August 2013 English Bridge Issue No. 248 The EBU members’ magazine UT LakSOeL DG Oarda Hurry and book the February 2014 EBU Overseas Congress in Malta English Bridge Congratulations, © All rights reserved ENGLISH BRIDGE is published every two months by the ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION We’re Engaged! Broadfields, Bicester Road, Aylesbury HP19 8AZ ( 01296 317200 Fax: 01296 317220 Sally Bugden, Chairman [email protected] Web site: www.ebu.co.uk ________________ Editor: Elena Jeronimidis IF YOU are reading this, I think congratu - play – club, county or nationally – and by 23 Erleigh Road, Reading RG1 5LR lations are in order: we’re engaged, or providing development to ensure that ( 0118 926 2602 should that read ‘we’ve engaged’? However there are more people to play with us as [email protected] I put it, the point I would like to make is years go by. And in a nutshell that is it. Editorial Board that you have bothered to read this That’s what we all do. Isn’t it? Sally Bugden (Chairman), Jeremy Dhondy and Elena Jeronimidis column. I have been lucky enough to grab And what about the gifted few? Two ________________ your attention. But why are you reading teams will be representing us all in the this? So far I haven’t said anything about World Championships beginning on 16th Advertising Manager Chris Danby at Danby Advertising the English Bridge Union. What would September 2013 – and they are gifted. Our Fir Trees, Hall Road, Hainford, you like to read here? Well, I have always Open Team is playing for the Bermuda Norwich NR10 3LX Y believed that you do want to read about Bowl – Andrew Robson, Alexander Allfrey, ( / Fax 01603 898678 what’s happening in our national bridge Tony Forrester, David Gold, David [email protected] ________________ organisation. I suppose if I deconstruct Bakhshi and Tom Townsend, supported the words in ‘English Bridge Union’, we all by Simon Cope, their Non Playing Printing: Wyndeham Group know what ‘English’ means and what Captain (NPC), and Ben Green, their ‘Bridge’ means, but the word that we Coach. Our Women’s Team, currently the rarely concentrate on is ‘Union’. Don’t European Champions and World Mind INSIDE GUIDE worry, I’m not going to expand my marital Sports Gold Medallists, is playing for the analogy any further but I am going to look Venice Cup – Heather Dhondy, Nevena Pairs Tactics 5 n at what it is we are and see if it matches Senior, Nicola Smith, Sally Brock, Susan Bridge Fiction 7 n what you think we are. Stockdale and Fiona Brown, supported by Ask Heather 9 n We are a group of people who all play Jeremy Dhondy, their NPC and David Director, Please! 11 n duplicate bridge and who come together Burn their Coach. Both teams have Seniors Camrose 12 n in various places to play the game we love qualified to play in these competitions Traps for the Unwary 13 n – in clubs of all sizes and in counties of all through their excellent performance in the Great Bridge Disasters 15 n sizes, in national events of all sizes and, for European Championships held in Dublin Basic Cardplay 16-17 n 2013 Crockfords Final 18 n the gifted few, in countries of all sizes. We last year. This is an exceptional achieve - Ask Jeremy 19 n are united in our desire to play the game. ment. They are our teams; they are playing Stage 2 Conventions 20-21 n Are we united in our desire to keep the for all of us, this Union of people who play English Bridge Archives 21 n game going? I would like to think we are. bridge in England. Read the first click Prize Leads Quiz Qs & As 22-23 n There are volunteers at every level instalment on the teams in our including a group of national volunteers magazine – please see page 29 – European Open Championships 24-25 n link EBU News and Diary 26-30 n assisted by our employees in Aylesbury, and find out about the players, Bidding Quiz Test Hands 31 n who support our united group of people. and follow all the action on our website Letters to the Editor 33 n By providing services to ensure our play - (and Bridge Base Online) over the coming Mistakes People Make 34-35 n ing experience is the most comfort able couple of months. Caption Competition 35 n and secure, we can make it wherever we Let’s get engaged all over again! r Top Table 35 n Opening Leads 37 n click For an explanation of the little ‘click-link’ logo, which you can see here and on other Bidding Quiz Answers 38-39 pages of the magazine, please turn to page 21 —Ed. n link Club Bidding Quiz Test Hands 40 n Heather’s Hints 40 n Around and About 41-42 n Bridge with a Twist 43 n ARTICLES IN ENGLISH BRIDGE ARE COLOUR CODED The Magic of Bridge NEW 44-45 n Instruction EBU News Features Laws & Ethics Reports County News 46-53 n Club Bidding Quiz Answers 54 n ONLINE EXTRA: click City Cup Tour photos 57-61 n n n n n n Master Point Promotions link 62-74 n www.ebu.co.uk August 2013 English Bridge 3 Pairs Tactics by Andrew Robson Don’t Play for a ‘Perfecto’ WHEN DECIDING how high to bid, you ‘Just three high-card After North-South’s investigative auction, should try to construct possible hands for ´ K 7 6 2 points, we can make South playing for the ‘perfecto’, West will partner and see how many tricks are likely. ™ 9 7 6 2 a 4-4 fit 6 ´ on lead an unbid diamond. Declarer beats the Say you hold: t 8 6 3 reasonable major- king with the ace and will lead up his You open 1 ´ and ® 4 2 suit splits, by draw - singleton club. Wary that this may well be a ´ A 8 5 3 2 hear partner jump ing trumps, then singleton for South’s shapely bidding, and ™ A 3 to 3 ´. Should you cashing hearts dis - with a promoted diamond winner to cash, t A Q 8 6 3 look for slam with carding dummy’s diamonds.’ (Note you West will rise with his ace and cash the ® 4 your fine shapely cannot make 6 ™ as you need the discards on queen of diamonds. Declarer can make the five-loser hand, or the unequal-length side-suit). Should you remainder with the aid of the spade finesse, just settle for game? begin the exploration with a bid of 2 ´? but that’s just eleven tricks and game made Construct some 10-point hands for No. The key word is ‘if’ . Do not play the plus one. Probably a 30% score. partner and see what could be made. If ‘if’ game. Be practical and jump to 4 ™, not After the practical pairs auction, West’s you give partner: tipping off the opponents. Here is a much natural lead is the jack of spades. This will You can make twelve more likely layout than the ‘perfecto’: run to declarer’s queen and the singleton ´ K Q 6 4 tricks as long as club will again be led. West will probably ™ 5 4 2 trumps don’t split play low here, loath to help declarer set up t K J 2 4-0. After drawing Love All. Dealer South. dummy’s suit (even if he plays the ace, that ® J 8 6 trumps, you play out ´ 5 2 will be his side’s last trick). After winning five rounds of dia - ™ Q J 2 with dummy’s queen, declarer ruffs a club, monds, shedding t 9 4 3 then crosses to the queen of hearts and ruffs two hearts from dummy and can then ruff ® K Q 6 4 2 a second club. When West’s ace appears, your small heart in dummy. Playing teams ´ J 10 8 6 ´ K 7 4 South plays flat out: he crosses to the jack of (or rubber), you might well bid 4 t, best ™ 10 6 N ™ 9 7 hearts pleased to see the 2-2 split, cashes the W E played as a natural slam try, which would t Q 8 6 2 S t K J 7 5 king of clubs and the long club discarding a elicit great excitement from partner if he ® A 8 7 ® J 10 9 5 diamond and a spade, crosses to the ace of holds this ‘perfecto’ (perfect hand). ´ A Q 9 3 spades, and ruffs a spade with dummy’s Playing pairs, however, you should play ™ A K 8 5 4 3 remaining trump. That’s thir teen tricks and the frequency game. Partner is unlikely to t A 10 game made plus three. hold this hand. You are unlikely to have a ® 3 Should South now regret that he didn’t slam. By bidding 4 t, you tip the oppo - bid a slam? Certainly not – for 4 ™ plus nents off that (a) you have a diamond three will score 95% of the match-points. second suit and (b) you have slam interest. The bidding (playing for the ‘perfecto’): Those overtricks make little difference at Their opening lead and subsequent other forms of bridge – where South defence will surely be more accurate as a West North East South would have mild regret he didn’t have a go result. Simply raise 3 ´ to 4 ´. Maybe 1™ at slam. At pairs, the overtricks are every - they’ll lead a diamond from the king; Pass 2™ Pass 2´ thing and there is absolutely no need to maybe they’ll discard a diamond as you Pass 3®1 Pass 4™2 bid a slam, because making thirteen tricks draw trumps.