GCBA NEWSLETTER Season 2020-21 April 2021
GCBA RESULTS EASY TO GO However, later he realised that there is a lot more to this hand The GCBA Swiss Teams WRONG? than at first appears. When East wins trick two with his Ace (series 7) looks like it will be This was an interesting hand of spades and plays a high won by Patrick Shields, Dan from a recent GCBA Swiss heart, West can use the McIntosh, B.J O’Brien, Martin teams match. Kane, Filip and Diane opportunity to discard his King Kurbalija,. With one match to K43 of diamonds, thus creating an play, they are well clear of the T9 entry to his partner’s winning chasing teams. AJT862 hearts. . Q5 T972 A86 The 9-high Swiss Pairs (series 2 3NT by QJ8753 Hence it appears that against 7) was won by John Polhill and K3 South Q7 thinking defenders, playing Hugh Wilkinson. Ralph Brooks . KJ9832 . 64 diamonds at trick two is best and Diana Davies were QJ5 after all. Given that the hearts runners-up. Series 8 is now AK64 are breaking 6-1 on the 954 bidding, then losing an early well under way with John and . AT7 Hugh leading the field – can trick to West will not matter as they do a double? he will not have another heart You play in 3NT as South after to play. If declarer makes the Easter Handicap Pairs – East has opened a weak 2. diamond play outlined above 1st Ken Filmore and Nick Haynes West dutifully leads his then the defence are singleton heart. At one table, 2nd P Shields and Derek Boreham powerless to defeat him. declarer won the opening lead The County Leagues have now and looked no further than to Rising with the Ace of ended – with Division 1 won by set up tricks in his long suit via diamonds on the first round if Patrick Shields, Garry Watson, a double diamond finesse. West plays low will probably Ollie Burgess and Diana East won the first diamond with still make the contract even Nettleton, who just pipped the Queen and cleared the when West started with both season long leaders Dan hearts. The Ace of spades was honours, as 4 diamonds, 2 McIntosh’s team. Division 2 a later entry to cash the spades, 2 hearts and a club will was won convincingly by Mike established hearts and be enough. Declarer will need Lewis, Malcolm Green, Nicky declarer was held to 8 tricks. either the A or K. on-side in Ferguson, Tom Jarman and order to reach dummy. Alison Nicolson. At the other table, declarer saw the danger of a spade entry On the surface, it looks like The GCBA Pairs League with East and played a spade declarer has time to try both, series 2 was won by Dan at trick two. East won and losing just 2 diamonds a spade McIntosh and Filip Kurbalija. cleared the hearts. South must and a club, but if West does Ben Ritacca and Peter now play diamonds in such a indeed hold 2 diamond winners Waggett tied for second place way as to keep East off lead. and the King of clubs, an early alongside the threesome of South leads a diamond and if switch to a club will attack Peter Shelley & Trevor Ward. West plays small, Ace and dummy’s entry before the another diamond brings home diamonds are established. MCOL the contract. All things considered, this was In the Midland Counties On- If West rises with the King of a fascinating hand. line League, teams have diamonds, then he is allowed played a varying number of to hold the trick and matches, but based upon their subsequently there is no average VP score, Glos are defence. South was quite leading Division 1, lie second in pleased with his line and was Division 2 and fourth in Division praised by the other players 3. There are still 2 matches to when it succeeded. play in these leagues and we wish our teams every success in the remaining matches
Page 1 Contributions welcome - to Garry Watson, [email protected] Check out the GCBA web site at www.gcba.org.uk GCBA NEWSLETTER Season 2020-21 April 2021
IMPROVER’S with 6 and they had 7. One UNBELIEVABLE opponent only had 2 so the CORNER other started with 5. When you BUT TRUE re-create the original AK953 Let’s look at something which distribution of the suit, it AJ5 every player struggles with reinforces your memory of the A5 . A54 from time to time, and show-out. Over time, add in the 2 T improvers more than most – memory of what was KQ93 5by 87642 remembering what has been discarded. 87 South KQJT43 played. . KQJ872 . 6 QJ8764 There are techniques that can SOLUTION TO LAST T be used for remembering large 962 data sets, such as the digits of MONTH’S TEASER . T93 pi, but here we shall look at South West North East some simple steps that you can In order to score +1920, you 1. X 1 use to improve your need to play 1M-XX and make 1 Pass 4 5 recognition of what has gone – 3 over-tricks! The following Pass Pass 5 Pass and hence what is left. layout makes this possible: Pass Pass
Focus on what is most 9753 On this hand South managed important and don’t try to 9 to win 3 diamond tricks (without remember too much. Gradually 98765432 loss), even though no-one build up your memory capacity. . discarded a diamond and the Don’t try to remember every AQ KJ defence was reasonable if 1xx by card played as most of the spot AQ KJ AQ South KJ albeit unsuccessful. West led a cards are irrelevant. . AQT864 . KJ97532 top club, taken in dummy. Ace and a heart ruff was followed Keep track of trumps. You can T8642 T8765432 by a trump to dummy and know if there are trumps another heart ruff. Declarer outstanding by counting them . now played a diamond to the in the best way. Start by asking Ace. East was Swedish yourself how many trumps they South can make 10 tricks International Jan Wohlin and started with. Have they used against any defence. South he could see what was about to one to ruff? How many rounds sets up one of his red suits happen. When a diamond is did they follow to? If they depending on how the defence played next from dummy, he started with 5 trumps and you starts. This problem was could win and play a further draw two rounds and no-one devised by Richard Granville diamond, but declarer would shows out, there must be one when he was just 18 and I am simply discard a club from the enemy trump outstanding. grateful for his permission to table on this trick and leave When you can always correctly reprint it here. East endplayed. Wohlin had to count trumps, move on to other hope that West held the 9. Richard will be well known to long suits. He therefore dropped the King most of our more seasoned of diamonds under the Ace and One method you could try is to players as a prolific winner on played a low diamond when keep track of which 3 cards in the National scene in the the 5 was led from dummy. a suit are high. So if trick one 1970’s, and played numerous Unfortunately, it was South sees the Ace and King played, times for GB at Junior level, as who held the nine and this duly mentally promote QJT. If the well as for England in the won the trick. Declarer then led ten, Knave and King are played Camrose. He largely stopped his 6 and discard a club from at trick one, the AQ9 are now playing Bridge in the 80’s to dummy. Of course, East could the high cards. play ‘Go’, and represented his win this trick but would then be country in that game also. He When a player shows out in a forced to concede a ruff and has returned to the bridge suit – that is the time to take discard and with it the contract. scene in recent years, largely stock. Suppose you hold AKQ Declining to be humiliated in partnering Graham Sadie opposite three small cards. On this way, Wohlin allowed the (formerly of Gloucestershire) the third round, one opponent 6 to hold. South then just shows out. Now count the suit conceded a club to make his around the table. You started contract. Page 2 Contributions welcome - to Garry Watson, [email protected] Check out the GCBA web site at www.gcba.org.uk