BRIDGE Number Ninety-one October 2008

FEATURES BRIDGE 1 Bubble Caption 53 Declarer Play Answers BIDDING QUIZ Competition by David Huggett by Bernard Magee 3 Bidding Quiz 55 Bidding Quiz Answers by Bernard Magee by Bernard Magee You are West in the auc - 4 56 Justin Corfield says tions below, playing 'Standard ' with a weak Cut-out Form Keep Control of the Suit no-trump (12-14 points) and 9 Dear Mr Bridge four-card majors. from Peter Stocken 57 Stephen Cashmore says Ryden Grange Don’t Put the Strong (Answers on page 55) 10 The Basics to Heroics Hand on the Table Knaphill, Surrey by Bernard Magee GU21 2TH 58 Defence Quiz Answers 1. Dealer West. Love All. 12 David Stevenson by ♠ 7 6 Answers Your Questions ( 01483 489961 59 Derek Rimington says ♥ A Q J 3 Fax 01483 797302 18 Julian Pottage Don’t Double the ♦ K Q 4 3 Answers Your Questions ♣ 4 3 2 e-mail : Opponents into Game 21 The Least of All Evils [email protected] West North East South by Freddie North ADVERTISEMENTS ? website : 22 No Thank You, Mr 2 Cape to Cape Cruise www.mrbridge.co.uk by Ned Paul Blackwood on Discovery 2. Dealer East. Game All. All correspondence should 24 Declarer Play Quiz 5 Christmas 2009 ♠ 4 2 be addressed to Mr Bridge. by Dave Huggett 6 Tunisia 2009 ♥ A 9 4 ♦ A Q 3 2 Please make sure that all 25 The Green Baize Cup Tutorial Software & ♣ A 10 9 2 letters, e-mails and faxes by Michael Scarrott Mail Order Form carry full postal addresses 28 Memories of West North East South and telephone numbers. 7 QPlus 9.1 John Armstrong 1♠ Pass by David Stevenson 8 Charity Bridge Events Managing Editor ? 29 Heather Dhondy says 13 Beach Hotel Mr Bridge Bridge Weekends Test Your Options 3. Dealer West. N/S Vul. Associate Editor in the Right Order 14 Theobalds Park ♠ A K 4 3 2 Julian Pottage 32 Bernard Magee says Bridge Weekends ♥ Q 4 3 Beware of 15 The New Yellow Book ♦ K 7 6 ♣ K 2 Technical Consultant Blocking Suits 16 2009 Summer Cruises Tony Gordon 33 A Walk in the Autumn On Board Discovery West North East South by Countryman 19 Blunsdon House Hotel 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass Bridge Consultant 34 Defence Quiz Bridge Events ? Bernard Magee by Julian Pottage 20 Marsham Court Proof Readers 35 Dave Huggett says Bridge Weekends 4. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A 2 Danny Roth Don’t Overuff with a 23 The Olde Barn Hotel Natural trump Trick ♥ 4 3 Hugh Williams Bridge Events 36 Andrew Kambites says ♦ A 3 2 Freddie North 24 Staverton Park ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 Grand Slams are Bridge Weekends for the Birds Software Support 30 Holiday Diary West North East South 37 Julian Pottage says Keep 1♣ 1♥ 2♣ 2♥ ( 01483 485340 34 2009 Diaries What Partner Can’t ? Events & Cruises 38 Born to Blush Unseen 39 Better ( 01483 489961 by Dick Atkinson 41 Stamps 5. Dealer East. Love All. Leanora Adds 40 August Bubble Captions 54 Global Travel Insurance ♠ A 3 2 ♥ 4 2 Jessica Galt 41 Readers’ Letters Club Directory Form ♦ A K 7 6 5 2 Holly Cobbett 47 Readers’ Letters 60 North Africa Cruise ♣ 5 4 Rachel Everett on the EBU P2P on board Discovery West North East South Address Changes 1NT Pass The views expressed in this publication are not ? ( 01483 485342 necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.

Page 3 RENEWED OFFER USED STAMPS BUBBLE CAPTIONS CHRISTMAS Following the Guide Dogs for the Blind organisation giving up on the accumulation of used stamps, I am sending them one last cheque. I have chosen in future to Our Christmas event this raise funds for a small year is hosted by Sandy Bell. charity which has an She is supported by the usual orphanage and school in strong team. Ethiopia, called Little Voice. The small sums of money It will be held at Denham Any version of Duplicate we will raise will seem vast Grove, Uxbridge. A Our wonderful cartoonist, Bridge Rules Simplified that to them and I urge you all to comfortable De Vere Marguerite Lihou, has does not have 2008 on the save your used stamps and conference centre set in 40 chosen the following six front cover is obsolete. Any send them to me. Buckinghamshire acres. use of an out of date rule captions as winners in the All bedrooms are within the book should be discouraged In turn, I have a sponsored bubble caption competition. FREEPOST service to my main building and half are to say the least. Touching suits! address until 31st October on the ground floor. There is Mr D J Fishley, Bucks. Please take up my offer to but please, only collections easy access to all the bridge exchange your old yellow of stamps, no other A couple of cards on rooms, leisure pool and other book for just seven first class correspondence or orders. holiday. facilities, making this an stamps and half a cover from Please respect this. Mrs Julia Farmer, Cornwall. ideal Christmas venue. any previous edition. In addition to the adjacent I will keep you informed of Mixed pairs play away! This offer is extended until programme, hosted rubber or what is raised. The used Mrs B. Povey, Herts. 31 October. Please tell your stamps from this office alone Chicago bridge will be Minor Deception. friends. Everyone should for June and July has already organised for all those who Mr S J Connor, Herts. have their own yellow book. produced a cheque for £27. want it. Jack the Lad’s latest DIRECTORY POSTAGE SAVINGS squeeze! TWIXMAS Mrs Jill Clark, Herts. Chris Barrable and Ann Partnership understanding. Pearson host Twixmas, Mr P A Bell, Hexham. 27-29 December. This will follow the established Congratulations. pattern of a weekend event. Each winner has been sent a See the adjacent programme. Clive Goff is a loyal bubble caption competition, advertiser. He supports this bone china mug. NEW YEAR free publication by providing Chris and Ann will also an unusual service. COVER STORY host the New Year Event, He supplies readers with a 29 December to 1 January, discount of at least 10% off see adjacent advert. As The compilation of the British postage stamps. Ring always, Mrs Bridge and I Bridge Club Directory is him on ( 0208 422 4906. will be along to meet making slow but sure everyone at the Gala Dinner Do say you heard it from progress but there are still on the evening of 31st. many clubs who have not as Mr Bridge. yet responded. See you there. LIMITED EDITION I believe that a directory DAY GUESTS should be complete, kept up- I have been waiting a long to-date and re-issued time to publish the cartoon Do give the office a ring if annually. on page 9 by Marguerite you would like to attend any Lihou. I like it so much, I of our weekend events I have included the form for have put it on 180 bone- Please send in your bubble without staying for bed and your club details on the cut- china mugs, £14.35 each. captions. These must be breakfast. This can also be out page opposite page 55. PROMISE bridge related and not be arranged for any part of the If your club has not yet more than seven words long. Christmas and New Year responded please do so as Bernard Magee’s crib sheet Entries must arrive by 20 programme, subject to soon as possible. will be in the next issue. October at the latest. availability.

Page 4 cHRISTMAS AT DENHAM GRovE Tilehouse Lane, Denham, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire. UB9 5DU.

Eight executive rooms: £50 supplement cHRISTMAS per event. Half the bedrooms are on the ground floor. Please advise if you 24-27 DEcEMbER require a ground-floor room. £395 – Duplicate with Sandy Bell Rubber is also an available option _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ Example Programme

ChRiStMAS EVE Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... 1500 Welcome Desk open. Mulled Address ...... wine and mince pies . 1745 Welcome Reception (Black Tie ...... optional) followed by DINNER then BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) NEW YEAR ...... ChRiStMAS DAY 29 DEc-1 JAN 1030 SEMINAR or other games Postcode ...... (...... £355 – Duplicate with Chris Barrable (Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble etc) Please book me for ...... places, 1230 CHRISTMAS LUNCH Example Programme 1500 BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) Single ..... Twin ..... Double ..... or Queen’s speech 29 DECEMBER 1830 Festive Buffet DINNER followed by 1500 Welcome Desk open. Executive (twin or double) ..... BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) Mulled wine and mince pies . 1745 Welcome Reception followed by 24-27 Dec ...... 27-29 Dec ...... BOXiNG DAY DINNER then BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) 1000 SEMINAR followed by 29 Dec-1 Jan ...... All ...... Supervised Play 30 DECEMBER 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play 1000 SEMINAR then by Supervised Play Please give the name(s) of all those covered or (“novelty” bridge, duplicate pairs) 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play by this booking 1830 DINNER then BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) or duplicate pairs ...... 1830 DINNER then BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) 27 DECEMBER 1000 Informal Prize-giving SPECIAL REQUESTS NEW YEAR’S EVE These cannot be guaranteed, for Duplicate Section 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play but we will do our best to oblige. SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play 1230 Buffet LUNCH followed by or “novelty” bridge or duplicate pairs ...... BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) 1745 gALA RECEPTION (Black Tie optional) followed by a gALA DINNER then EXTRA NIGHT 27-29 DEcEMbER BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) Dinner, bed & breakfast Single £55pp, Double £35pp, £199 – Duplicate with Chris Barrable 2345 See in the New Year payable to the hotel on departure. Example Programme NEW YEAR’S DAY 23 Dec ...... 1 Jan ...... 27 DECEMBER 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play 1500 Welcome Desk open. Mulled 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 wine and mince pies . or duplicate pairs per person per event by cheque payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with your 1745 Welcome Reception followed by booking confirmation. On receipt of your DINNER then BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) final payment, 28 days before the event, a pro - gramme and full details will be sent together 28 DECEMBER with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play Should you require insurance you should con - tact your own insurance broker. 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play or duplicate pairs 1830 DINNER then BRIDgE (duplicate pairs) , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, 29 DECEMBER Surrey GU21 2TH 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play ( 01483 489961 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play Fax 01483 797302 or duplicate pairs [email protected] INSURANCE SORRY TO NAG Club Committees these days Please tell those of your have a duty to insure both friends whose copy of club and members for public BRIDGE has failed to arrive, AT THE ROYAL KENZ liability. The most that they are expected to competitive brokers I have re-register every two or three so far found are: years. BRIDGE is a free TUNISIA publication and helps me Moore Stephens Brokers, campaign for the reforms to 6 Raleigh House, the organisation and Admirals Way, administration of the game London, E14 9SN. that are desperately needed. ( 0207 5374992. Contact: Sylvia Donovan. Just providing a forum for Please mention Mr Bridge. debate among bridge players seems to be what is required, TUNISIA 2009 so I am reluctant to reduce The party hosted by Bernard the number of households to Magee at The Royal Kenz is which it is delivered. But now fully booked. In times are hard and are likely consequence, I have added a to get harder. Unless I further fortnight towards the receive the re-registration end of next year. 15-29 form cut-out from the page November. £749 per person opposite, your data will be inclusive, see adjacent deleted from my database. advertisement. However, complete issues from 87 onwards can now be Holidays outside the euro- found on my website: www. currency area are proving to mrbridge.co.uk/library. be really good value, so I have added another extra The first real yelp has come fortnight for later this year, from overseas recipients – I Two-week half-board but not hosted by Bernard. am truly sorry but the £699 per person. airmail costs are prohibitive. duplicate holidays This is why I have put the It is lovely and warm in full magazine on the web. 2008 November. Recharge your It’s not the same, but it has batteries before the onset of to be better than nothing. 2 Nov – 16 Nov £699* winter. Bookings for one week can also be arranged. E-MAIL ADDRESSES 2009 BERNARD’S CRUISE Both Julian Pottage and David Stevenson have been FULL 22 Feb – 8 March £699* allocated email addresses as 8 March – 22 March £699* has the EBU strategy debate. julianpottage 22 March – 5 April £699* @mrbridge.co.uk davidstevenson 15 Nov – 29 Nov £749* @mrbridge.co.uk ebustrategydebate *per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive @mrbridge.co.uk of bridge fees. Single supplement £5 per night. These prices are The 2009 cruise from based on air travel from Gatwick to Monastir. Flights from other Further e-mail addresses will UK airports are available at a supplement. All prices are firm until Harwich to Nice is Bernard’s 31 October 2008. Prices for seven-night stays are available on only cruise next year. He be added as the scope of my application. will host a large party of bridge services is extended. Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facing bridge players and their non- SINGLES room, tea & coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl of playing friends and family. seasonal fruit. I try, with some success, to During the eight-day cruise These holidays have been organised for by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933, match singles to share there are several days at sea, working in association with Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited, ATOL 1179. cabins, to make cruising an with lots of time to listen to affordable option for those seminars and play bridge. on limited budgets. DETAILS & BOOKINGS There will be other tutors on ( 01483 489961 board to teach those wishing Call ( 01483 489961 if to learn to play. you are interested.

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✄ ✄ TUTORIAL SOFTWARE ( 01483489961 with Bernard Magee PLAYSOFTWARE QPlus 9.1 £82.00 ...... ACOL BIDDING DECLARER PLAY Trade-in any previous l Opening Bids and Responses l Suit Establishment QPlus Book & Disk in No-trumps and just send ONLY £32.00 ...... l Slams and Strong Openings l Suit Establishment in Suits QPlus 8.8 £52.00 ...... l Support for Partner l Hold-ups TUTORIALSOFTWARE l Pre-empting £62 l Ruffing for Extra Tricks Acol Bidding £62.00 ...... l l Entries in No-trumps More Acol Bidding £92.00 ...... l No-trump Openings Declarer Play £70.00 ...... and Responses l Delaying Drawing Trumps Advanced £75.00 ...... l Opener’s and £70 Declarer Play Responder’s Rebids l Using the Lead l Minors and Misfits l Trump Control BOOKS l Doubles l Endplays & Avoidance Rules Simplified £5.95 ...... l Competitive Auctions l Using the Building Bernard Magee First Quiz Book £12.00 ...... Bernard Magee Second Quiz Book £12.00 ...... Hand Evaluation £14.00 ...... Tips for Better Bridge £12.00 ...... 2009DIARIES Standard Pillar Box Red £5.95 ...... Navy Blue £5.95 ...... Maroon £5.95 ...... Ivory £5.95 ...... Cambridge Blue £5.95 ...... LuxurywithKidrellCover &BallPointPen Bottle Green £12.95 ...... Ruby Red £12.95 ...... MORE ACOL ADVANCED BIDDING DECLARER PLAY All prices are fully inclusive. l Basics l Making Overtricks I enclose a cheque for £...... l Advanced Basics in No-trumps l Making Overtricks Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... l Weak Twos in Suit Contracts Address ...... l Strong hands l Endplays l Defence to Weak Twos ...... l Avoidance £75 l Defence to 1NT ...... l Wrong Contract l Doubles l Simple Squeezes Postcode ...... l Two-suited Overcalls l Counting the Hand ( ...... l Defences to Other Systems £92 l Trump Reductions & Coups , Ryden Grange, l Misfits and l Playing Doubled Contracts Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. Distributional Hands l Safety Plays www.mrbridge.co.uk System Requirements: Windows XP or Vista, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM Ready QOctober PLUS 9.1 The very best Acol-playing Software available

FEATURES SYSTEM HANS LEBER l The Usual Friendly Interface (see above) l 8mb RAM l Hint and Help Buttons – always at hand l CD-ROM l Easy Windows Installation l Pentium or equivalent l Comprehensive Manual Windows XP or Vista l Rubber, Duplicate and Teams Scoring l l Instant results playing in teams mode l 2,500 pre-played hands for teams l 2,000 pre-played hands for match-pointed TRADE-IN pairs including 1,000 new hands Trade-in any previous version of Check your pairs percentage and ranking W NE Systems include: several versions of Acol, Q Plus. Just post in the booklet and EW N including Bernard Magee’s system, Standard disk and a cheque for £32. American or create your own.

l £79.95 including postage

Make your cheque payable to and send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302 BRIDGE PLUS Q PLUS QUIZ GIFT HORSE cHARITY Sadly, Bridge Plus, the In the last issue, I asked you If you are a charity or a club, bRIDGE EvENTS monthly , to assume QPlus was the do send in your dates well in that I launched all of dealer, playing advance, to be included in OCTOBER 2008 nineteen years ago, has been with: the Charity Events strip. 4 ST ANNE’S CHURCH, KEW closed down by its current Always be sure to ask for 1.30 for 2pm-5pm. £12.50. Tea. owners, Finésse Bridge Ian Lewty ( 0208 876 3681 prizes when telling me about Books. It is to be absorbed ♠ Q 7 2 your work. No bona-fide 10 ORPHANS OF HIV AID SUFFERERS into Bridge Magazine and its ♥ K 4 3 fundraisers are ever refused. Hemingford Abbots Hall. £13.00 mail order business integrated ♦ A J 7 4 Paula Burghope inc. lunch. ♣ K J 6 ( 01480 461152 with that of Chess and Readers, where you can, Bridge of Euston Road. They please support these events. 11 HERTS BREAST CANCER UNIT plan to keep the Baker Street They can really be great fun. Age Concern Hall, Ware. £16 includes meal. 6:30-11pm. shop open – brave them. What would it bid? Ann Clare ( 01920 463299 PETER STOCKEN SILVER LINING I received (relatively) very 18 RNLI. Cheltenham Bridge Club few answers. I gave prominence to Sandra 11am-4pm. £12 includes lunch. Except for my exclusive ’s letter in the last Q Plus bid 1NT. The names Margaret Beverley. bridge products, all other issue of BRIDGE. The ( 01242 510193 and addresses of all the merchandise sold by Mr Chairman of the EBU has entries were pinged through 24 CHESHIRE HOMES Bridge Mail Order is now sent me this letter, which he the computer to re-register Hartford Village Hall. £13.00. available from Simon has also sent to all counties Malcom Howarth the entrants. The forms were Lucas Bridge Supplies. and affiliated clubs. As ( 01480 212910 not thought to be wanted, so ( 01672 519219. Sandra says, ‘it’s not too late.’ 25 ST MARYS CHURCH. £8.00. all were put out with the Primary School Hall, High St, I am sorry that some of you rubbish sacks. The lucky SECRET AGENDA? Swaffham Bulbeck. Includes tea. are disappointed that I could winners, pulled out just in Anne Datson: not sustain this full service. the nick of time are: [email protected] For over twenty years, I have However, the economies put forward any ideas I John Roebuck ( 01223 811722 Mr G Addison have enabled me to increase might have for the future 30 IAIN RENNIE HOSPICE AT HOME the number of pages of of Dorchester Naphill Village Hall. 9.30-4.30. course of the EBU, privately £18. Coffee, lunch & tea. BRIDGE I can send you Mr E C Foster and in confidence, to their M McConnell ( 01494 863084 with each issue. of Wallasey general manager of the day. 30 ST MARYS CHURCH, MANATON. LEAVING THE Mrs T C Chowles However, there are currently gunthorpe Hall, Rutland. 6 for of Bradford-on-Avon some people out there who 6.30-10.30pm £17 supper. ANTARCTIC claim to have a master plan. Caroline Barnaby-Atkins Mr A R Morgan ( 01572 737269 of Attleborough Could they please share it Sandra Lee ( 01572 737306 with all of us, especially the Mr S C Moore 31 MARLOW COMMUNITY EBU board. of Lisburn, Northern Ireland. ASSOCIATION. Liston Hall, Marlow What are they waiting for or 7-10.30pm. £48 per table. Supper. Congratulations. Each will Keith Brown ( 01628 486138 is it so much hot air? receive the 9.1 version of 31 MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT QPlus Bridge. YELLOW BOOK Knutsford golf Club. 7pm. £23 includes a two-course meal Hanne Fenby ( 01565 830453 NEW QUIZ This coming season is NOVEMBER 2008 Playing Acol (12-14 no- Discovery’s last in the trump) not vulnerable, what 3 FRIENDS OF EAST SUSSEX Antarctic and my seventieth would QPlus 9.1 open with HOSPICES. Rubber. 5.30-10pm. birthday cruise, the Cape to on the following hand? £40pp inc supper. glyndebourne. Cape, the very last one out. Kathy gore ( 01825 890494 The bridge is hosted by Tony 6 SOMERSET HOSPICE and Jan Richards and as ♠ J Barrington Village Hall, there are still some cabins Ilminster 2pm. £10 inc good tea. ♥ A K 8 Nichola grove ( 01935 822116 available. Those interested ♦ A Q 7 5 should see the advert on the ♣ A Q J 9 3 14 DISPLACED PEOPLE IN BOSNIA inside front cover. It really is Parish Centre, St John’s Road, Do take up the new for old the chance of a lifetime. Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead. exchange offer – just seven 9.30am-2.30pm. Includes lunch. Discovery’s future winter Answers on the cut-out form first class stamps. Nobody Pat Henry ( 01442 391087 cruises will be in and around opposite page 6 to reach me should be without their own 21 AIR AMBULANCE. £13.00. the Far East, opening up all by 20 October 2008. The yellow book. Village Hall, Hemingford Abbotts. sorts of possibilities for a first five answers agreeing Sheila Poval ( 01480 395394 new range of destinations. with QPlus receive a copy.

Page 8 DearMrBridge AreplytoSandraLandy’sarticlefromPeterStocken,theChairmanoftheEBU.

andra Landy’s article ‘It is not proceed. Masterpoint income and admit readily, the EBU of the past has too late!’ appears to fly in the membership income are inextricably not met the needs of its clubs and their Sface of a democratic process that linked – hence our simplification of the players fully. Perhaps Mrs Landy wants has taken place over the last year. process by making it one payment, to continue with the ‘old EBU’ focusing The Board of the EBU has had which not only simplifies our own on an elite group of players and meetings with representatives of each accounting process, which, in turn neglecting the rest, resulting in a smaller and every one of its 39 counties. It has modernises, streamlines and reduces and smaller group of members and a done its best to contact every one of its costs, but also lessens the administrative game that has no national representation affiliated clubs and its Membership burden on our affiliated clubs. or co-ordination – with all that that Development Action Group has had entails. She states that there are no over 1,000 emails that it has responded services that clubs get from the EBU to. The Board has published its that they cannot get elsewhere and later proposals, in all their forms, in English on in her article states that she is still Bridge and has provided contact awarding at her club – we information for those who wished to are not aware of any other organisation make a contribution to the consultation that awards these points, that trains process. It has chosen a route of being tournament directors, bridge teachers completely proactive in its consultation and students or that regulates the game. process, by taking it to its affiliated What is truly astonishing is how Mrs clubs and their members. It is sad that Landy can suggest that a significant anyone should suggest that we have not number of EBU members would defraud done otherwise. their fellow members. We have based The EBU has also held an EGM our proposals on the belief that our where every county was asked to members are honest and will not devise consult with its clubs and deliver their ways of getting round the new system. verdict on 4 June 2008. The vote was All possible alternatives have been However, we will ensure that our carried by a nearly 2 to 1 majority for published and discounted, for very good members’ interests are protected at all universal membership via the Pay to reasons. Nothing has been hidden; all times – our volunteers on the new Club Play system. these alternatives are there for all Committee and its representatives on the The Board has approached the duplicate bridge players to read about. Universal Membership Project develop ment of bridge in England in a The Board of the EBU has taken a Committee will be addressing these business-like manner, ensuring that its route to develop the game and make it potential scams to protect those interests. membership know that it has provision more accessible to more people by A truly democratic process has taken for any potential problems that may putting the organisation on a stable place. The time has come to move occur within the process of the change footing through universal membership. forward together with a new style EBU, over to universal membership – the We continue the process of addressing with its focus firmly on the clubs and only way for our organisation to our organisation and its operations – we the development of the game. ■

Available on a bone-china mug, £14.35 each from Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961

Page 9 Improve Your Declarer Play with Bernard Magee From the Basics to heroics

n this publication, Mr Bridge aims to be unlucky to lose more than three deal with all types of bridge players ♠ A 5 4 hearts and a spade. Iand at all levels. Accordingly, I have ♥ A 8 7 5 3 tried to design my software to cater for ♦ K 9 3 all levels too. ♣ 10 4 ♠ A 5 4 Declarer Play starts with the very ♥ A 8 7 5 3 N basics and builds up the armoury of the W E ♦ K 9 3 S player so as to develop a strong playing ♣ 10 4 technique as well as introducing some ♠ K Q 3 ♠ J 9 7 2 ♠ 10 8 6 difficult plays at the same time. With ♥ 4 2 ♥ K J 9 6 N ♥ Q 10 W E Advanced Declarer Play, I aim to take ♦ A 7 5 2 ♦ J 6 S ♦ Q 10 8 4 the declarer to some of the more ♣ A K 6 5 ♣ Q 8 3 ♣ J 9 7 2 difficult aspects of play – starting with ♠ K Q 3 tactics for making extra overtricks and ♥ 4 2 moving on to difficult plays that require You have eight top tricks, so require just ♦ A 7 5 2 more advanced technique. one more for your contract; this could ♣ A K 6 5 The products offer play-through come from hearts or diamonds. examples of each topic, where I offer Diamonds do not offer good odds since you over-the-shoulder advice. a 3-3 break is not as likely as a 4-2 Win the spade with the king and play a Then you can move on to the rest of break. How are your prospects in the small heart from both hands. Win the the chapter, in which you get the heart suit? next spade with the queen (still keeping chance to play the hands and hear my the ace for later), continuing with ace response later! The Rule and another heart. I hope that my advice and encouragement help you to learn new The entry rule suggests that if you have Ninth Trick Developed techniques and improve your standard to lose the lead three times then you of play. Furthermore, the product is would need four entries to the North West wins and plays a third spade, but supposed to be good fun too! hand, but you can save entries by you win this in dummy and play a The feedback from Declarer Play has ducking early in the suit. Here, the fourth heart, drawing West’s king. He been very encouraging – users have felt North hand has three high-card entries cashes a long spade and tries leading a that their game has certainly improved and, if you the first heart, you will diamond, but your ninth trick is but, above all, they all seem to have save an entry; this gives you the means developed: you hop up with the king of enjoyed themselves. to establish the heart suit, even if it diamonds and cash dummy’s eight of Here is an example, which would fit breaks 4-2. hearts. in to the early chapters of my first Declarer Play Software: Finalise Your Plan Developing Extra Tricks

West North East South Before you finalise your plan, you do Developing extra tricks from long suits 1♣ have to make sure your opponents will is one of the most powerful tactics in Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT not make too many tricks. The two lead, bridge and is something that you must Pass 3NT End being the lowest spade, will be from try to develop – tactics like this will four cards only and you have two come up in every other hand that you Lead: ♠2. stoppers in both the other suits. It would play.

Page 10 winning clubs if the defenders can Improve Your Declarer Play continued trump them.

Extra Tricks in a Trump Contract diamonds. Then a club, cross to the ♠ 10 2 king of diamonds and ruff another club, ♥ A 7 6 Here is a similar idea explored in the establishing the suit. Dummy’s ace of ♦ 6 4 3 context of a trump contract: hearts acts as the final entry to reach ♣ K 9 7 6 3 dummy’s winning club. ♠ 8 4 ♠ 9 6 5 Advanced Declarer Play takes the user ♥ K Q 9 3 N ♥ 10 8 5 4 W E ♠ 10 2 to another level of play: demonstrating ♦ A K Q S ♦ J 10 7 5 ♥ A 8 7 techniques for developing overtricks in ♣ J 8 5 4 ♣ Q 10 ♦ A K 4 the first two chapters and then goes on to ♠ A K Q J 7 3 ♣ J 9 7 6 3 explore the more advanced techniques ♥ J 2 ♠ 9 8 4 ♠ 6 5 including: endplays, squeezes, coups ♦ 9 8 2 ♥ K J 9 3 N ♥ Q 10 5 4 and safety plays. ♣ A 2 W E ♦ J 2 S ♦ Q 10 9 6 ♣ A Q 5 4 ♣ K 10 8 A Squeeze ♠ A K Q J 7 3 With no chance of developing the club ♥ 6 2 Here is a deal that would fit in a later suit, your only other option is to aim for ♦ 8 7 5 3 chapter in Advanced Declarer Play: a squeeze. You hope that one player has ♣ 2 to look after two suits: here, West has to keep his clubs as well as his queen of ♠ 10 2 hearts. By playing your long suit out, West North East South ♥ A 7 6 you might be able to put pressure on 1NT Pass 4♠ ♦ 6 4 3 West. You take the ace of hearts and End ♣ K 9 7 6 3 play off all your spades. The position when you lead your last spade is as N Lead: ♠9. W E below: S

Nine top tricks, with a chance of a 3-3 ♠ A K Q J 7 3 break in diamonds for a tenth trick, but, ♥ J 2 ♠ as suggested previously, this does not ♦ 9 8 2 ♥ Void offer great odds and you should look for ♣ A 2 ♦ Void something better. ♣ K 9 7 6 The initial trump lead makes it ♠ Void ♠ Void unlikely that you can ruff a diamond in West North East South ♥ Q N ♥ 10 8 dummy; setting up a long suit (in this W E 1♠ ♦ Void S ♦ Void case clubs) is so often the solution. The Dbl 1NT Pass 3♠ ♣ J 8 5 ♣ Q 10 entry rule requires that you have one Pass 4♠ End ♠ 3 more entry than ruffs you need to take: ♥ J if the clubs break 4-3, you need three Lead: ♦A. ♦ Void ruffs, so you require four entries: the ♣ A 2 ♦A-K, the ace of hearts and the ten of West takes the ♦A-K-Q and then spades. As you have the entries you switches to the king of hearts. should pursue the suit straight away, Once again, you have a long suit that What is West to do? If he throws the being careful to preserve your entries to could be useful, but dummy does not queen of hearts, then your jack is a dummy. have many entries and, at trick four, the winner; if, instead, he throws a club, Win the spade with the ace and delay heart switch knocks out the ace of then you win the last three tricks with drawing further trumps since you hearts. Even if clubs break 3-3, clubs because the nine of clubs will be require the ten of spades as an entry: although you can ruff the suit good, the high on the third round. West is play a club right away. Win the trump only entry you have to get back to squeezed out of one winner. Although return with dummy’s ten, ruff a club, dummy would be on the second round the type of play is difficult, the actual draw trumps and cross to the ace of of trumps: it is no good playing manner of play was simple: all you did was play out all your trumps to execute a ‘’ on West. Bridge is a wonderful game and one Declarer Play (£70) and Advanced Declarer Play (£75) are available can play it at so many different levels. My declarer play software is aimed at from Mr Bridge, Ryden grange, Knaphill, Surrey gU21 2TH. all sorts of players: learning, improving, ( 01483 489961. www.mrbridge.co.uk. confidence building, exploring, testing and expanding. ■

Page 11 DAVID STEVENSON answers questions on Bridge Laws Are Negative Doubles Alertable?

Partner and I play dummy’s cards before was wrong of me to have other situations. Judgement negative doubles. declarer has indicated sacrificed. I will apologise is allowable: one might open Q Recently, during what to play? if I was out of order, but I a 12-14 1NT with an the sequence 1 ♦-(1 ♠)- William Loughlin, think the bid was 11-point hand with good double – etc (the double Llandudno. permissible. The other intermediates (9s and 10s) showing 8+ points and a tables made 6 ♠ for 980. or a nice five-card suit, or heart suit), I alerted my There are no Mrs S Smith, with a 15-point hand with partner’s double. Later, specified trick Crawley, Sussex. poor intermediates, espec - my LHO asked me for an A penalties for ially if it is ‘flat’ (4-3-3-3). explanation. He grumbled anything except revoking: I am flabbergasted! It is different if they that I should not have everything else is down to East has acted regularly open 1NT with 15. alerted since it was not for the Director’s judgement. A disgracefully. You Then it is an agreement, penalties. Was the alert Just call the Director and let have a right to bid what you requiring disclosure: it is correct? him deal with it. like and he is just annoyed time they put 12-15 (or 12- Herbert Potts, Stockport. I expect he will tell the because he ended with a bad poor 15) on their card and opponent to behave board. I would have called announce accordingly. A negative or properly, perhaps warning the Director, who should Sputnik double is declarer to take no notice of give East a Disciplinary ♣♦♥ ♠ A just an ordinary any suggested play. Of Penalty for rudeness. You take-out double and requires course, if you call him three made a great bid and should What is Butler no alert. It is quite normal to or four times, both dummy not let sulky opponents Scoring? After play it to guarantee an unbid and the Director will tire of deter you. Q fifty years of major though not universal: it and the Director will start playing, I still do not know. if an opponent needs to issuing Procedural Penalties. ♣♦♥ ♠ Mr C P J Entwistle, know, he has to ask or look Sometimes dummy’s Gravesend, Kent. at the . actions might affect It seems common However, your opponent declarer’s play: the Director now, on a weak You take all the was wrong to suggest an should adjust the score if he Q no-trump (12–14) scores on any alerted double is for thinks this has happened. hand, to open 1NT on 15 A board, delete the penalties: It might be points. Is this acceptable? top and bottom ones artificial; it might be ♣♦♥ ♠ Mrs Annette Minton, (sometimes the two top and optional; it might be Leamington Spa (similar two bottom ones if you have competitive; it might be As South, I dealt from Ken Davies, Purley). a large number of scores) many things. Alerts, in this at love all and and find the average of the situation, divide doubles Q passed; West also Players might stray rest. This is the datum score into take-out doubles (not passed; North opened 4 ♣, outside their actual for the board, and you IMP alerted) and other doubles a pre-empt; East bid 6 ♠. A point-count when each pair’s score against (alerted). He had a good hand with a making a bid for a number the datum. ten-card spade suit. With of reasons. For example, ♣♦♥ ♠ my 11 pts – three clubs some bid more aggressively and a void in spades, I bid if they scored badly on the E-mail your questions on bridge laws to: What are the 7♣. East doubled and we previous board, or against penalties for a lost two tricks, minus 300 certain opponents: they may davidstevenson@ Q dummy who plays points. East argued that it bid less aggressively in mrbridge.co.uk.

Page 12 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued

AT THE BEACH HOTEL Should we leave In an individual, the scoring the card for the is the same as for Duplicate Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3QJ Q final contract on Pairs, but each individual has the table during the play? their own score, and they Duplicate Weekends 2009 Mrs O Collins, Cambridge. move differently from their with Bernard Magee partner. As with Pairs, it is I would prefer that possible to play a Swiss 30 Jan-1 Feb (£209) Leads & Defence the contract is not movement, or an ordinary A displayed since that movement. 6-8 Feb (£209) Declarer Play teaches players to remember 5-7 Jun (£235) Splinters & Cue Bids the bidding. ®♦™ ´ 12-14 Jun (£235) Overcalls That is just my view. It is a matter for the club whether 1. Before the first 2-4 Oct (£235) Stayman & Transfers they allow, or even mandate, card played, my with Improver section this practice. partner asks ‘Any Q 16-18 Oct (£235) Hand Evaluation questions?’ What questions ®♦™ ´ should I ask? 4-6 Dec (£235) Signals & Discards 2. After three passes I am 1. Kindly explain sitting with (the ♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with the difference rest 2, 3 and 4s); can I still Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities between ‘Duplicate pass even though I hold 16 Q ♦ No single supplement ♦ Venue non-smoking Pairs’ and ‘Teams of Four’. points? 2. How do you score Mrs Elizabeth Pringle, ♦ Tuition with Supervised Play, bidding quiz and two seminars Individual Events? Wendover, Bucks. Dr C S Bhaysar, ______Croydon, Surrey. 1. You can ask the BOOKING FORM meaning of any Please book me for ..... places, In Duplicate Pairs, A calls you do not you and your understand. If the bidding Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... Sea View* ..... A partner are a team goes 1NT on your left, pass of two. You compare your from partner, 3 ´ on your at the Beach Hotel weekend(s) of ...... scores on each board to right, alerted, and you have everyone else in the same no intention of bidding, it is Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... direction, scoring two points usually best not to ask at that for every pair you beat and stage. Normally, you should Address ...... one point for every pair you find out before the play tie with on the board. starts, so ask if you are on ...... In Teams of Four, you, lead: ask after your partner your partner and another pair has led face down if she is Postcode ...... make up a team of four on lead. 3 ´ might turn out to people. The other pair sit in be a shortage! People often ( ...... the opposite direction to you, ask at inappropriate times, Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed) playing the same boards for example, before the final against the same teams, and pass if they will not be on ...... you compare your score with lead: far better is to wait them, usually using a system until partner has led face Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per known as ‘International down. place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay - Match Points’ or ‘IMPs’ for 2. Certainly, you may pass: ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details short. nobody can force you to will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund - make any call you do not able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your want to. Mind you, I do not David Stevenson answers all own insurance broker. *£30 supplement per room. queries based on the facts advise it: aces combine well supplied by the letter writer. with honour cards in , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH Neither Mr Bridge nor partner’s hand, and hands David Stevenson has any full of aces tend to play ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 way of knowing whether better than you expect from e-mail: [email protected] those facts are correct or the point-count, rather than website: www.holidaybridge.com complete. worse.

Page 13 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued AT THEOBALDS PARK Bulls Cross Ride, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, EN7 5HW My partner and I because this gives the play a raise of 1NT opponents information. A Q to 2NT as exactly defender should not do so Duplicate Weekends 2008 12 points. Are we right not before it is clear to all that to alert? she holds them because this David Wilkes, Shoreham-by- would be unauthorised 17-19 Oct Sacrificing - Ned Paul £199 Sea, West Sussex. information for partner. Once it is clear that she has 14-16 Nov Signals and Discards - Alan Lamb £199 You are right. It is a honours, it is normal to natural bid and declare them immediately. needs no alert. ♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with A Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities Over the years, some have ®♦™ ´ said that such-and-such an ♦ No single supplement ♦ Venue non-smoking agreement needs an alert Should we call the because you know director when Use of jacuzzi, sauna Bidding quiz ♦ ♦ something the opponents do declarer (an and fitness suite and two seminars Q not. The alerting regulations opponent) looks back at ♦ The bridge room, the guest accommodation and contain no such rule. Only if the cards already played? the restaurant are all located in a modern annexe the meaning is very I did say when it happened surprising (for example, if that she should not do it. 2NT is a slam try) or Mrs C Harper, ______BOOKING FORM ______artificial (for example, 2NT Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire, is a transfer to diamonds) Please book me for ..... places, should you alert it. Of course: whenever anyone does Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... ®♦™ ´ A anything wrong, call the Director. You should not for the Theobalds Park weekend(s) of ...... In Rubber Bridge: be telling opponents they 1) If declarer should not do things: that is ...... Q touches a card, is the Director’s job. that a played card? Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... 2) May one declare ®♦™ ´ ‘honours’ while playing the Address ...... hand? If you have Mrs Denise Winton, opening points, ...... Poole, Dorset. Q must you open? Mrs I Cramond, Stranraer. Postcode ...... Declarer may re- arrange the dummy. There is no rule that ( ...... A Careful declarers use you have to open if Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, the chess term j’adoube A you have opening but we will do our best to oblige) before doing so to avoid points. What you call on any misunderstandings. Also, hand is what you judge best...... when reaching for a card, If you think the hand is too declarer may move a card poor, pass and do not worry! Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with above or below the card that Different players often take your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment, she is reaching for to make it different views of hands, so a 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be easier to get at the card she passed-out board at one table sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. wants. In neither case need can be played in game at Should you require insurance, you should contact your own she play a card she touches. another! You scored a zero. insurance broker. Other than these situations, a Playing match-points, you touched card is a played card. beat all the players sitting , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH A player may declare your way who go minus, and 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 honours from the end of the tie with any others who ( auction up until the rubber is passed it out. Whether to pass e-mail: [email protected] agreed. However, it is or open light in third or fourth website: www.holidaybridge.com unwise to do so before it is hand is one of the judgements clear that she has them of the game.

Page 14 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued in diamonds. playing the illegal agreement The 3 ♦ contract made get average minus, their but our teammates played opponents average plus, the board in 1NT and made unless their opponents did I was South and My wife and I play only five tricks with a better than this, in which due to bid (using a rubber bridge with swing of 7 IMPs against us. case the score stands. Q ). I Q two friends; we I believe the 2 ♦/3 ♦ bids Finally, since the held six diamonds and discussed the use of the are illegal but cannot find description of 2 ♦ as a intended to open 1 ♦. West word ‘stop’ before making chapter and verse. I would transfer was misinformation, then bid 2 ♦. I then saw that a bid. appreciate your comments. the Director could award an I had displayed 1 ™ by I said that you should use Also, if there was an illegal adjusted score if the mistake. North and East it only in duplicate to give bid and it was possible to misinformation damaged passed. I said that I had got time for the next bidder to have called the director, your side. myself into trouble and did think. what penalty, if any, should not know how to rectify it. They have never played have followed? ®♦™ ´ I decided to bid 2NT, duplicate and said that in Paul Starling, Cheshire. thinking this would end the rubber bridge you use it to At the end of a bidding. In fact, West bid tell your partner that you All responses are rubber, do you 3♦, North and East passed have at least sixteen points! permitted to 1NT, so Q round 50 up or and I doubled. Mr Richard Routledge, A this is a legal way down to get to the nearest West went down heavily. I Solihull, West Midlands. for responding. Even so, 100? then said what I had done. players must let opponents B Becker, Wimbledon. West felt cheated and I had You are quite right. know what they are doing. If to agree, but nobody knew It is a duplicate they play a 2 ♦ response as There is no general what to do about it. A device to give hearts or a weak take-out in rule. Your club or Tony Baker, players a chance to think diamonds, they must do the A circle should have Woodbridge, Suffolk. without creating following: its own rule. We always unauthorised information 1. They must alert it: they used to round upwards at Bridge is a game of over jump bids. No doubt, do not announce it. University! mistakes, and some rubber circles have 2. In answer to a question, A players are always taken it up – the rubber laws they must describe it as ®♦™ ´ making them. Your mistakes under Appendix 2 mentioned ‘hearts or a weak take-out in mostly cost, but sometimes it as an option – and it is just diamonds’: it is not a 1NT vulnerable luck is with you and a the same as in duplicate. transfer nor must they doubled, made, mistake gains. What has happened is that a describe it as a transfer. Q +180 points, 1 off That is what happened group of rubber players have 3. They must describe it -200 points; is this fair? here. You pulled out the misunderstood its use and correctly on the convention Mr Michael Bowler, wrong card. Actually, you have changed it to a very card, not calling it a transfer. Bentley, Hampshire. could have changed it so unfortunate and quite illegal A transfer promises one long as you did so as soon as , contrary to the rubber particular suit, so it is not Yes – why not? It is you realized your mistake. laws. fair to call this response a a level playing field: This is because it was a transfer. A the scoring is the mechanical error, partner had ®♦™ ´ Since it is legal, no penalty same for everyone. not yet called and you had is suitable. However, if Nobody forces you to bid changed it without pause for At a recent teams’ someone does play an illegal as everyone else does: if you thought. In that case, West event, the agreement – for example, a do not like going one off could retract her 2 ♦ bid. Q opponents bid: 1NT opening with a point doubled in 1NT when Once you had not changed range of 6-8 – then the board vulnerable, why not try a it, you have every right to try 1NT 2♦ is played out. The pair strong no-trump? n to gain from the situation. 2™ 3♦ The one thing you really did Pass wrong was to comment during the auction. That They announced the DUPLICATEBRIDGE gives partner unauthorised opening as 12 – 14 HCPs only RULESSIMPLIFIED 95 information, which might and the response as a £5 make life difficult for him. transfer to hearts. Being on (otherwiseknownastheYellowBook) As for West, she has not lead, I asked whether been cheated: it was just bad responder had five hearts by John Rumbelow and revised by David Stevenson luck. If you err every time and four or five diamonds; NewEdition.Includes2008LawRevisions. you play her, she will gain far the opener informed me more often than she loses, but that responder was from ( 01483 489961 she will not gain every time. showing a weak take-out

Page 15

Ask Julian Pottage Best Acol Sequences

What is the best perfect cards! In any case, opener will rebid 2 ™ or 3 ™ suit response at the two Acol sequence on West would bid 3NT over and the response will not level. However, with eight Q the following hand 3♦, counting 9-8-x-x as a have improved the contract. points, passing is overly with no opposition partial stopper. The other snag with super- cautious. Particularly when bidding? light responses is that partner’s suit is spades, ®♦™ ´ opener needs an absolute having three-card support monster to make a jump- and a ruffing value (the Dealer East. N/S Game. In a recent club shift rebid. I think you were doubleton heart) is fine for Teams. duplicate, our just unlucky. raising partner to the two West East Q hands were: level. After passing over ´ K 3 ´ A J 5 4 ®♦™ ´ 2®, you might have tried ™ A Q 10 2 ™ 5 to catch up by giving jump ♦ 9 8 7 3 ♦ A 10 4 West East I held this hand as preference to 3 ´ on the ® Q 7 5 ® A K 10 9 3 ´ A K 9 3 ´ 10 8 6 5 2 West: next round. ™ A 9 6 5 ™ Void Q ♦ K 4 ♦ J 10 8 6 ®♦™ ´ Patrick Dunham, ® Q 9 8 ® J 10 5 3 Coleorton, Leics. ´ Q 8 5 I would like to

™ 10 2 N know the current W E ®♦™ ´ As happened at many ♦ K Q 7 3 2 S Q thinking tables, I opened 1 ™ as ® J 8 6 regarding the best My sequence is: West and was left to defensive bidding struggle there, going three system after a 2 ♦ multi A off. Minus 150 was poor West North East South opening (6-card major or West East as the opponents could 1´ 2® strong no-trump). 1® make only 140 in hearts Pass Pass 2™ Pass Ruth Mackinlay by e-mail. 1™ 1´ and 120 in no-trumps. 2´ End 3® 3NT Someone commented I suggest the that my partner should East made 12 tricks. following in second On the second round, West have tried to improve the Without the , I A seat: Double, 12-14 bids 3 ® as I do not fancy contract by bidding 1 ´, would have bid 2 ♦, which or 18+. Partner initially 2NT with these diamonds which would have worked is probably not right with assumes you have a weak (partner might have a here, with nine tricks eight points. Do you agree no-trump hand. 2 ™, 2 ´, 3 ®, singleton) and I normally available in spades. Do with my pass over 2 ®? 3♦, natural non-forcing. play fourth suit (2 ♦) as you agree? Pamela Ford by e-mail. 2NT, 15-18 balanced. Pass game-forcing. Alan Cooke, by e-mail. then Double – take-out. East might bid 3 ♦ over I would have bid In fourth seat, a simple 3® since there could be a Some players 2´ on the first method is to play the same slam if partner has just the respond on next to A round, with or after 2 ♦-pass-2 ™ as you right cards (e.g. K-x of A nothing but I think without the overcall. would after 2 ™(weak)-pass- spades, A-x-x-x-x of hearts this is unsound. The 1 ´ I agree with you that eight pass and the same after 2 ♦- and Q-J-x-x of clubs). My response would have points and a five-card suit is pass-2 ´ as you would after partners never have the worked this time but often not enough for a change-of- 2´(weak)-pass-pass.

Page 18 Ask Julian Pottage continued

My partner and I level opening. As you say, had always assuming you play weak Q understood that twos, a weak two normally we could only use Gerber does the job nicely with such Duplicate Weekends 2009 (4 to ask for aces) if we a hand. Weak bids (like a ® with Bernard Magee (£235 per person) had not bid clubs weak two or a three level previously. Is this a rule pre-empt) do not need to or just an agreement satisfy the rule of 20. I do 19-21 June between partners? not use the rule of 20 Ian Hudspith, myself, preferring the more Suit Lubenham, Leics. accurate (though more Establishment complicated) rule of 22; this An agreement that takes account of defensive 6-8 November 4® cannot be tricks as well. Watch out for A Gerber if your side the rule of 22 coming soon in Game has bid clubs naturally the maxims series of articles. Tries sounds a good idea if you play Gerber. ®♦™ ´ ♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with Another way to reduce the Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities risk of confusion is to use My partner opened No single supplement Venue non-smoking 4NT for ace asking (though 1NT (12-14). The ♦ ♦ even this is not 100% Q opponents passed ♦ Tuition with Supervised Play, bidding quiz and two seminars guaranteed!). Many pairs no throughout. My hand was: longer play Gerber at all; if they do use it, they do so BOOKING FORM only in a set sequence such ´ A K Q 6 3 as 1NT-4 ®. In general, a bid ™ A 7 Please book me for ..... places at Blunsdon House Hotel, of 4 ® is too useful to give ♦ Void The Ridge, Blunsdon, Swindon, SN26 7AS . up for Gerber. ® K J 9 6 5 4 weekend(s) ......

®♦™ ´ Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... I bid 3 ®. Is this correct? In BRIDGE 90, If not, what should I have Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... there is much responded? Q about the rule of My partner did not Address ...... 20. I have only ever come a understand the bid. We cropper on it. The ended in 4 ´, but 6 ® is the ...... wonderful weak two saves correct contract, as she has all the hassle: 6-3 hands club support and the slam Postcode ...... with 9 points pre-empt is virtually lay-down. beautifully, or 6-4, or 6-5, Gloria Stuart, Edinburgh. ( ...... though you are not meant to do it with a concealed Playing natural Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed) major. 6-3 (or 6-4 and 6-5) responses, 3 ® ...... with ten points and you A seems fine. It is are back with your forcing to at least game and, Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per selection of alternatives since you will often not place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent including pass and the bother to show a minor if with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay - weak two. Am I alone in you see no hope of a slam, ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund - detesting the rule of 20? suggests slam interest. able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your Robert Hobhouse, Langport, Another idea, as the spades own insurance broker. Somerset by e-mail. are so good (and score more, if you make the same , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH In a hand with 9 number of tricks), is to treat points and 6-3 in the suits as equal length. You ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 A the longest suits might start with 2 ™ (transfer e-mail: [email protected] you have a total of 18 to spades) and then bid clubs website: www.holidaybridge.com and not enough for a one- twice.

Page 19 Ask Julian Pottage continued AT MARSHAM COURT Please can you My RHO opened East Cliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3AB help with this 1NT (12-14), LHO Q bidding problem? Q raised to 3NT. Mid-Week Duplicates 2008/09 I led the jack of hearts from A-J-10-5. Dummy had £199 per person full-board West East the bare 9. Partner contributed the 6 and 26-28 Oct (Sun-Tue) – Leads & Defence ´ A J 6 4 ´ Q ™ A 10 9 2 ™ K Q 7 4 declarer the 7. Playing with Chris Barrable ♦ 6 4 2 ♦ A K Q J 8 pairs, I feared that declarer ® K 9 ® 8 6 2 had held up from 9-11 Nov (Sun-Tue) – Signals & Discards ™K-Q-x-x and switched. with Sandy Bell The first trick was the only West East trick we made. Part ner 3-5 Feb (Tue-Thu) – Slam Bidding 1NT 2®(Stayman) held ™K-Q-6-4-3-2! 2™ ? Had partner overtaken 1-3 Mar (Sun-Tue) – Declarer Play Alan Solomon, Wimbledon. with the ™Q and returned the ™4 (original fourth 3-5 Mar (Tue-Thu) – Further into the Auction Assuming I thought best) I might have read the partner would position correctly: win ♦ Full-board All rooms with ♦ understand the bid, I with the ™10, cash the ™A No single en-suite facilities A ♦ would bid 3 . This is a and led my 5 to partner’s supplement ´ ™ ♦ Venue non-smoking splinter, agreeing hearts and ™K for him to take two ♦ Tuition with Supervised Play, bidding quiz and two seminars showing a singleton or void further hearts. in spades. Logic says you Should I have con tin ued ______BOOKING FORM ______cannot mean the bid to show the suit in any event? spades, since if you had a Which card would I play? Please book me for ..... places, Day Guests (£115pp) ...... long spade suit, you would Geoff Maskall, Cumbria. have started either with 2 ™ Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... Sea View* ..... (playing transfers) or 3 ´ Your suggestion that rather than with Stayman. partner should at the Marsham Court date(s) of ...... The full sequence could be A overtake the jack of Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... as follows: hearts with the queen sounds a good one. Overtaking Address ...... West East would indicate possession of 1NT 2® the king as well. Even on the ...... 2™ 3´ actual play of the six, you 4® 4NT should probably have worked Postcode ...... 5™ 6™ out the position. With the two, three and four of hearts ( ...... West’s 4 ® cue-bid with a all missing, the six was second-round control may surely encouraging. Without Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, look unusual, but the king of knowing the full deal, it is but we will do our best to oblige) clubs must be useful when hard to say for sure which ...... East is not short in the suit. heart to lead at trick two. The Splinters are very useful five works best if partner Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per for finding slams. Almost all started with 9-6-x-x and has place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent the best players use them. a side entry. The ten or ace with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay - Having a single bid that works better if partner started ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund - shows three things at once – with Q-8-6-x-x but no entry able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your strength, support and – though then partner might own insurance broker. *£30 supplement per room. shortage – simplifies so well have played the eight many auctions. rather than the six. Facing , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH Without splinters, this is K-Q-6-4-3-2, it would not not an easy hand to bid. matter which one you led! n ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 e-mail: [email protected] E-mail your questions for Julian to: website: www.holidaybridge.com [email protected].

Page 20 It Happened That Way by Freddie North

The Least of All Evils

ost hands that find their way Partner leads the six of hearts and this is the two of spades on the jack of clubs into bridge columns are what you see. and he surely would not have done that Mgames, slams or sacrifices. with four spades and six diamonds. So Understandably, they are easier to write you assume partner to be five-five in up than lowly part scores and, of course, ´ K J 7 5 those two suits, which means that invariably more sensational. Never- ™ J 10 declarer has no more spades. Since you theless, every now and then an ♦ A Q 8 4 3 know he holds six clubs and five hearts, instructive little gem emerges and ® 5 2 he must hold a singleton diamond. Oh positively begs for an airing, even if just ´ A Q 3 dear! East cannot lead a spade, cannot for once it pushes big brother out of the N ™ K Q 8 5 2 lead hearts (the pips are too limelight. W E unfavourable) and certainly will not S ♦ 7 5 ® J 8 6 want to play right into the ace, queen of Part-Score Hand diamonds. So what is he to do?

You might like to put yourselves in You cover dummy’s heart with your Action at Trick Seven East’s shoes with this hand: queen and declarer wins with the ace. Declarer plays the ace and another club, If you have decided on your action at your partner following with the queen trick seven, let us look at this full deal. Dealer East. and then winning the second round with East-West Game. the king. At trick four, West switches to ´ A Q 3 the eight of spades, five from dummy ´ K J 7 5 N ™ K Q 8 5 2 and you win with the queen, declarer ™ J 10 W E S ♦ 7 5 contributing the ten. When you cash the ♦ A Q 8 4 3 ® J 8 6 jack of clubs, West discards the two of ® 5 2 spades and dummy discards the three of ´ 9 8 6 4 2 ´ A Q 3 diamonds. Then you cash the king of ™ 6 N ™ K Q 8 5 2 Not a great hand but of course, you are hearts, on which West discards the two W E ♦ K 10 9 6 2 S ♦ 7 5 going to open. There is something to be of diamonds. This is the position from ® K Q ® J 8 6 said for 1NT; right shape, right point your point of view. ´ 10 count and solves the rebid problem. ™ A 9 7 4 3 Against that – almost all the points are in ♦ J two suits and at least there is a ´ K J 7 ® A 10 9 7 4 3 respectable five-card major. So you ™ Void settle for 1 ™. The next hand passes and ♦ A Q 8 4 partner responds 1 ´. RHO sticks his oar ® Void Unpalatable though it may seem, a in with 2 ♦ and you find yourself faced ´ A 3 diamond from East is the only way to with another close decision. Should you N ™ 8 5 2 avert a North-South plus score (Well W E rebid your hearts, support partner’s S ♦ 7 5 done if you found it and I am sure you spades or Pass? I think it is a close thing ® Void did as it really is the least of all evils). between 2 ´ and Pass but you have a Yes, on the second round, declarer is very minimum opening and have the able to discard a heart loser – the four – opportunity to bale out, so perhaps it is but then, when he returns to hand to play right to take it. No matter whether you One More Trick Needed off his trumps and cash the nine of bid 2 ´ or Pass, South bids 3 ® and hearts, he has to concede the seven of everybody passes. You have four tricks in the bag and need hearts to East’s eight at trick thirteen. n This has been the bidding: only one more to defeat the contract, but you seem to be endplayed unless the ace West North East South of spades stands up. Partner has shown a Freddie North is one of Britain’s 1™ Pass singleton heart and a doubleton club so most pop ular bridge writers. 1´ 2♦ Pass 3® must have ten cards between spades and End diamonds, but remember, he discarded

Page 21 Conventions and Conventioners with Ned Paul No Thank You, Mr Blackwood

n May 24, 1935, Albert business acumen and out-and-out West East Morehead the editor of the showmanship, most of America 1´ O American bridge magazine followed Culbertson’s published 3™ 3´ , wrote a rejection bidding ideas. 4´ 6´ letter for a proposed article sent in by a reader. The writer of the article was Culbertson’s Slam Try East-West were using the Culbertson Easley Blackwood from Indianapolis. In 4-5 no-trump convention. As the his article, Blackwood was suggesting Culbertson’s own idea to solve the slam- Culbertson bid of 4NT guaranteed either the use of 4NT in slam auctions as a bidding challenge was a complicated two aces and the king of a bid suit or simple ace-asking enquiry. The partner method called the 4-5 no-trump three aces, East could not use it. Instead, of the 4NT bidder would show the convention. If you sensed a slam was in he just gambled that West had the right number of aces held. the air, you could continue past game by cards and bid the slam directly. The In rejecting the article, The Bridge bidding 4NT. The bid, described by defenders had no difficulty in cashing World was following the line dictated by Culbertson as a ‘slam inference’, told their two aces. In his defence, East the magazine’s publisher, Ely your partner that you had either three pointed out that West could easily have Culbertson. Culbertson had his own aces or two aces and the king of a suit held A-Q-x-x-x in hearts, in which case more complicated gadget, the genuinely bid by the partnership, and the slam would be cold. Culbertson 4-5 no-trump convention – expressed interest in continuing towards In the post-mortem, Blackwood see below – and had no desire for slam. Partner absorbed the information questioned the Culbertson methods. He anybody else’s idea to usurp this. given and responded with – depending thought that it was too much for the 4NT Interestingly, had The Bridge World on aces and kings held – a sign-off or a bid to be both an and a telling accepted Blackwood’s original article, variety of forward-going bids. A bid. Instead, said Blackwood, why not we would be playing ‘Wormwood‘ to response of 5NT, for example, shows let this bid be just a simple question: ask for aces. He was fearful of publicity that responder holds two aces or ‘Partner, how many aces do you have?’ as he did not wish his employers, the alternatively one ace and all the kings of Blackwood’s idea was that the responses giant Metropolitan Life Insurance genuinely bid suits. With what the 4NT could be steps: Company, to know that their youngest bidder has guaranteed so far, a 5NT branch manager, in any of their offices response means that the partnership has 5® = 0 ace throughout America, was keen on all the key cards and that the slam is 5 ♦ = 1 ace bridge. Blackwood therefore asked that, going to be a good one. 5™ = 2 aces if they accepted the article, they would 5 ´ = 3 aces publish it under the nom de plume of Simpler Method Needed Ernest Wormwood. Finally, with all four aces, thought The method has genuine merit, but it is Blackwood, the responder could bid 5 ®, Slam Missing Two Aces far from easy to use. There are also cases the zero response. The fact that 5 ® where a slam is possible but neither shows either no ace of all four should Bidding a slam, missing two aces, is not player’s hand meets the initial not be a cause for concern as it is always usually a good idea. The opponents cash requirements for a 4NT bid. Here is the possible to distinguish which. This their two winners and the slam goes deal from 1933 that prompted Easley double use of 5 ® allows the 4NT bidder down before you are able to get going. Blackwood to propose a simpler method: to follow with a 5NT bid. 5NT In the first few years of , guarantees that the partnership holds all there was no easy bidding method to the aces and asks about kings on the counter this all-too-familiar problem. ´ K Q 6 2 ´ A J 10 8 7 4 same scale. At that time – the early 1930s – top ™ K Q J 8 3 N ™ 9 2 Local experts quickly took up dog in the stakes was the W E Blackwood’s simple ace-asking ideas ♦ K Q J S ♦ A 7 brash American Ely Culbertson. Thanks ® 6 ® K Q 5 and the following year, a good to a combination of his bridge prowess, Indianapolis team used it successfully

Page 22 Conventions continued 2008

24-26 Oct (£199) AT THE OLDE BARN in a regional tournament in Cincinnati. Further into Toll Bar Road, Marston, Lincolnshire, NG32 2HT This drew the attention of players from the Auction as far away as New York, making Ray Hutchinson Blackwood worried that an expert from ♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with another locality would publish his 4NT Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities 7-9 Nov (£199) bid and claim the credit. He had been reluctant to publish himself, but fear of Improvers* ♦ No single supplement ♦ Venue non-smoking losing the credit crystallised his mind. Take-out Doubles So, at the end of 1934, he wrote a clear Ray Hutchinson ♦ Use of swimming ♦ Bidding quiz & two seminars description of his convention and sent it pool and fitness suite (on duplicate weekends only) to The Bridge World together with a 28-30 Nov (£199) request to use the Wormwood nom-de- Signals & Discards ______BOOKING FORM ______plume. Ray Hutchinson Please book me for ..... places, Blackwood’s 4NT is Popular 2009 Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... A good idea is a good idea. Despite Culbertson’s rebuttal, Blackwood’s 4NT 20-22 Feb (£199) for the Olde Barn weekend(s) of ...... bid spread quickly by word of mouth. Slam Bidding By 1938, Culbertson had to ...... ac knowledge the bid and presented it in 13-15 Mar (£199) Improvers* his own publications, under Black - Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... wood’s real name, as an alternative to Stayman the Culbertson 4-5 no-trump con - & Transfers Address ...... vention . ‘There is little to recommend the except its 3-5 Apr (£199) simplicity,’ sniffed Culbertson in his End Play & ...... Official Book of Contract Bridge, Avoidance published in 1942. Postcode ...... ( ...... Ironically, the ‘Culbertson 4-5’ 9-11 Oct (£235) remained the recommended slam tool of Leads & Defence Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, the Acol system well into the 1960s, Bernard Magee but we will do our best to oblige) although many Acol players used ...... Blackwood. 16-18 Oct (£199) Over the years, there have been many Doubles Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking suggestions for improving Blackwood – ...... a convention called Byzantine 30 Oct - 1 Nov Blackwood had a vogue in the 1970s – (£199) Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place but in the last few years Roman Declarer Play by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with Key-Card Blackwood, which designates your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment, 13-15 Nov (£199) 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be the king of the agreed trump suit as a fifth Hand Evaluation sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. ‘ace’, has swept the tournament world. Should you require insurance, you should contact your own Blackwood, the man, was a tireless 27-29 Nov (£199) insurance broker. worker for bridge. He wrote several Signals & Discards books and many magazine and newspaper articles. He established a bridge club in Indianapolis and after No Single retiring, taught bridge on cruise liners. He took on the role of Executive Supplement Expiry: ...... CVV ...... Issue No...... Secretary of the American Contract Room upgrades and Bridge League in 1968, after a period of special B&B rates (CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip) disarray in the organisation, and in three for Sunday nights years, turned the ACBL round and left it are available. , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH on a firm financial footing. He died at his Indianapolis home 1992, aged 89. *Improvers’ Weekends are ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 His son, also Easley, survived him, aimed at the novice player e-mail: [email protected] and/or those picking up the achieving his own fame as a prominent game after a long break. website: www.holidaybridge.com composer and conductor. n

Page 23 AT STAVERTON PARK DECLARER Staverton, Daventry, Northants, NN11 6JT PLAY Duplicate Weekends 2008/09 QUIZ 31 Oct – 2 Nov (£199) Hand Evaluation Ned Paul by David Huggett

14-16 Nov (£209) & Avoidance (Answers on page 53) Bernard Magee 23-25 Jan (£209) Suit Establishment Bernard Magee ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge. YIn each case, what is your play strategy? 30 Jan - 1 Feb (£199) Signals & Discards 27 Feb - 1 Mar (£199) Leads & Defence 1. 3. 13-15 Mar (£199) Slam Bidding ´ 7 5 2 ´ 6 5 ™ Q 6 3 ™ K 6 2 27-29 Mar (£209) Sacrificing ♦ A K 6 2 ♦ A K 7 Bernard Magee ® J 6 2 ® K 7 6 4 3

3-5 Apr (£199) Further into the Auction N N W E W E S S ______BOOKING FORM ______´ A Q 4 ´ A K J 10 7 2 ™ J 7 2 ™ 7 4 3 Please book me for ..... places, ♦ Q 5 ♦ Q 3 ® A K 9 5 3 ® A 8 Single ..... Double ..... Twin ......

at the Staverton Park weekend(s) of ...... You are declarer in 3NT You are declarer in 4 ´ and and West leads the ´J. West leads the ™Q. How Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... East plays the ´K, which do you plan the play? you win with the ´A. How Address ...... do you plan the play?

...... 4. ´ A K Q Postcode ...... 2. ™ Q 7 6 5 ´ A 7 3 ♦ 8 7 5 ( ...... ™ J 9 8 6 2 ® Q J 7 ♦ 8 7 3 Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed) N ® A 2 W E S ...... N W E ´ 4 3 Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per S ™ A K 9 4 3 place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay - ´ K Q 6 4 ♦ A 6 ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details ™ A Q 5 4 3 ® K 10 9 3 will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund - ♦ 5 able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your ® K Q 6 own insurance broker. You are declarer in 6 ™ and West leads the ♦K, which , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH You are declarer in 6 ™ you win with the ♦A. How and West leads the ♦K fol - do you plan the play? ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 lowed by the ♦A. How do e-mail: [email protected] you plan the play? website: www.holidaybridge.com

Page 24 The Green Baize Cup

by Michael Scarrott

y skill on the golf course The competition will involve team play pick up your ball without having to and your luck on the bridge for both bridge and golf. While make the putt? It is a sporting gesture ‘M table – that sounds like a everyone accepts that bridge always for when your ball is very close to the winning combination to me.’ James involves full partnership co-operation, hole. The best-remembered example is Vane looked across at his friend and team golf can be quite nerve wracking. probably when Jack Nicklaus conceded golf partner, Eddie Bell and gave a wry Take the great Tiger Woods for Tony Jacklin’s final putt on the 18th chuckle. ‘Don’t you mean my skill at example. Just imagine him as your green in the 1969 Ryder Cup. That bridge and your luck at golf? Your tee playing partner when you miss a crucial resulted in a tied match. Just try to shot on the 12th went into the trees, putt. You would soon realise they don’t imagine if your opponents at the end of bounced around a bit and then, what do call him Tiger for nothing!’ an evening’s club duplicate pick up you know, came back out onto the dummy’s last card from the table and fairway!’ The Mental Approach say that they will give you that one!’ ‘Now compare that with my skill in that 6 ´ contract yesterday evening. The ‘The mental approach to both games is Handicaps for the Golf two red aces were out against me and I very important these days,’ added still made it.’ ‘So you did,’ replied Eddie Eddie, ‘club golfers can now take ‘We both get full handicap allowance in a tone of mock respect, ‘your void in advantage of performance coaching for the morning golf and tee off in the heart suit probably helped just a involving psychology and sports threesomes. Do not take it for granted… little bit I suppose.’ They both laughed hypnosis sessions. It is all about having some of the ladies can play quite a good and looked closely at the golf club positive thoughts and not worrying game… and as for the bridge. You may notice board. about the bunkers or water hazards. remember we got completely done over Perhaps we can organise some sessions by Liz and Brenda at last week’s New Competition for the bridge section. What do you duplicate?’ James looked puzzled and think?’ commented ‘that he simply refused to ‘Yes, there it is,’ said Eddie in an James grinned before replying. ‘I dwell in the past where bridge was enthusiastic tone, ‘a competition will rather like the idea of a hypnosis concerned, although he could recall a take place next Saturday for the Green session. Anything to cure no-trump few hands on which he did particularly Baize Cup. Eighteen holes of golf in the phobia would be welcome.’ well!’ morning followed by lunch and 18 deals of bridge in the afternoon. It is a Pair’s Golf and Bridge Jargon A Poor Effort event for men and women, with combined Stableford points for the golf ‘Some of the jargon can have similar Eddie took an out-of-date notice off the added to match points scored in the meanings; a par at golf and contract board and started scribbling. ‘This was afternoon duplicate bridge event. A made are the same. A birdie is the same not one of your better efforts. It was so maximum of 18 teams can enter.’ as one overtrick and an eagle equivalent awful for us; I can remember every to two overtricks. A bogey would be the card.’ James looked across and winced Team Play in Bridge and Golf same as going one off in your contract. as he remembered how carelessly he It would raise an eyebrow or two, I’m had played. The fact that he had been on ‘Sounds like it could be fun,’ said sure, if you commented in a casual the golf course all afternoon and felt James. ‘If you’ve got your pen handy, manner to an opponent who had gone tired was really no excuse. we’ll put our names down right away. If two tricks off that they had scored a James opened 1NT and went on to you think about it, quite a few golf clubs double-bogey.’ game over Eddie’s 2NT response. Liz have active bridge sections. It is a great ‘Yes,’ continued Eddie quick to join led the king of hearts and down went the combination. Physical and mental in the fun. ‘What about when your dummy. exercise both demand lots of stamina. opponent on the golf course tells you to This was the full deal:

Page 25 The Green Baize Cup continued dismay?’ Bridge players are incredibly reserved in comparison with participants at other pastimes. All that pent up emotion. It time for the morning golf. ‘Would you can hardly be a good thing.’ Dave Eddie look at that,’ said a somewhat laughed and joined in the fun, ‘some of ´ K 8 5 exasperated Eddie, ‘I’m off in the first those tennis players are quite ™ 8 2 group with Dave Jones and old Tim something. Many of the best players ♦ J 10 5 Collins. Dave’s a bit of a bandit and shout and grunt throughout matches to ® A Q J 3 2 should have a much lower handicap, vent their frustration at losing points. Liz Brenda while poor old Tim rarely remembers What about our chap, Andy Murray, ´ 9 7 4 ´ J 10 3 2 how many shots he’s had. Not that I’m when he came back from the dead N ™ K Q J 9 5 W E ™ 10 6 4 saying he does it deliberately, but the against that highly ranked French player ♦ K 9 3 S ♦ Q 8 4 truth is we have to have an inquest on in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. His ® 7 4 ® K 8 5 just about every hole.’ ‘Well, I’m off ultimate gesture after winning was to James second to last,’ commented James, ‘just flex his powerful biceps for the nation ´ A Q 6 relax, keep out of the rough and don’t to see!’ ™ A 7 3 take too many putts. We need to get a ‘Not quite my style,’ remarked Eddie, ♦ A 7 6 2 reasonable score to carry forward into ‘but what a great match! Now let us ® 10 9 6 the afternoon bridge session. You had imagine a hard-fought evening at the better go and get ready – you’re off in local duplicate club, after which the 20 minutes.’ victors give an almighty roar of triumph The five-card club suit came as a and punch the air with clenched fists. pleasant surprise as he took a moment The First Hole What a spectacle that would be! The to count his winners. Six top tricks with nearest thing to that I’ve seen is a the near solid clubs good for at least The first hole was a tricky par 4 with chastened handshake across the table.’ another three tricks. First, what did he bunkers guarding a slightly raised make of that ominous looking king of green. Following a somewhat indifferent Lost Ball hearts sitting malevolently on the table tee shot, Eddie managed to land his in front of Liz? third shot on the back of the green, ‘I think I’ve lost my ball,’ said Dave about 15 feet from the flag. Dave was from the heavy rough at the side of the Careless Declarer Play slightly closer having played two shots eighth green. ‘I was sure it went in while Tim was just off the putting about here.’ Eddie and Tim came over to Dutifully, James held up playing the ace surface having played four. Tim putted join in the search. ‘This might be it,’ until the third round and then tried the first and managed to get down for six. shouted Eddie from a clump of tufty club . When this failed, he was Eddie played next and holed the putt grass. Dave came over and confirmed relieved to find East unable to return a miraculously. This seemed to upset positive identification very carefully. heart. He won the diamond return and Dave’s concentration and he was far ‘Seeing you do that reminds me of an prepared to take his winners. Suddenly, from pleased when he missed an eight- amusing article concerning the late with a sinking feeling, he realised his inch putt for a score of five. ‘Four for President Eisenhower,’ continued fatal error. Without thinking, he had Eddie, five for you, Dave and five for Eddie, ‘he was a competent bridge discarded a winning club from dummy me announced Tim in a confident tone. player and a golfing enthusiast. on the third round of hearts. The ‘Now just run that backwards, Tim,’ Apparently, he had a very novel method contract finished one down. He looked said Eddie in a conciliatory voice! of checking his ball. He used a club and up in despair only to see one glum and rolled his ball over until his mark two far from sympathetic faces. ‘Bad The Next Six Holes became visible. If the ball moved into a luck, partner,’ said a far from better lie, well, he was the President. convincing Eddie. The game continued in a good One afternoon, his ball settled in the Almost in unison, Liz and Brenda humoured and orderly fashion for the rough. When he tried to roll it over, it commenced to hum a well-known tune next six holes. ‘What do you think lodged against a rock. He immediately ever so softly. ‘That sounds familiar,’ would happen if we engaged in this type asked his caddie what had happened. remarked Eddie. ‘It should do,’ said a of repartee at the bridge table?’ joked The caddie replied, ‘Mr President, I am bemused Liz, ‘it’s James’s theme song, Eddie. ‘You can almost feel the tension afraid you have over-identified your Bridge over Troubled Water! ’ Muted at some duplicate clubs. It is hardly ball!’ laughter from other tables receded as surprising that most play bridge in a they heard a call to order. social game at home; there you can let Golf Scores Ready off steam occasionally! You know what The Competition Starts I mean. You need to make a three-foot Eddie finished his match with 29 putt on the golf course to halve the hole Stableford points and was soon The event was fully subscribed in next and it misses by a whisker. Do you say congratulating James on his very to no time with each pair allocated a oh, bother in a quiet tone or something commendable 34. With all the results in, team number and an individual starting more colourful to describe your the golf scores were soon up in

Page 26 The Green Baize Cup continued cashed three rounds of spades, but the contract was now safe with the ace of hearts as an entry to the winning clubs. ‘Well played,’ said Brenda. ‘I thought the clubhouse. ‘Not too bad,’ said a we might have defeated you on that relieved Eddie, ‘fourth place keeps us in Brenda one.’ ‘Looks like a good score for you,’ with a chance.’ Liz and Brenda had ´ A Q 5 continued Liz, ‘you had to commit to scored a joint 61 points to put them in ™ J 10 9 4 the possible bad break right away.’ ‘It fifth place. ♦ 10 2 must be something to do with his X-ray Following a very welcome buffet ® J 8 5 2 vision,’ joked a very pleased James. lunch, the afternoon bridge was soon Eddie James underway. Liz looked up as James and ´ 10 9 6 3 ´ J 4 Ladies’ Golf Club Captain N Eddie took their places for the second ™ K Q 5 W E ™ A 6 2 round. ‘Hello, you two. It is funny we ♦ A 9 6 3 S ♦ Q 5 The next move saw James and Eddie were only just talking about ways to get ® K Q ® A 10 9 7 6 3 facing the ladies’ golf club captain, rid of losers!’ ‘That’s right,’ continued Liz Linda Jones. A deceptively demur Brenda with an innocent smile, ‘Liz had ´ K 8 7 2 appearance and friendly smile masked a a couple of losing jacks on the last ™ 8 7 3 determination to win, especially if there board, but managed to ditch them both ♦ K J 8 7 4 were men in the firing line! without bloodshed.’ ® 4 The first board saw Eddie open a pre- Eddie looked across at his wife and emptive 3 ♦ vulnerable. Linda promptly wondered where this quite doubled and that remained the final uncharacteristic banter could come ‘Home and dry,’ thought Eddie. ‘Three contract. Crucially, James held the ace from. It must be something to do with hearts, one diamond and an entry to run of spades and three diamonds to the the cards. Perhaps they have a coating the club winners after the king and queen queen. The contract just made, much to that absorbs into the skin to make some have been played.’ He marked time by Linda’s chagrin. Quick to savour the people merry or something. He giving Brenda a sideways glance. She moment, James plucked the traveller contemplated this thought. Maybe I can was peering intently at dummy. ‘Oh, from the board. ‘Clear top for us partner market the idea. I can just see the slogan dear,’ reflected Eddie. ‘I’ve seen that – looks like 4 ™ makes their way.’ ‘play bridge and get high’ all at the look before and it can mean only one same time. No more temper tantrums thing – trouble – usually for me!’ Take-out Double when the contract goes down – just a He remembered fondly that shrug and a friendly smile. interesting story by the late Roald Dahl Linda glared across at her partner, ‘Wake up, Eddie; you look like called ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Emily. ‘Didn’t you realise my double you’ve gone into a trance. You are both Sugar’. Over a long period of years, was for take-out?’ Emily looked across going to need your wits about you to Henry Sugar had honed his the table and thought about her quickly stand any chance against us. If you’re concentration to such an amazing level diminishing place in the ladies’ A-team. still thinking about that 10-foot putt you that he was eventually able to see ‘Sorry partner, I thought we might have sank on the eighth green this morning, through the backs of playing cards. He got them down,’ was all she could say. then that’s not going to help you much.’ used this skill to take millions from Open disagreements between partners ‘Don’t knock it,’ said James coming to casinos around the world. ‘What at the bridge table brings nothing but the aid of his friend, ‘that putt gained us wouldn’t I give for that ability right negative results and the final two boards a couple of valuable points’. now?’ pondered Eddie. resulted in one missed game call for Linda and an easy spade game for The Bridge Gets Underway Bad Breaks? James. The first deal saw Liz make an overtrick ‘Take particular care if it looks too easy. The Final Round in a pretty-much routine 3NT contract. What if the club break is unkind? If one ‘Good one for us, partner,’ said Brenda opponent has all the missing clubs, I am The boards for the final round arrived at as she entered the score. ‘Don’t forget probably going down, but what about a the table along with club secretary, Paul now: overbid for show, overtricks for 4-1 break? I might be making a big Ling and his partner Mick Wade. ‘Hi dough!’ ‘Where did that come from?’ mistake as I know most people will be guys,’ said Mick in a friendly manner, quipped an amused Eddie, thinking trying for the overtrick, but I need only ‘the lovely Linda doesn’t look too about his notorious reputation for five club tricks for the contact, so I shall pleased. Now what have you two been making risky bids. ‘Just made it up,’ play safe. He duly won the first trick in up to?’ ‘Entirely self-inflicted with the said Brenda with more than a knowing hand with the queen and followed this aid of her partner,’ replied James look. with the king of clubs. His next move adopting a mock-serious tone, ‘we’re The next board saw Eddie (West) as was to overtake his queen of clubs with both pillars of propriety!’ declarer in 3NT. Brenda led the jack of dummy’s ace. South showed out Everyone chuckled and Paul decided hearts and Eddie was soon thanking revealing the 4-1 break. Eddie the atmosphere was right to tell a quick James for such an impressive dummy. continued with the club ten taken by story. ‘It’s about this chap who goes to This was the full deal: Brenda’s jack. The defenders next the doctor for a check-up.

Page 27 The Green Baize Cup continued Memories of John Armstrong I had arranged to play with John Armstrong in Peebles recently. I was very shocked to receive two phone calls from friends telling Everything goes fine until the doctor diamond to his ace. He followed this me he had died. I was very lucky to have spots some rather bad bruising on his with another diamond taken by Paul’s played with him two or three times a year. ankles. When asked whether the wounds king. When Mick followed suit, James Once, in a Crockford’s (England’s came through a competitive sporting breathed a sigh of relief. Dummy’s five national knock-out, with an 8-team round- activity, the chap in question replied that remaining diamonds were now all good, robin final), John as declarer, hesitated: his this was indeed the case. He went on to but careful play was still required. Paul left-hand opponent took the wrong explain that he played bridge at club led another club forcing James to ruff inference and misdefended. He called the director who considered the matter, and level and every time he made a mistake, again in dummy. He paused to take ruled that incomp etent defence was the his wife kicked him under the table!’ stock. The play of the ace and king of cause of the lost trick, not the hesitation. So ‘That’s a good one,’ said Eddie. ‘I know spades would still leave the opponents no adjustment. However, he fined John 0.5 plenty of golf jokes, but hardly any with a high trump. Whoever held it VP for hesitating when he had no reason to about bridge. I wonder why that is?’ could thwart the run of the diamonds; do so. No argument from John. Some of the Play proceeded smoothly over the the ace and king of clubs would then players got together and discussed it. They first two boards, with just part-score defeat the contract. did not know why John had hesitated, but they were all certain that it was not to deals. mislead. The director received a deputation, Duck a Trump including the player who had asked for the The Last Board ruling, asking him to withdraw the penalty, The solution was really quite simple. He which he did. I know of no other English This was the final board of the competi - led a low spade and allowed the player where other players would be so tion with North-South vulnerable: opponents to win the trick. He trumped mindful of his reputation that they would the club return in dummy and played a take the trouble to try and preserve it. Once, when I was directing a match low heart to the king in hand. He then between England and Wales, John called me Eddie pulled the remaining trumps with the and said he had received unauthorized ´ 8 7 5 3 ace and king. After that, it was plain information from his partner, and was ™ A 6 sailing all the way with a heart to the ace calling me to protect his opponents’ rights. ♦ Q 9 7 6 4 3 2 in dummy and the rest were diamond He said he was going to try to avoid gaining any advantage from the information during ® Void winners. ‘Looks like a good board for you,’ said the rest of the hand. At the end he asked the Paul Mick opponents if they thought they might have ´ Q 10 ´ J 4 2 Paul, ‘only one other pair made the been damaged. I have rarely seen a pair less N ™ Q 9 7 3 W E ™ 10 8 4 2 contract, let alone the overtrick.’ ‘Number interested in pursuing a matter. They were ♦ K 5 S ♦ J 8 seven, I bet,’ said Eddie, thinking of how not interested in the unauthorised inform- ® Q 10 6 3 2 ® A K 9 5 well Liz and Brenda were doing. ation nor how it affected the hand: knowing James that John was trying to avoid using the information was good enough for them. ´ A K 9 6 The Winners are Announced John was always careful not to give ™ K J 5 offence in anything he said. But he had ♦ A 10 With the bridge session over, everyone discovered my approach over the years, and ® J 8 7 4 adjourned to the club conservatory for a I was proud of the fact that, on rare surprise cream tea. With all the results occasions, he took the mickey out of me, as soon in, the club president, Tom Kite, it meant he was sure I would not take James opened 1 ´ and Eddie raised stood to announce the winning pair. offence. Once, on putting down a dummy straight to game based on four-card ‘First place with a clear majority of containing 13 points, his top-class opponent support and a club void. ‘Shape matters points goes to Brenda and Liz.’ ‘Very asked why he had not raised opposite my mini no-trump. ‘David’s playing it,’ he most’ was Eddie’s motto at the bridge well done,’ said Eddie. ‘Yes,’ continued replied with a grin. table! Paul led the three of clubs and James, ‘we thought we might be in with John was extraordinarily successful, but James took stock of dummy. ‘Thank a chance until near the end when Eddie he was not embarrassed when things went you very much indeed,’ said James in a decided to bid off the radar.’ They took wrong. He once went into the last eight far from convincing tone as he surveyed this in good spirits and there was even a boards of a Spring Foursomes match level the meagre-looking assortment. ‘I suggestion that they could have a return with Boris Schapiro – and lost 86 imps! thought you’d like it,’ replied Eddie in a bridge and golf day just between While others would go into hiding, John showed his score card to everyone he could cheerful manner, ‘you always say you themselves with the victors to pick up find, telling them how hilarious it was. like a challenge’. James looked up: the tab for lunch. When a hand was over and I was certain ‘Yes, but preferably on the golf course.’ Tom rounded off the proceedings by I had misdefended, it was quite common for thanking everyone for contributing to John to say, something like, ‘Perhaps I Will the Diamonds Behave? such an enjoyable day. ‘As someone could have returned a club’. He never famous once said: ‘the pleasure is in the sought to criticise, even when I deserved it. Providing diamonds behave, I may just taking part and not always about I have lost a great friend: bridge has lost a great man. have a chance. Consequently he ruffed winning.’ ‘Don’t you believe it,’ said an David Stevenson the in dummy and played a unknown voice from the floor! n

Page 28 Heather Dhondy Says

Test Your Options in the Right Order

ow do you plan the play in 7 ♠ other options to which to return. West North East South on the deal below, to test all What are you going to discard from Pass 3♠ Hyour options? West leads the dummy on the second top club? Pass 4♠ End queen of clubs. Remember all your options. You may wish to ruff three diamonds or ruff the suit You are West and lead the ace of hearts good. To retain these options, you must against South’s contract of 4 ♠. Partner 1 ♠ J 10 9 5 2 throw a heart from dummy. Now ruff the follows with the six and declarer the ♥ A Q 4 third club – and you discover that they three. How do you plan the defence? ♦ A Q 9 7 split 5-2. It’s time to try another option. Let’s start with partner’s signal. We ♣ 7 Let’s consider the diamond suit. In would like it to be suit a preference signal, ♠ 4 ♠ 8 6 isolation, the finesse is the best option telling us whether he has the king of ♥ J 5 N ♥ K 10 9 8 6 3 for two tricks in the suit but, if it loses, diamonds or the ace of clubs. However, W E you won’t be able to finesse in hearts. in practice, it is very likely merely to be ♦ J 8 6 4 3 S ♦ K 10 2 ♣ Q J 10 9 3 ♣ 8 6 The best combination of chances in the encouraging since he will not know that ♠ A K Q 7 3 two suits is to try to ruff down the king of you have led a singleton. Against a pre- ♥ 7 2 diamonds and, if that fails, take the heart empt, it is quite common to lead an ♦ 5 finesse. While that diamond play is not unsupported ace to get a look at dummy. ♣ A K 5 4 2 best for the suit itself, it increases your What it does do is confirm that he has overall chance from 50% – if you finesse only five hearts as he would signalled in one red suit – to 50% for the heart with the eight or seven if he could. So West North East South finesse plus half of the chance that the South is likely to be 7-3-2-1 or 7-3-1-2. 1♠ king of diamonds ruffs down. We can work out that if partner holds Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦ Of course, you should try to set up the either the diamond king or the club ace Pass 4♥ Pass 4NT diamonds next, since this leaves you and we guess correctly, we can defeat Pass 5♥ Pass 7♠ with a final option of the heart finesse. the contract. So let’s approach it from End Play the ace of diamonds and ruff a the other angle. What’s the worst that diamond. Ruff a club to dummy and ruff can happen if you guess wrong? Let’s assume trumps divide 2-1. This a third diamond. When the king appears If you play partner for the ace of gives you twelve tricks – five spades, you are home. Note that if, at any stage, clubs, but declarer holds it, he will have four top tricks in the side suits and three you decided to take either finesse, you several fast tricks in dummy on which to ruffs. What are your options for a would have failed. dispose of losers. By contrast, if you thirteenth? Firstly, if the clubs break 4-3, Testing your options in the right order play partner for the king of diamonds you can establish your fifth club. There can be just as important when defending. and declarer has it, you can see that is also either red-suit finesse, or ruffing partner will be short enough in the suit down the king of diamonds. How are we to ruff in before declarer can take many going to maximise our chance of 2 ♠ K 10 discards. You should thus have time to success? The answer is to combine as ♥ J 10 9 2 switch tack and play him for the club ace many of these chances as possible by ♦ A Q 4 2 when you are in with your trump. testing them in the correct order. Since ♣ K Q J Finally, if dummy’s ace wins and there is no way you will want four ruffs ♠ A 9 ♠ 5 4 declarer plays a trump to your ace, you in either hand, you start by drawing ♥ A N ♥ K Q 6 5 4 will have to find East’s entry. Fortunately, W E trumps. All follow once. West discards a ♦ 9 8 7 6 5 S ♦ K 10 by this time, you will have seen the all- diamond on the second round. Which ♣ 9 8 6 5 4 ♣ 10 7 3 2 important signal on the first diamond. option do you go for first? ♠ Q J 8 7 6 3 2 Even if East has K-3, declarer’s refusal Don’t start with a finesse. If it fails, ♥ 8 7 3 to finesse may guide you. you are down and it will be too late to try ♦ J 3 Therefore, you should lead the nine of any other options. Try ruffing out the ♣ A on diamonds at trick two because that clubs. If that fails, you will still have leaves you both options open. ■

Page 29 Bridge Holidays, Cruises and Weekends Looking for a holiday, short break or a cruise? Why not choose one from our extensive list. Cruises are in blue, overseas holidays in green and UK breaks in black.

OCTOBER 2008 OCTOBER cont NOVEMBER 2008 NOVEMBER cont

1 – 3 Marsham Court 17 – 19 Staverton Park 4 – 16 North African 14 – 16 Theobalds Park Gentle Duplicate Treasures 16 –7/12 Voyage to 17 – 19 The Beach Hotel 7 – 9 Barony Castle South America

17 – 19 Theobalds Park 21 – 23 Latimer House

24 – 26 The Olde Barn 21 – 23 Staverton Park Gentle Duplicate 24 – 26 Barony Castle 28 – 30 Milton Hill House The Olde Barn, Marston

28 – 30 Theobalds Park 2 – 13 Black Sea Marsham Court, Bournemouth Gentle Duplicate Discovery I 28 – 30 The Olde Barn 3 – 5 Theobalds Park 7 – 9 Harben House Gentle Duplicate 10 – 12 Milton Hill House 7 – 9 Milton Hill House MV Discovery

10 – 12 Staverton Park 7 – 9 The Olde Barn Improvers 24 – 26 Harben House Improvers Gentle Duplicate 13 – 24 Black Sea Discovery II 24 – 26 Wychwood Park Staverton Park, Daventry 24 –4/11 Aegean Odyssey DECEMBER 2008 26 – 28 Marsham Court 3 – 21 Antarctica & the 31 –2/11 Milton Hill House Falkland Islands Improvers Wychwood Park, Crewe 5 – 7 The Beach Hotel 31 –2/11 Staverton Park 9 – 11 Marsham Court 16 – 2/1 Antarctica, Latimer House, Chesham 31 –2/11 Theobalds Park Chile and Gentle Duplicate 14 – 16 Staverton Park Patagonia Bridge Holidays, Cruises and Weekends Looking for a holiday, short break or a cruise? Why not choose one from our extensive list. Cruises are in blue, overseas holidays in green and UK breaks in black.

DECEMBER cont FEBRUARY 2009 MARCH cont

26 –16/1 Falklands, 3 – 5 Marsham Court 27 – 29 Staverton Park South Georgia and Antarctica 6 – 8 The Beach Hotel 27 –12/4 India & the Persian Gulf 7 – 1/3 Cape to Cape

20 – 22 The Olde Barn Theobalds Park, Cheshunt

27 – 1/3 Staverton Park

Christmas

Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia & New Year Antarctica Denham Grove, JANUARY 2009 Uxbridge, APRIL 2009 Buckinghamshire 10 – 30 Antarctica & the Chilean Fjords 1 3 – 5 Staverton Park Barony Castle, Nr Peebles 24-27 December 3 – 5 The Olde Barn Sandy Bell £395 27 –15/3 South Africa & 12 – 26 Red Sea & the the Indian Eastern Med Ocean 27-29 December 26 –10/5 Black Sea, Turkey MARCH 2009 & Greek Isles Signals & Discards Chris Barrable Milton Hill House, Oxon 1 – 3 Marsham Court & Ann Pearson £199 3 – 5 Marsham Court 24 –13/2 Antarctica & the Chilean Fjords 2 13 – 15 Staverton Park 29 Dec – 1 Jan 2009 23 – 25 Staverton Park Chris Barrable 13 – 15 The Olde Barn & Ann Pearson 30 – 1/2 Staverton Park 13 – 29 Jewels of £355 the Indian The Beach Hotel, Worthing 30 – 1/2 The Beach Hotel Ocean Bernard Magee Says Beware of Blocking Suits

enerally, the correct method of Some blockages are not so easy to spot: playing a suit is to play the high ♠ A 7 6 3 2 Gcards from the shorter holding N first so that the suit runs smoothly: W E ♠ Q 6 S ♥ A K 8 ♠ Q 4 ♦ A 4 3 2 ♣ K Q 4 ♣ 9 8 7 2

N N W E You can make your queen and ace if W E S East holds the king. You lead small from S ♣ A J 3 2 dummy towards the queen. If East has ♠ A 8 the king, he may well play it; this sets up ♥ 6 5 4 your queen but blocks the suit with the ♦ J 8 7 You start with the king and queen from queen left facing A-7-6-3. ♣ A K 5 4 3 North’s shorter holding (three cards) and You must be wary if a long suit starts then play the four to South’s ace and blocked or may become so – your plan jack – four easy tricks. If you play the must cater for the necessary entries. South is in 3NT and West leads the ace or jack first, you block the suit. spade jack. When you cover the jack A blockage means that to run the suit with the queen, East covers with his king you need a side entry. If you began with ♠ A 4 3 and the suit is going to be wide open. the ace, you could take the king and ♥ A K 4 You duck once, but have to take the queen, but then would have to use ♦ A 8 7 6 second round. You now need to run nine another suit to get over to the jack. ♣ A 4 3 tricks without losing the lead, which Sometimes a suit starts blocked or a ♠ Q 10 7 6 5 ♠ J 8 means clubs must split 2-2. However, if finesse or similar play blocks the suit: ♥ 9 8 2 N ♥ Q J 10 5 3 you mistakenly play the ace-king W E ♦ Q 9 S ♦ K J 5 4 without considering dummy’s holding, ♣ K 7 6 ♣ 5 2 you will come unstuck. While the luck is ♦ K Q ♥ A 7 6 ♠ K 9 2 with you (clubs are 2-2), you can make only four club tricks, as there is no way N N ♥ 7 6 W E W E ♦ 10 3 2 to reach your fifth club. You would have S S ♣ Q J 10 9 8 to settle for eight tricks in this case. Of ♦ A 7 6 5 4 ♥ Q J 10 9 8 course, the way to solve the problem is to keep the club two in dummy. You play South is in 3NT and West leads a low the seven and eight underneath the ace- You cannot run the diamonds without spade. You have six top tricks with extra king. Then, with the clubs falling, you crossing to hand in another suit. tricks available in clubs and possibly can win the third round with the nine of You could play the hearts for one diamonds. A finesse might bring in the clubs and finally cross to your two loser: take the ace and knock out the whole club suit, but when the long suit is remaining clubs by leading the two to king. To avoid a loser, you want to in the weak hand you need to be careful. the five. finesse. You lead the queen and run it: it If you use up South’s spade entry to take wins the trick; you lead the jack, which two successful club , the suit Conclusion also wins, but now the suit is blocked will be blocked and you will make only with the bare ace left in hand. After all three club tricks. When you consider the play of a suit, follow twice, the other hearts are good Instead, you should win the initial you should check for any blockages – as West’s king will fall under your ace, spade lead with dummy’s ace and knock those there already and those that your but you need a side entry to the South out the king of clubs. Your king of play will create. As always, try to do this hand to run the rest of the suit. spades will be the entry to reach your at trick one as, very often, a crucial entry Another common blockage arises here: long clubs. will go on the very first trick. ■

Page 32 Seasonal Walks with Countryman

A Walk in the Autumn

his little piece of England its way; but she took scant notice of the The lead is the king of hearts. What are where the birds are singing, the several magpies that graced the field your plans? We will come back to this T sun shining and the air with their presence. hand later on. seriously intoxicating – it is all too easy Magpies are attractive-looking birds, When we reached our destination to fall under its magic spell and dream cunning and intelligent with terrific eventually, the initial prospects did not on, contentedly... appetites. It seems they will eat almost look too good. Not a mushroom in There can be little doubt that early anything, ranging from seeds and berries sight, but I did notice the odd toadstool, autumn is scenically one of the most to worms, slugs and small rodents. which perhaps augured well – and then, beautiful times of the year. When the However, they are not everyone’s friend sure enough, we came across a few real mists disperse gradually and the sun and that includes gamekeepers! beauties. Cindy watched, clearly fights its way through, there are few Superstition and the magpie go hand- intrigued, as I removed them to my more magnificent country scenes than in-hand in English folklore and there are basket and I think she sensed my the contrasting colours of the trees. many exotic tales on record. Even today, delight, perhaps taking a modicum of From the deep bronze of the oaks to the plenty of people think it unlucky to see a credit for our success! scarlet of the sycamores and all the single magpie and they will search Time to look at the full bridge deal and shades of gold and yellow in between, I desperately to try to spot a second – two we can see whether Bill was justified in defy anyone not to feel moved and more being the symbol of good luck. claiming that he had been unlucky. likely, totally captivated. Talking of luck, a friend of mine, let These were my thoughts as Cindy – us call him Bill, complained vehemently she is my gorgeous golden retriever – that he had been most unlucky on the ♠ Q 9 7 6 and I made our way through the fields following hand from the pairs’ event at ♥ A 8 that run alongside a large wooded area the club. See what you think. ♦ 8 7 4 to our left. ♣ K 8 3 2 Our objective, apart from fulfilling the ♠ 2 ♠ 8 3 daily walkies routine, was to reach a Dealer West. Love All. ♥ K Q J 10 7 4 N ♥ 9 6 5 2 W E meadow where horses are frequently ♠ Q 9 7 6 ♦ A Q 10 S ♦ J 9 5 3 seen grazing. As I explained to Cindy, ♥ A 8 ♣ J 10 6 ♣ Q 9 7 we should be able to find some ♦ 8 7 4 ♠ A K J 10 5 4 mushrooms because they usually thrive ♣ K 8 3 2 ♥ 3 where horse manure has fallen and this N ♦ K 6 2 is the ideal time before the hard frosts W E ♣ A 5 4 cause their inevitable demise. S I am not sure how impressed Cindy ♠ A K J 10 5 4 was with the idea, but for her, walkies ♥ 3 This is what Bill told me. are always exciting and today was no ♦ K 6 2 ‘I won the first trick with the ace of exception. She bounded backwards and ♣ A 5 4 hearts, drew trumps, ending in dummy forwards, covering an enormous amount and ruffed the eight of hearts, just like of ground and never looking in the least the good book says! bit tired. She seemed thoroughly pleased West North East South Then I played the ace of clubs in- with herself as she put a cock pheasant 1♥ Pass Pass 2♠ tending to throw West on lead on the third to flight, grumbling loudly as it sped on Pass 4♠ End round if the suit broke three-three.

Page 33 Autumn continued 2009 DEFENCE But on the second round, Bridge West followed with the jack of clubs, leaving me uncertain whether to let him QUIZ Players’ hold the trick or play on and hope he had the queen as Diaries well. by Julian Pottage West had not had any sort (Answers on page 58) of think before following to the second club, so I ou are East in the defensive positions below. It is your turn continued with my original Yto play. plan, cashing dummy’s king of clubs and then playing a third round. It was at this 1. ♠ A K Q 9 3. ♠ A K Q 9 point that disaster struck! ♥ A J 4 ♥ A K Q 9 East produced the queen of ♦ 9 8 4 ♦ 8 4 ♣ 9 3 2 ♣ J 9 3 ♦ Acol Summary clubs and switched to the ♠ 7 6 ♠ 10 7 6 5 by Ron Klinger. jack of diamonds, so the N ♥ Q 10 9 2 N ♥ 10 7 3 2 defenders took the next three W E W E ♦ Updated Laws and S ♦ J 10 6 2 S ♦ K 10 tricks for one down. Ethics by Mike ♣ A 8 4 ♣ A K 4 Swanson. Now surely that was most unlucky, although I did ♦ Scoring Tables for congratulate East on his West North East South West North East South Duplicate and Rubber. switch. 1NT 1♥ Pass 1NT ♦ Choice of red, navy, Perhaps you have noticed Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 3NT End ivory, plae blue or Pass 3NT Pass 4♠ one slight flaw in Bill’s plan. Partner leads the ♣5. maroon covers. End I am not sure which ‘good Again, your side wins the ♦ All covers printed in book’ Bill reads but I am Partner leads the ♣K, on first four tricks in clubs and gold-coloured ink. quite certain it would not which you play the ♣8. dummy discards a dia - have condoned his play at You win the next club with mond on the long club. ♦ Individual diaries the ♣A (South drops the What do you discard? £5.95 each inc p&p. trick one. That is where he made his big mistake as he ♣J) and play a third round. ♦ Special concession to should have ducked the king Declarer ruffs and draws bridge clubs. 10 or of hearts! trumps in three rounds. 4. ♠ Q J more copies £3.50 Subsequently he can What do you discard? ♥ A Q each including p&p, ♦ A 8 7 6 5 2 subject to availability. discard a club on the ace of hearts and then establish ♣ 9 6 2 2. ♠ A K Q 9 ♠ 10 9 6 4 dummy’s fourth club for a ♥ A K Q 9 N ♥ J 10 5 4 diamond discard in complete ♦ W E ♦ 8 4 S Q 4 safety, ruffing the third round, ♣ J 9 3 ♣ K 8 5 regardless of who holds the ♠ J 10 7 6 queen and jack. Thus, he N ♥ J 10 7 2 W E West North East South makes his game losing just S ♦ K 10 one heart and two diamonds. ♣ A K 4 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT Luxury version with super-soft Back home again with our End kidrell cover, gilded page nice basket of mushrooms West North East South edges and a ball-point and now enjoying a welcome 1♥ Pass 1NT Partner leads the ♣Q, pen attached. drink, I say to Cindy, who is Pass 3NT End which wins as you encour - Two colour covers: bottle snuggling up beside me, age with the ♣8. Your ♣K green or ruby red. £12.95 ‘You see; Bill got his ducks Partner leads the ♣5. You wins the second trick and each including postage win with the king, cash the you play a third round. and packing. mixed up. The first one was the right one.’ She looked up ace and continue with a Declarer wins with the ♣A third round. Partner wins and leads a spade. Partner Exclusively available at me and wagged her tail as much to say, ‘You did with the queen and cashes takes the ♠A and cashes from the thirteenth club, on the thirteenth club, on mention ducks, didn’t you? ( 01483 489961. which dummy discards a which dummy discards a www.mrbridge.co.uk No, I’ve never mixed mine diamond. Your discard? dia mond. Your discard? up.’ What a dog! ■

Page 34 Dave Huggett Says

Don’t Overuff with a Natural trump Trick

ften in the heat of battle, one gets The chance of a second trump trick is in an attempt to attain trump control. carried away. We all do things we only one reason not to overruff. The This type of opportunity happens quite Oshouldn’t. Take this deal: reason may be more subtle. often when you have more trumps than a defender usually has.

♠ K J 7 5 ♠ 6 4 2 ♥ 8 6 4 2 ♥ A Q 5 ♠ 10 9 5 ♦ Q 9 5 ♦ Q 6 3 ♥ Q 5 4 2 ♣ K 6 ♣ 9 7 6 3 ♦ 9 7 5 ♠ 10 8 3 2 ♠ 9 6 ♠ K 7 3 ♠ 9 5 ♣ K Q 3 ♥ K 10 3 N ♥ 9 ♥ 10 7 6 4 2 N ♥ 8 3 ♠ A 6 4 2 ♠ 3 W E W E ♦ 7 3 S ♦ A K J 10 4 2 ♦ 8 2 S ♦ A K J 10 7 5 ♥ 8 3 N ♥ A K J 10 7 W E ♣ 10 8 7 3 ♣ Q J 5 4 ♣ 8 5 2 ♣ Q 10 4 ♦ 10 6 4 S ♦ A 8 3 2 ♠ A Q 4 ♠ A Q J 10 8 ♣ J 9 8 2 ♣ 10 7 6 ♥ A Q J 7 5 ♥ K J 9 ♠ K Q J 8 7 ♦ 8 6 ♦ 9 4 ♥ 9 6 ♣ A 9 2 ♣ A K J ♦ K Q J ♣ A 5 4

West North East South West North East South 1♥ 1♠ West North East South Pass 2♥ 3♦ Dbl 1 Pass 1NT 2♦ Dbl 1 1♠ Pass 4♥ End Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ Pass 1NT 2♥ Dbl 1 1try for game in hearts End Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠ 1take-out End You lead the seven of diamonds, which 1take-out partner wins with the ten. He then plays You lead the diamond eight, which East the ace followed by the king of wins with the ten. Then he cashes the ace The bidding might not be to your liking, diamonds and declarer ruffs with the and leads the king, which South ruffs but that is not your concern. Naturally, queen of hearts. What do you do? with the queen. I hope you are ready. you lead the eight of hearts. Partner wins It looks jolly tempting to overruff with What happens if you overruff and say with the ten, cashes the ace and the king of hearts. However, if you do, return a heart? Declarer wins, draws continues with the jack. Declarer ruffs this will be the last trick your side trumps, enters dummy with a heart and this with the jack of spades. You must makes. Whatever you do next, declarer finesses the jack of clubs. He makes four think what to do. wins and draws trumps, making four spade tricks, three hearts and three clubs. What happens if you overruff and lead spade tricks, four hearts and two clubs. Now, suppose you don’t overruff even a diamond? Partner wins and plays the Now try not overruffing. You will find, though you have no real hope of a second king of hearts. Declarer ruffs, draws miraculously, that you come to two trump trick. Declarer may start to think trumps and makes the contract with four trump tricks. It is as though the queen of that East has the spade king. He may spades, two diamonds and three clubs. hearts never existed and, as a result, your enter dummy with a heart and play a Now, instead of overruffing, discard a ten has been promoted. Maybe this is not spade to the jack, which you again refuse diamond. Declarer will try to draw so difficult to see because the ten is in to win. Declarer may well then use his trumps but you can win and play a your hand. Now give yourself the nine of last entry to dummy – another heart – to diamond to partner’s ace. When he plays hearts instead of the ten and it would be repeat the finesse. This time, you win and the king of hearts, you will find that if correct still to refuse to overruff. Why is play back your last trump. Stuck in hand, declarer ruffs you will have one more this? Your partner might have the ten, in declarer has to concede a club trick to trump than he has. In all, you will make which case your nine would be promoted your partner in the end-game. two trump tricks and three red-suit tricks into the setting trick. On some deals, you refuse to overruff for a one-trick set of the contract. ■

Page 35 Andrew Kambites Says

Grand Slams are for the Birds

ome hands become ingrained on to mention. One of the two Warwick - agreed to bid grand slams only if we the memory in indelible ink. Let shire pairs (our opponents) failed to bid could count thirteen tricks. Let us be Sme tell you a painful story from a any sort of slam! They gained match honest, you can rarely count thirteen few years ago. points for staying in game. Now here is tricks before the bidding has finished. My county, Gloucestershire, is a small a thought – if strong county players can Our unfortunate South thought he could, rural county but we have our hopes and miss a laydown 6 ♠, isn’t it inevitable but wishful thinking doesn’t create tricks. ambitions. Five years ago, we qualified that many lesser lights can do the same? This sort of hand gives rise to today’s for the final of the Tollemache Cup: the Was our South player just unlucky? maxim: Grand Slams are for the Birds. inter-counties teams-of-eight champion - He knew that if North had five hearts Suppose you pick up this: ship. We had never won the Tolly, third then he could virtually count thirteen being our best position. This deal came tricks (provided hearts broke 3-2, as they up when we were doing quite well. will about two thirds of the time). Look ♠ A J 7 6 at the layout in the next diagram. ♥ A Q 6 ♦ K Q 4 ♠ A 8 7 6 ♣ A J 5 ♥ A 9 4 3 ♠ A 8 7 6 ♦ Q 6 5 ♥ A 9 4 3 2 ♣ A Q ♦ Q 6 You are vulnerable. Your partner opens ♠ 9 3 ♠ 10 5 4 ♣ A 7 1♣. You are surely thinking, ‘Slam!’ ♥ 8 6 N ♥ J 10 7 2 ♠ 9 3 ♠ 10 5 4 Suppose you respond 1 ♠. Partner rebids W E N ♦ J 10 8 4 S ♦ K 9 7 ♥ 8 6 ♥ J 10 7 1NT, showing an old-fashioned 15-16 W E ♣ J 10 9 8 5 ♣ 7 3 2 ♦ J 10 8 4 S ♦ K 9 7 5 points. Are you thinking: ‘Grand Slam?’ ♠ K Q J 2 ♣ J 10 9 8 5 ♣ Q 3 2 Although you have 36-37 points, do you ♥ K Q 5 ♠ K Q J 2 really believe that you can find out ♦ A 3 2 ♥ K Q 5 enough to count thirteen tricks? A grand ♣ K 6 4 ♦ A 3 2 slam is likely to be on a finesse (partner ♣ K 6 4 can’t have the K-Q in two black suits, the king of hearts and the diamond ace West North East South because that is 17 points). Do you want to 1♥ Pass 1♠ On normal breaks, declarer can easily be in a grand slam that figures to depend Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT draw trumps, ruff a club in dummy, and on a finesse or should you settle for 6NT? Pass 5♣ Pass 7♠ discard diamonds on dummy’s fourth Suppose you are using total points End and fifth hearts. scoring. Do you want to risk turning There is, of course, one flaw in that your score of +1440 into –100 just for an 4NT was a modern version of argument. Why must North hold five extra 750? You need to succeed two Blackwood, called Roman Key-Card hearts? With the hand North had – four times in three to make the risk worth it. Blackwood. 5 ♣ showed 0 or 3 aces (the cards in each major and a hand too Suppose you are playing teams-of- king of trumps counting as an ace). 7 ♠ strong to open 1NT – it is natural to four. Assume your opponents are in was hopeless: barring a singleton king of open 1 ♥, giving partner space to 6NT. Are you going to chase the extra 13 diamonds, there is simply no way of introduce spades cheaply. North bid his IMPs for bidding a grand slam while avoiding a diamond loser. hand quite normally, South just indulged risking losing 17 IMPs if it fails? You It would be unfair to say that this hand in a little wishful thinking. need odds of better than evens! cost us the silver medal. There were too Now here comes the rub! Before the Suppose you are playing duplicate many other hands where we could have event, we had discussed tactics. We had pairs. Do you want a score of –100, only done better. All the same, if our South previously experienced the frustration of to open up the traveller and find you player had stopped in 6 ♠, we would bidding a good grand slam and failing on have lost out to any pairs in silly have achieved the silver medal – our an unlucky layout, only to find our contracts? Again, you need odds of best ever result. There is one other fact opponents had stopped in game. We had better than 50% to bid a grand slam. ■

Page 36 Julian Pottage Says Keep What Partner Can’t

aving to make a discard can be hard. Throwing the wrong thing ♠ A K 8 7 3 ♠ 8 5 3 2 Hmay give declarer an extra ♥ J 5 ♥ 5 winner. If you have J-x-x-x and see ♦ A Q 2 ♦ A J 10 8 A-K-Q-x in dummy, you must surely ♣ 7 6 2 ♣ A K 5 2 keep the suit. In real life, things are ♠ Q 9 4 ♠ 10 5 2 ♠ A K Q 10 4 ♠ 9 7 rarely so simple. Either you must contend ♥ 9 8 N ♥ 10 7 6 3 2 ♥ 10 N ♥ J 9 8 7 3 2 with length in the closed hand or rely on W E W E ♦ K 10 8 6 S ♦ 9 4 ♦ K 7 6 4 S ♦ Q 9 5 2 help from partner. In the latter case, you ♣ Q 10 5 3 ♣ A K 8 ♣ J 7 6 ♣ 10 often need to protect one suit each. ♠ J 6 ♠ J 6 ♥ A K Q 4 ♥ A K Q 6 4 ♦ J 7 5 3 ♦ 3 ♠ 10 7 3 2 ♣ J 9 4 ♣ Q 9 8 4 3 ♥ K 9 5 ♦ 7 2 ♣ A K J 7 West North East South West North East South ♠ K 9 4 ♠ Q J 5 1♠ Pass 2♦ 1♥ ♥ Q 8 N ♥ J 7 3 2 Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT 1♠ Double Pass 2♣ W E ♦ K J 8 6 5 S ♦ A 9 4 Pass 3NT End Pass 2♠ Pass 3♣ ♣ 9 5 3 ♣ 8 6 2 Pass 5♣ End ♠ A 8 6 You, West, lead the three of clubs and ♥ A 10 6 4 run four tricks when East holds A-K-x. Partner takes two top spades and plays a ♦ Q 10 3 On the last club, North throws a spade, third round. You, East, ruff and South ♣ Q 10 4 East a heart and South a diamond. overruffs with the queen. Then comes a You switch to a heart, won by the jack. club to the ace (you throw a heart) and a Declarer continues with the A-K-Q of heart to the ace (West plays the ten). West North East South hearts. You must find two discards. Now comes the nine of clubs, covered 1NT (12-14) You have three options: two spades, by the jack (a slight mistake) and king, Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ two diamonds or one of each. The clue followed by a club to the eight. You must Pass 2NT End here is the bidding. South responded 2 ♦, discard twice more. showing at least four diamonds. This In a suit contract, you still keep what You are East. West leads the six of means that partner holds at most two partner can’t. The added thing to think diamonds. You win with the ace and diamonds and thus that discarding two about is that declarer might ruff a suit return the nine. Partner runs the suit. diamonds would be fatal. Since South good. The bidding and play to date tell Dummy discards two spades and a heart, might hold J-x of spades, partner will be you that South started with A-K-Q-x-x you two clubs and South one spade and able to help protect the third round of of hearts. If you throw another heart, one heart. On a club switch, declarer spades but not necessarily the second you can no longer protect the fifth round runs four rounds of the suit. You must round – so you do not want to discard and your opponent can ruff a heart in find three discards. You put South with two spades either. Correct is to throw dummy to set up a long card. the major-suit aces (or West could have one spade and one diamond. You must keep what partner can’t – in cashed out). Those, plus four clubs and Had the bidding been different, giving this case, the heart suit – and throw a the spade king would give eight tricks. you reason to place South with three diamond on the second and third rounds This tells you to put West with the spade spades and three diamonds, you would of trumps. Although this leaves your king. A count of South’s points says the again have followed the principle that queen unguarded, this does not matter same. A-K of spades, the heart ace and you keep what partner can’t. In that case, since you place partner with the king. both minor queens would be 15. You can as only you could guard the third round You must assume this or declarer has throw all your spades! You must keep of spades, you would keep your spades eleven tricks: five trumps, three hearts, hearts because partner can’t. and rely on partner to guard diamonds. two diamonds and a heart ruff. ■

Page 37 Born to Blush Unseen by Dick Atkinson

y ancient but formidable Black wood bid functioned as a transfer, He might duck in case his partner had uncle, Baron Leopold von ensuring that the big hand became the singleton king...’ MMünchaussen, was perusing dummy, and so that there would be ‘You forget that, thanks to the choice some bridge magazine or other which perfect defence! You see the point – only of response, the strong hand has had arrived in the morning mail. ‘Gray perfect technical play by declarer will performed the dance of the seven veils: got it right, you know.’ do. The lead is a spade. Over to you.’ all is revealed –’ ‘Harrison Gray?’ I asked. That great ‘6 ♥ is a much better contract. Even English international had been a near 7♥ is perhaps better, though not good, The Full Monty contemporary of Uncle Leo, being born of course. Or –’ at the turn of the century. The harrumph was deafening. ‘The Full Monty,’ I interrupted. ‘No, no! The poet: Full many a rose is ‘You’re waffling, boy! What do you ‘Quite so. The defender can see the born to blush unseen, And waste its play? ’ ♣K-Q. If the ace is doubleton, he’ll sweetness on the desert air. That Gray.’ ‘I suppose there is a finite chance of a return the other trump to table and ‘I’m sorry?’ doubleton ♣J and a singleton ♦K...’ you’re down anyway. Therefore, since ‘Gray’s Elegy . Look at this refreshing ‘You’ve just gone down. Listen to you need a singleton ♣A to throw the little publication. ‘Bridge’ – what this.’ He peered watery-eyed through player in, you should lead –’ simplicity. And it’s free too. Did you the blue haze of a Double Corona, and ‘A small trump!’ I interrupted. know you could buy bridge mugs, read from the printed article: Not only ‘You’re right Uncle Leo! Take the ♠A, bridge T-shirts – whatever they are – did the small slam have no play, East cash the ♥A, lead the ♣3 to the ♣A and and even bridge Christmas cards? lost two trump tricks when South turned South must give you a discard or a free Fascinating. But this deal... dear oh up with the singleton Ace of clubs to finesse in diamonds; then you can draw dear. Why don’t people learn to expect finish two down!’ trumps with the ♣K-Q. Masterly. the unexpected?’ ‘Well, there you are. It can’t be The old man had fixed me with a helped.’ baleful glare. ‘Imbecile! Have you Expect the Unexpected ‘And what did South return to put this learned nothing? You are no better than contract two down?’ I tried to read the the perpetrator of this article.’ The hands and auction were as follows: page upside down, but the print was too ‘But I make the contract,’ I protested. small. ‘He doesn’t tell you. He doesn’t ‘And if North has ♣A-J-4-2 and South have to tell you!’ has the guarded ♦K? What then? You West East Ah, I see it now. It couldn’t be a will be three down! There were only ♠ K 10 5 4 ♠ A spade, or declarer would ditch the three wrong clubs and six right ones ♥ K Q 10 9 7 6 ♥ A losing diamond on the king. And it and, with odds like that and three ♦ Q J 8 ♦ A 9 couldn’t be a diamond through the chances, you couldn’t find one of them!’ ♣ Void ♣ K Q 10 9 8 7 6 5 3 queen-jack, killing the King. And it ‘That’s not very fair. I was hardly couldn’t be a trump, because he hadn’t awake. I’m sure I’d have got it right at got one. ‘A heart. Yes! So even though the table,’ I lied. West North East South the contract doesn’t make, he could save ‘And are you awake now?’ 1♥ Pass 4NT Pass the extra undertrick by cashing the ♥A I nodded, my heart sinking. 5♣ Pass 6♣ Pass before playing the king of trumps.’ End ‘Numbskull! Of course, the heart first. Aristocrats v Plutocrats But the trump king can never secure ‘The auction, of course, is a thing of your contract, as an opponent with ‘This deal from the 1959 Aristocrats v real beauty –’ ♣A-x-(x) will take the ace immediately Plutocrats final has certain similarities to ‘But, Uncle Leo, why rush into –’ and exit safely with a small trump.’ that other. Let’s see whether you have ‘Don’t interrupt. That ridiculous ‘You mean I should lead the queen? learned anything.’

Page 38 Born to Blush Unseen just as good.’ continued ‘Or as bad. In the other room, I played the ♠A at trick two, then came back to Better Hand hand with a heart to play the ♠7.’ Evaluation ♠ J 10 8 7 4 2 ♠ A Lucky Guess? ♥ A Q 10 N ♥ K J 7 Bernard Magee W E ‘That’s a lucky guess. Why play the ♦ A 10 8 S ♦ J 9 7 ♣ A ♣ Q 10 8 7 5 4 weaker suit?’ ‘Cretin! Firstly, since you can’t lead Introduction up to the ♣Q-10 yourself, the two suits Better Hand Evaluation is aimed at ‘The auction was standard: are exactly equivalent in attack. Your helping readers to add greater accuracy losers are restricted to two about 72% to their bidding. It deals with auctions West North East South of the time. But you ignored the key in which you and your partner, against 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass similarity to that previous hand. You silent opponents, can fully describe 2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass have shown up with a singleton ♣A, your hands to each other and, by 3NT Pass End and were unable to rebid in a four-card evaluating them accurately, find the red suit. You must have six spades, best final contract. The emphasis of all ‘Surely the 3 ♣ sign-off is –’ which, since you have gone for the good, accurate bidding is on hand ‘Not . East’s weak call is Pass; 3 ♣ is clubs instead, must be weaker than evaluation. constructive, as every good player knows. Q-10-8-7-x-x. Everybody can see exactly There are two general types of auction: Both players have bid quite strongly how the diamonds lie. You have done a) A fit is found and b) No fit is found. enough on a patent misfit. North leads the the Full Monty, as you so inelegantly ♦2, to the ♦7, ♦Q, ♦A. Plan the play!’ phrased it and the small spade switch When you do not have a fit, you are After a moment’s furious thought and will be inevitable, even from, say, Q-x!’ aiming to describe the strength of your the clues of the previous tongue-lashing, ‘But in your line they can switch to a hand as soon as possible, most often I replied, ‘It’s pretty straight forward. You club... Damn!’ using no-trump bids. This book begins have six tricks on top, so you need three ‘Exactly so: usually you will be able by discussing bidding in more. You can afford to lose two clubs. to restrict your club losers to one if they Acol, as it is very important that both Cash the ♣A, cross to the ♥J, lead the are played for you. Never mind. Have a members of a partnership have an club seven, ’ I purred. ‘They clear the look at page two of that BRIDGE thing. accurate knowledge of how to show diamonds, hopefully I force out the There’s a clever little machine which hands of different strengths. remaining high club, they cash a... No?’ Allows you to take back any bid or play, When a fit is found, there is much re- or to view all hands... Or perhaps evaluation of the hand to be done; point Only 72% Chance of Making something requiring less skill would count, though still important, needs to suit your – er – talents better. I suggest be evaluated along with distribution. ‘You were hoping to make on a 3-3 you take up Beggar-My-Neighbour. The best way of reaching an accurate break, or 4-2 with a doubleton honour, You’ll still have all the fun of counting assessment is to use the Losing Trick or 5-1 with a singleton honour or nine.’ up your points – four for an ace, three Count; this is an important method of Well, OK, if he said so. ‘That’s about a for a king and so on.’ hand evaluation and takes up a number 72% bet.’ of chapters. ‘Abso- lutely!’ I gloated. 100% Skill Finally, we move on to different forms ‘In fact South has: of evaluation including game tries and I was cut to the quick. ‘I’m surprised splinter bids. You can never know K 6 3 8 6 4 2 Q 5 3 K 9 2 you think I could master its intricacies,’ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ enough methods of hand evaluation; I shot back. ‘Why not go the whole hog, the more you learn, the better you get at In with the 9, he simply plays his 3 and suggest Snap?’ ♣ ♠ judging your hand. and the contract becomes unmakeable. His lip curled ominously. (He had The Billionaire holding your cards informed me previously that, on more Although the Losing Trick Count is played a little better. He led the ♣Q than one historical occasion, the more easily used in tandem with your rather than the ♣7. The odds are the Münchaussen Sneer had been worth at partner, a large proportion of the ideas same, since he hopes for a doubleton ♣J least an extra squadron of uhlans in the in this book can be used by an or ♣9; but since he gives the opponents Prussian cause.) ‘I knew there was bad individual. For example, evaluating no choice of who wins the trick, he blood in my brother-in-law’s family... your hand to be worth an extra point is might hope that the spade switch might Snap, my dear idiot , is perhaps the only going to help anyone you partner – as be less obvious to the holder of the ♣K. which is 100% pure long as you get it right! But the spade was led back anyway.’ skill...’ ■ That infuriating old man! He had £14.20 including postage virtually tricked me into playing a from , Ryden Grange, middle club with his misleading clue. Previously published in BRIDGE 38. Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH ‘Nevertheless,’ I said, ‘it made no Reprinted to satisfy popular demand. ( 01483 489961 difference, so my line was, in practice,

Page 39 BRIDGE COVER CARTOON BUBBLE CAPTION COMPETITION

I said vulnerable not available. Michael Brecknell, London. Take Behan, Surrey. Minors on the make? Mrs J Llewellyn, Swansea. out double for minor royalty. Richard Moore, Herefordshire. Having Misfit. Mr Thomas Thompson, Isle of Islay. Looking for a ‘minor’ no spades. Michael Tudor-Craig, Hampshire. Weak two or strong miracle. Dr H. Lacey, Suffolk. A right pair of cards. Mr D Gage, two? Mr J Adie, Fife. That’s no minor attraction. Andrew Heaver, Norfolk. Did you bring the spades? Mrs B J Ide, Kent. No reply Northampton. Time to try the clubs. Mr F. D. Fallon, Dorchester. with only five points. Mr Victor Groom, Bristol. We would never Have you an announcement to make? Esther Peach, Swindon. miss the Brighton Congress. John Tennant, Bedfordshire. A ....Oh look! A pair of Queens. Mrs L Bacchus, Farnham. Honours perfect doubleton. Mrs Wendy Reed, Hampshire. They adore pair squeeze at weekend duplicate break. Mr R Hill, Hampshire. unassuming cue bids. Mr and Mrs C. S. Goldsmith, Middlesex. I Minor royals honour the summer meeting. Mr & Mrs J G would like to jump bid. Mrs Ann Riddleston, Witham. Having none Burbridge, Cambridge. Jack leads diamond and wins Queen’s partner? Major General M Clarke, Hampshire. Tides in – not a heart. Reuben Chambers, Kenilworth. It’s a bit like a mini bridge spade in sight. Mr Anthony Mann, Warwickshire. Well defended, – goes nowhere! Ronald Carlisle, Dundee. Holiday romance? partner. They’ve sunk without trace. Miss Rachel Edwards, 'Club, diamond, two hearts? End'. Ben Chambers, Inverness. My Nottinghamshire. In her hand, a short suit. Mr J P Allen, Aberdeen. hand is not what it appears. Philip Carvel, Leicestershire. I always Great place for a bridge weekend. Mr Brain Tapp, Bramhall. said sitting West was unlucky. Beryl Pitman, West Sussex. Honours Touching singletons on a minor package deal. Mr Ronald Holton, are us!! Mr B L Mason, London. I thought you said Brighton Staffordshire. A minor seaside romance. Mr J D Collins, Merseyside. pairs. Mrs P M Sledger, Kenilworth. Jack bags diamond; Queen ‘Royals’ in minor suits win pier tournament. Mrs Sylvia Chernick, discards King. A Chambers, Inverness. King away. Mrs K. Kirby, West Whitefield. Probably two spades would be useful here! Mrs Jan Yorkshire. I’ll cover your honour Bailey, Surrey. P2P. Oh, what a 'Mrs Smith'. Claude E Fielding, lovely war. George Hudd, Surrey. Cobham. Summer rained out, South leads Queen of so more bridge. Mrs E Molander, Diamonds. Mr and Mrs J A Norwich. The Misfits. Miss Una Goodchild, Sidmouth. Sorry! No McCann, Cardiff. Two minors out congress for minors! Mrs for the day. Mrs Joyce Knight, Brenda Frisby, Rutland. The Hertfordshire. Come along, we’ll minors have a holiday. Mrs P D try my . John Baker, Hertfordshire. Lead me on. Rankin, Perth. We’ll sink or Mrs B. Munro, West Sussex. Did swim on that bidding. Mr Derek you bring the spades? Mrs T M Shafar, Glasgow. Not the deck I Wright, Queensferry. Oh dear! had in mind.... Mr Jim Andrews, Only one spade between us. London. Our partners think Mr A George, Wokingham. Are you we’re playing bridge! Mrs Ann game for an afternoon Beaney, Corfe Mullen. A choice session? Mr K Payne, Hertfordshire. of throw-in options. Mr Bob Announcing a minor engage- McMahon, Surrey. What to lead ment. Fred and Carol Berglund, initially? Mr John Dobbin, Surrey. A double is on the Berkshire. Did the knave see a cards. Mrs Barbara Mitchell, bare Queen? Mrs Sylvia Cotgrave, Letchworth Garden City. Off West Midlands. I’m short-suited. clubbing with a minor. Roger Mrs Isabel Sandland, Sheffield. Did Robinson, Wareham. Time to test you bring the spades? Mrs Irene my . Mrs Lydia Button, Poole. Relaxed royal Stanford, East Sussex. Jack the takeout incognito at Brighton. lad’s latest squeeze! Mrs Jill Miss Maureen Bergin, Northern Clark, Hertfordshire. Any major Ireland. It would appear we’re attractions? Mrs Elsie Forrest, short-suited. Mr Brian Pinner, Lanarkshire. Trust your partner. London. Missing the Queen. Mrs E A Neal, Cheltenham. A Sheila Johnson, Surrey. Your jump minor break by south. Mr D bid was badly timed. Mrs Nan Mason, Leicester. Practicing Bell, Tyne and Wear. The majors takeouts for the Sussex pairs. play bridge on the pier. Mr D H Linton, London. With only Hannah Dircze, London. Touching suits! Mr D J Fishley, five points it’s blind support. Mr Roy Stock, Northampton. Led Buckinghamshire. No shortage of Queens in Brighton. Mr D M astray by Clubs! Mrs Eileen Worstenholme, Hope Valley. Can we Reed, Brighton. I’m alright, I’ve brought my spade. Mrs P play now please? Mrs B Le Fleming, Kent. Plan your play! Mrs Schurmann, Highgate. We don’t have to play bridge. Mr John Pauline Bell, Cheshire. A favourable break. Mr David Evenson, Metson, Reading. What a lovely hand I’m holding. Mrs Penny Oke, Wolverhampton. A sacrificial jump my dear! Mrs Fiona Wilkins, Essex. Play my cards right, she is biddable. Mrs Anna Milner, Kingston. Two minors out on a spree. Mr V Parry, Twickenham. Our Surrey. They’re only here for the EBU Congress. Mrs Else Baker, performance requires good support. Mr L E Freeman, Berkshire. Hertfordshire. King and Queen in hand. Mr M Hall, Wales. Now The Diamond Queen clubbing at the seaside. Howard Jones, where do we embark for Discovery? Mr D A Southward, West Sussex. Do you like his club suit? Mrs Page, Surrey. When Lancashire. There are too many Queens down south. Mr Colin in trouble, why not double. Mrs S Bellamy, Lincolnshire. A Thomas, Wales. Age admission strictly by Rule of Twenty. Mrs princely pass. Frazer Shaw, Warwickshire. Minor Deception. Mr S J Caroline Gamlin, Bristol. Not the diamond I expected. Mrs Ethna Connor, Hertfordshire. , Clubs and Hearts! Mr and Pilkington, London. We pay to play the fruit machines. Mrs Diana Mrs J Cook, Cardiff. I heart, doubled. Mr John Gillum, East Sussex. Parish, Perthshire. Jack says ‘We’re playing away’. Mrs Juli Mittaz, Played my cards right; exited with Queen! Mrs K M Chambers, Gloucestershire. A couple of cards on holiday. Mrs Julia Farmer, Warwickshire. Two honours in the south hand. Mr B Honey, West Cornwall. A take out double. Mr S. Mawdsley, Lancashire. Sorry, we Sussex. The diamond Queen clubbing at the seaside. Mr Howard don’t serve minors! Mr David Noble, Northumberland. We’ve just Jones, West Sussex. We’ve discarded our spades. Mr C R Ruff, East won the mixed pairs. Mrs Joy Rowe, Swindon. Just another Finchley. Weather’s turned up trumps again. Mrs M E Muntus, mixed pair playing away. Mrs Y Mills, York. We’ll both discard Norfolk. Fancy dress at the Brighton Congress. Mrs S Gwyer, our suits. Dr M Box, Reading. Voyage of Discovery partner? Mr Stonehouse. Turned away for being minors! Mr Wilfred Parry, Julian Foster, Devon. I can’t respond – we’re not suited. Mrs Zena Oswestry. The squeeze is our game! Mrs Diane James, West Sussex. Learner, Hertfordshire. No better place for a knave (or a Queen). Missing Ace and King. Mrs Anne Daly, London. Where’s the rest Mr Paul Goddard, Bedford. Watch out for those bridge sharks. Mrs of the pack? Mr David Stemp, Surrey. Let’s see if the pavilion’s P Bailey, Nottinghamshire. Minor royals on holiday. Mrs Maurine got vacancies. Mrs Judith Collins, Teddington. Two’s company, we’ll Kilpatrick, Kilmacolm. Mixed pairs play away! Mrs B Povey, do without the queen. Mrs A L Browning, Bristol. Partnership Hertfordshire. Only majors are welcome in the Pavilion. Mr T understanding. Mr P A Bell, Hexham. depriving anyone of playing ‘bubbles’ are eight and nine a hand. words? Mr Hugh Williams, Mr R Hill, Fleet, Hampshire. READERS’ Daventry, Northants. THREE-HANDED BOY DONE WELL I refer to the letter from Jean We enjoy the letters and Holford, Prenton, Wirral in everything else. How do you BRIDGE 89. LETTERS find enough editorial I have found a satisfactory material? It must be tough. way to play proper bridge I see our Julian has come three handed. The single on well from a lad from person simply bids the N/S or Portsmouth. Well done him. E/W hands by looking at JUDGEMENT Jeremy Dhondy’s article in Chris & Sylvia West, both. The other players must With reference to Mr the August magazine about Sutton, Surrey. trust her to play by the bidding Calviou’s letter in BRIDGE 90 the rule of 15, might decide rules so the advantage she regarding re-dealing passed to open with the West hand. USED STAMPS gains is minimal. Once the out hands. The main reason Deciding whether or not to I am pleased to have details contract is established, why this is forbidden is to open with hands like these is of your chosen charity. Now dummy is either already with prevent players from forcing an essential part of a player’s we know, I expect stamps to the single person, otherwise their bidding systems onto judgement. However, if the come pouring in as before. dummy moves into the other players. Suppose the board is re-dealt at the first Mr Colin Bamberger, vacant seat and plays the following deal is the first you table because it is passed Ipswich, Suffolk. fourth hand. The scoring is see at a session. out, the re-deal prevents done on the normal Chicago any body who plays even LIBRARY method. Like any other game small variations to ‘standard’ Many years ago, you this would be no fun if Dealer North. Love All. Acol from using their bidding produced a series of booklets anyone cheated! North judgement. This is obviously on particular aspects of James Campbell, ♠ 7 2 to their dis advantage. bidding and play. These were West Kilbride. ♥ J 6 3 Furthermore, suppose sold off at bargain prices. I ♦ A K 9 8 North has been dealt 15 have borrowed some from a HELP PLEASE ♣ K 7 5 2 points but makes a mistake friend and found them a I have been trying to learn West East when counting his high-card good reference source. Any bridge for the last year or so ♠ A Q 6 3 ♠ 9 8 4 points. Finding only 11 points chance of re-introducing or and find difficulty in ♥ 8 7 ♥ A K 10 9 4 2 because he has omitted the re-printing them? remembering the bidding, ♦ J 7 5 4 ♦ 3 2 points for an ace, he passes. Mr Brian Gibson, although I really enjoy ♣ A 9 4 ♣ J 3 If the hand is passed out and Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. playing the cards. We have a South re-dealt, he gets away with I have no plans for such friendly, small group with an ♠ K J 10 5 his mistake! a project at present. expert teacher and they all ♥ Q 5 The final point to make is try and help me – but to no ♦ Q 10 6 that the hand shown will be OVER THE LIMIT avail, any ideas? ♣ Q 10 8 6 opened at some tables. On page 40 of BRIDGE 89 Mrs H Jennings, Assuming this has happened your answer to the number Leatherhead, Surrey. before it gets to Mr Calvious’s of words for the bubble If you and your opponents table, he will sit and ‘twiddle competition is ‘seven words WANTED play a weak no-trump his thumbs’ if the hand is only’, why therefore have two Bridge partner for 82 year- (12-14 HCP) and strong twos, passed out, though he will entries on page six been old lady. ( 01225 464546. this board will probably be be doing so knowing that awarded prizes when their Mrs D Allan, Bath. passed out. North has 11 someone has opened the bidding at another table. points, East 8, South 10 and REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE West 11. Lots of partnerships Knowing that none of the play slight variations on hands is passed out can Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value, standard Acol. For instance, influence the bidding at other all mint with full gum. Quotations for anybody who plays 1NT as tables. Law 17.E states, ‘The commercial quantities available on request. 11-14 will probably open the auction period ends when all Values supplied in 100s, higher values North hand. Partnerships four players pass or when, available as well as 1st and 2nd class playing weak twos in the after three passes in rotation (eg 1st class: 100 x 35p + 100 x 1p) majors will open the East have followed any call, the (/Fax 020 8422 4906 hand with 2 ♥. Readers of opening lead is faced.’ This is e-mail: [email protected] BRIDGE who have read right and proper and is not

Page 41 much as the usual game. If JUST MADE IT READERS’ LETTERS continued there is any interest I would This letter concerns the be happy to give the details problems and pleasures of by e-mail, letter or phone. taking up bridge in later life FOR COLLECTORS It is an excellent mental Mr J Herman, Elstree, and the sense of déjà vu I Following an article a little exercise. Analysing the Herts. ( 0208 3866038. experienced as I struggled to while ago, you may be captions sent from all over learn the game; which interested to let your readers the UK is most interesting RUBBER LAWS reminded me of similar know that my illustrated book and perhaps the most I play mostly rubber bridge difficulties I had experienced of Scoring and Tally Cards striking thing is the amount and have a book entitled The with Latin as a schoolboy at has been published. of captions that are almost International Laws of Whitehaven Grammar some Those interested should identical. I wonder if people Contract Bridge 1993. Please fifty odd years before! The send £10 to include postage. whose captions fall into this can you tell me if there is a poem, which accompanied Mr J G Thorpe, 10 Brook Way, category would make good more recent book for rubber the letter was entitled Romsey, Hampshire SO51 7JZ. bridge partners? This could bridge players? ‘Language Difficulties’. be a whole new field of Mrs T Gillett, I thought that you might SOME HOPE research in telepathy, which Lymington, Hampshire. like to know that, unlike Looking around for an interest we all expect our partners to You have the current law Latin, I have not given up a little more sedentary than be able to exhibit when the book for rubber bridge. bridge and, though, I am not showing my Persian cats up occasion demands. Then very good, I am thoroughly and down the country and again, there is the aspect of NEW CLUB enjoying playing. I suppose gardening, I thought bridge humour which seems to be We are arranging a friendly, that, although one doesn’t might be a good idea, though similar for the whole of the social bridge club, which will have as many ‘little grey I have never played any cards UK. You see Mrs Iley, you meet at 7pm Wednesdays at cells’ as one had at school, before. have to look a little deeper to Tydd St Giles Golf Centre, with age comes a bit more I began in January and find the enjoyment of these Kirkgate, Tydd St Giles, tenacity and perseverance! after a couple of months captions. Wisbech, Cambs. Jim Dixon, Merseyside. nearly fell by the wayside, I’m sure the artist of these Contact Bill ( 01945 870447. along with a few others, but brilliant cartoons is gratified then thanks to a superb that so many people take the HELP LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES teacher, started to make time and trouble to study her Some years ago, I ordered a To steer clear of our hospitals progress. work and I, for one, would folding director’s chair from And their geriatric wards, I’m finally beginning to get miss them. your magazine. I now need Discerning senior citizens my head around the basics Mr F Conlan, another and they are no Are urged to take up cards. and have decided to press Maghull, Merseyside. longer available. Does It helps to keep the mind alert- on. The major shock was the anyone have a spare one for Or that's what one is told; Just learning the game of discovery that far from the NEW BID sale? 01253 733753. contract bridge, leisurely social pastime I The cards were dealt very Mrs Phillips, Lancashire. Can stop you growing old. enjoyed, it seems to move quickly and the second pack BROWNIE POINTS So I too have joined a bridge club with lightening speed – it’s had only just been placed And the members there are kind, kill or be killed! I’ve certainly back on the table, after Thank you very much for But they talk some funny had to change my attitude shuffling, when the first two having informed us about language and get my brain in gear. Not bids – ‘one heart,’ ‘one Global Travel Insurance. After And I've so much on my mind. a bad idea! I’ve enjoyed my spade,’ were made. The next years of tedious (and hugely There's one called Easley first copy of BRIDGE and hope bid, ‘too soon,’ caused much expensive) dealings with Blackwood, And Stayman is another, other travel insurance to receive others in the laughter. And whose this bloke called Peter? future. Richard Lockyer, Bournemouth. companies, we were 'Cos I can't tell one from t'other! delighted to find this one. It Mrs Wright, And why is a ruff not on a shirt, Northwich, Cheshire. THREE HANDS not only accepts clients in Or a dummy in a baby's mouth, I have just been re-reading their eighties without lots of A suit not in a wardrobe WELL I NEVER your April Magazine and questions, but does so at a And west can move to south? Further to Mrs Gillian Iley regarding the letter from very reasonable price and And this Acol bidding system, from Epsom and her Jean Holford, Prenton, Wirral. then allows a discount to Is just driving me insane, Mr Bridge applicants. And now they're trying to tell me, comments in BRIDGE 90 that We have a regular rubber That tenace is not a game! the bubble captions are silly bridge game and when there We don’t play a lot of So I declare it isn't cricket, are only three of us we play bridge any more, but your nonsense. To study a scene And am feeling such a fool, and make a relevant the three-handed version magazine continues to give 'Cos it's dropping me like Latin did, observation in seven words that I used in ‘Stefans’ Club great pleasure. When I used to go to school! requires a certain amount of many years ago. As far as I Mr D Lumley, Jim Dixon discipline and clear thought. am concerned, I enjoy it as Melksham, Wiltshire.

Page 42 the holiday. two people finish up doing READERS’ LETTERS continued l Don’t hide your disability. all that is necessary to run Always wear a badge the club. One area obtainable from Hearing somewhat neglected is any PRIMER WANTED could have been achieved Concern ( 0845 0744600. form of director. This often Can you recommend a only with the support and l Reserve a seat nearest leads to members with booklet which outlines encouragement of every club the teacher. widely differing ideas of the ‘Simple Bridge for Beginners’? member present. I trust the above suggestions rules causing acrimony and I have played bridge, but I would like to record, on will be both helpful and ill feeling in the club. The reading the magazine has behalf of our club, our encouraging. person organising the club shown me I don’t really know sincere thanks for the use of Cherry Turley, has no standing and, when all that I should. this article. You will see the Gerrards Cross, Bucks. reluctantly called upon to Mrs N Morgan, acknowledgement of this is make a decision, always Bicester, Oxon. on the front page. Copies of GUERNSEY loses out. the booklet and score card EXAMPLE To become a director at GOOD TO ASK were sent to Mr Capal, My wife and I celebrated my present, one must first be an I was under the impression General Manager of the EBU sixty-fifth birthday with a EBU member, then attend bubble captions should be – perhaps it could be used to holiday to Guernsey during the EBU courses which is not bridge-related, so what was help other clubs encourage the first week in August. necessarily the route people the connection with ‘Hideous new members. Following enquires, we wish to take. Based on the Hog’ and ‘Nice ’? Mrs Audrey Baldwin, Club established that bridge was yellow book, might you Mrs M Taylor, Stockport. Secretary, Hampton Duplicate played at the Beau Sejours consider bridge weekends to Hideous Hog was a Bridge Club, Herne Bay, Kent. Leisure Centre and visitors train non-EBU directors? I character out of ’s were welcome. can see no objection to Bridge in the Menagerie. A CHRISTMAS LIFT We were made extremely some form of certification Goulash is a re-deal at I’m going to spend Christmas welcome and everyone was declaring the person to have Rubber Bridge, the cards at the Mr Bridge event at so friendly throughout the an understanding of the being dealt in threes with a Denham Grove, near evening. Some members . last round of four. Freak Uxbridge and would be also informed us bridge was R N D Houghton, hands often result from this happy to share costs with played the following evening Ruislip, Middlesex. type of deal. anyone driving down from at the Castel Cricket Club I will speak to David the Northants area. If and, as it was a fair distance Stevenson about this. GENTLE DUPLICATE interested, please ring. from our hotel, offered I am writing on behalf of Mrs Delafons. transport there and back. BIN THEM Hampton Bridge Club to ( 01280 705800. We enjoyed another night of As well as club bridge, I play show how useful your recent keenly contested bridge in a a great deal at home with article in your magazine has WITH DIFFICULTY convivial atmosphere that friends and we all have proved to our club. I am 75 years young, was compounded the numerous packs of cards, We are a club of about 70 severely to profoundly deaf. following evening with which are perfectly clean members, meeting once a With the help of a powerful another session at the Beau and usable, just looking a bit week on a Monday with, on digital hearing aid and lip Sejours. We are avid readers tired! We get tired of them, average, nine tables. reading, I have at last found of your magazine and often too, and long to use a new Your excellent article gave something that is both read about petty behaviour pack! us the idea of a ‘Welcome to possible and enjoyable – during bridge evenings. Rather than throw them Duplicate’ evening to bridge. Therefore, we thought it away, I would like to give encourage new members I have managed a Gentle appropriate to record how them away for use in clubs and also students from the Duplicate weekend this wonderful game can be for the elderly, children’s classes of two local bridge successfully, having found the made even better if homes, or any other teachers, Cyril Parker and bridge play easier than the everyone embraces the charitable organisation. I Andrew Birchell. socialising at meal times and spirit of the game in the used to give them to service We held the event on the have now booked two weeks manner of the players in men’s clubs or schools but 16th June with a total of 15 in Tunisia with Mr Bridge. Guernsey. cannot find anyone who tables. Each guest was given I wish to raise the following Mr J Dyer, Mold, Clwyd. would like them these days. a copy of our Introduction to three helpful points, Can you help? Duplicate leaflet (based on remembering that the boxes NEW WEEKENDS Pamela Littlejohns, your article) together with were originally designed for Could I submit a suggestion Fleet, Hampshire. their own special score us deaf people: for your consideration? Many Throw them away. The cards. l Make the organiser / small clubs are not involved sensual pleasure of using The event proved director aware of your with the EBU and do not new cards should be part extremely successful. This deafness from the start of wish to be. Usually one or of the enjoyment.

Page 43 more than 11 points is about churlish and curmugdeonly; READERS’ LETTERS continued 3 in ten to the power of 36. he should confine his reading However, one such deal is to more erudite journals. not unlikely (36%) and two or Thank you, Bernard, for your MIXED ABILITY bridge teaching and clubs in more (19%) is possible. In this articles which are a help and Could you not arrange bridge the Godstone and latter case, assuming there joy to many thousands who weekends for mixed ability? Warlingham area of Surrey, are 12 tables, 48 players read BRIDGE. I’m fairly accomplished, my please ring me. might each spend 15 (or Derek Hambidge, by email. husband a near beginner Bob McMahon. more) minutes exercising and we would love to go on ( 01883 622149. their thumbs! NICKNAMES something that we’d both I would hope and expect As in other leisure activities, learn from. SPECIAL AGENT that in due course, this rule would it not be good to have Mrs Mette Breminer, As a volunteer in the book (22A is it?) will be modified to nicknames for some of our Oxted, Surrey. section of the local hospice ‘allow’ clubs to do what best known players. Here are distribution centre, I recently many of them have done for a few suggestions; CUT BACK found a copy of Contract years. All as sent in anonymously by May I also take this Bridge. The Barton Variation Ron Mathams, someone calling themselves opportunity of thanking you The only certain method of Norwich, Norfolk. The Hum Drum Bulldog. for your free magazine, Slam Bidding . 1934. Price which I enjoy immensely, one shilling. I have never MORE RE-DEALING although I do agree with one heard of this system. Can Mr Calviou is in error if he NICKNAMES other reader who finds two you throw any light on it? believes that passed-out Bob Rowlands – The Caretaker whole pages of captions Would it interest any hands should be re-dealt. Bill Townsend – The Tornado Gordon Rainsford – The Reverend rather tedious! collector in return for a Just because the first pairs to Dom Goodwin – Bambi Why not limit this to your donation? play that particular deal Andrew Kambites – The Politician three favourite ones? Mrs Margaret Eddeston, decide to pass does not Paul Lamford – The Detective Andrew Mountain, Hitchin, Herts. mean that others will do the David Burn – The Warden – The Architect Rhosrobin, Wrexham. ( 01462 623447. same. I have been scoring – The Artist I have reduced the captions our club’s duplicate sessions Tony Priday – The Tourist to just one page in this issue DON’T GIVE UP for a number of years and I Brian Maguire – The Marshall to squeeze in some more Having become have seen on many Dave Huggett – The Smiler Freddie North – The Locksmith bridge, but I can already feel disenchanted with EBU occasions where some pairs Jeremy Dhondy – The Doctor the onslaught from the duplicate clubs, a group of pass and others bid two or Paul Hackett – The Hitman disappointed. Back to two us now play in each other’s three of a suit. – The Rabbi Malcolm Harris – The Romeo pages next time – promise. homes. However, we would If you pass-out a deal you Daivid Bakshi – The Choir Boy like to increase our numbers. score zero. However, you Andrew McIntosh – The Jockey GOOD FOR YOU Could you advise the best beat all those pairs who play Tom Townsend – The Scientist As I am housebound, I do way to achieve this? your cards and go down. You – The Headmaster Ross Harper – The Angler A Baker, Charvil, Reading. also score well against those look forward to playing on Gunner Halberg – The Bombardier line at the BBO Acol club, Why not contact Mr Baker on pairs that play your Nick Sandqvist – The Viking which you featured in your ( 07984 626118, if interested. opponents’ cards and make – The Drama Queen magazine. They are such a their contract. I have yet to Anne Rosen – The Matron Ian Panto – The Illusionist RE-DEALING see a deal where every pair friendly club and make me – The Magician feel so welcome. It is the Don’t go there, Mr Calviou! passes! A deal where the Janet De Botton – The Bank highlight of my day now! (BRIDGE 90 letters) You may partnership point counts are Manager Mrs Issacharoff, London. feel you are stating the roughly equal is just as valid David Dickson – The Surgeon Rob Cliffe – The Sailor obvious but you are stirring as a deal where one Jon Williams – The Traveller DIRECTORY up a hornets’ nest. You will partnership has say thirty Christine Duckworth – The Super I have updated the shortly be accused of points, or so. Indeed, after Nanny information over three arrogance, conceit and these part-score auctions, a Brian Callaghan – The Publican – The Editor separate forms to include a worse, cheating. Better just to tussle often develops Arthur Malinowski – The Riddler new group and a venue attend a club which does the between declarer and John Matheson – The Bonny Price alteration. I hope you can sensible thing. defenders, where skilled play M. Garvex – The Shamrock include it all. Like a lot of The probability that any on both sides is needed. Ed Scerri – The Thinker Liz McGowan – Miss Marple clubs, we could do with a one deal will comprise four Mr L Miles, Bernard Teltscher – The Pensioner few more members. hands none of which Cuddington, Cheshire. Tony Gordon – The Special One Thank you for the service; contains more than 11 points John Pain – The Director we bridge organisers and is (very nearly) 1/30. Thus, the THANK YOU Mike Swanson – The Surveyor Colin Simpson – The Butcher teachers need all the odds against 24 deals none I agree with Mr Harkavy Alexander Allfrey – The Merchant. publicity we can get, so for of which has a hand with (BRIDGE 88) that he is

Page 44 information about Auto - below) may be what he is READERS’ LETTERS continued bridge and whether it is still looking for. possible to buy one here? John Gardener, by e-mail. Jack Duckworth, by e-mail. VALUE FOR MONEY! different aspects of bridge BUBBLE CAPTIONS I have never come across play. It was a very good YARBOROUGH With almost 200 enthusiasts anything which has such system, which I think is of Reading a letter from submitting bubble captions value for no money including French origin. I now play a Mr J A Barrett, of Ipswich, to BRIDGE 89 edition, it postage and packing. variation of Goren and Acol Suffolk in shorties (BRIDGE seems to me light-hearted P E Johnson, Tring. and I tried to get Autobridge 89). He was looking for a reading is part of the using the Acol system. My verse in connection with the success of this excellent CURE FOR CANCER? search was all in vain. Have Earl of Yarborough, and I magazine. In February 2006 I had an any of your readers any wondered if this (shown Mr Goodfellow, Edinburgh. emergency operation to de-bulk a brain tumour. On analysis, it was found to be a Grade 4 cancer and I was given 6 months to live. However, I was promised and received the best possible treatment, although it was made clear to me that they would never be able to get rid of the tumour. I received the maximum amount of radiotherapy that an individual can withstand. I was told that this could affect my memory, but I was determined it should not. I therefore started learning Bridge in June 2007. I became obsessed with the game and studied or practised every day. Five months later, an MRI scan revealed that my brain tumour had reduced by 75%. My oncologist was amazed at this – it was so unusual. I had received no further treatment in this five-month period. The only thing that had changed was bridge being part of my life, so it seems that bridge can fight brain cancer! I think I might now have time to become a decent bridge player – at least that’s my hope. Thea Atkinson, Knutsford.

AUTO BRIDGE Many years ago, I learned, studied and played bridge in Singapore using the Autobridge System. It used the Goren / American bidding systems and had various learning packs for

Page 45 handheld-bridge computers. quickly, sometimes with a bit READERS’ LETTERS continued They may be dated, but I of a flourish and that more don’t see the point of of each card was exposed to advising a technophobe to view and it seemed to me to buy a laptop. I have had a help and to be quick. When GIFT VOUCHERS those of us who continue to couple, the latest a Saitek. It my wife learnt from me, Why not sell gift vouchers. I use ‘Snail Mail’. plays Acol and pretty good some 40 years ago, she run bridge lunches and I Mrs A Gittins, bridge and it fits in my developed the same habit. think a gift voucher as a prize Somerton, Somerset. pocket, which a laptop However, we find would be great. won’t. nowadays that some players Mrs M Mitchell, OPENING IDEAS Steve Cornell, find this practise unfamiliar Farnham, Surrey. Regarding ‘Any Free Lessons’ Stourport, Worcs. and off-putting. Of course it (BRIDGE 88). To Harry Healey: would be bad manners and 94 YEARS YOUNG If you go to a chess APRIL FOOL? poor etiquette to continue I am in my 94th year, I play tournament there will be a I really enjoyed BRIDGE 88, this way when someone at four times each week and bookstall and most of the the mag gets better by the the table does not like it. So am taking a party of bridge books will be on opening issue. This week, I showed it we don’t, though I, for my players to Cornwall. (Our 14th theory, some better than to all my bridge classes and part, find it off-putting and visit). others. I have only ever found recommended it to any of time consuming when Miss Margaret Stock, Bath. one book on the Ideas my 150 students who don’t people meticulously lay their Behind the Openings yet get it. I also cards down slowly in the IRRITATING HABITS although I believe a second recommended your bridge upright position, leaving very Two suggestions for items we has been written. A similar holidays and weekends. little of each card showing would like to see in future situation exists in bridge. I just worry that you might so that someone has to issues of BRIDGE. There are thousands of send out so many adjust them to see if there Firstly (a serious suggestion books on bridge bidding magazines that you end up are five or six cards in a suit from my husband), the article systems profiting the authors going bankrupt and that and whether what’s there is called ‘Third Hand Play’ on and booksellers and would be a huge loss to the headed Q, 9, 6, 3 or J, 10, 9, p.31 of issue 88 is one of the ‘teachers’ but only one bridge scene in the UK. 8 or whatever. best articles we have seen addresses how to create a As a bridge teacher, I It would be interesting to on defence. Please may we bidding system. Namely; S J wanted to write a letter in learn whether professionals have more articles on the Simon’s . response to Antony or expert club players ever inferences that can be drawn He explains the ideas that Harkavy’s letter, Bridge for adopt the sideways practice from the card partner plays. developed into Acol as Idiots, BRIDGE 88. However, I these days, or whether it is Secondly (my own opposed to English Acol and then thought this letter was now regarded as poor suggestion) in a lighter vein, why, if you insert a new bid so bizarre, I wondered if it etiquette. you have listed a number of into your system, you have to was an April Fool? John Hinde. Esher, Surrey. issues around ‘Best consider the effect on all the Ian Dalziel. Troon, Ayrshire. Behaviour at Bridge’ and other bids in the system. Get YOU NEVER KNOW every time I have quoted a copy and read it regularly. I SIDEWAYS DUMMY We are saving cruising until Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘I have will be happy to supply my Your Bridge Etiquette column we are very old. a little list...’ Why not have a index to it by email. Also S J enjoins speed in the interests Name and address supplied. brief compilation of what Simon’s Cut for Partners and of other players. When I irritates players most? If you Why You Lose at Bridge are learnt to play bridge from SCOTLAND, PLEASE asked for suggestions, I am very entertaining and my father some 60 years Bridge holidays of 4-5 days sure you would be readable, compact and ago, I picked up his habit of in Scotland or North England, inundated. My own concentrated; as is Ian always laying dummy’s please. Thoroughly enjoy contribution, for a start, Mcleod’s Bridge is an Easy cards down sideways to your magazine. Good Luck. would be the elderly man Game. Simon really himself and to declarer. I Mrs A Crawford, who sucks his teeth noisily originated KISS – Keep It noticed he could do this very Belfast, N. Ireland. ■ while his opponents are Simple Stupid. Read and thinking (whether during Enjoy. bidding or play), but stops Jerry Hathorn. Sawston. Write to Mr Bridge at: when he or his partner need Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH to think. POCKET-SIZED or e-mail [email protected]. Virginia Jones, by e-mail. Firstly, I hope this little burst E-mail correspondents are asked to include their of activity will keep me on name, full postal address and telephone number, TRAVEL INSURANCE your mailing list. Secondly, and to send no attachments. Please continue to advertise I think that you were a little Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Global Travel Insurance for hard in your latest issue on

Page 46 All club players benefit in the light of the points passively from a well made in the article. READERS’ regulated game and the new Mr F A Bailey, Birmingham. P2P initiative will enable everyone to contribute actively LETTER SENT TO at club and county level. PETER STOCKEN LETTERS ON My interest in the game (As copied to me) has always been at the grass I will, as you request, roots level, in recruiting, display a copy of your letter teaching and evolving of 25th July on our club THE EBU P2P students into beginners’ notice board, together with a clubs. In enfranchising a copy of Mrs Landy’s article. much broader EBU You refer to the ‘democratic MAD HATTER’S their feet if the P2P fee membership through P2P, the process’ which has taken TEA PARTY possibly trebles. emphasis on the governance place over the last year. This The EBU Proposals, a All the facts are in ‘An of the organised game will would be more accurate if contentious major policy Open Letter’ on www. shift from a predominately individual members had change, were passed on a gosportbridge.hampshire. tournament orientated been given a vote. In fact, the simple majority decision at org.uk. The EBU was sent a executive to a more process has more the EGM. Now we are in an draft of that letter and the democratic and relevant characteristics of an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ financial projections and was organisation. oligarchy than of a situation where, if you want asked to point out any Universal membership of democracy. the EBU to die, you need do inaccuracies. Peter Stocken, the governing body for all You say in your letter that nothing. But, if you want the our EBU Chairman, read both club players is long overdue. the new system will reduce EBU to survive, you will have but, significantly, made no The EBU is in the business of costs. This may be so for the to fight very hard to get comment on the financial investing in the future of EBU, but you surely cannot enough Shareholders to vote projections. Therefore, you organised bridge through be unaware that, for a club against the essential Bye- can safely assume that they educational programmes, such as ours, the is Law changes needed to are accurate. many of which, especially in true. Although we are happy implement P2P! If you want the EBU to die, schools, require long-term to support the regulatory and Simple mathematics show do nothing. If, like Sandra planning and funding. It training work of the EBU, our the EBU is heading for at Landy, myself and many shouldn’t have to rely on the main reason for membership least a £200,000 loss in its others, you want the EBU to voluntary subscriptions of is masterpoints and the new first year of P2P. Only a very survive, mandate your some club members or system raises the cost to our large bank loan and a very County Shareholder/s to vote tournament players. We are club by a factor of three . This substantial increase in the against the changes to the all responsible for the future is even using your somewhat initial 29p, P2P fee, for the Bye-Laws needed for P2P. of our game, including dubious assumption that the second year will stop the EBU It is late but not too late to students on courses, and we third of clubs who did not from going bankrupt. Use the save the EBU from itself. should all contribute. respond to your survey EBU’s own figures to work Keith Palmer, Gosport. Sue Maxwell, Aylesbury. would nonetheless go along this out for yourself, and with the new proposals in the don’t forget the £36,500 IN SUPPORT OF EBU NEED TO same proportion as those additional VAT bill that P2P UNIVERSAL CLUB RECONSIDER who did respond. The final will almost certainly attract, MEMBERSHIP Three cheers for Sandra cost to the clubs will probably but the EBU has decided not As a bridge teacher and Landy’s article ‘It is not too be higher still. to tell us about. proprietor of a beginner’s late!’ and thank you for Mrs Landy does not say referred to bridge club, I have always giving a whole page to that members will defraud other potential losses of joined my students and new express the views of a anyone. Those doing as she revenue in her excellent members to the EBU as a stalwart of the game. suggests, however, will earn article in the last issue of condition of membership. Every organisation needs a very few masterpoints in a Bridge and they will make I have never had any real national body to monitor the year unless they enter a lot of the financial situation even resistance to this. If game – bridge is no competitions. Your use of the worse. So you may wonder prospective members have exception. words ‘defraud’ and ‘scams’ how the EBU will be able to ever asked ‘what’s in it for Many, many people give a is unfortunate as Mrs Landy deliver any of the improve - me’ to join the EBU, I have great deal of their time and does not suggest anything ments it has promised with always responded that it’s effort to the running of their that is not within your own no liquid assets at all. Then not a matter of what is ‘in it local bridge club. It is clear rules as currently defined. ask yourself how many clubs for them’ more what is that they would be badly let A G W Hodge, Chairman will unaffiliate and how many important for the future of down if the EBU did not Cranleigh Bridge Club, club members will vote with organised bridge as a whole. reconsider its P2P proposal, Loxwood, West Sussex.

Page 47 dismayed that the clubs at clubs that they had counted THE EBU P2P continued which I play are likely to those club’s ‘decisions’ as to disaffiliate as many do not whether they were ‘likely’ to have their own premises or re-affiliate under the EBU VOTES FOR ALL last 20 years, ignored it’s computers and do not issue proposals or not. Without Sandra Landy’s appeal rank and file members to master points. Therefore, the even giving the result of the should not go unheeded. The such an extent that is has ‘benefits’ referred to by the count, they then invited clubs recent county vote showed brought the current situation EBU of P2P are ephemeral. to advise them if they 60% of clubs to be in favour upon itself. Will the EBU I feel it is essential that we changed their minds! of the proposals. Is this an change it’s attitudes? One have a national body that Presumably they call a halt accurate figure? My own club local club voted to disaffiliate represents the bridge when they get the right set voted in favour with no and the secretary did the community, but let us please of figures. Didn’t the EU do consultation at all of its decent thing and wrote to the have one that is all-inclusive this with a Dutch referendum members. The decision was EBU back in April this year to rather than divisive, as P2P a few years ago? taken by the club committee, advise them. To date, the will certainly prove to be. Thank you, Sandra Landy, comprising over 60% of EBU EBU has not even had the Janet Sheppard, for clear, honest and fervent members, and this I now courtesy to acknowledge that Cockermouth, Cumbria. words that were not, understand, to be heavily letter. Not even a ‘Sorry to incidentally, answered by the influenced by the existing hear that you are leaving ANY ALTERNATIVES EBU in their letter to you EBU members threatening to us...’ It appears that the EBU I was delighted to read dated 25 July. leave the club if it is not changing its attitude Sandra Landy’s message on As a final comment on disaffiliated. and still has no regard page 5 of your recent issue. that letter, I am still trying to How undemocratic is that? whatsoever for the smaller It was so reassuring to have work out why they think that Just like the EBU is adopting bridge clubs. further confirmation that the Sandra suggested that any a dictatorial attitude, so too The EBU would be wise to multitude of ‘little’ clubs EBU members would resort are the club committees, consider Sandra Landy’s which, week after week, to fraud in this, or any other, whom, I suspect, like my own appeal seriously and re-think enjoy their Social Bridge matter. I can’t find it. Perhaps club have unilaterally its current dictatorial, non- session, are still receiving the if they were to start using indicated allegiance to the optional, strategy. Let those thoughts and attention of clear and honest words.... EBU proposals. who want Masterpoints, its others ‘in high places’. but then we can’t have As I ask around our inherent ranking, magazine Sandra put her message everything in this world, can members, I still get ‘what and diary, pay for them with clearly and succinctly and in we? does it all mean’ questions. economic membership and doing so, reflected the We all hope that the EBU We must insist on a one club affiliation fees. The feelings of so many in the will come to their senses member one vote situation ‘loopholes’ that Sandra, Bridge community. soon, but if the alternative is for such radical changes, in mentions needlessly are real What worries me – apart the EMBU, it will certainly get order to have the true and will be used by clubs to from the way the EBU my support. feelings of duplicate bridge appease members. This will proposals are designed Eric H Jones, players. The ‘social’ bridge be no more ‘fraudulent’ than blatantly to extract a Great Baddow, Essex. players in the majority of the EBU plans to attract substantial increase in bridge clubs provide the advertisers with an increased contributions from these DISGUSTED FROM foundation and financial magazine circulation, up to ‘little’ clubs in return for LANCASHIRE stability of the clubs and, 50% of which will be many dubious benefits that, I am disgusted by the article without these members, consigned to the re-cycle bin genuinely, offer so little to you published by Sandra many clubs would cease to without being opened. Don’t them – is their suspected Landy. Please remove my exist. In the Swindon area let this be the only benefit of preference for using carefully name from your data base there are at least five non- P2P... lobby your committees chosen words in their biased and send no more affiliated clubs within a seven to reconsider. sounding statements that magazines. mile radius which those D Fenn, are designed to produce the David Burrows, players will migrate to when Swindon, Wiltshire. right response rather than St Helens, Lancashire. they realise that their extra the truth. Ever heard of costs are subsidising the elite SMALL CLUB Option Selling techniques? DEMOCRATIC few (EBU members playing May I say how much I enjoy ‘Would you prefer the red or DECISION once a week at a club will your publication, particularly the blue one, sir?’ Answer Please Mr Bridge, and pay substantially less than as English Bridge does not that question and you have Sandra Landy, respect the they do at present). Are the print any other views than placed an order! Now look democratic decision of the Scottish and Welsh bridge their own somewhat tunnel again at their club EBU to adopt P2P with unions in the same position? vision on P2P. questionnaire. good grace! Or is it just the English Bridge Having been a member of Recently, one County Mr K Woolf, Union which has, over the the EBU since 1967, I am Association advised member Penzance, Cornwall.

Page 48 mistaken belief that Should they not get their THE EBU P2P continued insurance for the premises positive vote, perhaps they will cover all eventualities. If should look at a suggestion I the roof caves in and injures made to the Chairman of the UNIVERSAL someone like Anne a club member, then the EBU last September: that at MEMBERSHIP = Glendenning allowed herself liability is obviously with the affiliated clubs the table UNIVERSAL to be influenced by the bully owner of the premises, but if money for non-members of SUFFRAGE boys. As a club secretary, one of the club’s tables the EBU should be increased I entirely agree with the she should have stood up to collapse causing injury, then by 50p per person and that comments of Mike Rogerson them and encouraged her the liability is with the club. money to be sent direct to regarding the EBU’s flawed members to do the same. I’m not a lawyer, but my the EBU. In my view it would voting system. Apart from the The only vote that would understanding is that every not be long before the non- examples he gives, consider give a true picture of the member of the club would members joined the EBU. the case of three counties views of players is one share in that liability. For that Unlike the Officers of the each with a membership of conducted on a one reason, our club will not EBU, I do not believe that the 300. In two of them, 160 are member, one vote system. consider running without shareholder’s vote is truly in favour of a motion and 140 Why are the EBU so scared of insurance. representative of the views against and in the third, 50 this? Mr Bridge seems to fill a lot of members within the are in favour and 250 Perhaps one of your of gaps for the sort of players Counties. against. When the vote is contributors or readers could that play in our sort of clubs. The EBU was accused of taken, two counties will give answer the following Could you help in any way? being primarily for the their votes in favour and one questions which I have been F Vas Nunes by e-mail. tournament players. Under against, whereas overall 370 asking for many months No problem. P2P it will be even more so people are in favour and 530 without getting a satisfactory Ring ( 01483 489961. as the club players will be against! reply: the main contributors to EBU I have no idea how Essex Under the new system how VOTING SLIPS finances. For many members voted, but there was no will the EBU know when Hooray for Sandra Landy! As of the EBU the opportunities consultation whatsoever with someone gives up the game a long term committed to play in major EBU the members. Originally, we or dies? member of the EBU, I am sponsored events are were asked to convey our If two players have the very disappointed that I am somewhat restricted views to our club committee same name what guarantee to be penalised for because of travelling (which meant that someone is there that any master supporting the EBU as the distances and overnight who is a member of, say, five points will be allocated to the new P2P system will more accommodation costs. These clubs has five times the input right person? than double my membership same people will play more of someone who only belongs Also, as one of those payment. I am even more local club bridge and to one) and were then invited obnoxious, awkward, non- disappointed by the letter therefore contribute more to to attend the County AGM, competitive types who has no sent by the EBU Chairman to EBU funds. which would be followed by interest in master points, can clubs following the Jill Newton, Newquay. ‘a meeting to discuss the final I have my name removed publication of Sandra’s proposals for future from the National Ranking list article in Bridge. WHY CHANGE? membership of the EBU’. that the EBU is always going If the EBU are so certain Well done Sandra Landy. I Your magazine was the on about? that they have a mandate agree with all she says re first I heard of EBU members, Mr C Simpson, from the membership at P2P. The EBU accounts for claiming that they are Billericay, Essex. large, then they should their trading year ending subsidising non-members prove it conclusively by 31.03.07 show £601,000 as which is nothing short of INSURANCE enclosing a voting slip in the income received for master blackmail and anybody COVER NEEDED? next edition of English Bridge points and subscription. I fail making that claim should be The main reason that our with a simple Yes/No to see why this is being thoroughly ashamed of club is affiliated to the EBU is question ‘Do you support the discontinued and relying on themselves. The only to obtain insurance cover. EBU Strategy on P2P?’ – no clubs who affiliate to add ‘benefits’ anyone gets from Like so many of the smaller further explanation. Every money on to table money EBU membership are a bi- clubs, we are indifferent to member has been given instead. There will be more monthly magazine, a master master points and we won’t enough information to form work involved all round, just point rank and the right to subscribe to any pay-to-play an opinion. If, as the EBU because the EBU wish to take part in EBU system. officers believe, they have increase membership competitions. Since non- So come 2010, what are we the support of the majority, numbers. There are some members receive none of going to do for insurance? I then they will get the vote departments who make a these ‘benefits’, what are know of several local and we can set about giving consistent loss, such as they being subsidised for? It unaffiliated clubs that do not them the support needed to education and English Bridge. is very disappointing that bother with insurance, on the make it work. Drene Brown by e-mail.

Page 49 choose not to affiliate, when this would not work, as THE EBU P2P continued faced with P2P bills which these so called ’rude players’ are sure to be in excess of cannot help it as their mind £1,000 a year! A mass is so concentrated on the DEMOCRACY? have kept everyone withdrawal of at least 25% cards, and Peter Stocken was very quick informed during the of Clubs was indicated in the what their opponents have to circulate his development period when EBU survey carried out in their hands that their brain condemnation of Sandra he wrote: 'The Board has earlier this year. It is likely to does not have the ability to Landy’s warning letter, 'It is published its proposals in all be even higher in our county, think about being courteous. not too late!', which their forms in English Bridge based on those recording If some of these people were appeared in the previous and has provided contact their intention to disaffiliate asked whom they played issue of BRIDGE. He claims: information for those who in the survey returns and against at an event, they 'Her contribution appears to wished to make a they were the clubs with the would more than likely not fly in the face of a contribution to the high attendances. be able to remember. democratic process that has consultation process.' I read the article by Sandra It is obvious from the taken place over the last However, it must be noted Landy in the August edition numbers attending ‘friendly year.' that general publicity of any of your magazine and have clubs’ in Norfolk like HIWCBA did have a view which did not support to say that I applaud her Bawburgh, Hoveton and democratic process on this the EBU’s strategy has been courage in speaking out for Horning and Cringleford that issue. All our affiliated clubs totally suppressed in the something she obviously there are a considerable were asked by the County’s Union’s publication. feels so passionately about. number of players who Executive Committee to vote He goes on to say: 'All Everything she has written is enjoy bridge. It is these on whether to support or possible alternatives have perfectly true and I only players the EBU should be reject the proposed Final been published and hope it will encourage those concentrating on. I would Strategy. This resulted in a discounted, for very good who feel the same way to let suggest the percentage of Rejection by 32 clubs and reasons.' I must say that I their counties and clubs members in these clubs who Acceptance by 3 clubs with don’t remember reading know what their wishes truly are members of the EBU, is 3 clubs abstaining. 10 of the about any of these are. much lower than for, say, the less active clubs did not alternatives in English Bridge Mike Rogerson ‘elite clubs’. record a vote. I was able to or of the reservations which by e-mail. The last thing I would want obtain a count of the accompanied some of the to see is the ‘friendly clubs’ individual club member county votes at the EGM. In EBU SUPPORTER dropping out of the EBU. votes For and Against in her article, Sandra Landy I share the concerns Therefore, surely, there is a most of the clubs and this noted that: 'No discussion expressed by Sandra Landy need to have two divisions, resulted in 1078 Against and was allowed in English in BRIDGE 90. As a supporter one for the ‘elite’ and one for 120 For. This did include a Bridge. ' of the EBU, I live in a county those, with ‘lesser bridge few non-EBU members We have three thriving where the majority of our brain ability’ who wish to voting in some clubs, but clubs in the Eastleigh area clubs appear to be enjoy themselves playing these would also be affected with regular weekly considering disaffiliation bridge. The ‘elite’ having by the change and deserved attendance of 13-15 tables. from the English Bridge masterpoints with the full a vote as club members. The majority of players in Union if the P2P is regalia and the ‘friendly’ That was an example of true these clubs are not implemented. having a reduced service democracy! members of the Union. I believe that the EBU with a lower charge. It has been suggested that Sandra makes a very should make every effort to The EBU has got to be very there was an orchestrated important point when she retain the support of all careful or they will shoot campaign in our county states that: 'There are no existing affiliated bridge themselves in the foot as I against the strategy but I services that clubs get from clubs, regardless of size. have heard of four bridge must point out that only one the EBU that they cannot get Mrs G Walker, clubs in Nottinghamshire district, Gosport, arranged a elsewhere'. No one has yet Pinner, Middx. and one in Kent that are meeting of their six clubs to given me any satisfactory leaving the EBU umbrella. discuss the issue. Our answers to this point. NO BENEFITS The person who told me County Chairman, an MDAG Finally, Peter Stocken Having read the full EBU about the Nottinghamshire member, attended that states in his reply that: 'The strategy proposal, I cannot clubs said they felt they did meeting so 'orchestrated Board of the EBU has taken see anything that will not get any benefit from the campaign' is hardy an a route to develop the game encourage the ‘rude players’ EBU as the majority of their appropriate epithet as in all and make it more accessible to become friendlier, as I members were not point other districts, clubs and to more people.' Quite the presume they felt this was hunters and wanted to enjoy members made their opposite is true, as many hindering the players playing bridge. decisions in isolation. clubs like the ones I have attending the ‘elevated Mr Thomas Beven, Peter Stocken claims to already mentioned will events’. I was of the opinion Attleborough, Norfolk.

Page 50 own admission has contract the wording of THE EBU P2P continued neglected them for so many which has not yet been years. Perhaps there are provided. They want us to others who tend to ‘fear the turn a blind eye to the VALUE FOR MONEY? publishing articles both for Greeks when they bring spending of enormous sums I play most of my bridge in and against the proposed gifts’. of money before permission Suffolk and Essex. I drive on new strategy, I am quite sure The majority of the EBU’s has been given to make the average 25 miles and pay Mr Stocken is confident that bread and butter members necessary changes to the about £2 per evening. At 40p his reply to you will be are decent and honest bye laws. I am sorry but I per mile the evening costs published. people but does Mr Stocken find this unbelievable. me £12. I think this is With regard to Mr Stocken’s sincerely believe that all Whilst I am against the excellent value for money letter and his somewhat paper masterpoints were proposed new strategy I am (especially when my partner adverse comments on Mrs issued in every club when not anti EBU nor am I drives, when it costs only £2). Landy, I would make the some club members said opposed to change. I would P2P will take about 30p of following comments: they were not wanted? also add that never have I that total. The figure is What democratic process However, I do think the contacted the staff at the EBU designed to be about the took place in my county of comment ‘we will ensure and received anything but a same as clubs currently pay; allegiance when we were that our members’ interests willingness to help whenever so there is no reason why asked to accept one of the are protected at all times- possible and a courtesy that table money should rise. If three following options? our volunteers on the new our organisation should be P2P increased to 40p or was a) Please vote to accept the Club Committee and its proud of. lowered to 20p, it would be April 2008 Strategy in its representatives on the Jean Whitlam, Exeter. unlikely to change my entirety Universal Membership decision to play. Nor would it b) Please vote to reject the Project Committee will be DOWNFALL OF EBU? be likely to affect other following aspects whilst addressing these potential I applaud Sandra Landy’s peoples’ decision to play. The retaining the overall scams to protect those article on P2P bridge. big rise in petrol prices is strategy interests,’ smacks a little of This will be the downfall of much more likely to make c) We have reservations the Big Brother syndrome. the EBU. me stay at home. about the following There is another thing I Mrs Patricia Southan, The changes merely mean aspects without strong cannot understand – what Chingford, London. that those who play several enough views to vote advantage is gained by times a week pay slightly against them. having universal MORE PUBLICITY more to the EBU than before I did ask my county to include membership when it is There has been a letter and those who play less d) we reject the strategy in its totally free? If our Board of distributed to EBU clubs often (possibly deciding the entirety, but this request was Directors feel that trying to refute the points EBU membership was not refused. 20 out of 29 membership of the EBU is made by Sandra Landy in worthwhile) will become affiliated clubs apparently not worth anything why the latest edition of BRIDGE. members, get a free responded giving our should anyone else feel As this is addressed to you, magazine and pay a small shareholder a majority vote in differently? could you publish Sandra’s amount towards the EBU favour of the strategy! I The Pay to Play, I can article on your website so I expenses. Whether the EBU cannot understand in view of understand particularly so can give my fellow club provides good value for the options given why it was when the minutes state an members the full story and money is a different question. not considered a unanimous increase of just 1p will bring not just one side. I will mention only my visit to decision. in £25,000 a year. Again Peter Oliver, Redditch. a non-EBU club. I received As the EBU is currently the referring to minutes, it was two incorrect rulings and was organisation that oversees decided to increase the DON’T GIVE UP told that one level 3 duplicate bridge in this affiliation fees by only 50p, Many thanks for BRIDGE over convention we played was Country why should Mr as it was felt members the years. There have been not allowed at the club. I Stocken be surprised that it is would not accept anything many interesting articles and have not visited that club the only one at the moment higher. Much easier to get 1p columns. I have posted the again. dealing in masterpoints, across. I do apologise, I ‘Case against P2P’ article on David Haig-Thomas tuition and regulation of our forgot the New Strategy was Derby Bridge Club’s notice by e-mail. game? What surprises me is financially neutral. board but nobody seems to that he does not seem to One final point, the notice. I think the EBU will FREE MEMBERSHIP realise the possibility of membership is being asked get its own way. In my capacity as Secretary of another organisation picking to agree to something in Whether I give up bridge Exeter Bridge Club, I was sent up the flag for those clubs advance, the cost of which is or find a non EBU club a copy of our Chairman’s and players who do not wish totally unknown and remains to be seen. (EBU) reply to you. As your to be forcibly enrolled into an incalculable at this stage, to T. Woodward, magazine is the only one organisati on which, on its agree to sign an annual Breadsall, Derby.

Page 51 bar prices down, table consequences of any action THE EBU P2P continued money down and you might take. Peter will be refurbishment. It will be up well advised to take note of to them to vote on what they what Sandra has said. THINK AHEAD the vast majority of bridge want the club to do. Bridge Mr W Crook, Nottingham I, too, have read Sandra drives are run by individual clubs all over the county will Bridge Club President. Landy’s article ‘It’s not too bridge clubs. It is they who face the same dilemma and late’, but where I think Peter now have to decide whether I suspect that there will be a RE-THINK Stocken has replied in a fit of the pay to play scheme is in roughly 50/50 split in the The EBU appears to be pique, I think Sandra should the best interests of their country between the two banking on only 20% of be congratulated on her members. options. On that basis, by the Bridge Clubs refusing to sign input to the debate. The very My own local bridge club time a finalised pay to play up to the changed important point Peter has also believes in democracy, fee is determined, I suspect constitution. They should be failed to comprehend is that, and we will be asking our the fee will be nearer £1 than looking at a much worse though the county membership shortly whether the quoted 35p. scenario. Sandra Landy’s associations have voted for a they want to be part of the The concern I have, which advice (BRIDGE August 2008), pay to play system, individual pay to play scheme. Sandra reflected, is that the reminds me of the words of bridge clubs have not. However, the management EBU finances will be put in Wellington, which they would I am fairly sure the county committee will rightly point dire straits and the do well to heed: ‘The test of associations will all fall into out that the scheme will cost organisation will be in a good general is to know line and any events held by our club £2,500.00 a year, danger of collapse. Bridge is when to retreat – and to them will come under the which will go to the EBU a game which teaches you dare to do it!’ umbrella of pay to play, but rather that spent on keeping to think ahead of the likely Ted Gibbins, Cheshire. ■

P STO S PRES ! JUST IN TIME THANKS TO ALL of not publishing letters in English Bridge about the I attach the e-mail I have just received from Peter Stocken. proposals. She took that decision because she felt that It is why I was grateful that you published my article in there were several forums for our members and the your magazine, no-one else was going to allow the members of affiliated clubs to express their views directly to dissenters a voice. their counties and to us nationally. I know you are aware No doubt you have received a good many comments that Barry, Sally and I and all the other members of the and I don't expect they all agreed with me. I have had lots Membership Development Action Group, have answered of people speak to me about my article; they were glad over 1,000 emails and letters dealing with our members there was another side to the story than that being told by directly. We have also undertaken face-to-face meetings the EBU Board. So many expressed doubts that I hope with representatives from all our counties, all over the some action may be taken. country, and dealt with our clubs directly – we are grateful Please can you thank people for their personal replies, for your assistance with that project. too numerous to mention. It made me glad that I had The time for debate about the principles is now over, as faced up to a difficult challenge and written the article. they have been approved and implementation is underway. Sandra Landy, Sussex. Now is the time when everyone, who says they have the interests of bridge in England at heart and means it, should DEAR SANDRA be directing their efforts to helping the implementation Elena has informed me of your request to have a letter process, whether or not they supported the idea before the published in English Bridge. In the October issue Elena’s decision was made. editorial will address her policy – which we supported – Peter Stocken to Sandra Landy.

Page 52 ANSWERS TO THE DECLARER PLAY QUIZ ON PAGE 24 by DAVID HUGGETT

You are in 6 ♥ and West leads the ♦K followed four times more likely to have started with a 1. ♠ 7 5 2 by the ♦A. How do you plan the play? singleton low spade. Therefore, the correct ♥ Q 6 3 play is to win the diamond switch in dummy This is a borderline slam, to say the least, but ♦ A K 6 2 and take an immediate finesse against the the hands fit together quite well and the fate of ♣ J 6 2 trump queen. When that works, you go back the contract seems to lie in not losing a trick to ♠ J 10 9 8 3 ♠ K 6 to dummy with a club and repeat the finesse. N the king of hearts. That is indeed quite right, ♥ A 10 8 4 ♥ K 9 5 This line of attack succeeds whenever East has W E but somehow in the heat of battle – and ♦ 9 7 4 S ♦ J 10 8 3 the queen and no more than four trumps in all. especially when the stakes are high – things ♣ 4 ♣ Q 10 8 7 sometimes do not seem as clear as they What would you do if hearts were 5-2 and ♠ A Q 4 should. It would be too easy to ruff the second ducking twice had set up dummy’s king? In ♥ J 7 2 diamond, play a club to the ace in dummy and this case, you could afford to lose a trump ♦ Q 5 lead a low heart to the queen. While it is trick but you would not want West to get in ♣ A K 9 5 3 certainly true that taking a trump finesse offers and give East a heart ruff. So you would play much better odds of success than hoping for a trumps from the top, rejecting all finesses. singleton king, you have also to consider the You are in 3NT and West leads the ♠J. East possibility that East might hold all three missing plays the ♠K. How do you plan the play? trumps. So instead of leading a low heart from 4. ♠ A K Q A quick count of the tricks immediately dummy, you should lead the jack. If East covers ♥ Q 7 6 5 available shows that you have seven: two from an original holding of K-10-7 then you can ♦ 8 7 5 spades, three diamonds and two clubs. win in hand, re-enter dummy with a spade ♣ Q J 7 Obviously, the five-card club suit offers the and lead the nine of hearts. Whatever East ♠ 10 8 7 6 5 2 ♠ J 9 best prospect of making more tricks, but you does, he will not make a trump trick. ♥ Void N ♥ J 10 8 2 W E have to be careful how you go about it. ♦ K Q J 9 S ♦ 10 4 3 2 ♣ 8 6 4 ♣ A 5 2 Suppose, for example, that you cash the top 3. ♠ 6 5 ♠ 4 3 two clubs hoping for the queen to fall in either ♥ K 6 2 ♥ A K 9 4 3 one or two rounds. Then you will be ♦ A K 7 ♦ A 6 disappointed if either defender started with ♣ K 7 6 4 3 ♣ K 10 9 3 an original holding of Q-10-x-x. (If you cannot ♠ 3 ♠ Q 9 8 4 make four club tricks, surely the opponents ♥ Q J 10 8 N ♥ A 9 5 can stop you from making your contract.) W E ♦ 9 8 6 2 S ♦ J 10 5 4 You are declarer in 6 ♥ and West leads the ♦K. In fact, you can guarantee making four club ♣ Q J 9 2 ♣ 10 5 How do you plan the play? tricks if the suit breaks 4-1, simply by cashing ♠ A K J 10 7 2 Another time to be extra vigilant arises when one top honour and then leading low towards ♥ 7 4 3 the contract appears easy or when resolving the jack. If West started with a four-card ♦ Q 3 the main problem blinkers you from other holding, then the jack will provide a trick, while ♣ A 8 issues. Here declarer might think easily, ‘I can if East originally held four, then, although the throw my losing diamond on a long spade jack will fall to the queen, you will have a from dummy after I have drawn trumps. Then marked finesse against the ten later. You cash You are declarer in 4 ♠ and West leads the all I will lose is the ace of clubs.’ That is all true one top honour first, of course, in case there is ♥Q. How do you plan the play? of course, but there is a hidden snag. Trumps a singleton queen in either hand. The contract is a sound one, but the chances might break 4-0! If West holds all four trumps of making a heart trick diminish when West then you will go down, but if it is East, then leads the queen. As it would be inconceivable careful play will prevail. 2. ♠ A 7 3 for West to lead away from the ace, the correct ♥ J 9 8 6 2 Start by playing a low heart to the queen. If play is to duck in dummy, hoping that East ♦ 8 7 3 West shows out, continue by leading a low started with a singleton or doubleton ace of ♣ A 2 heart from dummy. East will probably play the hearts. That wish is unfulfilled however when ♠ J 9 8 2 ♠ 10 5 ten but now you win, re-enter dummy with a East wins the third heart and leads a low ♥ Void N ♥ K 10 7 spade and take a marked finesse against W E diamond. Now success or failure depends ♦ A K J 9 2 S ♦ Q 10 6 4 East’s jack of trumps. Only then is it right to upon not losing a trump and many people ♣ 10 8 5 4 ♣ J 9 7 3 discard the losing diamond on a spade and have a blind spot in this situation. Superficially, ♠ K Q 6 4 knock out the ace of clubs. it might appear right to cash a top trump ♥ A Q 5 4 3 before entering dummy to finesse against the All the deals this month involve playing the ♦ 5 queen. This would be in case West began with critical suit in the most efficient manner and ♣ K Q 6 a singleton queen. Well, so he might, but he is being aware of the possibility of bad breaks. ■

Page 53 GLOBAL TRAVEL INSURANCE Amelia House, Crescent Road, Worthing West Sussex, BN11 1RL. ( 01903 203933 Fax 01903 211106 Email [email protected] Website www.globaltravelinsurance.co.uk

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response, your partner will bid his diamonds king of clubs, which is highly likely, you have 1. Dealer West. Love All. and, after a lengthy discussion, you might eight tricks on top. Surely all you need to make ♠ 7 6 ♠ Q J 2 manage to reach the optimum contract of 6 ♦. 3NT is a stopper in hearts – you certainly do ♥ A Q J 3 N ♥ 7 4 Even 5 ♦ is better than 3NT, for after a heart not have one, but perhaps your partner has? W E ♦ K Q 4 3 S ♦ A 9 8 6 2 lead in 3NT, you will be lucky to make nine You need to ask your partner if he has and, to ♣ 4 3 2 ♣ Q 10 5 tricks. Had you responded 3NT, East might do this, you bid the opponents’ suit: 3 ♥. A bid pass, especially at pairs, when, even if 5 ♦ is of the opponents’ suit shows strength and on, you might score better in 3NT. asks partner to describe his hand further. West North East South When your agreed suit is a minor, the main ? reason for using the bid is to find out whether 3. Dealer West. N/S Vul. 3NT is an option. On this hand, your partner 1NT . There is not much to this hand really – ♠ A K 4 3 2 ♠ Q J 6 5 would bid 3NT; you would get your 300 bonus you have 12 points and a balanced hand. ♥ Q 4 3 N ♥ 9 8 7 for game because there are nine tricks on top. W E Your system says that, with 12-14 points and a ♦ K 7 6 S ♦ J 4 Had he not held a heart stopper he would balanced hand, you open 1NT – it says ♣ K 2 ♣ Q 6 5 4 have rebid 4 ♣ – this might go off, but 3 ♥ nothing about having stoppers in all the suits. might well make so it could still work out well. You are non-vulnerable, so there is not even It is interesting to note that you make the same the risk of going down in hundreds to put you West North East South number of tricks in clubs as you do in no- off. Remember that the weak no-trump is in 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass trumps, but no-trumps scores a lot more. part a pre-emptive bid – getting in the way of ? the opponents rather than just aiming to make the contract. It might work brilliantly Pass . You have fifteen points and a five-card 5. Dealer East. Love All. here: it is quite likely that one opponent would suit, so you might consider trying for ♠ A 3 2 ♠ K J 4 want to overcall in spades, but by bidding 1NT, something better, but with no tens or nines ♥ 4 2 N ♥ Q J 7 6 W E you make it very difficult for them. If you have and most of your honours isolated you should ♦ A K 7 6 5 2 S ♦ 9 3 agreed to play the weak no-trump, you must think again – your partner should have a ♣ 5 4 ♣ A J 10 2 get used to opening it on hands like this: maximum of nine points including otherwise, the system does not work. distribution. A queen on its own is rather weak, worth closer to one and half points West North East South than two; in the losing trick count, it counts as 1NT Pass 2. Dealer East. Game All. an extra half loser too – so both systems ? ♠ 4 2 ♠ K Q 7 5 3 should dampen your enthusiasm and lead ♥ A 9 4 N ♥ J you to Pass. On this particular hand, you will 3NT . This hand has the same theme as the W E ♦ A Q 3 2 S ♦ K J 8 5 4 be lucky to make 2 ♠ let alone more. It would previous one – with a long, strong diamond ♣ A 10 9 2 ♣ K 3 take something spectacular opposite to make suit you should be keener to play in no- a game likely; with such a hand, your partner trumps than in the minor. A 3 ♦ response should bid more than 2 ♠ at his first turn. would be wrong, as that is normally for slam- West North East South strength hands rather than game-going 1♠ Pass hands. Your hand has huge potential – just ? 4. Dealer West. Love All. give partner the queen of diamonds and your ♠ A 2 ♠ 7 6 4 hand will bring in seven tricks – bearing this in 2♣. 14 points is enough for game and, with ♥ 4 3 N ♥ A 7 mind, you should go straight for game. This is W E no support for spades and a balanced hand, ♦ A 3 2 S ♦ 8 7 6 5 certainly a gamble but, so often with minors, it is perhaps tempting to bid 3NT, but such a ♣ A Q J 7 6 4 ♣ K 8 3 2 it is worthwhile. If the gamble pays off, you large leap is bad bidding – it is like shouting get the big game bonus. Here, even with poor rather than talking. The most fundamental diamonds in the East hand, and a minimum aspect of almost any bidding system is that, if West North East South 12-point hand, game is a good prospect: as you respond to your partner’s opening suit bid 1♣ 1♥ 2♣ 2♥ long as the diamonds break 3-2, you will by changing the suit, he must bid again. This ? make five diamond tricks and four more tricks allows you to take your time on game-going from the other suits. Strong and long minor hands and therefore allows you to have a 3♥. Whenever I pick up a hand with a long suits are very powerful in no-trump contracts good discussion. By responding in your lower strong minor, I think about no-trumps from – the added attraction of needing nine tricks minor, you give your partnership the chance the start. This hand is no different – your for game rather than eleven makes the to find its best contract. Over your 2 ♣ partner has shown support, so, if he has the gamble well worth it. ■

Page 55 Justin Corfield Says

Keep Control of the Trump Suit

f a situation develops in which a Instead of playing a second round of defender has more trumps than spades, just play minor-suit winners. ♠ 9 8 Ideclarer or is able to draw declarer’s Somebody will ruff, it is true, but the ♥ Q 9 6 4 2 trumps, the latter is said to have ‘lost defenders can no longer draw your ♦ 9 8 7 control’ of the trump suit. This is likely trumps. They can force you to ruff a ♣ 10 8 6 to be bad for declarer and good for the heart, but you accept the force and just N defending side. keep playing on the minors. All the W E S opponents can get is their three trump tricks – five tricks difference. ♠ A K Q J 10 ♠ 5 4 3 The fewer trumps you begin with, the ♥ A 3 ♥ Q 8 5 greater the danger of losing control: ♦ A K Q J 10 ♦ K Q J 10 7 ♣ 5 ♣ A 2

N ♠ 10 4 2 W E ♥ A Q 7 6 When West leads two rounds of clubs, it S ♦ 7 3 2 would be easy to say that you have ♠ A 9 8 7 6 ♣ K 8 3 eleven top winners – five spades, five diamonds and a heart. So you ruff, and ♥ Void N ♦ A 9 6 4 W E play the ace-king of spades. East shows S ♣ K Q J 5 out on the second round – what now? ♠ A K Q J Sadly, ‘what now’ is that you have just ♥ K J 4 gone off in a stone-cold contract. If you West leads a heart against your 4 ♠ ♦ 6 5 draw all the trumps you can, West will contract. What is the plan? ♣ A 6 4 2 have the only remaining trump and a The original declarer noticed that 6 ♦ handful of club winners. If you prefer to would have been a better contract. After start on diamonds, West will ruff one of a few choice words about her partner’s You manage to avoid 3NT, landing them, and play another club, once again bidding, she ruffed the opening lead. instead in 4 ♠. The defenders play three reducing you to fewer trumps than he Then she played out the ace of spades rounds of diamonds. Your go. has… you get the idea. quickly (all following) and another If the spades are 3-3, you have no When the contract looks easy, it is spade, with the confidence of a player problems. What will happen, though, on important to ask yourself what could go expecting to claim. a (more likely) 4-2 spade break? If you wrong. Here, the only risk is that the East showed out on the second round ruff and try to draw trumps, you will find spades might break 5-1. If they do, and of spades, which brought declarer back yourself unable to do so. Unless you are you make the careless play of ruffing the to earth with a jolt. West pretended to lucky enough to find the opponent who second club, you will lose control. consider his play and then settled on has four spades with four hearts and two At teams or rubber bridge (where drawing trumps and playing a heart. clubs as well, someone will surely ruff overtricks are not important), a more After this, East cashed heart, after heart, one of your winners to leave you a trick careful declarer refuses to ruff the after heart… five off. short. You can prevent this by refusing to second round of clubs, discarding the Declarer ‘lost control’ of this hand, in weaken your trump holding. Instead of heart loser. When West persists with a that she allowed West to draw trumps. ruffing the third round of diamonds, you third round, he throws a winning How could declarer have done better? should just discard a club loser. If the diamond. Barring a defensive void After ruffing the heart lead and cashing opponents persist with diamonds, you somewhere, the contract is now safe. the ace of spades, the defenders possess can ruff the fourth round in dummy with Dummy can take care of any further the winning ♠K-Q-J. I admit this is a the ten of spades. club leads and, if West switches, you can little scary, but what other tricks can Even the most robust looking trump simply win and draw trumps. they make? None is the answer, unless suits can blow up in their owner’s face. Playing a trump contract safely means you let them in to draw your trumps. On our final example, you are in 4 ♠. keeping your powder dry. ■

Page 56 Stephen Cashmore Says

Don’t Put the Strong Hand on the Table

on’t put the strong hand on If West is 4-4-1-4, he could have opened the table.’ By this, we mean ♠ J 10 9 5 3 2 1♥, but that would not have helped if ‘D you want the stronger hand East had spades instead of hearts and ♥ Q as declarer and the weaker as dummy. ♦ 6 4 2 may cause other problems. The logic is simple. If declarer can ♣ 6 4 2 In sequence 2, 2NT shows a balanced conceal his assets, the opponents will ♠ 7 ♠ A smattering of points, and it is this N find it hard to defend accurately. They ♥ J 10 9 8 2 W E ♥ K 7 6 5 4 3 smattering that stays concealed rather have to guess and may guess incorrectly. ♦ A Q 8 5 3 S ♦ 10 9 7 than West’s monster. For this reason, In addition, the stronger hand is more ♣ 8 5 ♣ 10 9 7 many players never respond 2NT, but likely to contain tenaces that you want to ♠ K Q 8 6 4 prefer to use 2 ♦ as a waiting bid rather protect from immediate attack. ♥ A than just as a negative response. ♦ K J In sequence 3, opener has 17-18 ♣ A K Q J 3 points. If you open a 4-card major and ♠ J 10 9 5 3 2 partner can raise with three trumps, you ♥ Q get two chances to be declarer. You play ♦ 6 4 2 It would be different if you could see a 4-4 fit in the major if there is one or, if ♣ 6 4 2 South’s hand. It would then be clear that (as here) the fit is 4-3, in a no-trump ♠ A only a diamond switch might beat the contract. As responder, avoid bidding N ♥ K 7 6 5 4 3 contract. There would be no guess. 1NT if you have a choice: your hand W E S ♦ 10 9 7 So the point of the maxim is clear. will always be weaker than opener’s. ♣ 10 9 7 How do you translate its message into actual bidding practice? 4 West North East South Acol is a natural system. If a player 1NT Pass 2♠ End West North East South opens 1 ♣ or 1 ♠, then he has clubs or 2♣ spades. If opener ends up as declarer, the In sequence 4,º East has made a weak Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠ closed hand will have opening values. If take-out into spades. Many players Pass 4♠ Pass 4NT responder has them also, it matters little nowadays use transfers to reach 2 ♠ (East Pass 5♣ Pass 5♠ which hand hits the table. So, according bids a transfer 2 ♥, West bids 2 ♠, and End to the maxim, problems arise if there the bidding rests). responder is weak but becomes declarer. When transfers over 1NT (and 2NT) West, your partner, leads the jack of Auctions like 1 and 2 below fit the bill: first came along, people cited ‘keeping hearts. You play the king on dummy’s the strong hand off the table’ as a big queen, and declarer wins with the ace. 1 West North East South advantage. It is not their only benefit, Declarer now leads the queen of spades 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass but it is certainly one of them. and you win with the ace. How do you 2♥ End Nowadays, some top players use continue the defence? transfer bids after one side or the other There seems no future in continuing 2 West North East South has overcalled. While the purpose is not hearts, so you have to choose between 2♣ Pass 2NT Pass merely to keep the strong hand off the the minors. As you can see, this deal 3NT End table, they do have that effect. Only time presents you cunningly with identical will tell if this new theory will find its holdings in clubs and diamonds, both in 3 West North East South way into the mainstream, as transfers your hand and in dummy’s. There is 1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass over 1NT and 2NT have done. nothing to guide you. Even the bidding 2NT Pass 3NT End To sum up, keeping the strong hand is uninformative. On a good day, you off the table makes it harder for the other will pick the right suit – assuming there Sequence 1 may be unavoidable. If West side to find your weak spots. Acol helps is one to pick – and on another day, you has more clubs than hearts, he has no with this, but you might wish to look at will choose the wrong one. reason to open 1 ♥. East then gets to bid your responses to 1NT and 2NT to see The full deal is as follows: the major, hearts, first. whether they fit in with the maxim. ■

Page 57 ANSWERS TO THE DEFENCE QUIZ ON PAGE 34 by JULIAN POTTAGE

West North East South You therefore discard a diamond again. With 1. ♠ A K Q 9 1♥ Pass 1NT two diamonds and three tricks in each major, ♥ A J 4 Pass 3NT End your opponent goes one down as before. ♦ 9 8 4 ♣ 9 3 2 Partner leads the ♣5. You win with the ♣K, ♠ 5 4 2 ♠ 7 6 cash the ♣A and continue with a third round. 4. ♠ Q J N ♥ 6 3 W E ♥ Q 10 9 2 Partner wins with the ♣Q and cashes the ♥ A Q ♦ Q 7 3 S ♦ J 10 6 2 thirteenth club, on which dummy discards a ♦ A 8 7 6 5 2 ♣ K Q 10 6 5 ♣ A 8 4 diamond. What do you discard? ♣ 9 6 2 ♠ J 10 8 3 ♠ A 5 2 ♠ 10 9 6 4 A look at dummy should tell you the answer. ♥ K 8 7 5 ♥ 6 3 2 N ♥ J 10 5 4 There are four fine spades in dummy and only W E ♦ A K 5 ♦ J 9 3 ♦ Q 4 you can guard the fourth round. There are S ♣ J 7 ♣ Q J 10 4 ♣ K 8 5 four equally fine hearts there and, again, only ♠ K 8 7 3 you can stop the fourth round. Since a heart ♥ K 9 8 7 or a spade discard will, without doubt, cost a West North East South ♦ K 10 trick, you know what to do. Let go a diamond. 1NT ♣ A 7 3 Saving length with dummy often works well. Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 3NT Pass 4♠ End West North East South 3. ♠ A K Q 9 1♦ Pass 1♥ ♥ A K Q 9 Partner leads the ♣K; you play the ♣8. You win Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT ♦ 8 4 the next club with the ♣A (South drops the ♣J) End ♣ J 9 3 and play a third round. Declarer ruffs and ♠ J 4 ♠ 10 7 6 5 draws trumps in three rounds. Your discard? Partner leads the ♣Q, which wins. Your ♣K ♥ J 6 4 N ♥ 10 7 3 2 W E wins the next trick and you play a third round. If you discard a heart, your queen will still be ♦ J 7 3 2 ♦ K 10 S Declarer wins with the ♣A and leads a spade. sure to win. If you discard a diamond, your jack ♣ Q 10 8 5 ♣ A K 4 Partner takes the ♠A and cashes the long will not have enough guards to win a trick. ♠ 8 3 2 club. Does this mean you should discard a heart? A ♥ 8 5 heart discard would be a poor idea. For one ♦ A Q 9 6 5 Dummy discards a diamond. What do you thing, you need two more tricks to defeat the ♣ 7 6 2 discard? contract, so you cannot defend solo. You will A heart discard is the easiest to exclude. The need some help from partner. For another, the bidding and play to date marks South with bidding marks South with four hearts and not Partner leads the ♣5 after the same bidding four (or more) hearts headed by the king. four diamonds. (Four spades, four hearts, four as on 2. Again, your side wins the first four diamonds and two clubs would be fourteen tricks in clubs and dummy discards a You know about the heart king (and the cards). This makes a diamond discard safe. diamond on the long club. What do you spade king) as partner has shown up with 7 discard? points already and cannot have more than a A heart is not safe at all. If you allow South’s jack more if South is to have around 13 points. fourth heart to become a winner, away will go Yes, dummy is the same as on 2. This time, one of the diamonds from dummy. If that you cannot see any jacks. Should this affect While you cannot be so sure of the spade happens, your side will make two clubs and a your choice of discard? position, a spade discard is also risky. Any heart but no diamonds. You do not want that. time declarer started with four, releasing a If partner has the jack of spades, you surely spade would concede an extra spade winner. cannot spare a spade. If partner has the jack of hearts, you surely cannot spare a heart. It looks like partner has J-10-x or J-9-x of dia - 2. ♠ A K Q 9 You can, though, throw safely a major in monds and can cover the suit. In any case, if ♥ A K Q 9 which South holds the jack. Also, you can South has three diamonds, you and your ♦ 8 4 afford to weaken a major if partner has four partner will have two each, which makes your ♣ J 9 3 cards with you (when declarer has a single - holding almost certainly worthless whatever ♠ 5 4 ♠ J 10 7 6 ton.) Thus, you need to see how safe a dia - you do. Your holding is also no use if South ♥ 6 4 3 N ♥ J 10 7 2 W E mond discard is. has K-J doubleton – a simple finesse will pick ♦ J 7 3 2 S ♦ K 10 up the suit. ♣ Q 10 8 5 ♣ A K 4 A moment’s reflection should tell you that a ♠ 8 3 2 diamond discard is safe. If the ace-queen is The only time that you might need to keep ♥ 8 5 over you, the king is always a dead duck – a your Q-x is if declarer holds precisely K-J-10 ♦ A Q 9 6 5 simple finesse will give declarer two tricks. If and for some reason is thinking of playing ♣ 7 6 2 instead partner has the queen, the queen will you for a singleton diamond. So you discard a protect the second round if you bare the king. diamond. ■

Page 58 Derek Rimington Says Don’t Double the Opponents into Game

recent survey found that 15% of doubled contracts made. I believe Dealer West. Game All. Dealer East. Game All. Athat the percentage would be ♠ A K 8 6 4 ♠ J 8 6 4 higher if you counted only part-scores. ♥ 10 8 2 ♥ 6 Doubling into game (i.e. the double turns ♦ 6 2 ♦ A 9 3 a part-score into game) is the most ♣ J 9 3 ♣ 9 8 6 5 3 calamitous of these. Here is a disastrous ♠ 9 3 ♠ Q J 10 5 2 ♠ 9 7 5 2 ♠ A Q N N deal from a World Teams Championship: ♥ K Q 9 5 W E ♥ J ♥ J 10 8 2 W E ♥ A Q ♦ Q 10 9 8 3 S ♦ J 5 ♦ 7 6 5 2 S ♦ K 10 8 4 ♣ A Q ♣ K 8 5 4 2 ♣ 7 ♣ A K J 10 2 Dealer East. Game All. ♠ 7 ♠ K 10 3 ♠ J 8 5 4 ♥ A 7 6 4 3 ♥ K 9 7 5 4 3 ♥ Q 4 ♦ A K 7 4 ♦ Q J ♦ K J 10 ♣ 10 7 6 ♣ Q 4 ♣ A 10 9 4 ♠ K 7 6 ♠ 10 9 2 N ♥ A J 10 8 6 W E ♥ Void West North East South West North East South S ♦ 9 6 2 ♦ A 8 7 5 4 3 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣1 2♥ ♣ K 8 ♣ 7 5 3 2 1NT Pass 2♣ 2♥ Dbl End ♠ A Q 3 Dbl End 1Game force or 23-24 balanced ♥ K 9 7 5 3 2 ♦ Q Playing a strong no-trump, West’s 1NT South’s 2 ♥ overcall was injudicious with ♣ Q J 6 rebid was weak, as was East’s 2 ♣. This a poor suit, many defensive values and gave South the green light to enter the modest shape. West doubled – a brilliant bidding at a late stage. call. He knew his side had the balance of West North East South Declarer won the spade lead in dummy power, that game prospects were Pass 1♥ and placed West with four trumps for his moderate and that East would not have to Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥ double. He saw that he had much work to pass with an unsuitable hand. Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ do before trying a second top spade. After a club lead and early switch to Dbl End Accordingly, he cashed the ace of hearts spades, the defenders made eight tricks: and two top diamonds before ruffing a a spade, a spade ruff, three trumps, a West led the jack of hearts and the queen diamond. After taking a spade ruff and a diamond and two clubs. This was much won. Declarer tried the jack of diamonds second diamond ruff, he led the second better, Cotter wrote, than 70 below the off dummy but East was alert, going in top spade. Although West could ruff this, line (2NT bid and made). with the ace and shifting to a spade. South had to make his long trump for Finally, I must say a bit about pairs’ South won with the ace and led a low game and rubber. doubles. If you double and the opponents club to the ten. Then two top diamonds Despite the well-meaning advice set make the contract, you score a bottom – allowed South to discard two spades. out in the title of this article, in my but it may be no bigger a bottom than if After this came a spade ruff, a club to experience bridge players often miss the you give them an overtrick. the ace and a second spade ruff. This opportunity for a lucrative penalty The time you need to double is when gave declarer eight tricks with the king double. For a good double, you usually your side owns the deal and the double of hearts for a ninth and +730. need three things: first, length and rates to turn a bad score into a good one. Where were West’s five tricks? Even if strength in the opposing trump suit; If you can make 3 ♠ for +140, there is a he knew that his partner held the ace of second, a misfit for any suits shown by big difference between +100 (4 ♦ down diamonds, it was not worth the risk. partner and third, for your side to have one vulnerable or down two non- Next is a well-played deal from rubber the balance of power. Here is a deal vulnerable) and +200 or +300 for the bridge at London’s TGR club. featuring the late Pat Cotter. same undertricks if you double. ■

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