been better on the other deal. She ♥ 2 W E ♥ 5 4 Marian returned to her hand with rebid what she regarded as a cautious ♦ 8 5 S ♦ Q J 10 7 3 a club ruff and led the ♠9. Peryth 3♠ and could not believe it when Robin ♣ Q J 10 4 ♣ K 9 8 5 Burnton covered with the jack and she again advanced to a slam. He seemed ♠ Q 9 8 3 ruffed in the dummy. She returned to to have forgotten they were playing the ♥ A J 10 7 3 her hand by ruffing dummy’s last club Richmond 4NT. What was the point ♦ 9 4 2 and triumphantly placed the ♠8 on the of playing a convention if you didn’t ♣ 3 table. West followed impotently with a use it? It was like buying a new dress low spot-card and Marian discarded and never wearing it. dummy’s ♦6. ‘The dummy’s high,’ she ‘You and Robin always seem to West North East South announced. hold good cards against us,’ muttered Peryth Robin Elayne Maid Robin Hood gazed at his beloved Peryth Burnton, spinning the ♥J on to Burnton Hood Burnton Marian in wonderment. ‘What a fine play the table. 2♠ Dbl Pass 4♥ you made!’ he exclaimed. ‘And what Dummy went down and Marian Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ a wonderful 4♥ bid, too. We made a counted up the points at her disposal. Pass 6♥ All Pass slam with just 23 points between us.’ Even fewer than last time, just 27! Marian’s blue eyes shone brightly. Still, if the black suits broke evenly, Peryth Burnton opened with a Feeble Such words of praise from Robin were she would have six spade tricks, five Two in spades and Robin Hood worth more to her than any piece of clubs and two aces. Goodness me, how doubled for take-out. East passed and gold or jewellery. He was so tall and could a grand slam be possible on so Marian studied her hand thoughtfully. handsome, too. Just for once she few points? She would have had to respond 3♥ would forgive him for overbidding so Marian won the heart lead and drew with four small hearts and no points at badly. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 11 A History of Playing Cards: Part Twelve by Paul Bostock Special Cards for Bridge

n 1925, Harold Vanderbilt drafted rules for the game of bridge as we know it. It was an immediate success, and grew so rapidly that the first World Championships were held just ten years later. With so many players enjoying bridge, card- Imakers explored various ways of appealing to them. No- Packs

The first innovation was ‘no-revoke’ packs, featuring efforts to make the suits ‘more different’. This means players cannot accidentally play the wrong card or, less sportingly, deliberately show a wrong card and claim a mistake. No-revoke packs began in the 1930s, and the example shown below is a ‘Fassett’ pack by Waddington. The spades and hearts were unaltered, but the diamonds and clubs have white designs on the suit signs. The no-revoke deck by Arpak of Liverpool is more colourful and extreme. They are printed in black and each suit has a different colour – green for clubs, white for diamonds, red for hearts and orange for spades. The idea was to make them stand out better in low light. These cards were not successful and are relatively scarce. It may be useful to explain the fairly new terms ‘bridge-size’ and ‘Fassett’ cards by ‘poker size’ for cards. Until recently, makers made cards in slightly ‘Fassett’ cards by Waddington, 1930s. different sizes and players used them for any game they chose. Modern Waddington, 1930s. cards are increasingly designated as ‘bridge-’ or ‘poker-’ sized, an idea from the US, most likely intended to sell more packs and to charge for the ‘specialism’. In US Imperial units both sets are 3½ inches long, while poker- size is 2½ inches wide and bridge-size 2¼ inches wide. Bridge players may well have seen bar-coded sets. These are for use in producing duplicate boards containing specific cards. This requires computer software that can read the codes and special machines for assembling hands of cards. However, card recognition has now moved on to the stage where computers can read standard cards, so bar codes are now needed only for the specific machines that use them.

No-Revoke cards by Arpak, c 1940.

Page 12 BRIDGE December 2017 Five Suits, Anyone?

Both Waddington and De La Rue offered sets of ‘Five-suited bridge’ – a more ambitious way of appealing to bridge players. The two five-suited bridge sets I have seen are the same – the fifth set is ‘crowns’, the suit signs are blue and the three court figures are copied over from stand- ard French cards. The illustration below shows the box and two wrapped packs lying flat and two packs on edge with the fifth suit wrapped separately. The box contains the new rules: each player is dealt 16 cards and declarer can swap the last card with one from his hand or dummy, when dummy is laid down. Crowns are the highest ranking suit in bidding and in scoring, and remain below no-trumps. Bid levels from one to eight are for a nine to sixteen tricks total. Small and grand slams remain at the six and seven levels. Bid- ding and making eight is a ‘royal’ slam (ie all sixteen tricks, with a bonus roughly 1.5 times the grand slam).

A sample of the ‘Crown’ suit from Waddington’s 5-suit bridge set, 1940s No Signalling

Our final category is symmetrical cards, intended to prevent signalling. The theory is that asymmetric cards (odd-numbered spades, hearts and clubs) could be played the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way up. It could be that this shows weakness or strength in the suit, or whatever the pair chooses. Whether or not players used this kind of signalling, symmetrical cards were introduced in the 2000s that make it impossible. The Worshipful Company of Makers of playing cards holds an annual ‘Inter-Livery bridge’ with up to 64 pairs in all. In 2007 the Company introduced symmetric playing cards, but these were replaced in 2016 with regular standard cards. The reason was that in low lighting (and I promise to return to lighting), a number of players found that the Aces of Spades and Clubs (illustrated) are easily confused. The author has first hand experience of this happening, once to partner while bidding and once to the opponents in play. As we have seen often before, changes in card designs usually prove unpopular. ■

De La Rue ‘five-suit bridge’, 1940s. See text for a description and outline rules.

Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards, ‘Symmetrical’ Bridge Cards, from 2007-2016.

The author is a Court Assistant in the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards – see www.makersofplayingcards. co.uk. Many more sets of cards are illustrated on the author’s website www.plainbacks.com

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 13 About the EBU by Jeremy Dhondy Bring on the Juniors

My name is Jeremy Dhondy and I am the Chairman of the . This column is to answer questions or comments about the EBU that you might have. If you have a comment or a question I would be happy to hear from you. [email protected]

What are the EBU doing to around the country. Sussex hold a invites schools to send students to the encourage more juniors to junior weekend event, Gloucestershire Houses of Parliament both to look Qplay bridge? Isn’t it the key and Oxfordshire also co-operate in around and also to play bridge against to the future of our game? running something similar. MPs and Peers. As well as these initiatives there are Are the young the future of groups of schools who have signed Junior Awards bridge? Will they be the only up to initiatives offered by a small A way to keep the game going? number of clubs and counties. One An important recent development Actually no, I don’t think they will such example is Stamford Youth is a national junior award scheme although the EBU and more recently Bridge Academy (www.syba.org.uk). formulated by one of our squad leaders, EBED have had a commitment to They started their work with nearly Alan Shillitoe and administered by bridge in schools. The short term 300 young people and starting this EBED. The scheme breaks down the fix, to avoid clubs dying out as their academic year have extended this to skills required to develop from raw membership ages, is to get teaching another 400+. If most of our bigger rookie to serious contender into a set and increase the numbers and target clubs could do the same the future of of steps and milestones which can be those coming up to retirement who the game would be in safer hands. easily understood and evaluated in the may have more leisure time. I am quite The Tom Bradley award is given to a classroom. heartened by the reaction to EBED’s non-school teacher who does most to These skills (covering bidding, new product ‘Fast Track Bridge’ and develop junior bridge in their area and play and defence) are grouped into hope that this and the more traditional this year it went to Jessica and Anton six progressive levels of attainment: way of teaching will prosper in more Mauve who are involved in a scheme , Bronze, Silver, Gold, clubs over the next few years. in the Weald of Kent to get schools and Platinum and Diamond. Each Juniors pick up bridge and clubs involved in junior bridge. level requires the satisfactory minibridge quite quickly and are an A significant part of the role of our ‘demonstration’ of about twenty important part of strengthening the sister charity, EBED, is to assist and increasingly difficult elements of roots of the game but, of course, the promote these initiatives and run their technique. So, at the lowest minibridge juniors that learn often give up for own events. Two examples are: the level successful candidates should be some years after leaving school or Junior Teach In held in Loughborough able to (in the play category): university because jobs and families which brings together all from raw intrude on their free time. Some come recruits to junior internationals and l Count the total number of winners back after a number of years and it will the Youth Bridge Challenge held each l Knock out high cards to be good if they have clubs and an EBU March. www.ebedcio.org.uk/junior_ establish winners to come back to. calendar has details of junior events l Draw trumps in a suit contract around the country. The All Party l Count the points to work out To boldly go Parliamentary Group for Bridge led by where the outstanding cards lie Bob Blackman MP is keen on helping l Take a finesse against an There are some encouraging signs and, amongst other things, the group outstanding card

Page 14 BRIDGE December 2017 As players go through the levels it their pension but also to play bridge in gets more difficult and at the top seniors events. BERNARD level (Diamond award) those who MAGEE’S are successful might well be in a Junior Internationals junior squad and perhaps playing for TUTORIAL CDS . So you can assess the card In each of our junior squads a squad play skills required (there are other leader organises training and this is tested skills also) I have listed them not just for the team but others who ADVANCED below: want to participate. We had four DECLARER PLAY teams, one in each category go to the l Overtricks in No-trumps l Demonstrate a trump European Junior Championships in l Overtricks in Suit Contracts l Demonstrate coup en July of this year. l Endplays passant and elopements All four of the teams qualified for l Avoidance l By playing, show that you are the World Championship (you need to l Wrong Contract £81 counting every deal you play finish in the top six to do this) and two l Simple Squeezes l Be able to explain Smith Peters of the teams, U21 and U26 Women, l Counting the Hand l Demonstrate a won bronze medals. l Trump Reductions & Coups A fine performance and one l Playing Doubled Contracts The last skill listed reminds me of unmatched by any other European l Safety Plays the player in a local duplicate who at country. Couldn’t be better you might about trick nine laid her cards down think. The World Championships and said, ‘The rest are mine on a are in Wu Jiang, China which is ADVANCED squeeze.’ Sadly this wasn’t true but this around 100km from the centre of ACOL BIDDING sort of ostentatious claiming can led Shanghai. To get four teams there l Basics to problems. I enquired as to exactly plus captains and coaches together l Advanced Basics what squeeze she had in mind. After a with accommodation, food and other l Weak Twos £96 short break and a sigh or two she gave expenses will not be a cheap matter. l Strong Hands in and gave us the trick to which we The EBU will be putting up money for l Defence to Weak Twos were entitled. this not least because one if its duties l Defence to 1NT Teaching people of any age to play as an organisation is to further our l Doubles is good for the EBU, the counties, representation in international events l Two-suited the clubs and the players – we all and it is particularly pleasing that we l Defences to Other Systems need to do more. If your club offers have juniors doing so well. If they are l Misfits and teaching does it advertise? If it doesn’t to do well in China, and there is every Distributional Hands has it thought of co-operating with hope that they will, then a programme another local club? As far as juniors of training and other squad activities FIVE-CARD MAJORS are concerned does your club welcome will be taking place between now and and encourage juniors? next August. & Strong No-Trump Some juniors who learn at school are We are also going to have a fund l Opening Bids & Responses happy to play a little in school, perhaps raising drive and some clubs, counties l No-Trump Openings at home and don’t desire to spread and individuals have already offered l Support for Partner their wings but others have a strong help. There is detail at www.ebu. l Slams & Strong Openings competitive desire. co.uk/sponsor/WYB2018 for anyone l Rebids The EBU has four squads of juniors interested. l Minors & Misfits (U16, U21, U26 and U26 Women). Back to the original question. l Pre-empting £89 There are 58 juniors in the four squads Encouraging more juniors to play l Doubles at present. If you are thinking that 25 is one key to the future of our game. l Overcalls years old is quite old then be aware It’s one where there are now more l Competitive Auctions that a) when junior bridge first started centres of excellence such as the ones in the late 1960s the maximum age mentioned above but we also need ALSO was 35 and b) in many countries the more to develop to have coverage for l Defence (see p41) average age of the membership today all the country. It is, however, only l Declarer Play (see p45) is quite advanced. In the ACBL in one part of the strategy. Teaching l Acol Bidding (see p39) North America it is said to be 72. those who are older to learn to play As an aside there are now so many or to come back to bridge is another seniors aged over 60 that from the 1st part. Organisations such as U3A have January 2018 the minimum age will bridge clubs in some of their branches. ( 01483 489961 start to rise until it reaches 65 in 2026 Making clubs pleasant environments www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop so not only will people wait longer for is another. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 15 Teacher’s Corner – Teaching Tips from Ian Dalziel Stayman and Transfers – Are They Profitable?

he trouble with using a a big loss no matter how extensive my I am not impressed. Transfers require conventional bid is that you teaching. more skill and, even when used need to know it thoroughly to Many years ago, I took the radical correctly, have their downside. Tshow a profit. Even 80% knowledge decision to stop teaching Stayman and isn’t good enough, for if it comes off see what happened. I fully expected 1. One benefit is supposed to be that the rails, you usually get a bottom and some bad results, landing in 3NT the lead comes up to the tenace you now need it to work correctly ten when a 4-4 major fit was superior. To holdings in the ‘stronger’ hand times to recoup the loss. For much of my amazement, it rarely happened so – but, if using a weak no-trump the time a convention, if used properly, I abandoned Stayman altogether at declarer is often the weaker or gets the same result as natural bidding. classes and in my own play. I rarely get equal strength hand. In our study Natural bidding has its mishaps too a bad result because of not using it. (below), we didn’t find one hand but, as it’s very logical, it’s much easier Remember, every convention has its in which the lead due to a transfer to remember and, if you make an price. There is a downside to Stayman. was an advantage to declarer, but error, the result may not be disastrous. we found several where it was a If you get into uncharted waters with 1. Believe it or not there are many disadvantage. natural bidding, you can fall back to hands where the 2♣ weak take-out 2. Many of the additional sequences basic principles (new suit is forcing is more useful than Stayman. offered by transfers can be done etc). If you get lost with a convention, 2. The ♣2 enquiry can be doubled for equally well with natural bidding, you just have to guess and half the a lead which defeats 3NT when no without the strain on the memory. time you will guess wrong. 4-4 fit is found. 3. The transfer bids can be doubled Card play is different; a little 3. The ♣2 enquiry allows the next for a lead. knowledge is better than none. If a opponent to at the two 4. Keeping it low with a transfer student remembers only 20% of a level which 1NT-3NT does not. rather than a jump bid, allows the lesson on finessing, they are better off 4. If Stayman doesn’t find a 4-4 fit opponents more room to compete. than before. (which happens quite often) you 5. The loss of the ♦2 weak take-out Do you use Stayman? – Of course have painted a picture of your can cost a lot in part score hands. you do. Everyone agrees it’s essential hands which helps opponents with 6. The 1NT opener is clearly defined to find 4-4 fits in a major after 1NT their lead and their defence. both in points and shape, the and 2NT openings and 1NT overcalls. 5. Sometimes, even if Stayman responder’s hand less so – hence Is it profitable? You presume so; surely locates a 4-4 fit, 3NT makes the defence is easier when the all the expert opinion the world over same number of tricks but scores ‘unknown’ hand is on the table due can’t be wrong? more. to a transfer. I used to be a big fan, used it 6. If a 4-4 fit is found and the trumps 7. When the hand with the long enthusiastically and, I thought, break 4-1 or worse (32% of the trumps is on the table, declarer profitably – though, like everyone time) then 3NT can be better. has to play it ‘ dummy’ – else, I never kept records. Naturally, I easy enough for expert players taught it in my classes with warnings What about transfers? Everyone but an added problem for the less of the obvious pitfalls. It was clear, uses them now; I’m well aware of experienced. however, from my post-mortems, that their supposed benefits but are they the convention was often partially profitable? I don’t use or teach them Of course supporters of Stayman and forgotten or misused. It was showing but I observe their use at the table and transfers will say that the benefits

Page 16 BRIDGE December 2017 TABLE A Stayman Transfers TABLE B Hands % Hands % Have you an agreement with 1NT Openers 182 182 your partner on the last bid in the following sequences? Occurrences 41 58

Gains 6 14.6% 10 17.2% 1. West East 1NT 2♣ Same 14 34.2% 28 48.3% 2♦ 2♠

Losses 21 51.2% 20 34.5% 2. West East 1NT 2♣ outweigh these detriments – but can However, for most players the 2♥ 2♠ they prove it? Can I prove the reverse? greatest losses come from either I decided to test my theory. partially forgetting or misusing their 3. West East I took 1,000 random computer dealt conventions. 1NT 2♣ hands (about 42 weeks’ bridge for a Stayman is considered to be the 2♦ 3♦ once a week player) and extracted all easiest of all conventions. After a 1NT deals (182) where there would be a 1NT opening, 2♣ asks for a major and a 2♦ (12-14) opening. I then extracted those rebid by the opener denies one. If no 4. West East where Stayman or transfers applied; I fit is found, you subside in a suitable 1NT 2♣ bid these hands using the appropriate number of no-trumps. But it’s not that 2♦ 3♥ convention then again with natural simple; for example many players have bidding and compared the likely no agreement for when opponents 5. West East results after card play. I asked an intervene. If 1NT is doubled does 1NT 2♣ experienced tournament player, Jim Stayman apply? Well it doesn’t but ♥ ♠ Tudor, who was pro conventions, to how many know this? If 1NT is 2 3 check my analysis and correct it where overcalled by two of a suit how do you appropriate. As you will see from use Stayman? Is it 3♣ or do you cue 6. West East Table A above, Stayman only gained in bid their suit? What if an opponent 1NT 2♣ 6 hands, but it lost on 21 hands and 14 overcalls after Stayman, what does 2♥ 3♣ hands gave the same result as natural opener do? Have you any agreement? bidding. Transfers did a bit better but What if you use Stayman and bid a were still a net loser. This, of course, new suit after partner’s response? Most 7. West East assumes these conventions were players think the meaning is quite 1NT 2♣ used correctly and that there were obvious and so does their partner, 2♠ 3♥ no partnership misunderstandings – except they often disagree over what which of course is dreamland! is obvious. There are some sequences 8. West East Many of the hands could have several in Table B (uncontested auction), try 1NT 2♣ outcomes; indeed to get a definitive them with your partner and see if you 2♠ 3♦ result, you would need to put them all agree what the final bid means. I bet to an unbiased expert panel – but how you don’t! long would that take? The study took Over the years, a massive amount 9. West East a huge amount of time – no wonder has been published in books and 1NT 2♣ it has never been done before. Players magazines about conventions but I 2♥ 4NT rely on their memories to decide if have never seen one article showing their conventions are showing a profit, the profitability of any convention but memories can be selective – they using random hands in a scientific remember the good and forget the bad. manner. It could be done using the without, the convention. (David Bird Like any proper scientific study, method above, but it would take a long and Taf Anthias did this with opening this one can be replicated. Anyone is time and that’s probably why it isn’t. leads and the results were fascinating invited to computer deal their own With all the computing software and sometimes unexpected). The 1,000 hands and analyse them. If you now available, surely the merits (and computer analysis of conventions want to study our analysis of the 182 frequency) of any convention could be would, of course, be challenged as the hands, then email ildalziel@gmail. tested by playing thousands of hands human factor would be missing – but com and comparing results with, and at least it would be a start. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 17 Sally Brock Looks at Your Slam Bidding

Sally’s Slam Clinic

Where did What seems to happen with most of bid more with both major-suit aces, the bidding sequences that I am asked trump leads might make 5♦ difficult if we go wrong? to critique is that the strong hand can partner is minimum. only bear to wait so long before asking North now used Blackwood and bid Roger Harris sent in this slam deal that for aces. There is usually no rush. This the grand slam knowing there was a he played with Alan Patel at Coventry would be my recommended auction: key card missing. Bridge Club. He argued that if the ♥A was missing West North East South then the slam was almost certainly 1♥ Pass 2♠ laydown; if the ♦K was missing, then ♠ 6 Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠ then the finesse was odds-on to be ♥ K Q J 9 7 3 2 Pass 4♥ Pass 4NT right; and if the ♠A was missing, there ♦ Q 5 4 Pass 5♠ Pass 6♥ was a small chance the suit would not ♣ A J All Pass be led. ♠ J 9 7 2 ♠ Void ♥ 6 4 N ♥ 10 When North bids hearts three times, W E ♦ K 10 8 6 S ♦ A 9 7 3 2 which he surely would, then South ♠ 6 ♣ 8 6 2 ♣ Q 10 9 7 5 4 3 should believe that hearts will cope ♥ Void ♠ A K Q 10 8 5 4 3 with bad breaks more easily than ♦ A Q J 9 5 ♥ A 8 5 spades. ♣ A K 10 9 6 5 2 ♦ J ♠ K Q J 10 ♠ 7 4 3 2 ♣ K ♣♦♥♠ ♥ Q 10 8 4 3 N ♥ K 7 5 ♦ K 4 W E ♦ 10 2 S ♣ 4 3 ♣ Q J 8 7 West North East South Slam of the Month ♠ A 9 8 5 1♥ Pass 2♠ ♥ A J 9 6 2 Pass 3♥ Pass 4NT This next deal (hand in next column) ♦ 8 7 6 3 Pass 5♠ Pass 6♠ was sent in by Dave Simmons who ♣ Void All Pass played it at Royston Bridge Club. It was reached after a splendid He made his slam despite the 4-0 auction, I thought. West North East South trump break because West led a heart, It is difficult to know how to handle a 1♥ 2NT Pass 4♦ so when declarer discovered there was freak hand like North’s. Although it is Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ a spade loser he could cash the ♣K, not ideal to make a two-suited overcall Pass 7♦ All Pass and then cross with a heart to discard with a two-card disparity between the a diamond on the ♣A. suits, it does work better if the lower When the ♦K was missing, declarer Roger asked how South would ever suit is longer as that’s the one partner handled everything well, by ruffing believe that North’s hearts were good will choose with equal length. This two clubs in his hand, while playing enough to play in that suit rather than time South had enough to jump to 4♦ diamonds towards the dummy. Grand spades. – although it might look tempting to slam bid and made. Well done. ■

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Page 18 BRIDGE December 2017 All You Need to Know by Andrew Kambites Squeezes

o you think that squeezes are With 12 top tricks, you need to make would work just as well if West started too difficult for you? The full either the ♥2 or ♦2. A 3-3 break in with four cards in each red suit. The title of this article is ‘All you either suit will suffice. Suppose you cards you hold which might become Dneed to know about squeezes’. I could take the opening lead and run off your winners are called menaces, the ♥2 just mischievously present a blank black suit winners, leaving the position and ♦2. Declarer and dummy each page, because you can become a good in Layout C. Do I hear protests? North, have one menace and you have good player with no knowledge at all about South and West have seven cards left communications in the suits. East is squeezes. However, I have two rea- but East has eight cards. Precisely. caught in a pincer movement. He has sons for tempting you to acquire some Both red suits have broken 4-2, but the impossible task of trying to guard knowledge. First the more useful ones East started by guarding both of them. against one menace either side of him. are not that difficult, and second they He has already had to make a fatal For once, your partner isn’t the only can be rather elegant and satisfying. discard. He has been squeezed. menace at the table. Rather than try There are huge numbers of squeezes, to describe the ingredients of a simple with sophisticated and exotic names. squeeze, I will show it in its simplest Most of them have virtually no Layout C form. Look at it and hopefully it will relevance to practical declarer play, but ♠ — become familiar. I think pattern some of the simpler types occur with ♥ A K Q 2 recognition is more helpful here than reasonable frequency. They do not ♦ 6 4 3 long sentences with complex words. require great technical sophistication ♣ — and this article aims to explain, in a ♠ 10 ♠ practical way, how you can squeeze ♥ 9 7 N ♥ J 10 6 5 ♥ A 2 (menace) W E opponents with very little effort or ♦ 10 7 S ♦ J 9 8 5 ♦ — knowledge. ♣ 10 9 ♣ ♠ — N In the first hand, you are in 7NT. W E West leads ♠J. How should you play? ♥ 8 4 3 S ♦ A K Q 2 ♣ — ♥ 8 Hand A Hand B ♦ 2 (menace) ♠ Q 9 8 ♠ Q 9 8 ♥ A K Q 2 ♥ A K Q 2 How much mental effort is involved? ♦ 6 4 3 ♦ 6 4 3 Being lazy, I would watch for discards South has the lead. If the same ♣ A K Q ♣ A K 3 of just one of the suits, maybe the defender has to guard against the ♦2 hearts. Having cashed six black and ♥2, he needs to have three cards N N suit tricks, I would continue with left, a diamond and two hearts, clearly W E W E ♥ S S A-K-Q. By this time I would know impossible. if ♥2 was a winner. If not, I would Now consider Hand B. Again you ♠ A K 6 ♠ A K 6 cash the diamonds and hope for the take trick 1 and run off your black suit ♥ 8 4 3 ♥ 8 4 3 best. If I had to play ♦2 at trick 13, I winners, this time leaving Layout D ♦ A K Q 2 ♦ A K Q 2 wouldn’t even need to know whether (in the next column). ♣ 8 4 2 ♣ 8 4 2 or not it is a winner. I rather enjoy the East, again, started by guarding expressions on the defenders’ faces both red suits, but this time he seems Contract 7NT. Contract 6NT. when the ♦2 turns out to be a winner to have had no problems. So playing Lead ♠J. Lead ♠J. and I innocently express surprise. a contract one level lower with one This is called a simple squeeze. It fewer winner doesn’t automatically

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 19 lead to the same position. Can you see any prospect at all of a Assuming that West also has the ♥A thirteenth trick? Start by cashing your and ♦K-Q for his double of 3NT, can winners. Project your mind forward to you see any chance of a ninth trick? Layout D when you are just about to play your Look at Layout J. ♠ — last club winner. ♥ A K Q 2 ♦ 6 4 3 Hand G Hand H ♣ 3 Layout F ♠ 6 2 ♠ 9 4 ♠ 10 ♠ — ♠ A J ♥ K Q J 7 ♥ 9 5 ♥ 9 7 N ♥ J 10 6 5 ♥ J ♦ 7 4 3 2 ♦ 3 2 W E ♦ 10 7 S ♦ J 9 8 5 ♦ — ♣ K 5 2 ♣ A K Q J 7 5 4 ♣ 10 9 7 ♣ — ♣ — ♠ — ♠ K Q East N N W E W E N ♥ 8 4 3 ♥ Q hand S S W E ♦ A K Q 2 ♦ — S immaterial ♣ 8 ♣ — ♠ A 5 3 ♠ K J 3 2 ♠ 8 ♥ 6 3 ♥ A J 2 ♥ 5 ♦ A J ♦ K Q 5 4 The problem with Layout D is that ♦ — ♣ A Q J 8 7 6 ♣ 9 3 you have a club in each hand which is ♣ 9 fulfilling no useful purpose. Contract 3NT Contract 3NT. However, suppose you had won the doubled. Lead ♥K, then ♣8. spade lead and immediately ducked What can West discard on the ♣9? West opened 1♠ a club before cashing the rest of your If he gives up his ♥Q, you discard and doubled 3NT. black suit winners. Now you would dummy’s ♠J and make the last Lead ♠K. arrive again at the position shown in two tricks with dummy’s ♠A and Layout C and the squeeze would work. ♥J. Throwing a spade is no better. Dummy’s ♥J has served its purpose Layout J ost squeezes work best if so you can let it go, making the last ♠ 6 2 declarer or dummy have two tricks with dummy’s ♠A-J. This is ♥ K Q J 7 Mno spare cards. called a positional squeeze because it ♦ 7 4 3 2 relies upon the fact that dummy’s two ♣ K 5 2 Therefore if you are in 6NT with menaces are both guarded by the hand ♠ K Q J 10 8 7 ♠ 9 4 eleven top tricks and you are hoping (West) in front of dummy. Rather like ♥ A 9 4 N ♥ 10 8 5 2 that a squeeze might give you a twelfth a finesse it works because West has to ♦ K Q 6 W E ♦ 10 9 8 5 S trick you might need to give up a trick, make a decision (in this case, which ♣ 3 ♣ 10 9 4 called rectifying the count. card to discard) before you have to ♠ A 5 3 Next I will show you another type of commit dummy to a discard. Swap the ♥ 6 3 squeeze. West and East hands and the finesse ♦ A J In Layout E, instead of playing in the would fail. You are incredibly lucky ♣ A Q J 8 7 6 easy contract of 7♦, you have landed in in that you required West to hold the the dreadful contract of 7NT. West king and queen of both major suits leads the ♥K. and, even then, if West had guessed to You win the ♠A and run your clubs. lead the ♠K rather than the ♥K, your West needs to find five discards. to dummy at trick 12 would have Throwing two hearts and the ♦6 Layout E been destroyed. However, it doesn’t causes West no pain, but what then? ♠ A J 7 require much technique. Hold on to If West discards a second diamond, ♥ J 6 2 dummy’s ♥J for as long as it might your ♦J becomes a winner and if West ♦ A Q J 10 become a winner, then let it go. discards two winning spades, it is safe ♣ 8 3 2 Often running a long suit can for you to drive out ♥A. ♠ K Q 6 2 ♠ 10 9 5 4 3 produce unexpected results. Once again, there is nothing ♥ K Q 4 3 N ♥ 10 9 8 7 W E In Hand G (see next column), the advanced about this. When you are ♦ 7 5 S ♦ 9 6 3 contract is 3NT after West opened ♠1 short of tricks it often pays to run ♣ 7 6 4 ♣ 5 and doubled 3NT. West leads the ♠K. your long suit, providing you have ♠ 8 You allow the defenders to win the easy discards from the hand opposite. ♥ A 5 first two tricks and win ♠A at trick 3, You can comfortably discard three ♦ K 8 4 2 discarding ♥7 from dummy. East also diamonds. Here, it just falls into your ♣ A K Q J 10 9 discards on West’s third spade so you lap, whether or not you understand know West started with six spades. what you are doing. West’s anguish

Page 20 BRIDGE December 2017 will reinforce the position. by Andrew Kambites Hand H should serve as a warning About Squeezes Quiz to you. Again you are in 3NT. West (Answers on page 36) leads the ♥K. You correctly allow this to hold and West switches to ♣8. How With each of these hands plan the play, state the ending you are aiming for and what distributions of the missing cards will lead to success. What cards are you should you play? looking for as the defenders make their discards? Do you think it is appropriate to run your clubs? Look at Layout K. What five discards do you intend to make Hand 1 Hand 2 Hand 3 from your hand? ♠ A 8 ♠ A 8 ♠ 4 3 ♥ A Q 6 5 3 ♥ A K 6 5 4 ♥ 7 ♦ 8 4 ♦ 8 4 ♦ K Q 5 3 Layout K ♣ 6 5 3 2 ♣ J 6 5 3 ♣ A K J 10 4 3 ♠ 9 4 N N N ♥ 9 5 W E W E W E ♦ 3 2 S S S ♣ A K Q J 7 5 4 ♠ K 7 ♠ K 7 ♠ A 6 ♠ A Q 10 ♠ 8 7 6 5 ♥ K 2 ♥ 7 3 2 ♥ A J 4 3 2 ♥ K Q 10 7 3 N ♥ 8 6 4 ♦ A K Q 6 2 ♦ A K Q 6 ♦ A 6 4 2 W E ♣ A K Q J ♣ A K Q 2 ♣ Q 8 ♦ A J 9 S ♦ 10 8 7 6 ♣ 8 2 ♣ 10 6 Contract 7NT. Contract 6NT. Contract 6NT. ♠ K J 3 2 Lead ♠Q. Lead ♠Q. Lead ♠K. ♥ A J 2 ♦ K Q 5 4 ♣ 9 3 Hand 4 Hand 5 Hand 6 ♠ A ♠ 9 5 ♠ A K Q 7 6 Now I don’t know whether you can ♥ 9 6 5 ♥ 8 ♥ A 6 succeed by running the clubs imme- ♦ A K Q 7 ♦ A K Q 7 5 4 ♦ A 7 3 diately. Experience warns me that with ♣ 6 5 4 3 2 ♣ 7 5 4 3 ♣ 6 4 3

West discarding after you, the endgame N N N W E W E W E will turn out to be very complicated. If S S S I were conscientious I would provide ♠ ♠ ♠ you with a detailed analysis but I have Q 3 2 A K 8 2 ♥ A ♥ A K 10 5 ♥ Q 5 two reasons for not doing so. ♦ 6 5 ♦ 6 2 ♦ Q 2 (1) This article is meant to be ♣ A K Q J 10 9 7 ♣ A K Q J 10 ♣ A K Q J 10 9 8 practical and not too complicated. (2) I am lazy and this analysis would Contract 7NT. Contract 7NT. Contract 7NT. be a total waste of effort. You can make Lead ♥Q. Lead ♥Q. Lead ♠J. the contract by driving out ♦A at trick 3. I have no great interest in inflicting a suicide squeeze on my own hand and then seeing whether I can recover Hand 7 Hand 8 from my own incompetence. ♠ 7 3 2 ♠ A 10 So what is the purpose of this ♥ K 5 ♥ Q J 10 deal? Merely to show you that a little ♦ A J 3 2 ♦ 6 4 knowledge can be a dangerous thing. ♣ A J 6 5 ♣ A Q J 10 9 8 You shouldn’t imagine that you can N N W E W E mindlessly run a long suit without S S consequences. You need to understand ♠ A K Q J 10 9 8 4 ♠ J 5 4 2 the two vital differences between ♥ A J ♥ K 7 2 Hands G and H: ♦ 5 4 ♦ A 9 8 In Hand G there was no simple way ♣ 2 ♣ K 7 3 of making the contract. In Hand H, there was a very simple way. Contract 7♠. Contract 3NT doubled. In Hand G I could easily find the West opened 1NT. East doubled North’s 1♣ necessary discards from the hand with Lead ♦K. opening and doubled 3NT. fewer clubs. In Hand H, I couldn’t. Lead ♦5. Be warned! ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 21 Bernard Magee DVDs – Number Thirty-Seven

More Signalling

his DVD starts by so he should have an odd your partner’s lowest card, led or dummy is very strong going over the stand- number of cards. Three in so it means he is trying to in the suit led and also when ard signals: count, your hand, four in dummy tell you he has an even num- you are following to later Tattitude and suit preference; and three in your partner’s ber of cards (remember it is rounds of a suit. showing the way they usu- hand leaves three in declar- whether the card is high or These situations give op- ally come up and how use- er’s hand. You wait until the low). Seven cards between portunities for subtle suit- ful they can be. third round to take your ace you and dummy, so if East preference signals which The first hand is taken and declarer finishes a trick has a doubleton declarer can be key to an accurate from the topic of Counting short: will have four diamonds defence. Defence: and he will make the suit whatever you do. ♠ 9 8 5 However, what about ♠ K 10 4 3 ♠ 9 8 5 ♥ 8 7 3 when East has four dia- ♥ K 9 8 7 2 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ K Q 9 5 monds? ♦ 4 ♦ K Q 9 5 ♣ 7 6 5 Now declarer will have ♣ K 10 4 ♣ 7 6 5 ♠ J 7 6 2 ♠ Q 10 4 just two and you should ♠ 7 6 2 ♠ J 7 6 2 ♥ Q 6 N ♥ J 10 9 5 ♥ 5 4 N W E take your ace on the second W E ♥ Q 6 N ♦ A 8 6 S ♦ 4 3 2 round. The full layouts are ♦ A K 8 7 6 S W E ♦ A 8 6 S ♣ Q J 10 9 ♣ 4 3 2 almost identical, South’s ♣ 7 6 2 ♣ Q J 10 9 ♠ A K 3 ♦7 was given to East and he ♥ A K 4 2 received the ♠4 in its stead. ♦ J 10 7 This time you cut declarer West North East South After the auction 2NT-3NT ♣ A K 8 off from two diamond tricks 1♥ you lead the ♣Q. Declarer and declarer may finish Pass 4♥ All Pass wins the ♣A and leads the with only seven tricks. Eve- ♦J, which you as does Declarer makes six top ry trick counts and making As West against 4♥, you lead dummy and your partner tricks from his hand and accurate signals allows you the ♦A to the ♦4, ♦2 and ♦5. follows with the ♦2. Clearly just two diamonds because to make accurate decisions. What do you do next? the idea of the deal is that you cut him off from dum- After dealing with count, Both defenders can see you can see that dummy my’s last diamond. Take the you are shown some atti- that a further diamond lead has no outside entry and trick any earlier and declar- tude signals, but then the is not going to do much that your aim with your ♦A er can still lead a diamond focus turns to suit prefer- damage so both should is to cut declarer off from to dummy. ence. be thinking of switching: dummy. If declarer has The neatness of this lay- The used is the Mc- which means East should two diamonds, you want to out is that on the very next Kenney style: playing a high try to help his partner if he play your ace on the second hand you hold the same 13 card to suggest a higher can see a dynamic switch round, if he has three dia- cards, as does dummy and ranking suit, or a low card is called for. He chooses monds you want to wait un- after the same auction and to suggest a lower ranking his diamond play careful- til the third round. the same lead, declarer once suit. This can be used as a ly. Here, he has played the Your partner is helping again leads the ♦J, but this discarding system, but the smallest diamond possible, you: he is giving a count time your partner follows DVD deals with other possi- which would suggest a lean- signal: his ♦2 is the lowest with the ♦7. bilities such as: when dum- ing towards the lower suit: card he could have played, The ♦7 is unlikely to be my has a shortage in the suit clubs.

Page 22 BRIDGE December 2017 dummy comes down with a ♠ K 10 4 3 singleton you can use your MR BRIDGE ♥ K 9 8 7 2 choice of heart to give a suit- ♦ 4 preference signal. With bare CHRISTMAS ♣ K 10 4 honours, you would prefer ♠ 7 6 2 ♠ 9 8 5 your partner not to lead a N QUIZ 2017 ♥ 5 4 W E ♥ A diamond or club, so you ♦ A K 8 7 6 S ♦ J 10 3 2 should play a middle card ♣ 7 6 2 ♣ A Q J 8 3 (the ♥5 or the ♥6) to express Set by Mike Orriel ♠ A Q J indifference to your part- ♥ Q J 10 6 3 ner’s play. In diamonds you CARDS ♦ Q 9 5 will want to play your ace at 1 Which card baked some tarts and which card stole them? ♣ 9 5 the right time, so would like 2 Which card is known as ‘the curse of Scotland’? declarer to lead the suit and 3 Which card game contains two alcoholic drinks? watch your partner’s count 4 In which card game are the ♦3 and ♥3 important cards? If West manages to play a signal carefully. club at trick 2, then the con- SCORES tract is defeated, but other- wise, declarer will eventu- ♠ A 2 5 What are the only two making contracts ally discard a losing club on ♥ 7 whose duplicate score is exactly 2,000? his spades. ♦ K J 9 8 7 6 How many doubled vulnerable undertricks Using suit preference sig- ♣ 9 7 4 3 2 will score a penalty of exactly 2,000? nals in different situations ♠ 5 4 3 ♠ 10 6 7 In teams of four, how many IMPs is a net can open all sorts of defenc- ♥ A K Q N ♥ 9 8 6 5 3 2 score of +2,000 on one hand? W E ♦ 6 5 3 S ♦ A 4 2 es, but it does require two 8 Exactly 2,000 would represent ♣ K 10 8 6 ♣ J 5 active minds. It is all well which masterpoint rank in England? and good giving a clever ♠ K Q J 9 8 7 ♥ signal, but it can be very dif- J 10 4 ODD ONE OUT (Which is the odd one out in each case?) ♦ Q 10 ficult to pick the signals up. 9 Green, purple, orange, red, blue The second part of the ♣ A Q DVD goes on to look at 10 Pink, black, blue, green, gold more signals and particu- 11 170, 270, 370, 470, 570 larly trying to understand After the♥ A your partner whether you should give switches to a trump. De- ANAGRAMS on a ‘BRIDGE’ theme a signal or not. When you clarer wins in dummy, plays 12 CUP DETAIL 13 BLUER ODE have a strong club suit like a diamond which you duck 14 NEUTRON MAT 15 BELL SHONE in the hand above, then you and then ruffs a heart. He obviously want a club led, plays another diamond, but MISCELLANEOUS but when you hold just the you are on the ball – you 16 What is ‘the rule of eleven’ when defending? ace of a suit you might not watched your partner’s first 17 Which windy city is a form of bridge? be so keen for a switch: diamond (♦3) so you know declarer has just one left, so 18 What does the mnemonic SAYC stand for? you leap up with the ♦A and 19 What are the odds against being dealt a Yarborough? ♠ A 2 play a heart. Declarer has to 20 You are West and hold the hand below. ♥ 7 lose a club as well and goes

♦ K J 9 8 7 down. Dealer East. West North East South ♣ 9 7 4 3 2 Had you signalled for ♠ 8 7 1♥ 7♠ ♠ 10 6 a diamond, your partner ♥ K 7 6 2 N Pass Pass Dbl Rdbl N ♥ 9 8 6 5 3 2 W E W E might have led one and de- ♦ K Q 10 2 S All Pass S ♦ A 4 2 clarer either makes his dia- ♣ 8 7 4 ♣ J 5 monds if you play the ace or What should you lead? can make two heart ruffs if you duck. West North East South Defence is by far the hard- Send your answers to Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH or by email to [email protected] 1♠ est aspect of bridge, but it is Please include your full postal address and telephone number. Pass 2♦ Pass 3♠ also the most fascinating Entries with the most correct answers, however few, Pass 4♠ All Pass – this DVD will open your received by 31 December 2017 will be sent a tutorial DVD. eyes to all sorts of wonders Answers will be published in the February issue. West leads the ♥A and since of signalling. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 23 Page 24 BRIDGE December 2017 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions on Laws and Ethics

Explanation Corrected During the Auction

Playing duplicate should have been warned table, for example, someone the bid was made before pairs using bidding not to take advantage in who writes the contract on being withdrawn, and the Qboxes at an EBU any way of RHO‘s remark. his score card or puts it long pause continued for affiliated club, my partner If LHO failed to treat it as into the Bridgemate before some time after the card was was dealer and opened Stayman an adjusted score leading, both of which are withdrawn. If the stop card 1NT. My RHO overcalled 2♣ might be assigned. The somewhat rude. This seems was not used correctly, and which my LHO announced director should realise that no more rude than that and in clubs it is often withdrawn as Stayman whereupon players do make mistakes. we have to tolerate these immediately, then a long my RHO blurted out, ‘No!‘ common rudenesses. pause has to be considerable I called the director who ♣♦♥♠ since if there is any doubt was dismissive. He said ♣♦♥♠ it now is in favour of the that it was obviously not I was declarer in player after the jump bid. Stayman and we had not 3NT and LHO led With both sides Assuming that the director been damaged. My RHO Qthe ♦A. Dummy vulnerable, judges there was a long was neither penalised nor went down with a singleton Qpartner deals and pause in excess of that which admonished for what, to diamond. Immediately, passes. RHO passes and I is allowed after a jump bid, me, was a flagrant breach RHO pulled a card from his open 3♥ with a seven card then the question is whether of a basic rule of bridge. hand and laid it, face down, suit headed by the K-Q-J RHO has chosen amongst How could the director on the table. I asked him and an outside king. LHO alternatives one that is say that we had not been to put it back in his hand deliberates for a long time suggested over another damaged? Until my RHO‘s as I considered it a way of and then passes, my partner logical alternative which oral intervention, my LHO trying to hurry me up, when I also passes. RHO holds: would be less successful, thought that the 2♣ overcall wished to examine the hand and the choice is suggested was Stayman and there before I played. Everyone at by the pause. The pause was no telling what sort the table and the director, ♠ A 10 8 5 3 suggests doubt and followed of a tangle our opponents who had been called by the ♥ A by a pass clearly shows could have got into without RHO, said, ‘You have to play ♦ J 5 some values. 4♣, 3♠ and the oral intervention. the diamond, so what are ♣ J 7 5 4 2 Double are all suggested I would be most you making a fuss about?‘ over pass by the pause, since interested to know how Please will you adjudicate. partner is known to have you would have ruled. Pat Dean by email. What should RHO call with some strength, but none are Name and address supplied. this collection? Pass, 4♣, 3♠, suggested over each other. I do not see why it is Double? RHO actually bid So it really comes down The director does not an attempt to hurry 3♠ and the final contract to whether pass is a logical seem to understand A you up, and if you was 4♠ making 11 tricks. alternative to 3♠. I would Athe principles of feel that, you just take your How would you rule? certainly bid 3♠ and I expect Unauthorised Information time. But it seems to me that Tony Cordery by email. so would a lot of people. (UI). RHO‘S comment is all he is doing is making Best is to take a poll of illegal communication clear he has no problem. With a jump bid I people, asking them simply between partners even Of course, his doing so is would always make what they would bid on the though clearly unintended. undesirable and somewhat A sure that the stop given hand after 3♥-Pass- RHO should have been rude, but we have to tolerate card was used correctly, Pass, not telling them about admonished and LHO minor rudenesses at the ie held out for a time after the pause, and what other

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 25 calls they would consider. but time was pressing. They director also advised South partner alerted. Whoops! So long as at least one in amassed 1,160 points. that if he did not make a I forgot that we had just five consider pass, of whom I had passed after the comparable bid, he would started to play this as some would actually choose redouble as I thought it silence partner. South asked minor suit Stayman. I was it, then pass is a logical was up to my partner to the director for options for aware that my partner’s alternative and I would adjust bid – he knew my points, a comparable bid, and he correct alert gave me to 3♥ making whatever whereas I didn’t know his. advised that any bid at the unauthorised information seems reasonable, usually He disagrees, of course! Can four level is comparable. and that I must not use it. a weighted score between you put one of us more right We queried whether 4NT, We played in 3♦-3, for different numbers of tricks. than the other please and ... which, if bid in the original -150, when they might I would think that the should we have been bolder sequence, would have have got to game in hearts weaker the group of players and called the director? been Key Card Blackwood, or no-trumps, so finished asked, the more players Liz Bell, Tunbridge Wells. is still a comparable with an undeserved good would consider or choose bid and he advised this board. North asked if the pass. It is thus fairest to ask Certainly you should should be viewed as a score should stand. I thought people of similar standard to have called the natural bid. In the end it probably would, but the actual player. Whatever A director. There is the South chose to bid 4♠. indicated he should consult the results of the poll, I expect possibility of misinformation As all this is a bit new the director. He declined it to be a close decision. here and it is the director’s to us, would the 4NT to do so. Please advise. job to decide whether bid be comparable? Alex Mathers, Northallerton. ♣♦♥♠ there was misinformation John Williams, Montrose. and whether you were People make On the hand damaged. It sounds pretty I wonder why the mistakes at bridge below, I was East much as though opener director reckoned A all the time and Qplaying against misunderstood responder’s A it should be viewed sometimes they gain. For two experienced redouble and got lucky, as a natural bid? It is not example if a player tries players who don’t play but the director might up to him to tell the players to drop a singleton king together very often. adjust because you or their system. If under their offside with four cards out your partner might have agreements 4NT is natural because she misunderstood done something different. then that is a Comparable the rule ‘Eight ever, nine ♠ J 9 6 2 He would also explain to Call. However over 80% of never’ applies to queens not ♥ 8 7 4 North that if partner fails players take any 4NT bid kings then she gets a good ♦ 3 to alert something that he as Blackwood so I doubt board when it works, as my ♣ K Q J 7 6 should then he (North) must that this pair do not. wife discovered when she ♠ Q 7 4 ♠ K 10 8 5 tell the opponents at the To be honest I am not sure dropped my singleton king ♥ Q 10 6 3 N ♥ A J 9 end of the auction if he is there is any Comparable Call offside about thirty years ago W E ♦ 10 9 7 5 2 S ♦ K Q 6 declarer or dummy. If the on that sequence. 4♦, 4♥, 4♠, – I may forgive her in time. ♣ 4 ♣ A 3 2 director was called then it 4NT? Do any of them have Mind you it should not ♠ A 3 is possible the final pass the same or similar meaning be a question for you or ♥ K 5 2 might be taken back. as 3NT? No. Do any of them your opponent. Just call ♦ A J 8 4 have the same purpose, eg the director as you were ♣ 10 9 8 5 ♣♦♥♠ as an ? No. Do any required to. There is no law of them define a subset of the that says when something Playing at the possible meanings of 3NT? happens the opposition call West North East South club this week, No. So I believe whatever the director: once attention 1NT QSouth made South calls silences partner. was drawn to an irregularity, Pass Pass Dbl Pass an insufficient bid in the all four players are required Pass Redbl All Pass following sequence: ♣♦♥♠ to call the director. Note that this is different At the end of bidding I asked North South At our local from misinformation: if the North what his redouble 1♠ bridge club, I players are told the wrong meant and he mumbled 2♥ 3♠ Qwas playing East thing about your actual something about having 4♣ 3NT and held a 5-3-3-2 nine agreements (including by an wanted his partner to bid count. I overcalled North’s alert or non-alert) then they clubs; I asked South if he The director was called 1♣ opening with 1♠ and may get redress. ■ should have shown the alert and he told West that he card and he just said he could accept the bid or E-mail your questions on bridge laws to: wanted to pass. I wondered South is required to make [email protected] about calling the director a ‘Comparable Bid‘. The

Page 26 BRIDGE December 2017 Answers to David Huggett’s Play Quiz on page 9

You are declarer in 4♥ and West leads just play another diamond to the king in 1. ♠ Q J 10 9 the ♠A. How do you plan the play? dummy and carry on playing them until ♥ 7 4 It looks as though you should make the ace wins. And you still have the king ♦ 6 4 3 five hearts, four diamonds and a club but of clubs as an entry to the last diamond. ♣ 9 7 6 5 there are terrible entry problems. If you ♠ 7 6 ♠ K 8 4 3 ruff the opening lead, cash the four red ♥ Q J 10 6 3 2 N ♥ 9 8 5 winners in dummy and ruff a spade back ♦ J 9 7 5 W E ♦ 10 8 2 to hand you will need trumps to be 3-3 4. ♠ K 9 8 7 S ♣ J ♣ K Q 10 and that is against the odds. Strangely ♥ J 6 5 2 ♠ A 5 2 enough if you had started with four low ♦ K 8 2 ♥ A K diamonds the hand would have been ♣ 3 2 ♦ A K Q much easier. After ruffing the opening ♠ 5 4 ♠ 3 2 ♣ A 8 4 3 2 lead, cash the top diamonds in dummy ♥ A Q 3 N ♥ 9 8 7 4 and the ace of clubs and just cross ruff ♦ J 10 9 W E ♦ Q 7 4 3 S the next six tricks. Even with trumps 5-1 ♣ K Q 10 8 5 ♣ J 7 6 You are declarer in 3NT after West opens declarer will prevail, with a disgruntled ♠ A Q J 10 6 a weak 2♥. West leads the ♥Q. How do East ruffing his partner’s winners at the ♥ K 10 you plan the play? end. ♦ A 6 5 A basic knowledge of probabilities is ♣ A 9 4 essential if you want to be a good dummy player and this is certainly the case with the hand shown. With only seven tricks 3. ♠ J 7 5 You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads on top you have to develop two more ♥ 6 3 the ♣K. How do you plan the play? and at first glance it might seem prudent ♦ K Q J 9 2 A little learning is a dangerous thing to play for clubs to be evenly divided and ♣ K 8 2 indeed and if you duck the opening lead this represents about a 40% probability ♠ K Q 9 3 ♠ 8 4 for no particular reason other than it of success. However a better line is to ♥ 10 9 8 7 2 N ♥ J 5 4 somehow feels the thing to do, then you play for the king of spades to be onside – ♦ 7 3 W E ♦ A 10 6 4 might fail in a watertight contract if West S a 50% proposition. So at trick two play a ♣ Q 3 ♣ J 10 9 7 switches to a diamond. On an unlucky spade to the queen. If East wins you have ♠ A 10 6 2 day you would lose a diamond, two three spade tricks and your contract, ♥ A K Q hearts and a club while the contract is while if he ducks you simply run the ♦ 8 5 almost guaranteed if you win the opening knave. Strangely East cannot afford to ♣ A 6 5 4 lead, draw trumps and play hearts in any win the trick and he can’t afford to duck way you wish. In a race against time you either. will establish a heart winner in dummy You are declarer in 3NT and West leads for a pitch of a diamond from hand. the ♥10. How do you plan the play? You mustn’t let the defenders attack the If you can somehow make three diamond suit first. ■ 2. ♠ J 7 4 3 2 diamond tricks the contract will be secure ♥ A K but there is a problem. If you simply lead ♦ A K a diamond to the king at trick two and DUPLICATE BRIDGE ♣ A 8 6 2 it wins the trick, then you would be in RULES SIMPLIFIED ♠ A K 9 6 ♠ Q 10 8 5 trouble, not only if a cunning East had (otherwise known as the Yellow Book) ♥ 6 N ♥ 8 7 5 4 3 ducked from A-10-x-x, but also if West ♦ 10 8 7 4 3 W E ♦ 9 2 began with that holding because you S by David Stevenson only ♣ ♣ Q J 10 K 3 would lack a vital entry to dummy to cash Fully Revised 2017 £595 ♠ Void the long diamond. As you can afford ♥ Q J 10 9 2 to lose two diamond tricks, you should Available from Mr Bridge ♦ Q J 6 5 instead run the eight of diamonds at trick ( 01483 489961 ♣ 9 7 5 4 2. If it wins that’s fine but if it loses to the www.mrbridge.co.uk ten and East returns a heart then you

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 27 A Blast From the Past by Shireen Mohandes Lives and Times

This series of articles will cover the intertwined lives of three bridge personalities. The lifespans of , Louisa Chamberlain and George Lengyel take us from the late 1800s to the early twenty-first century. Parts 1, 2 and 3 covered the period up to the end of WW2. This 4th part describes the post war period, until 1952. Part 4: 1945-1952

Paul Stern and Louisa Chamberlain popular personality but a fine bridge player in her own right’. About ten years after arriving in England, on 2 March In 1946, Paul and Louisa were still living in Abbey Road, 1948, Paul was naturalised. In the document his profession . He continued to teach and play, and contribute to is listed as ‘Writer and Teacher of Bridge’. the highly praised book: : a bridge The May 1948 edition of Journal was edited fantasy, first published in 1947. Other publishing collabora- by Paul. He had taken over from Maurice Harrison-Gray, tions and later editions of his other works would have aug- the founding editor. But following these good times, there mented his income. were sad times ahead. Paul, now in his mid 50s, had been a diabetic for decades, and had also suffered from a serious thrombosis (surviving largely as a result of the devoted care from Louisa). As the appointed delegate of the (founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1999), he was due to go abroad to a meeting of the European Assembly (see www. The Times 2 October 1946 eurobridge.org/governance/the-ebl/ for history of the EBL, The scarce bridge records from the time indicate that Paul the ). But he never made the journey. and Louisa occasionally played competition bridge together His good friend Guy Ramsey wrote ‘Paul Stern died, like as partners, with good results. In November 1946 Paul and Moses, on his Pisgah’, on the 12th June 1948. He was buried Martha’s son, Edward, married Joy Aldridge. Their daughter, three days later at the Jewish Cemetery, Bushey Heath. Eve, still lived with Martha and worked at Pinewood Studios. Paul and Martha never divorced. However, in May 1947, Louisa changed her name by deed poll to Louisa Stern. In Author’s note: Mount Pisgah usually refers to Mount several published sources she is referred to as Paul’s second Nebo, a region directly east of the Jordan River and just wife. Guy Ramsey described Louisa as ‘not only an extremely northeast of the Dead Sea. Pisgah in Hebrew means summit or peak. In translation, Pisgah lost its meaning and became a mountain’s proper name instead of being a term describing a mountaintop. (Wikipedia).

From the mountaintop Moses could see the Promised Land – the land of Israel (roughly), promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. So, Moses at the end of his life saw, but did not reach, the future land of his people.

Paul’s legal wife Martha lived in Hammersmith until she died in 1964. Louisa continued to live in Abbey Road, and work at The Hamilton Club, for several years, until the mid 1950s. In 1948 London Gazette, 27 May 1947 she was appointed Secretary of the English Bridge Union, a

Page 28 BRIDGE December 2017 post first held by Richard Lederer between 1936-1937. The Contract Bridge Journal (CBJ) December 1948 carried this Contract Bridge Journal notice, ‘The day-to-day handling of E.B.U. business and Launched in Committee work goes with the title of Secretary to Mrs September 1946, Louisa Stern: for long, by her own wish, a supporter; now in it was edited by her own right a major figure in Contract circles . We beg leave Maurice Harrison- to welcome Mrs Stern’s appointment and to congratulate the Gray. In May 1948, E.B.U. on the generosity of its members no less than on the Dr Paul Stern took selective ability of the Council.’ over as editor. After A couple of months later, the February 1949 edition his death, Guy explained, ‘Louisa Stern celebrated her appointment as Ramsey stepped in. Honorary Secretary of the E.B.U. with her first win in the In Ramsey’s double “Queen Cup”, and it was a fine achievement for Madge edition of June-July Trollope to be in the winning team for the second successive 1948, he said: year. The fact that both of them were up until 4am searching for a discrepancy of 4,000 points in a qualifying round, Ave atque Vale. seemed to have no effect either on their serenity or their standard of play.’ This, the first double number of the Contract Bridge Journal, has both triumph and tragedy to record. It is an occasion of supreme satisfaction to congratulate the British team which, for the first time, has borne the laurel from all Europe; and it adds one final fillip that its Captain should be that same M Harrison-Gray whose enthusiasm created, whose address set the standard for, this Paul Stern, 1948 magazine.

In 1955 Guy Ramsey published his book Aces All. It appears Foremost to have rejoiced in the national success would that not long after publication Edward Stern wrote to Guy and have been Gray’s successor in the Editorial chair, Dr Paul pointed out some errors. Guy replied and explained himself. Stern. But barely had he been appointed and many of his dreams seemed to have come true than illness, long and indomitably held at bay, dashed the cup from his lips.

This is no place to mourn him: our tribute, from full hearts, appears on another page. The credo of journalism is that of Royalty – The Editor is dead, long live the publication. The Contract Bridge Journal will survive the death of Paul Stern as it survived the resignation of Harrison-Gray: with deep and bitter regret; but also, with that courage which has marked – and, please Heaven, shall ever mark the free Press of a free country.

Notes: Catullus 101 is an elegiac poem written by the Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus. It is addressed to Catullus’s dead brother or, strictly speaking, to the ‘mute ashes’ which are the only remaining evidence of his brother’s body.

The tone is grief-stricken and tender, with Catullus trying to give the best gift he had to bestow (a poem) on his brother, who was taken prematurely. The last words, ‘Hail and Farewell’ (in Latin, ave atque vale), are among Catullus’ most famous; an alternative modern translation might be ‘I salute you...and goodbye’.

Source: Wikipedia

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 29 and Djohar were reunited, they were delighted to get their International League’s Future belongings back. George travelled to Europe on business in 1949 and 1951, A dispute in was disclosed by Mr A Noel and the family accompanied him. Marianne recollected that Mobbs, president of the British Bridge League, when he her mother wept when she visited in 1949, as the addressed players at the Cheltenham Bridge Congress on city was so damaged and desecrated by the war. Saturday. He read a letter from Dr Paul Stern of , Illness again affected the course of their lives. The girls who is taking part in the congress, expressing his were at a good school in Java when, in December 1951, polio amazement at reading in the congress brochure that the struck some staff and students. In the 1940s and 1950s polio , with its opposite numbers in France and paralyed or killed over half a million people worldwide every Austria, was the body responsible for making international year. Polio, being endemic, was a real threat. Jonas Salk’s laws governing the game. Dr Stern alleged that 10 years vaccine was only available in the mid-1950s, and it wasn’t had passed since the International Bridge League at The until 2006 that polio was eradicated in Indonesia. Hague became a recognised law-making body. After a period of quarantine, the family decided to leave Mr Mobbs, who has been president of the Portland Club Indonesia and head for Europe. Another factor contributing card committee for 20 years said that the Portland Club to their decision to leave was Indonesia’s increasingly made the rules of practically all card games and other dangerous economic and political climate. The country was clubs adopted them. The International League contained plagued with turbulence and separatism under President representatives of the three ex-enemy countries and in no Sukarno’s rule (in office 1945-1967). circumstances would he sit down with a German to discuss laws. He suggested the formation of a new league to include countries of western and northern Europe and the British Empire and that they should retire from the International Bridge League.

The Times, 20 May 1946

George Lengyel

After the war ended, George, his wife Márta, and daughters Marianne and Eva (Evi) were evacuated from Indonesia and taken to a refugee camp in Singapore. They planned to live in Australia, however a pre-requisite for the move from Singapore to Australia was that both daughters needed to have previously contracted measles. In Australia between 1946 and 1948. This was mandatory because many of the children had Márta and George, with daughters Marianne and Evi been in Japanese POW camps and emerged suffering from severe malnutrition. Past experience demonstrated that When the ship docked in Southampton in March 1952, children who caught measles on the boat to Australia often the family were officially stateless. George and Márta lived subsequently died. at The Hamilton Club for a short while. The girls went to St So the next step was to catch measles. Marianne explained, Michael’s School in Oxted, Surrey. George and Márta then ‘… we spent six months there alongside hundreds of other moved to rented accommodation in London, and George refugees, living uncomfortably in makeshift tents, cheek by played bridge at The Hamilton Club; the family regularly jowl … our beds were arranged in a quadrangle with hanging enjoyed Sunday lunch there during school holidays. They sheets serving as a curtain for privacy. Evi and I duly caught sought asylum but this was denied, and having lived in the measles, but Evi had to go to hospital…’. This was a very London for one year they were officially deported and distressing time for them all. At last, the little girls, now aged directed to return to Indonesia. 2 and 4, and their parents, arrived in Australia in March 1946, having caught whooping cough on the trip. They lived for two years in Australia; George was able to Bridge in Indonesia is classified as a major sport and is play bridge, and won the State of Victoria Championship. supported by government subsidies. Their federation has They did not enjoy life there, however, and returned to successfully promoted bridge at all levels. Their national open Java in 1948 where George won the Indonesian National team has achieved many good results at international events. Championship twice. He prospered professionally. Márta Twice in the 1970s: fourth in the . In 1996: had a good job too, and things worked out well for them. second in The (the World Bridge Teams Their former head servant, a Malay man called Djohar, had Olympiad). In 2002: The Munawar team (Indonesia) second salvaged and hidden the Lengyel family belongings which in . were abandoned in the 1945 evacuation. When the family

Page 30 BRIDGE December 2017 Keep Calm and Carry On

When George declared 5♠ doubled, he got a heart lead to Dealer West. Game All. Rubber Bridge. the ace. George was expecting to go down, but look what ♠ 8 2 happened. Perhaps East was worried that one of his aces ♥ J 5 4 would be ruffed, so he continued with a heart, which George ♦ K 10 5 ruffed. At trick 3, George led his ♦Q, which East won, and he ♣ K Q J 10 3 played a heart, which declarer ruffed. ♠ Void ♠ 5 3 ♥ K 10 9 3 N ♥ A Q 8 7 6 Declarer played his trumps to reach this three-card ending: W E ♦ 8 7 4 3 2 ♦ A J 9 S ♣ 7 6 5 2 ♣ A 8 4 ♠ A K Q J 10 9 7 6 4 ♠ — ♥ 2 ♥ — ♦ Q 6 ♦ K 10 ♣ 9 ♣ K ♠ — ♠ — ♥ — N ♥ — W E The original bidding, when the hand was played at the Curzon ♦ 8 7 S ♦ J 9 House Club in London (date not known): ♣ 7 ♣ A ♠ A West North East South ♥ — George ♦ 6 Lengyel ♣ 9 Pass Pass 1♥ 4♠ 5♥ 5♠ Dbl All Pass Now, the ♠A was played, and the ♣K from dummy was Suggested 2017 bidding: discarded. What can East do? From his point of view his partner may have the ♣9. Alternatively, he could discard West North East South the ♦9, and hope that declarer will play West for the ♦J, and Pass Pass 1♥1 4♠ take a (losing) finesse. On the actual deal, he discarded All Pass2 the ♣A. So, the contract was made, and of course, 150 for 1If playing Acol with a weak no-trump, open 1♥ and plan to rebid honours. no-trumps at the lowest level. Many playing a strong no-trump will open this hand with 1NT (15-17). George showed good technique to knock out the ♦A 2With both sides vulnerable, at rubber bridge, it is unwise to compete. immediately, before the opponents were able to signal If West were to bid 5♥, then there is a grave danger that East will effectively. Otherwise it is trivial for East to cash three aces. bid on. As it happens, 5♥ doubled is down one on a normal black Despite this East should have avoided the problem by ducking suit lead. An unlikely red suit lead helps declarer to set up dummy’s the ♦Q, having seen his partner’s count signal, if indeed West diamonds, and the contract makes. signalled, and East trusted it.

Good Reads

Compendium biographies/autobiographies Available from: Aces All, Guy Ramsey (1955) Gordon Bickley Card Game Books, The Bridge Immortals, (1967) 208 Strines Road, World Class, (1999) Strines, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 7GA History, light-hearted, humour type books ( 0161 427 4630 or 07530 553594 The Walk of the Oysters, Rex Mackey (multiple editions, 1964 and later in 1980s) e-mail: [email protected] The Bridge Player’s Bedside Companion, Albert A Ostrow (1956) And reputable online retailers. The Golden Age of Contract Bridge, David Daniels (1980) The New York Times Bridge Book, (2004) *The Almanack is available from British Bridge Almanack, Peter Hasenson (editor) (2004)* [email protected] for £10 inc p&p

Next Month: The concluding instalment. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 31 Michael Byrne on Playing with the Odds

New Combinations Missing the King and Jack

ast month we were looking at it loses to the king and the suit is 3-3. on the next round and then a trick combinations where we were If the ten wins then you have only is conceded to the jack). missing the king and the jack three winners if one hand started c) If South has K-x-x-x or x-x-x-x (the Land had to choose what to do. We saw with K-J-x-x, although on a good day jack is dropping doubleton from that with a combination like this: the opponent might have ducked with the other hand) which is 8%. K-x-x over the queen. d) If North or South has the singleton 1) A 5 Q 10 4 3 2 If you cash the ace and lead the 5 to jack which is 2%. the queen then you make three tricks e) If South has J-x which is 6%. Leading ace and another one to the if this loses to the king, and four tricks ten was in practice the best solution to if the jack falls or the queen wins and Total odds of success (ie making what is close to being a guess. the suit was 3-3 originally. four tricks) are 42.8%, a distinct However if you beefed up the improvement on the alternative which combination to this: Which is more likely? is under 40%. Note that the eight makes all the difference – if we take it 2) A 5 Q 10 9 3 2 The good news about these two lines is away then we are left with last month’s that we can discount 5-1 breaks, since combination, where ace and another Then leading ace and then towards both lines involve cashing the ace and to the queen was correct. the queen was better, since it gave you either an honour drops or it doesn’t. As an interesting aside, the second four winners when there is J-x over the Of the 3-3 breaks, both plays are best play is to run the ten. The reason queen, (whereas ace and the 5 to the equal since if both honours are right why running the queen is superior ten gives you only three tricks even if (K-J-x under the queen) then they both is in pleasing parallel to last month’s it draws out K-x) work, and if both honours are wrong combination. Just as with A-5 facing There was a third combination I set (K-J-x over the queen) they both fail. Q-10-9-3-2 you cash the ace and lead but wasn’t able to look at in full: And as we saw last month, playing the 5 to the queen as J-x gives you four the queen will give us four tricks if the tricks, but K-x doesn’t if you lead to the West East jack drops, but playing the ten does 10. Here running the queen gives you Declarer Dummy not guarantee us four winners if it four tricks if J-x drops, but running 3) A 5 Q 10 9 8 2 draws the king, since if it is from K-x the ten doesn’t gain against K-x with the other hand still has a stopper. North and J-x-x-x with South. How should you play So playing ace and the 5 to the queen With all that in mind how do you this combination for is a great answer and might look right play this hand where you reach a maximum tricks? – but it is not correct. dicey 3NT? (You are playing a knock- The correct solution is to lead the out match and this is towards the The answer is not only surprising, but queen from dummy and run it round end when you need some IMPs back, also mind blowing. If you have never if the next hand plays low. (If the next hence the slight push). seen this family of suit combinations hand puts the king on you win the ace See the hand in the next column. before it probably won’t even occur to and force out the jack). The opponents lead the ♣10 to the you. king and return the ♣2 to the jack and Let’s start by thinking about the two When will this work? ace. West plays a third round, the ♣7 previous ways to play suits like this, i) losing to your queen as you throw a ace and the 5 to the ten and ii) ace and a) If South has K-x-x or K-J-x which is heart from dummy. How do you play the 5 to the queen. 18%. it? If you cash the ace and lead the 5 b) If South has K-x or K-J which is 8%. You have four diamond tricks, the to the ten you will make three tricks (Note that it will do South no good ace of hearts, the ace of spades and a if it loses to the jack and four tricks if to duck from K-x as his king falls club trick; you need two more.

Page 32 BRIDGE December 2017 x-x on our right, or K-x-x-x on our left, ♠ Q 10 8 5 4 plus singleton jack or K-J doubleton in ♥ 5 4 either hand or singleton king on our BERNARD ♦ K Q 9 5 right. Total chance of success is 44%. ♣ 5 3 Line d) needs J-x, J-x-x, K-J-x, K-x, K-J, a singleton honour on our right, MAGEE N or K-J doubleton on our left, which W E S seems like a lot of chances, but only TUTORIAL works out to just over 35%. ♠ A 9 Line c) is the winner and we need to ♥ A 8 3 2 start that plan by going to dummy. DVDS ♦ A J 7 4 There is one final trap we need to ♣ Q J 8 avoid falling into though. We might £25 per DVD potentially need three entries to SET 7 ♠ dummy (to lead the Q, then if it wins 37 MORE SIGNALLING to knock out the ♠K, then back to I look at different times when you The only place to get them is the dummy to cash our third spade trick). signal and the messages you might spade suit and for that we will almost It would be easy to cash the ♦A and want to give. certainly need to lose the lead. lead the ♦4 to the king thinking, ‘I can The one good thing about this hand overtake the jack with the queen on 38 4-4-4-1 HANDS is that the clubs appear to be 4-4, since the next round and then the ♦9 will be Everybody’s least favourite type when East won the king and returned my last entry.’ of opening hand. I will be going the ♣2 that tends to suggest a holding Very clever, but not good enough if through the methods for choosing of exactly four cards (if he had K-x-x the suit breaks 4-1. The solution is to the right suit to open as well as coping with responses. he would win the king and return cash the ♦A and overtake the ♦J with his highest pip, and if he held K-x he the king (assuming the next hand 39 DRAWING TRUMPS ♠ would have shown out on the third follows), and then run the Q. This seminar sounds straightfor- round). This might be the full deal: ward, but we will not be simply This means we can lose the lead drawing trumps, we will be con- exactly once before reaching our nine sidering the reasons for delaying. tricks. ♠ Q 10 8 5 4 Keeping control of trumps is an ♥ 5 4 important part of declarer play. How should we play ♦ K Q 9 5 40 FIVE-CARD MAJORS the spades for at least ♣ 5 3 Popular around the world, this three tricks without ♠ J 2 ♠ K 7 6 3 method is becoming more popular losing the lead twice? ♥ Q 10 7 N ♥ K J 9 6 here. ♦ 10 6 3 2 W E ♦ 8 S 41 FUNDAMENTALS This combination is slightly different ♣ A 10 9 7 ♣ K 6 4 2 OF DEFENCE from the ones we have seen before so ♠ A 9 (keeping an open mind) we do best to ♥ A 8 3 2 Defence is by far the hardest aspect of bridge: this seminar seeks ♦ A J 7 4 consider a lot of different options. to show the building blocks that ♣ Q J 8 can start you off on a wonderful a) Ace and then towards to the queen. journey. If you can get the basics b) Ace and run the ♠9. right then the more complicated c) Cross to dummy and run the Winning the third club you cash the aspects of defence can follow. queen. ♦A and lead the ♦J to the ♦K. You run 42 SUPPORTING £105 d) Cross to dummy and lead low to the ♠Q which wins and lead to your MINORS set of 6 the ♠9. ace, felling the jack. You now lead the ♦ ♦ ♠ Minors are not as important as 7 to the 9 and drive out the K. As majors, but we have to bid them Line a) needs K-x-x, K-J-x on our expected the opponents can cash only and it is important to know left (18%) or K-x-x-x or x-x-x-x in one club trick and you discard hearts your system. Bidding more 3NT either hand, or a singleton honour from both hands and claim your nine contracts will get you better scores, somewhere. Total odds of success are tricks. but being able to spot a minor suit nearly 40%. Easy to say the opponents should slam will put you a cut above. Line b) needs J-x, J-x-x or K-J-x on have switched to hearts, but at the our left, or a singleton honour or K-J table in real life neither did so and this Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 doubleton in either hand. This line is was the final! much worse, over 30%. Did you gain ten IMPs back for your www.mrbridge.co.uk/shop Line c) needs K-x, K-J-x, K-x-x or K-x- team? ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 33 Catching Up with Sally Brock

he weekends have been busy middle of the field. My great friend from the US, bridgewise since coming home Then there were two weekends of Karen McCallum, has been to stay. from the . First there Premier League. We played terribly Her husband died rather suddenly in Twas Crockfords final – Crockfords is last year and were demoted to the March and I’ve been trying to get her the English teams championship and second division. Our teammates this to come and visit. She came to me for consists of four rounds of knock-out year are Heather and Brian. The first a couple of weeks before going up to followed by an eight-team all-play-all weekend was at Richmond Bridge Darlington (where his family live) for final. I haven’t generally done very Club when I played with Barry. The a scattering of the ashes ceremony. We well in this competition but this year second was in Manchester and Barry had a great time while she was here. we reached the final. I play with Nicola opted out of that weekend as he was in We played in the inaugural Young with Barry and Robert as teammates. the middle of a trial, and I played with Chelsea Women’s Swiss Teams which However, this year Robert forgot to Fiona instead. We did pretty well and we won (with Gilly and Lizzie). Not keep the dates of the final free and were leading our division after those so long ago there used to be an EBU was in Vancouver so we needed a two weekends. women’s teams event and it was a substitute and found a good one in Our best win was in the penultimate really good event – we all enjoyed the shape of Ben Green. This was match where we gained five double- it. Then they tinkered with the date an exciting deal against a sometime figure swings. Two were ♦6 contracts and the numbers dwindled so it was teammate who would probably prefer which we bid and they didn’t. This was abandoned altogether. This was an to remain anonymous. a double-game swing: attempt to revive it. Despite there being not quite enough notice, so some of the people you would expect Dealer North. E/W Vul. Dealer South. Love All. to be there had prior commitments, ♠ K 5 4 ♠ 10 9 8 7 4 there were 16 teams, three and a half ♥ K 9 5 ♥ 9 8 7 4 3 of which were juniors (there was free ♦ Q 9 4 2 ♦ Void entry for juniors due to the generosity ♣ A 7 4 ♣ K Q 9 of Janet de Botton), and several pairs ♠ Q ♠ J 6 ♠ Q 6 5 3 2 ♠ J from overseas, notably Norway and ♥ A Q J 6 4 3 N ♥ 8 7 2 ♥ A K 10 5 N ♥ Q J 2 Italy. It was played in good spirit and ♦ A 10 W E ♦ J 8 6 5 3 ♦ Q 8 3 W E ♦ A K 10 6 5 4 2 everyone enjoyed themselves. Well S S ♣ J 10 9 5 ♣ 8 3 2 ♣ 3 ♣ 6 4 done to Paula Leslie for arranging it all. ♠ A 10 9 8 7 3 2 ♠ A K Domestic matters trundle along. ♥ 10 ♥ 6 Briony seems happy enough in New ♦ K 7 ♦ J 9 7 Zealand. As I write, she is looking ♣ K Q 6 ♣ A J 10 8 7 5 2 forward to the beginning of October when the summer sports – surfing, sailing, cricket – will start. I am My partner (North) opened 1♣ and West North East South looking forward to visiting her after I responded 1♥, a transfer. West 1♣ my trip to Beijing in the middle of overcalled 4♥ and when that came 1♠ Pass 2♦ 3♣ October. Toby is living here. Generally back to me I bid 4♠. West felt that 3♦ 4♣ 4♦ 5♣ he rather takes over the ground floor he had not bid enough yet, and so All Pass of the flat (which is fine) but had to doubled. When that was passed to confine himself to one room while me I redoubled and that ended the I think I would have bid on to 5♦ with Karen was here. Ben and his family auction. I can’t remember the last time that East hand, as they did in the other are hopefully on the move, having I redoubled for penalties. room, but she evidently thought that found the house of their dreams. All The defence started with the ace her singleton spade would be a good they need now is to sell the one they and another heart. I ruffed and after defensive feature. However, maybe are living in. A nervous time I seem to drawing trumps led a low diamond she did the right thing. Although my remember, so fingers crossed for them. towards the dummy. When West (North) hand was difficult to evaluate, My father has finally been transferred played low I had my second overtrick I would have bid on to 6♣ over 5♦. to a care home. Hopefully this is only for a score of 1,280. It would not have Such good trumps, a void diamond a temporary measure but he needs to been much better for E/W to remove and no defensive tricks in the majors find the energy inside himself if he to 5♥ as that contract goes for 1,100. would have persuaded me. Now West is going to get himself independent The rest of the weekend was will have to defend better than he did again, and I am much afraid that that mediocre and we finished in the against 5♣ or the slam will make. time has passed. ■

Page 34 BRIDGE December 2017 Answers to Julian Pottage’s Defence Quiz on page 9

West North East South compensate. Would you like to see what 1. ♠ K J 1♦ 1♠ Dbl1 happens if you put up the ♠Q on the first ♥ Q J 10 3 Pass 2♣ Pass 3NT trick, playing third-hand high? ♦ K 10 3 All Pass If declarer captures the ♠Q with the ♣ K 9 5 2 1Take-out, normally with four hearts. ♠A, all will be fine. Partner gets in the ♦K ♠ 8 6 4 2 ♠ 9 5 and continues spades while you still have N ♥ K 4 2 ♥ 9 6 Partner leads the ♠9 and dummy plays the ♦A. It is different if declarer ducks the W E ♦ 8 6 S ♦ A 9 7 4 2 low. What is your plan? first trick. This severs communications. ♣ A J 10 3 ♣ Q 8 6 4 Firstly you consider whether to try to The answer is you duck the first trick, ♠ A Q 10 7 3 set up the spades or whether to take the playing the ♠8 to encourage. Then partner ♥ A 8 7 5 first trick and switch to hearts. The latter can lead another spade when in with the ♦ Q J 5 will require partner to have some good ♦K. There is a risk of giving an overtrick ♣ 7 hearts as well as some help in diamonds, if partner has nothing in diamonds – but say the ♥K-J and ♦Q. This is most unlikely South, who can hold at most 12 points, is because that would leave South with at unlikely to hold the ♦K-Q, the ♠A-J and a West North East South most 12 points. heart honour or two. 1♠ How best do you set up the spades? If Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ you play three rounds of the suit, you will Pass 4♥ All Pass need an entry. The ♦K will only be one if partner holds the ♦A or declarer strangely 4. ♠ A K Q 4 Partner leads the ♦8, covered by the ♦10. leads the suit from hand. It is better to ♥ 5 What is your plan? duck the first spade – you know declarer ♦ K Q 10 9 7 The lead must be from a short suit. If has a stopper. Then partner has a spade ♣ 10 6 4 it is a singleton, you want to take the ♦A to lead after getting in with the ♦Q. ♠ J 9 6 2 ♠ 8 3 and return the suit for an immediate ruff. ♥ A Q 8 6 4 N ♥ J 10 2 However, by bidding spades and then ♦ 6 4 W E ♦ 8 3 2 S hearts, South has shown five spades ♣ 9 3 ♣ A J 8 7 2 and four hearts and is thus most unlikely 3. ♠ 10 6 4 ♠ 10 7 5 to have four diamonds as well. Since ♥ A ♥ K 9 7 3 you place partner with a doubleton ♦ J 10 8 7 4 ♦ A J 5 and you lack a side entry, you must ♣ A K Q 4 ♣ K Q 5 save your ♦A, instead encouraging with ♠ 9 2 ♠ K Q 8 7 3 the ♦9. You hope that your partner can ♥ 10 8 7 6 2 N ♥ J 5 4 get in with the ♥K or ♥A and continue ♦ K 6 W E ♦ A 3 2 West North East South S diamonds for a ruff on the third round ♣ J 9 3 2 ♣ 10 7 Pass 1NT of the suit. ♠ A J 5 Pass 2♣ Dbl 2♥ ♥ K Q 9 3 Pass 3NT All Pass ♦ Q 9 5 ♣ 8 6 5 Partner leads the ♣9. What is your plan? 2. ♠ 10 7 4 The lead tells you that South holds ♥ A ♣K-Q-x. Since you have no side entry, ♦ J 10 8 7 4 West North East South you cannot set up and run the clubs no ♣ A K 5 4 1♦ 1♠ Dbl1 matter how you play. ♠ 9 2 ♠ A K 8 6 3 Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT Given the heart weakness in dummy, ♥ J 8 6 2 N ♥ 10 7 5 4 Pass 3NT All Pass it should not be hard to work out what to W E ♦ ♦ 1 Q 6 2 S K 3 Take-out, normally with four hearts. do. Take the ♣A at once and switch to the ♣ J 9 3 2 ♣ 10 7 ♥J. This stops any overtricks if declarer ♠ Q J 5 Partner leads the ♠9. What is your plan? covers the second heart and could beat ♥ K Q 9 3 As on the previous deal, you will be the contract if declarer plays the ♥K at ♦ A 9 5 hoping to set up and run the spades. the wrong time. If partner’s hearts were a ♣ Q 8 6 Although your spades are weaker this bit stronger, A-Q-9-x-(x), the heart switch time, you have a sure diamond entry to should beat the contract. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 35 Answers to About Squeezes Quiz on page 21

Hand 1 Hand 2 Hand 3 Hand 4 Hand 5 Hand 6 Hand 7 Hand 8 ♠ A 8 ♠ A 8 ♠ 4 3 ♠ A ♠ 9 5 ♠ A K Q 7 6 ♠ 7 3 2 ♠ A 10 ♥ A Q 6 5 3 ♥ A K 6 5 4 ♥ 7 ♥ 9 6 5 ♥ 8 ♥ A 6 ♥ K 5 ♥ Q J 10 ♦ 8 4 ♦ 8 4 ♦ K Q 5 3 ♦ A K Q 7 ♦ A K Q 7 5 4 ♦ A 7 3 ♦ A J 3 2 ♦ 6 4 ♣ 6 5 3 2 ♣ J 6 5 3 ♣ A K J 10 4 3 ♣ 6 5 4 3 2 ♣ 7 5 4 3 ♣ 6 4 3 ♣ A J 6 5 ♣ A Q J 10 9 8

N N N N N N N N W E W E W E W E W E W E W E W E S S S S S S S S

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

Contract 7NT. Contract 6NT. Contract 6NT. Contract 7NT. Contract 7NT. Contract 7NT. Contract 7♠. Contract 3NT Lead ♠Q. Lead ♠Q. Lead ♠K. Lead ♥Q. Lead ♥Q. Lead ♠J. W opened 1NT. doubled. Lead ♦K. East doubled North’s 1♣ opening and doubled 3NT. Lead ♦5.

1 Start by cashing your six black suit Look out for any red cards discarded. already been squeezed. winners. As the defenders discard look out At trick 7 3 You need to allow the ♠K to win trick 1. for the ♠K. If the ♠K has not been North has: ♥ A Q 6 5 3 Assuming West continues spades, win discarded then play diamonds. ♦ 8 4 the ♠A at trick 2 and cash your ♥A and It is vital to unblock the ♠A, otherwise South has: ♥ K 2 six club tricks. the ♠Q will not be a menace. This ♦ A K Q 6 2 At trick 10 unblock is sometimes called a Vienna It doesn’t matter whether North or North has: ♦ K Q 5 3 Coup. South has the lead. South has: ♥ J ♦ A 6 4 5 If you start running your diamonds If either red suit breaks 3-3, you It doesn’t matter whether North or you will squander the extra chance of make your grand slam. South has the lead. a red suit squeeze. Win your ♥A and If the same defender started with four cash your ♥K, five club tricks and the cards in each red suit, he has already If diamonds break 3-2 you make your ♠A-K. been squeezed. slam. At trick 10 Look out for any red cards discarded If the same defender started with North has: ♦ A K Q 7 by the defenders. four diamonds and the ♥K-Q, he has South has: ♥ 10 5 already been squeezed. ♦ 6 2 2 Win the spade lead. You need to duck As the defenders discard, look out South has the lead. a heart. Assuming the defenders for any diamonds or the ♥Q or continue spades, you should now ♥K. If diamonds break 3-2 you make your cash your four club tricks. If either the ♥K or ♥Q remains at grand slam. At trick 8 large play on diamonds. If the same defender (West as he is North has: ♥ A K 6 5 marked with the ♥J by the ♥Q lead) ♦ 8 4 4 Win your ♥A, unblock dummy’s ♠A started with the ♥J and four diamonds South has: ♥ 7 3 and run your seven club winners. he has already been squeezed. ♦ A K Q 6 At trick 10 As the defenders discard, look for It doesn’t matter whether North or North has: ♦ A K Q 7 the ♥J. If West has retained this card South has the lead. South has: ♠ Q 3 your ♥10 is not a winner so play on ♦ 6 5 diamonds. If the same defender started with four South has the lead. cards in each red suit, he has already If the same defender started with 6 Win the ♠A, unblock the two red suit been squeezed. the ♠K and four diamonds, he has aces and run the clubs.

Page 36 BRIDGE December 2017 At trick 11 Letter from Overseas North has: ♠ K Q 7 South has: ♠ 8 ♥ Q ♦ Q South has the lead. Too Many If spades break 3-3 you make your grand slam. Two squeezes are also possible. If the same defender started with either red king and four spades, he has been High Cards squeezed. Just watch the discards for the ♥K and ♦K. If neither of these cards has been discarded, play on spades. by John Barr

7 Take the ♦A and start by cashing your major suit winners. e all like holding good and ruffed a spade to get back to hand. At trick 11 cards, but sometimes Only then did he play a second round North has: ♦ J too many high cards can of trumps, intending to finesse, but ♣ A J Wbecome an embarrassment, especially the queen appeared and the suit split South has: ♠ 4 if you are defending and declarer 2-2. Declarer could now ruff dummy’s ♦ 4 knows that you have most of the last spade and exit in diamonds. West ♣ 2 outstanding points. wins and is forced to give a ruff and South has the lead. In the hand below, West (playing discard or open up the club suit. a weak no-trump) opened 1♦. North If East has the ♦J and West ducks the West, who is known to have started doubled and South closed the auction second round of diamonds, it appears with all the missing points because with a bid of 4♥. West’s long pause that West would then be endplayed in of his 1NT opening, still has ♦Q and before his final pass suggested that clubs (after a diamond to the ♦J and a ♣K-Q. As you cash your last spade, he held most of the outstanding club to the ♣K and ♣A), but West can West must discard before dummy high cards. In reality, he held too avoid the by simply refusing and is caught in a positional squeeze. many riches, which proved to be his to win the first round of clubs, keeping If he discards his ♦Q, you discard undoing. hold of the ♣A-J sitting over the dummy’s ♣J and you make the last ♣Q. Ducking the king should not be two tricks with dummy’s ♣A and ♦J. difficult as South must have the ♣Q If he discards a club you can throw Dealer West. Love All. Pairs. for his game bid. If the trumps don’t dummy’s ♦J and make the ♣A-J. ♠ A Q 5 2 split evenly (for example, if West has ♥ K 10 9 4 ♥Q-x-x), the spades can no longer be 8 Allow the first two diamond tricks to ♦ A 10 fully eliminated, but drawing three hold and win trick 3 with your ♦A, ♣ 9 5 3 rounds of trumps and ruffing just one discarding a heart from dummy. Now ♠ K J 7 ♠ 10 9 8 3 spade also prepares the way for the run the clubs. ♥ Q 8 N ♥ 5 2 endplay, provided that West doesn’t W E ♦ ♦ At trick 10 K Q J 9 4 S 7 6 5 2 have four spades. However, West can North has: ♠ A 10 ♣ A J 4 ♣ 8 6 2 safely continue diamonds giving a ruff ♥ Q J ♠ 6 4 and discard, but limiting declarer to South has: ♠ J 5 ♥ A J 7 6 3 only 10 tricks – but the least declarer ♥ K 7 ♦ 8 3 can do is put West on the spot and see North has the lead. ♣ K Q 10 7 if he can work out that the ruff and discard is the best defence. East started with: ♠K-Q-9-8 ♥ A-9-6-3 South’s result of 4♥+1 was a top ♦K-Q-J-10-2 ♣Void. The opening lead of the ♦K was won score. Many Wests opened a strong East has already been squeezed. He in dummy and a trump played to the no-trump and played there, going has had to keep ♠K-Q and ♥A so he ace. In order to avoid two club losers, several off. Another declarer who also has only one diamond winner left. declarer planned to draw trumps played in 4♥ made just 10 tricks as he You can afford to drive out the ♥A, while eliminating spades, before won the diamond lead, drew trumps discard the ♠10 on East’s ♦J, regain exiting in diamonds. So instead of in two rounds and played on clubs the lead with dummy’s ♠A and the continuing trumps at trick three, he himself, while West still had a safe exit ♥Q is your ninth trick. ■ took the spade finesse, cashed the ace card in spades. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 37 on my hands than others and all your team, thank because of health constraints you, thank you. You all READERS’ but even when my health do a splendid job. was robust I still just piled up Sue & Ken Smith, your mag, waiting for a ‘rainy Chiddingfold, Surrey. day’ and time to read them. Geraldine Lewis, Bath. BIDDING QUIZ LETTERS I am beginning to feel a PINSON SUPPORT certain sympathy for Bernard, MODERN TIMES clubs to bring this about? May I whole-heartedly whose bidding quiz has I have purchased three I also heartily agree that endorse the comments graced the front cover of Bernard Magee instructional all clubs should adhere to made by Anna Pinson in the BRIDGE for a long time now CDs over the last year the Law that only the board October issue of BRIDGE, (at least four years, I believe). which had been activated currently being played number 178. I find that there I know that I am not alone as required. Yesterday, should be placed, correctly is more of interest to read in finding it one of the best Windows updated my orientated, in the centre of and do, in each monthly things in the magazine. computer without my the table. As he points out this issue than I have time for, By now though, Bernard authority and not only did brings us so many benefits, before the month ends must be really struggling, they make alterations I least of all avoiding the need and – almost exhaustingly month by month, to come did not want but they also to ‘dive in’ to the middle another issue arrives. I up with new ideas. The de-activated the three CDs of a late-running table for currently have three waiting game is not inexhaustible making them unusable. boards for the next round. to be read. I would support and most of the common I have wasted over an The quality of BRIDGE, any proposal to reduce themes have already been hour trying to get them both its content and paper, either the content of the covered. If I were Bernard, re-activated. Obviously is so good that I don’t care magazine or the frequency I would probably be seated Microsoft are the prime if I can’t manage to read with which it comes to us. at my desk each month, offender but I think you them all. I just want to Michael Wilson, scratching my head, gazing should write something into receive it every month. Radnage, Bucks. at the ceiling and thinking your programs to stop this Angela Chatterton that the quiz was getting happening. You should also by email. BIG THANK YOU a bit low on petrol. stop using the letters I and This multi-coloured suits It’s just arrived. It looks good, However, we all love it O and the numbers 1 and suggestion comes around it feels good, it is good and and I’m sure I speak for 0 in the activation code every 8 years or so. it makes us feel good. many in saying that I would which caused some of the We’ve noticed that the day be sad to see it disappear. problems I experienced. KEEP IT COMING Mr Bridge’s magazine arrives, Perhaps I could make I think the Bernard Magee In response the letter from our post is always later than a couple of suggestions. interactive tutorial CDs are Anna Pinson in the October other days. Is our postie How about randomising very good. In fact, I have 2017 issue of BRIDGE, learning or improving his it? In other words, could recently ordered another, number 178, she asks about bridge from our magazine? Bernard give up the idea of but quite frankly I have the possibility of printing your Couldn’t blame him if he did. ‘themes’ and just present 12 better things to do than magazine less often than at We’ve sat at Bernard’s disparate hands, mirroring mess around like this with present, because she does feet many times, we’ve two the situation we encounter things that are completely not have the time to read it. dozen of his CDs and DVDs. on any club evening? avoidable with a bit of I would like to put in a We study them as we study Or, if that doesn’t work, thought and Microsoft not heartfelt plea for this not to BRIDGE. Yes, we should be what about going back making unwanted updates. happen. Like Anna Pinson, a better partnership than to the beginning and David Coles, I find your magazine quite we are (meaning more repeating each theme Penzance, Cornwall. excellent, informative and IMPs). It doesn’t matter. from 1NT onwards, with entertaining. Even the We love our bridge and all a different set of hands? MULTICOLOURED thought of it arriving less the players we meet, greet I certainly wouldn’t mind So many good points packed often is depressing. and try to overcome. this. Would anyone else? in one article, see BRIDGE I possibly have more time So, to you Mr Bridge Mike Newman by email. ■ 78, pages 12-14. Four-colour suited playing cards would Write to Mr Bridge at: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH eliminate many accidental or e-mail [email protected] saving directors’ time E-mail correspondents are asked to include their name, full postal and painful embarrassments. address, telephone number and to send no attachments. Any ideas to persuade card Letters may be edited for length and clarity. manufacturers and bridge

Page 38 BRIDGE December 2017 Answers to Bernard Magee’s BERNARD MAGEE’S Bidding Quizzes 1-3 INTERACTIVE on the Cover and page 7 TUTORIAL CD ACOL BIDDING pre-emptive style hand and the way to 1. Dealer South. Love All. show it over a 1NT opening is to make ♠ K Q J 6 5 4 ♠ 8 7 3 a jump overcall. 3♣ is not a strong bid ♥ A 7 N ♥ K 8 3 because all strong hands start with ♦ A K 2 W E ♦ 9 7 a penalty double of 1NT, so the only S ♣ 4 3 ♣ A 9 6 5 2 sensible meaning is a very long club suit. MAC or The reason you want to bid 3♣ is to Windows make life difficult for your opponents. West North East South They have a nine-card spade fit on this 1NT hand, but do they know how to find it? ? And if they find their fit, will they be able to stop in precisely 3♠ rather than going Double. off in 4♠? You have a very nice hand, with a strong and long spade suit. The temptation is to overcall in spades, but all strong hands (16+) should generally start with the 3. Dealer South. Love All. same call: double. ♠ 5 ♠ 9 8 7 Throughout 200 deals split into Your double is for penalties and if it ♥ 7 6 N ♥ A 9 8 3 2 ten chapters, Bernard evaluates gets passed out you will be very happy ♦ K Q 4 3 2 W E ♦ 6 5 S your bids, praising the correct indeed, but perhaps it is more likely ♣ A Q J 9 4 ♣ K 10 5 ones and discussing the wrong that the opponents take the double out. ones. However, since you have started with a double, when you bid subsequently your West North East South l Opening Bids partner will know that you are strong and 1NT and Responses will be able to consider a game contract. ? l Slams and 1NT doubled will likely go four off Strong Openings for +800, but if the opponents escape 2NT. to hearts or diamonds, then your This is a question of style: passing is l Support for Partner partnership will hopefully reach 4♠ certainly an option, but this will probably l Pre-empting instead. result in North using a conventional bid l Overcalls to show a major. It is not guaranteed that £66 North has a long major, but much of the l No-trump time he will, so making a bid to disrupt Openings 2. Dealer South. Love All. their conventions is a good plan. and Responses ♠ 6 ♠ 9 8 7 You have three choices of call: 2♣, 2♦ l Opener’s and ♥ 4 2 N ♥ A 9 8 5 or 2NT, in other words natural overcalls Responder’s Rebids ♦ 9 7 3 W E ♦ A K 6 4 in either minor or an artificial 2NT. 2NT S ♣ A Q J 7 6 5 4 ♣ 9 2 cannot be a natural overcall since with l Minors and Misfits a strong hand you would start with a l Doubles penalty double of 1NT. l Competitive Auctions West North East South 2NT is used to show a two-suited hand 1NT and here you will finish in 3♣. Bidding ? this way allows you to find the best fit in the minor suits but more importantly it Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, 3♣. makes life difficult for North. If he has a Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH On this hand your bid will be the weak hand with five spades he may well ( 01483 489961 same whether you play a natural or pass and you have won the part-score www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop conventional 2♣ overcall. You have a battle. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 39

Answers to Bernard Magee’s BERNARD MAGEE’S Bidding Quizzes 4-6 INTERACTIVE on the Cover and page 7 TUTORIAL CD DEFENCE

your opponents out and make the most 4. Dealer North. Love All. of your long trumps. However, with such ♠ 7 ♠ K Q 9 8 6 5 a horribly flat hand, your trumps are ♥ A 7 6 4 3 N ♥ 9 2 not going to be worth much and you ♦ A 8 4 3 W E ♦ 10 5 2 can imagine 3♠ going off. The weak S MAC or ♣ Q J 2 ♣ A K no-trump is a good pre-emptive tool, Windows but it is not so good once it has been overcalled. West North East South You will find some intrepid weak no- 1NT 2♠ Pass trump openers who are willing to bid ? again in an auction like this, but most of your opponents will keep quiet. In which Pass. case, the winning call is pass. Your partner has made a two-level Bidding to the level of your fit tends to overcall and you have 11 HCP so should be good bridge, but when you hold really you push on? flat hands, you need to be a bit wary The crucial element when bidding over because your hand’s trumps will tend to Bernard develops your a 1NT opening is that all strong hands be worthless. defence in the course of ten will start by making a penalty double of introductory exercises and 1NT. What this means is that the very 120 complete deals. strongest your partner can be is a weak 15 or 14 points. 6. Dealer North. Love All. l Lead vs You might just get to 25 points ♠ 3 ♠ A Q J 6 5 4 No-trump Contracts between you, but you have a misfit, with ♥ A 5 2 N ♥ 9 7 4 l Lead vs a singleton in your partner’s suit. With ♦ Q J 3 W E ♦ A 8 Suit Contracts S misfits the advice is always to stay low: ♣ A K 8 7 6 5 ♣ 9 2 l Partner of Leader the solution is simple – pass. vs No-trump Your partner should usually have a six- Contracts card suit, so 2♠ will probably be the best West North East South contract. 1NT 2♠ Pass l Partner of Leader ? vs Suit Contracts l Count 3NT. Signals 5. Dealer North. Love All. Your partner has made a two-level l Attitude £76 ♠ K 8 4 2 ♠ A Q J 7 5 3 overcall and you have a good 14-count. Signals ♥ A 6 3 N ♥ 9 2 Even though you have a misfit you should ♦ 7 6 5 W E ♦ 10 8 2 expect that your side has the values for l Discarding S ♣ 7 6 5 ♣ A 2 game. With a singleton in your partner’s l Defensive Plan suit, no-trump contracts can be difficult l Stopping Declarer unless you have a source of tricks. On West North East South this occasion you do indeed have a l Counting the Hand 1NT 2♠ Pass source of tricks: your club suit and that ? should persuade you to bid the no-trump game. Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Pass. Not a perfect game, but you have a Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH This might depend on the type of fair chance: hoping to make five club ( 01483 489961 opponent you are playing against. With tricks, three aces and a successful finesse www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop a big fit you are told to bid up to keep through the opening bidder. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 41 Julian Pottage Answers your Bridge Questions

What Should I Overcall with a Strong Two-Suiter?

As North in fourth assumption that East holds have hearts), you can bid is a negative or waiting bid seat, you pick up the ♥A and therefore that the opposing suit straight (depending upon partnership Qa big black two- any ace South shows in away to force partner to agreement). It would be suiter and face this problem: reply to 4NT is useful. give further description. abnormal for opener to pass the 2♥ response, although ♣♦♥♠ ♣♦♥♠ if 2♥ is definitely a negative ♠ A K Q 5 4 3 and if opener has eight ♥ Void I normally play If I am playing playing tricks in hearts then ♦ 3 Stayman after with someone who it should hardly be a disaster ♣ K Q J 9 6 5 Q1NT. When the Qhasn’t a partner to do so. Some people play right hand opponent calls on that night, I try to play that if opener’s main suit is 2♣ (ie steals your bid) what their system. With that in hearts then both game and West North East South is the best thing to do? mind there is a convention near game hands open 2♣, 3♥ Pass Dorothy Gill-Carey, some play that I can’t thereby permitting an easy Pass ? Penkerris, Cornwall. understand, locally called 2♥ rebid after a 2♦ response ‘Reverse Benji‘ whereby and avoiding the awkward Bob Parker by email. One simple option a 2♣ opening shows 23+ 2♦-2♥-3♥ sequence. is to agree with your or a game force with a 2. If you are playing If you play a A partner that double is reply of 2♦ being negative Reverse Benji (or Benji), the convention known Stayman and that everything or a relay. A 2♦ opening stronger opening creates A as non-leaping else means the same as it shows the rule of 25 with a a game force. Your hand Michaels, North might bid would have done without reply 2♥ being negative. needs to be strong enough 4♣ to show a strong two- the overcall (eg 2♦ = five What I don’t understand to justify creating a game suiter with clubs and spades. plus hearts). Having such an is what happens if opener force. 23 HCP in a balanced Most pairs will not be playing agreement is a little unusual has hearts and responder is hand would be insufficient that, in which case, as the – you would definitely need weak and is short in hearts? for a game force – you hand is too slam orientated to discuss it with your partner. What does a 2NT reply need a hand stronger than to settle for 4♠, the only The more common practice to the openings mean? a 2NT opening and a hand sensible alternative is 4♥. is that double is for take-out What is the advantage stronger than a non-forcing This must show some sort of (if 2♣ is natural) or showing over 2♣ showing the rule of 2NT rebid. In any case, two suited hand including values (if 2♣ is conventional). 25 and 2♦ showing 23+? playing Reverse Benji, a 2♦ spades (North would bid In the former case, you will Alun Williams, opening is not the strongest 4NT with both minors or find out whether partner has Llanfairpwll, Anglesey. opening, so 23+ is wrong double on other good a four-card major because for that as well, because it is hands). Over the expected partner will bid it. In the latter Offering to play your asking for too much rather 4♠ from South, North cue case, you might need to cue partner’s system than asking for too little. bids 5♥. South might then bid the opposing suit, once A is a fine thing, If you play a 2NT opening work out that either minor- they have shown one, to ask something I often do myself. as 20-21 and 2♦-2♥-2NT suit ace would justify bidding partner for more information. 1. Playing either Reverse = 22-23 then 2♣-2♦-2NT a slam. Alternatively North If the 2♣ overcall promised Benji (or Benji) a 2♥ response = 24+. I do not think I might continue with 4NT over a specific suit (eg Astro, to 2♦ says nothing about the have ever played Reverse 4♠, making the reasonable when the overcaller must heart suit. 2♥ by responder Benji myself; I have always

Page 42 BRIDGE December 2017 played a 2♦ opening as the 2♥ bid fails to convey. quite quickly. You will not West should have bid stronger than a 2♣ opening; While a on a reach a slam missing two differently. If West had simply I do not really understand singleton ace and with poor aces because you can use continued with 5NT rather the rationale for reversing trumps is not ideal, I much 4NT later to check on that. than signing off in 6♦, you the meanings either. prefer 3♥ to 2♥. 2♠ is a The only exception to cue should have got there. 5NT 3. A 2NT response to a reasonable alternative too. bidding controls is that a does not just ask for kings; it 2♣ or 2♦ opening should You really do not want to be shortage in partner’s suit is also says, ‘there are no aces show positive values and a in 3NT facing a collection rarely an asset, so a missing and I am interested . Since the of low hearts, do you? in partner’s suit indicates in a grand slam.’ The great 2NT response risks putting Apart from the fifth the ace or king rather diamonds and extra playing the strong hand on the table diamond, South has nothing than a singleton or void. strength would then justify if opener is balanced, you in reserve, so I am not sure So long as you and your East in jumping to 7♦. do not want to be using you are going to reach a partner have clear rules, Another way to get there it too often. I like to play slam whatever you rebid. no confusion should raise. is for both players to realise it as denying an ace; the For a slam to make you that a jump raise from 2♦ to additional information then need at least one of two ♣♦♥♠ 4♦ sets the suit and is forcing. justifies the possibility of diamond honours onside East can then cue bid 4♠, wrong siding the contract. and a 3-2 club break. Please advise. after which West can more South bids 3♣ over I (East) and my or less count thirteen tricks if ♣♦♥♠ 2♠ or 4♣ over 3♥ (a cue Qpartner had the the diamonds are running: bid rather than stopper following hands. We play two spade tricks, a spade Playing inverted showing when past 3NT). basic Acol (four-card majors) ruff, three heart tricks, six raises, my partner At least you will avoid the and simple Blackwood. diamonds and a club. If East Qand I held the highly risky 3NT if North has a doubleton spade (so following hands: rebids either 2♠ or 3♥. no spade ruff), any of the ♥J, ♠ K ♠ A Q 3 the ♣K or a seventh diamond ♣♦♥♠ ♥ A K Q 9 ♥ 4 might provide a trick instead. N ♠ A K 9 4 ♦ A 7 6 2 W E ♦ K Q J West can therefore bid 5NT ♥ A My partner and S 9 8 5 4 over 4♠, asking East to ♦ 10 6 5 4 I wish to start ♣ A J 4 3 ♣ 9 5 bid 7♦ with two of the top ♣ A 7 4 2 Qusing cue bids to three diamond honours. investigate potential slam Life would be easier if N W E contracts. However there West East you played some form of S seems to be two versions 1♦ Key Card Blackwood. ♠ J 2 of cue bidding currently in 1♥ 2♦ ♥ 8 7 vogue. One involves initially 4NT 5♦ ♣♦♥♠ ♦ A J 9 7 3 showing first round controls 6♦ End ♣ K Q 8 5 (ace or void), followed by In a teams match showing second round My partner (West) told me as dealer, I chose controls (king or singleton); my rebid should have been Qto pass with the North South the other simply lumps them 3♦, not 2♦. I said I shouldn’t following hand (playing 1♦ 2♦1 together so that the first cue jump on 12 HCP following a basic Acol, strong twos 2♥2 3♣2 bid suit could be an ace, a one-of-a-suit response. She and four-card majors 3NT End void, a king or a singleton, disagreed saying my hand with a 12-14 no-trump). 1Four+ diamonds, 10+ points likewise the next cue bid. had only five losers justifying 2Stopper showing Which do you suggest? a jump. How should the Eddie Blount, Leicestershire. bidding have proceeded? ♠ A 9 5 3 We were lucky not to Angela Chatterton, ♥ A J 8 6 3 2 get a heart lead and These days the more Hertfordshire. ♦ 7 so made 12 tricks. or less universal ♣ 10 2 How should this hand A view amongst With only 12 HCP, have been bid? experts is that below 4NT East’s 2♦ rebid Ala Swietochowski, Southall. you cue bid your cheapest A was correct. East Next hand passed and control first, regardless of was also correct (when partner opened 1♠ followed North’s 2♥ whether it is a first-round using simple Blackwood) by an overcall of 2♦ by rebid showing control or a second-round in showing one ace and my right hand opponent. A a heart stopper control. This enables you to in passing 6♦. East cannot I jumped to 3♠ confirming is misleading. Hearts is identify whether you have bid on over 6♦ because a four-card spade fit. North’s weakest suit, which some control in every suit an ace might be missing. Partner thought I should

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 43 have bid 2♥ instead of A golden rule of With a 5440 shape points and leave the contract showing spade support. bidding is that if you including five cards to partner (which would She also had four hearts A make an aggressive A in one major and have been 2♠ doubled, in addition to what was in bid at one turn you do not four cards in the other, an giving us 500 and a top). fact a five-card spade suit. pass a at your initial double is reasonable. What do you suggest? What should I have done? next turn. With only 14 While you could overcall 1♠ Margaret Bleakley, Belfast. John Martin, HCP, an unguarded honour with a view to doubling later, Evanton, Dingwall. and a misfit, North should it will not be obvious that There is no perfect rebid 2♠ rather than 3♦. you have four hearts if you solution. If you play This hand is tailor The 3♦ high reverse creates go down that route. Also, A double as take- made for a fit- a game forcing situation if responder raises clubs out, you have no specific A showing jump of 3♥. and South was correct in vigorously and does so to way to show an invitational This cannot be a strong jump bidding 3♠. This agrees such a high level that you do hand. If you play double shift given your initial pass. the suit at a low level and not feel like doubling on the as showing the values for Nor can it show just a lot of leaves maximum possible second round, your partner 2NT, you will miss out on hearts given that you failed space for slam exploration. will not know you have competing many partscores. to open 3♥ in first seat. The A jump by South to 4♠ would support for all the other suits. Given that you have short jump to 3♥ shows at least be a fast arrival bid, not I do not think I would bid spades, four cards in the other five hearts, at least four the right choice with two 2♦ on the South hand; 1NT major and invitational values, spades and a near maximum honours in both of North’s better conveys the values, I would feel inclined to double for your initial pass. Many suits and an ace on the side. shape and honour location. whichever way you play it. tournament players use fit South’s bidding was You do not need a heart jumps in competition even impeccable. North stopper to bid 1NT – you ♣♦♥♠ by an unpassed hand. passed a forcing bid and expect the doubler to have A splinter bid of 4♦ is a is entirely to blame. something in hearts. It is At love all, East good alternative. This shows slightly easier for North to opens 3♥ and the diamond shortage, the ♣♦♥♠ bid 2♠ over 1NT than it is to QSouth passes. four-card spade support do so over 2♦. With three- and the playing strength. The following came card spade support and Using the losing trick count, up on a club night. a maximum, South would ♠ A Q you have seven losers so I was sitting North. have an easy raise to 4♠. ♥ J 9 3 N Q W E you should be in game. ♦ Q 10 7 3 S ♣♦♥♠ ♣ A K 8 3 ♣♦♥♠ ♠ K J 6 4 2 ♥ K Q 10 9 Partner opens 1NT Every other pair ♦ A 9 5 3 (12-14) and the What should West bid to 4♠. Where ♣ Void Qnext hand overcalls respond 1) at matchpoints did we go wrong? 2♠ (spades and a minor). and 2) at IMPs? Q N W E Huw Jones, Swansea. S

♠ A J 9 8 5 ♠ Q 10 8 ♠ Q If partner has a ♥ Q ♥ 7 4 ♥ K Q 9 4 singleton diamond ♦ K 8 5 4 ♦ J 10 8 7 ♦ A 10 8 7 4 A then 4♥ could play ♣ A 9 6 ♣ A K 6 2 ♣ 10 9 2 better than 3NT. Much of the time, having the lead N W E coming up to the spade S West North East South We play but I was tenace will be useful. You ♠ K Q 2 1♣ Dbl 1♥ 2♦ in a quandary as to what can add in that the no-trump ♥ A 10 8 7 5 Pass 3♦ End to bid. With the benefit of game requires a trick less ♦ Q J 2 hindsight, I think I should (a factor at IMPs) and if it ♣ 8 2 How do you bid a hand bid 3♦, forcing, but was yields the same number of that is 5-4 in the majors in unhappy with the quality tricks, scores more (a factor this situation (we play a of the diamond suit. at matchpoints). I think I North South double followed by change One partner’s opinion is to therefore bid 3NT at either 1♠ 2♥ of suit is strong 17+ points play double as showing 2NT scoring method. ■ 3♦ 3♠ and five plus card suit)? End Should I have overcalled E-mail your questions (including your postal address) 1♠ to show I have five? for Julian to: [email protected] William Parker by email. David Cree, Strathaven.

Page 44 BRIDGE December 2017 Answers to Bernard Magee’s BERNARD Bidding Quizzes 7-9 MAGEE’S on the Cover and page 7 INTERACTIVE TUTORIAL CD perfect hand to continue your hunt for 7. Dealer North. Game All. your opponents – chase them down and ♠ 8 7 6 5 ♠ A 4 2 double again – you have length in the DECLARER ♥ Q 4 3 2 N ♥ 9 7 6 trump suit and know your partnership has ♦ 7 6 5 W E ♦ A K a healthy majority of the points. PLAY S ♣ 4 2 ♣ K Q J 10 9 2♦ doubled should go at least three off and any other contract they run to will suffer the same fate or worse. It West North East South is important to follow up your penalty 1NT Dbl Pass doubles with subsequent action: too often MAC or ? the wrigglers are allowed to escape from Windows their fate, when the doublers either bid on Pass. Your partner’s double is for penal- or fail to double again. ties, so you should only take it out for a good reason. If you are very weak with a long suit, you might reasonably think that 9. Dealer North. E/W Game. playing in your suit may work better. How- ♠ A 8 7 ♠ 4 3 ever, on this occasion you do not have a ♥ K Q 8 7 6 N ♥ A 4 2 long suit, so there is no reason to think ♦ 5 4 W E ♦ A 9 3 S that no-trumps are not your best denomi- ♣ 6 5 3 ♣ A K J 4 2 nation. Remember that your partner will have 16+ points for his double – he might Bernard develops your have 20 – so you cannot be sure that you West North East South declarer play technique in are not defeating 1NT. Furthermore, even 1NT Dbl 2♦ the course of ten if 1NT makes (-180) it might be better ? introductory exercises and than removing to 2♥ or 2♠, which may well get doubled and lose 200 or 500 3♥. The same auction as the previous 120 complete deals. points. You should only go against your hand – your partner has made a penalty l Suit Establishment partner’s bid if you have good reason. double of 1NT and South has escaped. in No-trumps Here, your partner has 17 HCP but has This time you have a better hand – 9 HCP the tricks to defeat 1NT comfortably. He and a good five-card suit – add to this l Suit Establishment in Suits would not be pleased to hear you bid. your partner’s expected 16 points and game is likely to be on. With your side l Hold-ups vulnerable and the opposition not, your l Ruffing for 8. Dealer North. Love All. game is worth 600+ which would require Extra Tricks ♠ A 7 ♠ K Q 4 3 four off doubled as compensation. With £76 l Entries in ♥ 9 7 6 N ♥ A K J 2 the vulnerability this way you should go No-trumps ♦ Q J 6 5 W E ♦ A 8 for game, but which game? S ♣ J 7 6 5 ♣ 10 8 4 You need to offer your partner the l Delaying choice between 4♥ and 3NT. You must Drawing Trumps ♥ jump to show your strength: 3 . If your l Using the Lead West North East South partner is short in hearts (two or fewer) 1NT Dbl 2♦ then he can revert to 3NT, but with three- l Trump Control ? card support he raises you to game. Note l Endplays & Avoidance that 2♥ would be a weak competitive bid l Using the Bidding Double. Your partner has made a pen- which your partner would pass. alty double of 1NT, but South has taken it Another option would be 3♦ (bidding out: 2♦ was not alerted, so you expect it the opponents’ suit to show strength), but Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, to be natural – he will have a weak hand you would do this with a choice of suits – Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH with long diamonds. After one penalty expecting your partner to bid a four-card ( 01483 489961 double, all subsequent doubles are usu- major in response. With just one long www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop ally also used for penalties. You have the suit, you do best to bid it. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 45 Julian Pottage Answers your Frequently Asked Questions

Which Opener’s Rebids are Game Forcing?

fter a one-level opening and Hand A opens 1♣ and rebids 2♠ Hand D opens 1♠ and, if responder response, it is useful to have after a response of ♦1 or 1♥. Hand raises to 3♠, cue bids 4♣ on the some bids to show a strong B opens 1♦ and rebids 3♣ after a next round. Opener needs to Aopening hand, one that taking into ac- response of 1♥, 1♠ or 1NT. hear of a diamond control from count the values shown by responder responder before contemplating a envisages a game contract. The knowl- 2. A double jump in a new suit is slam. edge that partner cannot stop the bid- game forcing and conventional. ding short of game leaves maximum Since a single jump is natural If the initial response is a change of space thereafter for exploring the best and forcing, it would be illogical suit at the two level, opener does not game contract and whether the values for a double jump to mean the need quite such a strong hand to create and controls for a slam are present. same thing. A double jump agrees a game force. Since responder has Since different responses show responder’s suit while showing a shown upwards of 9 or 10 points, 15 or different values, the strength opener shortage in the suit bid. So 1♦-1♠- 16 points will suffice. requires will vary. Let us begin with 4♣ shows the values for a raise to the situation of a one-level response. 4♠ (about 19 points or five losers) 4. A simple reverse after a two-over- Since this shows 5 or 6 points upwards, with a singleton or void in clubs. one response creates a game force. opener needs 19 points or thereabouts Possibilities for this are 1♦-2♣-2♥, to make a game forcing rebid. 1♦-2♣-2♠, 1♥-2♣-2♠ and 1♥-2♦- Hand C 2♠. Opener shows at least five cards 1. A jump rebid in a new suit at the ♠ K J 7 5 in the first suit and at least four two level or at the three level is ♥ K Q 10 3 cards in the second, with the first game forcing and natural. There ♦ A K 8 5 3 suit longer. are four possibilities for the former: ♣ Void 1♣-1♦-2♥, 1♣-1♦-2♠, 1♣-1♥-2♠ and 1♦-1♥-2♠. There are ten main Hand E possibilities for the latter: 1♠-1NT- Hand C opens 1♦ and rebids 4♣ ♠ A K 8 5 3♣, 1♠-1NT-3♦, 1♠-1NT-3♥, 1♥- after a response of ♥1 or 1♠. ♥ K Q 9 5 3 1♠-3♣, 1♥-1♠-3♦, 1♥-1NT-3♣, 1♥- ♦ A 6 2 1NT-3♦, 1♦-1♥-3♣, 1♦-1♠-3♣ and 3. A new suit after a jump raise of ♣ 4 1♦-1NT-3♣. A jump shift rebid at opener’s major shows slam interest the two level indicates that opener’s and is forcing to game in the agreed first suit is longer. The suits could major. Traditionally a new suit in Hand E opens 1♥ and rebids 2♠ be equal in length if opener makes this situation is a cue bid, showing after a response of ♣2 or 2♦. a jump shift rebid at the three level. a control in the suit bid. 5. A new suit at the three level after a two-over-one response, a so called Hand A Hand B Hand D ‘high reverse’, also creates a game ♠ A Q J 6 ♠ 6 ♠ A J 7 5 3 2 force. Possibilities for this are 1♥- ♥ K 6 ♥ A Q ♥ A K Q 5 2♦-3♣, 1♠-2♦-3♣, 1♠-2♥-3♣ and ♦ 9 3 ♦ A Q 10 7 3 ♦ 7 3 1♠-2♥-3♦. Opener’s first suit may ♣ A K Q 8 5 ♣ A Q J 8 5 ♣ A be longer or the suits could be of equal length.

Page 46 BRIDGE December 2017 Hand F Answers to Bernard Magee’s ♠ A K J 8 4 ♥ 6 ♦ K 6 Bidding Quizzes 10-12 ♣ A J 6 4 2 on the Cover and page 7 Hand F opens 1♠ planning to rebid 3♣ if responder bids 2♦ or 2♥. A 2♣ rebid, however, will suffice after 10. Dealer North. Love All. 3♥. Your partner doubled North’s 2♥ a 1NT response. ♠ K 7 6 5 ♠ A Q 4 2 bid – what should that show? Generally ♥ 4 2 N ♥ 8 7 6 a double of an unnatural bid is natural. 6. In traditional Acol a 2NT rebid ♦ A 9 2 W E ♦ K 7 5 That is, it shows the suit doubled – East S after a two-over-one response was ♣ K J 6 5 ♣ Q 9 3 has a free opportunity to show strength/ not game forcing. These days many length in hearts. By using this chance, he pairs play it as game forcing since has given your partnership the chance to this helps in finding a 5-3 fit in West North East South compete for the hand. You have decent opener’s suit amongst other things. 1NT Pass 2♦1 hearts and good distribution so you Pass 2♥ Pass Pass should bid on to 3♥. 7. A jump to the four level (eg 1♠-2♥- ? Remember that on some hands even 4♣) carries the same meaning as 1Transfer to hearts if 3♥ goes down then you will get a it does after a one-level response: good score because 2♠ would have a splinter showing a game raise of Double. Defining when a double is for made. However, here, 3♥ is an excellent responder’s suit with a shortage in take-out or for penalties is not easy. I like contract. the suit bid. to try to simplify things by stating that when no-trumps come into an auction With an opening hand that does not then doubles become for penalties. The 12. Dealer North. Game All. wish to insist on game, opener chooses reason for this is because one player ♠ 4 3 2 ♠ 10 9 6 some other rebid. has closely defined his hand. However, ♥ A 10 8 N ♥ 9 6 there are (as always) a few exceptions. ♦ K Q 3 W E ♦ A J 10 8 7 4 S In an auction such as this where South ♣ Q 9 4 3 ♣ A K Hand G is showing a weak hand with long ♠ A Q J 6 hearts – it may well be necessary for the ♥ J 6 partnership to compete with a take-out West North East South ♦ 9 3 double. 1NT 2♦ 2♥ ♣ A K Q 8 5 As the last player to bid and with ? shortage in hearts your hand is perfect for a take-out double – asking your 3NT. Your partner has made a vulnerable Hand G opens 1♣ and rebids 1♠ partner to choose any suit other than overcall over 1NT – this should be based over a 1♦ or 1♥ response. You need hearts. Here, East would choose 2♠. on a six-card and a decent hand. South’s not worry about missing game When there is weak take-out (or 2♥ bid shows little strength, it is more because responders can bid 2♣ transfer) in response to a weak no-trump likely to be based on heart length. or 2♠ on minimal values and can then it is sensible to use take-out doubles You have great diamond support rebid 1NT with about 8-10 points. to compete for the hand. and can be hopeful of running tricks there. Bearing in mind your partner has Yes, there are a few types of sequence overcalled with a broken suit you should that I have not covered, the jump 11. Dealer South. Love All. expect about the values for an opening reverse after a one-level response and ♠ 4 2 ♠ 7 6 5 hand. Expecting six diamond tricks and a jump to the three level after a two- ♥ J 9 8 7 N ♥ A K 4 2 the ♥A gives seven top tricks and with level response, in other words a jump ♦ 8 7 W E ♦ A J 4 3 extra strength to be expected in your S when a non-jump would be forcing for ♣ A K 9 5 2 ♣ 8 7 partner’s hand, you should gamble on one round. 3NT. Your stopper is fine and even if you Those are a little beyond the scope do not have the top tricks to make 3NT of this article, although if you insist on West North East South you should be able to cut South’s hand knowing I play the former as a mini 1NT off from his partner. As it is, you have splinter (specifically a singleton, not Pass 2♥1 Dbl 2♠ ten top tricks and would be very unlucky a void) and the latter as an ordinary ? to find your opponents with five running splinter. ■ 1Transfer to spades spades. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 47 Seven Days by Sally Brock

Monday food for the dinner party. I have an online teaching session with Debbie Dealer East. Love All. There is plenty to do today to prepare for a couple of hours in the afternoon. ♠ A Q for a dinner party tomorrow. Somehow Everything is under control for ♥ A K 10 8 4 when Karen is here I get distracted by dinner. There are ten of us in all and it ♦ 5 conversation and everything takes a lot seems to go pretty well. The food (figs ♣ K Q 9 8 2 longer than usual. My coffee machine with gorgonzola, boeuf bourguignon, ♠ K 8 ♠ 10 9 7 5 4 2 has died and she would like to buy poached plums with cherries and ♥ 9 7 5 3 2 N ♥ Q 6 me a new one as a thank-you present. fresh pistachios) all get eaten. The last ♦ A K W E ♦ J 8 7 4 S So we start by going to Peter Jones – people go about 11.30pm and we wash ♣ J 7 6 3 ♣ 5 my Kensington & Chelsea residents’ a draining board full of glasses before ♠ J 6 3 parking permit is a wonderful thing. going to bed. ♥ J Gleaming new red machine – and it ♦ Q 10 9 6 3 2 works! Then I drop her off and go to ♣ A 10 4 Waitrose to buy food. Wednesday In the evening Karen, Toby and I The plan is to get up early and go travel into town to see Derren Brown exploring London as it’s Diane’s only West North East South at the Playhouse Theatre. We start with day in town. However, as it turns out 3♠ Pass a pre-show Mexican meal – complete she needs the sleep more, which is fine 4♠ 4NT Pass 5♣ with margaritas – which is excellent. by me as I’d rather finish cleaning up Dbl All Pass I think Derren Brown is amazing and before we set off. We get an Uber to have absolutely no idea how he does Fleet Street (where they are meeting I led the ♠K and am idly wondering if what he does. He seems able to mind their next host later on) and drop off they are going to make an overtrick, read his audience. He goes to a lot of their luggage. We then go to Covent when declarer finds a line to go down trouble to make sure the selection of Garden for lunch, followed by Diane’s in 5♣. He wins the lead, playing the the subject is random (and surely they number one request: Harrods. They ♣K unblocking the ♣10, plays a can’t be a ‘plant’ – if so, surely one of seem to buy most of the chocolate club to his ace and draws the rest of them at some stage would have sold department between them – they even my trumps, finessing my♣ J in the their story to one of the newspapers shipped a load back to the US. Then we process. He tries a low heart off the and he would be ‘outed’) and then part company as they go back to Fleet dummy, but my partner rises with his they stand up. He starts by telling us Street and I go home. ♥Q and plays a diamond. Declarer their star sign (100% accuracy) and In the evening I play a Super League cannot get back to his hand and ends then works out their ‘secret’. Anyway, match with Andy. It goes OK and we up losing another heart trick. Team- we all have a great evening. win 15-5. The boards were fairly dull: mates bid 3NT in the other room and this was probably the most interesting make twelve tricks so this is a useful (hand is in the next column). There gain for our team. Tuesday had been a board previously that I Today starts with half an hour at opened 2♦ with a 1-4-6-2 distribution the dental hygienist. Then we go to and no high-card points at all. This had Thursday Hammersmith to meet Karen’s sister no discernible effect on anything, but It has been truly wonderful having Ka- Diane who is staying overnight. We I did comment that I would normally ren to stay for a couple of weeks, but I find her without problem and bring open 3♦, but had felt a little inhibited am enjoying the quiet of the flat on my her back to the flat, stopping off for playing with a new partner. I think own. I get up late (had a bad night), lunch at the pub on the corner on the that is why Andy opened 3♠ this time. do my exercises, have my breakfast way. Then we let her have a couple Quite why I doubled the final contract on my little balcony, read for 40 min- of hours’ sleep while we prepare the I do not know. utes while working out on my exercise

Page 48 BRIDGE December 2017 bike, have lunch on my little No doubt influenced by the More Tips from Bernard Magee balcony, do a little work, put state of the match, the bid- some washing on, iron my ding is: sheets, watch TV etc. In the evening I work online with West North East South my U26 women’s team. We 3♣ Pass 3NT are lucky in that Jon Cooke Dbl All Pass Use Splinter Bids has agreed to coach them for next year’s world cham- There may have been better to Show Shortage pionships. At the age they defences but Barry simply are we can hope for a lot bashes out his top diamonds of improvement, assuming and we are soon collecting and Support commitment (which seems 1,100. to be there) on their side. You might have thought that would have been it, but n response to one-of-a-ma- losers can be ruffed. So, with Friday we do all we can to lose the jor a direct jump to game is his hand fitting well West can match thereafter – miss an Inot broadly descriptive and try for slam – asking for aces For most of the day it is easy slam, fail to find the it will often lead to missed and on finding two, going for more of the same. Barry trump lead necessary to slams. To help your partner- 6♠. Only 26 HCP between the has been working on a trial beat two thin games, collect ship find more slams, it is two hands, but because the in Canterbury. He doesn’t an inadequate 300 penalty worth using splinter bids. In clubs fit perfectly, 12 tricks get home till about seven when we can make a vul- this context, a splinter bid is should be straightforward. o’clock most days and then nerable game (slam even if a double jump in a new suit It is up to the hand oppo- he is exhausted. Today he is you are being really ambi- over a major suit: 1♠-4♦ for site the singleton to evaluate a bit earlier, so I go to Wait- tious). Still, when the smoke example. This 4♦ bid would – no high cards, as above, is rose to pick some things up clears we have won by 13 be redundant otherwise so it a good holding, as is the ace, for dinner and go round to IMPs, and proceed to the can be used to show a spe- but other honours are wasted. his place for the evening. semi-finals next weekend. cific type of hand: it shows For example with this hand: We get a lift back to Lon- Support for the major, Points don and arrive back at Bar- for game and a Lack of cards Saturday ry’s round about midnight. in the suit bid. SPL for SPLin- ♠ K Q J 7 5

Up early to catch a train A long day. ter. Your partner is then able ♥ 2 N ♦ A 7 2 W E up to Derby for our Gold to assess his holding in your S Cup quarter-final match. It short suit and decide either to ♣ K Q 7 2 doesn’t start too well and Sunday settle for 4♠ or to try for slam. after three sets we are 30 Today I visit my older son or so down. Then we have a Ben and his family. I am West would sign off in 4♠. good set to bring it back to very pleased that Toby is go- ♠ K Q J 7 5 ♠ A 9 8 2 He has the same number of all square. We continue to ing to come with me, so first ♥ 2 N ♥ A Q 6 5 high card points as our first W E improve until we are 30 up I go and pick him up and ♦ A K Q S ♦ J 10 4 3 West, but this time the ♣K-Q with eight boards to go. This then we drive on to their ♣ 9 8 7 2 ♣ 4 will be wasted opposite the is the first board of that final house just outside Saffron singleton. They will make a set and I am East: Walden. We have a deli- trick eventually, but without cious lunch – roast chicken West East the ♦K-Q, there will not be and roasted vegetables with 1♠ 4♣ the playing strength for slam. Dealer North. Game All. houmous and feta. 4NT 5♥ It is this ability to be able to ♠ Q J 6 Afterwards we go and 6♠ assess your holding oppo- ♥ 8 6 5 2 view the house they are site partner’s singleton that ♦ Void hoping to buy – a fabulous West opens 1♠ and East has makes splinters valuable. The ♣ Q J 9 8 7 4 barn conversion. support and the strength for two opening hands shown,

♠ K 10 7 3 N ♠ 5 4 2 We leave before supper game. Over a 4♠ response both have the same strength, ♥ W E ♥ A 3 S Q 9 4 and get home just after West would probably pass. but one is excited by partner’s ♦ A K J 9 7 2 ♦ 10 8 5 3 seven. I am rather alarmed However, East’s splinter bid club singleton and goes for ♣ 2 ♣ A 5 3 to see four missed calls from of 4♣, showing shortage in the slam, whilst the other is ♠ A 9 8 my brother. I ring him back clubs and the strength to raise turned off and stays in game. ♥ K J 10 7 and he tells me that if I wait to 4♠, allows West to assess By using Splinter bids ♦ Q 6 4 till Tuesday (as planned) to his hand accurately. West’s you will give yourself the ♣ K 10 6 visit my father I might be weak club holding can be chance to bid to more good too late … ■ dealt with by his partner – the slams. ■

BRIDGE December 2017 Page 49 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum Episode 68: An Italian Jaunt Part 1: Battle Stations

flight from Norwich carried Dealer, North, passed as did Spouse by Millie’s ace. She now played the Millie, Justin, Spouse and me sitting East. With his nineteen-count five to the jack, ensuring two tricks to Verona airport. From there, South opened one diamond, which in the bag and two tricks in hand for Aa coach propelled us along newly-built was followed by a pass by me. North later. After taking the ace of clubs, she roads sporting large signs confirming responded one heart and South bravely led the six of clubs towards the use of EU funding in their construc- completed the auction with three no- dummy. Henry played the four. tion. ‘Nice to know where our taxes go,’ trumps. With Hattie as West looking unduly was Millie’s immediate reaction. I de- confident of producing bad news, cided that a debate on Brexit would not West North East South Millie ducked playing the nine. West be an ideal start to the holiday, merely Wendy Spouse won with the king, but Millie with the noting that at least we would arrive at Pass Pass 1♦ four diamond tricks, two more heart our destination sooner and safer. We Pass 1♥ Pass 3NT tricks, the club queen and the ace of soon arrived in the attractive town of All Pass spades had twelve tricks for the lucky Limone on its shores. A fine modern slam. Now Hattie called the TD and hotel greeted us. With free wine and Having heard hearts bid on my left, I claimed that Millie’s one no-trump draught lager from breakfast until refrained from a heart lead and led the was out of range and demanded an midnight, it became clear that Millie top spade. During the play, declarer adjusted score. The director declined would be very much at home. While tried a small club to the queen losing the suggestion. Millie thought Hattie’s Millie and Justin investigated the facil- to my king, but had no difficulty with reaction a bit OTT and later coined ities on site, Spouse and I explored the his contract. He successfully finessed the designation, Happy Hattie on the town and were soon strolling along the the queen and jack of hearts as I evidence that Hattie clearly wasn’t. promenade overlooking the blue lake stubbornly resisted playing the king. Hattie then chastised her partner where shoals of fish were swimming in He now had five tricks in the majors, for not splitting his club honours, the clear waters. Above the waterline, four in diamonds together with the although it seemed to have no bearing ferries criss-crossed the lake. ace of clubs. Three no-trumps made on the result. According to Justin, After dinner Millie was eager to with an overtrick, our defence taking she left the table in a huff, but Henry show us the massive card room where two club tricks and the heart king. It seemed totally unfazed by the incident. a multilingual team were preparing was a rather different story at the other As he followed Hattie, he turned back a varied programme for guests from table, where Millie and Justin played and remarked, ‘Did you hear about many countries. Millie had already en- Hattie and Henry. Apparently, a rather the failed Italian bank? It’s just gone tered us for the team event. The session erratic Millie, no doubt having taken into administroni.’ He wandered off was well underway when this deal oc- advantage of the free wine, opened a chuckling to himself. curred. At the time, there seemed to be weak no-trump in the North seat with I asked Millie later about her critical nothing remarkable about it. an eleven count. With no opposition play in the club suit, but she was non- action, a lager-fuelled Justin in the committal on the issue. Personally I South position, opposite the expected think she was just plain lucky that the Dealer North. North-South Game. 12-14 HCP, decided his nineteen count king was doubleton. We finished in a ♠ 7 5 was sufficient for a slam. The no- credible second spot and I expected a ♥ A 10 9 5 nonsense auction was: suitable celebration. ‘Double brandy?’ ♦ K 7 6 2 I suggested to Millie. ‘Good gracious, ♣ A 8 6 West North East South no,’ was the totally unexpected reply, ♠ 10 9 8 ♠ Q J 4 3 2 Hattie Millie Henry Justin ‘Wine for me, and a lager for Justin. ♥ K 8 7 6 3 2 N ♥ 4 1NT Pass 6NT Never look a gift horse in the mouth, W E ♦ ♦ 9 3 S 8 5 4 All Pass Wendy.’ I felt my face twitch and ♣ K 7 ♣ J 10 4 2 mouth open as I tried to suppress ♠ A K 6 The defence started with Henry as any show of emotion at Millie’s life ♥ Q J East leading the three of spades, won changing experience. After all, Spouse ♦ A Q J 10 by Millie with the king on table. She was the main loser on the holiday; ♣ Q 9 5 3 played the heart queen on which Hattie there was no real ale, ‘even for ready obligingly placed the king, overtaken money’. ■

Page 50 BRIDGE December 2017