Center~ai')f Magazine
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Celebrating too years of bridge MEMBER ~· ABTA~· EBU/BBL Licensed
Our sixty six page MERCIAN BRIDGE HOLIDAYS brochure is now available. Just call Mercian for the most comprehensive programme of Bridge holidays yet produced - please note our new FREEPHONE number now NINE FREE telephone lines to cr:- ·· r. ihe increased volume.
SUPERIOR BRITISH WEEKENDS • J\ DIFFERENCE Mercian Bridge weekends are not the cheapest, but we defy you Probablf tht~ rn:: . ~ nd outstanding of all Mercian to find any that are better, with our choice of 'up-market' superior Holidays is HiP. LJ..= •·. Ht: PHARAOHS" - in the Mercian British hotels, all provided at a bargain price, from the HAVEN at programme since we stanc?:J Bridge holidays. The SHERATON SANDBANKS, POOLE, looking out over Poole Bay and HOTEL on the UPPER NILE is one of the most popular of all our Brownsea Island, with Its highly prized awards of AA Rosettes venues. Guaranteed perfect weather throughout the stay and the and RAC Award of Merit for Food, to the 4 Star COPTHORNE most fascinating excursions and an exclusive arrangement at a HOTEL in the heart of the Black Country, which cost some £10 price that is now less than we were paying In 1989, so, if you million to build, a link between one of the largest shopping com enjoy a bargain, then do come with us to the "Land of the plexes In Europe and the ancient industry of the heart of England, Pharaohs". to the CASTLE HOTEL in TAUNTON, the centre of excellence in Or, we have a "PLACE ON EARTH SO CLOSE TO HEAVEN", hospitality. One of the most highly acclaimed hotels In the West another regular venue for Mercian, because of the unique setting Country, where the gourmet meals can only be matched by the at the edge of KYRENIA HARBOUR, in this unique and pic quality of the Bridge, to the beauty of the NEW FOREST, with our turesque town, combining natural beauty and historic interest. regular visits to the LYNDHURST PARK, with excellent Bridge The open air cafes and restaurants that one can wander to, to facilities and a superb reputation for its food, surrounded by the unwind after an evening's Bridge, or, for those who like sea and New Forest peace and tranquility. Or, one might prefer the sand and golf, we have the "SECRET PARADISE OF GREECE" GRAND HOTEL on the English Riviera In Torquay, one that is in HALKIDIKI, or a visit to the World's greatest open air theatre, large enough to cope, but small enough to care, a regular venue the market place In MARRAKECH In the centre of MOROCCO, for Mercian Bridge, or one can wander further into the West under the towering peaks of the Great Atlas Mountains, stepping Country with Bridge on PLYMOUTH HOE. None of our British back Into a bygone century, still enjoying the modem comforts venues are cheap, but you will not find anything better. and the luxury of a Sheraton Hotel, or straying further afield to the warmth of the reception which awaits one in THAILAND. This and much more can be had through a Mercian Bridge holiday. THE ULTIMATE IN BRIDGE CRUISING A cruise, where every Mercian client has a suite, where all your port taxes, your gratuities, your Insurance, fine wines with your THE LONGSIAV WINTER SUN meals, and we provide three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and THE DON PABLO HOTEL dinner, drinks of your choice In the lounge or bar, or In your New clients never seem to be amazed at the speed In which private suite, or on the verandah of that suite, all Included In the the longstay Winter Sun holidays provided by Mercian are package provided by Mercian. Also Included, Master Points, 'snapped-up'. If you do not book on departure from the Don Pablo prizes, the services of the Mercian Bridge Team, a combination for the com1ng year, the chances are you will not get the period not surpassed by anyone - the ultimate In Bridge cruising. that you require. This is for a stay of up to eighty four nights of non-stop Brl~ge, afternoon and evening, where you can play as much or as httle Bridge for any number of nights In multiples of EL HANA HANNIBAL PALACE HOTEL seven. The Don Pablo has become a legend In Bridge holidays. Or, If a more luxurious hotel is required, we have the EL HANA N~w a SOL hotel, offering an even higher standard at affordable HANNIBAL PALACE at PORT EL KANTAOUIIn TUNISIA, where pnces, where you can be assured of a very warm welcome by the we offer a mere fifty four nights of non-stop Bridge each afternoon stall, who have got to know the Mercian Bridge dients so well and evening. An hotel set In exotic gardens, with a beautiful ov~r the yea.rs and where there Is such superb facilities, now a Marina and only a short distance from the ancient town of hohday that IS totally non-smoking. SOU SSE. Merclan clients are very welcome In this land of toler ance, where the people are so friendly and one can relax In such beautiful surround l ~gs . Again, a totally non-smoking holiday, with All our holidays, both In the United Kingdom and Overseas, a private lounge adjacent to the Bridge Room. Who else but comply with the Package Travel, Package Holidays and MERCIAN BRIDGE offer the Bridge community a choice of two Package Tours Regulations 1992, In all aspects, especially longstay Bridge holidays. the Bonding and Insurance requirements that are now placed on the organlser.
MERCIAN TRAVEL CENTRE LIMITED . 109 Wc;»rcester Ro~d, West Hagley, Worcestershire DV9 ONG Tel. (0562) 883795 (8 lines) Telex. 337945 Fax: (0562) 886944 FREEPHONE (0500) 026839 English Bridge Centenary Magazine
Editor: Ken Rowe Editorial Board Publisher: En~llsh Brld~e Union Wynford. Awllscombe, Honlton. Peter Stoclzen (chairman) Broadflelds. Blcester Road. Devon EX14 ONT Gerard Faulkner. John Williams Aylesbury. Bucks HP19 3BG Tel: 01404 43259 fax: 01404 47624 and the Editor Tel: 01296 394414 Fax: 01296 392464
Bond the Bold 5 'J · 007 and the Portland Club ', ~ The Queen's message ;:A club at home 7 : How to join the computer network ,-.The rake's progress 8 · James Whitaker tells his story Naughty Nineties 9 . The era when bridge arrived ' FEAR 10 Sherlock's passion 11 ·Cocaine was not the only vice
Gerard Faulkner, Esq., Lick your elbow 13 The Cha i J:lll&ll, i And other ways of signalling The English Bridge Un on. Birth of bridge 14 to send her sincere thanks to The game's Intriguing history I am commanded by The Queen li b Bridge Union for your mbers of the Eng s u, the Board and Me t on the occasion of the Wisdom of Kantar 15 yo 1 greetings, sen kind message of loya f Bridge in England. Some tips to help at the table f the introduction o Centenary 0 Centenary Quiz 17 t d to receive this message and Your chance to win a £100 book Her Majesty vas deligb e ceasful celebration and to you for a sue sends her best wishes M•ther 18 able Centenary year. for a.n en joy A game with a difference It's fun 19 How to help friends to learn The EBU 20 February, 1994. Past, present and future The ten books ••• 23 •••every player should read The first duplicate 24 Devious dodges 25 How fortunate they've disappeared My dream Time travellers 27 By GERARD FAULKNER The changes they would find Chainnan of the EBU in Centenary Year Omnium gatherum 28 A bridge miscellany
I JIA VE a dream that the next 100 years of bridge will see discour Broken hearts 30 tesy at the table unlmown; that bridge will be played for enjoyment, The Tollemache 100 years ago and with o sense of fun. . Philosophy of signals 32 I dream that many more millions throughout the world w11l tal ACOL BRIDGE FLIPPER cover Ran Klinger Now the most successful bridge book of the past decade has been completely revised and updated card to take account of all the changes in the game and In scoring. THE playing card £ 1.99 PB on the cover of our Centenary Magazine, and the BACHELOR BRIDGE card above, are just over 100 years old - and could have David Bird & Simon Cocheme been the cards used by the first bridge players in this coun The bridge-playing bachelor, Jack O'Hearts, searches high and low for the perfect, er... try. The cover card was produced by De Ia Rue and the card partner. A hugely entertaining book with above was brought out in 1887 by Charles Goodall to mark excellent hands - a masterpiece of bridge the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign. ., ~:..-. ..,• •, writing. Both cards belong to collector Major Donald Welsh who founded the English Playing-Card Society ten ago. tt £6.99 PB year~ now has members world-wide. Bridge players interested should contact Maj Welsh (0225 46521 8). THAT ELUSIVE EXTRA TRICK Tere nee Reese & David Bird Starting with the initial attack in card play and winding up finally with advice on pressure play, these expert authors will sharpen your perception and skills at the table with this handy book. £6.99 PB BRIDGE HOLIDAYS Hosted by David and Maureen Boston THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE Master Points • EBU Licensed AT BRIDGE Terence Reese & Roger Trezel Praised by bridge critics world-wide, this Guernsey £189.00 book is written for those who know the FEBRUARY 24TH -27TH 1995 game fairly well but make the same mistakes year after year. 3 nights including return travel from £6.99 PB GATWICK OR SOUTHAMPTON AND A HALF DAY TOUR OF THE ISLAND BRIDGE CONVENTIONS FOR YOU No single supplement Ron Klinger & Andrew Kambites PricFe ~elu d es all meals, from arrival before dinner Explains ~e logic behind the most popular on nday, to d eparture after breakfast on Monday. conventions and enables players to d 'd .th h . ec1 e 5 WI t elr partners which particular Bridge sessions begin Friday evening. conventions suit their style of play. shSato u .rday . m ornmg· 1s· f ree for you to enjoy duty-free £6.99 PB pptng 10 St.' Peter Port, with free half-day tour of the Island on Sunday morning. Overnight en suite accommodation SIGNALS AND DISCARDS FOR YOU · ~he delightful 3-star Peninsul.1 llotl'l Andrew Kambites ts Situated. on a t ranqutl. grassy pemno,uiJ. , Shows that the secret of successful bestde 111 e sweepmg· sandv ba\·., communication lies in keeping the systems as of the north west coa~l. · simple as possible. £5 .99 PB TH:6'L TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE UGH CHANNEL ISLAND TRAVEL SERVICES GOLLAI'\CZ F (ABTA 80927) Gollana In association with Peter ~wley Lesor Dicqs reservations V book d'trect Wtlh . Pemnsula. HoleI . ' a 1e , Guernsey, Channel Islands. GY6 SJP Telephone 0-181 48400 TilE h:md on tlw right, featured In Mocmmkcr, was played hy Agent 007 In 7+ doubled for £150 a hundred, £1,500 on the rubber, and a side-bet of £400 a BOND THE BOLD trick on the side. The contract made with just 8 IICP between hand and dummy, meting out a deserved punish Bond ment to the cheat Drax. t None Whether In fact this hand was ever CV None plnycd at the Portland Club, the oldest Basildon stood, 0 Q8765432 and most famous bridge club In Britain, his face very + A Q1084 Is a matter of speculation. What Is cer Drax Mayor pale, looking intent t AKQJ tain Is that the taste for gambling, as t 65432 ly across the table CV AKQJ 109872 well as the abhorrence of cheats dis· ' A~ cy at Bond. Then he 0 AK y 0 J109 played by the autltor, well reflect tltc + KJ9 M. + None ethos of the Portland Club of which Inn walked slowly t 10 9 8 7 Fleming was a member. round the table, cy 6543 "lie was a very timid player," says scrutinising all the 0 None Stuart Wheeler, current chairman of tlte hands. What he • 76532 club's Card Committee. Altltouglt this Is difficult to believe of tltc creator of saw was this (right): James nond, perhaps the shyness dis And suddenly Basildon understood. It was a lay- ' played by Fleming at his favourite down Grand Slam for Bond against any defence. bridge club wns tile consequence of being put In tltc shade by more flam· hoyant personalities. David Naylor reports how, baclt In tlte 1950s, tlte tlten chairman was being pressed to name Fleming the Timid tltc best player In tltc club. lie was far too diplomatic to put a lot of noses out Moon Street, where the club hires a ber he was so "outrageously effusive" of joint, but he agreed to naming the room from tltc Naval and Military Club. that he actually ventured to shake worst player: "That's easy," he said, "It Although females are admitted tltey are hands wltlt his partner, congratulating Is always the Duke of Marlborouglt's barred from playing at the Portland, him on winning. That wns tile end of partner!" where, until fifty years ago, only men of him: he might ns well have put his knife The 177-year long history of tile at least forty years of age and an Income In his moutlt at dinner. Portland Club has been enlivened by of no less than £10,000 a year were per These stringent rules make for an several clashes between Idiosyncratic mitted to join. These criteria must have exclusive membership which is, in any personalities. In his memoirs, Serjeant been not so much tltc result of benevo case, llmited to one hundred. Such a Oallantine recalls how Lord Lytton, a lent concern for tlte young, as the small number can but enhance tile member In tlte 1890s, had conceived a Portland's International reputation. mortal antipathy for a "very hannless by ELENA JERONIMIDIS After the Introduction of bridge to man of the name of Townsend." Lord Editor, Bridge Plus Oritnin In 1894 by one of its members, Lytton believed Mr Townsend to bring Lord Orougham, the Portland Club pub him bad luck, and would never play expression of a very lively preoccupa lished tile first Laws of Bridge in 1895 when tltat gentleman wns In the club. tion tltat members might not be able to and has had a major say in every revi· In fact, the club's very name seems to pay up. The rules for admission were slon ever since. Indeed it Is on account have originated from a dispute amongst probably wise, minimum stakes being of Its voluntary services to card players members. First founded as tl1e Stratford £10 per hundred, with goulashes and all over tltc world that the club achieved Club (a name derived from tltc Stratford side bets being the norm. Its pre-eminence: members of tltc Card Place House where It began Its meetings Even today, members arc allowed to Committee meet regularly to answer In 1816, wltlt slx dozen paclu; of cards join only If Introduced by a full member any questions put to tltem, and tltelr and ten gaJlons of oil for tltc lamps) the and only after being vetted both at the decisions on dtc Laws of Bridge have club was dissolved, reconstituted and bridge table and at one of the dinners been, and arc, accepted everywhere in renamed tltc Portland In 1825 purely to which the Portland Club holds on tltc world except In America. After tlte get rid of one objectionable member Mondays. Major Collyer, the secretary last war the committee wns enlarged to who could not otltenvlse be expelled. in 1925, was quoted as saying that one include representatives from tltc home The club, however, remained at candidate who hod dined and played a country's bridge unions. Stratford Place until 1890. rubber was generally considered to be Bridge at the Portland Club hns a In 1969 the Portland moved to Half acceptable, until at the end of tlte rub- unique feature: nJmost no conventions arc allowed, only tltc Culbertson Strong Twos and, most daringly, tile Take-out Double. This suits tlte members, who THIS year at the call the tunc. The club Is a members' Portland Club, issue club and professional bridge players are No 1 of a gold edition of not allowed to join. They are Invited to the 1895 Laws of Bridge, a few events, such as tlte "Natural ver the first published rules, sus Scientists" Match organised by was presented to the Portland member Dcmetri Marchesslnl, club chairman, and play In his annunJ Pro-Am tourna Rodney Leach (left) by ment, but tltelr regular attendance is Gerard Faulkner, retiring not deemed desirable. As one member EBU chairman. put It, "I don't mind payln' for a fellow's race-horses - but I do object to payln' his rent." CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION AND ITS MEMBERS UPON THE CENTENARY OF BRIDGE IN ENGLAND FROM: G W DEELEY. LTD Design and Build Contractors of ·commercial, Industrial, Leisure and Community projects. We are delighted to have bee 1 . Union to design and constr t nt~e. ected by the English Bridge uc eir new facilities at Aylesbury. Hewgate House 1 HEAD OFFICE Rabans LaneI Pond Wood Close William House AYLESBURY Moulton Park, ' Bucks HP19 3RT C~rrington A ven~e NORTHAMPTON VENTRY CV4 9GY Tel: 0296 81021 NN31RT Fax: 0296 25226 Tel: 0203 462521 Fax: 0203 469533 Tel: 0604 642201 Fax: 0604 492000 By Vaughan Marks AS YOU rend this sentence, a game of duplicate bridge is In progress. Surprised? Probably not, after aU bridge Is popular all O\'er the world - the Imps t KQ6 \142 chances nrc a game is being played. But DealerN what If I were to tell you that that I <> }743 Vul: None know wllcrc there Is n game, and that + QJ 102 you could be playing? What's more you t AJ 84 could be competing against players from Q Ql06 all over the world, nt any standard from ¢ A + 97653 Novice to Life Master. + ~ I have just finished playing a few hands this lunchtime. My partner was called Eric, a graduate physicist at the University of Stanford, Callfornla, and we were playing against two Taiwanese opponents- with Instant duplicate scor Ing! Detter still, It was absolutely free. In order to play you simply need access to a computer network called Internet, or a PC and modem. It all began In 1990, when a graduate computer scientist, Matthew Clegg, became separated from his regular part ner. Since they both had access to the Internet, Matthew decided to write a program which would enable them to play bridge from remote locations. The project was called OKbridge and proved to be hugely successful. Gradually, more A bridge club and more players became aware of Its existence; there are now over 5,000 users from some twenty or more coun tries, spanning five continents! A ill your home machine at the University of California, San Diego, nets as the duplicate centre one kibitzer watching, as I lead a small dered what lead was played at another for the weekly contests and you may trump. table? Information Hke this flows freely play as few, or as many, hands as you Declarer wins the lead In hand and at the OKbridge club - a more detallcd like. Scores are averaged over the num eventually ruffs two diamonds In results sheet showing the lead and ber of boards played, and you must play dummy, claiming twelve tricks when names of all four players Is readily avail at least 35 boards to qualify for the high the clubs fail to brealc The matrix at the able. Furthermore, you can request to score table. bottom right of the screen represents sec the entire play from a previous After supplying your name and pass the exact play, to the point where the table. Suppose you want to see how any word, the fascinating world of OKbridge claim was agreed. This Information Is one bid and made TV (which should go unfolds. The screen displays a list of saved automatically for each hand you off on a trump lead}: one simple com currently playing tables, which Is usual play or watch - an Invaluable aid for mand will replay tltc full auction and ly between five and twenty five. post-mortems. Imagine how useful It subsequent play, just as It happened at At the moment there are thirteen would be to have a complete record of the table! tables, wltlt a variety of skllllevels. You play In your next duplicate ... The posslbilltles for tlte keen player arc free to join any of them, either to This particular hand had already arc endless. Yesterday, I paid a visit to watch or play. There Is even a special been played at fifty-one tables. The the screen to find n pair from Britain's 'Kibitzing' mode, where you can see all results arc shown below: junior squad practising. They live too far apart to meet regularly, but the four hands. Alternatively, you can serve TABLES CONTRACT BY RESULT SCORE N·S IMPS a table of your own, and It will be full OKbrldgc club spans the gap easily. It Is within minutes - no more frustrating (1) 7H·X E -2 300 12.7 not limited to duplicate, eltltcr. At the evenings spent calling friends to organ (2) 6NT E -3 150 11.5 time of writing, a teams knockout com Ise a game! (3) 7H·X E -1 100 10.6 petition had just started, and tltcre are (4) 4S w -1 50 10.1 provisions for partnership practice, rub Let's go and join 'hyena'- that's Sam (5) 6C E -1 50 10.1 Dlnkin In Tucson, Arizona. I've man (6-7) 6H E -1 50 10.1 ber bridge and team matches. aged to pinch tlte Soutlt sent for the (8) 6NT E -1 50 10.1 You're likely to meet myriad bidding moment; Sam Is playing witlt n friend In (9-10) 7H E -1 50 10.1 systems and bridge personalities. For the UK and Nathaniel Thurston of (11) 3H E +5 200 6.7 example, the Swedish national team are (12-14) 3NT w +4 430 3.1 regular players, along wltlt many famous Berltcley Is my partner. Players are (15·19) 4H E +5 450 2.5 encouraged to be actively ethical - tltey (20-22) 3NT E +5 460 2.5 partnerships In tltc US- not to mention muy alert tlu!ir own bids, and also deliv (23·29) 4H E +6 480 2.1 several national Junior teams. As for er explanations directly to tlte opposi (30-31) 5H E +6 480 2.1 bidding methods, Acol, Standard 6H E +6 980 -6.5 tion. This helps prevent "unauthorised (32-46) American, Precision and 2/1 game force (47-48) 6H E +7 1010 -6.9 arc all favourites, whilst a plethora of Information" since partner docs not sec (49) 6H·X E +6 1210 ·9.8 the alert, question, or explanation: . (52) 7H E +7 1510 -13.0 strong club, forcing pass, and home The screen (a simplified t~CTSIOll ts grown systems arc also represented. It Six hearts making tweh•e tricks Is the s/aown alxx:c) shows the vulnerability really Is an entltuslast's paradise - but as Iove-all and the full auction, which most common result, although the usual don't take my word for It, join the club! looks like a routine cue sequence to 6f\/. range of mishaps occurred. Have you There arc two additional observers and ever seen a traveller like tltls and won- /rifonnation- Page 37 Continued on PCJI1e 37 1894? Wasn't that the middle of the 'Naughty Nineties'? ,The Prince of \\'nics drnnlt champagne from n showglrl s slipper, nnd ltcpt losing nt Dnccnrnt. They (lrst sang 'Tn-m-m-lloom-dc-ay' that year; Nanny )mew best; people knew their place; nnd surely Drlt:tln still nJlcd the wa\'cs? The aged Queen Victoria, much loved if only hcc:msc she had li\'ed so long, had reigned for nearly 60 years; people wondered if she would ever reach her Diamond Jubilee - or If she would abdicate gracefully, The Naughty Ninetles.. .when Queen lca\·ing Prince Edward to ha\'c his chance hcCorc he grew too old. But, as Gladstone said, the Prince of Wales was 'not respected'. At all events, Queen Victoria reigned, Britain ruled the Victoria stayed put for seven years more. There was one retirement though: the Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone, resigned after the waves, and the Prince of Wales drank House of Lords threw out his second Irish Home Rule Bill, his most cherished projccL Queen Victoria was enormously relic\•cd-she never liked Gladstone- and champagne from a showgirl's slipper! she bade him only the coolest and briefest of farewells hurting him deeply; after nil, he had served the nntlo~ By MARGARET HOULBROOKE without a brcalt since 1832. The people, though, filled Downing Street with bou· worlt, and were able to perfect the qucts of flowers to .~_.....,,...... ~ .. ..., • ....,,~~ pursuit of leisure. They main· show their affection ttf-Wf..,.,J.. , .,..r-. <; ,. talncd houses In town for the for the Grand Old Man GJ. London season and estates In the r country for wecltends and holi· who had dominated oc , ~ politics for so long, ~ . · tr·i days spent hunting and shoot· witl1 his great hoolted · lng, going for picnics and playing nose and glittering eye. • games. Their appetite for com· They would miss his 1\ fort was catered for bv the passionate speeches, attentions of their sc~ants; often of monstrous they welcomed the installation length, on matters of of new systems of bathroom hlgl1 politics - for he plumbing and ccntrnl heating; had never spoken down their huge cavernous kitchens to them-on the Empire, produced gratifyingly ornate tlJC Budget, Free Trade, and complex feasts. Among Home Rule and ltceping the most up-to-date diversions the Sabhatlt. They trust· were the gramophone and the cd him for his fiercely· ·. Internal combustion engine. held religious principles, As Bernard Shaw put it in his concern about the Wntfcn l')' 1898: 'What Englishman will poor, and his dcnuncia· put his mind to politics as tlon of Jingoism, .f.fiARR\~GlOM , long as he can afford to keep Socialism, Women's n motor-car?' Emancipation, and fecit· And yet 189-l was to lcssncss and frivolity of all deliver a shocldng blow to kinds. this way of life, when As he departed, 1894 William Harcourt, Liberal was greeting two new move· Chancellor of the mcnts which were to Exchequer, introduced change forever the face of Death Duties at 8%. public and political life. Auction rooms and picture gaJJerlcs were soon filling First, the Independent up with rather good family Labour Party had just been pictures, as the aristocra formed, led by two Scottish cy strove to raise the Trade Unionists, Kclr Hardie and J Ramsay Macdonald. ~~;;;;;~;;••······:~~ moneycharge. Thefor thisCommons new Working men were finding were prcpnrcd to pass this Budget tlJCir political voice. Second, : gentry, fed up with because for the last ten years they had the New Women, Jed by the roles ordained for them us the dutl· been Increasingly composed of MPs of a Millicent Fawcett, were beginning to middle-class bnckground, who now clamour for a full role In society. Their ful wife and mother. For llritnin In 1894 was still cluss-ridden and class-con· actually outnumbered the landed Inter· clothes were already modcntislng; out sclous, und the upper clusses were still est In the Lower House. The Lords went bustles and hcnvy bombazlncs, In insisting on their old style of life, e\'cn pnssed It for the snmc sort of reason; the came lighter sldrts and blouses with leg though the world in the 1890s was ccas· Queen had been handing out honours of mutton sleeves; frilly lmlckcrs were lng to sustain it. This was a society at a quite freely since the Golden Jubilee worn below, and wide-rimmed picture point of great change. and professional men and the new plu: hats above. These women were cducnt· Dut still, in the 1890s, supported by tocrntlc rich, were now installed along. ed, Independent, nnd very determined, their legions of domestic servants, side tl1c landed classes as Peers of the even tJ10ugh Queen Victoria dismissed upper clnss families were able to enjoy n Realm. their activity as a 'mad, wlclled folly'. mnn·ellous decade. Mnny did not need A lot of these women cnmc from the to undertake serious or continuous Continued on Page J6 nrlstocracy - duughters of the landed DAVE HUGGETT examines the emotion YOU know what It's like. You've just fin Ished playing down at the club or at a that makes even seasoned campal~ners congress and It's three o'clock In the morning and you can't sleep. You can't make mistakes at the table ... sleep because you just can't believe how badly you've and ace and I petulantly played off two played. It was not a case of top trumps. When the jack came down missing complicated double on my left I felt n huge change of emo squeezes or anything like tion, to relief, for tltls was n teams event that, but just being unable to and maybe nt the other table they would make the most obvious Infer not bid - or even not make - the good ences, or even falling to take grand slam in no-trumps. With a satis your nine top trlclts. fied air I played a tltlrd trump, for West The fact Is that sometimes to win, but only to give his partner a dia -a lot of the time- one's per mond ruff. Despair returned. It was only fonnancc at the bridge table when I was In the kitchen makJng tea bears scant resemblance to for the opponents that partner asked me one's actual ability. It seemed why I hadn't abandoned trumps after to me that If one could iden two rounds and simply discarded my tify tllc reasons why the mind diamonds on dummy's clubs. The full sometimes nets on its own - hand was: and as a consequence do something about It - then inevitably one's overall pcr t A64 fonn:mcc must rise. 9 None Easler said than done of course, but sons, but mainly because bridge Is an 0 K93 after trying to recreate the scene of lntcllcctunl game and nobody likes to be + A KQ1074 2 some of my more abject failures, I soon seen wanting In that department, where concluded that at each and every time a fall from grace Is an Insult to the ego. t 103 i with a se:rhla.nce of reticence and regret that I herewith It s tll entrusted A rna falllille et la aa.nque Sherlock release a corr:1 °f doc\Jineil de France. G 8 t Uncle Doctor John Watnon MD 100 years ago my rew • Exactly ed unpublished papers. 'l1lis was just ted with the enc1 os ed by was enuus i, f the civilised world 'WCre stunn Holmes before the •cogno=~~e 189~ of Monsieur Sherlock Holmes \in his the reported dca 1 ith Prof. Moriaty at the Reichenbach suspected ultimate suugg e w Falls in SWitzerland) . s been released to Westminster, the ~'hile full detail ha _ __. c:amtittee of the t firs t to the est"""""" enclosed is r c 1evan • li h Bridge Union and its uh and nex~ t o the Eng s ull Portland Cl • , ~ felt it my duty to furnish Ya.l f Y 1 1 English Bri dge Journa • f the great man. I trust my 0 with a previouslY un)alown aspect ed my choices of action. John would ha\.'e approv 1 Great UnCle, or. • ' tion regarding these reve a- Finally, to clarify my own ':.s:ic familY backgrcnmd. Dr John tions, I can cnlY provide very fter his wife. He had a sister, '-'a~~on survived childless, lono a i and r~ined there for her " ~ ·t· · hed' in Par s ~- my Great AUnt, who l.nl.s until she died in her late 90s long life, painting for enjoyment, ther pre-deceased her. I have ly daughter. my mo • in 1952. Her on for over 40 years. been the guardian of these papers Fastidience M.W. de JAques Tlaefollowing are the pertinent paragraphs of the documents accompanying the ab0t1e letter. Douglas Walmer as Holmes on BBC1V Document 1: a statement by Dr. as my servant and not my master. In January this year, 189-4, I was Watson. However, I have two other addictions I declarer playing South In a high stakes As at 1st Feb, 1894. I, Dr. John guard secretly. The first of these Is game at the Portland Club with the fol Watson MD, Indian Army retired, have chess. I am a student of this frustrating lowing hand. My bid, spades, was Intu received and accepted the following phenomenon which Is neither 'quite' an itive. Instructions from Mr. Sherlocl< Holmes. occupation nor 'only' a hobby. I spend I deem It a supreme honour to fulfil this most of my hours playing against DealerN + J 8 65 request. (My distaff relationship Is such myself, yet never satisfied that the win 'Y' 8 that I can trust, after my own demise, ner was the better me. In 1892 chance 0 KJ that Sherlock Holmes' Instructions brought me Into contact with the great + A 10765 2 regarding this centenary tome will be Dr. Emmanuel Lasker. Playing ntack, I carried out to the letter.) I am surprised countered his Ruy Lopez opening and t 1094 t 73 to be t!ntrusted before his brother forced a draw. 'V' KJ 6 'Y' 10943 Mycroft, but I sense It would not help 38. I have just discovered a new card 0 108765 ~A'~ O Q92 his pence of mind to question the game, called DRlDGE, which I think I + J8 Y + KQ43 choice. shall enjoy more than chess. It took me t AKQ2 17 minutes JS seconds to compute tlae 'Y' AQ752 Paragraphs JA and JD arc from the total possible combination of 52 cards 0 A43 Priootc diaries of Sherloch Holmes: (652,019,599,559). I ha\•e formed with + 9 JA. As a Gentleman of private means, my brother Mycroft my only serious and I have had tl1e good fortune to choose successful partnership. I feel much guilt The +J was led. The great Henry how I spend my time. My good friend regarding my clandestine association Jones was sitting East nnd on seeing and colleague Watson, to whom I have with tltls seductive game. I lied many dummy offered odds of 7/1 ngalnst me entrusted my papers, has made much of Urnes concerning my absence to my making all 1J tricks. Using a double suit the cases in which I have been Involved. good friend Watson, and to Mrs. ruff In dummy, I came to 13 tricks thus: Despite a busy 1893, when amongst otll Hudson, my trusted and loyal house keeper, which was most unsatisfactory. 1. • Ace 8. <;I Ruff low ers I helped In the cases of The 2. <;I Ace (on seeing QK drop) Musgrave Ritual, the Crooked Man, tlte I felt more guilt gambling than I did 3. <;I Ruff low 9. • Jack to Ace Green Interpreter and tl1e Naval Treaty, using my 7'!6 solution. However, I did 4.0 K lO. • K the cases have taken only a small pro feel the adrenalin Oow, much as It does 5.0 Ace 11. • Q portion of my time; tltey are usually nt the successful conclusion of a case. 6. 0 Ruff low 12. <;I Q resolved within a week. 7. + Ruff low 13. <;7 21 I feel privileged to be a lover of music Research by I wonder If there will ever be special (devastated by the recent death of nomenclature for making all thirteen EDDIE SCOTT tricks, when tltese papers arc released Tchaikovsky). I do not mind my cocaine (with apologies to A Conan Doyte) habit being revealed, as 1 know I trent It In 1994? THE DAILY TELEGRAPH PLAY BRIDGE AT HOME Tony Fomsur Packed with Invaluable tips, this step· by-step guide guide explains the basic rules of rubber bridge and will provide you with a thorough grounding in the skills needed for effective bidding and playing. STEP-BY-STEP CONSTRUCTIVE BIDDING CONVENTIONAL BIDDING Tony Sowter EXPLAINED Tony Sowter covers the four basic F"ddi~ North elements of opening, responding, In this indispensable guide to the rebidding and responder's second complexities of modem bidding, bid, and deals with such key Freddie North succinctly explains questions as part-score or game and almost 30 bidding conventions. how to explore the slam zone. STEP-BY-STEP SIGNALLING OVER YOUR SHOULDER Mark Horton Learn from the experts English International Mark Horton Tony Formta and Brian Smior explains the more popular methods Expert analysis and suggested of signalling, and in particular when to Improvements are given for the use encouraging and discouraging actions of all four players in 24 deals, signals and when best to indicate suit described as they were actually preference. played in local bridge-club drives. STEP-BY-STEP CARD PLAY THE KINGS' TALES IN SUITS Phillip and Rob~rt King Brian Senior A scintillating series of pastiches of 30 Taking the reader, step-by-step, British and American authors, The through 60 hands of progressive Kings' Tales offers hours of enjoyment difficulty, leading bridge professional spiced with shrewd Insights into ways Brian Senior poses the essential of avoiding disaster - and hopefully questions as part-score or game and triumphing - at the table. The Ideal how to explore the slam zone. Christmas gift. I '"'"" • I ...., ""'" ... £ DP1eue nuke chequesw.,... payable to Batsford ~Books ~'" El (National Giro Ale 512 9559 Gt. Brito In) Rclum 1h1s complcled onltr form IOJ!clher with 0 I wish to pay by cred1t ard: Hanerard I Vin 1 Amerian Express }OUr paymcnllu: OATSFORD 8001\S, ~BAKERS I\IEWS, LONDON WIM II)[) I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I J Expiry Date____ _ (lllOCK CArllAU) ...... ,. _., daf>out.od.....,., J "'"a~,...... ,."' orc~er. Sllbtect to ...... ·- ....._ ·, s·lgnature ___,_ ------QTY NAME ...... TITLE PRICE TOTAL CONVENTIONAL BIDDING EXPLAINED £8.99 ADDRESS ...... THE KINGS' TALES PLAY BRIDGE AT HOME £8.99 OVER YOUR SHOULDER £8.99 STEP-BY-STEP CARD PLAY IN SUITS £8.99 £8.99 STEP-BY-STEP CONSTRUCTIVE BIDDING £8.99 POSTCODE ...... STEP-BY-STEP SIGNALLING BATSFOP.O GUAAANTEE. £8.99 FAX YOUR ORDER Ol76 552854 K for any reason you are Toni Value of Books Ordered not satisfied with any book £ • CREDIT CARD HOTLINE Ol76 l27901 )'OU order direct from us. Plus Posnl Surcharge 3 . 00 rou may return It w.lhin 10 £ :':c,and your money w.11 be For Air Service please add an additional I 0~ of Book Value• Please quote reference number:4/-4S-1 ded In fun. £ Total Remittance £ IN TilE great chase for n few master points (why not mistress points?), there nrc one or two changes that would help How to win 01e and the jolly nice people I piny with. My proposals relate to the game once It has nctunlly started, not to the goings by licking on before It hegins. You all know what 1 mean by "golng.c;-on". You nnd your partner sit patiently awaiting your next your elbow pair of opponents In a competition of some kind. When they arrive, and you say "good evening", they flop down, jeans akimbo, nnd Ignore you complete ly. A brief conversation taltcs place between tltem, the gist of which Is that they had a great time at the Congress, and wasn't It good to play with tlte likes of Jeremy, Brian nnd Sally? Eventually one of them looks at you, raises an eye brow and says "Acol, I suppose?" You humbly plead guilty and, In response to your "And you?" get a high-speed "Purple Club, Grundhelm, multl-Js and Delhi Blackwood. OK?" Faced wltl1 this, one of my acquaintances, not quite suf ficiently under his breath, replied "And sucking-in of the cheeks and rolling of lng a jelly set; think what fun It would be nuts to you, too." It took some time to the eyes would mean "For heaven's sake to see some of our self-Important practi comince the Tournament Director that partner, bid again. It's not for penal tioners scratching, making faces, run he was merely rehearsing the first line ties!" At this point I can safely leave you ning about (perhaps backwards at of his song for the rugby club talent to devise your own systems. Don't worry times) and doing handstands. The pub night. Now, the nntics of your oppo about the Laws and Ethics Committee; lic would pay to watch it! Therein might nents nrc not cheating; they nrc Intend we are putting It out of world lie one solution to the shortage of funds ed to demoralise you and keep you quiet We now come to the play, which will to send our Lntematlonal representn while they monopolise the bidding. still be governed by the usual decencies tives on their travels. There are clearly counter attacks that of following suit if you cnn, and will still I hope that many readers of this arti can be mounted, but we'll save those for be conducted in silence, apart from the cle will exert pressure on the EBU hier another day. usual heavy breathing. Deviousness archy to begin nn "action bridge" league What prompted me to thlnlting was a here rarely involves dummy, unless he as soon as possible; I would cheerfully splendid anecdote In the December or she takes a peep at the opposition's pay a fiver to watch the first Congress 1993 English Bridge: hands, or sets their convention cards on run on these llnes. "What's the range of your 1NT?" - fire when things are going badly. Thus it "Variable. If we hold the cards In the left is the defending pair that have scope for hand it's 12-14, in the right It's 15-17". mischief, in particular by Indicating the ABAD NIGHT AT My suggestion is that the passage of best lend at the beginning of play and (if all sorts of iriformation by currently they are lucky) during the course of it. THE BRIDGE CLUB unacceptable (or unheard-of) means My suggestions for additional con I'mgiving up lmge -looight's my kiSt right slwuld be legalised. ventions are therefore related to signals, il's Amen to Stomen. l ~ up the l&ght. By doing tltls, any concept of unfair and, In contrast to the addenda to the The insults and miXIdles ore gMng me troOOles play would be banished; if It's legal, It bidding phase (where players must stay and I can't sleep ot night for thinkmg of doubles. rooted to the chair), I propose that, In ain't cheating. Let me tell you how it My Clllds ore oO roHen ond lime forgotten would work for botlt the bidding and the addition to the obligation to explain who's played IRI what's lnlnps,IRI w!m's gone on play. my rqrt? In the auction, the conventional bid by JOHN BARKER So il' s goodbye to Bkldwood, I'm off to the bodwood. ding systems would still apply, and I'mbidding goodbye to the deer &ttte Bridge Oub. their actions, players must lea~ tllcir silence would continue to be tl1e rule, I can't stmxl the lmsle, I can't stand the 1XJin but the conventions would now be sup· seat. 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Tel: 0327-8J0.190 The hotel where you will receive dedicated service Wolverhampton from your enquiry to your departure. As oil tournaments during 1994 were sell outs, we invite you to join us Bridge Club for this year's Christmas Tournament and also The Midlands' most friendly club to provide you with oil dotes for 1995. Celebrates the Centenary of Bridge in England - GRAND CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT 1994 after all it has been the local centre Fun four day programme tD indude: for the game for 50 years. Many prizes - Quiz Morning - Carol Singers - Dinner and Dance - Optional Visit tD Local Hunt Duplicate Bridge £250.00 per person all indusive 7:30pm Monday to Saturday Inclusive 1995 EVENTS 1:45pm Monday and Friday afternoons I Oth-12th February £92 per person all Inclusive Several non-smoking sessions 14th-16th July £92 per person all inclusive Visitors welcome - partners found even nt short noUee 29th Sept-1st October £92 per person all Inclusive 27th-29th October £92 per person all inclusive Special Events • Matches Beginners and Advanced Courses GRAND EASTER TOURNAMENT - 3 DAYS £168 per person GRAND CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT - 4 DAYS !260 per person E.n.u Local Points Tournament Director: David Boston Licensed Dar • Car Parks FOR BROCHURE AND RESERVATIONS RING Carlton Manor Hotel EASY TO FIND Geddington Road Wolverhampton Bridge Club Corby, Northants NN 18 BET 86 Tettenhall Road Wolverhampton WV1 4TF Tel: 0 1536 40 I 020 Te l: 0902 20927 Proprietor: Jane Bodin Win a £1 00 Gold replica of the 1895 bridge laws entenary Quiz Compiled by Howard Spencer I) The game of bridge, In Its present Send your entry to place during a bridge game and Ilerculc form, Is uttrlbutcd to Harold S The Editor, English Bridge, \'nndcrhilt. What was his middle name? Polrot solves It by analysing the score pad? 2} How many possible suit distribu Wynford, Awliscombe, 37) Which famous Italian team tions nrc there, ranging from a balanced Honiton, Devon EX14 ONT Included Walter AvarciH, Giorgio -t-J-3-3 to the very rare lJ-0-0-0? to arrive by November 30th. Belladonna, Eugenio Chiaradla, 3) In 189-t , Lord Brougham intro The prize will go to the first cor Massimo D'Alclio, Pietro Forquet, duced t11c game of bridge to a famous rect entry opened. The answers Benito Garozzo, Camillo Pabis-Ticci, will be in the February edition. London card club, which drew up n and Guglielmo Siniscalco? code of rules and etiquette. Which club? J8) In rubber bridge, how many 4) What does 'IIELD' on a convention points can he claimed for a hand con c:~ rd stand for? taining all aces In no trumps or all five 5) Succeeding other organisations, In German for Green Plover, is given to an trump honours In a suit contract? which year was the EBU fo unded? onloolter ut bridge? J9) ASPRO, a method of defending (,) What is the points penalty for 22) Also known as "four deal bridge" against INT openings, based on ASTRO, going three off, redoubled and vulnera and "club bridge", which form of the was devised by which famous player and hlc? game was named ufter the American author of many boolts Including The 7) What was the name of Ely city where It originated? Expert Game, and The Bridge Player's Culbertson's wife? 23) In the system of bidding known Dictionary? 8) In the maste r points ranks, what Is as CAB, what do the Initials stand for? 40) lie is chairman of the Guild of t.hc next step up from a District Master? 24) Ilow often Is the World Team Tournament Directors and writes regu 9) What Is the name of the trophy Olympiad held? larly for the EBU magazine. What is his awarded for the World Team (Open) 25) The EBU's Gold edition of t11c name? Championship? 1895 Lows of Bridge Is limited to how 41) \Vl1cn playing Chicago bridge, on 10) Which American bridge player, many copies? which of the four deals Is neither side author of boolts such as Modem Defence 26) What name Is given to the coup vulnerable? S i~na l s , and Partnership Defence In in which an unblocking ploy Is mode in 42) The Year End Congress (27-JO Bridge, devised the system of responses preparation for a squeeze? Declarer Dec, 1994) will be held in which London to no-trumps openings called Puppet plays off a master card, establishing a hotel? Staym an ·~ high card for an opponent, clearing the 43) \Vl11.1t Is the name of the trophy II) Who is the current editor of the way for an automatic squeeze. awarded for the most master points won EBU magazine? 27) In France, what Is the nume for In a year? 44) What was the name of the 12) Named after an English lord, the card that, In English Is called the French card game, the immediate pre ''ha t is the name for any hand at bridge Jucl< or I Wnt North East Wnt North East South South Jack John Motha PhylliJ JDck John Mot ~fa Phyllis lN£(12-14) 1+ Db I Pass 2+ Pass 2t l'V Pass 2<;) Dbld Pass 3+ Pass 4+ 3+ Pass 3'V Dbld 4+ Pass Pass 4+ "That's not much of n hand, John," declared Phyllls Mitchell as the dummy A heart lead didn't seem rigllt with appeared. "Two spades ls the call on Phyllis's two penalty doubles ~lttlng that." Her husband shook his head. "I over Mother's heart holding. With one was too strong for n weak take-out," he eye on my four trumps I decided to embark on n forcing defence Instead. 1 Continued on Pa~c J8 Their smiling faces tell all... when you're young and alert, learning to play bridge Is fun. Overlooking the girls at St. Margaret's School, Exeter, is Robin Giles, of the new Exeter Bridge Club, which has been running the classes. Photo: Express & Echo People of all ages learn to play bridge. If you would like to teach your How to help your friends, here's a fun way. Christine Duckworth explains: friends to learn ... ~~~ ~ HIRIOG E is a game in Its own right, comes in. Dealer announces how many dently and the game as a whole can be :tnd was actually developed in Holland. IICP he holds, followed In turn by each agreed to last for a fL'I:cd number of deals h b a simplified form of bridge which Is of the others. If the total is not 40, or until a target total score is reached. ' !ill competitive, stimulating and fun, something has gone wrong already, and hut can he quicldy learned and enjoyed. a re-count Is necessary! The partner Is it renlly bridge? You can play with four people (three at ship with the higher total wins the con No, its not bridge, but many elements a pinch}, or at the other end of the scale tract (re-deal if there are 20 IICP are the same. Suit establishment, finess you can hold duplicate mlnibridge tour apiece) and the Individual In the part es, end plays und C\'en squeezes can be ~lamcnts. It is particularly good as a nership with the higher total becomes part of the mlnlbrldge declarer's tam ily game, for adults and children of declarer (or the first to spealt If the part am10ury as he builds up his card play any a~c , so long as they can count up to ners have the same number each). expertise. The defenders can learn W' At this point, dummy goes down and about opening leads, when to play high declarer cun see the combined partner or low, slgnalllng methods nnd discard l.,ounds interesting. Tell me more. ship assets. He can usc sllillnnd Judge systems. And most Importantly, every There is no auction In minlbrldgc. So ment to decide which suit wlll be one can learn to count points, noting the good news is there arc no compll trumps, or whether to play in no-trumps how many each player has shown up ~.l! cd hidding conventions to learn. and he nnnounccs his choice. lie nlso with nnd thus deducing the high cards \\hen it comes to play, everything Is states whether he wishes to play for remaining In euch hand. Anyone learning mlnibridgc and .il mo~ t exactly us in bridge. Nearly game or part-score. Scoring Is more or building up these sltills will be well ucryone can understand the mechan Jess as In bridge - tricks In 4> or 0 being placed to take on bridge. So It's nn ideal 'l'' of card play in u few moments, so worth 20 points, 'V or + JO points, but way to stltrt teaching the game. For It they can get involved right awny In the each no-trump trielt Is worth 40 points. really Is on educational gume In the :::unc. Of course, card playing skills arc Gnmc contrncts nrc thus still JNT, 4'V or 4+, 54> or 50. Points arc earned for nil widest sense, helping to develop !magi l u~lt up over time, but that's pnrt of the notion, clcnrslghredness, analytical enJoy ment of mastering any new gumc. tricks made In c: By Alan Williams AFTER just a few months as the new EDU General Manager, I now realise that I have arrived at a very significant juncture In the development of the EBU- the point at which It is abandon Ing the Idea that It Is primarily an amateur organisation with a few paid hands at Aylesbury who help with the difflcult bits. Now it must think of Itself primarily as a professional leisure business. If this sounds a little too radical, just think about what you want from the EBU- fast, efficient, excellent and good value ser vices, all with a smile. None of these attributes come just by wishing; they arise only from a business-like approach to every thing we do. And you have only to look at the scale of transac Photo: Country Ule tions carried out by the EBU to realise that nothing short of the ents of 1 Suffordshire vicar, had dimensional puzzle, hand highest professional standards of management will adequately lily, 1-..-tngiven a treadle in 1915 by carved from wood, which has protect the members' Interests. •nal the lady of the manor, a sold all over the world. The Luckily for me, I have arrived when much of the groundwork fthe dMndent of Josiah Queen, Margaret Thatcher, for this move fonvnrd has already been carried ouL For Instance, lrtllgwood. As their contribu most of the last Labour the excellent, purpose-built HQ at Aylesbury will not only meet lire, !JOD to the wa r effort, they Cabinet, many of the present our administrative needs for the foreseeable future, but it has lyed tmeru.inl'll soldiers in hospi Conservative Cabinet, Leonard been provided In a very firtru1cially prudent way, Increasing the ·hen uls by cutting jigsaws for Bernstein, David Niven and EBU's assets without creating any ongoing liabilities. them Enid never looked bact< Stevie Wonder have all bought Perhaps the biggest challenge posed by the shift of emphasis Is Jne ~continued making pu z zl e~ Peter's puzzles. the fresh outlook required from everyone Involved In the EBU: :ll)s, I q (}~ years, including some Peter Stocken was born In the staff and officers, the counties and the clubs, and, most !rat LrGtor~ \'1 1940, in his Grandfather's Importantly, members, who must be encouraged to put their ten "He liked 10 do his jigsaws Gloucester Vicarage. He met the views fonvard in the knowledge tl1at they will be listened to with ~P'~-down ," said Peter. his wife Dinah in Dublin where Interest. the .\hera career as a publish they were students at Trinity idge ;r, school-teacher, College - Peter studying Viqour and qrowth the ~rucr, •Jrtstcr, ~ardc n e r and five English literature, Dinah read As I come from a computing background, you might e.~ect vcrc ~~l~ ~ol~ ·tro tting with the ing Law. She Is now a judge. me to be a rabid exponent of computers, but the truth Is rather :nid. ~lfllpson Organisation, Peter They played bridge together In the opposite. Having seen many disasters In my career, I have 1tcrs t'lc a full- time puzzle Dublin and reached the finals become extremely wary of Introducing computers In Ute naive tna tr. flt devised a three- of the All-Ireland Teams, being belief that they wlll cure all ills. Nevertheless, I do believe com beaten by Jack I This is a limited edition of just 100, commissioned by the EBU to mark the Centenary of Bridge. Each faithfully reproduced copy, with gold lettered cover and gold edged pages, comes in its own slip case - with a numbered certificate of authenticity bearing the owner's name. Copy No1 has been presented This volume is destined to become to the Portland a valuable collector's item and is Club who available to EBU members at £100 published these a copy. A silver edition has now first-ever rules been produced which costs only £25. for bridge To remind you of Centenary Year - ~ Th'c .. EBU' co~missioned Mayfair Pottery to :make fine bone ·china items to celebrate the centenary. Attractive 4ins mugs bear the centenary logo on one side, and the EBU logo on the other. The lOins plates are a limited edition of 500 and will each come with a certificate of authenticity. Souvenir playing cards for you ... for your friends ... or your club Presentation box of two ...... £2 .50 One doz packs ...... £13.90 Six doz packs ...... £12.90 a doz Send your orders (with cheque payable All prices on this page inc VAT and P&P to the English Bridge Union) to· EBU; Broadfields, Blcester Road, Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 3BG • The Laws of Dridge will be sent by return post Please mark the envelope 'Souvenir Offer' in the top left comer • Three weeks delivery for mugs • Five weeks delivery for plates C 22 :) ,--- ApERSONAL CHOICE r8ricl1 Setior \\ !ES 1 wns asked to write on article The ten booRs 1 t n ~tlng ten bool English Bridge MAGIC MARK May we take this opportunity to offer The PATENT PENOING English Bridge RUBBER BRIDGE SCORING• Union & ACOL BASED BIDDING GUIDE congratulations AVAILABLE ANGUA BRIDGE on the AT SCHOOLS LARGBI IPIWICHl STORES WOODBRIJGE Centenary llrtDI'IIII 1111'!· OF IIQillerl of W.H. SMITH laqnver~ £3.88 llllllatrllllctloa Bridge in England tl h'IIIIIIY .....tl .... I0264 3551111 INSTANT PLAY- WIPE AWAY ~ DEREK ANDREWS writes EN-- 1 consulted Foster's Complete We're lucky these \~e abOut the first duplicate bridge 8 in England (see facing page), 1 1119 ga nd between the pages a yellowing :Oment which purports to be notes on devious dodges me occasion made by one leading English pair. The author simply Identifies h:lllSelf as Edward and his partner as GeOrge. After explaining that only one have disappeared bOard was played at each table he that the rapid play of \lA, \IK and OQ writes: he said "Did you have four clubs?", I brought the hoped-for revoke. I secured Immediately replied "No, she had the other trick by waving my last four We were pleased to be the leading three", and when she said "Couldn't you cords vaguely at North (who had no win have played a higher card," George said E:tst-West pair, even though our ners) and claiming, leaving South (who score of 77.85% was Inferior to that "lie hadn't got one". They were had) not certain enough to do anything observed to have been satisfactorily irri of the winners (81.36%), and our thor about it. OIJAh discussion of tactics and systems tated by this. ' A triumph In defence was the George at the last table gained us an bore fruit. ccrt:~inly employment of an entirely opposite excellent top. After the opponents' \\'c hc~an well at Table One by sitting technique: we played so slowly that unpromising sequence of lNT-J NT, he until the TD asl ONE OF THE UK'S MOST ESTABLISHED AND SUCCESSFUL ORGANISERS OF QUALITY BRIDGE HOLIDAYS FEATURING LOCATIONS SIMPLY HOTELS THE BEST PRICES CHOICE OF AIRPORTS ORGANISATION ENJOYMENT TONYSOWTER EUROPEA.l"''l CHAl\IPION, P UBLISHEU AND AUTHOR . will mnkc guest npp-cnr nnccs All holidays licensed and fully bonded FOR DETAILS OF ALL OUR HOLIDAYS plcnse telephone: 0121 666 6336 Or 01268 280397 OR WRITE TO US AT: Quality Printing in Full Colour using our inhouse Scanner enables us to produce all work ~-;-----:UNDER ONE ROOF f l'~nl·plnyln)! time tmvellers nrrlvcd 1 . 'r.n~land now, hnvlng dcpnrtcd 111 J0;1 just nftcr the tum of the ccn- I1:1111 what chnnges would they cu~' . when rountcr The en ~ . c:tllcd In for n b • l ( ~cntch~'. one 0 our ~clubs? ew1 ld ed c;~~t t:;:~l~~~i~ e·MA ~ '~chc paraphernalia of convention spelling of dummy. h. -•· :JlcrtS, stop hlds nnd Utclr like Dcschapellcs' Interpretation of C1fUOt f d b I u theY would be con usc y our suit m dclcnders and assailants was passed on f111kl ngs nnd suit values. When bridge e to the early form of bridge. With the Ji~t appeared, no trumps were worth 10 players being able to chose only the suit In which to play, and, no contract as such to defend or attack, tlte bridge 1 books of the time did not include s:/:~Those r:tnklng& ~~~~::! were retain~:;ed •-aU ~ ,~elle-sy I • ~ defence as part of a player's repertoire. Ill the J:ucr version of Straight The earliest mention of defence In Bri~ nnd the early version bridge, as we know It today, was around ci.\uction Bridge, except that the value They would find 1913. ci no uumps was Increased to 12. The d 1 Perhaps the most confusing aspect most nd\·erse effect of those values was ec arer was defender, for our time travellers would be the con tract principle. In Auction, the players that, \\ith game 30 up, game could not the top suit was did not have to bid game or slam to gain IE scored in one hand in either clubs or R 1 a bonus. That appears very strange and e\'en If you won al113 triclts. sp:~des, oya Spades and almost unfair to us now, but the auction In UIC initial version of Auction, everybody played principle reigned for almost 25 years. under the official rules adopted by the • The effect was partly offset by much Ponl3nd Club in 1909, the dealer was In No-Trumps lower slam bonuses. Vulnerability was not allowed to pass, but had to open the also unheard of In Auction. bidding regardless of his strength or surprisingly, that episode lasted only Vulnerabl1lty and higher bonuses for •·eakness! Under-tricks were all scored two years (1912-1914), but without it slams were part of the new Contract at 50 points each, regardless of the spades would have remained the lowest Bridge scoring table Introduced by denomi nation, so it usually paid to play valued suit and our major and minor Harold S. Vanderbilt In 1925, although in no trumps, where there was more to suits would not have been born. the non-vulnerable ones had been pin than to lose, and this reasoning Another confusion for the time trav included in earlier versions of Contract. reached n ridiculous level, as In this ellers from the turn of the century In fact, the 500 points for small slam euract from 'The Auction Bridge Boo){', would be the calling. Nowadays, any two and the 1000 points for grand slam had 1913, b)' Captain II.S Browning: bid Is greater than any one bid, and so been suggested ln a newspaper nrtJcle, "\\ben I suggested that the dealer on. In the early form of Auction, value attributed to Sir Hugh Clayton, which ihould bid 1 no-trumps on Hearts 10xx, calling ruled: to overcall a previous dec appeared ln The Times of India on 14th Di3lllonds lOxx, Clubs xxxx, Spades laration a bid had to be of greater point July 1914. The article described a game m, they were aghast, but not one of called S.A.A.C, which he explained had "been experimented with recently In them was able to suggest a better, or lBr Peter Littlewood I one of tlte Bombay clubs and found to more protective Declaration." have considerable merits." I wonder if tl10se two tens made all value or the same value at a higher level. In order to bid clubs over, say, Three The French game of Plafond was also the difference? That logic gained a pop In existence about then and was also a uhr following, a':Jd that is why the origi Hearts (24 points) one would have to bid Six Clubs (24). Two Hearts (16) out possible front runner In setting the con nal Auction Dridge developed largely tract principle, because, as Its name 1010 bid Seven Spades (14)! a no-trump gamble. Mind you, Implies, It was based on the "plafond" or other experts decreed that a better bid .Majority calling, what we have today, emerged In America from about 1915, ceiling principle. In a letter to The Field from Weakness was One Spade a virtu on February 8th 1941, Sir IIugh Clayton ally 11nrthless contract. Con~entional which Is one of the many Instances of America taking the Initiative In pioneer tried to clarify the position: ~ lla~ also made of the bids of One "I do not know how Plafond originat Ing Innovations during that period. It ub and Two Spades. ed, but as early as In 1912 the 'contract took another 12 years before majority usage of the lower ranking feature' was Invented by four players In Increa~cd calllng was fully accepted In England. Poona, two members of the I.C.S., one ~lt.o. purely for conventional purposes, The time travellers would also be of the I..M.S. and one of the O.I.P. al~~ the inequality of the suits, cventu uzzled by any reference to defence. In Railway who called It 'S.A.A.C." after ~klt:d to pressure for ch:mge, but this bummy Whist, which preceded bridge, . Mltne time until finally came tlte their Initials." IJl(rO(j ' I I the two players opposing the dumk my th . ucuon of Royal Spades - giving Sir Hugh Clayton's article In The were regarded as the attac ers. Times of India sets the existence of the trc ~padc suit two separate ranklngs - Therclore the one playing th~ ~u~my . ~ethe r With rcducin<1 no trumps and contract principle at least as early ns tncrca · b was considered to be the e en er, 1914, and gives massive credence to his !l!ad ~•ng diamonds and clubs. That tl opposite to our modem view. claim of Its Invention relative to bridge h c 110 trumps 10 Royal spades 9, exac yl bratcd Frenchman Guillaume cans ll d' ' d' The ce e d be th In 1912. Even that was too late for our IPad~ ~ tamonds 7, clubs 6. Or mary Deschapelles, once repute to e time travellers to hnve any Inkling. ~. s ''ere retained at 2 points for pur ' best whist and chess player, wor ld s So our travellers from 90 years ago ih ·sl of defensive bidding. This was my whist: 0 wrote on d u m decisive have seen all tlte modem advance na ~ ,. follo wed by the dropping of ordi "In playing this game, r (I ments, but wlll experience some of the ra~ · ~l>ades altogether, to leave tltc suit ( vour of tlte detcnce e. drawbacks. The Intriguing question Is: Val •ng:, as they arc today altltough dte strokes arc ir Orst rounds, after which Uc~ . , , do they want to stay In 1994 or would . 11 ere still different Dumby) In t te radually Jeans to the Tllc st · tlte advantage g h old-fashioned tltey prefer to go back? 'a~ tl rangcst part of the evolution assailants." Note t e \ h.! addition of Royal Spades. Not ANN MAYHEW's compilation of things The great pianist Pndercwskl had Forcing System. "You cannot meet Duplicate Whist. Mitchell was born in another passion In his life - bridge. One machine guns with bows and arrows." Glasgow In 18S4 and emigrated to evening, an American reporter went to ~ ., America In 187S. .. ~ ., • + Interview him and was roped In to make Culbertson's team (which included up a four. At the end of the game, the his wife Josephine) was nicknamed the The Howell movement, which pro reporter aslted If Padcrcwskl had any 'String Beans'. The entire team had a duces only one winning pair, was words for his music followers. The totnl weight of S20 pounds (about nine devised by Edwin Cull Howell (1860- pianist replied: "Tell them that I made a stones per player). The average age was 1907), a journalist, of Boston, Mass. He llttlc slam doubled. That will please 32. Their play was described as mad learned Whist at Harvard and Intro them." deningly slow. One of the Americans Is duced his movement (for Duplicate ~ ., • + said to have taltcn four minutes before Whist) in 1897. Chinese leader, Dcng Xlno Ping, born muldng a bid. ~ ., ~ .. 1904, plays bridge several times a week ., .. Fourth best leads and the Rule of and is Honorary President of the The first British Bridge League Eleven are among the few legacies left of Chinese Bridge Union. Ills regular part Spring Congress was held at Eastbourne the older game of Whist. The concept ncr Is Ding Guang Gun, adviser to the In April1934. The fcc for tlte whole con was Introduced in 1742 by Edward Chinese Bridge Federation and one of gress was ten shillings (SOp) per person. Hoyle (1679-1769) In his book A Short tltc best players In Chinn. Dcng Xlao Clergy objected to Sunday play. Treatise on the Game of Whist. pub Ping was chosen as World Bridge ~ ., .. lished in 1742. Almost 200 years later, Personality of the year In 1980. The first all-Duplicate Club In Britain Hoyle's Code of Ethics and Fair Play was ~ ., .. was opened in 1934 - the Dupl1cate incorporated with hardly any change Mahatma Ghandi, tltc Indian lender, Bridge Club In London (6 Denham Into the Laws of Auction Bridge. not only played bridge, but used the Street, Piccadilly). The annual subscrip ~ ., . game to illustrate the relationship tion was ten shillings (SOp). Until then, Peter Jones lost all his. money between 'khnrma' (fate) and 'dharma' clubs had catered mainly for rubber Playing Bridge. Twas rather funny. (the actions of man), i.e. khanna is tlte players. Duplicate was viewed with FeU down dead which was a bore, hand dealt, and dharma is what the mixed feelings over here. Manning For we hadn't got a four. player does with it. Foster wrote In Bridge Magazine: "I do -Hilaire Belloc ~ ., .. not welcome unreservedly the passion ~ ., Dwight D. Eisenhower was a l ~s ,·er £200, It wns agreed that the II·•· 0 d I "Mathematicians, with few brllllant h.,t:~ncc shoul >c seen ns n donation by bridge player and writer Albert the EBU to the UBL funds. exceptions, nrc notoriously had c~rd Denjamln. players. The creative type of Inference + •• ~ ~ ~ Famous lntcmntlonnl Nlco Gardener, required In subtle strategic games llltc Blackwood: Easley.. Dlackwood (1903- Auction and Contract Is woefully lock founder of the London School of Bridge 1992) of Indianapolis, was selected lng In tile minds of average routln~ and the father of Nicola Smith, was also World Drldgc Personality of the Year in mathematicians whose thoughts spin In champion ballroom dancer, winning 1984. 3 dusty, formnlJstic grooves." - Bridge many medals for his sldll on the floor. World of America, 1930. + •• + + •• ~ Gerber: John Gerber (1906-1981) + •• + Invented his convention In 1938. In the Olh•er Cromwell banned card games. The odds against four players each The puritans called playing cards "The 1963 Dcrmudo Dowl, when he was cap holding all tltlrtccn cards In a suit ore 2 tain of the American team, he received [)c\'il's Picture Bool<". 235,197,406,895,366,368,301,559,999 The Soviet Union tried to replace the o letter accusing tl1c Italian team of to one. Such a deal was first claimed at cheating, but he refused to believe it kings, queens and jacltS of court cards a game of Whist in March 1892. ;th heroes of the revolution, but were and would not consent to screens being 11 ~ ~ used. When the Italians subsequently unable to cope with the numbers of The odds against.. any one of four won the championships, they presented smup,glcd foreign pacltS. players holding a complete suit arc their trophies to Gerber and his team In + •• ~ 158,753,389,899 to one. aclmowledgement of their sportsman English playing cards followed early + •• + ship. french and Spanish designs. The suits Now a really useless statistic: If you + •• + represent the four social divisions of add up all the letters in tlte names of the Herbert Negative: Walter Herbert men: ecclesiastics (hearts), aristocrats cards in o suit (Ace =3, King =4, Queen (1902-1975) was o member of the (spades), merchants or citizens (dia =5 etc) the answer is the same as the Austrian team which defeated monds) and peasants (clubs). Early number of cards in a pacl{: 52. Culbertson In 1937. Herbert emigrated German cards have hearts, leaves, bells + •• + to the USA and became the conductor of and acorns. Tarot cards, the earliest of "All conventions ore designed to San Diego Opera. all, have cups, swords, wands and assist moderate players and to make t.he + • • + money. game easier for them. They ore of the Lcbcnsohl: origin unknown, but the + •• ~ nature of o crutch. Yet It Is n surprising convention was first described by "Women bridge players nrc quarrel fact that those for whose benefit they George Doehm of New York, who attrib some, rash and don't concentrate. One arc created will not os a rule make the uted It, wrongly, to fellow-American Ken of the principal conceits which makes sligltt mental effort required to use them Lcbensold. women bad players is that they are con properly." - AE Manning-Foster, The ~ •• + tinually deluded that they play better Field, 1930. Precision Club: developed In 1963 by than men. It might be as well to debunk Charles Wei and Alan Truscott. Wei was this nution right now by pointing out "The losses incurred by convention born In Shanghai In 1914. The system that of the twenty foremost players in mongers in mishandling thch: conven was used successfully by the Taiwan the 1\'orld nineteen arc men." - Ely tions will more than mol{c up for any team In tl1e '67, 68, 69 Far East Culhertson. advantage they may occasionally gain." Championships, and In the '69nO + •• ~ - Lt. Col W Buller, Dally Telegraph, Dcrmuda Bowl when Wei was the non "I strongly advise all you girls (any 1931. playing captain. one from sbcteen to sixty) to invest in + •• + + •• + one or two chic bridge coatees. Barc By 1932 there were estimated to be Tartan Two Dlds were tlte brainchild h:ICk frocks arc all very well, when one 146,874 bridge systems world wide. of Ilu~h Kelsey and Tom Culbertson. is in the warm scat but when one has to + •• + + •• + lcal'c the fire ~uddenly and sit right Acol: a system devised by n group of "I always arrive at any open air under a draughty window, it Is simply lending· players including Maurice bridge party 1 am asked to, armed witlt my aluminium pacltS (of cards). These <~~kin~ for pneumonia. I have seen some Ilnrrlson-Gray, lain Macleod, Jock Marx, Terence Reese and Skid Simon. It arc just heavy enough to 'stay put', and IICrfcctly heavenly ones recently." - a little shower of rain, or on odd cup of Brid~c Magazine, 1934. was first played In 1934 In a small bridge club In Acol Street, North tea spllled over tltcm docs not upset + • • ~ London. tltcm In tltc least." - Bridge Magazine, . "Above all, never argue wltl1 a Indy; it 1934. •~ the greatest mistalw one can possibly ~ •• + Boron: Leo Baron, of Dulowayo, ~ • • + lllalw. To begin with, they are very upt Astra: the name Is derived from the to he ri~ht when they argue. Secondly, If Zimbabwe, Invented a whole system of bridge. lie was a lllgh Court Judge and names of the inventors- Allinger, Stem they happen to be wrong, aU tl1c diolcc and Rosier. tJc of Socrates and Plato would fail to was ot one time Chief Justice of the for mer IU10desla. C()Jl\'ince them. n - Ilu~h Elliot, tltc Aspro: a variation of the above, bcninA Standard, January 1929. ~ • • + Benjamin: named after Scottish Invented by Terence Reese. ~ .. ~ nc evening In carly.,.. sprlng, Ul c: 6-10 pts. b-eard heart ault tried to find the safest line to bring before the nlnctccnUt century (21 c: Slam try; how good are your trumps7 home the contracL She toyed \VIth tlte 0 had run Its dismal course, six <31"' I've had worse Idea of lending trumps, or clubs, or even men and two women, one carrying a The omniscient KJbltzcr would have another diamond. child, set out on foot from the large vil seen the following cards: Eventually, she cashed the +A. Wlten lage of Weydon-Pri6rs, home of the orig two small cards appeared, she followed Inal Caster Bridge, In Upper Wessex. ~ K4 with the queen, from hand and turned They were plainly but not ill clad, \l K8 to watch tile handsome landowner on though soon a thick hoar of dust accu 0 AJ her lefL A small club appeared In even mulated on their shoes and garments, + AQJ10952 tempo and there was no flicker of nnxi· lending a disadvantageous shabbiness to ety on the defender's face. After further their appearance. ' t AJ10975~ t 8 thought Tess decided to ruff and a chink So began one of the great tragedies of \l J 9 6 ~ \l 10 4 seemed to appear from the clouds as the nineteenth century bridge.' As they 0 10 ~~ 0 KQ97654 king fell from the West hand. plodded on In the shade of the "hedge, + K3 V + 864 That was one decision she had got silently thinking over their systems, right! But there was still work to do. ~ Q62 each had the hard, half-apathetic .. ,.., \l AQ7532 With only four trumps out, there was a expression of one who deems anything 0 832 reasonable chance that they would fall possible at the hands of Time and +7 In two rounds. On the bidding, West Chance except, perhaps, fair play. It might well have started with a singleton was a clear sign of tl1e fatal indifference ...... heart but that was no problem as she of the cosmos that tile Wessex Bridge Not ]mowing what' fate had In store would be unable to ruff the tllird round Association bad been unable to pay the the wild-eyed Heathcliff stnred at the of clubs. So Tess crossed to the ace of team's travelling expenses to Coventry lead (tlte 010) with some malevolence. trumps and came back to the king In for the Tollemache Final, in which tlleir Not only would trumps have to break J. hand. But It was East who showed out team of eight would talle on mighty 2, but clubs would also have to be estab on this trick. This was the position now: Yorkshire and six other lesser counties. lished and the ace of diamonds, a cru- ..... Being sent to Coventry was bad enough, + but witllout so much as a horse! Even \l Lady Godiva had tllat much. by NICK SMITH O J After tllree days hard walking, the + Jl0952 Wessex team arrived at the Hilton Hotel cial entry to dummy, was gone already. on tile outskirts of Coventry. Now there was only one reasonable way ~ 109 753 + - "We'll be lucky to avoid last place," to play the hand. He took three rounds groaned Tess Durbyfield wearily. of trumps and was relieved to note the 6~ ~0 6 Q9765 Yet the footsore squad trounced even split. After that there was notlling +- Y + 8 Barsetshire 20-0 in the first match. This for It but to lead n club from hand and was after .Michael Henchard, the former hope that West held the king singleton + Q \l Q75 mayor of Casterbridge, had brought In or doubleton. 0 83 an unremarkable slam. Not only did Heathcliff make all tltir "Happiness is but the occasional teen tricks but he could sit back and episode In a general drama of pain," he enjoy the defenders' "discussion" of ·- observed gloomily to his team-mates. why the lead of ace and another spade The contract was now hopeless. She But after six of tile seven matches, had been missed. could throw one diamond on the +J but Wessex were not only ahead of the field, At tile second table, tile bidding on West was able to ruff tllat and East they were a full 19VPs clear. Surely the same hand took a more tentative would get a diamond winner later. Four nothing could go wrong now? view. hearts one off. "Our damnation slumbereth not," Meanwhile Alec d'Urberville had muttered Alec d'Urbervllle darkly to his Weal North East South Jayne Tess Rocl~lu Alec been giving a passable impression of a pretty partner, Tess. "The last match Is Eyrr Durbtyfitld d'Urbervillt volcano about to erupL against Yorllshlre. They'll beat us 20-0 Pass 20(1) "Isn't it better to send back a dia and overtake us. You'll see... " 3t 4<:1 Pass Pass mond at trick four?" he snarled. As It turned out, the critical hand, Pass "I'm sure you're right ..." Tess began. dealt by the great computer In the slty, (II= Multi (weak two In a major, or various strong hands) "No, I don't think so," interrupted reached llenchard and his partner, Rochester. "I win with tile queen and Donald Farfrae first, against the explo As Tess diffidently explained Inter, return a trump. Now declarer has got sive pairing of Cathy Earnshaw and West's pre-empt had talten up too much serious entry problems whichever hand Heathcliff. bidding space and it was best to settle she chooses to win It in. She'll be for the safest-looldng game. East reduced to taking tlte club finesse and West North E.ut South Michul CAthy Dorlllld Httlllrdiff (Rochester) was on lead tltis time and that's no better than 50/50. I think the Hmchard El!rnshaw Farfrru the singleton spade was an obvious charming lady found a much better Pass ~I) selection. After tlte +A and a spade ruff, line!" 3t 5\7121 Pass 6'V<3> he switched to 0 I<. "Charming lady! You watch your AU pass Tess won nervously with the ace and step, Sir!" spluttered d'Urbervllle, his at the Tollemache too years~ ---~ ~ ==~==~~==~~=------lls·tnche twirling furiously. "1'\·c seen n•o · · 1 k 1t WIUI o long walt ~ h the Wll)' you'\'e 1>ecn 00 lng nt her." members or the We or t e orulous flncsse In clubs. Five off was -1400. A single tear rolled slowl~· down fourth table was still stex team. The "Brilliant bid, Nlcklebyl" said rcss's pure white check. the rest of the pairs h ~ nylng ~ong after Squeers. "Whatever made you think of "\\'e do ll\'c on a blighted star, don't up and this was t obestare to score bldd.lng three hearts? Did you pull out 0 'C Alec?" she whispered. hoard Most f t e very last the wrong bid?" " ;\t the tllird table, Sgt. Troy and been ~cry flo~ a t~el other boards hod "Do you mind? I've been waJting for Farmer Doldwood hod been nt each oth- that C\'en mokln; th t t;ecame apparent that sort of hand for Y.ears. That'll teach er's throats all weekend and Troy had was unlikely to bee~~ at two tables them to play the MWti. It wns fairly Jndul~cd In a little too much Jamaican Yorkshire ~;vuu enough for obvious to me that South had a weak- rum by the time the critical hand came As flat h d h two In hearts but would North know? along. At least, tltat was the only plausl- the spirits :rnJ d a~ su~eeded flat hand, No, he WIUI likely to hove similar hold- hie c.,;planatlon which could be offered ttl h d u e ow ey, the team cap- In'-" In both majors and quite a strong l3tCr. Jlcre was the bidding: ~~· r risen steadily to the point hand after you've passed. What else can w ere te was merely depressed. One he do but bid four In the other major? Wtsl North East South last lint hand and the title was surely From "South's point of view all the Farntn' Sgt Ntlly 51/olrn going home with them. Theirs WIUI the he'firts are sitting over the' AQ but Dcrm Bold wood Truy Rivers last table In play as the bidding started/ there's no reason to think four spades Is Pass :!Q(ll on the same fateful hand: / anything but natural. Even when I dou- Pus 2NJ<2l Pas! J tCl) Wat North Eut South ble four spades there's no logical reason Dble 6~ All Pass Nicholtu Jutlt Wadford .,Sut for either player to pull it. I'd say the bid m"' 5-9 points. 6-card heart suit Nidltby FIIWiey _/'S/ru«r! Brid~htwl has a 70% chance of pulling In 1400. So m: rrlay (Blue Cub style) / Pass It's mandatory. Try It and see!" Ol"' 8-9 points, two of the lop thret> hearts 20 3~ 7 But Jude was too busy coughing to / comment. He could not help thinking Troy figured that his +K3 was sure to ,..Sue Bridehead's 20 was a restricted that the concatenation of events this be sitting under dummy's AQ or AQJ ,..r MuJU showing a weak two In an unspcc- evening had produced was the scheme and \1Jlnerable to a simple finesse. How lfled major only. After a little thought, of some sinister Intelligence bent on could destiny be deflected? Why, by the rather serious-looking schoolmaster punishing hlm. He felt In his bones that leading +3, of course! on Jude's right had Intervened with the match had slipped Inexorably away. The lead had exactly the desired three hearts which was described as What point Is there In cruculaUng odds e((cct. The learned curate in the South "natural and forcing." when Atropos has placed her cold hand scat Inspected the +3 at some length "Probably Intermediate at this vul- on human affairs? and decided that even if It was a single nerablllty, I'd say." It was a close run thing but this one ton he had the entries to cope. He went Jude considered hls options. Partner board had cost 76 IMPs after cross-imp- up \\i th the ace and played three rounds clearly had a weak 2t and there was just Jng. This was enough to tum a smrul o( trumps, sighing with relief as the suit a chance that a slam was makeable. But Yorkshire victory Into the minimum split. With the ace of spades sure to be there was no way of Investigating It that was required for 20-0. The well-placed, he had two easy entries to properly. Much better to keep It simple. Tollemache Cup would be heading dummy and he could picl{ up the +K Patting himself on the back for his self- north once more. 1\ith a rufflng finesse. Confident of suc discipline, Jude contented himself with Now the recriminations started In cess, Rivers lead a spade from hand. a bid of 4t. earnest. Tess Durbeyfield kicked off by Troy could hardly believe his plan Four spades was passed round to commenting that one day she would had heen so effective. All he had to do West Nicholas Nlckleby, the young swing for her partner. Troy and was take his tA and exit with another.. . schoolmaster. Time went by and tlte Boldwood, never the easiest of partner- 13ut Nemesis had other ideas. His T.D. was hovering at his shoulder. In the ships, were close to blows. Bold wood's l'ision blurred by too many slugs of the end, wltlt obvious reluctance he dou- veins had swollen and a frenzied look deadly white spirit, Troy won with his bled. Jude looked at his hand and con- gleamed In his eye as he glimpsed a rifle ace, hut then succeeded only in pulling sldered pulllng to 5+ but there would be hanging on the wall ... out two cards simultaneously. lie tried every risk of a spade ruff. No, he would Jude, head In hands, was rambling despe rately to catch the cards before stand his ground and perhaps his part- Incoherently In between coughing fits: they hit the table but It was to no avail ner would do something If her suit was "Let tlte day perish wherein I was - they both landed face up. The ~J and sub-standard. born, and the night In which It was said, ~ K . No such thought entered Sue there Is a man child conceived," he bab- Thc kindly curate was not keen to Bridehead's mind. With a singleton club bled. take advantage. "Pick one up and lead and queen to three In support of part- A little later, after Tess and Alec had the other. No penalty!" he said. ncr's suit, there was a good cause for mysteriously disappeared up some Troy picked up the +K but declarer redoubling. But East/West might run to stairs, Ilenchard and Farfrne removed t•nuld not bring himself to go down 5+ which might be making for all she themselves to a nearby hay-loft to sort kn~w So 4t doubled became tlte final out their differences. As Boldwood dl:l•hcrately. Winning t11e tK In dummy, 1 East Jed tlte OK and Sue dis- raised the rifle to hls shoulder, Sue . he lead the + Q and debated wltll him· con~ct. 1 ed her dummy proudly. Bridehead pointed at the ceiling above wlf (and his mol{er) whether he should 0 0 p X1 think you'll enjoy this one," she her head. The oblong white ceiling, with ~ through with his original plan. In tlte d a scarlet blot In Its midst, had the end his sense of loyalty to his teom· co~de's blood froze to Ice In his veins. appearance of a gigantic ace of hearts. lllates won the dny and he ruffed the It had never crossed his mind that his The president of the Immortals had ~Q. felling the king. The OA was the artner's suit might be ltcarts. West had ended his sport with the Wessex team e~a ry he needed toget~back- to the win· ~tltched hlm up a kipper. There was and I can recount little more of what tung diamonds. +1430 to YorkBti re. nothing for It but to try to limit tlte dam- happened that fateful day to these UJ. " ~~ was a brilliant lead, my good fel·\ c. lie won tlte diamond In dummy and starred young people. Down their 0 low, he said consollngly to the red;! fd another. East won this with the can•ed names the raindrop ploughs. coated soldier. "A tragedy to pull out the 1 queen while West threw a heart. When \\'r~ng card later on." - r ~ East continued with the 90 West threw (A collection of Nick Smith's stories, Drllltant lead -my-~!" cried Bridge Literature, has been published by another heart. iloldwood. "Any ~one person would Jude might have got out for tltree or Cadogan. Ring 0865-794357 for Infor ha\'c tried nee and anotlter spade. If this four down but he too tried tlte ruffing mation). co~ts us the tournament, I'll .. .I'll .. ·" ANDREW KAMBITES untangles the complexities of signalling to your partner ou may wonder how signalling can have n philosophy. Surely Ythe greater the expertise of n The philosophy partnership, the more precise Informa tion they convey via their signalling. To some extent this Is true, hut approaches (and booby traps) to slgnalllng differ, just ns do attitudes towards bidding, with some pairs favouring a scientific stance, while oth ers prefer giving nwny ns little ns possl· hie to the enemy. of signalling There arc a number of different F======, philosophies. to another suit). Some players arc reluc ~ KJ1032 HandC Firstly, there ls the point of view that tant to give priority to uny of these sys <:;> 5 discourages any signalling. "You don't tems nnd will support their stance by 0 QJ76 need to tell me what I already lrnow" Is quoting an example llltc (B). + Q95 a theme adopted by a number of strong rubber bridge players. I don't believe 9 ~ 8764 ~ 95 Hand B + this Is a valid approach for the aspiring <:;> KQJ <::7 K <:;7 AQJ873 duplicate player, but It isn't hard to Love All 0 9852 ~.A' By Don Verrill SOLVE tlte clues, and write grid to the cross-referenced the answers across tlte num squares of the lower grid, and A B bered rows of the top grid. you will be able to read a \\'hen you have finished, the quotation from that writer. name of a writer on bridge Clues with two (or three sen 11illappear, rending down the tences) have two (or three) left-hand column. Now trans separate answers, one for fer all tlte letters from the top each sentence. Clues 1. At poker, table stakes might occasion this finite forward move (two words) m 2. Positioned to score legally (or be picked up!). Soft values in tangled nest. 3. How Baron users progress toward the next CD station? (three words). 4. 'I see why' this contract's certain. Boy holds ring between partners. No diamonds to East _.. {being averse). 0 _.. 5. Farrier safe with attitude signal (two words). _.. 6. Major organ. Military HQ worth a few points. _.. 7. Your relationship to RHO. Record negative by 1\l East. 8. Apartment lacking the second part of 6. Garbled note by North for salient part of joint. 9. It's forcing, and not necessarily clubs ... (two 12. North with a singleton (or a void?). South with words). his four gets the vapours. 10. Boss, labourer? Either way, he's in charge {two 13. Nothing phoney about the confusion of Brian words) Tudal (two words). 11. System assistants, we hear, get congratulations. The solution - Page 36 13C 3E 120 30 6A 12H 70 BG AN The t1edg6Jl\l ATT R ACTIVE Dew despite BRIDGE attempts to GOWN cUp its will\IS "CEllA" he English Bridge International Bridge League Attractive Bridge Gown Union arose, lilte regarded the EBU as "an made in good qu~lity T Eurynome, nuked from unnecessary organisation, figured crepe de chine, Chaos. which Is bound to create dis cut on long Cuhion~ble In the beginning was the cord and to fail." lines, having the entire British Bridge League, with The BBL and the National gown trimmed self picot the Nntlonnl Bridge Bridge Association Ignored edged frills and the Association In hot pursuit. the EBU and carried on as narrow belt at the higher The BBL had Its own publici before, organising existing waist line. ], s,OfJIJ s•11riti.J ty vehicle, of Auction Bridge national and International ,; t'/DIIf'iiiJI Magazine (Inter Bridge events. The Dupllcate Magazine), edited by its own Control Boord found It had president, Alfred Edye no Impact on the Internation SPECJAI. PIUCE- Manning-Foster. The NBA al scene. published tlte British Bridge Ewart Kempson, In a letter £ 5 19s. 6d. World, edited by Its lending to Bridge Magazine In 1938, light, Hubert Phillips. suggested that the BBL und More bridge associations the EDU should amalgamate. SENT ON sprang Into being, In "But why," asltcd the DDL, APPROVAL Yorkshire, the North East, "when we are the officio! the North West and the body recognised by the World Eastern Counties. Scotland Associ a tlon?" MARSHALL ~ and Wales opted for autono The EBU struggled along, my. Why not England? and Scotland and Wales SNELGROVE Vl:ltli\ nlli:ET ·AHV·Olii'OitD·ITIIZET After wide and no doubt pulled out of the control LONDON·W.l == heated discussions, the board, causing It to be dis === English Bridge Union was banded. Could the EBU sur born In May 1936. The tltrce vive now? When the lodies reolly dressed up for bridge ... northern associations and a In 1938 a saviour ond the smart stores advertised in bridge mogozines new London association sup appeared on the scene, with ported it. Its tlte avowed should be appointed chair himself witlt yet anotlter new first official aim of bring man and tltls was carried organisation, the Tourna function was ANN MAYHEW Ing pence to unanimously. ment Bridge Association. It to join forces delves into the turbulent the bridge For tltc flrst time delegates Introduced, among other with Scotland, history of the EBU world. Noel from individuol counties competitions, the Crockfords W n I e s , Mobbs, chair- attended the meeting. Cup, the Waddington Cup for Northern man of the Previously, only the eight Masters Pairs and the Ireland and the Republic of Portland Club (the Interna regional associations hod Richard Lederer Memorial Ireland to form tlte Duplicate tional arbiter of the game), been represented. Trophy (Lederer had died In Control Board to organise replaced Manning-Foster os Somehow, the EBU had 1941). International events. president of the BBL. Mobbs emerged from the conntct as It did not last long. By the The minutes of the second recognised that tlte interests the controlling body In end of 19-!6 tlte EBU was meeting of tlte council of the of bridge players and the England. running Crockfords and had EBU In June 1936 record the Portland Club alllte would be Because of the war the taken over tltc TBA's mem election of Hubert Phillips ns better served by a single next meeting was not until bers. the union's first chairman. democratic and representa June 1945. Frank England Since then tltcrc has been There Is no record of tlte flrst tive body. lie proposed a was still the chairman, but as no serious challenge to tl1c meeting. Ewart Kempson was merger of oil existing associa only three county associa EBU's position. There has voted vice chairman and tions. tions were functioning, the been friction, though. An Richard Lederer become the A series of crucial meet union had to face another enigmatic entry In the min flrst honorary secretary. Ings resulted In a complete struggle for survival. In utes of April 19-!8 records The fledglings were not transformation. Eventually a January of the following year that the chairman of the EBU hailed with enthusiasm. new DBL came Into being to the EDU had a total Individ Board reported the circum Mormlng- Foster, writing In run British International ual membership of only 829. stances which brought the Bridge Magazine, disassociat events and in March 1940, A new challenge had to be resignation of M. Ilnrrlson ed the BBL from botlt the the "First Ordinary Meeting faced. Terence Reese, already Grny as editor of Contract English Bridge Union, and of the Council of the newly one of the country's most Drhlge Journal. This was the from the Duplicate Bridge constituted English Bridge prominent players, become offlclnl EDU magazine, which Control Board. Union" was held. Again, Noel frustrated by what he saw os had begun publication In Nor did the world at large Mobbs was there. lie pro lethargy on the part of the September 19-!6 with extend o welcome. The posed that Frank England national bodies. He lnvoh•ed Maurice Harrison Grny as Its ~------~------~ If NCE upon n time In the mid-sixties, Anne and 0 Stuart Stnveley went to a hritlgc e\'ent nnd Anne came baclt 1\ith more than she bargained for _ the joh of orgnnislng Master Points for the EDU. She turned the spare bedroom of her home In Blctllow Ridge, Oxfordshire, Into an office, and with a row of shoe hexes to serve as files, she was in huslness. As the EDU grew, various part time staff- mostly young mothers. - helped her. The spare room became too small and the Sta\'clcys built an office In their back garden. Dimmic Fleming, membership secretary, retired In 1972, and Anne Staveley took on that as 1\'cll. It was the beginning of cen tralisation, but the EDU was taking Eileen Maunder at her desk, working as .•• and Eileen, at her other job - volunteering o\'cr the house and more space EBU membership seaetary ... to launder the EBU bridge tohle doths was needed. The Sta\'cleys moved to a larger house in Thame and used the ground floor as office space. When the moles came Anne needed full-time help, and knew just the right person - Eileen Maunder, a young woman who had out from the dark grown up In her own home \'illage. the EBU, though he contin which she nod Stuart had there. Staff used to phone the Anne offered her a job. ued lecturing In London. Ilis spent their holidays. It was in office to see If It was raining. Eik'Cn refused. No amount of wife became assistant secre Scotland. They bought It on Eventually, in the early persuasion had any effect. tary. Impulse, and took early 1980s, the rest of the staff She had other ambitions. "I remember Doris, the retirement. took pity on the moles, and A year later, in July 1973, first competitions secretary," The trading department everyone squeezed Into a Eileen found herself unem Eileen says. "Doris and I needed premises urgently, smaller space so that trading ployed. She thought a few went to them and said we and found them in the crypt could come In out of the weeks of worlt for the EDU just couldn't live on the of a disused chapel at the cold. They had a farewell would keep her going while salary they were paying us. other end of Thame Iligh party In the Mole Hole before she looked around. Tough, they said, so Doris Street. It was totally under leaving. ller 'few wecltS' became left." ground, with fungus on the Eileen doesn't play bridge, 21 years, and Is still going The office moved to rent walls and no natural light. though she had lessons years strong. Eileen was the EDU's ed premises above Cruilt Even In the height of sum ago. fi rst full-time employee. She shanl Continued from prctJious page appeals; It answers all members queries Editor In Chief. The tledgling on the game and supplies counties and At the next meeting a month later, years until It was replaced In turn by clubs with support and Information; It the council disassociated Itself from the runs the ever-popular !\laster Point terms used In the chnlrn1an's letters to English Dridge. scheme; it promotes the teaching of !Iarrison Gray, to which exception had Would any of those who conceived the idea of an English Dridgc Union bridge and encourages youth bridge; It llt!en taken. The secretary was directed has a trading department offering all to Inform Harrison Gray of this and to recognise their offspring now? It has grown Into a huge and complex organi kind of bridge supplies-and It produces send copies of the letter to Messrs. English Dridgc, free to members every Marx, Ramsey and Simon. Sldd Simon sation wltll 29,000 members. It owns Its own premises, newly e.."ttcnded, In two months. replaced Harrison Gray as editor, but Aylesbury. It organises many national As the year draws to Its close, the died shortly afterwards. events and two nation-wide simultane 16th chairman, Peter Stocken, takes up Contract Dridge Journal lasted until ous pairs, which attract almost 10,000 the mantle. Delng leader of an organisa 1')55. It was not replaced until 1966 players; it regulates ethics, laws and tion of 29,000 bridge players, Is an awe when The EDU Quarterly wns launched. some challenge. Harold Franklin edited It for eighteen conventions, and adjudicates on Cotllinucdfrom Ptl~Jc Nitac The lenders oC the aristocracy were losing the power to protect their own The Naughty Interests - which was sad for them, because their economic power had also been fatally eroded over the past 20 years, when free trade In food, coincid Ing with n severe farming depression, began to destroy the proCits from their Nineties CONTINUED estates that had so long supported their style o£ living. By 1894, the decline o£ their class was underway. The middle classes, on the other hand, were Increasing, flourishing and strongly entrenched. Work In trade and the proCessions paid well, and as little as £200 a yenr enabled one to employ a resident domestic. £500 would pay for a small staff or upstairs and downstairs servants, and perhaps a nanny and gov erness for the children. This was still a tightly disciplined class. Becnusc many had only recently risen In tl1c world, they stuck to rig,Id codes or behaviour and respectability. It was o£ vital importance to keep up appearances. Families observed the Sabbath - strictly disapproving of the Prince of Wales with his Sunday Dinner parties nod ra(flsh life - and they At the card table ••• the Prince of Wales (right) planned their own social lives meticu lously. They were Increasingly able to Some writers also recorded that for free trade was making food cheaper. enjoy the sports and games played by the working classes life was still nasty, And public authorities were by now their social superiors -lawn tennis, cro brutish, and often rather shorL Wll1iam cleaning their streets and prO\•Idlng quet, roller-skntJng and bicycling; while Booth's account of London, 'In Darkest pumped water, educating their children golf and cards attracted growing popu England and the Way Out' (1890) con and Inspecting their workplaces. larity. As their Income grew, so did their firmed that even this late In the century More material achievements were social and politJcnl Importance - and there was an 'Irreducible minimum' of emerging In the mltl-1890s. The motor publicity was g,Iven to the first appear around one third of tl1c city's population car was being developed simultaneously ance of bridge at the Portland Club. who were living 'at all Urnes more or less by Karl Benz and Henry Ford, and All of this was closely observed by In want', usually In debt, dragged down Marconi was on the verge of disco.vcring the writers and artists of tl1e 1890s. by lack of work and the demands of radio telegraphy. New Yorkers had Tension and misunderstanding between their large families. Their problems watched their first movie In 1890, and social classes provided a rich vein of were all too oCtcn compounded by ill cinemas were beginning to be Installed comedy and drama In this final decade ness and drink. In London. The Forth Bridge and the of the Victorian age. We sec It In Gilbert In fact the standard of living of most Manchester Ship Canal were opened; and SuUivan, In George Bernard Shaw, working families was gradually improv Deptford Power Station lit the streets of II G Wells, Thomas Hartly, George Ing. Their average wage o£ 'round about London. The zip fastener unobtrusively Glsslng and Oscar Wilde. £1 a weclt' could buy more, now that took Its place among the rows o£ hooks, buttons and ribbons. The Ctrst Promenade Concert was arranged In 1895; and W G Grace retired with 54,000 runs to his credit. entenary Acrostic 189-l lay between Queen Victoria's IBJ Golden Jubilee of 1887 and her dia Solution to the puzzle on Page 3J mond Jubilee of 1897. It cnme thus at Hidden writer: Louis Hoffmann the height o£ Brltlsh Imperialism, when Britain ruled nn Empire on which the ' The dealer names the trump suit or, If he pleases, Invites his sun never set. Despite recent setbacks partner to do so. There must not be any consultation, and the In Africa and India, nearly everyone declaration, once made, Is final. ' believed In Britain's superbly trained - describing the new game of 'bridge', in Hovte's Games Modernized. civil service, 120,000 overseas troops published 1900 and n navy of JJO ships and 92,000 sailors. Solution: 1. Umit raise 8. Flat. Tenon So, for nil Its upheavals and prob 2. Onslde. Tens 9. Fourth suit lems, this was still a successful society, 3. Up the line 1 0. Master hand driven by public enterprise and Individ 4. Icy. Son. Ode 11 . Accolades ual vitality. On the whole, It still pro claimed Its belief In the value of the arts 5. Smith peter 12. None. Steam fair play, humanity, democracy, rcliglo~ 6. Heart. Shape 13. Natural bid and freedom; even though some mlgltt 7. Over. Note thlnl' that Its vision had become per haps a little blurred In the Clnal years of Note to Clue 5: 'peter' Ls a slang word for safe (Chambers). a momentous century. Computer bridge Birth of brid~e Continucdfrom Pa!Jc 14 In many parts of France." by the game being also, If desired, Going way hack, In Charles Cotton's information played without trumps, and w!Ut all the See page seven The Complete Gamester, 1674, the very players having equal rights of proposi brief description of Whist Included: tion, such being made In the order In a Internet is a term used to describe "Whist... Is called Whist from tlte which they were seated at Ute table, silence that Is to be observed in play; the vast computer network linking which was much fairer, and afforded the they deal as before, playing four, two a many of the world's computers In non-declaring side the chance of at side, (some play at two handed, or tlucc academia, government and com times defeating the game declared by handed Whist; If three handed, always their adversaries. This naturally led to merce. It was formed in about 1980, two strive to suppress and keep down Ute rule that the declared number of the rising man ... )" incorporating many smaller networks. triclts must be tal 1 So much has THER happened Continued from Page 18 "You should have played it at trick one. in 16 years I had tltc king-ten of hearts; you should replied. "With 13 or 14 In your hand not let her make the queen." Continued from Page 20 we'd have the balance of the points." "You Jed from a king?" gasped Incredible, Isn't It? You would Mother. "We never lead from a kJng, it's Interestingly the up-front cost of scarcely believe they'd been playing terribly dangerous. I put Phyllls witll tlte playing In tournaments has not bridge for over thirty years. I led 'V2 and king, obviously; that's why I played tltc Increased at all in real terms - an aver Motlter's jack was headed by declarer's jack, to force It out." age cost per session of £1.50 In tlte mid queen. After cashing dummy's club hon After what seemed like a life sen dle 70s, rising to £8.50 In 1994, is exact ours, Mrs. Mitchell drew two rounds of tence, tl1c evening drew mercifully to a ly in line with Inflation. trumps with tltc ace and king, Mother close. Mother took tlte paclt of cards and The biggest single advance has been discarding a club. Declarer tlten led tlte spread it across the table. "Right," she In tlte area of bridge training. The EBU + Q. I ruffed wltlt the queen and a heart said, wltlt an air of excitement. Teachers' Association was already well was thrown from dummy. "Everyone draw a card." established 16 years ago, and has devel I paused to reconstruct declarer's "What on earth for?" I said. oped steadily ever since, but to the hand. So far she had shown up with "To see who wins the table prize, of training of bridge teachers has been 'VAQ ~AK and + Q- 15 of the 12-14 course," came the reply. "Just because added tlte training of TDs ::tt national, points she was meant to hold. I didn't the bridge Isn't competitive, It doesn't county and club level, coaching and have to be a genius to realise that mean we don't lllte to win something." encouraging of young players, and Mother was marked with the king of dia The other three pulled out nonde Improve Your Bridge courses run by monds, not to mention the queen. I script spot cards and I winced as I drew top-level coaches for club players. switched to a low diamond and this tltc OK. It Is interesting to discover, by com went to the queen and declarer's king! "Well done, Jack!" exclaimed paring the cost of living in 1978 to 1994, Declarer could now claim ten tricks. Mother. "You'll have to go up on tlte the extent to which the real value of It turned out, unbelievably, that this stage when they do tlte prize-giving." EBU services has Increased. had been the full deal: So, If I ever do find some breatlt-tak Tournament entry fees I've alre::tdy lng girl willing to move Into my flat, mentioned. Other services which have ~ ]10964 she'll have a pleasant surprise waiting either remained at the same price or Board 24 'V 9 7 3 (or her in the bathroom. actually gone down, ::tre Master Points DealerW 0 862 Some Illy-of-the-valley bath salts. and club affiliation fees. The cost of pro Love All + AK viding vastly improved premises, facili ties and staffing has had its greatest ~ Q82 ~ 5 Impact on membership subscriptions, 'V K1052 ~ 'V AJ4 as one would expect: here, the £1 fcc of 0 AJ53 ~~ O Q1094 1978 has gone up to £11, an Increase ln + 86 v + ]9542 real terms of 30%. Even then, it's a snip compared with the annual cost of most ~ AK73 'V Q86 activities you could mention. 0 K7 Some things have changed little, If at + Q1073 all. The democratic process remains just as It was: meetings at all levels are Identical In form, content and atmos phere (but they sometimes go on even "That wasn't very bright, Jack," longer). Our method of collecting sub declared Mother. "When you win the scriptions remaJns just as cumbersome trump queen you should come a heart as It ever was (though direct debit may to my nee. Then I can lend through put a first foot In tlte door of change). Phyllis's king of diamonds." Mainly, however, tlte game Itself Is no "That's right," agreed Mr Mitchell. different- a bit more complicated, per "Through strength and up to weakness." Dave Bird & Simon Cocheme have just haps, for the law-makers and expcn "llow was I meant to know you had published 'Bachelor Bridge' (Gollancz, players, but for tltc rest of us It's cheap the nee of hearts, Mother?" I protested. £6.99) It's lnfuriatJng and It's FUN. ' The publishers of Engllsh Bridge Directive, and to demomtrate to their Advertising: reserve the right to refuse advertise clients that they have done so. The Denny Davies, Advertisement Manager, ments from non-members or the EBU EBU will make advice available to without giving any reason. U the~ licensees and advertisers. It is not English Bridge Union, lishers refuse an advertisement from a however responsible for the perfor member of the EBU, the Editorial mance of hollday organisers.. Broadflelds, Blcester Road, Board will give Its reason(s) for doing Those booking overseas holidays Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 3BG so. The EBU seeks to exclude sbte Including air charter travel are strong ments that It rerognises lobe incorrect ly advised to ask for the name and Phone: 01296 394414 Fax: 01296 392464 or misleading. Publication does not ATOL Ucen~ number o( the operator &ignify that the EDU acrepts any lia con~ed before p;aying their bility for the performance of the depostt. An ATOL Ucence ensures advertiser. The EBU accepts no Design and artwork: Charlton Communications that refunds or travel costs will be responsibility for what is not within availa~le In the ~t that the opera Phone: 01235 769562 ltsamtrol tor f;uls. Further Information and Printed by Andover Press, St lves pic EC Package Tr.~vel Directive: It is the advice on ATOL is ;available from the responsibility of holiday organisers to Ovil Avi.ltion Authority (tel: Otn-379 Phone: 01264 355111 comply with the terms of the 7311) A BT Chargecard allows anyone in the family to make calls from literally million of phoqes and have them charged back to your home phone bill. A Phone Home BT Chargecard limits calls to one phone number only - so you can be sure younger members can phone home, but won't be able to chat away to friends. You will also be able to DIAL DlRECf from a steadily increasing number of countries back to the UK. You can already do so from France. From 3rd August 1994 BT Chargecard calls made using a Chargecard from a BT public payphone cost 5% LESS than calls made with cash or BT Phonecards. Apply for your free BT Chargecard now by calling us on Free/one 0800 800 893. BTy{ It's good to talk BT sponsor the EBU summer meeting 92/93/94 DOES KODAK REALLY DO THAT? To most people, Kodak and holiday pictures are synonymous. However, read the next few paragraphs and we'll tell you about another side of Kodak. To catch your interest, we're including one item that isn't quite true. If you can spot it, drop us a postcard and tell us what it is. In return, if you're right, we'll send you a roll of Kodak Gold film. Open your daily paper. Chances are, the system which can help them file the We've helped to locate oil below the sea pictures will have been taken on Kodak millions of documents that come into bed and stars in remote areas of the professional film. More surprising. some the company - and then find any one - universe. Our film has tra~-e/led with a of them will have been transmitted from in seconds. 1vorld land-speed record holder and would-be Olympic stars ski on our artificial the other side of the world using a Kodak When you visit the cinema, most films you digital camera. The newspaper itself snow. The Domesday Book exists on see were shot on our colour negative Kodak microfilm and the Bayeaux tapestry could 1ve// have been printed using materials (as are a high proportion of the Kodak materials. was created with the help of our recording TV programmes you watch). In addition, films - even the clothes you are 1\'earing our new digital film system enables the m;~y contain fibres spun by Kod;~k. Visit the headquarters of that newspaper creation of special effects which take you or any large organisation - and you'll as far as your Imagination will allow. probably find Kod;~k high-volume copiers We could go on for much, much longer. and printers. Copiers which can tum out Hospitals the world over use our X-ray Hopefully, we've not bored you and millions of copies in black and white or materials and blood analysis systems. We you've teamed one or h\'0 things you colour, some of which even have speed the diagnosis and treatment of didn't know ;~bout Kod:Jk. monitoring systems which can diagnose injuries by enabling the digital transmission And- did t'OU spot the and correct a problem - even before the of radiogr;~phic images. And e1-en when deliberate errorf Send us a user is aware of it/ That same organisation you merely need 01 wisdom tooth checking. card. We'd /o~-e to hear from you. may have a Kodak document management it's likely the dentist will use our product. KODAK - MORE THAN YOU EVBI EXPECTBJ lUlU: I .Thocompr<"""'it-IO&IIUK mdm>.,...tl l w..--fur~oiKad.II.Limtood.ond,.,,.,...... _ «..w wc.M _ _ _ 1. On ,._.,. thlt compdJiion ....-...... ,.. clobridge scoring. We would double here, Jack switch to the ace of hearts? It was obvi be playing with Phyllis and John .. . we like to ous to play another club." Mitchell, friends of our family since my enjoy our ~ridge ' "Don't be absurd, Jack," declared childhood. Mother. Phyllis had shown out of clubs. We were bidding the first hand when In any case you'd bid hearts, so I I noticed that Mother, as usual, was rest four-level contract ln clubs I wouldn't thought you might hold the King." John Ing her hands on the table, with her have rls),ed a psyche In the first place. MitchelJ, a retired schoolmaster, nodded cards tilted at a shallow angle lil'e an "Doubled," said Phyllis Mitchell his agreement. "You should lead your open hymn book. I motioned discreetly again. singleton heart, Jack," he said. "You get to her that she should hold her hand up. I backed out to 4+ and this time two ruffs then." "Don't be absurd, Jack," Mother replied. Mother did manage to pass. .Mrs. "Of course you should lead a single "Phyllis and John wouldn't dream of Mitchell emerged with a 4t call, which ton," exclaimed Mother. "Playing in alJ looking at my hand." became the final contract. This was the these dupllcate clubs seems to have On the second deal Phyllis Mitchell full hand: spoiled your game, Jack." stretched to four spades, finding me at I dare say you're not Interested in home with K 10 9 x x In the trump suit DealerE t 72 hearing about one idiocy after another, and an outside ace-king. I doubled, of IV 9653 Game All but I must tell you what happened to me course, and was soon writing a big 800 0 QJ94 on this hand. I was sitting West again. above the line. + 652 "llave a word with him," said the aggrieved declarer, a toll angular t 9865 t A3 DealerS t J 10 9 6 4 'V 9 73 woman. IV 4 ~ IV Al087 Love All "We don't like to double, here at the 0 53 ~~ 0 1072 0 862 + KQJ1074 Y + A983 + AK t KQJ104 + Q82 IV KQJ2 IV KlOS2 0 AK86 0 AJ53 + None + 86
Blue Team by Pietro those he does not make. ~the system is essential and these Terence Reese is the greatest player Forquet Is a collection of the best hands hs are the best place to get it. we have produced to date and a number played by the legendary Italian Blue 1 Team during the twenty years or so b· have selected one more book on of his books arc considered classics. A 111 and It is Larry Cohen's 'To Bid when they dominated European and Id~ ~ personal favourite Is 'Play These Hands World bridge. There Is n beauty In excel ~r,~ut To Ilid'. The subject of this book Wit11 Me', in which Reese, using an over lence, and to see the excellence, some : Ic law of Total Tricl On n lighter note, I have chosen n•· . 0 1nte m ational squads and have lead him to each of his decisions. •ll:r 'RJght Through The Pack' by Robert l~Im •co • me across as use ful a gul d e to Developing the right patterns of thought Darvas and Norman de Vere Hart. There far ~~Clltl ve bidding decisions. Just how is how the ability to get hand problems are excellent hands In this book and up · ou want to go in following Cohen is correct can be transferred to tltc table. each one is narrated as If by a different fro to Yo u, hut you cannot fail to benefit 'The Expert Game' Is more of a text playing card which was the hero of that ~~ a knowledge of the law. book on play and defensive techniques. 11 particular deal, each card nnrrnUng one auu r declarer play, I have chosen two Many advanced ideas, botlt technical story. You may love or hate Mollo's nc 10rs who are arguably the best of the and psychological, first saw t1te light of 11 Illdeous Hog or Blrd's Abbot, but these H~nd the old generations of writers. d in a work which I think would fea stories have a charm and nn elegance ikcTrcscnung the new generation Is t~:'c In most e.xpcrtS' top tens. There Is which you will not find elsewhere. )pp awrence witJ1 'How To Read Your plenty In it for everyone. ~ 1lilc nts Cards'. Lawrence shows you The first duplicate tournament in England WE'VE all celebrated the centenary of bridge this year, hut what is perhaps not so well known Is tluH this year Is also the 90t1J anniversary of the first dupli The great cate bridge contest In England. This sig Hallin The nificant occasion occurred In Priory, now Warwickshire, the county which hod demolished, already given the world the first lawn where the tennis court, tltc first lawn tennis club, first duplicate league football and, of course, rugby. match was The bridge contest Is reported In played Foster's Complete Bridge (London, 1906) written by on American, R F Qual