Worcestershire Bridge News May & June 2012

Editorial Discussion – is the advent of bridge online a good or As we come up to summer, I’m sure most of us look a bad thing? Does it detract from the traditional back on the previous season. Usually with some bridge club? My view, for what it’s worth, is that I’d satisfaction, remembering something we won or did far rather play against people face to face. However, well, and always with some memory of something with the rising cost of fuel it may be that economic we could have done better. “If only I’d taken the pressures make playing online more attractive. And right view…..”, Why on earth didn’t I…..”. what happens when I find I’m too infirm to be let out Fortunately, we often learn from our mistakes (“I (no comments from my team-mates, please!)? will lead partner’s suit in future!”), but perhaps the Keeping my mind as alert as possible by playing real question is how do we avoid those errors and online might be a very welcome option. For now, continue to improve? though, please do take advantage of opportunities to learn and improve and do feel free to join our This month, I’m going to extol the virtues of Facebook Group. discussion. Importantly, not just with your regular partner or partners, but with as many and as good ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ people as possible. Of course, it’s a good thing to talk with your partner after a session about what you ANNUAL GENERAL did well or badly – that is a great way to avoid similar mistakes in the case of bad results and to MEETING reinforce your strong points. Annual General Meeting of the Worcestershire Association took place in Droitwich However, we can all learn from other sources as st on 21 May. well. Ever since I used to sit around until the early hours at congresses with anyone and everyone who On a very positive note, the Committee remains would listen to my tales of woe, I’ve recognised that substantially unchanged from last year and the talking to better players than me (plenty of those, County has had a successful year financially. Whilst fortunately!) is a great way to learn. But what if you the question of accommodation for County nights think you don’t have those opportunities? As we remains unresolved for the long term, the short term become more mature, the inclination to get to bed is secure and the Committee have identified a becomes stronger than the inclination to sit talking number of good options for the future. after a game. So what other options are open to us? The County has also had a number of encouraging Clearly, books are useful. However, whilst I’m a big results in competition, the most recent being fan of the “real world” and real people, the online Worcester Bridge Club winning the South West world is becoming increasingly useful. Most of us Regional Heat of the Garden Cities Competition by a probably avidly check our results online now significant margin. (depending, obviously, on how we’ve done). But there are other options as well. Bridge Base Online ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ (www.bridgebase.com) lets you either play or, possibly more instructively watch others play. Far To receive this newsletter straight to your inbox send more fun than television! a blank email to:

Our own Worcestershire Facebook page features [email protected] some probably slightly less erudite discussions – or download from www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk hopefully you’ll enjoy contributing your own two- Our thanks are due to this issue’s contributors. penn’orth. All contributions are welcome for future issues:  [email protected] That does, of course, raise another point of  Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk

Mr David Lancaster ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Mr Robin Barker Gill Mitchell Ms Pat Ogle Mr Ron Thompson News & Forthcoming Mr Tim Vivian Mrs Margaret Waine-Horry Events Local Master Mrs Barbara Carrurthers ------Mrs Dorothy Sealey Mr R H Andrews Mr Paul Brenda County Events Mrs Lorraine Matthews Mrs Joanne Shone As we approach the summer break, the number of upcoming events is limited. Please note, however, ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ the first Grand Prix Teams of the new season on 9th July. This event was a great success last year and we’d encourage those who haven’t previously played EBU REGIONAL in County events to come along and show us your skills. CLUB COMMITTEE By David Thomas - Chairman WCBA ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ The second meeting of the EBU regional club Club Events committee was held in early April at Solihull. Ideally a member of a club committee rather than a county Don’t forget that our clubs have some excellent committee member should attend these half yearly events – see later in this Newsletter. Also check out meetings but with no volunteers forthcoming I their websites for details. attended the latest meeting. Your committee would welcome any volunteer to take on this not too ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ onerous role and the county will cover basic expenses. Promotions The major items discussed were: -

Well done to the following:- Education Life Master Mr J R Garratt The EBU is still offering one free course per club to 5 Star Master train teachers. The major problem remains getting Mr D H Horton 1 Star Master pupils integrated into the mainstream bridge set up. Mr Terry Collins Within the WCBA several clubs are running TRY Master DUPLICATE sessions for these people. Miss S Froggatt District Master Mr Andy Blundell Blue Points Mr M Allin Mrs Gwen Altoft The EBU is attempting to allow club players to Mrs Jill Davis obtain green points by playing in events offering Mrs C D Spillane Mr Maurice Smith blue points which are fractional green points. They Area Master will be offered in EBU Sims competitions for Peter Balchin starters. However, the county view is that the Phil Drake Mr E Gibbs conditions for running blue point events are far too Jane Somervell onerous for clubs and much more suitable for non Mrs Wendy Margetts green pointed congress events. The Midland Mrs Sheila Williams Club Master Counties Congress next January will have a blue Mr David Astley point event. [email protected] Page 2

Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk

Ranking System Islands, he then announced that due to a problem with pressurising the cabin we would have to return The new EBU ranking system is up and running but to East Midlands, back over the I.O.W and C.I's. still in a period of bedding in. All clubs should now Neville missed this announcement and thought we be able to access a full ranking list for their players. had arrived in Portugal. He also managed to lose his The system is currently very volatile and does not boarding card and nearly missed out on the include teams events. Eventually it should be useful magnificent £3 voucher we got for a snack. One and for clubs in setting up different types of event based a half hours later off we go again, flying over the on ranking. I.O.W and the C.I's for the third time. Arriving in Portugal it was a bit cool and damp, so we had not Stratification missed anything.

This allows different ranking lists to be produced Tony has been playing for some from a single event so that high ranking players can time, except he did not seem to actually know what it be separated from your normal club player. The meant or how to use it, and was of the opinion that county ran a trial event on 30th April. Linda had got it wrong. Recklessly he asked for our opinions - silly - we all agreed that Linda had got it ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ right: he now seems to know what it means and when to use it. COMPETITIONS It was discovered that Dennis is studying for an UPDATE 'ology' with the Open University. This should have been met with much respect, but somehow it caused ------much humour (of the Maureen Lipman type) and Den seemed to become a bit bored with mentions of Scottish Bridge Union an 'ology' at every opportunity. Marian had one of her giggle spells when sitting at a Congress table with a pair who had a very complicated and (in Albufeira!) large she found herself saying "You've got a big one there", this being promptly by Sue Lane followed by one of the pens used by the opposition exploding upwards in (at the time) in a very Everyone except Marian Wilcox forgot to take suggestive manner. something on holiday, (Unless, of course, she has not owned up!) I forgot my adaptor, Neville Shorrick his For most of us it was our first Scottish Bridge Union jumper, Linda Gervis her sunglasses, TONY holiday, the hotel was cheaper than in previous years GERVIS FORGOT HIS HATS!!!! (Really). But the in order to encourage more attenders, which it did, BIGGEST 'forget' was Dennis Loynes - he forgot his but the hotel was rather tired and the food was very wallet, money and plastic! Never mind Sue Evans poor. Every few metres along the road from the had her debit card. Much needed as Sue, Marian and airport oranges were being sold at 1 Euro for 5 kilos Dennis had forgotten to book in online, this 'little' but the hotel offered carton juice and there was forget cost them £11 each. mostly tinned fruit at breakfast and very little fresh vegetables in the evening. Also because most of the So Sue tries to pay and realises that the card had hotel guests were eating at the same time they kept expired the previous day and she had forgotten to running out of the few things on offer. change it for the new one. Bank of Marian to the rescue and, later, Bank of Gervis for cash. The SBU directors were extremely efficient and pleasant in running the holiday (Tony is not sure if All then went smoothly, too smoothly, as one hour being asked to go and change his bright shirt was a into the flight when the pilot had announced that we joke or not). were flying over the Isle of Wight and the Channel [email protected] Page 3

Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk

The BIG success of the Congress was Tony winning Congratulations go to Rosie Carter and Dorothy the Mixed Pairs with myself. Linda and Sue Evans Robinson who with a score of 62.8% narrowly beat came second in their section of the pre-congress Phil Spavin and Graeme Routledge who finished pairs, Sue Evans and Den were second overall in the with 61.1%. Open Teams (with another pair) Neville and his partner Helen came second in their section of the The key hand came when Steve Simmons and Barry Farewell pairs. Tyrrell, who finished third overall, bid the excellent 6H contract on the hands below against Phil and ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Graeme, while Rosie and Dorothy’s opponents played in 4H.

Rubber Bridge ♠ AJ2 ♠ Q765 ♥ AKQ743 ♥ J85 The annual completion finished with ♦ A ♦ KT72 Jessie Newton and John Turner repeating their ♣ 764 ♣ A success of 1996-1997 in an incredibly close match. Well done to Jessie and John. Well done to all those who took part and we look forward to seeing them at some of the TRY Semi-Finals DUPLICATE sessions held across the county. Details can be found on the County website. Jessie Newton & John Turner beat Sue Evans & Val Kennewell 2300 points ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Betty Humphreys & Colin Clarke beat John Dow & James Dow 340 points County League Final AN EXCITING END TO THE LEAGUE SEASON

Jessie Newton & John Turner beat Betty Humphreys By David Thomas & Colin Clarke 80 points The WCBA league season came to its climax during This is a very enjoyable competition and, most April with the outcome in two of the divisions being importantly, Midlands Air Ambulance benefitted to decided on the last night. Insufficient entries meant the tune of £1,075. DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT that the Beginners league could not be run but the THIS YEAR – a great event and a great benefit to a No Fear league was comfortably won by Dieter very good! Baer’s team of Bandits. Meanwhile the Evesham team of Split Menaces led by Veronica Enticknap ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ topped the Second Division regaining their place in the top league for next year. Chairman’s Cup 2012 The Third Division saw three teams pull away at the By David Thomas top with Four No Chumps missing out on promotion and the Stourbridge teams of Double Faults and Every year the county runs a competition for players Saints & Sinners neck and neck for the title. In the who have learned to play in the last five years. They end Saints & Sinners prevailed and will be promoted compete for the Chairman’s cup, a trophy kindly to Division 2. donated by our ex-chairman Richard Jephcott. Thanks are due to Worcester Bridge Club who In the First Division it all came down to the final hosted the event and provided many of the players night with two matches being played simultaneously who have played in their TRY DUPLICATE and any one of three teams in with a chance of the sessions. This helped to make up a very satisfactory title. In the end Jimmy Ledger’s Grumpy Old Men field of 6 ½ tables. regained their early season form and comfortably beat league organiser Sue Lane’s Reduced To Four [email protected] Page 4

Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk quartet to take the title. ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

One hand stands out both for its wild distribution and a fascinating lead problem. With both sides AROUND THE CLUBS vulnerable partner opens 3H first in hand which is overcalled with 4S.You hold: ------

♠ xx Malvern B C ♥ www.bridgewebs.com/malvern ♦ Axx ♣ AKQxxxxx Congratulations to the winners of recent events.

What do you bid? 5C, X or pass? Championship Pairs Ladder: Maurice Curtis and Paul Tapster Assume you bid 5C which is immediately doubled Championship Pairs Playoff: but taken out into 5S by the original 4S bidder. You Alan Boyes & Ross Garratt decide not to double this, but what do you lead? Mixed Pairs: Marian Wilcox and Ross Garratt Jimmy found the clever (??? – Ed) lead of the Club Ladies Pairs: Sue Lane and Sue Evans Q and saw on table. The CQ held – what next? Mens Pairs: Maurice Curtis and Paul Tapster ♠ xx Dealer South Ascendancy: Sue Evans (+3.5%) ♥ Game All ♦ Axx Individual Ladder: ♣ AKQxxxxx Sue Evans ♠ J

♥ AJx At the AGM Charity Night the Club raised £100 for ♦ Qxxxxx Malvern Dial A Ride. The Club has Try Duplicate ♣ Jxx sessions on the 3rd Thursday of each even numbered month. There is a host system in operation most What now? Well, Jimmy led his low diamond, weeks. finding partner at home with the King and duly collected his heart . Was this a brilliancy, sheer ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ luck or just plain folly??? Malvern Hills B C The full hands are given below and the editor would www.bridgewebs.com/malvernhills/ like your views on whether this was the brilliance first claimed or was Jimmy lucky that it didn’t cost. Malvern Hills Bridge Club is celebrating its 5th Anniversary with a Cheese and Wine Party at Hanley ♠ xx Dealer South Swan Village Hall on Thursday 5th July 2012 ♥ Game All starting at 7.00 pm. All are very welcome to this ♦ Axx social bridge event with tickets at £5 each available ♣ AKQxxxxx from Michael Lane on 01684-564334. ♠ AKQxxxxxx ♠ J ♥ Kx ♥ AJx ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♦ x ♦ Qxxxxx ♣ x ♣ Jxx ♠ x Bewdley B C ♥ QT9xxxxx www.bewdleybridgeclub.co.uk ♦ KJT ♣ x The annual competition for the Walton Cup was held on 7th and 14th March and the clear winners were David King and Rosie Cannon with a combined [email protected] Page 5

Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk score of 61.34%. Second were Ian and Georgina Lineker with a score West starts off with three top spades. What should of 55.06%, closely followed by Brian and Carol South do on the third. If he ruffs and draws trumps, Varley in third place with a score of 54.46%. finding them 3-3, all is well and he takes the rest of the tricks. Great, score 450 and move on to the next The Club Shield is awarded annually to the hand. partnership with the highest average score, based normally on their 25 best scores over the year. But wait – suppose the trumps break 4-2? In that Winners 2011/2012 were Carol and Andrew Gilmour case he’s lost control and, in due course, West with an average score of 58.4%. Second were David ruffs with his last trump and cases two more spades King and Rosie Cannon with 57.37% and third place for minus 100. was taken by Carol and Brian Varley with 54.46%. Therefore, South must discard one of his winners on ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ the third spade, leaving dummy to take care of any further spade leads. Whatever West now plays, LESSONS TO LEARN! South can draw trumps and claim.

------Typically accurate bidding is needed to reach 4-3 fits. Less accurate bidding sometimes leads, Moysian Fits accidentally or otherwise to 3-4 fits, which are often easier to play since defenders may not realise that By Mike Willoughby Declarer only has three trumps. Even more

Hands up all who knows what this means? Yes, well interesting are 3-3 fits – these usually require both done, named after Alphonse Moyse, it means a hand misbidding and misdefence to be successful. But that’s going to be hard to play because you only have more of that another day….. a 4-3 trump fit. Or is it so hard? There are a couple ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ of points to note: -  With only seven trumps between the two hands, it’s more likely than not that the Story of an Accusation opposing trumps won’t break 3-3, so you aim By John Turner to take ruffs in the hand with short trumps.  Following on from the above, it helps if you It is easy to cheat at bridge, even unknowingly. have high cards in the trump suit Intonation as a guide has gone with bidding boxes –  Finally, in order to avoid trumping in the though double can be “placed” on the table in a way hand with long trumps, the best strategy may that removes any doubt that it might be for takeout - be to discard until you can take ruffs in the but bidding like an automaton is harder than you hand with short trumps. think. Deliberate cheating is, thank heaven, much Let’s look at an example, played in 4♥ rarer. I remember hearing of someone who altered ♠ J54 the match point slips; someone who introduced a

♥ AT2 fixed hand into a national competition, and I was

♦ K73 given a file of evidence that suggested a pair were cheating in online bridge – possibly by using two ♣K862 computers, one to play from and one to kibitz. ♠ AKQ73 ♠ T98

♥ 9762 ♥ 54 When it gets to international competitions it is much ♦ T8 ♦ 9654 rarer. Accusations of foot signals I know of, but the ♣ 93 ♣ JT75 “cause celebre” occurred in the 1965 World

♠ 62 Championships between GB, USA, Italy and

♥ KQJ8 Argentina in Buenos Aires when B J Becker and

♦ AQJ2 Dorothy Hayden of the USA felt that

♣ AQ4 and were exchanging signals by the [email protected] Page 6

Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk manner in which they held the cards during the seriously flawed. It found that they found no bidding. evidence in the bidding or play of the cards to support the allegation of cheating and they finished Hayden and Becker made notes of how many fingers “we find that Messrs Reese and Schapiro were not were being shown, and then involved guilty of cheating at the tournament in question” [Bridge editor of and past GB team member in the European championships] and But did they? I have looked at most of the hands Gerber [of the 4C and USA captain]. They obtained cited and cannot see any advantage gained and why the hand records and in a late night brain storming cheat unless you profit from it? One example from session Dorothy found a correspondence between the the prosecution set. Reese and Schapiro bid playing a number of fingers showing and the number of Hearts strong NT. held. They then widened the circle to include Ralph Swimer [GB npc] and Geoffrey Butler [Chairman of ♠ 976 ♠ AKJT2 the as well as the Appeals ♥ A865 ♥ Q972 committee set up for the event] who also observed ♦ AJ9 ♦ 76 play. ♣ A97 ♣ 43

Geoffrey Butler called - and chaired - a meeting of North West South East the Appeals committee at which he and the others (Schapiro) (Reese) gave evidence. Reese and Schapiro were called in P 1♣ P 1♠ and flatly denied the charges. The Appeals P 1NT P 2NT committee then referred the matter to the full P 3♥ P 4♥ executive committee of the P P P who found them guilty of illegally passing information, unanimously apart from Carl Alberto Aggressive perhaps but if West is going to bid over Perroux the Italian npc who abstained. Swimer then 2NT then 3H, challenged by the prosecution, keeps conceded the matches to both Argentina and the open all possibilities. There are many more USA. examples.

They all returned to GB to a considerable furore and Against that the cumulative number of different a vociferous campaign was mounted led by Rixi witnesses noting down a number of fingers which Markus to justify their innocence. The BBL was in was later found to correspond to the hearts held – some turmoil at this point – at some stage Jessie and remember they had not got the hand records at Newton was drafted in as secretary – and it was that time – is statistically impossible. And why decide to set up an independent enquiry to be should Swimer invent a confession by Boris? He had presided over by Sir John Foster QC MP, a moderate played in the trials with him as Reese wanted to play bridge player and Lord Bourne. They had the the [a complex artificial system] with assistance of expert assessors in – still Flint but the selectors had gone back to the proven winning trophies - and Alan Hiron; there was a pairing. counsel for the enquiry and Reese and Schapiro were represented. Meeting only occasionally over the next Make up your own mind by reading Reese’s “Story eleven months, many of those who had been in of an Accusation” or better still [more information Buenos Aires gave evidence as to what they had seen and bias] Alan Truscott’s “The Great Bridge and the correlation between the alleged signals Scandal”. They never played international teams observed and the number of hearts held was bridge again though Boris won the World Seniors discussed at length. The only new evidence was from Pairs at 90 +. Mark you Reese was supercilious and Ralph Swimer who claimed that Schapiro had arrogant. When he was playing bridge in London in confessed to him in a conversation in a park in the Blitz a bomb fell fairly close. Someone said “My Buenos Aires. God they’ve hit the War Office” to which Reese replied “Not intentionally, surely” The enquiry’s statement at the end said that the way that the WBF had conducted the investigation was [email protected] Page 7

Worcestershire Bridge News May-June 2012 – No 147 www.worcestershirebridge.co.uk

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ AGM – The Prizewinners! The pictures below are selected not on any rational basis of merit or otherwise but simply on the basis of whether or not the Official Photographer managed to get a near decent photograph!

No Fear Division Winners – Dieter Baer and Tony Tidmarsh of the Bandits

Open Division 2 Winners – Ronnie Moore and Veronica Enticknap of the Spilt Menaces

Championship Teams Winners – Steve Allerston & Nick Forward

Championship Pairs Winners – Joyce Skelton and Mike Theelke

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: We are grateful to Parkinson Wright, Solicitors, of Droitwich, Evesham and Worcester  01905 726 789 for the Veteran Pairs Winners – Georgina and Ian Lineker wcbaproduction-newsletter [email protected] this Worcestershire Bridge News Page 8