Number One Hundred and Thirty-Nine July 2014 Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz BRIDGEYou are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and 4-card majors.

1. Dealer West. Love All. 4. Dealer East. Love All. 7. Dealer West. Game All. 10. Dealer West. N/S Game. ♠ J 8 6 4 3 ♠ A 8 7 3 2 ♠ A K 6 4 2 ♠ A 8 3 ♥ A N ♥ 5 4 N ♥ 7 6 N ♥ A 8 3 2 N ♦ Q 7 6 4 3 W E ♦ 4 3 W E ♦ A K 8 7 5 W E ♦ 4 W E S S S S ♣ K 2 ♣ Q 7 6 5 ♣ 3 ♣ A Q 8 7 2

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South ? 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT 2♥ 1♣ 1♠ Dbl Pass 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass ? ? ?

2. Dealer East. Love All. 5. Dealer North. N/S Game. 8. Dealer East. Love All. 11. Dealer North. N/S Game. ♠ A 6 5 ♠ 5 4 ♠ A K Q 6 5 ♠ 8 6 5

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

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass Pass 1♣ 1♠ Pass ? ? 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass ? ?

3. Dealer West. N/S Game. 6. Dealer West. Love All. 9. Dealer West. E/W Game. 12. Dealer North. Love All. ♠ K 2 ♠ A 2 ♠ A K 8 5 4 ♠ A 9 7 6 ♥ A K 4 3 2 N ♥ 7 4 N ♥ K Q 9 8 N ♥ 4 3 N ♦ A Q J 6 W E ♦ 7 6 4 W E ♦ K 4 W E ♦ A K 3 W E S S S S ♣ 6 4 ♣ A K 8 7 6 4 ♣ 3 2 ♣ 9 7 5 3

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 1♣ 1♠ 2♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass 2♥* 2NT Pass ? ? 2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass ? ? *weak, 6-10 HCP and 6 hearts

Answers on page 6 Answers on page 9 Answers on page 11 Answers on page 13 1790 MR Bridge Bang to Sing ad amended_Layout 1 27/05/2014 16:24 Page 1

Join Mr & Mrs Bridge on an unforgettable voyage.

Thailand Bangkok Angkor Wat Cambodia Vietnam SINGLE Sihanoukville Ho Chi Minh City Ko Samui SUPPLEMENT Gulf of Thailand £100* Malaysia Kuantan Malacca Singapore

15-day fly-cruise departs February 16, 2015

DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART FEB 16 Depart UK FEB 17 Arrive BANGKOK Thailand Transfer to hotel overnight hotel FEB 18 BANGKOK Thailand overnight hotel FEB 19 BANGKOK Thailand Embark Aegean Odyssey 8.00pm FEB 20 At Sea FEB 21 KO SAMUI Thailand 6.00am 1.00pm FEB 22 SIHANOUKVILLE Cambodia 7.00am (Phnom Penh) 8.00pm FEB 23 At Sea FEB 24 HO CHI MINH CITY Vietnam noon overnight CRUISE TO FEB 25 HO CHI MINH CITY Vietnam 2.00pm FEB 26 At Sea FEB 27 KUANTAN Malaysia 1.00pm 6.00pm THE JEWELS OF FEB 28 At Sea MAR 1 MALACCA Malaysia 7.00am 6.00pm MAR 2 SINGAPORE 7.00am Disembark and transfer to SOUTHEAST ASIA Singapore Airport for flight home Departs February 16, 2015 fares from £2,795pp include: • SCHEDULED ECONOMY CLASS FLIGHTS Enjoy a daily duplicate on this wonderful cruise. with free regional connections from selected UK airports Sail with Mr & Mrs Bridge to the jewels of Thailand, •EXPERT GUEST SPEAKER PROGRAMME Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Enjoy daily • DAILY DUPLICATE BRIDGE duplicates, seminars and afternoon bridge when • BRIDGE SEMINARS WHEN AT SEA at sea. With sightseeing excursions in all ports • SIGHTSEEING EXCURSIONS AT MOST PORTS OF CALL visited, this promises to be another truly • OPEN-SEATING DINING memorable voyage. • MR BRIDGE DRINKS PARTY • COMPLIMENTARY WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD • GRATUITIES FOR ON-BOARD CABIN AND RESTAURANT STAFF • OVERSEAS TRANSFERS AND BAGGAGE HANDLING MR BRIDGE VALUE FARES† Standard Inside from £2,795 Outside from £3,195 Balcony from £4,250 PAST PASSENGERS ON AEGEAN ODYSSEY ENJOY ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS – CALL NOW please ask for details Join Mr & Mrs Bridge on a visit to ON 01483 489961 ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA TO RESERVE YOUR Depart UK on the 13th and extend your Bangkok stay with a 3-day excursion by air CABIN, OR VISIT to Siem Reap in Cambodia to visit the www.mrbridge.co.uk magnificent temple ruins at Angkor. 2 NIGHTS SIEM REAP/1 NIGHT BANGKOK †All prices shown are per person, based on double occupancy, available only on certain cabin grades, Supplement including flights are subject to availability at the time of booking and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Twin sharing £589pp/Single £695pp *Single accommodation is available only in certain categories and is subject to availability.

10093 TO VOYAGES ANTIQUITY ABTA No.Y2206 FEATURES ADVERTISEMENTS 1 Bidding Quiz 2 Bangkok to Singapore RUBBER / by Bernard Magee with Voyages to Antiquity BRIDGE CHICAGO 4 Mr Bridge 3 Rubber/Chicago Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Bridge Events Surrey GU21 2TH 6 Bidding Quiz Answers 2014 (1-3) by Bernard Magee 5 Subscriptions to BRIDGE ( 01483 489961 9 Bidding Quiz Answers 6 Bridge Events at [email protected] (4-6) by Bernard Magee Elstead Hotel www.mrbridge.co.uk 11 Bidding Quiz Answers 7 Mail Order Form shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/ (7-9) by Bernard Magee Names and Addresses mrbridge-shop 13 Bidding Quiz Answers 8 Bridge Event Managing Editor (10-12) by Bernard Magee Booking Form Mr Bridge 14 Robin Hood’s Charitable 8 Bridge Events with Bridge Consultant Mission by David Bird Bernard Magee Bernard Magee The Olde Barn 16 David Stevenson [email protected] 9 S R Designs Bridge Tables Marston, Answers Your Questions Cartoons & Illustrations 10 Bernard Magee’s Lincs NG32 2HT Marguerite Lihou 20 The Scottish Senior Ski Tutorial Software www.margueritelihou.co.uk Team Tries its Hand at Bridge? by John Barr 11 Tunisia with Mr Bridge Commissioning Editor 12 QPlus 11 David Huggett 21 Par Contests davidhuggett by Shireen Mohandes 12 We Are Survivors @mrbridge.co.uk 23 Defence Quiz Teatowel Customer Services by Julian Pottage 13 Bridge Events at Catrina Shackleton 27 Why Should I Clifton Park Hotel [email protected] Play Transfers? 17 Duplicate Bridge Technical Consultant by Julian Pottage Rules Simplified Tony Gordon 29-31 August 28 Readers’ Letters 18 Tips for Better Bridge Typesetting & Design Hosted by 31 Mary’s Seventh Lesson 19 2014 Festive Season Ruth Edmondson by Liz Dale with Mr Bridge Diana Holland [email protected] 32 Defence Quiz Answers Proof Readers 24 Mediterranean Cruises by Julian Pottage with Voyages to Antiquity Tony & Jan Richards 33 Declarer Play Quiz Richard Wheen 26 Bernard Magee DVDs Hugh Williams by David Huggett 28 Clive Goff’s Stamps Office Manager 33 Bridge and Travel Tips 30 Charity Events Rachel Everett 34 Julian Pottage [email protected] Answers Your Questions 30 S R Designs Leather Gifts Events & Cruises 38 July 2014 ( 01483 489961 by Jeremy Dhondy 31 Better Hand Evaluation Rosie Baker £169 Full Board [email protected] 39 Declarer Play Answers 37 Bridge Events at by David Huggett The Olde Barn Hotel No Single Jessica Galt Supplement [email protected] 40 An Accusation 39 Mr Bridge Megan Riccio by Richard Wheen Playing Cards [email protected] 42 The Diaries of 41 Bridge Events at Sophie Pierrepont Wendy Wensum Blunsdon House Hotel [email protected] 43 Catching Up 44 Mr Bridge Clubs & Charities by Sally Brock Just Duplicate Bridge Maggie Axtell [email protected] 45 Seven Days 48 Denham Grove by Sally Brock Filming Weekend 2015 Address Changes ( 01483 485342 Elizabeth Bryan All correspondence should be addressed to Mr Bridge. Please make sure that all letters and e-mails carry full Booking Form on page 8. [email protected] postal addresses and telephone numbers.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 3 FEBRUARY VOYAGE monthly magazine, inappropriate for bridge hotel. It may sound BRIDGE, will rest players as they wouldn’t obvious, but all too often, increasingly on his broad want to drink too much the first we hear of any

shoulders. In addition to and spoil their game problems is when it is too visiting all the extant However, all-inclusive now late to do anything about it. writers he will be pro-active seems the norm in Tunisia. in seeking out new material See page 11 for our SUBSCRIPTIONS and fresh contributors. November and March dates and prices. I have been collecting Meanwhile, back at the subscriptions for over a ranch, I will quietly GOFFIES STAMPS year now at the special £20 continue as managing introductory rate. Readers editor. The role is largely whose subscriptions have devoid of technical bridge, expired may renew at the but I will keep you up to Now that Mrs Bridge has same special rate. speed with all my recent thankfully made a full initiatives. Including apps, recovery we feel able to MY EXPERTS SAY DVDs, interactive CDs and make some plans. hotels and ships new to us. Last month, Peter Green,

We thought of the comfort of Barnet, Herts, wrote in of Aegean Odyssey and the GET ONE FREE with details of a hand the warmth of Thailand in like of which had never February and were soon 2015 diaries are in stock before cropped-up in over and those who have taken sold on the idea. We also Following the recent rise the fifty years he has being advantage of my decided to include the in postal charges, Clive playing bridge. See the introductory subscription pre-cruise excursion to Goff’s discounted stamp diagram below: may order their 2015 diary Angkor Watt as the extra service is worth a try. Value from stock and receive one cost seems good value. This supplied in two stamps, free. This offer is in place means we can visit the combined to make up the ♠ A K x x x x x until the end of July. Jewels of Cambodia, 53p, 2nd class rate 2nd class ♥ Void Thailand and Vietnam, Standard diaries are £6.95. to you at 44p. 1st class 62p, ♦ K Q x x x x before sailing down the They come in navy, red, still only 50p to you. ♣ Void Malaysian Peninsula to green or maroon. The Available in lots of 100. Singapore. luxury version with soft ( 0208 422 4906. kidrell cover and ballpoint He said he’d like to know Make a provisional booking what I would have done. and I will hold a cabin for pen is available in either CROATIA seven days while you look ruby red or navy blue. I said I’d ask Julian Pottage, Our first visit to Croatia into insurance, kennels, £14.95. Those who have Bernard Magee and Sally was a great success and we cattery and other personal ordered will find their Brock for their suggestions are confidently preparing to matters. I suggest you do free diary included with and promised to publish offer a fortnight at the same this as previously many of their own. their replies in the July venue at more or less the you have been really issue. Here’s what they same price in 2015. Indeed, disappointed. There is QPLUS HANDS have to say. Bernard Magee’s report to an advertisement on the Last month all the strange my office made very good Julian Pottage playing inside front cover. and wonderful hands that I reading, so much so that I strong two’s (he can just ( 01483 489961. have drawn to reader’s was planning to print it on about remember what they ♠ attention in the last 3 years the facing page but was are) would open 2 . MODERN MAN were listed. If you missed dissuaded from so doing as Otherwise, he would open 1♠. The chance that the New computers, new this, send me an email and it seemed really OTT. bidding would go 1♠-pass operating software, new I will forward you the list. However, I would be only is extremely remote. Sally telephone system, new [email protected] too pleased to send a copy Brock says that Peter database management either by email or post. seemed to manage the hand software, new postage TUNISIA ALL IN Just ask. perfectly without any help machine. A lot of NEWS. From this coming from her. She thinks he did REPEAT To help me cope with all November, our policy is to just the right thing. The this, I have appointed have bed, board, beverages When you go on holiday, best way to get partner to Bernard Magee as Associate and bridge combined in an do try to resolve any volunteer support for your Editor with immediate all-inclusive package. I had difficulties at the time suit is to make a simple effect. The future of my thought this would be either with the airline or one-level opening. Then,

Page 4 BRIDGE July 2014 when he does support, urge you to make your WHAT LUCK bidding a slam is perfect. booking and keep yourself Well done. The only foolish warmly comforted in the person was his right-hand coming winter months BRIDGE opponent. Did she think with the prospect. See you didn’t know you had centre fold for dates and Make sure you those two aces missing? itineraries. don’t miss your Bernard Magee said 1♠. favourite monthly STOCK I have a quantity of the first articles by taking CLEARANCE JUNIOR TEACH-IN set of Bernard Magee’ out an annual DVDs without cellophane 22-24 August 2014 at The remainder of the May subscription. wrappers and/or boxes. Loughborough University clearance is listed on the back of the carrier sheet. If run by English Bridge There are still some to clear l Acol Bidding Quiz Education and you have binned yours, do at £30 including delivery, & Answers Development. All levels ask what is left. reduced from £100. The set Bernard Magee will be catered for – from of six is guaranteed. l Ask Julian Pottage absolute beginners to junior USED STAMPS Order by phone or by post or online at l Julian’s FAQs experts. Come and enjoy a I am still saving my used www.mrbridge.co.uk/shop/ packed weekend of bridge stamps in support of ‘Little l Misleading Cases coaching, play and social Voice’ and I hope you are as reported by our activities for all young too. With Bernard RETHINK court correspondent people under the age of 21. travelling around the l Ask David Only £140 per student country, I will use him as a Stevenson inclusive of all meals, collector. More details of two nights en suite l David’s SPECIAL this next month or send OFFER accommodation and all the FAQs them to: Mr M Finebaum, PRICE bridge tuition and play. 8 Mountford House, l Mary’s For more information or to Crescent Road, Enfield. First Lesson book please call Lisa on EN2 7BL. l Helpful ( 01296 317217, email: Conventions [email protected] info at The clearance of the first FRESH DATA and Related Quiz http://www.ebu.co.uk/ series of DVDs has made me rethink the packaging youth.Junior-Teach-In Do keep sending in names l Defence Quiz and as you know I have and addresses of those who been selling off the second l Tales from might like to see a printed LOOKING AHEAD series, all in sealed boxes, at Sherwood Forest copy of BRIDGE. After all £48 per box inclusive of by David Bird they don’t know what they postage and packing. I am l Things You are missing. If they include now going to clear all the Should Know... an email address, I will, let second series DVDs at £38 them know as soon as I l Catching up a set (of six), inclusive of have put it up on our postage and packing until l Seven Days website. Telephone or use they are sold out. l Jeremy Dhondy the form on page 7. WHILE I’M AT IT l Sally Brock Tip VOYAGER l Travel Tip To be completely consistent, I have heard talk of the I am clearing out the entire l Readers Letters Bernard Magee will be possibility of a very good remaining stock of series 3 hosting bridge on board deal for the Black Sea cruise at £54 per set. Singles are Special three quite different on Voyager in October, but not on offer. Strictly subject Mediterranean cruises next at the time of going to press Introductory to availability but they must year on lovely Aegean I have no details. Anyone Subscription: be cleared to make room Odyssey. The supplement interested ring Maggie for the new production run. £20 for twelve for single occupancy of a ( 01483 489961 and she cabin has been kept to an will give you the up-to date What luck indeed, monthly issues. everyone’s a winner. absolute minimum and if news and prices. The offer, See mail order you are one of the growing when it comes, really looks numbers who want a cabin attractive but I can’t say All good wishes, form on page 7. to themselves, I strongly more at this stage. Mr Bridge

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 5 Answers to Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quizzes 1-3 on the Cover

no ruffing potential and very little chance 2♦. Your natural rebid would be in 1. Dealer West. Love All. to establish a suit. I like to take a full point diamonds, to show five hearts and four ♠ J 8 6 4 3 ♠ 7 5 off with this shape: perhaps if there are diamonds. When starting out in bridge, ♥ A N ♥ K Q 9 8 5 mitigating factors (tens and nines or use- we divide our rebids between strong W E ♦ Q 7 6 4 3 ♦ A 8 ful cards in partner’s suit), you could still and weak opening hands: rebidding 2♦ S ♣ K 2 ♣ J 5 4 3 treat it as worth 10 points, but with no with 12-15 points and rebidding 3♦ with such factors here, you should change the 16-19. However, as you move on in the evaluation of your hand to 9 points and game, you will have noticed that a jump West North East South therefore you should respond 1NT. rebid at the 3-level takes the auction very ? If you respond 2♣ or 2NT, you will take high and more importantly, it is a forcing the auction too high: the hands have bid, which means you do need to be very Pass. What are the requirements for an 25 HCP between them, but game is not strong. Your partner might have just 6 opening bid? within reach because of the lack of shape HCP, so to make a rebid at the 3-level, Usually 12 HCP or 13 points including and potential in your hand. you would need at least 19 total points: length. Some players use the rule of 20: enough to make game likely. You are not this rule requires you to add the number strong enough for 3♦ with this hand, but of cards in your two longest suits to your 3. Dealer West. N/S Game. you do have one other option: 1NT. point count. If the total comes to 20 or ♠ K 2 ♠ A 9 8 6 If you had cover in clubs and more, then you have the potential for ♥ A K 4 3 2 N ♥ 7 6 diamonds, then 1NT is a reasonable lie – W E an opening bid. The key here is that you ♦ A Q J 6 ♦ K 8 4 2 showing your strength (15-17) and being S have the ‘potential’, not that you should ♣ 6 4 ♣ 7 5 2 semi-balanced. However, with your weak open the bidding. Very often, the key to clubs, 2♦ is a better bid, knowing that good light opening bids are strong suits. only very rarely will your partner pass. Hands like this one will always work West North East South East may well pass 2♦ on this hand, out well if you find a fit, but if you do 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass but you will be pleased to be in the best not have a fit your hand is going to be a ? partscore with game beyond reach. ■ long way short of an opening hand: you are unlikely to be able to use your two long suits to establish tricks because of their weakness, leaving you with only two useful cards. Elstead Hotel If ever you are borderline for an Bournemouth BH1 3QP opening bid, consider the strength of your long suits. Here, if you open, the 10-12 October £199 auction would start 1♠-2♥-2♠-? You are Just Duplicate too high already. Jo Walch 31 October – 2 November £199 Just Duplicate 2. Dealer East. Love All. Val Passmore ♠ A 6 5 ♠ K 8 7 2 ♥ 9 5 2 N ♥ A Q 8 4 14-16 November £199 W E ♦ A 4 3 ♦ K Q 7 5 Just Duplicate S ♣ Q 8 3 2 ♣ J Mary Stebbing 21-23 November £245 Doubles West North East South Bernard Magee 1♥ Pass ? Full Board – No Single Supplement

1NT. You have 10 HCP, but your 4-3-3- Booking Form on page 8. 3 shape is the most undesirable – it offers

Page 6 BRIDGE July 2014 ✄ ✄ Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER If you have not contacted us recently, PLAY SOFTWARE TUTORIAL DVDs NOVELTIES please enter your QPlus 11 £92.00 ...... 2011 Series – £25 each Mr Bridge details in the box Torch Pen (boxed) £5.00 ...... QPlus Trade-in £50.00 ...... Ruffing for Extra Tricks ...... below to re-register: Mr Bridge Pound for Life QPlus 10 (S/Hand) £50.00 ...... Competitive Auctions ...... Keyring £5.00 ...... Bridge Baron 24 £69.00 ...... Making the Most of High Cards ...... Mr Bridge Tie £15.00 ...... Name (Mr, Mrs, Miss) Bridge Baron Trade-in for 24 £35.00 ...... Identifying & BOOKS ...... Bidding Slams ...... Duplicate Bridge Rules TUTORIAL SOFTWARE Play & Defence of Simplified £5.95 ...... Address ...... Begin Bridge/Acol £66.00 ...... 1NT Contracts ...... Better Hand Evaluation ...... Acol Bidding £66.00 ...... Doubling & Defence Bernard Magee £14.00 ...... to Doubled Contracts ...... Advanced Tips for Better Bridge ...... Acol Bidding £96.00 ...... All 6 DVDs Bernard Magee £14.00 ...... as a boxed set £100.00 ...... Postcode ...... Declarer Play £76.00 Robin Hood’s Bridge Memoirs David Bird £12.00 ...... Advanced 2012 Series – £25 each Telephone ...... Declarer Play £81.00 Leads ...... Bridge Adventures of Robin Hood – David Bird £12.00 ...... E-mail ...... Defence £76.00 ...... Losing Trick Count ...... Five-Card Majors with Making a Plan as Declarer ...... MR BRIDGE DIARIES Strong No-Trump £89.00 ...... Please send a sample Responding to 1NT ...... for 2015 (now in stock) Better Bridge 2011 copy of BRIDGE to the Signals & Discards ...... Red .... Green .... £6.95 ...... with following enthusiasts: Bernard Magee £69.00 ...... Endplays ...... Navy .... Maroon .... £6.95 ...... Bundleware Offer All 6 DVDs Club Prices 10 for £35 ...... Any two CDs £140.00 ...... as a boxed set £100.00 ...... Luxury Kidrell Covers & pen: Name (Mr, Mrs, Miss) Ruby Red £14.95 ...... TEA TOWELS 2013 Series – £25 each ...... Bottle Green £14.95 ...... Life’s a Game, but Hand Evaluation ...... Club Prices 10 for £90 ...... Address ...... Bridge is Serious £7.00 ...... Pre-Empting ...... The Pot Boiler. A Double Splinter & Cue-Bids ...... SUBS ...... Dummy Problem £7.00 ...... Introductory Rates) Avoidance ...... ( ...... 10 Commandments for 12 Months £20.00 ...... Bridge Players £7.00 ...... Pairs Play & Defence ...... 24 Months £35.00 ...... Postcode ...... 10 Commandments for Thinking Defence ...... 36 Months £50.00 ...... Duplicate Players £7.00 ...... All 6 DVDs Telephone ...... £100.00 25 Road Traffic Signs for as a boxed set ...... 12 Months Overseas: E-mail ...... Bridge Players £7.00 ...... PICK ‘N’ MIX Europe £50.00 ...... We Are Survivors £7.00 ...... Any 6 DVDs £105.00 ...... Outside Europe £95.00 ......

Name (Mr, Mrs, Miss) Prices are inclusive of VAT and postage to UK mainland...... I enclose a cheque for £...... Address ...... Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... Address...... Postcode ......

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Please complete all or Expiry: ...... CVV ...... Issue No...... (CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip) part of this form and return to: Mr Bridge, Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH Ryden Grange, Knaphill, ( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Surrey, GU21 2TH. ✄ ✄

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 7 ✄ BRIDGE BRIDGE EVENTS with Bernard Magee BREAKS 28-30 Blunsdon House £245 Distributional Hands ♦ Full-board ♦ Two seminars* ♦ All rooms with ♦ Two supervised JANUARY 2015 en-suite facilities play sessions* ♦ No single supplement ♦ Four bridge sessions** 23-25 Blunsdon House £245 Competitive NEW Please book ..... places for me at £...... per person, Bidding

Single .... Double .... Twin .... Chatsworth Hotel Worthing BN11 3DU Name of Hotel/Centre...... SEPTEMBER Date(s) ...... 26-28 Holiday Inn Mr/Mrs/Miss ...... £245 Doubles

Address...... OCTOBER

...... Elstead Hotel 3-5 Chatsworth Hotel Bournemouth BH1 3QP £245 Game Tries Postcode ...... 30-1/2 Holiday Inn ( ...... £245 Finding Slams

Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, FEBRUARY 2015 but we will do our best to oblige). 20-22 Inn on the Prom ...... £245 Better Leads and Switches Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking. APRIL 2015 ...... Holiday Inn Newport, S Wales NP18 2YG 17-19 Olde Barn Hotel Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by £245 Better Finessing cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will be sent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment, 10-12 Olde Barn Hotel 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent £245 Endplay 24-26 Queensferry Hotel together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. Should you & Avoidance £245 Declarer Play require insurance, you should contact your own insurance broker. NOVEMber

7-9 Chatsworth Hotel £245 Hand Evaluation

14-16 Blunsdon House Expiry: ...... CVV...... Issue No...... £245 Further into (CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip) the Auction Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. 21-23 Elstead Hotel The Olde Barn Hotel ( 01483 489961 £245 Doubles Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT e-mail: [email protected] website: www.holidaybridge.com Full Board. No Single Supplement. *on tutorial weekends only. **6 sessions on rubber/Chicago & Just Duplicate events. Please note: Just Duplicate events contain no seminars and do not award prizes. See Adjacent Booking Form. ✄

Page 8 BRIDGE July 2014 Answers to Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quizzes 4-6 on the Cover

often, you will simply pass. 4. Dealer East. Love All. Secondly, your partner can ♠ A 8 7 3 2 ♠ 4 be quite a bit weaker than an ♥ 5 4 N ♥ A K 7 6 3 opening hand, which means W E ♦ 4 3 S ♦ A K 7 2 your no-trump responses ♣ Q 7 6 5 ♣ 9 4 3 should be quite a bit stronger. A 1NT response shows about 9-12 points, fewer than three West North East South spades and a club stop, which 1♥ Pass describes your hand beauti- 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass fully. ? Overcalls come up fre- quently, so knowing how to 2♥. Your partner has shown respond accurately is very im- two suits and you have a very portant. weak hand. With a weak hand, you have three options: pass, give preference to part- 6. Dealer West. Love All. ner’s first suit, or rebid your ♠ A 2 ♠ 5 3 own suit. You should rebid ♥ 7 4 N ♥ A 8 6 2 W E your own suit only if you are ♦ 7 6 4 S ♦ A K 9 8 2 pretty sure that it will make ♣ A K 8 7 6 4 ♣ Q 2 the best partscore: this means you should have at least a six- card spade suit because your West North East South partner will pass with a single- 1♣ 1♠ 2♦ Pass ton. Here, as you can see, 2♠ ? would not be great. Instead, you choose one of your part- 3♣. Unless you have a differ- ner’s suits, giving preference ent agreement with your part- to his first bid suit: 2♥. ner, his 2♦ response is natural and forcing, so you must not pass. You have a minimum 5. Dealer North. N/S Game. opening hand: your six-card ♠ 5 4 ♠ K Q J 10 3 suit certainly making it worth ♥ A K 6 3 N ♥ 5 2 opening: simply rebid your W E ♦ 7 6 2 S ♦ A 9 5 3 suit and await developments. ♣ A 10 5 4 ♣ 8 7 Here, your partner’s next bid would be 3♠, the opponents’ suit, to ask if you had a stop- West North East South per and you would gladly say 1♣ 1♠ Pass yes by rebidding 3NT. ? If you ever decide to open light, do not try to slow down 1NT. Responding to an over- the auction later because you call is not the same as re- regret your action: above all, sponding to an opening bid. do not pass a forcing bid, just First of all, you do not have show your weakness by rebid- to respond with 6 points; very ding your long suit. ■

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 9 BERNARD MAGEE’S INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS

BEGIN BRIDGE ACOL ADVANCED DECLARER ACOL VERSION BIDDING ACOL BIDDING PLAY l Card Play Technique l Opening Bids and l Basics l Suit Establishment l Planning Card Play Responses in No-trumps l Advanced l Bidding Balanced l Slams and Strong Basics l Suit Establishment Hands Openings in Suits l Weak Twos l Bidding Suits l Support for Partner l Hold-ups l Responding to a Suit l Strong Hands l Pre-empting l Ruffing for l Supporting Partner l Defence Extra Tricks l Responding to 1NT l Overcalls to Weak Twos l Entries in l Stayman l No-trump £66 l Defence to 1NT No-trumps £76 Openings l Strong Two Opening l Doubles and Response and Responses l Delaying l Two-suited Drawing Trumps l Overcalls l Opener’s and £96 Overcalls l Doubles £66 Responder’s Rebids l Using the Lead l Defences to l Pre-empting l Minors and Misfits l Trump Control Other Systems l Defence against No l Doubles l Endplays & l Misfits and Trump Contracts Avoidance l Competitive Distributional l Defence against Suit Auctions Hands l Using the Bidding Contracts

ADVANCED DEFENCE FIVE-CARD BETTER DECLARER PLAY MAJORS & BRIDGE l Lead vs Strong No-Trump l Making Overtricks No-trump Contracts l Ruffing for in No-trumps l Opening Bids Extra Tricks l Lead vs & Responses l Making Overtricks Suit Contracts in Suit Contracts l No-Trump l Doubling and l Partner of Leader Openings Defence l Endplays vs No-trump Against Contracts l Support £89 £69 l Avoidance Doubled for Partner l Partner of Leader Contracts l Wrong £81 vs Suit Contracts l Slams Contract & Strong Openings l Play and Defence l Count l Simple of 1NT Contracts Signals l Rebids Squeezes l Attitude l Minors l Counting £76 l Finding and Signals & Misfits the Hand Bidding Slams l Discarding l Pre-empting l Trump Reductions l Making the & Coups l Defensive Plan l Doubles Most of High Cards l Playing Doubled l Stopping Declarer l Overcalls Contracts l Counting l Competitive l Competitive l Safety Plays the Hand Auctions Auctions

Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH ( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM Answers to Bernard Magee’s ALL Mr Bridge INCLUSIVE Bidding Quizzes 7-9 AT THE ROYAL KENZ on the Cover TUNISIA

are very important, or more pertinently 2014/2015 7. Dealer West. Game All. your partner’s original pass. When you ♠ A K 6 4 2 ♠ 5 know your partner is limited, the whole ♥ 7 6 N ♥ A 8 4 2 framework of your bidding changes ♦ A K 8 7 5 W E ♦ 9 4 2 slightly: particularly the emphasis on S ♣ 3 ♣ Q J 5 4 2 having to make a rebid. In a normal auction, East’s 2♥ bid is unlimited: 10 or more points, but since West North East South East has passed, you know he has 9-11 1♠ Pass 1NT 2♥ points, which means that you know game ? is beyond reach. Your partner has shown five or more Pass. You open 1♠, partner responds hearts and you have three, which means 1NT and then South interrupts rudely you have a fit and, given that game is with 2♥. You would have had a simple beyond reach, you should leave the rebid of 2♦ available, but now you are bidding where it is and pass. a little stuck. A lot of players would bid When your partner has passed as 2♠ with this hand, but don’t forget about the dealer, you do not have to keep the Two-week your partner: if your partner has three auction open in the same way as usual spades in his hand, he can bid 2♠ himself because you know he has fewer than 12 All-Inclusive and if he doesn’t, then do you really want points. Duplicate Bridge to play in spades? Holidays 3♦ takes the auction rather high opposite a partner who might have just 2-16 November 2014 £899* 6 HCP. Unfortunately, you are left with 9. Dealer West. E/W Game. little choice but to pass. However, your ♠ A K 8 5 4 ♠ 3 2 Golf available partner is still there and he might be able ♥ K Q 9 8 N ♥ J 2 Tony and Jan Richards to bid again if he has a long minor or he ♦ K 4 W E ♦ 8 7 S may prefer simply to defend 2♥, which is ♣ 3 2 ♣ K Q 9 8 7 6 5 1-15 March 2015 £935* the case here. Golf available You may well get a ruff in each hand Bernard Magee and his team and end up taking 2♥ two down for West North East South

+200 and a great score. 1♠ Pass 1NT Pass *The prices shown are per person on an all inclusive ♥ ♣ basis, sharing a twin-bedded standard room and are 2 Pass 3 Pass inclusive of bridge fees. Standard rooms all come ? with private bath, toilet and balcony. Single rooms are double rooms for sole occupancy at a supplement of £6 per night. You can add a pool view supplement for £3 per person per night or a superior garden view room 8. Dealer East. Love All. Pass. What has your partner got? with bath robe, tea/coffee making facility for £5 per ♠ ♠ person per night. These prices are based on air travel A K Q 6 5 4 2 He started by responding 1NT, but from Heathrow to Tunis. Flights from other airports ♥ 7 4 2 N ♥ A K 10 5 3 has now bid clubs: this means he did are available at a supplement. For details of what is included as part of the all inclusive package please call W E ♦ Q J 4 ♦ 7 6 2 not have enough strength to bid clubs for an information pack or view the website. Prices for S seven-night stays are available on application. ♣ 3 2 ♣ Q J 6 originally. So he has 6-8 points and long These holidays have been organised for Mr clubs: he should have at least six clubs, Bridge by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933. because he is suggesting that 3♣ will be West North East South a better contract than playing in either of Pass Pass your two suits. Your partner is not inviting DETAILS & BOOKINGS 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass you to bid again, he is asking you to trust ? him. ( 01483 489961 East is quite right. 3♣ is by far the best www.mrbridge.co.uk/abroad Pass. The first two calls of this auction contract. ■

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 11 We Are Survivors (For those born Before 1940 . . .) We were born before television, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, PLUS 11 Xerox, contact lenses, videos and the pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split Q atoms, laser beams and ballpoint pens, before dish-washers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes Really user-friendly . . . and before man walked on the moon. We got married first and then lived bridge-playing software together (how quaint can you be?). We thought ‘fast food’ was what you ate in Lent, a ‘Big Mac’ was an oversized FEATURES INCLUDE raincoat and ‘crumpet’ we had for tea. We existed before house husbands, computer dating and sheltered accommodation was l Help button - explains the features for bidding where you waited for a bus. and card play advice We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never l Displays on HD and large screens heard of FM radio, tape decks, artificial hearts, word processors, or young men l Comprehensive manual wearing earrings. For us ‘time sharing’ meant togetherness, a ‘chip’ was a piece l Minibridge option of wood or fried potato, ‘hardware’­ meant £92 nuts and bolts and ‘software’ wasn’t a l Save match function including word. UK post and packing l Before 1940 ‘Made in Japan’ meant Feed in your own deals junk, the term ‘making out’ referred to how you did in your exams, ‘stud’ was l 5,000 preplayed hands for teams something that fastened a collar to a shirt and ‘going all the way’ meant staying on l 4,000 preplayed hands for match-point pairs a double-decker bus to the terminus. In our day, cigarette smoking was ‘fashionable’, l Pre-programmed systems include Acol, ‘grass’ was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in the Standard American and many more or coalhouse, a ‘joint’ was a piece of meat you create your own system. ate on Sundays and ‘pot’ was something you cooked in. ‘Rock Music’ was a fond l Closed room – button to view other table mother’s lullaby, ‘Eldorado’ was an ice- cream, a ‘gay person’ was the life and soul of the party, while ‘aids’ just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble. We who were born before 1940 must be a QPLUS TRADE-IN OFFER hardy bunch when you think of the way in which the world has changed and the Return any QPLUS CD and booklet with a adjustments we have had to make. No cheque for £50 and receive wonderful QPLUS 11. wonder there is a generation gap today . . . BUT Order with confidence. By the grace of God . . . we have survived! System: 8mb RAM, CD-ROM, Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8 Printed in the UK on a 100% cotton tea-towel £7 from Art Screen Prints See Mail Order Form on page 7. ( 01287 654481

Page 12 BRIDGE July 2014 Answers to Clifton Bernard Magee’s Park Bidding Quizzes 10-12 Hotel on the Cover St Annes on Sea FY8 1HN

which means you have a fit. Once you 10. Dealer West. N/S Game. have found a fit in a major, there is no ♠ A 8 3 ♠ 7 2 reason to look any further. You might ♥ A 8 3 2 N ♥ K Q 7 6 consider passing, but that would give W E ♦ 4 ♦ 10 9 8 5 2 your opponents an easy opportunity to S ♣ A Q 8 7 2 ♣ K 5 compete for the deal. Spades are the most powerful suit because they win the auction at each level: by supporting to West North East South 2♠, you force North to bid to the 3-level 1♣ 1♠ Dbl Pass if he wants to try to find a fit and compete ? for the deal. Your raise to 2♠ keeps North quiet and wins the auction. Had 3♥. Natural Acol tends to include take- you passed or bid 2♦, your opponents out doubles of suit bids on the first round might well have found their heart fit, JUST DUPLICATE of bidding. Your partner’s double is for which would allow them to compete for take-out and, when only one major has the deal. 11-13 July been bid, the double should promise support for the other major. Expecting Ray Hutchinson your partner to hold four hearts, you 12. Dealer North. Love All. £199 should certainly reply in hearts, but you ♠ A 9 7 6 ♠ K Q 8 4 also have to assess at which level to bid. ♥ 4 3 N ♥ A 7 W E Your singleton should push you up: 14 ♦ A K 3 S ♦ Q 5 4 8-10 August HCP, a five-card suit and a singleton is ♣ 9 7 5 3 ♣ K Q J 2 Kay Adamson enough to jump to 3♥ (six losers). Your partner would raise to game, which £199 should make comfortably. West North East South East’s double is called a negative 2♥* 2NT Pass (or Sputnik) double: it is an important ? part of any bidder’s armoury, allowing *weak, 6-10 points and 6 hearts. you to cope with overcalls more easily. Generally, the double promises at least 3♣. North has opened 2♥, announced four cards in an unbid major. as ‘weak’, which shows 6-10 points and six hearts. Your partner overcalled 2NT, which is a natural overcall showing a 11. Dealer North. N/S Game. strong balanced hand: about 16-19 ♠ 8 6 5 ♠ A K 7 4 2 points. ♥ A 2 N ♥ 9 7 6 Generally, if your side’s first natural W E ♦ A 9 8 7 6 5 S ♦ 2 call is in no-trumps (at the one or two- ♣ 7 3 ♣ K Q 8 5 level), then you should play all of your Full Board conventions in response to it. Here, you have enough strength for No Single West North East South game, but should investigate to see if you 1♣ 1♠ Pass have a spade fit first by using Stayman, Supplement ? 3♣. When partner shows four spades, you can raise to game. 4♠ is excellent, Booking Form on page 8. 2♠. Your partner has overcalled in whilst 3NT has no chance on the obvious spades, promising a five-card suit, heart lead. ■

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 13 Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures by David Bird Robin Hood’s Charitable Mission

t was more than two months tactics in these money games to before the main harvest would be Dealer North. Love All. appear to be inexperienced players. gathered and food supplies were ♠ 5 Mind you, Nazir was overacting the Irunning low in the small villages ♥ A J 6 4 role somewhat. surrounding Nottingham. In such ♦ K 6 2 Hood won the first trick with the ♠A circumstances, Robin Hood regarded ♣ A Q 8 4 3 and drew trumps with the king and it his public duty to gather funds by ♠ K Q J 10 8 2 ♠ 9 7 6 3 queen. His spade loser could be ruffed any possible means. ♥ 8 3 N ♥ 5 in dummy. How could he give himself W E ♦ ♦ Hood and Nazir entered the Weary Q J 10 8 S 9 5 4 the best chance of setting up an extra Pilgrim, a staging post on the West side ♣ 10 ♣ K J 7 5 2 club trick to discard a diamond loser of Nottingham. They had abandoned ♠ A 4 from his hand? It would be child’s play their outlaw garb and wore the soiled ♥ K Q 10 9 7 2 if clubs broke no worse than 4-2. What clothing of typical workmen. ♦ A 7 3 if West had started with a singleton Hood spotted two well-dressed ♣ 9 6 club and East held five clubs? In that merchants, sitting at a table in the rear case, it seemed that he might need to of the establishment. ‘You looking for use his ♣9 later. a game?’ he enquired. West North East South Robin Hood led the ♣6 from his Rupert Locke surveyed the scruffy Rupert Nazir Jeb Robin hand and raised an eyebrow when the new arrivals disdainfully. ‘If you’re Locke Silver Hood ♣10 appeared from West. If that was seeking some light entertainment 1♣ Pass 1♥ part of ♣K10 or ♣J10, setting up the at penny stakes, try the Ferret and 1♠ 4♥ Pass 6♥ clubs would be straightforward. If, Trouser down the road,’ he replied. All Pass instead, it was a singleton, he must ‘My colleague and I play for a crown win with the ace to preserve the power a hundred.’ Rupert Locke was not amused to have of his ♣9. The outlaws took their seats at the a slam bid against him on the first Robin Hood reached for dummy’s table. ‘That’s no problem so far as we’re deal. These clowns presumably had no ace of clubs and returned a low club concerned,’ Hood replied. ‘As long as idea how to play the game. That didn’t towards his nine. Jeb Silver realised we win, of course!’ mean they couldn’t make a small that there was no future in playing ‘If it’s not too much trouble, we’ll slam when they happened to be dealt the ♣J. Whether or not declarer held see the colour of your money first,’ twelve or thirteen tricks on top. Still, the missing ♣9, his ♣K would be declared Jeb Silver, whose smart jacket their luck wouldn’t last all evening. caught subsequently with a lead from and breeches would have cost any If they thought they could have one dummy’s ♣Q8 for a ruffing finesse. He normal man six months’ wages. ‘We lucky rubber and flee into the night chose to play low, hoping that West don’t want to waste our time.’ with their winnings, they had another held the ♣9. Hood’s ♣9 won the trick Robin Hood produced a deerskin think coming. He led the ♠K and and the slam was made. He conceded purse and loosened the string to permit down went the dummy. a diamond trick at the end. the two men to view its contents. ‘I was going to raise to 2♥,’ observed Robin Hood turned towards Jeb Reassured by the glint of silver and Nazir. ‘When he bid spades, I added 5 Silver. ‘I thought that might happen!’ gold, they nodded their acquiescence. points for my singleton spade.’ he exclaimed. ‘It was difficult for you The game began and this was the first Robin Hood managed to keep a when the ten appeared from your deal: straight face. It was their general partner. It could so easily have been

Page 14 BRIDGE July 2014 Robin Hood continued or if West held the ♣A. Mind you, all the trumps and knock out the ♣A. I if West held four clubs to the ace, he think that comes to twelve tricks.’ would need to lead towards the clubs Jeb Silver extracted the ♦K from his three times. hand and held it a couple of inches from the 10-9.’ Robin Hood won the heart lead with from Hood’s eyes. ‘Still think you’d The two merchants could not believe the king and immediately led the ♣3. have made it?’ what they were hearing. The declarer West played low and the ♣K won the At the prevailing crown-a-100 stake, was so dim-witted, he hadn’t even trick. Hood continued with dummy’s the outlaws pocketed a substantial appreciated the position. Once he had ♠K and then overtook the ♠Q with the amount from the first rubber. decided not to finesse the ♣Q, the ♠A. After drawing West’s last trump, Robin Hood then rose to his feet. ‘A slam was cold however East defended. he led a second club towards dummy. very pleasant game, gentlemen,’ he Two or three hands later, Rupert Once again Rupert Locke played low declared. ‘First time we’ve won for Locke advanced the rubber to Game in the West seat, dummy’s queen over a month. Quit while you’re ahead All with a straightforward 3NT. The winning the trick. is my motto.’ players then picked up their cards for this deal:

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

West North East South Rupert Nazir Jeb Robin Locke Silver Hood 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 3♠ Hood returned to his hand with ‘Take your seat!’ snarled Jeb Silver. Pass 6♠ All Pass the ♥A and led a third round of ‘No gentleman would turn tail and clubs towards dummy. With a black flee into the night without giving his When playing high-stakes bridge, it expression, Rupert Locke took his ♣A opponents a chance to recoup their was the custom of Hood and Nazir to and switched to a diamond. Hood won losses.’ prune their auctions to the minimum. with dummy’s ♦A and discarded the ‘But it’s already quite late,’ replied Using the latest conventions, such ♦Q on the established ♣J. The slam Robin Hood. ‘Did I not hear the as the Duke of Richmond’s 4NT had been made. nightwatchman call nine on the clock ace-asking bid, would be a sure give- ‘By the Saints, partner!’ thundered a short while ago?’ away that they were expert players. Jeb Silver. ‘Can you not find a diamond Rupert Locke beckoned for the For as long as possible, they would lead?’ game to resume. ‘You’ve hit a run of maintain the illusion that they were ‘I think I might still make it,’ said good fortune,’ he said. ‘It would be a inexperienced clodpoles with more Robin Hood. shame to waste it.’ money than sense. ‘Oh yeah?’ exclaimed Jeb Silver. Feigning reluctance, Hood and Rupert Locke led the ♥Q against It really was too much, losing an Nazir resumed their seats. The the spade slam and down went the expensive rubber to these ill-bred winnings from the first rubber would dummy. Hood’s eyes narrowed as he dunderheads. ‘How’s that, then?’ feed a couple of villages up till harvest inspected the cards that Nazir had lain ‘Well, you see, I would play a time. In a few hours, with any luck, down. As on the previous slam hand, low diamond from dummy,’ Hood they would have cleaned these two he would need to establish a diamond explained. ‘If I’m lucky and your friend out. Now, what adventures would the discard on dummy’s club suit. That holds the ♦K, I can win the trick in my next rubber hold? ■ might be possible if clubs broke 3-3 hand with the ♦Q. Then I would draw (continued next month)

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 15 David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics Can Declarer Change a Card called from Dummy?

I was at a table The opposition have no it out, told the direc- the time he reached for the with the director right to accept the card you tor that he had made a bidding box, he meant to bid Qin opposition. I called for if the director ‘mechanical error’. East 2♥ so it cannot be changed. was declarer in 5♣. The decides it was unintended. was allowed to correct Furthermore, you do not lead was in dummy and So, in the case you give, his bid to 3♥ which was suggest that he tried to I called mistakenly for if you intended to play the announced by West as a change it before the director the ♥5 and changed it trump but called for the transfer to spades. West arrived. It is thus out of time immediately to a trump. wrong card then you may completed the transfer and cannot be changed, even No cards were touched, change it. If, however, you by bidding 3♠ and E/W if it was a mechanical error. but the director said that intended the heart to be went on to bid a game However, this is different I had to play the heart played but realised it was a contract that made. from deliberately saying it is as I had nominated the mistake, in other words you A week later, I raised a mechanical error when the lead verbally. Is this cor- changed your mind, you this incident with the player knows it is not: that rect? If so, why is it that are not allowed to change director. I said that her would be cheating. But most if declarer leads from it. From the description you ruling meant that, if in players have no idea what the wrong hand and is give, I cannot tell you which the future I made an the term means or how it corrected by the opposi- of these was the case so insufficient bid, I just applies, so when done out of tion, he can lead another I cannot tell you whether needed to say that it ignorance it is not cheating. suit from the right hand? your director ruled correctly, was a ‘mechanical error’ I find it rather confus- though his explanation and I would be allowed ♣♦♥♠ ing as I feel both are the seems dubious. Whether you to correct it: without same mistake and yet have to play it is nothing to penalty even if it was Our bridge the latter can be rectified do with whether you have meant as a conventional duplicate and the first penalised. nominated it, but depends on bid. The director said Qafternoons Name and address supplied. whether it was unintended. she had to take East’s are usually played word for it and ‘wasn’t over 22 boards, with I am somewhat ♣♦♥♠ going to call him a liar’. between 8 and 10 tables surprised that you Name and address supplied. taking part. Arrow A consider two totally Playing duplicate switching takes place different situations covered by pairs in an EBU- Whether a call always for two boards, different laws with different Qaffiliated club, is unintended or sometimes for four. penalties similar in any way. I was South and the A not is a matter of Is this correct? If The lead out of turn bidding started as below: judgement for the director. not then what rule law allows the opponents It is not a question of calling should be followed? to accept it, which can West North East South someone a liar: players I am at a loss to be to their advantage. 2NT Pass 2♥ have learnt the words understand how a When you call for a card ‘mechanical error’ and bridge session is from dummy, it must be I pointed out East’s insuf- say them for any mistake, considered to be fair played unless you have ficient bid and called the mechanical or not. It is when so few hands called for a card you did director. East, who had extremely unlikely that an are arrow switched. not intend and attempt not realised his insuf- insufficient bid of this sort Michael Beaumont to change it immediately. ficient bid until I pointed was a mechanical error: at by email.

Page 16 BRIDGE July 2014 Ask David continued the previous hand. Is unauthorised information his ♥K; I played my ♥4 this ethical? My partner to her partner. East, and my partner his ♥J. and I do not think so who had done the same At this point, the de- but would welcome thing in Canada, was clarer protested, stating It has been proved your expert opinion. under the impression that such a method of mathematically Elizabeth Glover by email. that she was not doing play was incorrect and A that it is correct to anything wrong. muttered that he should arrow-switch roughly one- To change a card G M Brown by email. call the director. My part- eighth of the boards. So if played by declarer ner, for whatever reason, you are playing four-board A is not permitted. If your RHO takes apologised; I refuted the rounds, you arrow-switch Perhaps it is time your the cards out of the apology, stating that no one round: if two-board director started reading A box because it does apology was necessary, rounds then either one or two rulings from the law book. not matter what your partner as he can play cards in rounds is acceptable. You Nevertheless, I would not calls, then the following is any order he chooses. are wrong to consider ‘so use the term unethical, which true: First, she wouldn’t have What is your opinion? few’ boards being arrow- refers to someone doing made the same bid, whatever Anthony Rogers, Southend. switched: on every board something seriously wrong your partner opened. What you play there will be some when knowing it is wrong, if your partner opened 6♠? It is a sad fact that arrow-switches, not always and generally covers only Second, she is passing one thing that bridge yourself of course, but situations concerning ethics. information to her partner A teachers often do not whoever plays the board last. illegally. Third, while she has explain fully is that bridge is A full article on the ♣♦♥♠ not called, playing this way a contest between two sides subject appeared in is very likely to upset other and there are different ways BRIDGE 132, page 39. Can declarer players, which is illegal. of playing. Some people put a card face I would have told her not come into the game thinking ♣♦♥♠ Qup on the table to do it again or I should that opponents will do what and then, before the penalise her. Note that they would do in any situation Playing East with next player has put a the same ruling applies and many players do not North declarer card down, replace it in Canada where I would try to put the opponents off. Qin 5♦, declarer with a different card? also rule against her. In fact, this is all part of the called for a small club David Salmon by email. game: a false card is legal from dummy, West ♣♦♥♠ and completely normal. followed suit, North No, once declarer Even ignoring false played the ♠10 and I puts a card on the The declarer, cards, there is the matter won the trick with ♣A. A table, it counts North, was in 4♥. of signalling: with equal North then declared as played; nobody can QHe took the first cards, you might play a high she had meant to trump change a played card. trick and then played one as a suit preference the club. Her partner the ♥A. I followed with signal, for example. called the director, who ♣♦♥♠ the ♥2, my partner, Tell your partner not to decided that as North West, (having Q-J-10) apologise for playing was declarer she could My partner, played his ♥Q. The bridge in a normal and change her card even North, was declarer then played legal fashion. though it was played. Qpondering her On the next hand, North opening bid, when her did exactly the same LHO pulled out several thing, throwing away bidding cards from her DUPLICATE BRIDGE when she could have bidding box and placed trumped. Her comment them face down on the was, ‘I don’t suppose I table. I pointed out that RULES SIMPLIFIED can change it again, can it was not her turn to (otherwise known as the Yellow Book) I?’ My point is that if it make a bid, to which she is ethical to change the replied that she would card, then every time this make the same bid, by John Rumbelow and only happens she could do so. whatever my partner did. 95 Her comment indicated The director was revised by David Stevenson £5 clearly to me that she unable to do anything thought she was lucky as the bid was face to have been allowed down, though it seemed Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 to replace the card on that East was giving

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 17 Ask David continued been no double, he must it could embarrass strong hands when holding have thought North’s the other player. length in the opponent’s suit, pass was the third and What do you think? partner being expected to therefore waited for Ron Blake, Alton, Hampshire. balance when quite light. This East had just an opening lead from used to be extremely made six tricks South, that would not 1. Dummy must not common and is certainly Qplaying in a come unless East made participate in the legal, though these days heart contract. N/S were the final pass. Was A play. Choosing a most players play a simpler sure the contract had the ruling sensible? card, whether it looks obvious style whereby they will been 2♥ doubled. E/W Alisdair McLeod by email. or not, is participating in the overcall 1NT with most were equally sure that play and is illegal. Perhaps unsuitable hands and the contract had been 2♥ The director a play looks obvious to allow their opponents to undoubled. They began cannot adjust to dummy and not declarer: do get out of trouble easily. a heated exchange, but A anything, certainly. we want dummy to coach then called the director. One just has to make a declarer? Obviously not. ♣♦♥♠ South said the director decision as to the facts. 2. As to calling the director, would be unable to rule It is nonsense to say that the worst arguments in Playing with a as there was a dispute the director cannot rule clubs always start with a new partner, my about the facts. West because the facts are in failure to call the director. QRHO opened 1NT said he would have bid dispute: it is the director’s I strongly suggest players and, after two passes my differently had South job to decide the facts. should call the director partner bid 2♣. Because doubled and wanted an The only real advice I can whenever there is or might we had not agreed on adjusted score if there give in this situation is to be a problem as otherwise Landy, I assumed this had been a double. stop the players talking to the club will become less was a natural bid and The director instructed each other, which apparently friendly and less pleasant. did not use my alert the players to stop the director did, and to card; indeed, I raised to talking to each other find as much evidence ♣♦♥♠ 3♣. My LHO asked about and to start by giving as possible. I would have the 2♣, to which I replied the agreed facts. asked them about the final Recently, that I thought it was North, when given the passes: sometimes you hear I watched natural. My partner went chance to speak, said something that solves the Qtwo Italians two down vulnerable that he had checked problem for you. I would playing bridge. Often, and then stated that 2♥ doubled was the also have asked to look they passed, non- her 2♣ was Landy. What contract at the end of at all four score cards. vulnerable, with 16+ should be the ruling? the auction period and points, balanced. They Phil Holloway, Stockport. the opponents had not ♣♦♥♠ also passed, non- said anything then. vulnerable, with 16+ You have no East and West said that 1. Can dummy points, balanced, in the agreement it is neither of them had choose the card overcalling position. A Landy, so that is registered the double. Qfor the declarer Their partner then what you should have said. The director believed when it looks obvious? bid with 5+ points. You are not required to tell he did not have enough 2. Some players do Is this bidding style opponents about agreements evidence to deem the not call the director legal in England? you do not have. Admittedly, contract was 2♥ minus because they think Alex Mathers by email. you should probably not two. After all, if East it is unpleasant and have told them it was natural: thought that there had not friendly and find You cannot play you should have said you opening passes as have no agreement. I do not A forcing or strong in see any reason to adjust. England or Wales at Level Bernard Magee’s Tips 4 or below. They might ♣♦♥♠ be legal in one or two for Better Bridge tournaments held at Level As declarer, 5, though not the Schapiro playing rubber Spring Fours, the major one. Qbridge, may 65 invaluable tips in 160 pages You can play them in the I and should I draw Camrose Trophy and trials. attention to an obvious £14 including postage and packing. However, when overcalling, revoke by a defender? Mail order form on page 7. it has always been normal Peter Wiseman, enough to pass with quite North Walsham, Norfolk.

Page 18 BRIDGE July 2014 Ask David continued doubled (making) than defending 6♦ doubled (down 100). What 2014 FESTIVE SEASON would the ruling be if If you are declarer there had been one? and a defender Jeff Stanford by email. Denham Grove Near Uxbridge, UB9 5DU A revokes you may point it out immediately, or I would need to know you may wait until later in the the E/W agreements play or at the end of the play. A to rule. A double There is an advantage in after a considerable pause waiting until it is established, shows doubt, which is which normally occurs when unauthorised information to the revoker or his partner partner. So if pass with the play to the next trick, since West hand was considered then you get penalty tricks. a logical alternative to Christmas 23-27 December Waiting to get penalty 6♣, I would rule it back Just Duplicate Bridge £495 tricks is perfectly ethical. to 5♥ doubled making. Jo Walch Some players will think Whether pass is a logi- this is a little sharp and they cal alternative is not entirely Twixmas 27-29 December would point out the revoke clear. Many people play the immediately, so as not to 2NT bid as always showing Doubles £245 take advantage. That is a a weak hand, in which case Bernard Magee matter of personal ethics: if pass is far from obvious. Be- you want to follow them, feel sides, many players play the New Year 29 Dec – 2 Jan free, but you do not have to. double as a suggestion rather Hand Evaluation £445 Note that this reply than a command, which also would be the same at suggests bidding 6♣ rather Bernard Magee duplicate bridge. than pass. Furthermore, West’s undisclosed club fit ♣♦♥♠ will reduce the defensive The Olde Barn potential of the two hands. Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT In a match I would find out how played privately, they play 2NT: how they QWest held: play double: then poll some other players, giving them the sequence, the Dealer North. N/S Vul. meanings of the calls, but ♠ 10 7 4 3 not the hesitation, and ♥ K see what they do over the ♦ 10 9 5 4 double. I would ask them ♣ 10 7 4 3 which call they would Christmas 23-27 December choose and which other Just Duplicate Bridge £495 calls they would consider. Sheila Rogers West North East South So long as a significant 1♥ 2NT1 4♥ number, say at least one Twixmas 27-29 December 5♦ 5♥ Dbl2 Pass in five, either choose or 6♣ Pass 6♦ Dbl consider pass and so long Further into the Auction £215 End as at least a couple actually Patrick Dunham 1alerted, both minors would pass, then pass is a 2after a considerable pause logical alternative: I would New Year 29 Dec – 1 Jan rule it back to 5♥ doubled Declarer Play £345 N/S won the match making. My guess is that I anyway, but would have would do so, but it could be John Ronan scored better in 5♥ quite a close decision. ■ Back to Back bookings save £50 per booking.

E-mail your questions on bridge laws to: Booking Form on page 8. [email protected] See www.mrbridge.co.uk/ukbreaks for details and itineraries.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 19 Letters from Overseas The Scottish Senior Ski Team Tries its Hand at Bridge? by John Barr

ecently I spent an enjoyable Sat- My partner and I bid to an optimistic West led the ♠4 (an obvious singleton urday skiing with three fellow 3NT and West led the queen of hearts. after I had opened ♠1 ) that went to the Scots in the local resort of Fie- Winning with the king, my partner queen, king and ace. I played three Rberbrunn. One I had met earlier in the played on clubs and, when West won rounds of trumps ending in dummy ski season after he posted a message the ace, he switched to a diamond. and led the ♠8, which ran to West on a ski blog about the Kitzbühel Alps Ducking two rounds of the suit set who trumped. With the aid of the club Ski Guide book that I had published up the ninth trick, so a lucky 3NT finesse and my trump entry to hand to recently. The other two were visiting was bid and made. The other Scottish cash the spades, I had 11 tricks and a him for a ski holiday, but had never pair defended 1NT and somehow held top score on the hand. previously met – despite living in the declarer to seven tricks. Now let’s see what happens if West same Scottish town. It then transpired Board 6 showed that a small declines to trump the spade. I would that we were all (to a greater or lesser defensive slip can be very expensive. still be in dummy and would play a extent) bridge players – so we decided club (which West should duck unless to form two scratch partnerships and I play the king, to keep me out of my try our luck at Kitzbühel Bridge Club ♠ Q 8 hand). Let’s say the club trick goes jack, the following Tuesday. ♥ A 6 4 queen, king and ace. West can draw the My partner and I played a ‘natural’ ♦ A 10 8 2 last trump and he has only minor-suit system – which meant no conventions ♣ J 10 9 2 cards to play so I can never get back at all (although I did convince him ♠ 4 ♠ K 9 6 3 to my hand to cash the four winning to play Stayman). I have seen many ♥ J 10 8 2 N ♥ 7 5 spade tricks. Winning the trump trick new partnerships losing heavily after ♦ J 6 4 3 W E ♦ K Q 9 7 early allows declarer to make 11 tricks, S agreeing to play a heap of conventions ♣ A 8 5 4 ♣ Q 7 3 but holding off limits him to just 8 that neither partner fully understood, ♠ A J 10 7 5 2 tricks. With some more good luck, my so I thought that what we might have ♥ K Q 9 3 partner and I finished second, just a gained on the swings of sophistication, ♦ 5 few match points ahead of our friends. we could have lost on the roundabouts ♣ K 6 If you are a keen skier you can of misunderstandings. download the Kitzbühel Alps Ski Hand 22 was interesting. A Guide free at www.austriaskiguide. combined 24 count for North-South, 4♠ is easier to play, but my partner com, or find the printed version on with two flat hands and a solid 8 tricks and I reached a contract of four hearts. Amazon. ■ available looked to be a boring flat board.

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

Page 20 BRIDGE July 2014 A Blast From the Past by Shireen Mohandes Par Contests

n the 30s and 40s and with Ely finance the BBL fund for international Culbertson as a driving force, par matches. Robert Sheehan, former Dealer South. E/W Game. contests were popular national correspondent for The Times and ♠ 10 3 Iand international events. In 1934, silver medallist at the Bermuda Bowl ♥ K J 6 over 90,000 players from over 70 in 1987, told me that Reese said that it ♦ K Q 10 7 4 2 countries took part in a single contest took as long to prepare a set of sixteen ♣ 9 2

– just imagine the administration par contest hands as it did to write a N W E and operational complexities of bridge book. S conducting such a tournament in that The deals are presented here as era. Significant cash prizes and grand declarer play problems, although ♠ K J 4 trophies were awarded. back then points were awarded for ♥ A 8 5 3 2 Over the years, the popularity of play, good bidding (or should we say ♦ A 6 this sort of event declined and by the good passing) and choosing the best ♣ K 7 6 mid 60s most of the regular national opening lead. and international events dropped off Although modern day bidding the calendar. The most famous recent differs considerably from the 50s – Recommended Auction (1956) par contest, thought of as ‘a revival’, especially aggressive opening bids, West North East South was in 1998, in Lille, where Michael take-out doubles, contested auctions 1♥ Rosenberg won the Jean Besse Trophy and conventions – on these two deals Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT1 and a $35,000 prize. Unlike the the recommended 1956 auction has Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT2 Culbertson era tournaments, only stood the test of time. All Pass 34 invited expert players took part and they sat at computers which had special programs that tracked the time taken and cards played (that is, they were playing against ‘three other computers’ at the table). This allowed everyone to be compared fairly and equally, without any outside influences, errors or interruptions. The two deals in this article, originally prepared by Terence Reese and Harold Franklin, are from a par contest back in June 1956. The card fees were five shillings per player, over and above the club table money. The money raised was to Jean Besse Trophy, 1998. Bart Bramley (USA) – runner-up, Michael Rosenberg (USA) – winner, Eric Rodwell (USA) – third

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 21 Par Contests continued declarer is well placed to try to develop the heart suit and enjoy it. Dealer East. E/W Game. This is a lovely simple hand that ♠ A even some very experienced players ♥ Q 6 1Playing a weak no-trump, South rebids 2NT might get wrong by playing too hastily ♦ K 9 8 3 to show 15 to 18 points. at trick two. ♣ A K 10 8 5 3 2Some players would prefer to bid 4♥ hav- The full deal is: ♠ K Q J 8 3 ♠ 7 6 4 ing found an eight-card major fit, but 3NT is ♥ 8 7 5 2 N ♥ 9 3 W E a good bid as the hearts are poor and the ♦ 6 4 S ♦ Q J 10 2 ♦A opposite partner’s suit represents an ♠ 10 3 ♣ 7 6 ♣ Q J 9 2 alternative source of tricks. ♥ K J 6 ♠ 10 9 5 2 ♦ K Q 10 7 4 2 ♥ A K J 10 4 Opening Lead: ♣5. East plays the ♣ 9 2 ♦ A 7 5 ♣Q at trick one. Plan the play. ♠ A 8 6 2 ♠ Q 9 7 5 ♣ 4 ♥ Q 10 4 N ♥ 9 7 W E Analysis: With the club trick on the ♦ 5 S ♦ J 9 8 3 opening lead, there are six top tricks. ♣ A J 8 5 3 ♣ Q 10 4 Recommended Auction (1956) A further three can be developed in ♠ K J 4 West North East South either hearts or diamonds – before ♥ A 8 5 3 2 Pass 1♥ the opponents can get their hands on ♦ A 6 Pass 2♣1 Pass 2♥ enough defensive tricks in the black ♣ K 7 6 Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT suits to defeat the contract. Pass 4♥2 Pass 5♦3 Which red suit should you try to Pass 6♥ All Pass develop first? And which card should The key trick is in red. you play at trick 2? Reese and Franklin awarded points 1It was not commonplace then, nor is it now, The diamond suit presents the better in this manner: N/S get 4 points for to jump shift on a two-suited hand. The chance of developing three extra reaching 3NT and just 3 for 4♥. They more room for constructive and informative tricks. Any time the suit divides three- have available 4 points for making bidding, the better. two, or four-one with a singleton jack, the contract (so, they can earn at best 2This very delayed heart support doesn’t you are home. The heart suit needs 8 points). E/W can earn 1 point for mean, ‘I give up, let’s play here.’ It shows a a three-two break with the queen passing and a further one point for strong hand and partner is invited to con- onside, which is less likely. leading a club (at best 2 points). tinue to explore slam with good hearts and To combine both possibilities, controls (a sort of delayed, delayed test the diamonds first, then fall game raise). back on the hearts. But some What is a par contest? 3This is an excellent bid. Responder careful planning is needed. If the A par contest is a competition where, instead can infer that partner doesn’t have a diamonds misbehave, declarer of scoring matchpoints against the field, the spade control and yet is willing to risk needs to take a first round heart competitors are awarded pre-determined points the 5 level. So he must have the ♦A finesse, otherwise the South for taking the best action. The points can be (rather than, say, shortage). hand won’t have a convenient for bidding, opening lead, play or defence. entry to run the hearts. So the Sometimes the board comes with instructions, Contract: 6♥. key point is that, if the diamonds prescribing the auction and a full instruction on Opening Lead: ♠K. misbehave, declarer needs to the opening lead and maybe the first few tricks. have one entry in the South hand Analysis: There are ten top to finesse the jack of hearts and How does it differ from a tricks. By far the best way to find one entry to enjoy the long heart simultaneous duplicate event? another two tricks is to establish suit. In the modern day sims as they are sometimes the club suit. The impulsive player The only way to achieve this is called, the matchpointing is done by computer, may win, draw trumps and then to start with the ♦6 at trick two. across the whole field. With the use of rely on establishing the clubs with After playing the ♦6 to the ♦K computers and the internet, it is possible to just one ruff (that is, a 3-3 break, and then a diamond back to the achieve an overall winner fairly quickly. The or Q-J doubleton in clubs). ace, declarer will know enough players are free to choose their own bids and But is there a good line when about diamonds behaving or card play, just as in normal duplicates. neither the clubs nor the hearts misbehaving. If they behave, are friendly? Yes, try to establish then the correct play would be just two extra club tricks. to cash the nine winners (and if the The second deal was considered a The key play is to play ♣A, ♣K and ♥Q happens to drop, then there’s an bit harder – the most points N/S could a small club, discarding spades. What overtrick in the bag). earn were 5 for reaching 6♥, and 5 for can the opponents do now? You can But if the diamonds misbehave, then making the slam. win and arrange to ruff the fourth

Page 22 BRIDGE July 2014 Par Contests continued 1956 was when … l Sir Anthony Eden was DEFENCE Prime Minister (but round of clubs high, draw not in good health; trumps (not caring that they and apparently he QUIZ divide four-two) and then was prescribed ‘purple travel to dummy using a hearts’ which are a by Julian Pottage diamond to the ♦K. The two powerful combination (Answers on page 32) remaining clubs are win- of amphetamines ners. Slam made. This ‘duck and barbiturates) ou are East in the defensive positions below at match- the third round of clubs’ is point pairs. It is your turn to play. Both sides are using l British spies Guy an unusual safety play and YAcol with a 12-14 1NT and 2♣ Stayman. easy to overlook. Burgess and Donald Did you notice what Maclean resurfaced happens if you ruff the in the Soviet Union third club high instead of after being missing 1. ♠ K J 9 2 3. ♠ K Q 10 2 ♥ ♥ discarding? You can’t ruff for 5 years. K 6 4 K Q 9 6 ♦ ♦ the fourth round (because A Q 10 5 4 Q 8 5 l Elvis Presley entered ♣ 5 ♣ Q 5 the trumps don’t break) and the USA music charts ♠ 10 6 ♠ 8 6 if you choose to discard on N for the first time, with ♥ A J 7 2 N ♥ 7 3 2 W E W E the fourth round, then West ♦ ♦ Heartbreak Hotel. S 7 6 3 S K J 7 4 3 will discard his last diamond ♣ A 9 8 4 ♣ A 8 4 (the four) and East will give l The film Marty won him a diamond ruff. the Oscar for best This is the position after motion picture. West North East South West North East South winning the lead and play- 1♦ Pass 1♠ 1NT l Heavyweight boxing ing ♣A, ♣K and another Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ champion Rocky club, ruffing high in hand. All Pass Pass 4♥ All Pass Then back to dummy’s ♥Q. Marciano retired without losing Partner leads the ♣J and Partner leads the ♣3; a professional you win with the ♣A. dummy plays low and you ♠ — boxing match. What do you return? win with the ♣A. What do ♥ 6 you return? l Television broadcasting ♦ K 9 8 3 commenced in ♣ 10 8 5 Australia. ♠ Q J 8 3 ♠ 7 6 ♥ 8 7 5 N ♥ 9 l Cecil B. DeMille’s W E ♦ 4 S ♦ Q J 10 2 epic film The Ten ­ ♣ — ♣ Q Commandments, 2. ♠ Q J 9 2 4. ♠ A K 9 3 ♠ 10 9 starring Charlton ♥ Q J 9 6 ♥ A Q J 10 2 ♦ ♦ ♥ A K J Heston as Moses, was A 10 5 10 5 ♣ K 10 ♣ 9 2 ♦ A 7 5 released in the USA. ♠ 8 6 ♠ 10 8 4 ♣ — N N l Israel invaded the Sinai ♥ 10 7 2 ♥ 8 7 3 W E W E Peninsula and pushed S ♦ K J 7 3 S ♦ A 9 7 3 Egyptian forces back ♣ A 8 5 4 ♣ A 8 5 Curiously, declarer can get toward the Suez Canal. home by ruffing the third club low. If West overruffs, l Soviet troops invaded West North East South West North East South you have enough trumps Hungary to crush a 1NT 1♥ Pass 1♠ to ruff the clubs good. revolt that started Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ If he refuses to overruff, on October 23. Pass 4♠ All Pass All Pass throwing a diamond, you Thousands were killed, play ♦A and a diamond more were wounded Partner leads the ♣2; you Partner leads the ♣Q. towards dummy’s king. and nearly a quarter take the ♣10 with the ♣A. What is your plan? He can’t afford to ruff that of a million left the What do you return? and beat air, so he has to let country. ■ you win ♦K. Now you can crossruff twelve tricks.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 23 1797 MR BRIDGE dps ad FINAL_Layout 1 11/06/2014 17:37 Page 1 AEGEAN ODYSSEY BRIDGE CRUISES SUMMER 2015 Venice France Italy Croatia Marseilles Villefranche Ravenna Split Port-la-Nouvelle Korcula Dubrovnik Kotor Bay Istanbul Barcelona Adriatic Montenegro Sea Thessalonica Corfu S PA I N Greece Volos turkey Cartagena Preveza Athens Seville Mediterranean Sea Ithaca Hydra Katakolon Patmos Cadiz Monemvasia Pylos Gythion Tangier Malaga Join Bernard Magee Morocco as he sails on three fascinating bridge cruises next Summer BOOK NOW FOR

Join Bernard and explore the history of the ancient world while enjoying SPECIAL FARES a daily duplicate and the benefits of small- JUNE 4, 2015 JULY 7, 2015 AUGUST 6, 2015 ship cruising, personal service and intimate “OH LOVELY SPAIN! “GOD CREATED THE “I HAVE SAILED THE SEAS REMEMBER THAT AEGEAN ODYSSEY PAST PASSENGERS surroundings of Aegean Odyssey. Classically RENOWNED, ROMANTIC LAND” KORNATI ISLANDS” TO BYZANTIUM” ALSO RECEIVE A FURTHER DISCOUNT AS SHOWN elegant, the ship provides gracious public EXCELLENT VALUE – ALL FARES INCLUDE: rooms, a choice of two restaurants with open-seating dining and generously-sized • SCHEDULED ECONOMY CLASS FLIGHTS WITH FREE cabins. Accommodating around 350 guests, REGIONAL CONNECTIONS FROM SELECTED UK AIRPORTS the ship can sail to destinations larger ships • COMPLETE MR BRIDGE PROGRAMME cannot reach. With a relaxed atmosphere EXPERT ANTIQUITIES SPEAKERS ON BOARD on board, she offers every comfort at sea • and the very best in small-ship cruising. • DAILY DUPLICATE BRIDGE With all that is included Mr Bridge special • SIGHTSEEING EXCURSIONS AT MOST PORTS OF CALL Venice to Seville – 12 days from £2,195*pp Venice to Athens – 10 days from £1,895*pp Istanbul to Venice – 12 days from £2,095*pp fares represent remarkable value for money. • EXPERT EXCURSION GUIDES PLUS QUIETVOX DEVICES Riviera resorts, medieval towns and the historic, Follow the trade routes of the Venetian Empire. Join this voyage to the extraordinay landscapes of Moorish cities of Spain and Morocco. The grand From the beautiful Dalmatian coast and serene Meteora and its “churches in the sky”. Visit the • OPEN-SEATING DINING WITH CHOICE OF finale is a cruise inland along the Guadalquivir splendour of Kotor Bay to the classical sites ancient sites of Athens and Sparta and see the TWO RESTAURANTS dazzling mosaics of Byzantine Ravenna and Venice. River to moor in the heart of Seville. of ancient Greece. • MR BRIDGE WELCOME AND FAREWELL DRINKS PARTIES DATE PORT DATE PORT DATE PORT JUN 4 Fly to NICE France JUL 7 Fly to VENICE Italy AUG 6 Fly to ISTANBUL Turkey • COMPLIMENTARY WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD Transfer to Aegean Odyssey in Villefranche overnight Transfer to Aegean Odyssey Transfer to Aegean Odyssey (SOFT DRINKS OR BEER IF PREFERRED) JUN 5 VILLEFRANCHE (Nice) France overnight JUL 8 Cruising past Kornati Islands AUG 7 Cruising the Dardenelles and GRATUITIES FOR ON-BOARD CABIN AND RESTAURANT STAFF JUN 6 VILLEFRANCHE France SPLIT Croatia past Mount Athos • Cruising the French Riviera JUL 9 KORCULA Croatia AUG 8 THESSALONICA Greece • OVERSEAS TRANSFERS AND BAGGAGE HANDLING MARSEILLES France overnight Cruising past Hvar and Brac AUG 9 VOLOS (Meteora) Greece DUBROVNIK Croatia overnight JUN 7 MARSEILLES (Avignon) France AUG 10 PATMOS Greek Islands † JUN 8 PORT-LA-NOUVELLE (Carcassonne) France JUL 10 DUBROVNIK Croatia KOTOR BAY Montenegro cruising AUG 11 ATHENS Greece SINGLE SUPPLEMENT JUST 10% ADD A HOTEL STAY JUN 9 BARCELONA Spain JUL 11 CORFU Greek Islands AUG 12 GYTHION (Sparta & Mystra) Greece Enhance your holiday with extra time before JUN 10 At Sea or after your cruise. JUL 12 PREVEZA (Arta) Greece AUG 13 PREVEZA (Arta) Greece JUN 11 CARTAGENA Spain Cruising throught the Ionian Islands AUG 14 CORFU Greek Islands ITHACA Greek Islands On our June 4 sailing you can add a 2-night JUN 12 MALAGA (Granada) Spain AUG 15 DUBROVNIK Croatia CALL ON JUL 13 KATAKOLON (Olympia) Greece hotel stay in Seville after your cruise. JUN 13 TANGIER Morocco AUG 16 RAVENNA Italy PYLOS Greece overnight 01483 489 961 JUN 14 CADIZ (Jerez) Spain AUG 17 VENICE Italy On July 7, you can add 2 nights in Venice before JUL 14 PYLOS (Venetian Castles) Greece RIVER CRUISING on Guadalquivir River to Disembark and transfer to Venice Airport www.mrbridge.co.uk your cruise and/or 2 nights in Athens after. SEVILLE Spain overnight JUL 15 MONEMVASIA Greece for flight home JUN 15 SEVILLE Spain HYDRA Greek Islands Our August 6 departure gives you the option Disembark Aegean Odyssey and transfer to Inside Outside Balcony JUL 16 PIRAEUS Greece from from from of a 2-night stay in Istanbul before you sail, Seville Airport for flight home Disembark and transfer to Athens Airport and/or 2 nights in glorious Venice to finish your for flight home MR BRIDGE FARES* £2,095 £2,550 £3,850 Inside Outside Balcony from from from cruise in style. Inside Outside Balcony ODYSSEY CLUB MEMBERS from from from Please call for more information and prices. MR BRIDGE FARES* £2,195 £2,675 £3,775 SAVE AN EXTRA 10% OFF these fares MR BRIDGE FARES* £1,895 £2,275 £3,450 ODYSSEY CLUB MEMBERS *Prices are per person, double occupancy in double cabins, single occupancy in single SAVE AN EXTRA 5% OFF these fares ODYSSEY CLUB MEMBERS cabins and include MR BRIDGE SPECIAL SAVINGS. †The number of cabins with 10% single SAVE AN EXTRA 10% OFF these fares supplement is strictly limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

CABINS CAN BE HELD AT NO OBLIGATION FOR 7 DAYS 1797 MR BRIDGE dps ad FINAL_Layout 1 11/06/2014 17:37 Page 1 AEGEAN ODYSSEY BRIDGE CRUISES SUMMER 2015 Venice France Italy Croatia Marseilles Villefranche Ravenna Split Port-la-Nouvelle Korcula Dubrovnik Kotor Bay Istanbul Barcelona Adriatic Montenegro Sea Thessalonica Corfu S PA I N Greece Volos turkey Cartagena Preveza Athens Seville Mediterranean Sea Ithaca Hydra Katakolon Patmos Cadiz Monemvasia Pylos Gythion Tangier Malaga Join Bernard Magee Morocco as he sails on three fascinating bridge cruises next Summer BOOK NOW FOR

Join Bernard and explore the history of the ancient world while enjoying SPECIAL FARES a daily duplicate and the benefits of small- JUNE 4, 2015 JULY 7, 2015 AUGUST 6, 2015 ship cruising, personal service and intimate “OH LOVELY SPAIN! “GOD CREATED THE “I HAVE SAILED THE SEAS REMEMBER THAT AEGEAN ODYSSEY PAST PASSENGERS surroundings of Aegean Odyssey. Classically RENOWNED, ROMANTIC LAND” KORNATI ISLANDS” TO BYZANTIUM” ALSO RECEIVE A FURTHER DISCOUNT AS SHOWN elegant, the ship provides gracious public EXCELLENT VALUE – ALL FARES INCLUDE: rooms, a choice of two restaurants with open-seating dining and generously-sized • SCHEDULED ECONOMY CLASS FLIGHTS WITH FREE cabins. Accommodating around 350 guests, REGIONAL CONNECTIONS FROM SELECTED UK AIRPORTS the ship can sail to destinations larger ships • COMPLETE MR BRIDGE PROGRAMME cannot reach. With a relaxed atmosphere EXPERT ANTIQUITIES SPEAKERS ON BOARD on board, she offers every comfort at sea • and the very best in small-ship cruising. • DAILY DUPLICATE BRIDGE With all that is included Mr Bridge special • SIGHTSEEING EXCURSIONS AT MOST PORTS OF CALL Venice to Seville – 12 days from £2,195*pp Venice to Athens – 10 days from £1,895*pp Istanbul to Venice – 12 days from £2,095*pp fares represent remarkable value for money. • EXPERT EXCURSION GUIDES PLUS QUIETVOX DEVICES Riviera resorts, medieval towns and the historic, Follow the trade routes of the Venetian Empire. Join this voyage to the extraordinay landscapes of Moorish cities of Spain and Morocco. The grand From the beautiful Dalmatian coast and serene Meteora and its “churches in the sky”. Visit the • OPEN-SEATING DINING WITH CHOICE OF finale is a cruise inland along the Guadalquivir splendour of Kotor Bay to the classical sites ancient sites of Athens and Sparta and see the TWO RESTAURANTS dazzling mosaics of Byzantine Ravenna and Venice. River to moor in the heart of Seville. of ancient Greece. • MR BRIDGE WELCOME AND FAREWELL DRINKS PARTIES DATE PORT DATE PORT DATE PORT JUN 4 Fly to NICE France JUL 7 Fly to VENICE Italy AUG 6 Fly to ISTANBUL Turkey • COMPLIMENTARY WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD Transfer to Aegean Odyssey in Villefranche overnight Transfer to Aegean Odyssey Transfer to Aegean Odyssey (SOFT DRINKS OR BEER IF PREFERRED) JUN 5 VILLEFRANCHE (Nice) France overnight JUL 8 Cruising past Kornati Islands AUG 7 Cruising the Dardenelles and GRATUITIES FOR ON-BOARD CABIN AND RESTAURANT STAFF JUN 6 VILLEFRANCHE France SPLIT Croatia past Mount Athos • Cruising the French Riviera JUL 9 KORCULA Croatia AUG 8 THESSALONICA Greece • OVERSEAS TRANSFERS AND BAGGAGE HANDLING MARSEILLES France overnight Cruising past Hvar and Brac AUG 9 VOLOS (Meteora) Greece DUBROVNIK Croatia overnight JUN 7 MARSEILLES (Avignon) France AUG 10 PATMOS Greek Islands † JUN 8 PORT-LA-NOUVELLE (Carcassonne) France JUL 10 DUBROVNIK Croatia KOTOR BAY Montenegro cruising AUG 11 ATHENS Greece SINGLE SUPPLEMENT JUST 10% ADD A HOTEL STAY JUN 9 BARCELONA Spain JUL 11 CORFU Greek Islands AUG 12 GYTHION (Sparta & Mystra) Greece Enhance your holiday with extra time before JUN 10 At Sea or after your cruise. JUL 12 PREVEZA (Arta) Greece AUG 13 PREVEZA (Arta) Greece JUN 11 CARTAGENA Spain Cruising throught the Ionian Islands AUG 14 CORFU Greek Islands ITHACA Greek Islands On our June 4 sailing you can add a 2-night JUN 12 MALAGA (Granada) Spain AUG 15 DUBROVNIK Croatia CALL ON JUL 13 KATAKOLON (Olympia) Greece hotel stay in Seville after your cruise. JUN 13 TANGIER Morocco AUG 16 RAVENNA Italy PYLOS Greece overnight 01483 489 961 JUN 14 CADIZ (Jerez) Spain AUG 17 VENICE Italy On July 7, you can add 2 nights in Venice before JUL 14 PYLOS (Venetian Castles) Greece RIVER CRUISING on Guadalquivir River to Disembark and transfer to Venice Airport www.mrbridge.co.uk your cruise and/or 2 nights in Athens after. SEVILLE Spain overnight JUL 15 MONEMVASIA Greece for flight home JUN 15 SEVILLE Spain HYDRA Greek Islands Our August 6 departure gives you the option Disembark Aegean Odyssey and transfer to Inside Outside Balcony JUL 16 PIRAEUS Greece from from from of a 2-night stay in Istanbul before you sail, Seville Airport for flight home Disembark and transfer to Athens Airport and/or 2 nights in glorious Venice to finish your for flight home MR BRIDGE FARES* £2,095 £2,550 £3,850 Inside Outside Balcony from from from cruise in style. Inside Outside Balcony ODYSSEY CLUB MEMBERS from from from Please call for more information and prices. MR BRIDGE FARES* £2,195 £2,675 £3,775 SAVE AN EXTRA 10% OFF these fares MR BRIDGE FARES* £1,895 £2,275 £3,450 ODYSSEY CLUB MEMBERS *Prices are per person, double occupancy in double cabins, single occupancy in single SAVE AN EXTRA 5% OFF these fares ODYSSEY CLUB MEMBERS cabins and include MR BRIDGE SPECIAL SAVINGS. †The number of cabins with 10% single SAVE AN EXTRA 10% OFF these fares supplement is strictly limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

CABINS CAN BE HELD AT NO OBLIGATION FOR 7 DAYS BERNARD MAGEE Boxed Sets of six DVDs

Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks 7 Leads 13 Hand Evaluation This seminar deals with declarer’s Bernard takes you through all the Going beyond just the point-count use of ruffing to make extra tricks basic leads and the importance of is important if you want to improve. and then looks at how the defenders your choice of lead. If you start to Reaching & making 3NT on 24 HCP; might counteract this. (74 mins.) think not just about your hand, but and avoiding 3NT on 26 HCP when about your partner’s too, then you there are only 7 or 8 tricks. (110 mins.) 2 Competitive Auctions will get much better results. (95 mins.) This seminar focuses on competitive 14 Pre-Emptive Bidding auctions from the perspective of the 8 Losing Trick Count The art of pre-empting is so important overcalling side and then from the A way of hand evaluation for when in the modern game. Understanding perspective of the opening side in you find a fit. Bernard deals with the the right types of hand to bid up the second part. (86 mins.) basics of the losing trick count then on and realising the importance of looks at advanced methods to hone position and vulnerability. (96 mins.) 3 Making the Most your bidding. (92 mins.) of High Cards 15 Splinter & Cue-Bids This seminar helps declarer to use 9 Making a Plan Take your slam bidding to another his high cards more carefully and as Declarer level. Splinter bids are a vital tool to then looks at how defenders should Bernard explains how to make a plan add to your armoury & try your hand care for their high cards. (83 mins.) then expands on how to make the at Italian style cue-bidding. (116 mins.) most of your long suits. The first half 4 Identifying deals with no-trumps, the second with 16 Avoidance Play & Bidding Slams suit contracts. (87 mins.) As declarer, an important tactic is The first half of this seminar is about to be in control of the defenders: identifying when a slam might be on 10 Responding to 1NT avoiding a particular defender getting – one of the hardest topics to teach. This seminar deals with Transfers the lead. As a defender, you can try to The second half covers some slam- and Stayman in detail. The 1NT make sure the right player gets the bidding techniques. (96 mins.) opening comes up frequently, so lead at the right time. (88 mins.) having a good, accurate system of 5 Play & Defence responses is paramount. (93 mins.) 17 Play & Defence at Pairs of 1NT Contracts Duplicate Pairs is the game most of This seminar looks at the most 11 Signals & Discards us play and getting used to the tactics common and yet most feared This seminar deals with Count, will make a lot of difference to your of contracts: 1NT. The first half Attitude and Suit-preference signals: performance. Making more overtricks looks at declaring the contract and aiming to get you working as a and making sure you do not give the second part puts us in the partnership in defence. (92 mins.) away tricks as a defender. (90 mins.) defenders’ seats. (88 mins.) 12 Endplay 18 Thinking Defence 6 Doubling & Defence Bernard takes you through the basics By far the hardest aspect of bridge, against Doubled Contracts of the technique before showing some but if you can improve your defence The first half of this seminar magical hands where you take extra your results will quickly improve. explores penalty doubles and the tricks from defenders. In the second Learn how to think through the second half discusses the defence half, Bernard looks at how to avoid defence and get your mind in gear for against doubled contracts. (88 mins.) being endplayed. (80 mins.) the decisions that await you. (87 mins.)

Individual DVDs. £25 each. Individual DVDs. £25 each. Individual DVDs. £25 each. Boxed Set of 6. £100. Boxed Set of 6. £100. Boxed Set of 6. £100.

PICK AND MIX. A BOX OF ANY 6. £105 Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 email: [email protected] Page 26 BRIDGE July 2014 Julian Pottage answers your Frequently Asked Questions Why Should I Play Transfers?

transfer occurs when you bid five spades and a reasonably balanced transfer gives the player in fourth one suit to show length in an- hand. Partner can then choose seat (to the right of the 1NT opener) other suit, typically the suit whether to bid game (4♠ or 3NT) or two chances to bid. For example, the Aranking immediately above the suit whether to alight in a part-score (3♠ player in fourth seat can pass first time you bid. The most common situation or 2NT). with a hand that wishes to compete for playing transfers is when partner With Hand C, you rebid 3♣, which but is relatively weak and can bid opens 1NT and you have five or more is forcing. This will enable you to find immediately with a better hand. See cards in a major. Playing transfers, you the best game, whether it is 3NT, 4♠ auctions 1 and 2 below. respond 2♦ to show hearts, 2♥ to show or 5♣. Without transfers, you would spades. Opener normally bids the next be unable to show the club suit below Auction 1 suit up, in other words, the suit you 3NT, making it hard for partner to West North East South have shown. judge what to do. 1NT Pass What are the advantages and The other chief benefit of playing 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass disadvantages to playing transfers? The transfers is that the opening hand Pass 2♠ fact that if you play in a tournament becomes declarer. The opening lead 99% of the pairs will be playing will come up to what is often the Auction 2 transfers tells you that the advantages stronger hand – and that stronger West North East South outweigh the disadvantages. Let us hand will remain concealed. This 1NT Pass start with those advantages. benefit is greater playing a strong no- 2♦ 2♠ The main advantage of a transfer is trump, which increases the chance that it gives responder two chances to that opener has a stronger hand than The player in fourth seat also has bid. A 1NT opening defines opener’s responder does. the options to double the artificial shape and strength within a narrow transfer bid, perhaps to show that range, which means that responder suit or maybe a hand that would needs time to catch up. Since the ♠ 7 ♠ A K Q 9 have doubled 1NT, or to cue bid transfer guarantees responder the ♥ A J 10 7 6 3 N ♥ 8 4 2 responder’s suit at the two level. In W E chance to bid again, you get the ♦ 7 4 3 S ♦ K 5 2 Auction 3, North shows a take-out of chance to show a second suit or extra ♣ A K 10 ♣ J 9 3 hearts. In Auction 4, depending upon strength, for example: partnership agreement, North shows either diamonds or a hand that would You Partner have doubled 1NT. Hand A Hand B Hand C 1NT ♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♠ A Q 9 7 3 2♦ 2♥ Auction 3 ♥ 9 6 5 ♥ 9 6 5 ♥ 9 4♥ West North East South ♦ 7 ♦ K 7 ♦ K 7 1NT Pass ♣ J 8 7 4 ♣ Q 10 4 ♣ K J 10 7 4 Played from the East seat, with the 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass ♦K protected, 4♥ will surely make. If Pass Dbl West declared, a diamond lead would Playing transfers, with each of these seriously endanger the heart game. Auction 4 hands, you respond 2♥, showing What are the disadvantages? A West North East South spades, if partner opens 1NT. minor one is that you cannot play in 1NT Pass With Hand A, you pass opener’s 2♦ using transfers. However, it is rare 2♦ Dbl 2♠ completion, reaching the same that you would get the chance to play contract you would have reached in 2♦ anyway. If responder shows a Since often the player in fourth seat playing a weak take-out. weak hand with a long minor, the will not be bidding anyway, the gain With Hand B, you rebid 2NT (if the opponents will usually compete with in giving responder two chances to bid opening showed 12-14). This shows their majors. far outweighs the loss in giving that the values to invite game with only The bigger disadvantage is that the opponent two chances to bid. ■

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 27 and other interesting items. there is a correct procedure. This is the third catalogue Friendly bridge can be READERS’ and is now available. a euphemism for sloppy Although there are many bridge, often leading to items, one may be of special unfairness. Inexperienced interest. I have a set of players sometimes correctly Jannersten bridge wallets, alert a bid but immediately LETTERS numbered 1-64, complete explain it without being with cards. Although they asked. They are, probably continue to be advertised by innocently, illegally giving COURT REPORTS be the correct interpretation Jannersten, the events which information to their partner. If These jocular articles are that your author wishes to require a full set of 64 must that’s too pedantic for some entertaining, but the author have applied for his articles be few and far between. people, I have a favourite should be aware of what on best practice for bridge. Gordon Bickley, Card saying, ‘It’s friendly and fair underlies the title Erehwon, You may say, ‘How many Game Books, Stockport. to play to the rules.’ They which Samuel Butler used have read Butler?’ but I would ( 07530 553594 have been honed over many in his book over 140 years hope that as a principle [email protected] years and every single one ago to describe a country Victorian author and satirist, means exactly what it says. – nowhere – in which the he should deserve a rating HEAR HEAR Hurrah for David Stevenson. creed is distributed to the equal to that of Swift, Dickens Let us refute the common Paul Habershon, Bedford. faithful on tablets as they or even Shakespeare and perception that competitive entered church. When they be found in any senior bridge is unfriendly: see ALL OF A DITHER left the church the tablets school curriculum. Perhaps Christopher Dicker’s letter, My husband is unable to were left behind. Indeed, the an alternative to Erehwon page 24, in BRIDGE 138. attend classes due to work precepts were observed only would sit more comfortably It is perfectly possible to commitments. He has, whilst in church. By turning with your readers. play strictly to the rules however, been able to pick around examples of social Roger Grimsdick by email. and simultaneously be up enough bridge by himself and political behaviour in sociable and relaxed. to play a reasonable game. Erehwon, Butler had a more REPORTER REPLIES When I first attended a We play social bridge at subtle way of criticising I am duly mortified! duplicate club, I wanted to home whenever we can find British culture and practices I have to admit not having play to the rules straight from another pair. This can be than Jonathan Swift as read Samuel Butler. I just the start. If I transgressed, quite difficult on a regular his episodes in Gulliver’s used the name Erehwon so I wanted to be told and playing schedule. We would Travels became a more that nobody would get upset from being told, learn. The like to improve our bridge and more outright vicious if I used their town name. rules are there to guarantee by playing regularly but attack on British society. Mr Grimsdick is clearly fairness and to protect don’t think we are yet up In Erehwon, the sick were much more widely read players of all strengths. No to duplicate standard. to be put in prison, which than I (and I suspect than one needs to be unpleasant. Mrs Sabina de Gaston- the reader now reverses and most of our readers) Sometimes I revoke and Cooper, Leigh, Surrey. realises Butler is suggesting and I apologise if I have am told, ‘Oh, put that card My advice is bite the bullet. that criminals perhaps need done the wrong thing. back in your hand and Club secretaries should drop treatment and not prison. Richard Wheen, follow suit – it’s only friendly her an email with days and That the religious creed Buckland, Surrey. bridge.’ I always decline, times. Her email address is should be left behind in otherwise we would need a [email protected] church is another example CARD GAME BOOKS long discussion about which of how Butler tries to get Once again I should like to other rules we were going to WHAT OFFERS his point across. It would promote my new catalogue ignore. I have illegally shown I am treasurer of Hitchin appear that this would not of bridge books, magazines a card to my partner and Bridge Club. We have recently updated our Bridgemate system and have REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE about 30 Mark 1 handsets Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value, all mint looking for a new home. The with full gum. Quotations for commercial server has failed, but these quantities available on request. handsets could be useful to Values supplied in 100s, higher values available a club looking for extras or spares. Indeed, a club might as well as 1st and 2nd class (eg 2nd class: 100x37p+100x16p) buy a new server and use (/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: [email protected] these to get up and running for an affordable outlay. No

Page 28 BRIDGE July 2014 READERS’ LETTERS the years and have only continued very rarely encountered this ‘Littlewood’s Law’ and the Coughing Doctors problem. I think you may I have been reading some interesting non-bridge articles just have been unlucky. on the web recently and realised that they may be relevant reasonable offer refused. to the German bridge champions who were stripped of Robert Girvan, Hitchin, BETTER FOCUS their title for cheating. Herts. ( 01462 433750 Just to say that I am finding John Littlewood was a distinguished mathematician in the [email protected] the Bernard Magee DVDs first half of the last century. His law states that an ordinary I purchased very useful. person is likely to encounter a ‘miracle’ about once a HERE’S YOUR CHANCE However, I would be reluctant month. A miracle is defined as a one-in-a-million event You said in the last issue to buy any more if the (Wikipedia, Littlewood’s Law, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ of BRIDGE that the party camera work remains the Littlewood%27s_law). He was saying that you will encounter to Croatia was very small. same. I want to look at the highly unlikely events far more often than you expect. I would have gone on that hands or Bernard, not the I learnt about this law in an interesting article on holiday, but I had already audience. Other purchasers cheating in chess (KW Regan, Littlewood’s Law, Why it may booked a cruise with First for I have spoken to also feel take a ‘miracle’ to catch some cheaters, http://rjlipton. Bridge. I would be interested irritated at the frequent wordpress.com/2013/09/17/littlewoods-law/). The trouble in hearing the feedback from views of the audience... one is that a good computer can beat almost all chess players, the trip this year, enjoyment person’s comment was, ‘this so that if a player can link to a computer secretly for factor, weather etc. as I should not be a comedy advice, they have a major advantage. One way of would like to book next time. show.’ You probably never detecting cheating would be to look at the type of moves a Margaret Johnson, get to hear these comments, player makes. Computers play chess with a different style Solihull, West Midlands. so I felt it was only fair to humans. You can test whether a chess player makes a Bernard Magee’s report to pass on our views. computer-like series of moves (or a bridge player gives an is on its way to you. June Baguley by email. unusual series of coughs). The trouble is that Littlewood’s Law suggests that you see the apparently unusual far more PRESS COVERAGE CONFUSED often than you expect. From time to time you should expect There was a wonderful I am afraid that the article to find computer-like chess moves or a pattern of coughing article on the etiquette of about Revokes in the that mirrors a perfectly innocent bridge player’s play. bridge in a recent issue of the June issue of BRIDGE has Another article is by David Colquhoun, the scourge of popular national newspaper, left me confused. In the quack medicine, (D Colquhoun, On the hazards of Scotland on Sunday. This paragraph, ‘If the revoke significance testing. Part 1: the screening problem, DC’s was headlined, Just the Trick is not established,’ it says, improbable science, http://www.dcscience.net/?p=6473). If when the Card Sharps cut up ‘subsequent cards played you screen everyone for a rare disease and your test has an Ruff, written by Shan Ross. by the revoking side,’ but error rate, most of the cases you detect will be people who Behaviour has become surely only one subsequent do not have the disease. The low number of wrong results so bad that the SBU has card may be played by the in the very large number of people who do not have the launched a ‘Better Behaviour revoking side before the disease will be greater than the correct results for the small at Bridge’ campaign. revoke is established? In the number of people who do have the disease. Similarly, a Fran Bennie, next paragraph but one, it suspicious pattern of coughing should be more likely to Camberley, Surrey. says, ‘In some cases, the have occurred by chance among the large number of Thank you for letting me revoke makes no difference players who are not cheating, than among the small know about this. It is not and any automatic tricks number of players who are. I don’t know whether or not the often we see Scotland follow are to penalise the revoker.’ German doctors cheated. But if cheating is rare in top level the example of the English. What does this mean? bridge, then my guess would be that they are most likely What are automatic tricks victims of a Littlewood coincidence. If, on the other hand GOFFIE STAMPS and how is the revoker to cheating is rife, then I would guess they may well be guilty. Readers should beware when be penalised? In the next I am sure that the bridge authorities know the odds of purchasing Clive Goff’s paragraph, it refers to a picking up a hand with a 5-3-3-2 distribution perfectly, but discounted stamps that the revoke, but does not say who do they understand equally well the implications of glue is not always effective. the revoker is. Is it declarer? Littlewood’s Law and just how hard it is to detect a real, but A number of recipients of I suggest the article be rare effect against a random background? my correspondence have rewritten, more precisely, Michael Green by email. now told me they have less chattily, with a summary received letters from me on the lines of, ‘If..., then...’ PS. An example of Littlewood’s Law: my brother, who lives in without postage on them. Peter Calviou by email. Sydney, went on a cruise recently from the USA to Australia. Pat Fairs by email. I have sent this to David When I sat down to bridge last week, I discovered that my I have purchased thousands Stevenson for his comments. partner was just back from the same cruise. ■ of stamps from Mr Goff over Watch this space.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 29 CHARITY EVENTS

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Page 30 BRIDGE July 2014 Beginners’ Bridge Corner Better Hand Evaluation Mary’s Seventh Lesson Bernard Magee Introduction

by Liz Dale Better Hand Evaluation is aimed at helping readers to add greater accuracy to their he mentors had not happy, he could see he you have lost that chance.’ bidding. It deals with auctions guided the North/ was going to go two down. Alasdair played out the 4♠ in which you and your partner, against silent opponents, can Souths on each of the The play ended and yes, contract on the smart board T describe your hands fully to four tables into bidding the exactly as declarer thought, with declarer making the each other and, by evaluating same contract, ie 4♠. East down two, -100, non vulner- contract by using the trumps them accurately, find the best (Mary) and West (Joan) able, -50 for each trick down. in dummy to ruff diamonds final contract. The emphasis of all good, accurate bidding is on were the defenders at their Alasdair waited for the last after the singleton diamond hand evaluation. table. Mary was on lead. table to finish playing out the in dummy had been played. What had Alasdair said 4♠ contract. The illustrated Mary found this quite excit- There are two general types of auction: a) a fit is found and b) about leads? ‘Lead low for hand was then shown ing. She really liked this for- no fit is found. like, high for hate. Always highlighted on the smart mula. Yes, she was definitely When you do not have a fit, lead a singleton but never a board in large colourful going to practise this one. you are aiming to describe the doubleton. Lead from top of numbers and lettering. Was it really as easy as this? strength of your hand as soon a run, ie KQJ.’ Mary looked Contract: 4♠. Three of the Alasdair said, ‘The secret of as possible, most often using at her hand again. She had tables had gone down one its success was that declarer no-trump bids. This book be- gins by discussing balanced a doubleton but she didn’t trick, with Mary and Joan’s had to identify when count- hand bidding in Acol, as it have a singleton. She didn’t North/South opponents ing his top tricks that his extra is very important that both have a run. Ah, wait a minute going down two tricks. tricks were going to come members of a partnership she did have an honour in The delights of ruffing from dummy’s ruffs and have an accurate knowledge of how to show hands of different ♥ hearts, the Q. Decision were then spelt out to Mary plan the play accordingly. If strengths. made. Play could commence. and the group. The North/ declarer didn’t work this out When a fit is found, there is Mary led the ♥4 – low for South declarers were left in the planning stage, then much re-evaluation of the like. Joan would know she in no doubt that in fact the the contract would go down.’ hand to be done; point count, had an honour in hearts.. 4♠ contract was make- Alasdair asked the group, though still important, needs Dummy’s hand went on the able with skilful play using ’How could the defenders, to be evaluated together with distribution. The best way of table. Declarer announced, the ruffing technique. East and West, have reaching an accurate assess­ ‘Thank you, partner,’ and Alasdair explained how it sabotaged this technique?’ ment is to use the Losing Trick was already counting top works. ‘If you have a short- Quick as a flash, Mary heard Count; this is an important tricks. Ummm! More than a age, maybe a void, singleton herself saying out loud, method of hand evaluation and takes up a number of chapters. bit disappointing. Why on or a doubleton in dummy, in ‘Lead trumps.’ Alasdair said, earth had partner accepted a suit other than the trump ‘Yes, that’s right. Well done, Finally, we move on to different declarer’s invitation to suit, then, as long as you Mary.’ Mary beamed with forms of evaluation including game tries and splinter bids. game with not enough lead the short suit before you embarrassment. She found You can never know enough points? Declarer was trying draw trumps, you could use it hard to believe she had methods of hand evaluation; hard not to scowl or to dummy’s trumps to make an been the first to give the right the more you learn, the better give anything away either extra trick by trumping the answer. Unbelievable! She you get at judging your hand. with his facial or body now void suit. However, if you couldn’t wait to tell Liam and Although the Losing Trick language. But declarer was draw trumps straight away, Anne. ■ Count is used more easily in tandem with your partner, a large proportion of the ideas in this book can be used by an individual. For example, eval- In a suit contract, you can make extra tricks if the hand with the uating your hand to be worth an extra point is going to help shorter trumps has a void, singleton or doubleton in another suit. anyone you partner – as long Play the other suit first and then ruff the losers before drawing trumps. as you get it right.

including UK postage The defence should lead trumps at every opportunity if they £14 see that declarer is trying to make tricks by ruffing losers. See Mail Order Form on page 7.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 31 Answers to Julian Pottage’s Defence Quiz on page 23

West North East South way of beating the contract. If partner 1. ♠ K J 9 2 1NT holds ♦A-x, a switch to the suit will give ♥ K 6 4 Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ your side the first four tricks. Do you risk ♦ A Q 10 5 4 Pass 4♠ All Pass this? ♣ 5 Unless you are desperate for a top, you ♠ 5 4 ♠ 10 6 Partner leads the ♣2; you take the ♣10 should not return a diamond. Partner ♥ 10 8 3 N ♥ A J 7 2 with the ♣A. What do you return? could hold any of the ♠A, ♥A and ♣K W E ♦ ♦ ♦ J 9 8 S 7 6 3 You face a similar choice. Do you rather than the A. ♣ K J 10 7 3 ♣ A 9 8 4 attack with a diamond switch, trying Even if partner holds the ♦A, declarer ♠ A Q 8 7 3 to beat the contract, or do you defend may hold a doubleton. If you return a ♥ Q 9 5 passively? diamond and declarer has the ♦A, you ♦ K 2 For the diamond switch to work, have said goodbye to your ♦K. Just ♣ Q 6 2 partner needs the ♦Q and no more than return the ♣8. two cards with it. Moreover, as the ♣Q with declarer would provide a discard West North East South for one of dummy’s diamonds, partner 1♦ Pass 1♠ needs the ♣Q too. While this is possible, 4. ♠ A K 9 3 Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ the odds are against it. Often, South ♥ A Q J 10 2 All Pass will hold more than 12 points or hold a ♦ 10 5 minor-suit queen. ♣ 9 2 Partner leads the ♣J and you win with the The busy diamond switch is more likely ♠ 7 ♠ 10 8 4 N ♣ ♥ K 6 4 ♥ 8 7 3 A. What do you return? to give away an overtrick than to defeat W E Do you play to beat the contract or the contract. ♦ J 8 6 S ♦ A 9 7 3 do you try to stop declarer from making Exit with the ♠6. ♣ Q J 10 7 4 3 ♣ A 8 5 overtricks? ♠ Q J 6 5 2 If partner holds the ♠A and the ♥Q, a ♥ 9 5 trump switch is best. Partner can win and ♦ K Q 4 2 switch to a heart. Of course, that layout 3. ♠ K Q 10 2 ♣ K 6 is unlikely: declarer will often hold more ♥ K Q 9 6 than 11 points; partner might hold the ♦ Q 8 5 wasted ♣K or ♦K. At matchpoints, you ♣ Q 5 West North East South should cash the ♥A at trick two, ensuring ♠ A 7 5 4 ♠ 8 6 1♥ Pass 1♠ a second defensive trick. Declarer cannot ♥ 10 8 N ♥ 7 3 2 Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ then make 12 tricks via five spades, five ♦ 10 6 W E ♦ K J 7 4 3 All Pass S diamonds and two club ruffs. ♣ J 9 7 3 2 ♣ A 8 4 ♠ J 9 3 Partner leads the ♣Q. What is your plan? ♥ A J 5 4 For a start, you take the ♣A. The big ♦ A 9 2 heart suit in dummy means you need 2. ♠ Q J 9 2 ♣ K 10 6 to take tricks quickly. On this deal, it is ♥ Q J 9 6 clear which suit to return: diamonds. ♦ A 10 5 For beating the contract, leading low is ♣ K 10 West North East South best. Declarer might hold the K-J and ♠ 7 5 4 ♠ 8 6 1NT misguess, letting partner’s queen score. ♥ A 8 3 N ♥ 10 7 2 Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ There might also be a trump promotion W E ♦ 8 6 4 ♦ K J 7 3 Pass 4♥ All Pass if partner holds a doubleton diamond S ♣ Q 9 7 2 ♣ A 8 5 4 honour. ♠ A K 10 3 Partner leads the ♣3; dummy plays low The big risk is that declarer has no ♥ K 5 4 and you win with the ♣A. What do you guess or guesses correctly, in which ♦ Q 9 2 return? case you may well lose your ♦A. At ♣ J 6 3 Once more, you face a matchpoint matchpoints, this risk is too great. Start decision. This time, you can see a simple diamonds with the ♦A. ■

Page 32 BRIDGE July 2014 Bridge and Travel Tips DECLARER JUST GUESSING PLAY Bridge tip from Sally Brock: Just because you know that you are guessing is no reason to QUIZ tell your opponents that you are guessing. f you play with confidence, a diamond. If you wait until by David Huggett you may get away with then to do your thinking, anything. you will probably think for (Answers on page 39) I Here is a deal from a pairs a little and play one of your tournament: honours. Now it will be a ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge. simple matter for West to In each case, what is your play strategy? Y cash his remaining minor- ♠ J 8 6 5 suit tricks to hold you to nine ♥ A Q 10 4 2 tricks. 1. ♠ A 8 6 4 3. ♠ K 9 7 2 ♦ 8 7 What you should do is ♥ K 9 7 ♥ K 10 3 ♣ 6 5 decide what you are going ♠ 10 3 2 ♠ Q to play on the diamond after ♦ A 7 6 ♦ A 7 4 2 N ♥ J 5 W E ♥ K 6 you win trick one. (And, ♣ J 9 7 ♣ K 5 S ♦ A Q 9 5 ♦ 10 6 4 2 generally, you should play N ♣ ♣ N A Q 9 3 J 10 8 7 the opening leader to hold W E W E 4 2 the ace – because he might S S ♠ A K 9 7 4 have led a diamond at trick ♥ 9 8 7 3 one if he had the queen, ♠ K 2 ♠ A Q J 10 8 3 ♦ K J 3 but would never do so if he ♥ A 6 5 ♥ J 5 ♣ K had the ace.) At one table, ♦ ♦ J 9 4 Q 10 declarer decided that he was ♣ A Q 10 8 2 ♣ A 9 3 going to try to make as many Most pairs in the field played tricks as possible. When the in a spade part-score. diamond came back, he You are declarer in 3NT You are declarer in 4♠ and Generally, West led a trump played the king without a and West leads the ♦5. West leads the ♦8. How to the queen and king. So flicker. West assumed that How do you plan the play? do you plan the play? you make your plan. You are there was no guess. Wanting going to draw trumps and to put his partner in to lead play a heart to the queen. a club, West underled his If it holds, you may make a queen of diamonds and lot of tricks, but suppose it declarer made eleven tricks 2. ♠ Q 7 6 2 4. ♠ A 7 4 loses and East plays back for an outright top. ■ ♥ 8 3 ♥ J 9 2 ♦ A 9 3 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ A K 9 8 ♣ K 9 7 2 Travel tip from Emma Thomson:

N here are two types of travellers: those who N W E research a destination prior to leaving and W E S S Tthose who prefer spontaneity. The latter can be fun, but it can also cause unnecessary delays, ♠ J 10 9 8 3 ♠ 8 6 disappointments and expenses. So try to check the ♥ K Q J ♥ A K Q basics: ♦ K 7 6 ♦ K 7 3 2 1 What’s the local currency and are you required to ♣ 6 2 ♣ A J 6 4 pay any airport taxes in that denomination? 2 What plug-socket format is in use and do you re- quire an adapter? You are declarer in 4♠ and You are declarer in 3NT 3 Any essential etiquette rules, eg: tipping? West leads the ♦Q. How and West leads the ♠K. do you plan the play? How do you plan the play? 4 When are the public holidays? Sites of interest may be closed on these dates.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 33 Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

Is a Reverse Forcing?

Last night, my This means you cannot pass 2♣/2♦ opening). The 20-22 will have passed if partner’s partner opened 2♦ even if your hand were range is a bit of a weakness opening was in second seat), Q1♣. With 6 such as to suggest that her in the Acol system. Many there is far less need to strain points and 5 hearts, I second suit offers a better Americans play a 20-21 to cut out the opponents than responded 1♥. She then fit. If, for example, you had point range for 2NT. in other types of auction. bid 2♦. Having 3 cards 4 diamonds and 2 clubs, When I play Benjamin, the To justify double jumping, in each minor, I passed. you would raise to 3♦. usual ranges are as follows: your bid needs to give an My partner maintained accurate description of your that her change of suit ♣♦♥♠ 12-14 open 1NT hand, say 6-8 points and was forcing. She had 6 15-17 rebid 1NT a good seven-card suit. clubs and 4 diamonds My partner and 18-19 jump to 2NT This is assuming you are and 16 points. My clubs I play Benjamin- 20-21 open 2♣, rebid 2NT teaching your group Acol were better than my Qised Acol with 22-23 open 2NT with a weak no-trump. diamonds, I had K-Q- a 12-14 no-trump and 24+ open 2♦, rebid 2NT+ If you are playing a 4, but I had no way an opening bid of 2NT strong no-trump and a of knowing that she showing a balanced Some invert the 2NT prepared club, you have a had extra strength. 19-20 HCP. We also play and 2♣ sequences, 20- little more latitude because I did my sums and that after two bids at 21 for the former and a 1♣ opening will often be passed. Was I wrong? the one level, opener’s 22-23 for the latter. a weak no-trump hand. In Jean Barclay, rebids of 1NT and 2NT this case, responder will Lamlash, Isle of Arran. indicate 15-16 HCP and ♣♦♥♠ have a better idea whether 17-18 HCP respectively, game is possible and might When your instead of the 15-17 and You mention that pre-empt with a weaker suit partner reverses, 18-19 ranges used in it is rare to use or weaker hand depending A bidding clubs standard Acol, on the Qa 3♥ response upon the vulnerability. before diamonds, she grounds that with 19 over a 1♣ opening as a tells you two things. HCP, we would usually pre-empt. What would ♣♦♥♠ The first thing is that her open 2NT. Would you ad- you advise me to say first suit is longer. With vise us to change to the to a beginner group Two EBU books equal length, you need to standard Acol ranges? who has learnt that state that when put her back to her first Ken Brown, Edinburgh. you always bid three Qresponder is suit because that will give with a weak hand and weak (6-9 points), your side a better fit. General opinion is seven cards – regardless he needs six cards The second thing is that that 3 point ranges of partner’s bid? in a suit to repeat it. she has extra values; with A are fine for 1NT Bruce Paul by email Neither explains why a minimum opening bid, openings – you have room you would not repeat partner simply repeats her to invite game over 1NT If your partner opens a five-card suit. Please first suit. Indeed, it is usual – but that a 2 point range the bidding and at could you do so? these days to play the reverse is better for 2NT openings A least one opponent Kevin Dawson, as forcing for one round. (or rebids after an artificial has passed (both opponents Church Minshull, Cheshire.

Page 34 BRIDGE July 2014 Ask Julian continued than repeating the first. These days transfers are a I have been Yes, once in a while, you much more popular way to playing negative will miss a 5-3 fit if you cover these hands. You can Qdoubles like this: wait for a six-card suit to respond 3♦ to show hearts There are rebid. However, the majority (or 3♥ to show spades) 1♥-(1♠)-Dbl three possible of the time, the policy whatever your strength. If showing 4-4 minors A scenarios here: will be a winning one. you want to offer a choice 1♣-(1♦)-Dbl (i) opener has opened between 3NT and four of a showing 4-4 majors and repeated a suit ♣♦♥♠ major, you transfer into your 1♣-(1♥)-Dbl (eg 1♥-1♠-2♥) major and rebid 3NT. If you Showing 4 spades (ii) opener has opened When opener have a very weak hand, you 1♣-(1♠)-Dbl one suit and rebid in bids 1NT then can transfer into your major showing 4 hearts another (eg 1♦-1♥-1♠) Qis doubled by and pass, thereby getting (iii) opener has opened one the opposition, can the the best of both worlds. Is this normal? suit and rebid in no- opener’s partner still If the bidding goes trumps (eg 1♥-1♠-1NT) use transfers or a weak ♣♦♥♠ 1♣-(1♦)-1♥/1♠ is this In case (i), opener has take-out? I thought OK if you have only promised five-cards and a weak take-out was My friend says a 4-card major? will often have six. To justify better, but was told a that he learnt Bernard Coffey, Altrincham. continuing the bidding with transfer can still be used. QGerber and a weak hand, responder Doreen Parrington, would like to know why it What you suggest will need a better suit than Lytham St Annes. is discouraged nowadays looks very normal to opener has. Clearly, a since it keeps the A me. In answer to five-card suit will not do the It is a matter bidding at a lower level. your supplementary job because opener has of partnership Daphne Marks, question, it is usual to play already guaranteed five A agreement whether Radlett, Herts. that after 1♣-(1♦), double and will often have six. you play the same system shows both majors, so you In case (ii), opener has after a double as without. A successful small can bid 1♥ or 1♠ with only promised five cards in one The advantage with transfers slam contract four cards in the suit. suit and four in another. is that the doubler will often A requires a This leaves only four cards end up on lead, though the number of ingredients: ♣♦♥♠ between the remaining transfer itself will give the (i) the playing strength suits. The odds are that other opponent an extra to generate 12 tricks Is it common to responder’s longest suit chance to enter the auction. (ii) a suitable trump suit use Stayman coincides with opener’s If you do use transfers, (or a lot of high cards Qafter a 1NT shortest suit. So repeating a you can use redouble as a for no-trumps) overcall as opposed five-card suit will often land transfer to clubs and 2♣ as (iii) first or second round to a 1NT opening? you in a 5-1 non-fit or a 5-2 a transfer to diamonds. control in each suit I am not familiar partial fit. Note that giv- (so that the opponents with the method. ing preference to opener’s ♣♦♥♠ cannot cash the first two Paul Mathers by email. first suit or rebidding 1NT tricks in a single suit) does not preclude finding a Is the weak (iv) either all four aces Traditionally, 5-3 fit in responder’s suit. take-out bid or three aces plus a Stayman did not Opener may be planning to Qapplicable over no-loser trump suit A apply after a 1NT show three-card support for an opening bid of 2NT? An ace or key card enquiry overcall. If you wanted to responder’s suit on the next Mairead Flanagan, Dublin. addresses step (iv). You look for a 4-4 fit in the round (eg 1♦-1♥-1♠-1NT-2♥). really want to check steps unbid major(s), you would In case (iii), opener has The traditional (i), (ii) and (iii) before cue bid opener’s suit. indicated a balanced hand. meaning of a 3♥ you deal with (iv). However, that was in the If responder is balanced too A or 3♠ response to You cannot usually identify days when most people (5332), no-trumps may play 2NT is natural and forcing. all of (i), (ii) and (iii) before used a weak take-out better, especially as a suit To stop in a partscore you you get to 4♣, whereas often rather than transfers. contract will involve raising would need to use the you can by 4NT. In addition, Many players who use the level. If responder has Flint convention, whereby a 4♣ bid has numerous other Stayman and transfers play a second suit (so 5422 or a response of 3♦ would possible uses. Some of the the same after a 1NT overcall 5431), it will often be in demand 3♥ from opener; other possible uses, such as as after a 1NT opening. order for responder to bid then you would pass a cue bid or a splinter, are This keeps things simple again – but by introducing with hearts or convert useful in identifying that the and avoids a strain on the the second suit rather to 3♠ with spades. other ingredients are present. memory.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 35 Ask Julian continued If you overcall 1NT and minor two-suiters is Lucas. higher suit first, you keep partner makes a 2♦ transfer, 2. You bid quite well I the bidding lower. Suppose whether it is sensible to bid think. With 21 HCP, albeit a the bidding starts 1♥-1NT- 2NT depends upon how your poor 21, you are too good 2♦. Partner has the option I was South, partner is likely to understand to overcall 2NT the first time. to let you play in 2♥ or 2♦. playing the bid. If you have agreed You could perhaps double a However, if the bidding Qduplicate and that the bid shows an off- second time if your partner started 1♦-1NT-2♥, playing held this hand: shape 1NT overcall with a would take that as penalty in 2♦ would be impossible. singleton in partner’s major, orientated. It was unlucky to With a four-card major bidding 2NT is fine. Many find partner with so little. I and a four-card minor, (this ♠ K J 6 players, however, play the imagine that at other tables must be the red suits if the ♥ A same system after a 1NT South passed and West suits are touching), opinions ♦ A 8 6 3 overcall as they would after opened 2NT, which explains vary about which suit to bid ♣ A Q 7 5 2 a 1NT opening, in which why your score was average. first. Some say that opener case bidding 2NT is unwise. should bid the major. Others Partner will take you for a ♣♦♥♠ say that opener should bid When West opened 1♣, maximum with four hearts the lower suit and responder I did not know where to or a maximum with I learnt to bid should try to bid the major. go next. A double would three hearts, whatever the higher It does not matter too much be inappropriate with transfer breaks normally Qranking of two whether the onus is on short major holdings show for you. equal length suits. An opener to bid the four-card and 2♣ would not be a article, by June Booty, major or whether it is on natural bid. I bid 1NT ♣♦♥♠ in the EBU magazine responder – the important (seemed like the least supports this, yet ‘Bridge thing is that one of you does. incorrect of all evils). 1 Our opponents for Bright Beginners’ In Standard American My partner bid 2♦, were playing a by Hugh Kelsey and and some versions of intended as a transfer Qsystem whereby Andrew Kambites say the tournament Acol, opener to hearts. Not having as with a weak hand 2♦ opposite: bid the lower does not open (or rarely many hearts as partner showed both majors, of touching 4-card suits opens) four-card majors, so would expect, I bid 2NT. while 2♥ showed hearts in a balanced hand ie responder has to bid them. We finished in 3♥. and a minor, 2♠ spades diamonds before hearts. In Standard English, How would you and a minor. Does Which is correct? as you quote and as have bid? this have a name? Bill Hogan, St. Helens. Bernard teaches, opener Andy Robertshaw, Bridgend. 2 Our hands were: bids the major, in which Different rules case responder does not You have said that apply depending need to strain to do so. West opened 1♣ and ♠ A K 4 ♠ 9 5 2 A upon whether your that you were South ♥ A Q 6 N ♥ 10 7 3 suits of equal length are ♣♦♥♠ A W E but made no mention of bids ♦ A J 8 4 S ♦ 9 5 3 2 four cards or longer. in between. This is material. ♣ K 5 4 ♣ 9 6 3 With two four-card suits, I have The If, in fact, East opened you are going to have a Times software 1♣, your 1NT overcall balanced hand (unless you Qseries. South seems reasonable. 18 West North East South have a third four-card suit) (the computer) held: points is a fraction more 2♦* so you will be thinking about than partner expects but Dble Pass Pass 2♥ no-trumps if you do not your poor intermediates 2NT End have a 4-4 fit – you do not ♠ 10 8 7 6 (no mention of a 9 or 10 in *see above intend to bid both suits. By ♥ Q 8 3 your diagram) mean you keeping the bidding low, ♦ J 8 5 4 2 can treat the hand as 17. I went two off for an bidding the lower suit, you ♣ K If West opened 1♣ and two average score. How give your partner a chance passes followed, you are too should the bidding to bid your other four-card good for a protective 1NT. have gone? suit. This is why, with 4-4 in West North East South When you are in the re- Alun Williams, the majors, you respond (or 1♥ Pass 1NT opening position, your bids Llanfairpwll, Anglesey. open) 1♥ rather than 1♠. show about 3 points fewer With two five-card suits I am at a loss to than in the direct position. 1. 2♦ to mean a weak (or two six-card suits – you understand why South In this case, you are far too major two-suiter is a will not have those very would respond 1NT. Can good for a 1NT overcall and A Norwegian 2♦. Using often), you intend to bid both you clarify please? must start with a double. 2♥ and 2♠ as weak major/ your suits. By bidding the Brian Swallow by email.

Page 36 BRIDGE July 2014 Ask Julian continued yourself an impossible rebid. Originally, Acol featured The Olde Barn Hotel a variable no-trump, weak non-vulnerable and strong Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT Bridge software vulnerable. If your partner often relies on rigid does not like opening A rules. It could be that a weak no-trump when the programmer specified vulnerable, it would be much you have to have a picture more productive to play a card in a suit to make it variable no-trump than to biddable (ruling out 1♠) waste the 1NT opening, and that you have to have by not using it at all. four-card support to raise (ruling out 2♥). Most experts ♣♦♥♠ would raise to 2♥, while many club players would I read, ‘eight bid 1♠. I agree that very few ever – nine humans would bid 1NT. Qnever,’ relating to a missing queen. ♣♦♥♠ I also read, ‘an even number of missing cards A fellow player – the split will be odd 11-13 July Just Duplicate Bridge £169 has advised that most of the time; an odd Sheila Rogers Qwhen playing number of missing cards a weak no-trump (12- – the split will be even 1-3 August Just Duplicate Bridge £169 14) at rubber bridge, most of the time.’ While Patrick Dunham when vulnerable one I know these comments should not open 1NT. are only guides, they do 29-31 August Rubber / Chicago If partner has a bust, seem to be contradictory. one is likely to go down Which is correct? Diana Holland £169 a bundle, especially if Jacqueline Darts by email. doubled. Is this correct? 12-14 September Just Duplicate Bridge £169 Brian Cooper, N W London. You are quite right Sheila Rogers that with four cards The advice you have A missing, a 3-1 break 26-28 September Declarer Play £179 received makes is initially more likely than Gwen Beattie A no sense. What a 2-2 break (48% for the is the point of playing a former, 40% for the latter). 10-12 October Endplay & Avoidance £245 1NT opening that you are However, the reason why Bernard Magee not going to use? A 1NT you play for the drop on the opening is a very useful second round is that once bid: it describes both the the queen does not drop 17-19 October Just Duplicate Bridge £169 shape and the strength of on the first round you can Patrick Dunham your hand to your partner, rule out a quarter of the 3-1 often making it easy to find breaks (those in which the the best contract. Moreover, queen is singleton). So that 31 Oct – 2 Nov Just Duplicate Bridge £169 since the opponents cannot reduces the chance of a 3-1 June Dixon and Carol Fisher overcall at the one level, break to 36%, below the it makes it difficult for the 40% chance of a 2-2 break. 14-16 November Doubles £179 opponents to enter the There is no contradiction Will Parsons auction and/or find their best – it is simply a matter of contract. Besides, if you have taking into account the new 28-30 November Just Duplicate Bridge £169 a 1NT opening and fail to information that the queen is Michael Haytack make it, you will often leave not singleton. ■

E-mail your questions for Julian to: Full Board - No Single Supplement [email protected] Booking Form on page 8.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 37 2014 with Jeremy Dhondy, Chairman of the EBU July 2014: We are the Champions

ational Teams create con- Twenty years ago nearly all players in scores. It won’t be long before that is troversy amongst the public. clubs would play Acol or Benjamin- also available at English tournaments. Who hasn’t selected a better ised Acol. Today, a proportion have Even if that seems a step too far at the Ncricket team than the selectors? Who switched to a strong no trump and club, many of us are used to leaving at couldn’t pick a better football team for five-card majors and that proportion the end of a session and seeing the re- the World Cup than Roy Hodgson? grows every year. At least, in part, this sults on the internet by the time we get Despite them not picking our team, we is due to the systems played by our top home. All of this technology stemmed will likely watch, especially if the team players. In the European Champion- initially from the world of internation- do well. Sometimes (and for football ship in Croatia, all of our open and al bridge. possibly not since 1966) we will have women’s team are playing a five-card Occasionally, there are letters to pride in what they do and how well major system. The benefits of new sys- bridge magazines talking about they achieve. I was lucky enough to be tems (well, new to us) percolate down- internationals, the participants and the in Australia in 2010/11 watching when wards. The dreaded Multi comes orig- cost. Most players I’ve met, however, England finally won a test series there. inally from a desire by Terence Reese are keen to know how our teams have In other sports, we can feel a patriotic & Jeremy Flint to fight fire with fire done, whether they are in contention stir and become temporary curling in international events in the 1960s. and they want the team to do well. In fans when the GB teams do well. Once it was established at that level, the last three years we have been lucky What is it like in bridge? Until it became more common at club level that we have had an excellent Women’s relatively recently, our teams went off also. At a championship, the game is team. They won a European Title and a to far flung places and, perhaps, if you not the only thing that goes on. It is World Title in 2012 and a silver medal read the right newspaper, you would common to have meetings to develop in the World Championships in 2013. see some results and, after the event, the laws of the game. Some may say By the time you read this I hope they some articles in bridge magazines, but why should they change? My 1935 law will have won a further medal in the today, anyone who wants can watch book says that an established revoke European championships in Croatia. a European or World Championship cost three tricks. That is typically quite I’d like to debunk one rumour I’ve from the comfort of their own draconian, but on occasion might be heard a few times. Although sending armchair. When England were insufficient. Imagine a revoke, the -ef teams to far flung parts of the world is playing in Bali last year, our Women’s fect of which cuts declarer off from a an expensive business, the players are team played in the final against the running suit in dummy. This could not paid a single penny for their time, USA and there were more than 3,000 easily cost five tricks so a concept of they don’t travel first class and they people watching despite it being on equity in such situations has been in don’t stay in the best hotel in town. All at a particularly unattractive time of the law for some years. Some elements our players also give up time before the day due to the time difference. of bridge at the top level will stay each championship for training and Audiences for open games are higher there. I don’t see players in clubs play- preparation and have a coach to help and the final had over 7,000 people ing behind screens any decade soon. them with this. watching. As more people acquire the However, the technology supporting If you find bridge at this level technology, the audience will grow. scoring has certainly percolated to interesting to watch, whether it is to Some people may ask, ‘What has all most clubs and any club sticking with learn new things or to watch even that got to do with us?’ Well, when you its small bridge tables from 30 years our best players occasionally falling write down what a national body in ago might regret this with the advent on their faces then BBO (Bridge Base any game or sport ought to do, then not only of a scoring machine on the online at www.bridgebase.com) is a organising and supporting interna- table, but also four bidding boxes. In marvellous and free service that covers tional representation comes high on championships, you need a badge in all international championships. There that list. And it has an effect on those order to gain admittance to the play- is a free app for your tablet also. who do no more than play in their club ing area. The badge has a bar code on If you have constructive comment each week. To give an example, if you it and at the end of a session you can or feedback on these or other topics, go to many clubs these days there is scan the bar code and get an immedi- I will be pleased to hear from you at a change in the basic system played. ate printout of your whole session with [email protected]. ■

Page 38 BRIDGE July 2014 Answers to David Huggett’s Play Quiz on page 33

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads 1. ♠ A 8 6 4 the ♦Q. How do you plan the play? 4. ♠ A 7 4 ♥ K 9 7 You have four potential losers; two ♥ J 9 2 ♦ A 7 6 trumps, a heart and a diamond. If you ♦ A 6 4 ♣ J 9 7 win the first trick and play on trumps, the ♣ K 9 7 2 ♠ J 3 ♠ Q 10 9 7 5 opponents will play another diamond and ♠ K Q J 10 3 ♠ 9 5 2 ♥ Q 8 3 2 N ♥ J 10 4 you will be a tempo behind. You need to ♥ 10 8 3 N ♥ 7 6 5 4 W E W E ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Q 10 8 5 2 S K 3 get rid of a potential diamond loser early, Q 8 S J 10 9 5 ♣ K 4 ♣ 6 5 3 so, at trick two, you must aim to knock out ♣ Q 8 3 ♣ 10 5 ♠ K 2 the ace of hearts then the losing diamond ♠ 8 6 ♥ A 6 5 from dummy can eventually be thrown on ♥ A K Q ♦ J 9 4 the third heart. But there is a danger. You ♦ K 7 3 2 ♣ A Q 10 8 2 have to win the opening lead in dummy ♣ A J 6 4 to make sure you can return to hand to cash that third heart if they hold up the You are declarer in 3NT and West leads ace for a round. There is no guarantee You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♦5. How do you plan the play? that you would be able to return to hand the ♠K. How do you plan the play? Clearly, if the club finesse works, you with a third round club ruff. If you can make three club tricks, you have more than enough tricks, although will make your contract as long as you you need only four club tricks to make don’t lose too many tricks first. Presum- the contract. The danger, of course, is ably, it will be West who has the spade that West might win and cash enough 3. ♠ K 9 7 2 length if the suit breaks 5-3, so your first diamonds to defeat you first. If that suit ♥ K 10 3 move must be to hold up the ace until breaks 4-3, there is no problem, so you ♦ A 7 4 2 the third round. But, of course, you must must address the situation when West ♣ K 5 strive to keep West off lead now, so it has five diamonds and the king of clubs. ♠ 6 4 ♠ 5 cannot be right to take a club finesse into It’s true he could have started with a five ♥ 9 8 6 4 2 N ♥ A Q 7 the West hand. Instead, play a club to the W E ♦ ♦ card suit headed by the king and the 8 S K J 9 6 5 3 ace and then lead a low club, playing the queen but it is twice as likely that he only ♣ Q 10 8 7 2 ♣ J 6 4 nine if West plays low. Should West show has king to five or queen to five in which ♠ A Q J 10 8 3 out, you simply win the king and play case East has either queen or king dou- ♥ J 5 back to the jack. As long as West does bleton. ♦ Q 10 not hold at least three clubs with both So, win the first trick with the ace and ♣ A 9 3 the queen and the ten, you will make the hope to block the suit before taking a contract. ■ club finesse. You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ♦8. How do you plan the play? Mr Bridge It might look tempting to duck the Premium Quality Cards 2. ♠ Q 7 6 2 opening lead in dummy in case West has ♥ 8 3 led away from the king but that would ♦ A 9 3 prove disastrous on the actual layout, ♣ A K 9 8 where West has a singleton diamond ♠ A 5 4 ♠ K and East has both the ace and queen of ♥ 10 9 5 2 N ♥ A 7 6 4 hearts. In fact, there are always ten tricks W E ♦ Q J 10 2 S ♦ 8 5 4 available via six spades, one diamond, ♣ J 3 ♣ Q 10 7 5 4 two clubs and a club ruff, so play safe Standard Faces, ♠ J 10 9 8 3 and win the opening lead, draw trumps with or without bar codes. Unboxed. ♥ K Q J and hope to make a heart trick for an 6 red/6 blue £19.95 ♦ K 7 6 overtrick. This won’t happen on the ac- 30 red/30 blue only £60 ♣ 6 2 tual hand, but at least you have guaran- Available from The London Bridge Centre. ( 020 7288 1305 www.bridgeshop.com teed your contract.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 39 Misleading Cases Number Seven An Accusation Salmon v. Tuna before Mr Justice Pons in the High Court of Justice in the Strand

After the evidence and Counsels’ closing speeches, his Lordship gave judgment as follows:

his case arises out of the competition. A later investigation a civil court such as this comes to be an allegation made by by a senior barrister hired by the deciding what is essentially a matter of Mr Terence Tuna, a EBU cleared Reese and Shapiro (or criminal law. “TTournament Director at the Erehwon rather found them not guilty beyond The hand on which Mr Salmon was Duplicate Bridge Club, that one of reasonable doubt, which is, of course, alleged to be cheating is shown below. the players, Mr Aloysius Salmon, had a rather different matter), but the cheated one evening at bridge. At the position was never satisfactorily start of this hearing, I declared an resolved. It is noteworthy that Reese Dealer South. Love All. interest in bridge, having played the and Shapiro did not go to court to ♠ K 5 2 game myself for many years. Both prove their innocence, although Reese ♥ J 6 5 sides were, nevertheless, happy for me did write an account of the matter, ♦ A Q 10 5 to hear this case. Story of an Accusation – you can get it ♣ A Q J Now, my first thought when I heard for £5 on eBay. ♠ Q 8 6 3 ♠ 10 7 4 about this allegation was that, if it were There is, as far as I know, no Act of ♥ Q 3 N ♥ 9 8 4 true, surely the Laws of Bridge had been Parliament which defines cheating or ♦ J 9 8 2 W E ♦ K S infringed and the perpetrator should sets a punishment for it. Cheating is ♣ 10 8 2 ♣ K 9 7 6 4 3 have been dealt with in accordance what we lawyers call a ‘common law ♠ A J 9 with those Laws. That was before I offence’, in other words judge-made ♥ A K 10 7 2 discovered that the Laws of Bridge law (as is murder, so don’t knock it ♦ 7 6 4 3 have nothing to say about cheating – on that account). Anyone convicted ♣ 5 take a look and see for yourself. Isn’t of cheating could be sent to prison that strange? So what is the director or fined a large sum. Furthermore, to supposed to do if he (or somebody accuse anyone of such an offence is also West North East South else) suspects someone of cheating? a very serious matter. It constitutes 1♥ Even after hearing this case, I am not defamation (described in one legal Pass 2♦ Pass 3♦ sure I have an answer to that question. source as ‘lowering [the claimant] in Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ There have been allegations of the esteem of right-thinking people Pass 6♥ All Pass cheating in bridge ever since the game generally’) and a person who can be was invented, even (nay, especially) shown to have made a false accusation Contract: 6♥ by South. Lead: ♦2. in expert bridge circles – the most of cheating could be liable for very notorious case being at the 1965 substantial damages. So perhaps it is The basic facts are not in dispute. Mr Bermuda Bowl in Buenos Aires. In not surprising that claims of cheating Salmon was South, declarer, in a con- that case, members of the US bridge are not often made – it is too risky. tract of 6♥. West led ♦2, won with dum- team (off duty), having watched After the alleged cheating episode, my’s ♦A, dropping East’s ♦K (which Terence Reese and Boris Shapiro, key Mr Salmon was banned from the South seemed to have been expecting). members of the British team, playing Erehwon Club (and from other bridge Next came ♥J from dummy, but when a number of hands together, became clubs nearby) and had to play his East played low, declarer played ♥A to convinced that the British pair were bridge online – better than nothing, that trick followed by ♥K, (♥Q falling cheating by the use of hand signals but not such good company. In the from West) and then ♥10, drawing the indicating the length of their heart end, he decided, on legal advice, to last trump. He then finessed ♦10 and suits and reported the fact to the bring matters to a head by suing for led ♣A, followed by ♣Q for a ruffing organisers of the event. The British libel (defamation in written form, finesse. It mattered not whether East captain then withdrew his team from as opposed to slander). That is how covered with ♣K. At the table, he

Page 40 BRIDGE July 2014 Misleading Cases continued narios, but by far the most shot and I had recently de- likely were that it was a sin- cided to take backward fi- Blunsdon gleton or fourth highest. I nesses whenever possible had recently read an article in future. (I might add that, House Hotel by Andrew Robson on the when it works, this is much Swindon SN26 7AS did. South ruffed then led ♠J subject of opening leads. more impressive than tak- for a backward finesse, win- He made it clear that one ing a simple finesse against ning the trick with ♠K when of the worst possible open- the queen, much more fun West covered with ♠Q. De- ing leads against a suit con- and it bemuses the op- clarer now cashed dummy’s tract was from K-x-x-x, so ponents no end). And, of ♦Q and ♣J (discarding a West (who is a good player) course, since East was likely diamond), then successful- would hardly have led from to hold more clubs than ly finessed South’s ♠9 and that holding. He might well, West, the odds favoured the cashed ♠A and ♥7 for the however, for want of a better ruffing finesse in that suit last two tricks. A backward lead, have tried the ♦2 from for the overtrick.’ finesse, a finesse of ♦10 on ♦ J-9-8-2. In which case the I was very impressed by the second round of the ♦K would be singleton on Mr Salmon’s account of his suit, plus a refusal to take my right and would fall un- card play, although in du- BRIDGE EVENTS either the heart finesse or der the ♦A (which is what plicate bridge generally, I a finesse on the first round I expected). And if West’s think there is less truth in 18-20 July £199 of diamonds gave him the lead had been a singleton, what he said about the lo- Just Duplicate contract, whilst the success- then playing the ♦A to the cation of queens than there John Ronan ful ruffing finesse made the first trick was essential to may be in rubber bridge. overtrick. stop East winning the trick Nothing said by Mr Tuna, 10-12 Oct £199 his Counsel or his witnesses East and West were and returning a diamond for Just Duplicate dumbfounded. The ‘c’ word West to ruff. So, playing the (East and West) in Court was not actually used at ♦A at trick one was, as the led me to believe that Mr Sheila Rogers that stage, but they called Americans say, a no-brainer. Salmon had cheated. I am 14-16 Nov £245 the director, Mr Tuna, and The later finesse of the ♦10 entirely convinced by the persuaded him that declarer was, of course, marked. latter’s explanation, con- Bernard Magee must have seen their cards As for the play in the gratulate him on his exper- Further into to have played the hand in heart suit, when I led the ♥J tise in playing the hand we the Auction such a way and that accu- from dummy East played have been considering and sation was made again in low without a thought. I wish him well in his very 28-30 Nov £245 Court. Mr Tuna is the de- had read that, if a defender promising bridge career. Bernard Magee fendant in this case because does not cover an honour Judgment accordingly. NEW Bidding TOPIC of a report he wrote on the with an honour (or at least The amount of damages Distributional Hands incident which did use the ‘c’ stop to think about it for a I can award in libel cases is word and which was leaked while), he is unlikely to hold constrained by recent guid- 23-25 Jan 2015 £245 to Mr Salmon by a friend on the honour you are looking ance by the appeal courts, Bernard Magee the club committee. for – the chances are that ‘if so I am awarding Mr Salm- At the time the hand was he don’t play it, he ain’t got on the maximum sum of Competitive Bidding played, Mr Salmon was so it’. So I spurned the heart fi- £50,000 (and costs), at least shocked (entirely under- nesse with good reason. £1,000 of which is to be standably) by the reaction Another bridge book spent on lessons and bridge of his opponents that he I have read recently pro- books to further his bridge said nothing in his defence pounds the theory that the career. I dare say the Club’s except to protest his inno- queen in any given suit is insurance will pay. cence, but in Court he gave very likely to be sitting over Let no-one be in doubt his account of the matter, to the jack in that suit – this is that calling a fellow bridge the following effect. because the queen will often player a cheat can prove ‘I am a relative newcomer have covered the jack the very expensive. Finally, I to bridge, but (as recom- previous time the hand was trust that the Erehwon Du- mended by my bridge teach- played and, because of poor plicate Bridge Club will reinstate Mr Salmon as a er) I regularly read books shuffling, would continue Full Board and magazines on the sub- to be in the hand to the left member forthwith (if not No Single Supplement ject. When the opening lead of the one with the jack. So sooner).” of the ♦2 was made, there the normal finesse against Reporter: Richard Wheen, Booking Form on page 8. were several possible sce- the queen is less than a 50% after A.P. Herbert ■

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 41 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum Episode 27: A Dog’s Life

illie and I were sitting in Millie’s hand was still in the board. was still the ♥2. Dennis won with the the Riverside bar sipping She held red-backed cards, whereas ace. The opposition removed Millie’s glasses of wine. We looked Dennis, Dawn and I were holding trumps and ran all their winners Mup as Dawn arrived carrying her lit- blue-backed ones. Somehow, she had for eight down and a score of minus tle dog. ‘What on earth are you doing inadvertently picked up the hand 2,000. Millie made no tricks at all. The with her?’ questioned Millie. We had from the next board; the evidence was director was recalled and announced never seen Dawn’s dog at the club be- a gap in the appropriate pocket. The the score would stand. The traveller fore, or for that matter, any dog. ‘As director was called and, after lengthy revealed that most pairs in the East- you know I don’t normally bring. . .’ discussions with others, he ruled that West seats had bid a game or a small Dawn started to explain. ‘I was talking the contract stood. Millie was deemed slam in diamonds or spades. One to the dog,’ interrupted Millie rudely. to have misbid during the auction as East-West pair had even bid and Dawn smiled and took no offence; she a consequence of holding these cards made the grand in spades, giving zero was used to Millie’s ways and contin- from the wrong board: match points to that unlucky North- ued, ‘He’s called Pixie by the way.’ ‘Did South. It was not a good score for us, you say he?’ questioned Millie, ‘Pixie of course, but at least it wasn’t quite seems rather a girly name.’ ‘Well, he is ♠ A 10 a bottom. Hardly surprisingly in the Pixie,’ Dawn assured her, ‘That’s OK ♥ J 3 2 circumstances, Dawn and I were in fits isn’t it?’ ‘Fine by me, but I’m not sure ♦ A K Q 10 5 3 of hysterics. Millie, rather like Queen he approves,’ Millie declared with- ♣ 8 4 Victoria before her, was not amused. out any evidence. As far as I could Dennis who is hard of hearing couldn’t see, Pixie was perfectly content and quite make out what was happening. couldn’t care less about his name. ‘My With some reluctance, Millie returned ‘He gets wax in his ears and won’t dog minder isn’t free tonight. I’d ar- them to their rightful location and have treatment,’ Dawn informed me ranged to play with Dennis and didn’t removed the correct hand from the adding, ‘He’s afraid the prescribed want to let him down,’ Dawn added current board. Now she had thirteen drops may affect his brain.’ With all quite reasonably. She seated herself at blue-backed cards like the rest of us. the mayhem, Pixie emerged from a nearby table with Pixie settling qui- She was still declarer as South playing under the table. ‘It’s not often we play etly down on the floor beside her. The in two diamonds doubled, but now in a three-two trump fit when a six- arrival of the dog seemed to unnerve with an unexpected and rather differ- four heart fit is available,’ I observed Millie and make her unusually tense. ent type of hand. unwisely. ‘I blame you,’ accused Millie However, bridge started well enough looking straight at Pixie and pointing and when we arrived at Dawn’s table, an index finger in his direction. ‘I’m Pixie was underneath fast asleep, ap- Dealer East. E/W Game. allergic to canines and you’ve brought parently unaware of eight feet danger- Wendy on my hay fever. No wonder I can’t ously positioned in close proximity. A ♠ Q 4 concentrate.’ The dog ignored the bizarre auction took place on the first ♥ Q 10 8 7 6 4 indictment with a wide, bored yawn. and, as it turned out, the only board ♦ 8 6 4 The director returned to calm us down of that round. Dennis was dealer and ♣ 7 5 and fined Millie for making the next opened 2♣, alerted by Dawn. Millie Dawn Dennis board unplayable. Millie and Pixie checked their system card and then ♠ J 8 7 6 5 2 ♠ A K 9 eyeballed each other unerringly until overcalled 2♦. Dawn and I passed; ♥ 2 N ♥ A 3 the move was called. W E double by Dennis ended the auction. ♦ A 7 5 2 S ♦ K Q J 3 In our usual hostelry later, with ♣ 8 2 ♣ A K J 6 no dog in sight, Millie had cheered West North East South Millie up considerably as she stroked the Dawn Wendy Dennis Millie ♠ 10 3 landlord’s cat, sitting contentedly 2♣1 2♦ ♥ K J 9 5 beside her. Perhaps Millie is really Pass Pass Dbl End ♦ 10 9 allergic to dogs. A double brandy 1Acol Game Force ♣ Q 10 9 4 3 soon soothed her nerves. ‘Exactly how many tricks can we make in Dawn led the ♥2 and I put down the hearts?’ I mused. ‘Rather more than in dummy. It was then I noticed that Prospects were not good. The lead diamonds,’ was Millie’s curt reply. ■

Page 42 BRIDGE July 2014 Catching Up by Sally Brock

ne of the ongoing issues is this Sunday. So our mission was to get needed so it’s actually quite hard to that the house is still on the to St Albans in time to collect it. It was find one if you leave it too late and any market. Very little interest. all a bit of a rush but we did manage it. that are left are reduced drastically in OWe have a new lot of agents who were The following Thursday (after a Super price afterwards. However, in Bruges, full of enthusiasm and joie de vivre. League match in London with Nicola they seemed much more relaxed about They planned an open day for us at on the Wednesday), I got a train to it and the shop windows were still full the end of April. They managed the Newport, near Saffron Walden and of them. We visited churches, we went grand total of zero viewers! It is hard walked to Ben, Gemma and Hayden’s on a boat trip on the canal, we went to know what is wrong. Everyone who new house. I had lunch with them to a harp recital, we bought me an comes to the house – be they friends, and then Toby and Briony drove over outfit for my niece’s wedding in July, tradesmen, estate agents, etc – says (Briony drove up to Bradford to col- we went to a Dali exhibition, we ate they like it. Everyone, that is, except lect Toby while I was in Eastbourne). mussels and asparagus and we sat and potential buyers. We spent a good day with them and watched the world go by. Another ongoing issue is the enjoyed the ostrich egg the following Home on the Saturday and Briony ProBridge agency, which seems to be day. It took 50 minutes to soft boil but, dropped me off at Barry’s. In the going well. We’ve all been working very of course, what we forgot was that it evening, we went to David’s 50th hard to get as many pros as possible on then took a while for everyone to pho- birthday celebrations at a vegetarian the site and ended up with a total of 30 tograph it, not to mention the time it restaurant in Hammersmith. The for the launch at the beginning of May. took to break into it. It ended up a little food was so good, it even impressed A good start I think. Now we need a overcooked, but fun nevertheless. We the carnivores. Then, the following similar campaign to get clients. If dipped in soldiers made from a small day was dinner with family friends in you’ve not had a chance to look at the baguette split into vertical strips. To Beaconsfield. site yet, go to www.pro-bridge.co.uk my mind it didn’t taste much differ- The big bridge event was the Spring We’re also on Twitter (@ProBridgeUK) ent from a normal egg and the white Foursomes in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Facebook (ProBridge). wasn’t very nice, but it was good fun held over the first May Bank Holiday Just before Easter, we went to and something different for Hayden. weekend. Barry and I played in a team Eastbourne for the weekend. Richard On Easter Saturday, we had a Gold of four with Cameron and Phil. We (of Richard and Gerry fame) arranged Cup match in High Wycombe which started off against a Midlands team a bridge weekend for the members of we won comfortably and then, on the that we dispatched fairly easily despite his 10CC Bridge Club at the Cavendish Sunday, we met up with my parents a costly disaster that left us 20 IMPs or Hotel (though the actual hotel was full and my brother and his family in a so down after the first eight boards. and we had to suffer being put up in a gastropub near Newbury for a family Although we made lots of mistakes suite at The Grand instead!). Fish and lunch. On the Monday, Barry and I over the weekend, we had a tremen- chip supper on the Friday evening was played in the Swiss Pairs in London – dous slam record, gaining ten slam followed by some informal bridge (cut without distinction. swings and losing only one, in our five for partners). On Saturday afternoon, On the Tuesday after Easter, Toby matches. Maybe we got a bit lucky as we played some bridge against Richard went back to uni and Briony and I set the good ones seemed fairly straight- and Simon, answering questions from off to France for a four-night break. forward to us. This was the first: the kibitzers. Then we played with We spent the first night in Saint-Omer assigned partners in a teams event – before deciding that we would go to with a suitable break for dinner. We Bruges rather than stay in France. We ♠ Void shared our two-bedroom suite with took a cross-country route to get there ♥ A K J 7 6 5 my old friend and bridge partner and checked into our hotel just before ♦ 10 5 4 Sandra Landy. We left after breakfast lunch (I had an online session with ♣ Q J 10 9 on the Sunday, on a mission … Richard and Gerry at two o’clock). ♠ 8 6 5 ♠ 10 9 4 ♥ 10 2 N ♥ Q 8 My grandson Hayden is being We spent a lovely couple of days in W E brought up quite strictly in regard to Bruges. It is so lovely there – would ♦ Q J 6 2 S ♦ K 9 3 eating sweets and we are visiting just thoroughly recommend for a short ♣ A K 7 2 ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 before Easter. Briony came up with the break. There are so many chocolate ♠ A K Q J 7 3 2 brilliant idea of getting an ostrich egg. shops. We must have visited at least 30 ♥ 9 4 3 We had finally tracked one down to a and there were plenty we didn’t visit. ♦ A 8 7 farm in Lincoln which was having a In the UK, we seem to try to make ♣ Void stall in the farmers’ market at St Albans exactly as many Easter eggs as are

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 43 Catching Up continued JUST DUPLICATE BRIDGE

Barry opened one spade and 4-6 July £199 7-9 November £199 rebid three spades over my Denham Grove Denham Grove two hearts. I guess I should have bid four hearts, but I didn’t like the lack of solidity 11-13 July £169 14-16 November £199 in my suit, so I raised to four The Olde Barn Chatsworth Hotel spades. Barry now bid five diamonds. I was worried about my void spade and my 11-13 July £199 14-16 November £199 Clifton Park Hotel Elstead Hotel lack of controls, so signed Chatsworth Hotel off in five spades, but he bid Worthing BN11 3DU the slam anyway. West led a top club and Barry played 12-14 September £169 safely, losing a trick to the The Olde Barn queen of hearts and making twelve tricks. Then it got tougher as 10-12 October £199 Blunsdon House Hotel we drew the Irish national team and we were trounced thoroughly. The Spring 10-12 October £199 Fours is a knock-out event Elstead Hotel but you have to lose twice Elstead Hotel Denham Grove before you are eliminated, Bournemouth BH1 3QP Denham, Bucks UB9 5DU so we now had to join the once-defeated pool. It is an extremely tough field, with 18-20 July £199 21-23 November £199 quite a lot of strong foreign Blunsdon House Hotel Chatsworth Hotel teams this year, including the Lavazza team from Italy. We now had two fairly easy 1-3 August £169 28-30 November £199 draws and won our matches The Olde Barn Chatsworth Hotel easily. On Sunday evening, we drew Sinclair (the even- Blunsdon House Hotel 8-10 August £199 Blunsdon, Swindon SN26 7AS 28-30 November £169 tual winners). We had our Clifton Park Hotel The Olde Barn moments but neither pair distinguished themselves 17-19 October £169 The Olde Barn and we lost badly. We con- soled ourselves with an ex- cellent meal out (as indeed 24-26 October £199 we did on the Saturday too Chatsworth Hotel – Cameron had booked – I know it sounds ‘normal’ to think ahead when you are 31 Oct – 2 Nov £169 intending to have dinner The Olde Barn in Stratford on a bank holi- day weekend, but you’d be surprised at just how many The Olde Barn Hotel 31 Oct – 2 Nov £199 Clifton Park Hotel bridge players find them- Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT Elstead Hotel St Annes on Sea FY8 1HN selves walking the streets trying to find somewhere to serve them dinner). We Full Board – No Single Supplement decided not to play in the Booking Form on page 8. Swiss teams on the Monday but to wend our way back to Please note there are no seminars, set hands or prizes at these events. High Wycombe. ■

Page 44 BRIDGE July 2014 Seven Days by Sally Brock

Saturday Of course, we have a carload of food road where there are some more, but so staying in a B&B is not a great idea. it doesn’t look as if there is anything We have a house viewing at 10.30am Eventually, we decide to book into a much there. We ask someone if there so need to be out of the house by then. hotel for the night and have a rethink. is anywhere to get a cup of tea and he Briony and I are having a short break We manage to change our restaurant says, ‘only on Monday or Wednesday.’ in Lyme Regis. We whizz down the booking from tomorrow to tonight. So we move on. motorway to Bournemouth when I We dress up a bit and out we go to Hix We stop for a pub snack in have the bright idea of stopping for Oyster and Fish Bar. This is a fabulous Puddletown – such a lovely name. lunch. Having played in the EBU place. We walk through the gardens Then to Sculptures by the Lake, tournament there, I know how to to get there and we are perched up for which we had bought tickets in get to a place where I can park and above the town with a fantastic view advance. then walk through the gardens to the of the harbour. Even though we don’t If you are ever in the area, I can’t beach where there is a good deli/café have a window seat, we have a good recommend this place highly enough. overlooking the sea. The weather is view. We eat fish and more fish. It is And take a picnic if the weather’s wet and windy, though not actually slightly embarrassing when I discover good. There are two main lakes raining. We watch the mad surfers I have left my purse in my hotel room with several other small ponds and while I tuck into baked camembert but they seem happy that they have a running stream too and lots of and Briony has mussels. Then it’s back my mobile number and are prepared beautiful sculptures. Although it is on increasingly rural roads until we to trust me rather than force me to do not in operation for us, apparently get to Lyme Regis – stopping on the the washing up (did anyone ever force there is a rowing boat you can take out way at a supermarket to buy food for a customer who couldn’t pay to do onto one of the lakes to visit an island the few days we are away. I have not the washing up?). We wander slowly where there are more sculptures. We been to Lyme Regis before and it looks back through the gardens, remember spend a very pleasant hour exploring. lovely. A bit of a disappointment to to ring up and pay the bill and settle I am driving but having difficulty find no-one in when we arrive at our down for the night – also with a great keeping my eyes open. We see a rental apartment, but it doesn’t matter. view. big Tesco store on the outskirts of We walk into town and have a look Shaftesbury and as we are going home around. now there are bits and pieces we need. Soon, I get a phone call from our Sunday Briony offers to go in and do a bit of rental people and it’s a bit of a disaster Up for an excellent full English shopping while I sleep in the car for as they have never heard of us. It breakfast. Then back to my room to do an hour. Then it is up to Biddestone appears that when we booked through a couple of hours’ work (Iceland is in to pick up my parents and out to their website someone had hacked into its finishing stages). We check out and dinner at Jack’s, their local upmarket their email account and the people we set off. We have decided to go home restaurant. had an email correspondence with – via my parents but are in no rush. We have an excellent evening with and paid – wasn’t them at all. So that Briony had researched some things to good food and extremely helpful staff is £295 wasted, but more important, do in the area so we look at what is on – Briony has a lot of intolerances and after a visit to the local tourist our way home. First we take the coast allergies and it is important that she information office, who are extremely road (which is lovely) to Little Bredy, finds out exactly what is in anything helpful and ring around for us, there a supposedly extremely pretty village. she is going to eat. Then we drop my is no self-catering accommodation to I’m not sure we really found it. There parents off and drive home – or rather be had in the area for love nor money. are a few houses and we walk down a Briony drives home.

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 45 Seven Days continued Tuesday Then it’s off to the annual Berks v Bucks match – teams of 48 face Another email from Kate. She has de- each other across the green baize. cided she can’t leave her husband and Each county has three teams of 16, Monday is cancelling the trip. We are obviously A, B and C teams, who play amongst disappointed but quite understand. I themselves. So there are three separate Every cloud has a silver lining and send off the odd email to see if I can contests and whichever county wins the lining to this one is that at least find a substitute, but it doesn’t really two or more wins the shield. I can get some work done. I am not matter. This was as much a holiday This was a swingy board in a lot of doing as much work for Bradt as I as bridge event and none of the other matches: used to but there is a lot on just now. three of us mind not playing a session Two books to finish off for the printer: or two. We shall turn up as a three- Iceland and North Korea and a new some and see who is available to make Dealer South. E/W Vul. one, Mongolia. I get up at seven and up our numbers. ♠ A 10 8 work all day, breaking the back of it. This is the second day in a row I ♥ A 10 8 Briony potters in the kitchen making haven’t got out of my pyjamas. Nose ♦ 7 delicious concoctions. to the grindstone all day. Briony cooks ♣ A Q J 10 6 4 Another ongoing thread that has the most delicious slow-roasted lamb ♠ K J 7 5 ♠ Q 9 2 ♥ 9 7 6 5 3 N ♥ 4 been running through the last few days shoulder for dinner. In the evening, I W E and is coming to a head is Killarney. have a coaching session with my Irish ♦ K 10 S ♦ A Q J 6 3 2 Barry and I are supposed to be going pair. They are keen to develop quite a ♣ 9 2 ♣ 8 7 3 to Killarney to play in the congress complicated system – it’s hard to keep ♠ 6 4 3 there at the weekend – and away for them grounded. ♥ K Q J 2 just over a week. ♦ 9 8 5 4 My friend Kate from the US and ♣ K 5 her husband are coming to join us. Wednesday He barely plays bridge but has family Finished Mongolia by lunchtime. in Ireland and they are combining Get dressed finally and out we go. At our table the bidding is: the bridge with a holiday. We have First to a hat shop to hire hats for the rented a house near the hotel where wedding in July – but it had closed West North East South the bridge is to be played and are down. Pass going to be joined by John Holland Then to Waitrose for some bits Pass 1♣ 2♦ 2♥ and play as a foursome, playing in and pieces. Barry was expecting to 3♦ 4♦ Pass 4♥ various combinations. We have all get to us in time for supper so we All Pass been looking forward to this for a bought Dover sole, a small lobster and long time and everything is in place, some mussels – Briony has a fairly Barry leads a trump which declarer but … Kate’s husband is not well new-found enthusiasm for seafood, wins in the dummy to lead a diamond. and doesn’t feel up to the trip. She’s especially mussels. A browse in the I hop up with the ace and switch to not sure whether or not she can leave charity shops for jigsaws and then to a spade and declarer has no chance, him. Every morning, I’ve been getting the hairdressers. I usually go to a girl eventually going two down. up to find an updated email full of down the road who gives me a dry trim But the Berks defenders do not do indecision … and charges very little; Briony hasn’t so well against Carole Mueller. Their In the evening, I have an online had hers trimmed professionally for bidding is: practice match with Nicola against eighteen months or so. So this is a Catherine and Fee. Fee and Susan treat. A proper salon where your hair West North East South have been part of the English women’s is washed for you (while sitting on Pass team for several years now, but after a seat with a raised footstool which Pass 1♣ 2♦ Dbl the world championships in Bali massages your bottom and back at the Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥ last year, Susan decided to stop for same time) and they then cut and blow Pass 4♥ All Pass a while, mostly for work reasons. dry. We leave looking a million dollars Fee has formed a new partnership (and an equivalent amount poorer). At her table, West leads the king of with Catherine Draper, who was on The only bad news is that while we diamonds and switches to a trump. the team when we won in 2008. I are there Barry rings to say he’s been Carole draws two rounds of trumps, have a good feeling about them and held up and won’t make supper. We ruffs a diamond, plays a club to her think it will work out well, but their try taking the fish back to Waitrose king, draws two more rounds of partnership is very new, so they want but, not unexpectedly, they won’t let trumps and plays clubs. West can take to get in as much practice as they can us return fresh food. So there is no his trump tricks when he wants but before the European Championships option but to stuff ourselves with a dummy is good. at the end of June. seafood feast. Not for the first time, Bucks A

Page 46 BRIDGE July 2014 Seven Days continued West North East South match. Opponents include my old Pass Pass Pass 1♥ friend Dave Armstrong and his wife, Pass 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ so it’s a pretty sociable affair. We start 4♠ Pass Pass 5♥ by having the chicken cacciatora with wins (no thanks to us this year), but Dbl All Pass jacket potatoes and green beans. It both B and C teams lose. Still, it is seems to go down well. Then we play quite a fun event. And it is great to see Exciting stuff. I can’t think of anything the match – 24 boards played in two Barry. What with me being away with sensible to open in third seat so decide halves. Briony and him having lots of work to pass for the time being. We rather trounce them and at half- on, I’ve hardly seen him recently. Roll North-South are playing a strong time they decide they would rather on Killarney. club system so South can’t have a have a cuppa and cake (Briony makes strong balanced hand, making it a these delicious chocolate concoctions little safer for me to bid so aggressively that are a hard dark chocolate shell Thursday at unfavourable vulnerability on with meringue and chocolate mousses Both Iceland and North Korea have the second round. Barry is always inside) and go home early than play gone to the printer now, so my main optimistic and decides we have a shot on. job is to write this article. I get up at making four spades and that has the Just in case you think I’m getting early and get on with it but, of course, effect of pushing our opponents to five a bit big for my boots and never do I am sidetracked by lots of incoming hearts. anything wrong, I will share with emails and irritating estate agents. On a spade lead, declarer has to you one of the most ridiculous boards Briony and I cook chicken cacciatora decide whether Barry might have led Barry and I have ever had. for tomorrow’s bridge match – that away from the king of spades. If hearts This was the club suit around the means she cooks and I do the prep – are 3-0 (quite likely on my bidding), table: skinning the chicken, grating garlic then he needs this, so he ducks trick and skinning kilos of tomatoes. Still, one and now I switch to a diamond good to do it together. and get a diamond ruff for one down ♣ 9 4 Then she goes into town shopping and 11 IMPs. while I have an online session with Other than that board, we’re not N Richard and Gerry. Later, I get a train very happy with our last set. We let ♣ K 7 5 2 W E ♣ Q 10 8 6 3 into London. I’ve wanted to get her a vulnerable game through and fail S a little surprise present for being so to find a very cheap sacrifice, but helpful recently and had the idea of our team-mates have a storming last ♣ A J getting her summer pyjamas. So first session and we put on 18 to win by 27 stop is Victoria’s Secret where I am overall. completely overwhelmed at the choice Our opponents miss their 4-4 spade fit of underwear, but eventually choose and alight in three no-trumps. Barry some nice pink stripey PJs. Then it’s a Friday leads the two of clubs to my queen and 20-minute walk or so to TGR’s for our Off to another hat shop. This time declarer’s ace. Declarer then cashes Crockfords match. it’s open and the woman who owns the king of spades and finesses a spade We struggle a bit. 15 up after the first it is the mother of an old primary to my queen. We have an agreement in set and then lose dribs and drabs to be schoolfriend of Briony. We spend some this sort of defensive position to play only 9 up with eight to go. time trying on various amazing items ‘Smith peters’. Using this method, We expect to gain points on this: of headgear. I am persuaded to buy a when you (either defender) play high- navy fascinator. Briony can’t decide low on the first suit played by declarer, between a silvery white hat and a royal it means you like the opening lead. Dealer West. E/W Vul. blue hair clip, but in the end decides Because I know I am going to win the ♠ A 8 5 to leave it. So I’m going to look like an first defensive trick (spade queen), I ♥ 10 8 4 2 idiot on my own. (I’m not really a hat don’t bother to do this, so, when I get ♦ 6 3 person, but like to give it a whirl from in with the queen of spades and return ♣ Q J 9 8 time to time – the last time I hired a the ten of clubs (to pin dummy’s nine ♠ J 9 3 ♠ K 10 7 6 4 hat was for Ben’s wedding eight years in case Barry has led from a three- ♥ Q 3 N ♥ 6 W E ago). card suit), Barry thinks I started with ♦ A 9 8 4 2 S ♦ J Then home to do some bits and Q-10-x. So he ducks the jack of clubs. ♣ A 10 4 ♣ K 7 6 5 3 2 pieces of work, pack for Killarney Declarer still needs to develop an ex- ♠ Q 2 and tidy the house for the match this tra trick and takes another finesse, this ♥ A K J 9 7 5 evening – and we have a viewing time into Barry’s hand, but nothing ♦ K Q 10 7 5 tomorrow morning. Briony goes off to has happened to change Barry’s view ♣ Void spend some time with her friend Sam of the hand, so he gets off lead pas- and everyone arrives for the NICKO sively and declarer has nine tricks. ■

BRIDGE July 2014 Page 47 BERNARD MAGEE at Denham Grove near Uxbridge, Bucks, UB9 5DG. 9-12 January 2015 £399 Friday – Monday, £369 Friday – Sunday, full board Limited places for Thursday night available. £45pp single, £65 double/twin.

Defence as Partner of the Leader Aggressive Bidding AT PAIRS Defence is the hardest aspect of the game, but the one Forty years ago, duplicate pairs was in its infancy and you that I love to teach the most: it is where most players can needed 13 HCP to open the bidding and rarely competed make great progress. You are often taught about opening for a partscore. Now the norm is to open with 11 HCP and leads, but what about as the leader’s partner? How do you compete for every hand. The reason is largely because of play to trick one and then what do you do later? Should the scoring system. -50 and -100 can score very well, when you continue with your partner’s suit or switch? I will try your opponents can make a contract of their own. Since to give you the answers to all of these questions and more. going off can score well, you should bid more.

Strong Opening Bids Take-Out Doubles Much focus is placed on weak opening bids in the Take-out doubles are an increasingly important aspect of modern game which means many strong hands are hard duplicate bridge. I will deal with basic take-out doubles to bid. Managing your strong bids carefully can give and their responses and then progress to you great joy, particularly when you have a neat talk about competing for every partscore. bidding sequence to a lovely slam. I will talk about Aiming to push your opponents higher or your strong opening options and show you how to looking to get the magic -50, which scores so well when make the most of them. your opponents can make a contract of their own.

Suit Establishment Landy / Defending Against 1NT Five-card suits (and longer) are powerful things: I will Competing against a 1NT opening allows you to chal- try to get across my passion for them by showing you lenge for the partscore and also disrupts your opponents’ how to develop your extra tricks through establishment. conventions. I will talk about competing over 1NT in Every five-card suit merits your attention, however general and then talk about the Landy Convention, weak. Once you have seen the opportunities for extra which is a relatively simple method of competing over tricks, you will understand why it is important to add 1NT. The weak no-trump is a powerful pre-emptive strength on for long suits during the auction. opening, so you need to try hard to overcome it.

6 seminar sessions with Bernard1 6 sessions of supervised play2 Contact Mr Bridge to book your place or for further details: ( 01483 489961 1Filmed 2Not with Bernard Magee