The British • • Bridge World
August 1962 •
Devilment at Deauville, by Terence Reese
International Trials- Second Half, by Albert Dormer
London and the South, by Alan Hiron
Under the Microscope, by Harold Franklin
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HIS IS ONE of a series of ANSWER. Pick a P otterton boiler for T Potterton problems in play, central heating. And enjoy every set by T erenre R eese, which will hand in blissful warmth and com appear each month. The answer fort. A Potterton is effortlessly auto will be given n•ext month. matic. For information write to Miss WEST EAST M. Meredith at 2o-30 Buckhold Road, London S.W . 18. Or phone + K J 10 6 3 + AQ5 • Q 84 ¥ AK8 her at VAN dyke 7202 • ~ 9 + KJ742 ANSWER TO PROBLEM NO. 4 + A K65 + 8 West should win with +A, discard West plays Six Spades against the ing ¥ 10, and follow with +5 from lead of the Jack of H earts. What is ·dummy. If + K is held by North the safest line of play? he may not be able to lead a trump without sacrificing a trick. FURTHER PROBLElM. How can keen This play is better than Ace and a bridge players devote all their small diamond because if a trump concentration to their game un is in fact played by the defence \Vest will want an entry to dummy distracted by chi Ills and draughts and later for a heart finesse. undisturbed by trips for fuel ? f:»otterton Boilers at the heart of efficient central h eating-oil or gas
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2 The British Bridge World
SUCCESSOR TO THE CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL: MEDIUM FOR ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION NEWS
Edited by ALBERT DORMER
VOLUME 13 August 1962 NUMBER 8
Editorial Board
BERNARD WESTALL (CHAIR MAN)
GEOFFREY L. BUTLER KENNETH KONSTAM
TERENCE REESE ALBERT DORMER
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All other correspondence. including Subscriptions, to the Publishers: Moore Batley Ltd., 35 Dover Street, London. W.J Hyde Park 3601-2
Annual Subscription 35/-
Tlte British Bridge World is published on tlw 15th of each month
Pul>ll.•h~d and printed on behalf of the proprietors Tltomas D~ La Rue & Co. Ltd. . by Moore Batley Ltd. 35 Dovrr Strert, London. W./ August, 1962
Contents Page
Editorial 5- 6
Devilment at De:auville, by Terence Reese 7-11
International Trials- Second Half, by Albert Dormer ... 13- 18
London and the South, by Alan Hiron 19-22
Repeat of July Problems ... 23
Hands of the M onth, by Ronald Crown ... 24-25
Master Points Register 26
Result of July Competition 26
Under the Micr,:>scopc, by Harold Franklin 27- 34
One Hundred Up: August Problems 35
You Say ... 36-37
One Hundred Up: Answers to July Competition 38-46
Directory of E.B.U. Clubs ... 47
Diary of Events. 48
4 Editorial
UNDER ORDERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP After some uncertainty the As world title holders Italy are British open team for Beirut will automatic defenders of the world comprise the three pairs who championship next winter and, finished 0 1r top in the trials: should they win in Beirut, Europe Barbour and Swinnerton-Dyer, will be represented by the runners Flint and Swimer, Konstam and up. This is a factor which will J. Tarlo. They will take the field encourage the British and French under the distinguished captaincy teams to exert themselves to the of Terence Reese. maximum and a keen struggle can Germany has withdrawn and be expected. the championships will therefore REINFORCEMENTS? end earlier, on 16th September. In the ladies' championship Britain will have eleven oppo there will be only six contestants: nents: Belgium, Egypt, Finland, Egypt, France, Great Britain, France, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Ireland, Lebanon and Sweden. Poland, Spain, Sweden and Swit In order to fill the timetable there zerland. will probably. be a double series EVENLY MATCHED of matches, so the ladies' pro Following a trial scheme rather gramme may be more arduous like our own, but with fewer than was expected. There are boards and a more dubious scor rumours that a third pair may ing method, France will be repre therefore be added to the team, sented by Bacherich and Ghestem, which at present consists of Mrs. Desrousseau and Theron, Stetten Juan and Miss Shanahan, Mrs. and Tintner. Durran and Mrs. Whittaker, with On the surface our players Mrs. Fleming as captain. No should have a reasonable chance announcement has so far been against a French team which does made to the Press and naturall y not include the redoubtable Ja1s there is sp((culation as to the and Trezel, who finished fifth in method by which a third pair the French trial; but no doubt might be chosen. the French think in similar terms The six ladies teams include of a British formation which lacks most of the strong countries and Reese and Schapiro. it will be a keen contest. 5 HE NEARLY MA DE JT METROPOLITAN CUP If there were .a garland for the T his is an annual summer tournarr.cnt fc..r teams of twelve player of the year it would surely rer: r<;s<;nting each of the H ome go to Dr. Roc:kfelt who, as a Counties. In the qualifying st~&Boris Schapiro's Bridge Club, St. Martin's Avenue, ranking list. Epsom.
On the tee at Demnille. Left to right:_Rees.e, L. Tarlo, de Hemricourt of Belgium, and anunidewijied ;oueur 6 Devilment at Deauville by TERENC E REESE
Tl:c invitation tournament at He referred to a hand on the Deauville, organised each year by previott5 day when he had been Baron de Nexon, is primarily a playing against n· y present ~art sJcial event. Good players arc ncr. She was West and the rationed-a circumst&nce that bidding went: assisted the British contin[ent to SOUT!-1 WEST NOR1H EAST win a good 5hare of the prizes. INT 2+ Dble. 3\? Rixi Markus wo n the Individual, No 4+ Dble. No Louis Tarlo was third, and Joel No No Tarlo fifth. Louis and I won the Four down. Now Stanley co!l1bined bridge-golf event, Rixi's looked forward to seeing how I team won the teams-of-four, and would fare. This was the ( rst in the bridge-bowling M lie. de C:eal: TemrrC:nr.nn r. nd Mme. Martin South dealer accomr lished the feat of heading Love all the feld in both departrr.ents. NOR! II So..:\'\.rLl who r lay in the I nc!i • J 10 2 vid u~ I ::.re not tourr.arr.c nt players \? KJ 64 Lt &II, so this is a h2ir-raising 0 AQ 8 contl.)st in which one has little • QJ 8 COJ~t r o l. I recount two successive W EST EAST bo:.rds from the second session. • 54 3 + A K 8 7 My rartner for the rot:r..d \? A75 2 \? 10 3 spok<.; no English, was encas•.d 0 10 4 3 0 K 9 7 2 in purrlc, and t:cr [eneral asp.et . 4 3 2 ~ K 107 rut one in rr ir: Entries (20 guilders per pair) to: Nederlandsc Bridgebond, Emmapark 9, The Hague, by 25th August Sitting West, I opened One but there was actually a way to Spade. North bid Two Clubs, beat the contract. I might have South 2NT, and North 3NT. A judged from partner's club dis spade lead ran to declarer's I 0, card that he had a similar honour and a spade was returned. I won holding in both red suits. If with the Queen, my partner dis this were the Queen, then I could carding + 3. What now? beat the hand by leading the King of diamonds. l f South held The best thing 1 could think of off, I could take my Ace of spades was a club, for on these hands it and put him in dummy, and if often pays to force declarer to South won I could put partner run his long suit before he has in with O Q for a heart lead. cleared tricks in the other suits. As I say, to win the team event When I won the next spade J was a considerable struggle. "I led a second club and we held have such a temperamental team," declarer to nine tricks. That Rixi was heard to remark during was good enough to tie the board, a period of stress. 11 .. Switclhout ~0 (j)~~ stuffy air and unpleasant smells with the elega11t new WCBLPJl1QdhrO~ AA6j FOR BETTER AIR CONDITIONS VENT-AXIA LIMITED · 60 ROCHESTER ROW • LONDON • S.W.1. TELEPHONE: VICtoria 2244 Branches at Gla~;gow, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcasl/e-upon-Tyne, Bristol 12 International Trials Second Half by ALBERT DORMER The first half of the trial had there were a few riderless horses ended with Swinnerton-Dyer and at the finish. Barbour well ahead and galloping Students of play found the strongly; so much so that one tournament a little disappointing; expected the betting market to there were not many opportunities collapse. But some shrewd opera and some of these were missed. tors advanced the theory that, as South dealer Swinnerton-Dyer had yet to meet Game all four of the five pairs who looked NORTH most impressive in the parade • 14 ring, he was likely to come back ~ A 7 3 2 to the field in the closing stages. 0 10 8 2 This notion appeared to receive • Q 8 52 support when on the resumption WEST EAST the leaders were immediately + A K 9 7 6 3 • Q 10 52 tested by Konstam and lost two- ~ K Q 6 ~ J 94 six. It was, however, their only 0 J 7 4 0 A9 6 3 setback in the whole tournament 4 10 4 16 and thereafter they strode away; SouTH had not the stewards requested + 8 that all runners be ridden out ~ 10 8 5 they would have been easing up 0 K Q 5 in the final furlong. 4 A K 9 1 4 3 Flint and Swimer were clear in At three tables West played in second place and Konstam and J. Four Spades after South had Tarlo emerged from the ruck on opened One Club. The second the winning post. It was not the round of clubs was ruffed, trumps most trouble-free tournament of were drawn and a heart went to modern times; and with some of West's King and North's Ace. the runners appearing to need the The defender should appreciate race and other partnerships dis- the danger of an endplay against playing a lack of togetherness his partner and should return a 13 diamond, but only Swinnerton most remote fastnesses. The bid Dyer did so. is now merely forcing, not based Elsewhere a heart was lobbed on any particular holding in the back and the contract ought then suit named. Tournament players to have been made. Declarer go further and say that it is not could afford 01r.e diamond loser even forcing to game and the and from his standpoint there bidding can die if partner is hope were two possibilities: the most less; but the following hand obvious, having won North's suggests that this is not universally heart return and drawn the .third accepted. heart, was to lead a small diamond With neither side vulnerable away from dummy's Ace; this West held: + AQJ3 \?AKJ8654 succeeds because- and it is not ()- + 75 and One Club was surprising on the bidding-South opened in front of him. The holds both diamond honours and correct sequence must surely be must either lead back to the split this: tenace or give aL ruff and discard. SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST Both declarers chose instead to Swimer Frank- Flint Rod- play Ace and another diamond, a lin rigue manoeuvre which wins if North I+ 2+ No 2() has ()Kx or ()Qx (if South had No 2\? No 3\? these holdings he could unblock). No 4\? No No When Harrison-Gray and Schap No iro played Pridlay and Truscott, East held: + 92 \?Ql09 ()QJlO Priday's One Club opening was 863 + 86, and Four Hearts was a overcalled witlh Two Spades; spread. Take away East's useful North passed and East raised to hearts and he bids Three Dia Four Spades. When declarer had monds on the second round and to make his decision in the play, passes his partner's rebid of Three North had already shown five Hearts. Konstam and J. Tarlo points and was marked with + Q. also reached game by means of So it was swrprising that the an overcall of Two Clubs. declarer elected to play him for a Other West players evidently diamond honour as well. considered the hand too weak for In the old d:ays an immediate Two Clubs and preferred to enter overcall in the: opponents' suit with a takeout double. After showed no losers in that suit, but East's diamond response it was this idea is demode except in the difficult to show power without 14 committing the partnership to extract North's quick entry. This garr.e and two pairs languished in is not a good plan, for it endangers a part score. an easy contract if North has There was an interesting 3NT + Kxx ; and on other normal which could not reasonably be distributions the defenders may made against correct defence. still pin declarer in dummy and W EST EAST compel him to lose two spade + 10 8 3 + A J 9 2 tricks. At tills table the cont1 act ~ AK7 ~ 93 eventually failed by three tricks. O KQ872 O J Swimer and Priday followed + 85 + AQJ973 the better course of winning the The bidding was generally on heart and finessing clubs. When these lines : this held they switched to the SOUTH W EST NORTH EAST Jack of diamonds aod needed Hiron Swimer Franses Flint only three-two clubs for success. No No ,. Suppose the defenders take the diamond and continue hearts, as No 10 I ~ ,. No 2NT No 3NT they did in practice: declarer is in No No No his hand and can cash one dia mond and finesse clubs again; The 5 of hearts was led to even if South has + K all the time South's I 0 and, since the declarer the declarer still has nine tricks. proposed to play on clubs, at some If, on the other hand, the de a bles he ducked the opening fenders duck the Jack of diamonds lead; the idea being to exhaust the declarer can afford to continue South's hearts so that he would be clubs from dummy. unable to clear the suit if he came in with + K. Actually the duck is As it happened the full deal was unlikely to advance declarer's as follows and neither Swimer nor cause, because if South won a Priday could overcome the bad club trick and had no more hearts club break: it would be open to the defenders (See next page) to take OA, put dummy on lead Dick Preston, who took full and wait for two tricks in spades. advantage of defensive assistance, Having won the second heart was the only player to bring home one declarer played a diamond, the contract. He won the second reckoning that he could afford to heart, finessed clubs and played lose a club trick to South if first the Jack of diamonds. North he could either steal a trick or ducked and the Ace of clubs came 15 West dealer WEST EAST Game all + K9 • J 7 NORTH ~- ~AK974 + 5 09765432 OAKQ ~Q86542 + QJ 6 2 + A 105 0 ·A 10 + Kl064 Twice the opening bid was an WEST EAST Acol Two Hearts. You cannot • 10 8 3 + A J 9 2 blame West for responding 2NT, ~AK 7 ~ 9 3 and East's raise to 3NT was OKQ872 O J automatic. Spades were led and + 85 + AQ J 973 the contract then depended only SOUTH on the King of clubs being well + KQ764 placed, which it was. ~ J 10 096543 Six Diamonds is a much more + 2 . secure contract than 3NT. It is made with no spade lead, or by means of four-four hearts or the next. Preston now read North as club finesse. One must therefore 1-6-2-4 and led a small spade look for a flaw in the bidding and from the table. South won with I think it lies in East's choice of the Queen and returned the King. opening bid. The sequence: Two The Ace won and the next trick of a suit-2NT-3NT contains was taken by Preston's + I 0. too much guesswork and should Now came a srnall diamond to be avoided where possible. l n the bare Ace amd the declarer this instance a 2NT opening is made three diamonds and two much to be preferred. tricks in each of the other suits. After the fi rst spade the de Crown and Truscott opened fenders should have taken the 2NT and their respective partners, Ace of diamond s and continued Collings and Priday, leaped to · with King and another club. Six Diamonds. No purist would Declarer is on thte table and must ratify this bid, which could be concede a fifth trick in spades. down in trump losers alone. As The following deal was played it happens East has the sort of in 3NT and Five, Six and Seven hand on which, after a normal Diamonds. The: routes used in response of Four or Five Dia scaling these heights are worth monds, he would not stop short examining. of Six. 16 Crown, who in his partnership East dealer with Collings is seldom haunted Nonh-South vulnerable by the fear that something may NORTH have been left unbid, passed Six + K9 Diamonds. Truscott, less inured ':}A J 6 to holding AKQ of a suit which 0 6 3 2 is introduced at the level of Six, + 97643 raised to Seven. Gray found the W EST EAST right lead and the misadventure + AQ5 • J 10 8 7 4 3 cost heavily in terms of victory 'V 10 8 4 2 'V Q 9 3 points. OA JI08 05 • J 10 8 When the last session began + 52 Swinnerton-Dyer was sure of a SOUTH place in the sun and Flint was • 62 odds on. Four pairs had hopes \:} K 7 5 of the remaining position and the OKQ974 following hand exerted a decisive + AKQ influence. The bidding at four On East's natural lead of a tables had gone:- spade the declarer has eight tricks SouTH NoRTH but is bound to try the heart 10 lNT finesse for the contract and go 2NT 3NT down three. The two doubled No declarers made nine tricks after a West held: + AQ5 \:}I 0842 diamond opening and a spade 0 AJ I 08 + 52 and his problem switch. The board was the more was whether to double; pot only influential because of the special to promote a diamond lead but scoring method and because because it rather looked that the Swimer was playing against Kon contract would fail in any case. stam and J. Tarlo. Against the double was the argu Reflecting on the trials, it is no ment that the enemy might have use denying that the · first and the clubs sewn up, and that if fourth pairs did far better than partner had a decent major suit one anticipated. Barbour is only to lead it could be best to let him 23 and has obvious promise but do so. neither he nor Fraoses had pre Two players doubled- Swimer viously been numbered in the and Truscott- and the full deal leading ranks. But it would be turned out to be:- wrong to conclude that the general 17 scheme of the trials is unsound; board and to match point each they were the same last year and I pair's score against this datum. heard no complaints then. The At one table a misboarding re main trial consisted of nearly sulted in a hand being played with four times as m.any boards as the the wrong dealer and vulnerability, Masters Pairs and it ought to be and the bidding was materially a fair test. There may be private affected. The pair who had done doubts about the scoring formula well wanted an adjusted score but so far as I know no one has based on their result, while their rationalised them. opponents wanted the board to The final table was:- be cancelled at this table. There V.P. were ex parte moves from pairs Barbour and Swinnerton- at other tables who saw that their Dyer 52 own victory points could be Flint and Swi:mer 44 affected. Protests winged back Konstam and J. Tarlo 39 and forth. Franses and Biron 37 In an ordinary pairs or match Priday and Truscott 36 the solution would have been Franklin and Rodrigue 35 simple but here the scoring method Preston and Rockfelt 32 was inimical to traditional rem Gray and Schapiro 30 edies. It came out, surprisingly, Gardener and L. Tarlo 29t that there was no provision for Collings and Crown 25 appeal against the tournament If the result :is unexpected the director's decision and for a time probable reason is that there were Geoff. Connell must have felt too many unfamiliar partnerships; alone in the world. In future apart from Flint- Swimer and there should be legislation. Priday-Truscott the senior players Considering the general ponder had all formed ad hoc pairings. ousness of the trials, the attitude There is, I know, a school which to substitutes is far too cavalier. holds that an ounce of common It seems they are alJowed to play sense is worth any amount of up to one quarter of the boards bidding theory, but I wonder..... in the whole tournament; highly One or two small things need illogical when one player's de consideration. The method of cision on one board can affect the scoring, it will be remembered, is position of other pairs in the final to take as a datum the average table. I counted that at least 140 of the three middle scores on a boards were played by substitutes. J8 London and the South by ALAN HIRON The Dorin Cup West dealer This popular annual event, run East-West game to raise funds for the Banstead NORTH Place Rehabilitation Centre, was + A64 well won by a Surrey pair, A. R. ~ A63 Hodges and W. D. Lowe, from OAK 7 the London combinations of + AK65 Nunes and Crown, Priday and WEST EAST Fox, and Mrs. Gatti and Lederer. • 10 9 7 53 The proceedings were capably + K ~ J 10 8 7 52 ~Q4 run by Dudley Freshwater, the Q 106 8 53 2 hands were colourful, everyone 0 0 • 9 8 7 • 32 seemed to enjoy themselves and over £70 was raised for the cause. SOUTH I bad the privilege of perform • QJ 8 2 ing with our editor, with interest ~ K9 ing but slightly mixed results. 0 J 9 4 Our preliminaries were short and, • Q J 10 4 I feel, a model for those pairs SOUTH NORTH who haggle interminably about .2. unlikely conventions. 2NT 3NT 6NT No " Old-fashioned Baron ?" I sug gested hopefully. South's decision to play in no "No," said he firmly, "Acol trumps, while reasonable at pairs according to the book." scoring, would be questionable in I presumed he was referring to a teams-of-four match where, The Acol System Today but later instead of the jump to 6NT, a bid I decided that he must have been of Four Clubs should be preferred. alluding to the yet unpublished The partnership could then search work Dormer Bids Two Clubs, for a four-four fit which might for that was what he kept doing. well produce an extra trick, and This was the first of a number of could always sign off in 4NT. A big hands:- point worth noting is that, in a 19 sequence of this type, a bid of South dealer a new suit by North over South's East-West vulnerable Four Clubs should be taken as NORTH showing a suit, rather than as a + KQ873 cue bid agreeing clubs. North IVA KJ5 has opened Two Clubs and con O KQ trols have already been implied; + A 10 if desired a club fit can best be WEST EAST shown with a simple raise, sug • 94 • 6 52 gesting slam interest. IV 10642 IV Q 9 0 9 7 6 2 0 8 53 Against 6NT West led IVJ and + QJ943 an inspection or dummy made it + K 7 5 plain that J should have tried SouTH Four Clubs as suggested above. + AJ 10 The South hand could take a IV 81 3 heart ruff in a dub contract and 0 A J 10 4 Six Clubs would depend on little + 8 6 2 more than the spade suit playing One Spade, Two Spades and for three tricks; 6NT on the other 2NT were opened at different hand required the spades to tables but my partner tried Two behave, plus eilther a doubleton Clubs and the full auction was: Queen of diam•:>nds or a some SouTH NoRTH what remote s.queeze position. No 2+ As it happened, not only did the 30 3. spade suit march miraculously to 4+ 4NT (a) yield four tricks but West held 5NT 61V (b) the right red cards for the squeeze 6+ (c) No to operate and thirteen tricks (a) Culbertson Four-Five No rolled in. Trump. Other Norths had preferred to (b) The Baron grand slam try open with 2NT a nd their partners (a bid of Six in the suit below the had not been tempted to do more agreed trump suit asks partner to than raise to Three; but with six bid the grand slam if his trumps hard honour-tricks 1 think Two are better than they migbt be). lt Clubs was the better choice. seems at first that North is over On the next hand Dormer, still bidding outrageously, but if South sitting North, !had a yet wider has the material for a response of choice of opening bids. Seven Spades the contract cannot 20 be worse than the heart finesse H ubert Phillips Bowl, Final and may well be very much better. Mrs. Markus (Franklin, Priday, (c) Not realising that we were Rockfelt, Schapiro and Wolach) playing the Baron gadget and not beat Miss Shanahan (Harrison being impressed with my hearts. Gray, R. and J. Sharples) by In Six Spades, after the lead of . I ,620 points in a match of swaying + Q, there were twelve top tricks fortunes. The losers went into and a free finesse for the over an early lead which after ten trick. But a player worth his salt boards had been jacked up to looks for something better, par nearly 2,000 points, materially ticularly when his rivals may be assisted by this number:- in 6NT, and my partner fearlessly South dealer decided to turn the screw to the Game all utmost. He won with the Ace of NORTH clubs and ran all the trumps • 8 7 4 before cashing the diamonds and Room J : Room 2: SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST Wolach Miss Mrs. J. Sharpl.s /Iarrison.. R. Sharplts Sha11aha11 Markus Gray Priday S chapiro No No No No 30 4 0 No 4NT 30 D ble. No 3 ~ No 50 No 6+ No 4~ No No No 60 No 6~ No No No No + Sled. JO tricks. 100 toN-S. OA led. 10 tricks. 420 to E-W. Room 1. There is a school which reckons that, after an enemy Three opening, two-suited hands are best shown by a bid of the enemy suit and th ree-sui ted hands by a conventional takeout request, such as the Lower Minor. On that basis Miss Shanahan's Four Diamond bid was well chosen but East, if he reads her for a two-suited hand, should I think respond Four Hearts rather than Five Clubs. And, a1lthough the partnership was already out of its depth by this time, he should have inferred from the Five Diamond bid that West had little interest in the club suit. Room 2. In this room East and West were playing Double for a takeout but I would still be very nervous of doubling on such a distributional hand as Priday's; if partner passes fo:r penalties the outcome is quite likely to be disastrous. Schapiro chose vvell in bidding Three Hearts but h.ad he bid 3NT or Four Clubs instead Priday would doubtless have continued with Four Diamonds, insisting on a major-suit contract. 24 by Ronald Crown Middlesex v. Essex East dealer Both sides vulnerable + AKQ 10 ~ 9 7 54 0 10 7 52 + 7 • J 8 7 6 • 9 53 ~K2 ~Q6 OAKJ86 0 Q 3 + 54 + KQJ986 • 4 2 ~A J 10 8 3 0 94 + A 10 3 2 Middlesex N-S Essex N-S SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST J. Sharplts R . S harplt s Burtt Harrison· Bowmtm Bntcht/or Parsli/Je Gray Rose I + No I I\? 20 41\? No I I\? Dble. 41\? s+ No Dble. No No No No Dble. No No No 50 Dble. No O A led. JO tricks. 790 toN-S. No No 1\?4 led. 7 tricks. 1,100 toN-S. SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SoUTH WEST NORTH E AST Swinnl!rton- Miss BurroKrs Grant Dytr Jones Shanalra11 Romain Sm~rdon Mlsi Bishop J+ I + II\? J + 31\? No No 10 No 2+ No Dble. No 3+ No 2NT No No No No No No 1\?4 led. 5 tricks. 400 toN-S. +A led. 6 tricks. 200 toN-S. This was a twelve-a-side match in the qualifying round of the Metropolitan Cup. (At the remaining two tables the results cancelled out- 200 to N-S in each case.) The players complained of a " death-trap" but a study of the auctions shows that losses were invariably due to bidding without the qualifications. Jn a cautious school the deal might have been thrown in all round the room. 25 E.B.U. 1Master Points Register Master Points Secretary: F. 0. Bingham, 48 Lordship Park, London, N.l6 PROMOTIONS To "One Star" Master : J. Kennedy (Warwickshire); D. H. Seddon (Kent); A. E. Wardman (Berks. and Bucks.). To Master: Mrs. JR . C. Barrow (Berks. and Bucks.); D. V. Booker (Oxfordshire); J. Cansino (M iddles•ex); B. Goldenfield (North-Western); Miss D. Haslam (Southern Counties); G. G. Hill (Yorkshire); F. C. Hobden (Surrey); Mrs. H. S. H ommers (Staffordshire); G. H. Jackson (Kent); Mrs. M. Krauth (Surrey); D. J. Lockyer (Gioucestershire); Mrs. J. Milligan (Northern Ireland); J. W. Tait (Middlesex); J. E. Taylor (Hertfordshire). LEADING SCORES · Life Masters: R. Sharples (701); J. Sharples (700); M. H arrison-Gray (680); Mrs. P. Gordon (565); A. Rose (499); B. Schapiro (499); J. Nunes (480); Dr. M. Rockfelt (471); E. J. Spurway (453); Mrs. R. Markus (438); P. F. Spurway (418); S. Booker (416); D. C. R imington (401); M. Wolach (398); R. A. Priday (391); Dr. S. Lee (379)~ J. Hochwald (376); M. J. Flint (370); Mrs. A. L. Fleming (368); L. Tarlo (364); R. Swimer (358); C. Rodrigue (357); A. Finlay (355); I. Manning (353); Mrs. M. Old1royd (353); Miss D. Shanahan (346); F. North (335); J. T. Reese (324); F. Farrington (323); A. F. Truscott (323); G. Griffiths (315); B. H . Franks (314); J. Lazarus (307); K. W. Konstam (306). RESULT OF JULY COMPETITION This was a high--scoring month with the lead problem claiming most victims. Many solvers who chose a club lead selected the ten, which is inferior to a small card. The ten may cost a trick if North has a singleton or doubleton honour. Congratulations to Mr. Reitsema and Mr. Salvadores on their win. Home solvers had better look to their laurels. In recent months some of the valuable prize money has found its way to Denmark, Sweden, H olland, Spain, U.S.A. and the Middle East. Winners, equal: Max. 100 K. T. REJTSEMA, Tuinbouwstr. 6A, Groningen, Holland 91 J. M. SALVADORF.S, M. Pedrayes 9, Oviedo, Spain 91 Third: J. HIBBERT, 15 Camellia Place, Twickenham, Middx. 89 Other leading scores: J. E. TAYLOR, 88; J. MASH, 87; J. D. SoLOMON and J. T. CHAPMAN, 86; J. E. GORDON, J. K. PATES, R. M. SHEEHAN and P. VAN WEEREN, 85; R. A. MACLEOD, antd J. K. KRoez, 84; I. G. SMtTH, 83. J une Competition A score of 92 was recorded by Jeff Rubens of New York in an entry which was too late for inclusion in the last issue. He has been credited with his prize money without affecting the other winners. Another good score was recorded by S. H. Stephens, U.S.A., with 80. 26 Under the Microscope bv HAROLD FRANKLIN British teams have been at so tion was not an impressive one. much of a disadvantage in the East neither gave a picture of his slam department in international hand nor provided his partner competition as to justify the with the space to describe his own closest study of our leading per more fully. A simple bid of formers at work. With no further Three Hearts over Three Dia introduction therefore I propose monds permits a more natural to put under the microscope all development: West bids Four the slam hands from the Gold Cup Diamonds and East, having estab final in which M. Harrison-Gray lished that no Ace is missing, defeated P. F. Spurway and to see knows that grand slam prospects what lessons, if any, can be are likely to depend on no more extracted. than his partner holding KQ of Board 1 set the match alight hearts. when East-West were dealt the At the other table the brothers following hands : Sharples conducted an auction which was more informative but South dealer less effective: Love all WEST EAST WEST EAST + AJ + KQ53 I~ 2+ 4NT ~Q10753 ~ AJ86 30 O KQ1087 OA4 50 5NT . 9 . A65 7~ No The Bridgearama audience Once again it appears that heard Richardson and Griffiths East might have been well advised bid as follows: to bid no more than Three Hearts WEST EAST over Three Diamonds. West's 1~ 3. final decision raised an interesting 30 4NT point. The bid of 5NT was con 50 6~ ventional, showing three Aces No and a King. Apparently the bid Since the heart finesse was should only be made when the wrong this proved to be the King is a vital one, and in West's optimum contract, but the auc- view East was likely to make the 27 bid only if the King was in one North was dealer and both sides of his suits. were vulnerable. A possible sequence, assuming the use of Blackwood:- East's first problem is the WEST EAST choice of opening bid. Nothing is ideal but, because would not I ~ 2. J 30 3~ know how to face the problems of 40 4NT the subsequent auction after an 50 6+ opening bid of One, my own 6CV No choice would be Two Clubs. East's bid of Six Clubs, in Griffiths, who was faced with the accordance with modern practice, problem, preferred One Heart: invites partner to bid the grand South bid Four Spades, and after slam if his trumps are better than two passes the ball was back in already advertised. With KQxxx his court. He could do no better he would cert21inly do so- and, than double and West kept his equally certain'ly, on the above head well by passing, for a large auction he woulld be able to judge number of hearts would have been that CVK was missing. fatal. After a heart lead the declarer was able to escape for * * * one down. Even away from the table there is no easy solution to the next The Sharples brothers almost one:- scaled the pinnacle. J. Sharples NORTH opened 2NT and South, Need • 53 ham, bid only Three Spades. ~A8 754 West bid Four Clubs, a surprising 0 9 8 53 venture with only three high card + 9 5 points, and East even more sur WEST EAST prisingly bid a simple Five Clubs . • 10 9 7 .A One might have thought, from CVQ963 CV K J 10 2 East's seat, that partner was 0- 0 K J 10 6 unlikely to hold less than an Ace + J 10 8 4 3 2 + AKQ6 and a Queen, which should be SOU TI-l enough for Six Clubs. Of course, . KQJ8642 a heart lead defeats the quite ~ excellent slam, but in practice O AQ742 twelve tricks were made after a + 7 spade lead. 28 Even the Roman system would To avoid the next trap would not necessarily find the right need very subtle machinery. answer. East would open Two W EST EAST Diamonds, showing a powerful + A 9 53 + K 10 7 hand with 4-4--4-1 or 5-4-4-0, \?A K2 \? QJ987 and South's likely bid of Four OA Q62 OK73 Spades would silence the next two + KQ . A3 players. East would continue with either 4NT or a double, but The 3-3 dia'mond break which in either event West could hardly would make thirteen tricks certain progress beyond Five Clubs. is no more than a 36 per cent chance and most players would * • • prefer to stay in Six, even allowing Poor judgment on the next for the additional possibilities of hand led to an impossible slam. finding + QJ alone, or four spades Partner opens a 12 to J 4 no and four diamonds in the same trump and you hold: + AQ98 hand. But how to avoid the grand \?AKQ97 0105 + 62. Whither slam? The combined values arc now? There is only one holding such that one cannot reasonably which will make the slam a stop short unless there is some certainty-AK and A in the way of determining the club minors, plus the Ki ng of spades. duplication. Any suggestions? True, there are a number of hands Gray closed his eyes and bid on which there might be a play Seven with the East hand after it for a slam-but there are also had become apparent that his many good hands which would partner was on a different wave offer no play; so one should settle length. for the game. Thus Topley judged it, and bid a simple Four WEST EAST Hearts. Rockfelt over-valued the 2NT 4+ hand and bid Five Hearts; his 4NT 5+ partner, Gray, held: + K7 \?J 1043 6+ 7NT OA82 + KQ103, a hand as rich Four Clubs was Gerber, invit in controls as partner could ing partner to show his Aces, and expect, and therefore full value with 4NT he duly showed three. for the bid of Six Hearts. A Five Clubs was intended as a diamond lead left no hope for the request for Kings, but was ap contract, apart from + J 10 falling. parently interpreted in some other • * • way. But clearly, had West shown 29 two Kings East would have been Seven, but at the other table the the more confirmed in the decision Blackwood 5NTwould have made he actually took. it possible for West to count thirteen tricks. Of course, playing At the other table John Spur- Culbertson a 4NT bid by East way and Tapley bid: would be equally and more WEST EAST speedily effective. 2NT 3(\? 3. "4+ * * * 5+ 50 WEST EAST 6+ 6(\? • 742 7<\? No + A9 8 <\?K Q5 Problem No. 4 (JO points) P roblem No. 8 (JO points) Rubber bridge, love a ll and both Rubber bridge, game all, the bidding sides have a 60 part-score, the bidding has gone:- has gone:- SOUTH WEST N ORTH EAST SoUTH WEST NORTH EAST !NT No I + DbI. 2 CV No 3NT No No ? No South holds:- South holds:- 't>A72 CV986 OA95 4-10987. + KI0874 CVQ72 O AJ7 ~Q8. What should South bid? What should South lead '? 35 You Say • • • Readers are invited to send letters on all subjects to the Editor, B.B.W., 35 Dover Street, L-ondon, W.l With reference to the hand on gaily to a grand slam in no page 10 of the Jluly B.B.W. Your trumps missing an Ace- all this correspondent is surely mistaken in a world championship match when he claims that all turned on six months ago; but of course he the opening lead. was rated as an "erratic and Mter a trump opening, South undisciplined bidder" so that makes the contract without diffi- explains it. The same old war culty by a simplle coup en passant, horse must share some of the the play beginning: spade Ace, responsibility in the partnership club Ace, club ruff, heart Ace, misunderstanding which resulted heart King, folllowed by a cross in the Italians playing Three Clubs ruff. East ~anuot afford to dis- doubled and making twelve tricks, card a diamond, or South's suit but your contributor still prefers is established. him "on my side rather than I. G. SMITH, against me." I wonder if the Twyford, Rants. Italians share his view. Yes·, the hand can be made in Then Mr. 93 per cent. Didn't I that way. hear something about a I ,400 * * * penalty a few weeks ago in the After reading that flight of International Trials? An error fancy entitled "Knights of the of judgment perhaps, but very Square Table" in your July issue, expensive; as also was the contract I feel I must str.ike a blow for the of Six Hearts doubled, one off. younger tournament players in As he was playing with Mr. this country, who, according to Schapiro at the time, his rating your contributor, lack both the must surely have gone down a savoir faire of the French and the few points! "know-how" of the Americans. Remember the Gold Cup finals Firstly, with regard to those ex- last June? No one would say that tremely high percentages which this years' quarter-finalists were Schapiro dished out like water the ·eight best teams in Britain, biscuits some eleven years ago: I but between them they had dis notice that Mr. . 91 per cent bia posed of most of the top name·s 36 in British bridge. Where were Reese, Schapiro, Konstam, Gard ener, Rose, Nunes, Flint, Swimer, Franklin, Rodrigue, etc.? We THE AMERICAN know what happened to Mr. 98 per cent: after 48 boards against BRIDGE WORLD a team of virtual unknowns, he and his celebrated team mates Subscription• suddenly found they had no for One Year · £l 6 0 further interest in the Gold Cup. Two Years • • 0 IS 0 True, a team of rabbits can beat a team of experts in a short match, but nowadays it seems to Sole Arent in Great Britain : be becoming a common occur Mn. RiD Ma.rkue ence. The truth of the matter is S Buil MaiUiione, B..U Street. S.W.3 that either the experts aren't as good as they think or the rabbits aren't rabbits any more. 1 think If you want to take more recent the latter is nearer the mark. form Konstam,for example, doesn't I believe I could produce a seem to be doing too badly. In dozen pairs from the younger set these last two years he has qualified who could give the "over fifties" by performance for the European a good match were it possible to Championships, and with different arrange such a contest. Of course partners. Mr. Schapiro would probably You comment elsewhere in your have never beard of half of them. letter about young Barbour's good But wouldn't that make it more performance in the Trials. Quite interesting? true- and it was open to any other J. W. TArT (Mr. 2! per cent), player with 150 master points to do London, N.W.4. the same. The fact remains that four of the Let us see whether the over- five players in Schapiro's original fifties will accept the challenge in ranking list were subsequently (with your last paragraph. if you suc Pavlides and Schapiro himself) the ceed in gelling them into the ring, first to win the World Champion- the B.B. W. will gladly provide a ship for Europe. So Schapiro can't middle-aged and impartial re be as poor a judge as you make out. poru1r. 37 C)ne Hundred Up Conducted by ALAN TRUSCOTT • July solutions: If you did not enter for the July competition, try your hand at the problems on page 23 before reading how the experts voted. The panel for tlhe July competition RoDRIGUE: "No Bid. I hardly want consisted of the fo!Jowing thirteen partner to contest with Three Hearts experts: M. Buckley, E. Crowhurst, A. thinking I've got something, when all I Dormer, G. C. H. Fox, J. Nunes, J. can produce is a doubleton trump and Pugh, J. T. Reese, C. Rodrigue, R. probably one working King." Sharples ·and N. S. L. Smart, all of R EESE: "No Bid. lt is foolish to press London and the Home Counties; C. E. when (a) partner has another chance, Phillips of Cheshire; P. Swinnerton and (b) he will be able to judge that you Dyer of Cambridg;e; and J. Besse of have bits." Rome. BucKLEY: "Even if the opponents are allowed to play Two Clubs, that Problem No. 1 (10 points) will not net them a score to make the Match - point pairs, North - South joy-bells ring." vulnerable, the bidding has gone:- Whether South wanted to jack the SouTH WEST NORTH EAST opponents into a higher contract No 1+ 1<::/ 2+ attracted differing views. ? DORMER: "No Bid. A holding of South holds:- Queen-Jack bare in the enemy suit does + K8764 <::/82 0K953 + QJ. not usually favour pushing tactics, for What should South bid? it means that the suit is breaking well Answer: No Bid, 10; Two Hearts, 4. for them." The panel's vote: 1 1 for No Bid; 2 for Two Hearts (Crowhurst and Fox). PUGH: "No Bid. The cards are The spokesman for action: probably lying well for the opponents, CROWHURST: "Two Hearts. I am and we must not goad them into a clearly worth some sort of competitive contract which left to themselves they effort here, but my spades are not good will probably not reach." enough to introduc•e at the two-level: in SMART: "No Bid. We do not want my book, a suit rt~ponse to a simple to encourage a heart lead if the oppo overcall should only be made in a suit nents subside in some number of clubs. well worth an oven:all in its own right. We should not in any case try to frighten I must therefore relly on partner having them out of no trumps. Our silence a good heart suit for his vulnerable may tempt West to some folly." overcall, and my Ollltside goodies should Sharples and Phillips also stressed the be enough for him to make eight danger of getting too high by bidding tricks." Two Hearts, and this is the most The arguments :against action were important of the numerous arguments · many and various. for maintaining a discreet silence. 38 Problem No. 2 (10 points) than we have at present." l.M.P. scoring, North-South vulner- One more optimistic panelist did not able, the bidding has gone:- even consider the double: SoUTH WEST NORTH EAST SHARPLES: "Two Spades. With the J his suit. He could be 0-6-2- 51 for gcod de layed sup1=o rt fe r hearts is the example, ar.d not want to go past feature we can most usefully show next." 3NT." Not far out. This r.appcr.ed in the Problem No. 6 (:<:0 pcints) B.B.L. Trials, a r.d Nonh was 1 -4-3 - ~. Rubber bridge, North-South vulr.er- You might think frcm the answer of a Lie, the bidcing hts gone:- the folio~ ing par.clist that hi" l:ac! re,cr S ~ u : H WEsT NCR1H EAST ~eer. the. tacd be fore !NT 2+ No RCDRIGUE : ''Fct:r I carts. On the ( 12-1 <) a~su m pticn that my I ::;o UP rartr er l ijs No '10 2+ No <1S well as 1 do ( Ycuu.1derrcte bin•. A.J:.) 'I I essume thH I·e is tryirg to com ey a ~outh hcl.:s:-- m~~~~gl". This 1 tale to be that he also +10843 . ~AQ5 O Q3 ~980. llas scn~e: h ing in spac'es, and is tryirg (a) Do you a£rec '' ith Soud1's fi rst to warn me about a possible gap in the . round pass? jev.c lkry cour:ter. After all , opponer-ts (b) Wh<:t should South do now? (o try to overcall O::e Club with One An.nrer to (a): Agree with No Bid, ~pa ·~c rather than One DilOmor.d if they 10; Prefer Th1ce Clubs, 7. h:<\C tl:e chcice.'' The pm:el's vote: 9 for No Bid ; 4 for A panelist who may have l!cnrd Three Clubs (Dormer, Phillips, ~ma r t I\crth's tiased views: and Swinncrto1~ - Dyer). RtrSE : "Three No Trumps. V'.'oe, The general feeling was simply that WC(', Clauc'il! ~ ! Of course you rnl!St there arc no ( 45 1 did not expect the panelists to nothing away. On this bidding the club cover all four suits with their leads, but lead is slightly more likely to give a 1 thought that some up-to-date panelist trick. As Dormer pointed out, North might have spotted the origin of the could have Qx over KJx in dummy. hand. With one possible exception, Several panelists made the point that nobody noticed that this was a deal if a spade is to be led, the 10 is better from the North America v. Italy match than the Queen. lf the Queen is led, this year, published in the American declarer can duck holding KJx, and Contract Bridge Le:ague's book of the South's spades are shut out for ever. event: SWINNERTON-DYER: ''Ten of spadeS. NORTH l prefer to gamble on partner having • 6 52 two spades and one entry, rather than 47 C LASSI F IED AD VERTISEMENTS 5/- per line. Special terms for a series BRIDGE CLUBS AND HOTELS !lARROW LONDON HARROW BRtOO£ OLUB-16 Norlbwick Park GRAND SLAM BRIDGE CLUo- 21 Craven Hill, Road, Harrow, Mid<1x. Tel. Harrow 3908. W.2. Tel.: Pad 6842. Stakes 1/- and 2/6, Good standard Bridge in enjoyable atmosphere. 5/· and 10/-. Partnership evcninjts Mondays and Sessions twice daily. P'artnership and Duplicate. Thursdays. Visitors welcome. Duplicate Pairs Open teams of four every Saturday cvemng. (Bounty £25) Tuesday weekly. '.Rummy' all night games. MISCELLANEOUS BRIDGE REQ UISlTIES WALLETS-better than boards at less than half the cost. 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