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VoLUME 2 AuGUST, 1948 NuMBER 10 EDITORIAL • CONTENTS • Page NEW Editor may, perhaps, EDWARD, MY FATHER be forgiven if, in the first S. J. Simon 3 A issue of which he is in GoLD CuP-BLuE RmAND sole control, he makes something of Dr. H. Leist 5 a personal statement. "No Bm" • • 9 In the Open Letter, which S. J. GossiP oF THE MoNTH Simon contributed to this issue, Guy Ramsey 10 he states as forthrightly as may be "GRAY.. 13 the dilemma of any Editor of a FULL CIRCLE specialised Magazine : one hom K. Sclzleyen 14 of which bears the fateful label IN REMEMBRANCE OF " Bias " and the other, the fatal s. J. S!!IION 16 s"ignboard "Dull." CR!l\IE AND PUNISHMENT Between · this Scylla and 111. Harrison-Gray 20 Charybdis, we shall do our best PoRTLAND PAIRS PRoTEST • • 22 to steer. It may, and it must, be BRIDGE FLAPPER flatly and specifically stated .that V. H. Walker 23 the Co11tract Bridge Joumal shall AROUND THE CoMPETITIONS 24 henceforth be as purely bridge as JUNE-JULY PRIZEWINNER •• 25 may be : as free to discussion, and Six-MoNTHLY CoMPETITION as outspoken, as, say, a post REsULT 25 mortem after a 1,400 crash. PosT-MORTEM-" Tenex" . . 26 It is our policy to give the SLAMWARD Ho freedom of our columns to Heresy A. G. Figgins 27 as well as to the several Orthodoxies AuGUST CoMPETITION that, at the moment, hold the Kenneth Komtam 29 minds of players. ANSWERS TO JUNE-JULY Collll'ETITION-Pedro Juan 30 There • arc two methods of dealing with Heresy. The more usual is to stifle it, lest it corrupt * * * the body politic- until, as has All Correspondence to the Editor : happened over-often, it bursts out GUY RAMSEY, in full force and proves the truth and Orthodoxy's self the age 13, Cannon Place, hallowed lie. London, N.W.J. The treatment we ourselves support is to give to any serious
A · CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL Hercsiarch the right to preach the Chairman of the E.B.U. had his Heresy. If it be false, there hoped t~ be present but was will be no lack of Defenders of unavoidably prevented ; secondly, the Faith to rivet the evil doctrine it was felt in London that, having to the counter '; and if it prove approved North Wester.n's pri\·ilege true then it can be assimilated by to ·hold the event, 1t were an cvol~tion rather than revolution. usurpation of their autonomy to It is · also a cardinal article of invade their territory and deprive our creed to give freedom to the North Western's Chairman of criticism, so long as it be valid, the pleasant function of presenting constructive, and free from personal the Cup. malice. Although the Co11tract It is well, we think, that these Bridge Journal is the official organ two statements should be made as of the English Bridge Union, openly as possible, lest incidents, that august body itself shall not suppressed, grow with the telling ) be exempt from due public and fester into bad feeling-which complaint if it lie open thereto. it is our aim, so far as possible, to Two such complaints have come purge from the game we all love. to us already in connection with There remains . the perennial ·the Gold Cup Final ; and we topic of Competitions : too many, make no apology for at once too expensive, too restrictive-so . ventilating the grievance and giving that one sees at them all too few what we have found to be the new faces and, in too many, an true answer. . uneconomic and diminishing It was regretted, and resented, entry. To these complaints that two London Master Players we propose to turn our urgent were advertised as commentators attention, and hope to publish in of the event, and failed to appear. the September issue detailed and This charge is true-and the constructive schemes of remedy. reason lies in the failure of close and immediate liaison between the · * * * * 'B.B.L. (which controls the Gold E beg to make an explan Cup), the E.B.U. ("~vhich ran it ation, but; for once, no at the B.B.L.'s request), the North W apology, that this issue Western C.B.A. (which staged it) of the Journal is over-late. It has and the commentators themselves. b~en deliberately delayed to pay our It remains a matter for regret that tnbute to S. J. Simon, whose sud the advertisers did not follow den and tragic death, following so IVIrs. Becton's classic advice to closely upon that of Paul Stern, First Catch Your .. Commentators. has shaken and shocked us all. It was also a matter for common " Sk"d·~ ." was umque· : a con- discussion at Manchester that this troversmhst whom even his adver the premier Final of the year, wa~ s~ries liked ; a player whom even not graced by any B.B.L. or E.B.U. h1s decriers respected ; and a "big shot" from London : either person, a personality, whom to to present the trophy or to grace know was to lm·e. the occasion. This, also, is true . We ourselves find it hard and in substance and in fact. The bitter to imagine either the Jounzal reason was twofold : primarily' or the game without him.
2 EDWARD, MY FATHER * An Open Letter to ED WARD MAYER by S. J . Simon
DEAR Eow ARD, vitriol at something more ambitious It was with great impersonal than the two sitting birds you have pleasure that I read your " Crime ~electe? ~or your preliminary canter but No Punishment " in last m sqmrtmg. The showing up of month's issue-the personal horrors by alleged experts is too ple~sure was mildly marred by elementary an exercise in malice havmg two of my more horrible for me to comment on it any chucks exposed in print. ' further. I feel however that I must help your second bird to flap its , I quite agree with you that to wings a bit. any casual eye, most bridge articles appear to be written to glorify the You wrote : " For many months author, his system, or his friends · I had not failed to observe that and it was, therefore, a refreshing. articles in the Contract Bridge change to come across one written Journal were frequently lacking (save for . the give-away gamble of in objective criticism. If they the final sentence-unlucky !t) with were not written to enhance the the fine detachment of a recording prestige of their author, they lent devil, aiming at the far more themselves to promote his favourite entertaining objective of foaming system of bidding." mouths. Now, · this charge has, to my All praise to the present Editor knowledge, been levelled at every for printing it. I have always Bridge Magazine that has ever grumbled at the policy more or appeared on the market. It will less thrust on the previous Editor .. continue to be levelled at every of " Don't give offence "; and such Magazine, if for no other reason accordingly welcome the first signs than that it is quite true. But, if that the Joumal may now become you reflect for an instant on how fearless, out-spoken, hard-hitting a Bridge Magazine is produced, and all those other adjectives you will realise that it is also whi.ch, in their essence, mean quite inevitable. " Let's be rude to somebody." First there is the Editor. He is, So I trust sincerely that you will one assumes, a reasonably continue to write for it with intent competent Bridge player. As to annoy. such, he will have his own favourite May I, however, plead with you bidding system. He may be that in future you aim your elegant unbiassed, una.xe-grinding, and perfectly able to see the other * Bad joke, prompted by the memory fellow's point of view ; but he that Edward 1\tfayer was playing will still believe his system to be lutenzational Bridge when I was the best : else, presumably, he still sixpence a hrmdreding at would not be playing it ; and he the old Acol club. will be unable to see any good t " I may be p~rdoned for suggesting reason w~y he should supress the that we are not .sending abroad urge to mfluence others into its a world-beatin$ team." advantages merely becam1e he 3 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL As for articles written to enhance happens to be the Editor. The job of a Bridge Magazine, he will the prestige of their author, that argue, is to help its readers to play charge can be applied to any better bridge, and how can I help authority, or wo';lld-be authority, them better than by guiding them writing about h1s own subject. towards the best system ? 1 will, The mere pose of such an authority of course-as space permits- allow makes the charge true before a other writers to express other single word has been written ; for views but, since some of my now, no matter how modest the readers may be misled into words that follow, there is the swallowing some of the trash I underlying prestige note of " I may be forced to print to fulfil know what I'm talking about." our boast that this magazine is an Take a look through your own open platform, I must reserve the article. You'll spot it. right to comment on the trash, so that I may point out the error of Or would you only favour the other writers' ways. articles beginning " I am only a simple palooka but I enjoy an Thus any Bridge Magazine, with occasional rubber and . .." But any guts at all, must, to some if you read such an article, you extent, become a platform for the will invariably find a strong under views of its Editor. That is why lying current indicating : either the Co11tract Bridge Joumal had a that the author doesn't think he's distinct Acol bias while Harrison re a~ly such a palooka, or, alter Gray was in charge ; why it would natively, that he prefers to be a have developed a Vienna bias had palooka because in that way he Dr. Stern .lived ; and why now, gets so much more enjoyment out under Guy Ramsey, who likes to of the game than-snijf-the try every system once but is at Masters, w~o are only so good heart an Acolite, it will veer back ~ecause--:-smff-they give all their to Acol while pretending furiously time to. It . . . so once again it is not to. a prestJge-~nhancing affair, if only All of which is as it should be. through disparaging comparison. There can be nothing duller than a specia~ised magazine produced And why not? by an Editor who holds no opinions. Your.;, Next come the contributors writing, you accuse, to promot~ their own bidding systems. But how else do you c"xpect them to write if they believe in them? A limited number of copies Arc you suggesting that they should ?£Volume I complete, bound refrain from writing ; or should !n blue Rexinc and lettered !he · Editor refuse to print? But 10 gold, are now available at If he refuses to let other writers an inclusive price of 42/-. glorify their systems, doesn't he Please send orders to become even more biassed about PRIESTLEY STUDIOS LTD., his own? Commercial Rd., Gloucester. GOLD CUP-BLUE RIBAND by Dr. H. Leist
OR THE first time in the but because human nature-like history of Britain's bridge, Dickens's cheerfulness - would F the game made Stop Press " keep bre~king in." Such "flyers" news during the Gold Cup Final as ·did occur were of that type of of 1948. The ~Manchester Evening lunacy which, at the rubber bridge News " fudged " the London table, only the rich can afford. Team's lead (8,90) at the end of · We counted it a gift when the t~e first 16 boards. following · hand resulted in a This enterprise, interest and Manchester contract of 4 \::;> and consideration were characteristic a London score of 800. 'Ve of the staging of the whole event. counted it something of a friendly ·we played in the spacious rooms gesture when our defence did not of the Midland Hotel-a contrast exact 1, I 00 down. This is the from the Thirlestane, where the Board : No. 52. Game all ; queueing crowds pressed upon us,' Dealer, 'Vest. and the airy but lonely To\vn Hall + K32 side-room at Cheltenham of the. \::;> KQ932 previous post-war Finals. Not 0 9 only the players, but the 150 or so + Q954 spectators who thronged the suites + O • JI0875 were handsomely accommodated. \::;> A J IO 8 7 6 5 \:::>- A slight gloom was cast over the 0 A6 0 K87532 proceedings when a hoped-for, and + J IO 7 + AS heralded, scheme . whereby + A964 Harrison-Gray and S. J. Simon \::;>4 were to commentate all four 0 Q J IO 4 sessions, broke down. A pity for + K6 3·2 the kibitzers, perhaps ; but some of the players at least were relieved. Room I Although London won, and WEST NoRTH EAsT SouTH although the win was convincing, I \? No 2 0 No it is fair to say that we did not-at 2\::;> No 2 + No least in the early s~ssions-strike 3 \::;> No No No our best form. But we did not Room 2 make the mistake of underrating WEST J. ORTH EAST SOUTH our opponents ; neve~ in the No course of the match did we venture 1 \::;> No 2 0 Dble No No to take any undue liberties ; rather 4 \::;> did we concentrate on a steady, No tight, taut game. (Later we learned Write this one off as a shot in from Franks, the Manchester the dark with everything wrong. Captain, that his quartette . w.ere The London West made 8 tricks instructed to follow a s1m1lar to Jose 100 ; Manchester got out policy). When anyone . took a with three off, but it could have "flyer," it was not deliberately, been four. 5 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL shot much mo~e on the targc_t pair, but missed ~y London: A Lm·e All ; Dealer, \\est. occurred when Lazarus and l\'Iorns bid a siam on the very first hand + 10 8 of the match: neither vulnerable \? K 10 8 2 and North dealt: 0 9 8 7 + 8 7 53 + 065 3 • }5432 \?8 + AKO OKJ1094 3 \? 0}4 3 \? A 9 8 0 AJ + 62 0 K01053 +O + K96 + 8 + K"974-2 976 \? K J 10 7 \? A 0 6 \? 6 5 0 08.2 0 AS 0 6+2 + A9874 + KOJ + AJ 1042 + A] 10 The bidding, again with N-S \? 95432 silent throughout, went : 0 76 + 10 53 Room 1 1 0 - l +-2
" N 0 Bl 0 " (continued from following page) In fact, in this situation (Bid ~hythm of the bidding." A bid double- redouble- take-out), you m certain particular situations should always pass unless (a) you affects fine players as Toscanini can double or (b) you have opened would be outraged by a false note on shape and would take out or Keats by a false quantity. partner's double if he made it. Of course, if you have bid a It boils down, in the ultimate, cunning One on a near-forcing to this : Have you anything to bid, you can re-bid, jump, jump say that will be helpful to communi in another suit, or take a flyer cate, beyond what you already into a speculative Three No have said ? plus have you the time Trumps as you like. But on the to say it later ? Is it likely that average hand, PASS. th~ bidding will die-and do you Fiftee_n years ago, I heard mmd very much if it does.? Lederer, whom I was partnering . ~f the answer to those questions for his sins, growl, as I made a 1s m the negative, Pass and let the bid: "You have ruined the world pass with you. 8 l
T IS a call even a good card The answer is : It depends on holder makes, on the average Partner's red choice. If he has I five times as often as any other, bid a Heart, you are in order if and anyone holding the sort of you raise him ; but if he has bid stuff I usually get dealt, about ten a Diamond, you must pass. By times. The more remarkable, saying " No Bid " you are saying therefore, that so few · practised quite clearly : I have an opener · performers know how, and when, I have at best minor support fo ; to make it. your suit ; I have no No-Trump Yes : you make it, of course, ambitions as yet ; I am not when you cannot find a bid in overwhelmingly strong in my own your hand- not even a psyche. suit. You make it when you have a In fact you have told partner filthy collection of tickets-usually. almost exactly what you hold, and You make it (too often in a dismal taken a leaf out of Edwardian voice) when there is nothing else non-Auction, non-Contract bridge you can do. to flash the message : " I leave it But do you always make it '~hen to you." .Partner is NOT to think there is nothing else you ought to you have psyched on a busL do? Give yourself a Club Now, I don't mean, '' more and a Heart Do you pass a contract N Q fewer- and you would by the opponents when still pass - for what they are obviously in harm will One Spade the wrong spot : when J J do you ? If. West they have bid 4 ~ (of B I D (you being South) now which you hold, say, bumps the Spades to K Q 10 to five behind Four, do you think the bidder) when they have also you can find a profitable sacrifice nibbled at Spades (of which you if partner North ·has bid his hold J doubleton, so they can't be Diamond on six points and a four similarly stacked with partner). card suit- as he very well may, And I don't mean the far-famed since good players bid a suit in " Forcing Pass " which has been this position rather than a No discussed ad lib as well as ad Trump, even on weakness ? 11attSeam, and may well rank as a Hold the same, or a similar Master Bid. hand ; open a Club and hear it I mean : Do you pass even a doubled on your left and redoubled fair hand when by passing, you by your partner. East answers can convey the maxi mum informa with a Heart, so yo u double. But tion to partner by saying " No" ? if East answers with anything Precept being worth more than else-even 1 No-Trump-what do principle, what do you bid if you you do ? PASS. Even with 'five open a Club on : Clubs and three Hearts, you do not re-bid the Clubs to " show a + A3 ~K1042 OJ93 + AQ 43 five-suit- a genuine, and not a second hand passes ; partner bids Prepared, Club." Partner may well a red suit and fourth-hand finds be void of Clubs: how do you know? a Spade? (continued on preceding page)
D 9 ~--· '· ~~' --- . ---
GossiP oF THE MoNTH by Guy Ram sey
I AND from Sydney Hearts. This (against all theory) is - " t ts" 'Voodward Final between passed to East. w h o pro ec H Gloucester Club (winners) with Three Dtamonds. South and Elliott, should have gone to doubles on a 3-3-3-+ hand with colleague Harrison-Gray for Crime A K J to four Hearts an~ J x x and Punishment, but for the fact in Diamonds. North pamcs and that Punishment didn't follow in removes to 3 Hearts which goes adequate measure. an inevitable 100 down-when the Diamonds would haYe gone + AKJ9 + QlOx for 800 : a 900 swing. · <::7- \? lOxxx 0 A 10xx 0 xx North held K Q x in Diamonds + K lOxxx + AJxx so what the blazes was she worrying This was dealt by East who about? * * * (not unnaturally) passed ; South Two cautionary and ethical agreed ar}d West, in one room, bid stories, both true. a Spade : reason-" If I bid a First: in a heat of the _Tational Club, third hand, partner may Pairs, 1 orth-South (C.M. Raphael think I'm psychic." and J. D. Finlaison) get into Two East, after thought, determined Hearts. Raphael, playing the hand, on 1 No Tru~p. West, trying to schemes an end-play against 'Vest catch up, now shot to Three Clubs. who, perceiving it, says as he takes East found the Master Bid of the critical eleventh trick, " Oh Four Spades.' This was passed dear, I've played this hand very all round and, on the lead of a badly." Whereupon East ruffs Heart, went a comfortable three West's good card to get him out off. Whether East, hoping for of the end-play and defeat the 6 + on a 4-4 suit, should have contract. bid 4 +, allowing West to bid Appeal to Tournament Director 4 + to show a 5-card suit is still Percy Charters and hasty explana being debated. tion resulted in his gaining a garbled In the other room, bidd.ing went impression and offering incorrect No-1 + -2 +-2 + -No I alternative to Raphael : " Accept What shall be said of a Final in One Down or take An"rage." which a probable small slam, an Average provisionally accepted. almost certain game, in Clubs is Result : Raphael and Finlaison played in 4 + (I) in one room and fail to qualify. a mere 2 + in the other ? (I Appeal ; reference to rule where refrain - police intervention in by mention of a current trick conduct of the Joumal not being entitles Declarer to inhibit play of wanted I) a card from a specified suit ; * * * correspondence ; ruliug by E.B.U. Now, a Rubber Bridge tragedy. Tournament Committee - and At Game All, dealer North bids " victims " are duly re-assessed a Spade and partner replies 2 and qualified.
10 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL \Vest, primarily at fault, by this pair) ; South, surveying apologised gracefully, profusely and + KQ <::/10 OKQ952 + AQ983 Tepeatedly. East commented : fails to double but bids Five 4 ' I hope I'm a good enough Diamonds. \Vest does not even player to have ruffed the trick huddle but bids Six Clubs, which without \Vest's remark." ' is passed round to South. But East, ethically, should NOT Unable to believe his ears, South have ruffed ; but should have doubles and \Vest remo,·es it to said : " Blast ye, partner, for Six Hearts, which South doubles preventing me, by your foolish in rage-contract going one down . . Temark, from playing correctly "- Three No Trumpist Harrison and sacrificed the hand. , Gray ( !) had forgotten his own system and his bid (on Ace to * * * six Spades, Queen Knave to Second story . from rubber. at five Hearts and doubleton King ·Crox. Bi'dding: . Dealer West, ·1 of Clubs) was for a take-out. Si.x ·+ ; North 3 0 ; East, 4 0 ; _Clubber S. J. Simon made a typical South, 5 () (Ha · ha I) ; West, master-bid on small tripleton Spade ·6 + ; North, trance and pass ; Si.x Hearts to Ace-King, single East, no trance and pass ; South Diamond and Knave to three {genially) " That seems . to be a Clubs : argument-if partner really forcing pass, eh ? I double." wants to play Three No Trumps, West looks · a query and North he must be based on a huge Club goes 7 Diamonds ! South suit, so I'll bid it for him ! apologises (was my face red?) North (J. C. H. Marx) opened .and North, looking unconce~ned, on Ace to seven Diamonds and a goes down three for a good result. blizzard ; and Palooka South was I. Humanity being what it is, the casual but unfortunate remark will • * • too often be made out of sheer Humorous incident from inadvertence : who should know Crockford's Cup Final (Session better than I who constantly IV) at Crockford's Club. 1 - ortherly inveigh both verbally and (as now) contingent of Franklyn and in print against the unethical. Now Mercado play hand against T erence I've been· and gone and done it Reese and Boris Shapiro. Harold myself. Franklyn contrives to go down in 2 Hearts on Such remarks, however indefens ible, can-and should- be nullified Franklyn Mercado by ethical partners, who must + A J'lO 9 8 + XX scrupulously avoid taking advantage <::1 A s.x X <::1 KJxx of them. 0 Ax 0 QJxx * * • + XX + Qxx Revolting exhibition by four . Opening lead was a singleton experts at a Lyndhurst Duplicate. Diamond, on which went Knave, Nobody vulnerable ; No~th deals King and Ace, and a Diamond and bids a (weak) Three Dmmonds; returned which Shapiro refrained East, Three No Trumps (not for from ruffing. A Spade was led ~ a take-out on the system as played and won with the Ace (I), returned
II CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL and won with Reese's Queen (now open third-haRd with a Club, bare). A Diamond was ruffed with overbid by 1 NT which, rashly \ the trump Ace and the Knave of (since I know Simon's usual cards) Spades run, and Dummy's last I popped. Declarer's SOS redouble Diamond being thrown, ruffed. was left in on my left ·and " Skid " Reese led a low Club from the went Tli'O Clubs ·which was Ace and Shapiro, in with the promptly doubled. I teetered King, led the Spade King, ruffed briefly on the verge of a redouble, and over-ruffed by Reese with the but passed ; " Skid " rescues to now bare Trump 10. 2 Hearts, also popped, and I Now the Club Ace was cashed, retrest to Three Clubs. This the lead thrown and Shapiro came being cracked (as anticipated), 'I . to still another trick with his relax but " Skid " finds Three guarded Heart Queen. Spades ! That on!!, which I refuse to rescue, goes for 1,400 !' 'Vhen In the other room, S. J. Simon we give tops, we give the best" ones. bid (and made) Four Hearts by winning the first Diamond, I taking three rounds of trumps with the ' finesse, finessing the Spades and * * * claiming 10 tricki. Graceful gesture by Crockford's Chairman, vV. (" Peter ") Irwin, at * * * banquet to winning G.B. team: One of the few boards played drawing himself to full height for Reese's team by self resulted in (6 ft. 5 ins.) expressed hope that superlative swing-to opposition the one non-Crockford's member Partnering- " Skid" Simon, held of the side would now join the two small Spades, Knave doubleton Club. of Hearts, Ace-Ten-Nine to five Diamonds and King-Nine to four Boris Shapiro, highly delighted, Clubs. 'Passed, and heard Skid joined forthwith. .
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12 HE tall body sits brooding Thence to Crockford's ten-bob , " in its chair ; the bald room where you will almost invari T dome of a head gleams in ably find him- unless there is a the electric light through a swirl of match to kibitz or a Duplicate pipe-smoke ; the deep-set, secretive to play. . eyes take in partner, opponents He is a teacher-but he is and the situation in an all choosy abotit his pupils. Gray~ embracing gaze ; the immaculate few people, including his wife, hands arrange the cards in call him Maurice-just cannot be meticulous array-and Maurice bothered with any out the most Harrison-Gray, Captain of Britain's promising. bridge (no . non-playing captain, His exposition is both lucid and he !) chalks up another victory. formidable ; and his catch-phrase It gets just a little monotonous, "d'youfollow "-ensures attention. the Gray tale of triumphs. Not He is a product of Haileybury that he has not been defeated ; and of a foreign education which not, even, that he has not a makes him virtually tri-lingual, monumental " chuck " or two to Spanish and French being almost Tecord (remember that grand slam as native to him as English. in Iceland, Mr. Simon ?) But he During the war, he served with " chucks " less than any other the R.A.F. (F/L.) Radar branch player-and yet he is no mere and spent much of his time in machine automat-, Bomb Alley ically playing counteracting from impeccable stuff. the ground the He allies to that ''GRAY'' German robot almost mechanical . menace. precision a flair associated more Sparing in his use of drink, usually with more temporamenlal immoderate in his consumption of hit-or-miss performers: a flair tobacco, Harrison-Gray has devoted based, very largely, on an accurate the bulk of his thought to bridge. psychological assessment of the He, captaining the team of Simon, other three players, and elephantine Marx (J.C.H., not "Alf ") and memory for the weakpesses they ·Macleod, revolutionised card-play have revealed in the past, and a just before the war. And when pachydermatous imperturbability uneasy peace returned, he took while actually in play. Away from his pia ce automatically and the table, he can be (and was, in immediately at the head of the game certain stages of the Battle of again : not only on past reputation Copenhagen) as nervous as a cat. but on present performance. Harrison-Gray is in his middle No word of Gray would be forties and started playing bridge complete without mention of his in a threepenny game. Even as a wife, Stella: that small, dynamic, novice he was so much better than fearless-tongued, Egyptian-featured his experienced company that he partner whose own game carried graduated from three to six to bob her to the ill-fated Ladies' Trials to the wicked half-crown game at and whom-proof of her excellence the old Lederer's where so many -e\·cn her husband can today of our ranking experts learned watch playing a difficult hand what it takes to play real bridge. without wincing. 13 FULL CIRCLE by K. Schleyen The school . of thought represented in this article tvould hm:e delighted the late Col. Buller, rcho detested strict standards; and r,·ould, similarly, have outraged the late Dr. Stern, rl'lzo rigidified the game. No-Trumps these days are ' variable ' only on the Acol theory : light when not vulnerable, strong tl'lzen game-in. The jouRNAL gladly gives space to an adr:ocate of the really • variable' No- Trump : the mystery-bid rl'lzic/z lear:e.s the whole table i11 the dark.
" S TRONG No-Trump, Consider the following deal from. partner ? " is a common a tournament : enough question between + 92 . strange partners who usually agree y>AK.J875+2 on some amorphous form of Two 0 KS Club. And today a minimum of 16 points is normally required for + K the Strong No Trump, with a + A J 10 6 + + Q73 2 count of 26 between the two \?3 \? 10 6 hands for a good chance of game. 0. QJ 9 4 0 10 8 3 + Q62 + 9 8 7+ The Culbertson dictum of the + K8 'thirties-Never bid No-Trump \? Q 9 if you · can open with a suit-still 0 A 762 clings to the memory, and affects A J 10 53 the game, of most players; who + will rather open even a minor Almost everyone opened the suit ; and .the opening One No bidding on the South cards with Trump has become the most a mi11'or suit. Almost every \Vest under-estimated gambit m the butted-in with a Spade-and the game. party was over. No pair succeeded in reaching the proper slam bid. 1 Just consider the advantages of One North " shot" a Heart slam, the call : but a Spade opening put it down (i) The No-Trump game is the at trick 2. cheapest; \Vest's intervention was not o\·er (ii) It cuts out cheap inter risky : he was not vulnerable ference by the opposition ; against vulnerable opponents, so (iii) It gives your partner that a double would not cost much confidence to bid· a distributional more (if any) than the 500 points hand; for a orth-South game. (iv) It gives your partner the One pair alone reached the strong~st encouragement to double. proper contract. Here South -:, opened with a No-Trump on a * This is a vulnerable No-Trump on mere 1+ points.* This South did 110 e'-:-isting systtm. Too weal~ not care for a minor opening and, for Acol, CAB, Two Clubs, with support in all four " colours" Vienna, it is too strong by tl wanted to encourage his partfler. poi11t for Baro11 and the wrong Over this. call, be it noted, West shape for Culbertson. passed : his best defence since he CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL had hopes of beating a No-Trump "shot" a triumphant Spade game with four Spades and the honour. One off. necessary entry in East's hand. In the other room, the same , ·In any event, a double of Two contract was reached-by the Spades (with the "strong" No- route: 1-2-3 No-Trumps. West Trump on his right) was a thing made the normal Heart lead and rightly to be feared. the hand spread for 5. North jumped direct to Six Sometimes only in the post Hearts: with a No-Trumper mortem is a makeable game opposite, he could scarcely do apprehended. less, for the trump suit was surely • 7 solid. ~ J 10 8 5 42 0 96 South now came into the picture + QJ92 again. North had, obviously, no Seven ambitions or he would have + K Q J ~ . 5 + 10 9 +2 ~A3 ~976 sought for more information. OKQ OJ82 South's . present concern was to + 8543 + A76 protect the Spade King for, if • A: 8 2 the slam in Hearts is cold, (say, ~ KQ because North has a singleton . 0 A 10 7 54 3 Spade), a No-Trump slam will be K10 · ·equally cast-iron and will also + give a better match-point score. When South opened the ball He bid 6 NT and achieved the with a Diamond and West bid a o"uly makeable slam. Spade, North passed and the bidding ended with 3 + -a Another point : if a pair of contract far from easy to defeat. partners, exhaustively exchanging · But where South opened a information, bid " all over the No-Trump, North, knowing he shop," they may well ~~ve a~vay could rely on support both in a defence to the opposttton-and Hearts and Clubs, embarked on his · it may be a defence otherwise 6-card suit- and scored a game. unattainable. For against an Opening No-Trumpers "work " ultimate 3 NT, the lead ' is all admirably when there is a freak on important r "· • to both sides ! which both sides are in jeopardy Consider: (though unrealised) from the start : WEST EAST • 10 9 7 6 2 AS 973 ~ 985+3 K92 A 105 4 0 10 7 K:Q9 A842 + K KQJ 86 10 5 + KQJS+3 + - The " normal " bidding went: ~ ~ KJ 10 7 6 2 1 + 1 <::/ 0 QJ986 3 0 2 3 + 3 0 + 9 + AQ85+ 3 3 NT + A S North, on lead, held : ~ AQ 0 AKS+ + Kj6 ~QJS7 O J1065 + +3 + J 10 7 6 2 and, out of fright-cum-de.spair, (l"un liiiUttl 1111 Jl What did he do for bridge ? My mind travels back to that now Ju~t this-with his friend Jack Marx fabulously remote year in 1931, when he mvented, practised and finally ~he gold pound s.terling was foundering standardised the British type of game. m the economtc blizzard and the He lived to see his methods sweep the Prime Minister had mysteriously board at Copenhagen. changed his role from villain to hero in the political melodrama. It was a He taught his team-mates to play wet lute summer . Sunday afternoon and to laugh. and I was paying my visit to a Bridge He gave us a new bridge language. Club, the Acol Club near my home in Skid lived to the age of 44-by a Hampstead. I found it peopled by series of miracles. He crossed the quite a few odd characters. One of busiest street, nose buried in a book. the oddest was a person of eccentric He dismounted from buses travelling manners and appearance who at first at full speed, nose still buried in a repelled me, then fascinated, and . book. l:le once walked through a finally completely captivated me- plate glass window during a Telegraph and all in the course of a single final. afternoon and evening. And so there began an association that for me, at Sent upstairs to spruce himself before any rate, has been quite unique. a. Congress prizegiving, Skid .was Within the restricted sphere of the ,. disovered by an irate lady inmate of game of Bridge, I became aware of an the hotel, calmly brushing his hair in affinity between our two intellects that front of her dressing table. Not in I have never experienced, before or the wrong room, as he indignantly since, with any other person in any stated-merely on the wrong floor. sphere whatever. Our minds seemed One remembers the mane of black to be so harmonised that I came to r . hair, the shuffling gait, the unlaced regard Skid, in the bridge sense, shoes ; the moment of agony when almost as my alter ego, and it is thus we went up to get our cups, wondering th~t I have ever since regarded him. whether (as usual) the more important And in getting to know Skid the buttons had been left undone. bridge-player, one of course got to In his books, on the radio, at the know Skid the man. One came to bridge table, he guyed everybody. recognise an immense vitalitY of Most of all ht; guyed himself. intellect, both genuinely creati\· ~ and Dishevelled-but with an e.xotic honestly critical, obscured though it taste in ties and sportswear ; disgrace often was by a mask of almost ful, but with a world of grace in the maddening absent-mindedness and ,. tum of a phrase, the reversing of a self-absorption. It was this mask dummy-he was the greatest ·character that was one of Skid's most endearing to adorn the bridge world. qualities. He might embarrass vou by joining. you for a drink clad in a Skid. has gone. dinner-jacket and grey flannel trousers With him has gone half the fun in or by addressing a stately dowager at bridge. the bridge-table, u complete stranger to him, as " laddie," but somehow vou * * * * never felt anv real resentment-it ~vas just Skid. Anything in the nature of a AN APPRECIATION qunrrel with Skid, e\'en a tiff of a moment's duration, was quite un by Jack Marx imagineable. He was about the one person I have known in whom I have HETHER I was Simon's oldest felt I could forgive almost anything. friend in the world of Bridge W I am not altogether sure, but And though at times one was he was certainly mine as, until the tempted to laugh at him, far more end, he remained my closest. And in often one was laughing with him. this sorrowful hour some crumb of There is one word that I shall alwa\'S comfort can be gleaned through associate with Skid and that is the expressing as best I may a little of plain English word" fun." He brought what I have felt about him. more fun into my life than anybody CONTRACT DRIDGE JOURNAL I ha\·e e\·er known. Everything you The three protagonists come f~om did with Skid was fun, everything different parts of the globe-an lndmn, connected with him was fun. And a Turk and a Chinese. The game. though he might poke fun at others they are playing is three handed, and rather fancied himself as a halfpenny a hundred, Auction Bridge. " debunker," it was never. malicious The wretched Kibitzers are itching to fun, it was ne\·er loaded with the sting play and even more eager to take pa~t of personal rancour. Part of the fun in the post-mortems but there . 1s I was of course · his unique idiom of nothing doing because the semor I expression. I have heard it \'ariously cosmopolitan trio do not want' to . be I described as " telegraphese." " utility disturbed and no one has the gumption i language," and other things. But no to start a fresh game. Besides, there ! description really did it justice. To is so much to learn from these three appreciate it you had to hear him players. Their word is law, their play· himself speaking it. is perfect. I Skid's earlier life was, I ·think, one But wait a minute-who is that of rather widely fluctuating fortunes, freshman walking in now ? Is he but his friends rejoiced when in recent coming to watch ? He is not. He has I years success and fame and happiness had the nerve to cut in, if you please. t seemed to ha\·e come his way at. last. he docs not want to play" Cut-Throat" They grieve the more that there was either. He insists on four handed granted him so little time wherein he Bridge and, what is more, gets away ~ might enjoy them. Of his success and with it, as we all cluster round t(} fame the world may judge, and of his watch the big headed, tousle haired happiness · there is no doubt in the newcomer take his medicine. A few minds of those who ever spent even minutes later the cosmopolitan trio's a few minutes in the company of reputation has been completely himself and Carmel together-:-herc shattered by a barrage of good natured, there seemed the almost ideally happy devastatingly witty comments. An partnership. And delightful it has hour later we are all fighting to cut been to descend uninvited on their into the game and for weeks and \,·eeks flat in Balier Street, to talk the current to come I have to cut out my lunches, gossip, to discuss the week's s'ensational give up cinemas, sell mv stamp bridge hands, to chortle over the latest collection, neglect my lect~es, all tri.umphs (and almost as frequent because something very ·exciting, very crashes) of the " Simon double," and amusing and very pleasant has happened to be di,·erted by the posturings of to me-l have met Skid. ~ . the third member of the household, the cat Yum-Yum, whose standards I g:we up Bridge after m\· student. I of behaviour seemed at least as days and was foolish enough not t(} I uncom·entional 'as her master's. These keep in touch with him. Seven years things can never be again, but neither later I met him by accident and took can they e\·er be quite forgotten. great care not' to lose him again. It was. \~ · orth while t.aking up Bridge agam JUSt to play With him and listen * * * * to him. It was also with Skid that I ha~ my first experience of Greyhound EARLY DAYS mcmg nt \Vembley Stadium. Of by Pedro Juan course, even in that great Stadium his first appearance had to creat~ a The rime is the late twenties-the c~munotion for he insisted on taking a place is the London School of hgh.t fo.r his cigarette from a Economics, boasting of all modern gestJculntmg, white glovl'd gent perched amenities for its students. There is o_n a stool (the correct expression is a lunch-hour dnnci.ng, all types of indoor t1c-tac) thereby !learly ruining a set of sports, dramatic society, debating bookrn~kcrs domg business on the society etc. But to your humble other s1de of the track. servant the chief attraction is II table ~or many years some of us played in the corner of the Common Room Bndge and went racing rejoicing in .. where three people are sitting down, the co~l?any of that lm·able and ever playing, with ubout six of us wutching. cntertammg personality. Last night in 18 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL the heavy dullness of his absence one He was subject to quick fits of rnge, of the gang murmured selfishly: " \Vc quickly subsiding. Chess brought out have been robbed." the worst in him. I conceded him a h~ndicap, that of taking back, within * * * * limits, any move which subsequent P ORTRAIT developments showed to have been impolitic. When the limits were by Terence Reese plainly exceeded, he would deny it with the angry incredulity of a small Looking through some old magazines boy playing cricket on the sands and 1 came across a description I wrote of a declared by an older brother to be • · _· trip to Belgium before the war. The out lbw. Another situation which train left Victoria at 11.15 and one always infuriated him was when at line from the dinr'y read : bridge he thought he had been diddled ·., 11.13. Skid arrives, reading Daily b)• nn opponent's unethical conduct. Telegraph. 'Valks into sweet " Thauk you, Mr. so-and-so," he would, machine." sav, shaking with anger. " Self lost I don't think I cim improve on that temper," he would say later, describing as a pen picture, so I won't try. the incident. Did he ever use the first person pronoun ? I cannot remember Bridge was outwardly the link that he did. He never said " the." between us, but we spoke of the game very seldom. The memories of him As a tournament bridge player, ;md that come to mind are as a punter on of course as a writer on bridge, he the terraces at Stamford Bridge, as an was in the top flight. In the last ~,· o years there was some very foohsh indignant but persistent player duri~g talk, by players who had not a _quarter night duty i~ the A.R.P., a_s. a ce.Iebnty of his flair for the game, suggestmg that smoking a ctgar and playmg hts best he was past his best. He disproved in front of a gallery, as good company, this, if proof was needed, . at good-natured, and good fun whatever Copenhagen. There he played wnh he was doing. ' three different partners and scarcely His routine as a punter seldom played a wrong _card. varied. He would arrive by ta.xi And now, what can one say ? He (always " cab ") full of theories and will always be very much ali_,·e for ~e . enthusiasm. If outsiders did not turn A "Skid" joke is timeless, tf anythmg up in the first few races, by the fourth is · "Skid would have said" . . . . I rnce it would be "Give pound." By shall use those \\·ords many, many times. the sixth race would come the gruff demand "Cash cheque." The Editor, . He had his moment of triumph when Cou/ract Bridge Jounrnl. a very long shot came up, payi!lg £2 DEAR Sm, for a win and 15s. a place. Whtle ~he it is with profound sorrow that I more serious bettors were comment~ng sourly on this latest example of canme Jearn of S. j. Simon's sudden death. eccentricity and the' palpable knavery I did not know him intimately of the kennel stuff, he would_ approach although I met him . many times at brandishing n couple of 2s. tickets and Duplicate and somettmes nt rubber say' with lordly air " Presume nil had, Bridge. I never ceased to be thrilled this." ' · when sitting nt the same table. A measure of his charm was that A great and well loved personality ·his few foibles. were among his most has passed, all too soon, from our endearing qualities. midst. . Like many humourists, he too_k He did much for the game which himself ruther' seriously. Among Ius we nil Jove and I with many others closest friends his nickname was mourn his untimely passing. "The Author." He would hold c~urt My deepest sympathy goes to his among his admirers with great rehsh, wife. and in every field, bridge, _literary, or Yours sincerely stage, he extrncte~ the maxtmum from his role of celebnty. C. D OHERTY. ·. I CRIME AND PUNISHMENT I by M. Harrison-G ray . The bidding calls for 48 lit~e comment. The Icelanders m I + A63 Room z used an opening 1 NT I ~ Q74 based on the .Vienna ·system, but 0 92 responder is permitted to pass I • 10 9 7 53 with no values. Two Clubs, • Q8742 therefore is a conventional negative • J9 response,' but still means " I h ave ~ 10 9 8 6 ~ J2 I 0 J743 0 Q1085 something." + AQ4 • J~ With the same favo1.1rable open + K 105 ing lead, both declarers set abo~t ~ AK53 developing tricks in the Club smt. 0 AK.6 The British South won the first • K.62 trick in his own hand and returned Dealer, South. North-South + 2 ; he planned to lead the next Game. Club from dummy, hoping that East held + A. But East, winning Bidding-Room 1 with + J, switched to 0 10, and the contract was doomed. SouTH WEsT NoRTH EAST 2 NT No bid 3 NT The Icelandic South in Room 2 ~ 10 led. South made 8 tricks. (star player Einar Thorfinsson) 100 points to East--West. won the opening lead with dummy's ~ Q and led + 10 ; when + 8 appeared from East he played low Bidding- Room 2 from his own hand, and from this SouTH WEST NoRTH EAsT point the defence was helpless. 1 N_T No bid 2 + No bid Although West switched to t 2 NT No bid 3 NT Diamonds after winning with + Q Thorfinsson's next play was + K. ~ 10 led. South made 10 tricks. which effectively cleared the suit for l 630 points to North-South. the loss of two tricks. CoMMENT There seems little to choose between ~hese two lines of play. Britain's closest call in the • The pumshment for the British European Championships at crime- if a crime at all- was seYere · Copenhagen was against Iceland, b~t . fort':lnately superior sla~ who fielded for this match the btddtng m the closing stages same players that inflicted a enabled our players to " win " the resounding defeat on a touring m~tch by the margin of 2 match British team last year. Our players pomts. Once again the hazards of had to contend with a loss of 9 a short match of 32 boards, where international match points on the s~ much can depend on a single abov~ hand. vtew, are clearly exposed. :!0 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL 49 + AJ6 of Sweden are probably the equal <:/9 of any pair in the world ; they 0 AKJ 10 have been regular partners for + Q10943 some 15 years ; how then can one • Q5 + K8732 explain such a ludicrous mis <::; KJ742 COMMENT BOURNEMOUTH If Britain could point to a Bridge Club, residential. Situated in fine residential district of measure of bad luck in the" Bournemouth. preceeding hand, fortune certainly Attractive, spacious, freehold property smiled on our team when this deal standing In delightful grounds of about 1 1/3 aore. Owner retiring after 23 cropped up in the closing stages years. 200 Mombors. 16 Bedrooms, most with C.H., basins H. & C., gas of the match against Sweden. or oleotrlo fires. 4 bathrooms. The small slam was smoothly Spacious domestic quarters. Dining room, lounge, bar, main card room bid in Room 1 by Dodds and Rayne. 45 ft. x 20 ft., 12-14 tables, also smaller room. Cloakrooms. Omoe, But although 6 + appears to be a eta. Catering lioenso and club lioonse. Ample soopo considerable develop lay-down " kibitzer's make,'• in ment. Well furnished throughout. practice the hand calls for careful Valuable property, equipment and management. Eddie Rayne, at the furnishings. £22,000. top of his ·form throughout the H:lOtVEY NICHOLS & CO ., ESTATE AGENCY week, made no mistake. '(Mr. w. F. Pearson, F.V.I.), The extraordinary debdcle in 120 Commerolal Road, Bournemouth. Room 2 calls for investigation. Telephone 1056. Rudolph Kock and Einar Werner 21 PORTLAND PAIRS PROTEST The Editor, I submit that the first respon The Contract Bridge Journal. sibility of the E.B.U., the B.~.L., the L.C.C.B.A. and other orgamse~s 'Sir :- Around the end of January, of big scale bridge tournaments Is my partner ·and I played in the to organise. This is no more than first round of the Portland Cup a courtesy due to members. Pairs and qualified. The first word Is it not then essential ~hat pro -either of us had of the further grammes for national competitions arrangem~nts for this event' was should be prepared on an annual on Tuesday, July 20, when we basis, embodying, as a matter . of received a circular fixing the after routine, not merely the dead-lme noon ·. of Saturday, July 24 for dates for the preliminary rounds, the next round. but also the dates - with alterations, Tomb-like silence for six months if deemed necessary - for the semi and then four days' notice com finals and finals ? The early bined with a request for ·a reply by possession. of such information, .return . mail I would help competitors to plan It is a moot point as to which ahead in order to keep themselves was the more irritating : the lapse free for such events ; for obvious of time before any announcement reasons, it would -~)so simplify the .came,' or the ·· peremptory and task of those who organise local ·inflexible tone of the contents, when and club competitoins, eve~ though .at long last, it did arrive. some adjustments might prove As my partner was away on his necessary eventually to fit in with .summer holidays and I had an International contests or Con urgent prior engagement for gresses. Saturday, July 24, we perforce ·withdrew from the competition. There is no question that a I do not know how many other little additional forethought and I· preparation would add much to the I .competitors \Vere similarly affected, but, however large or small the enjoyment of bridge tournaments ; I proportion of withdrawals may have conversely, their popularity will been, there is a principle involved wane unless more consideration is ·which obviously is more important given to the convenience of those than the fact that poor staff work who take pa_rt in them. prevented this or that player from Yours faithfully, -competing further. · ------CEDRIC RAPHAEL. This-one of the many protests on the subject- requires an .answer. The B.B.L., which controls the Portland Pairs, farmed it out to the E.B. U. The Seecretary of the E.B. U. appealed to the Hon. Secretary of the L.C.C. B.A. to help him out by rwming the Final. A date was set, which con flicted with other events ; a 11ew date was set- but the Secretary of the ·E.B. U., assuming. incorrectly that Lo~1don'.s Secretary was handling the whole matter, omztted .to send o~1t notijicat1qn~ .... which, in fact, he could not do, as. the lists were 111 the E.B. U. s hands. This note is by way of explanatzon: uot apology-although we feel that atl apology is 1111questionably required.-EDITOR. 22 l BRIDGE ·fLAPPER by V. ·H. Walker F all the v 'arious who misunderstood the redouble conventions that have ever and passed it blissfully, thus 0 been invented, there can increasing an already enormous be few more dangerous to in penalty. different performers than the Flap, Similar trouble is also occurring or S.O.S., Redouble. · when cue-bidders have the mis The primary purpose of the. fortune to play with a palooka as redouble is to show . strength partner. that 'the declarer re-affirms his The hand below satisfied ·nobody ability to make the contract. Only and proved a four-edge weapon when it cannot possibly mean this all round the Table. should it be taken as a Flap Redouble. \? QJlOxxx The most common use of it 0 XX ·occurs when a player has · opened ·- + A7xxx / a rather dubious suit on a balanced + Ax + 9xxxxx hand. The opening is doubled \? AKxxx \1) XX informatorily on left, passed' by 0 K Q J lOx 0 8xxx partner and passed for penalties + O + x by the right-hand opponent. + KQJxx Declarer, feari~g a complete \?- disaster, redoubles to ask partner 0 Ax to bid anything, no matter what, + KJlOxxx in the hope of avoiding it. . . The bidding went as follows : This could be an example of SouTH WEST NoRTH EAsT such a situation : · 1 + (a) 2 + (b) No (c) No (d) -+AJxx \?A~Oxx OA9x + Ox Dble (e) Rdb (f) No No (g) The opening bid of 1 Spade is No (h) doubled and passed twice. Declarer (a) The opening (except ~m Tedoubles, imploring part:ter to Vienna) should be 1 + - pnmanly .say something and hopmg to because it is the longer suit and heaven that the something will any 6-5, expecting to be forced, not be Clubs. needs length in Trumps ; secondly A bid of 2 Hearts at ~his stage . because, even with two 5-card might be even more fatal-being black suits, modern technique .one trick higher. prefers a Club to gi,·e more In this case the redouble cannot bidding room. conceivably be a sign of strength, (b) Reasonable game-force in .as the double shows adverse the red suits ; a double on a .distribution in the secondary suits two-suiter is not aqvisable. .and the penalty pass i~dicates the (c) Foolish. The hand cannot position of the outstandmg Spades. anticipate an ultimate E-W Heart Nevertheless, the convention contract. must be used with c.aution. There (d) Criminal. The bid must .are innumerable stories of partners be 3 0 . (co11ti11ued 011 page 26) 23 AROUND-.THE COMPETITIONS NATIONAL PAIRS Final of the Nati01ml Pairs This year the E.B.U. inaugurated This was a two session event played the innovation of holding three district in London on July 18. Pairs Championships- the North of Harrison-GraY and Konstam took England, the Midland Counties and the the lead after the first session with 19+ South of England Pairs-as qualifying match points, followed by Reese and events for the Final of the National Shapiro 189, Niman and · Fell third fairs. Eight Pairs from the South and with 181 and Rivlin and Joseph fourth four each from the Midlands and North with 178. The two leading pairs, fresh (the numbers being proportional to from their triumph in Copenhagen, the entries) were to compete in the were favourities-but scores 'were very Final for the National Pairs Champion close and anything could happen. ship. Reese and Shapiro carried all before · The entry of nearly 300 Pairs was them in the second half and won a really encouraging surprise• . decisively with 383. Gray and Konstam with 362 were clear Runners Final of the North of England Pairs Up. \Vinners. Mrs. Hadfield and Rivlin and Joseph did well to finish . S. Addison (Sheffield). third, passing Niman and Fell who Runners Up. J\!Ir. and Mrs. R. had an unlucky second session but were F. Com·en (Leeds). still fourth. 3. Major G. Fell and R. Niman Leading Scores : (Leeds). Winners. J. T." Reese and +. :Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Gregory B. Shapiro . . 383 (Darlington). Runners Up. J\!I. Harrison-Gray Final of the ll1idland Counties Pair.< and K. \V. Konstam . . 362 3. S. Rivlin and S. Joseph 3+6 Winners. R. D . F. and D. F. H. Bland +. R. Niman and G. Fell . . . . 331 (Nottingham). 5. Mrs. Flemmich and Mrs.Haslam 329 Runners Up. H. Bail~y and Dr. J. 6. J. Nunce and J. S. Wronker 327 C. MacFarlane (Derby). 7. J. Maskal and M. \Volach . . 320 3. Mrs. 0. J. B. Cole and Mrs. F. Millett (Leicester). PORTLAND PAIRS +. S. Joseph and S. Rivlin (Leicester). T.he 1~ Pair Final was played in two Final of the South of England Pairs sessiOns rn London on July 25. ·winners. J. Pavlides and S. J. G. Unfortunately, lamentablv short Brookes (London). notice and choice of date d~prh· ed a Runners Up. J. T. Reese and B. substan.tial proportion of the Clubs Shapiro (London). ' competmg-notably those in the South 3. J. Nunce and J- S. \Vronker of England-~rom full representation. (London). T~e field, ultimately consisted of five +. W. Muska! and M. Wolach Pmrs from London (two from Lederer's (London). two from the Gloucester Club and on~ 5. lVI. Harrison-Gray and K. W. from Crockford's), two from Leicester Konstnm (London). and one each from Aysgarth (Leeds), 6. H. J. Abrahams and A. lgel Bo~rnemouth, Derby, Gloucester, (London). Gnmsby, Newport and \Vorthing 7. Mrs. Flemmich and Mrs. Haslnm N. Nelle and R. Butcher, of Lede;er's (Dournemouth). . Clu~, we.re leading after the first 8. R. Evnns and Mrs. G. Barnett s~.ssiOn With a .score of 217, There (Dournemouth). \\,Js a substantml gap, and grou ed closely were second, J\!Irs. l'\'1. rvfac All the above qualified to play in the Donnell and Mrs A 'lder (Gl Cl · · -~ oucester Final of the National Pairs, but, . ub, . London) 169 ; equal third unhappily, the date or the distance J. Femmesscr ·md J S fl ki' prenmted the lending two North of (Lederer's Club) 'wit!J R. E za ars ·d, England Pairs and the Runner Up Mrs G · ·vans an Midland Pair from competing. · · Barnett (Rh·iera Club Dournemouth) 165 ., fifth , R . N'tman • CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL and J . Kean (Aysgarth Club) 162 · the 3,000 advantage dwindle to 300. sixth, E. Mayer and M. Harrison-Gray Earnest conference resulted in the (Crockford's Club) 161.It was ex Captain's decision to face Figgins, who pected that to Lederer's Club might was not at his best, and leave Hayward well fall the honour of winning this and North unchanged. event for the second successive year. The latter decision proved right, and The prophets were right, but. it was they produced sterling stuff for the the other Lederer's Pair- Feinmesser last 16 boards. Mrs. MacDougall and Szaflarski ;-who pulled up with a herself had an almost impeccable second session score of 207 (66%) to session and the Elliott team, exhausted a well deserved win with 372. by their pre-break effort, lost by 2,900. H. Crammer and S. Josephs, of the Pomp and Circumstance, in the Leciester Bridge Circle, were only just presence of E.B.U. Chairman Geoffrey behind with 370, having pulled up from Butler, were present to hand over the equal ninth at half time. Their session Cup at the end of a match which, for of 217 (a fraction under 70%) was sheer length of time consumed(just really magnificent. Josephs, in partner under a month for 64 boards) : mt!St ship with S. Rivlin had achieved rank with any American marathon. distinction only a week earlier by gaining third place in the National THE DUVEEN SHIELD Pairs. The Final of Division III between Maver ' and Harrison-Gra~· were the winners . of the Leagues-T. B. t hi rd ·with 336. Fortune was not so Simpson's team from the Sidcup Club, kind to Nelle and Buchler who fini~hed and D . Raper's May and Baker team, fo urth with 335, tieing . with Niman was quite as keen as was expected. and Kean, the pair which gained fourth At half time Raper led by a bare 90. - another good double performance. After 28 boards (had he but known it) Dr. J. C. MacFarlane and Mrs. D. was leading by' all of 1470, but the A. Farquhar recovered well from swings went against him in the last thirteenth place to finish sixth with four boards, and Raper's team, by a 188, after which they drove cheerfully margin of 270, have the honour of being home to Derby through what was left the second hdlders of this champion of the night, Evans and Mrs. Barnett. ship. were seventh with 320 and Mrs. 'MacDonald and Mrs. Alder eighth ORDER OF MERIT with 318. T he mon thly 11rizc of T wo Gn hu·as for tht• hcst set. of solutions in tht• .l u ne-.J uly Com· , SYDNEY WOODWARD CUP petition ls nwnrded to L. G. Wool! (Xeweastle on-Tync ) who scored :-lt! points. T he 64-board final of the Sydney S pecially Col/111/t' lld<'d : .1. E. Gordon ' Voodward Cup for Rubber Duplicate ( llromhorouJ,!h ) ;q; ,; , 11 . Grace (l'haslt•r) SO. was played-in two stages- between Cmmnrmlnl : '1' . ,; , )lcl'nrrick ( l rt•lantl) M rs. MacDougall's team ( orth, nnd c. Vlekcnua n ( llttt hh·r•ficltl l 711 : l'. E. l'hllllps (Northwlch ) 72; .1. II . llnatmnu Hayward, Figgins, Ramsey) and Arnold (St . Albans) 711 ; W . .1 . Tlhhs (Lt•t•tlsl us_; Elliott's quintette (Swimer, Savage, Dr. 11 . )fc)la hon (Thnntlc r•h•y) nml .-\.. \ . Preston and Grosser). Jtnhr ( llolton ) 1111. First session- a month before the The Slll'c ia l (trlzt• of Ten Gnhll•ns nlfcn•tl second :-resulted in a mis-boarding by LnH" kfonl's Cluh for tht• bt•st .nt.u~r:u:t"tt~ scure In tltt• six tnouthlr c·omp!'tlttnns from which involved the replaying of eight .Jnnua rr tn .Juru•·.lulr, lH..&S is uwartlt•t l to: boards. At the end of it, Mrs. Mac ( '. \'lt'la:ttll.l:" ( llutlch• rlll'ltl) whn •<·on•tl a tot:ol D ougall was 3,160 up despite an 800 of ·ltiS pul uts out of 11 f>osslhlc UUO. On r <'O U I:ratulatlo n ~ to tht• whuu•r. crash when Figgins and Ramsey came Couuw•wlt•t l : L. (i. \\·uotl ( X cwl'a~th··!lll· badly unstuck. Rumsey, with three T ynu) -IIIII · .1. E. Gortl ou ( llrumltornu"l!l ~a!l; of each of Figgin's suits, passed 5 C. E . l'hllliJ•M (Xorth wkhl - I f>~ : E ..1 . \~ utsou \\'llllums( llrlstoiHf>f> ; 1-: ..1. ll:o)·th•u( \1 t'LW)'t!l Diamonds when H earts, which had .J;tf>; B. .J. Flctl'lll'r (Belfast) 42~ : Hr. K. been doubled at Four, was n make. Solem ( Hrislnl) ~~~~ ; 1.. I'. l'uymuu ("alfunll Second session started with a strong aucl .\ . \' . Hultr (llultnu) ~~ : 1. chall enge by Elliott, dinner-ja_cketed NoT •:.-.1 'li'U' .Si.r· .lluntMy Cmnp•:titioll ;·wn· 111 ,.,,.,., witlt 1'1fill .\lontl1'1 C..:mnpt•tlt.wn 011 t•~tu; • from a wedding and uccompamed by .,H 7'/w KJWI'iul pri!t' uf 'l't'll Guuu•; ax u•tlllw a sli ghtly browned -off Mrs. Elliott who ~u:1 zrdnl }or tlw fu•st flf/1/fl'f/fllt• in IIH' Hir uwulhlu had hoped to dance. A bad patch by f'IIUI]It ' litiot~ll jrum .IIIUIIIII 1H.J-\ lu .fllllllllflf the Gloucester team in both rooms saw ltl·I U, int'/HIIil't'. CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL BRIDGE FLAPPER (cont.) FULL CIRCLE (cont.) (e) Lunatic. West is in a jam. Few 'Vests would refrain from Leave him there. overcalling any South opening with Spades. 'Vhenever Sou.th {f) An Unlucky Expert bid: opened a minor, North was qu1te technically correct to rouse East content to keep his mouth shut. from his dream ; psychologically Two Hearts were automatic from indefensible with a partner already If branded as hopeless by the first East. South opened his mouth again (2 NT) he was doubled and pass. Should bid 3 0. went down. (g) Criminal lunacy. W'here South opened a No (h) Sensible on the bidding Trump, West still bid his Spades there is no guarantee North fits but now North doubled at once. Clubs, and at least East-West are in the soup. POST-MORTEM Two Spades Redoubled was, in fact, two down, with a penalty, by "TENEX " not vulnerable, of 600. Seven No. 21 Clubs by North-South opponents is frigid, so the result satisfied • 086-1-2 <\) 4 2 nobody .• OK . North was cursed ,rol!-ndly by + J9753 his partner for not bidding the + K • J10 Hearts, when, presumably, the <\) 9753 <\? J86 Clubs would have come into action. 0 9 7 53 0 _-\ Q J 2 8 642 East received due blame for + + AKQ10 + A9753 keeping the Diamonds .under the <\)AKQ10 counter, and counter-attacked by 0 10 8 6 .j. saying, (a) that the redouble was + - a sign of strength in such a BIDDING situation ( !) ; and (b) that the bid of 2 + might very well have South, 6 Spades, East doubles. been genuine, for he knew of a West leads a Diamond, and 12 case where an "expert" had bid tricks are made. 2 Spades over 1 Spade holding East : I don't know which is the more outrageous- your bidding K Q J 10 X X X X.* or your luck. West replied acidly that if h~ South : The prize goes to your really thought that, he might partner's lead. 'Ve ought to have conceivably have raised them. had the lot. (a) Is there any lead which The rest of the post mortem was gives North-South the grand slam ? improper. (b) How do North-South take advantage of such a lead ? * JVithout a previous negative (c) How do East-\rest defeat double ?- EDITOH. the obvious line of plav ? (Sohttlon lll'Xt IIIOIIih) 26 SLAMWARD Ho (II) by A. G . Figgins HE bidding as described in Four _Clubs should not inspire my last article has gone as South w1th undue optimism. Since T follows: North 1 +. South if the suit were so long ahrl 2 0, North 2 The CONTRACT BRIDGE You, North, hold: JOURNAL offers · a prize of TWO GUINEAS for the best set of solutions + - ~KJ10x~ OJ10xxx + Jxx to the following problems. In the What should you bid ? event of two or more sets of solutions being of equal merit, the monthly 3. Your partner is M. Harrison prize will be divided. Gray. The bidding, at Game All, has gone: · Answers to CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL (Editorial Department) NoRTH EAST SOUTH WEST 13, Cannon Place, London, N.W.3, not 3 + No 3 • No later than Sept. 1st, 1948. Solutions 6 + No ? and names of prize winners, in both You, South, hold this whale : the June/July and the Six-Monthly + KQJxxxx ~AKxx 0- + xx Competitions, appear on page 25. What should you bid ? In this month's Competition-first of the new si.x-monthly series-! want 4. Your partner is Boris Shapiro. you to meet the British team. As you At Love All the bidding has gone : · partner each in turn, bear in mind WEST NoRTH EAST SoUTH that an expert is opposite you ; that their bids are logical ; that their 1 0 No 4 ~ No 5 + No 6 ~ No reasoning is correct-and that it is up No Dble No ro to you to follow their chain of implica Rdble No No No tion and inference and deduce accurately what your reaction should You, South, hold : be. Psychology and bridge knowledge • A j X X X X ~X X 0 10 X + X X X must both influence your answers. What should you lead ? There are 10 marks for each question. If you earn a total of 60, you are 5. Your partner is Edward Rayne. qualified to partner one of the victors At Game to East-West, the bidding of Europe in an open event. has gone : WEST ORTH EAST SouTH 1. Your partner is Terence Reese. 1 ~ 1 + Dble No 2 ~ No 4 ~ ? It is Game'AII. The bidding has gone: You, South, hold : SouTH WEST NoRTH EAST + KJ109xx \/xx 0- + Qxxxx 1 + 1 0 1 ~ 1 • 3 + No 3 • No · What should you bid-and why ? You hold: 6. Your partner is S. ] . Simon. + xxx ~x OKQx + AKQxxxx At Game to North-South, the bidding What whould you bid ? has gone: NoRTH EAST SoUTH WEST 2. Your partner is Leslie Dodds. 1 + No 1 • 2 ~ East-V/est only urc Game. The 2 • No 3 NT No bidding has gone : ? WEST NoRTH EAST SouTH You, North, hold : 1 + 1 ~ 2 . 3 ~ + A:ncx ~x OKxx +KQ Jxx 4 ~ No 4NT(b) 5 0 6 • ? What should you bid ? I ) \1 CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL 7. Your panner is Mrs ....-\. L. A slight prefr.rcncc is given t:> 2 VI Fleming. The bidding, at Game td as compared to 3 + , hecausc the East-\Vcst, has gone ' nnderbitfis less likelv to lead to trouble, \VEST NoRTH EAST SOUTH but there is not much to choose between I + No I VI 2 0 them. 2 NT doe3 not show tiJc true 2 + ' No 3 NT No picture but desen·es 4 points. 6 + No No Dble No No No PROBLEM No. 3 (12 points) 1 You, North, hold: J. East-West vulnerable. Dealer, South. + tOxxxx Vlxxx Oxx + xx~ East holds: \Vhat should you ·lend ? + AKQ76 Vl1032 OAK4 + QS The bidding goes : SouTH \VEST NoRTH EAST Answers to 4 VI No bid No bid What should East bid ? A.' CO.NTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL Regional Editors- Eire . . NoEL BYRNE North Eastern EWART KEMPSO N Northern Ireland A. J . FLETCHER North Western A. C. D oUG LASS Scotland H. KERsHAW Yorkshire Mns. L . L . BEOFORD Wales W. H. RICARDO London .. ALIBI .. Competition Editor-PEORO }UAN The CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL is the offici nl organ of the English Bridge Union. Publishers- PRIESTLEY STUDIOS, LTD., Phone COMMERCIAL ROAD, GLOUCESTI;:R. Gloucester 22281/ 3 All Bridge Correspondence to- ED ITOR, CoNTRACT Dn mcE JouRNAL, 13, CAN:>~ON PLAcE, L ONDON, N.\V.3 J __ ! JZ BRIDGE INDEX CLASSIFIED LIST OF HOTELS AND CLUBS BRIGHTON & HOVE LONDON KINOSWAY ltEBIDENTIAI. lllliDO~; CJ,Ull l'AilK L.UiE liRIDGE CLUll-28 Cnrzon fi, Sallslmry Itmul, nove. Bridge Sessions Street, W.l . Tel. Gros\·enor 1460. Jtegular twlr.u dally. Luxurious rooms, excellent Duplicate Evcnln!!S. T.V. ~1. Cotter, Secretary. serYicu. Tl. anrl C. In all bedrooms. ~!embers liar. Enqulrlel! to resident Secretary, T. C. !Jol\s~;T Ct,un-:1-5 Olentworth 'treet, CA~IPDELJ,, Phone Hove 1730. linker i:itrcct, N.W. I. Tel. Welbeck 1030. llegulnr partnershiJ> and duplicate. Stakes 1/-, 2/6 und 10/-. HARROW LEDERRR'S-115 Mount Street, W.l. lfAilllOW 1\t