English Bridge February 2013 Bridge Fiction by David Bird
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February 2013 English Bridge Issue No. 245 The EBU members’ magazine You are playing in the Premier League. Your exalted opponents reach 7 t after an uncontested auction that suggests a big diamond fit. What do you lead? (see page 23) English Bridge Of Clubs © All rights reserved ENGLISH BRIDGE is published every two months by the and Sims ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION Broadfields, Bicester Road, Aylesbury HP19 8AZ Sally Bugden, Chairman ( 01296 317200 Fax: 01296 317220 [email protected] Web site: www.ebu.co.uk WHAT DOES your bridge club mean to course, there are our electronic ________________ you? I hope it is place where you meet publications, Club Management Focus and Editor: Elena Jeronimidis friends and acquaintances, and play a the Club Managers Handbook, which are 23 Erleigh Road, Reading RG1 5LR sociable game of bridge; where people are available to affiliated club management ( 0118 926 2602 happy and respectful, and you have the committees and contain a wealth of tips [email protected] security that the EBU is there to help when and advice on how to get the best for your Editorial Board necessary – whether that is through club membership. Sally Bugden (Chairman), Jeremy Dhondy and Elena Jeronimidis assist ing you to get more members The EBU is your organisation and there ________________ through teaching and promotion, or are several simultaneous pairs events that innovation with new competitions, or if help you in terms of raising funds for Advertising Manager Chris Danby at Danby Advertising there is a behaviour or playing issue to further development of the game of Fir Trees, Hall Road, Hainford, help sort it out through mediation and duplicate bridge – any surplus we make is Norwich NR10 3LX Y regulation. ploughed back in to the game, for example ( / Fax 01603 898678 Andrew Urbanski, our Club Liaison we have trained over 200 club teachers for [email protected] ________________ officer, can provide you with information no charge since April 2010 and over 300 and assistance on many activities includ - clubs have benefitted from our ‘buy one, Printing: Wyndeham Group ing the National Grading Scheme, Master get one free’ club tournament director Point awards, club teaching and club training – so it is really worth your while tournament directing. He can guide you to support the EBU and British Sim Pairs, INSIDE GUIDE to our model club constitution to give you the Bridge England Sim Pairs and the the best chance not only of ensuring that Club Stratified Sim Pairs. These also Pairs Tactics 5-6 n your members are protected in matters of provide the players in your club with the Caption Competition 6 n corporate governance, but also in regis ter - opportunity to: Bridge Fiction 7 n ing as a charity or applying for a lottery • Compete against other clubs across Heather’s Hints 9 n grant. I’d like to congratulate the two England; Director, Please! 11 n newest recruits to charity status: York • Win enhanced master points and Traps for the Unwary 13 n Bridge Club and Halifax Bridge Club. I Blue Points from 1 January 2013; know that Andrew is liaising with several Read a commentary on the hands – Great Bridge Disasters NEW 15 n • other clubs about charitable status and showing the best line of play, what can Teams Tactics 16-17 n we’ll keep you posted about their success. go right and what can go wrong (!); Top Table 17 n Our National Club Committee, under • Receive a commemorative pen if they Christmas Quiz Answers 18-19 n the chairmanship of Board director Val win a club heat; Basic Cardplay 20-21 n Gibson, is made up of individuals elected • Have their photograph in English Club Bidding Quiz Test Hands 21 n by your county and regional club repre - Bridge if they are an overall national 2012 Premier League 22-23 n sentatives to convey club interests and winner of each day’s sim pairs session , views at national level. This group of which will also include a mention of Prize Leads Quiz Qs & As 24-25 n people are really committed to helping your club. Stage 2 Conventions 26-27 n their fellow clubs and members. I highly So please do support the simultaneous EBU News and Diary 28-30 n recommend that you visit the EBU web pairs events that support you. Bidding Quiz Test Hands 31 n page www.ebu.co.uk/club/CCrep.htm If you want any help or information, we Letters to the Editor 33 n where you can find out the name and are here to assist. Andrew Urbanski is your Bidding Quiz Answers 34-35 n contact details of your county and first port of call on [email protected] or Ask Jeremy 37 n regional representatives who can also 01296 317206. Gold Cup Final 39 n assist in your club’s development. And, of Until next time, enjoy your bridge. r Bidding Judgment 40-41 n Bridge with a Twist 43 n ARTICLES IN ENGLISH BRIDGE ARE COLOUR CODED Around and About 44-45 n Instruction EBU News Features Laws & Ethics Reports County News 46-51 n Local Master Promotions 52-53 n Club Bidding Quiz Answers 54 n n n n n n www.ebu.co.uk February 2013 English Bridge 3 Pairs Tactics by Andrew Robson Be Bold When Protecting AFTER TWO passes, you are in the West North East South to 3 ´ over the opponents’ 3 ™. Ever. He protective, or balancing seat. If you pass, 1™ must remember that you couldn’t act over the bidding is over. Because of this, you Pass 2™ Pass Pass 1™, so do not have a good hand. should generally be bolder and normal ? Hand B: double. You were short of high criteria for bids are loosened – hence why cards to do this over 1 ™, but the fact that you are in what is sometimes referred to as the opponents have found a fit means that ‘the Cheat Seat’. Hand A Hand B your side almost certainly has a fit (if the Bold protecting can backfire, however. ´ 9 7 4 3 2 ´ Q 9 5 3 opponents have an eight-card fit, you will This is not so much because the oppo - ™ 9 5 2 ™ 8 5 always have an eight-card – or better – fit nents suddenly wake up and bid game t A J 8 5 t K 7 4 2 too, unless you have three seven-card fits). (although that may happen if they ® K ® A 9 6 And the fact that they have stopped at a unearth a fit that had remained hidden low level means that your side likely holds until your protection). Generally, if the Hand C close to half the points in the pack. opponents thought they could make ´ A 10 Hand C: 3 ®. More dangerous than game, you would not find yourself in the ™ 9 5 4 3 Hands A and B because you’re at the protective position (below game level). t 9 8 three level – and you would probably The main danger of protecting is that your ® K J 9 8 4 have reluctantly to pass if you were vul - side has insufficient values and no good fit nerable. However, letting the opponents and instead of bidding one more (which is play undisturbed in 2 ™ simply isn’t win - what you normally hope they’ll do), the Answers ning pairs tactics. Your four small hearts opponents stop off and double you. are interesting: partner rates to have a Yes, you should worry a bit about this Hand A: you should protect with 2 ´. Yes, single ton. Therefore partner has twelve danger of being doubled after a light you might be doubled in the proverbial outside cards and you’d be very unlucky protection. But we are back to that familiar voice of thunder and ‘go for a number’. Pay to find him with fewer than three clubs. pairs principle: do not worry about the odd off to those rare occasions. Most of the If, after you bid 3 ®, it goes (Double) – disaster if most of the time your action time, you’ll push the opponents to 3 ™. Pass – (Pass) – back to you, you’ve works out. It’s frequency of gain, not Maybe they will make it – in which case probably earned your side a zero. But amount of gain, which is all-important at your protection has achieved nothing (but those occasions will be far fewer than pairs: how often , not by how much . cost nothing); maybe, though, they’ll go those where you push the oppo nents to Now, an exercise for you. You are West down. And now your protection has gained 3™, then beat it by a trick. on the following auction with neither side handsomely. Note that your well-trained Now look at our featured deal on the vulnerable: partner will not punish you by bid ding on next page: ‹ in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere " !" " ! 35-/ %< )37'7 " " 267> No Fear pairs, Men’s, Ladies’ and Mixed pairs ! 35-/ '7267> 29267> !" " ! 8/<267> );'/8(-1+*/-+,76 Championship Pairs " 81)> !" " Green Pointed Swiss Teams ")5)7851727,)3238/%5%1();')//)17 "# Full details from and entries to: !# *25285,5-670%65)%. /)%6)5)48)67*8//()7%-/6 Anne Swannell, Stantway House, Westbury-on-Severn, ;75%-+,76%9%-/%&/)%7%//9)18)683215)48)67//)9)176%5),%/*&2%5();')37*25%67&2851)%1(,5-670%6 Gloucester, GL14 1QF :,-',-1'/8()/81',//)9)176-1'/8():)/'20)5)')37-21*8//(83/-'%7)&5-(+)352+5%00)6)0-1%56%1(35-=)6 13)6..'(5$,.42.($4(5(.(2+10(+,.,2600 " /$,.