~BRIDGE - • C:: ~ .."!' a U-1 ~ ~ QUARTERLY
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~ BRIDGE - A c= ~ ~ :z I-Ll ~ QUARTERLY An elegant paper for elegant handwriting Three Candlesticks is a writing paper of rich, flawless texture that em phasizes the grace of Iralic H andwriting. The distinctive italic rhythm moves with a clear, smooth bea uty over this superb quality paper. Three Candlesticks is available in white and a distinctive shade of blue. A John Dickinson Product F or a free sample of Tbree Candlesticks, write to: JOHN DICKINSON & CO. LTD., APSLEY MILLS, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, HERTS. ~BRIDGE - • c:: ~ .."!' a U-1 ~ ~ QUARTERLY THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION Edited by HAROLD* FRANKLIN •••••• In late October the English Bridge Union will hold its first Annual Charity Congress ; our chairman has designated a cause which will arouse a sympathetic response in all of us. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Only four hundred players will be able to participate in the Ilkley week-end but there are several ways in which every one of our mem bers can associate themselves with the effort. On the 8th of September a Simultaneous Pairs Tournament will be held. It is hoped that at least one thousand tables will compete. If your club has not already arranged to hold a heat of this event, urge them to do so. The entrance fee is a modest five shillings. The results will be match-pointed over the whole field, a mammoth task but one which will give added interest to the results. The prize list is large and attractive. Full details may be obtained from the Hon. Tournament Secretary, Major G. Fell, Hob Hill, Steeton, Keighley, Yorkshire. Many counties are staging special events in aid of the fund. London made a magnificent start when they raised the sum of £1,250 from a one-day event. This sort of effort is unlikely to be reproduced. The greatest satisfaction, however, would be to see everybody joining in, no matter how small their contribution. There may be those of you who are unable to take part in any of the events. The chairman, R. F. Corwen, 28 St. Paul's Street, Leeds I, would be happy to receive and acknowledge any direct contributions, however small. Help us to lend a hand to the under-privileged children. - 2 REPORT FROM THE BRITISH BRIDGE LEAGUE The joint · report of Sir John Foster, Q.C., M.P., and General Lord Bourne, G.C.B., K.B.E., C.M.G., to certain allegations of cheating at the World Championships at Buenos Aires in 1965 made against Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro was received by the Council of the British Bridge League on Tuesday, August 9th. After full discussion of the arguments and recommen dations of Sir John Foster and General Lord Bourne the finding in their report that Reese and Schapiro were not guilty of cheating was accepted. A copy of the report will be sent to the World Bridge Federation. The Council wishes to express its sincere thanks to Sir John Foster and to General Lord Bourne for having conducted the inquiry as a public duty and without fee and to the assessors and to all witnesses who voluntarily attended to give evidence in the inquiry. IGRAND SLAM NEW ACOL -,- ~ BRIDGE CLUB BRIDGE CLUB ,.. ~ 21 Craven Hill 86 West End Lane~ ,----~---- ~ London, W.2 Combined W. Hampstead~ ~.. Duplicate L d N W 6 ~ :: PAD 6842 on on, • • .-: ~ Pairs ~ ~ Every Thursday MAl 7407 ~ ~ ,.. :: Stakes 6d., 1/-, 2/ 6, 5/ - alternating :: ~ between § := Duplicate Pairs- ,.. :: Both Clubs Stakes 1/-, 2/6, 5/-, 10 /- ~ ~ Every Tuesday, 8 p.m. •---~.----• :; ~ Alternate Thursdays, 8 p.m. Duplicate Pairs- § .. I ,.. ~ Rummy-All-night games. Every Monday, 8 p.m . ~ J Visitors Welcome. Alternate Thursdays, 8 p. m. ~ '· """""'"""'·"'""'"'\1\N'V\MVV\I\i\M'V\N\I\N'V\MVV\I\I\M'V\N\I\<\I\I\MI\I\IV\IV\NV\i\M\NV\MN\1\!\1\1\< ~ ' 3 BIDDING THEORY Bob and Jim Sharples Basic System. Acol, with a strong No Trump., 16-17 throughout. Old-fashioned though this may appear, we have never found it a hindrance ; on the contrary it simplifies certain problems of the rebid which arise with the use of the weak No Trump. Most notable of these is the problem of the balanced 16-point hand. After a response at the one level such a hand is not value for a rebid of Two No Trumps and the rebid of One No Trump therefore covers a range of 13 (some times 12) to 16. Balanced hands with 9 points opposite 16 are consequently often played short of game by players of considerable experience. THE SHARPLES TWO CLUBS. Before the days of the Landy and Astro conventions, designed to facilitate competitive bidding against the weak No Trump, we devised a very simple Two Club or Two Diamond informatory double which has proved very effective over the years. Our object was to devise as simple a convention as possible which would enable us to get into the auction on hands of fair distri bution and limited high card strength so as to offset the pre-emptive effect of the weak No Trump. When opponent opens with a weak No Trump an overcall of Two Clubs is an unspecified shape which can be passed with a five card club suit and no four card major. It will normally hold a spade suit of at least four cards for the sake of safety. An overcall of Two Diamonds is a weak distributional double which specifically denies interest in clubs. The likely hand patterns are 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-3-1 and, occasionally, 5-4-2-2. The main interest is in the major suits and partner should therefore endeavour to show a suit. Should partner respond with a bid of Two No Trumps, that is forcing either to game or to the four level in a minor suit. A Two No Trump rebid by the hand which made the Two Club or Two Diamond overcall is also forcing, e.g : s. w. N. E. 1 N.T. 2 Cl. No 2H. No 2N.T. The bid of Two No Trumps shows a game-going two-suited hand which lacks the high card strength to warrant an immediate overcall of Two No Trumps. In the example the two suits are likely to be spades and one minor suit. If partner responds to a Two Club or Two Diamond conventional overcall with a jump bid, that is natural. A response of Three No Trumps would show a solid or near solid long minor suit. 4 After a weak No Trump the overcall of Two Clubs or Two Diamonds by a hand which has already passed is a natural bid : an informatory double replaces the conventional bid to show a weak distributional double with the main strength centred in the major suits. BIDDING MINOR SUIT SLAMS. In the absence of a specialised convention there is no safe way of reaching minor suit slams on a 4-4 fit after a No Trump opening. Some players solve the difficulty by the use of the Baron 1 N.T.- 2 N.T. convention. We prefer a simpler device. When the point count is known to be 31-32, insufficient for a No Trump slam, but offering the possibility of a slam if a 4-4 fit is found, we use a delayed jump in a minor to investigate a 4-4 minor suit fit. Thus : S. N. 1 N.T. 2 Cl. 2 Sp. 4 Cl. or D. If no 4-4 fit exists either partner can sign off in Four No Trumps. With four card minor fit the No Trump opener can raise to Five Clubs or Six Clubs or can bid Four Diamonds if that is his four card suit. We have avoided specialised conventions which may have a limited nuisance nlue if their use obstructs normal system bidding. In our experience matches are won by the team making fewer bidding errors and it has always been our endeavour to be more accurate than our opponents, to concentrate therefore on constructive bidding rather than on obstructive. RESPONSES TO TWO BIDS. After an extended period of trial we have adopted the following amended Responses to Two Bids. Over opening bids of Two Diamonds and Two Hearts the negative response is Herbert (next higher ranking suit) rather than Two No Trumps. The response or rebid of Two No Trumps is used to show the next ranking suit to that opened. Thus a response of Two No Trumps to an opening bid of Two Hearts would show a spade suit. In the sequence s. N. 2H. 2Sp. 2N.T. South shows six hearts and four spades, whilst 2 H. 2 Sp. 3 Sp. would show six hearts and five spades. These sequences keep the bidding at a lower level and cater for awkward 5-4 patterns, making it possible to play them at the three level, both suits having been bid. 5 AMENDED RESPONSES TO TWO CLUB BIDS. A positive bid is given on : (1) An ace and a king. (2) 8 or 9 high card points including one ace or two kings. (3) Distributional hands of 6-7 points which contain a good major of at least five cards, e.g: + J 10 \) K Q 9 x x x () x -' x x. Respond Two Hearts. GRADUATED RESPONSES TO FOUR NO TRUMP BID BY THE TWO CLUB OPENER now show the number of controls, as follows: After Positive After Negative 5 Cl. One King No Kings 5 D.