RIXI MARKUS The International :·\ who never• learned to play bridge. CHAS. BRAD BURY LIMITED 26 SACKVILLE ST., PICCADILLY LONDO N, WI. Phone Reg. 3123-3995 LOANS ARRANGED Wjth ~r wit.hout , Security. An annual subscription (30/-) forwarded to the Pub­ lishers will ensure regular monthly delivery of the Contract Bridge Journal. The copyright of this magazine is vested in Priestley Studios Ltd. It is published under the authority of the English Bridge Union. a1k for le1flet 1~ your The Editorial Board is composed of, loal brom:::h or Agent and the Editor is appointed by, the English Bridge Union. BRANCHES AND AGENTS IN PP.IN (IP,I..l CUHUS - RIVI'ERA HOTEL . / CANFORD CLIFFS BOURNEMOUTH FACES CffiNE ANn SEA AMID GLORIOUS SURROUNDINGS Quality fare prepared by first class chefs Pe rfectly appointed bedrooms and suites Cocktail Lounge-Tennis-Golf Telephone: Canford Cliffs 285 Brochure on Request e You Call always rely on a good game of Bridge at The Ralph Evans's Hotel CONTRACT BRIDGE 0 Al OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION- VoLUME _2 SEPTEM Dim, 1943 NUMBER 11 EDITORIAL • CONTENTS • T MAY at first sight seem: Page strange that the Official Organ THE FUTURE oF ToURNAMENT I of the English Bridge Union BRIDGE-Terence Reese . 3 should devote some of its pages RED AND GREEN -Norman Squire . 5 to a searching examination and an WANTED : REALITY 8 implicit'criticism of E.B. U. policy ; Cnii\IE AND PuNISHMENT and this by the directing genius of .J11: Harrison-Gray 10 the Tournament Bridge Association. SUIT PREFERENCE Dimmie Fleming . 12 . In fact, when we first asked · VANISHING TRICKS Mr. Terence Reese to write his "G. M. Harris" 14 views on the present-day tourna­ "Rn..'l " 16 UN-UNLUCh."Y EXPER ment set-up, he was most reluctant S. J. Simon 17 to do so. He urged that he was SLAI\IWARD Ho in this case, in some sense at least, A. G. Figgins . 19 parti pris. When, conceding the OVEn-EDUCATED EVANST Graham Mathieson 21 validity of this point, we asked PALOOKAS AT PLAY him to suggest some other. pen or C. R. B. Murray . 22 brain which could adequa~ely deal PosT· MonTEM-"Tenex".. 23 with the situation, he, like ourselves, DEAUVILLE 1948 24 was at a complete loss. GossiP oF THE MoNTH Guy Ramsey 25 For it is only Mr.. Reese, by CALENDAR • • 27 reason of ·his very position, who CoN:riNUATIONS 28 has studied the question-perforce. Slli'TEJ\IDER COMPETITION Boris Shapiro 29 He has the· facts and the vitally AAS\VERS TO AUGUST relevant figures at his fingers' -ends. CoMPETITION And, although doubtless his Kenneth Komtam 30 criticism will be taken in poor part by many of the stalwarts of the * * * Union, . the rapidly falling entries in our national competitions All Corresp9ndence to the Editor : (whether B.B.L. - or E.B.U.­ GUY RAMSEY, sponsored) coupled with the far from satisfactory organisation of 13, Cannon Place, the Pachabo, the National Pairs London, N.W.J. and the disastrous chaos of the Portland Pairs, plus the increm•ing A I CONTRACT BRIDGE . JOURNAL tardiness of all finals in the past excerpt in question, and we there­ season (the Hubert Phillips ~owl fore put it on record that is as we write, still not completed I) " Odyssey " by " Fifth Man " was le~d the most sanguine to .suppose the product of the W olfcrs pen. the forthcoming season Will show · Doubltess Mr. Wolfcrs is happy yet further lack of interest even . to know that'words appearing under in the ranking national contests. his 710111 de plume were resurrected Much against his will, Mr. Reese in a tribute to his old friend " Skid." agreed to write : as frankly and * * * as fearlessly as he played at N this issue, we resume, for Copenhagen : pulling no punches so long as the material sh~ll and currying no favo?r. He w.rote, I last the adventures and mls­ and the Jou;mal pnnts, for o~e adventu'res of. S. J. Simon's reason and one reason only : to quartette. .Our capacity . to do improve, at 1 whatever cost of this is due d1rectly to the kmdness heartache and headache, dis- , and sympathy of Mrs. Simon, comfiture and even anger, the and we feel that, however wry be ~ervice to the players, the standard now our smiles at that great of the game. · humorist's unquenchable humour ; · It is not our aim to engage in however regretful we . may feel sterile controversy ; but we that the source of them is dammed welcome constructive rebut~ls, forever, both our readers and the ' emendations, .and suggestions author would prefer that they inspired by the trenchant and shOuld first appear in the Joumal careful examination of the present of which he was so staunch a position appearing on the following supporter, to which he was so pages. consistent a contributor, than that * * * '~e should wait upon the un­ E have been informed, and cer.tainties of post-war publishing. asked to make public­ * * * W which, of course, we HE cry of every bridge maga­ willingly do-the foll9'ving facts:- zine of the past is re-echoed The Diary from which Terence T by the Joumal of the Reese quoted last month in his present : lack of adequate variety moving "Portrait" of S. J. Simon in its contributors. was an article appearing in the We appeal to all players who June, 1937, number of ~he Br~tish have a good story to tell, a good Bridge "World, at that tlme ed1ted 1 idea to ~ubmit, a genuine· grievance by Mr. Reese. to air, a new system to popularise The article was signed " Fifth to set. it down and send it to a Man"-one of the pseudonyms sympathetic and copy-hungry adopted by an InteJnational of Editor; If lack of experience in those days, Mr. A. Wolfers. actual writing· be a barrier to any It was-and is-Mr. Reese's would-be author, it is not, perhaps, belief 'that the quoted words were out· of place if we mention that a an interpolation of his own. Mr. skilled sub-editor is ready and Vlolfers assures us that he was the willing to smooth out any "onlie begetter" of the amusing awkwardness of phrase. G. R. 2 i' -·------· -~. ~- -·- THE fUTURE '·OF TOURNAMENT BRIDGE by Terence Reese H E PRESENT state of tion anci temporary office. One has Tournament Bridge presents the impression that no one person T a contrast. has any pride in, or responsibility Public interest in the game has for, efficient management. never been higher. ' The British A large but unselective Council .Success at Copenhagen and the meets earnestly and regularly but, Jong run of " Bridge on the Air " in effect, it is the hard-pressed haye kept the game well in the Secretary and one or two energetic public eye. Committeemen who do all the In the tournament world itself, practical work. the omens are less favourable. These people who do the work Entries for competitions have are hampered by the fact that they ·declined since the first season have not autocratic powers. The after the war, and are likely to go ·result has been interminable delay down still further. There is not in almost every field. Events have the interest which there used to lingered on to a point at which he. in the results t>f the big events. even the Finalists have lost interest · How many·players, even readers in them. -of this Journal whose hobby is When the Finals have come bridge, could say 'offhand, or even round at long -last, they have after some thought, who won the fallen flat. Consider, for example, Pachabo Cup, the Whitelaw Cup, the Pachabo Cup. ' Last year, only the Lady Milne, the Affiliated 8 teams out of 16 bothered to ·Clubs, the National Pairs, the turn up to the Final. This year, Portland Club Cup, the Hubert only 5 out of 16 l Phillips Bowl*-cven Crockford's ' · One would have supposed that ·Cup, or the Cold Cup ? it would have occurred to the .. The fact that the finals of these Tournament Committee' that the -competitions have been sta~ed wi~h Pachabo Cup' was an e\·ent with so little sense of. promotiOn will which it was not worth while to lead to even smaller ei:ltries next persevere. Yet it is down, as usual, year. in the elaborate brochure published There are two reasons for the for the 1948-49 season. present unsatisfa~tpry . state ,. ~f It is impossible to resist the affairs. Shortcommgs m · admtm­ inference that the short-term vie\v stration are p,art of the trouble, ... " 'e must get some money in" but the real fault lies in the system. has more bearing than it should The present ' conduct of have on the construction of the tournaments by the E.B.U. exhibits annual programme. the faults of democratic organisa- The B.B.L. and E.B.U. * No-one as yet !-Eo. authorities may well say that it 3 , . CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL was not possible to create interest been clearly formed for over a year in the Finals of most of· the ' and the time has surely come when competitions and that they would the authorities in bridge must take not have been justified in spending a long look forward. This is my a lot of money on their promotion. blueprint-:- This is quite true. 1. It must be ?bvious to anyone, . But if that is. admitted, then who studies the present there must be something seriously strength of tournament bridge wrong with the system.