Number One Hundred and Fifty-Two August 2015 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 North. Love All. 7. Dealer West. Love All. 10. Dealer East. Love All. ♠ K 7 6 4 ♠ 2 ♠ A 2 ♠ A 9 8 3 2 ♥ K 8 3 2 N ♥ K 10 3 N ♥ K Q 9 6 5 ♥ K 2 N N ♦ W E ♦ W E ♦ ♦ W E A J 4 2 A J 6 5 4 3 9 8 7 6 W E 7 6 S S S ♣ J ♣ 7 6 3 ♣ A K S ♣ J 8 7 6 West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South ? 1♣ 1♠ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 2♥ 2♠ 1♥ Pass ? ? 1♠ Pass 2NT1 Pass ? 118-19 2. Dealer East. Game All. 5. Dealer North. Love All. 8. Dealer South. Love All. 11. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 9 4 ♠ 2 ♠ K Q 8 7 6 5 ♠ Q J 9 5 N ♥ A K 5 4 3 N ♥ K 10 3 N ♥ A K N ♥ K Q 7 W E W E ♦ A K 2 W E ♦ A K 6 5 4 W E ♦ A 7 4 ♦ A K 8 7 6 5 S S ♣ 7 6 5 S ♣ J 10 6 3 S ♣ 8 3 ♣ Void West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 3♠ Pass 1♣ 1♠ Pass 1NT 1♦ Pass 3♦ Pass ? ? ? ? 3. Dealer North. Love All. 6. Dealer North. Love All. 9. Dealer East. N/S Game. 12. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♠ 4 3 2 ♠ K Q 7 6 ♠ A K 5 4 3 ♥ N ♥ N ♥ N ♥ K Q 3 2 K 3 9 8 6 N W E W E W E ♦ 5 3 2 ♦ J 6 5 4 3 ♦ Q 7 6 5 ♦ 5 2 W E S S S ♣ K Q 5 3 ♣ 7 6 3 ♣ 6 4 3 2 ♣ K Q J 7 S West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South 2♠1 2NT Pass 1♣ 1♠ Pass 1♠ Dbl 1♠ 1NT 2♥ Pass ? 16-10pts & 6 spades ? ? ? Answers on page 10 Answers on page 12 Answers on page 14 Answers on page 16 BERNARD MAGEE TUTORIAL DVDS 1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks 11 Signals & Discards 21 Weak Twos This seminar deals with declarer’s use of This seminar deals with Count, Attitude It is important to bid more in the modern ruffing to make extra tricks and then looks and Suit-preference signals: aiming to get game and weak twos are an important at how the defenders might counteract you working as a partnership in defence. choice for the competitive player. (104 mins.) this. (74 mins.) (92 mins.) 22 Trump Control 2 Competitive Auctions 12 Endplay Handling the play of the hand when This seminar focuses on competitive Bernard takes you through the basics of trumps break badly is an important attrib- auctions from the perspective of the endplays before showing some hands ute: playing calmly and using a variety of overcalling side and then from the opening where you can take extra tricks, then looks tactics to pave the way to success. (76 mins.) side in the second part. (86 mins.) at how to avoid being endplayed. (80 mins.) 23 Sacrificing 3 Making the Most of High Cards 13 Hand Evaluation An exciting aspect of the auction is outbid- This seminar helps declarer to use his high Going beyond just the point-count is ding your opponents and going down, but cards more carefully and then looks at important. Reaching & making 3NT on 24 gaining by doing so. Learn to bid more how defenders should care for their high HCP; and avoiding 3NT on 26 HCP when aggressively. (105 mins.) cards. (83 mins.) there are only 7 or 8 tricks. (110 mins.) 24 Improving Bridge Memory 4 Identifying & Bidding Slams 14 Pre-Emptive Bidding Remembering every card is a dream for The first half of this seminar identifies The art of pre-empting is so important most of us. However, learn ways in which to when a slam might be on. The second in the modern game. Understanding the remember the important things. (90 mins.) half covers some slam-bidding techniques. right hands to bid up on and realising the (96 mins.) importance of position and vulnerability. 25 Defence as Partner (96 mins.) of the Leader 5 Play & Defence of 1NT Contracts Defence is the hardest aspect of the game, This seminar looks at the most common 15 Splinter & Cue Bids it is where most players can make great and yet most feared of contracts: 1NT. Splinter bids are a vital tool to add to your progress. (104 mins.) The first half looks at declaring 1NT and slam bidding armoury & try your hand at the second part at defending. (88 mins.) Italian style cue bidding. (116 mins.) 26 Aggressive Bidding at Duplicate Pairs 6 Doubling & Defence against 16 Avoidance Play Years ago, you needed 13 HCP to open Doubled Contracts As declarer, an important tactic is to be the bidding and rarely competed for a The first half of this seminar explores in control of the defenders: avoiding a partscore. Now the norm is to open lighter penalty doubles and the second half particular defender getting the lead. As and compete for every hand. (114 mins.) discusses the defence against doubled a defender, you can try to make sure the contracts. (88 mins.) right player gets the lead. (88 mins.) 27 Strong Opening Bids Managing your strong bids carefully can 7 Leads 17 Play & Defence at Pairs give you great joy, particularly when you Bernard takes you through the basic leads Duplicate Pairs is the game most of us have a neat bidding sequence to a lovely and the importance of your lead choice. play and getting used to the tactics will slam. (122 mins.) If you start to think about your partner’s make a lot of difference to your perfor- hand, you will get better results. (95 mins.) mance. (90 mins.) 28 Take-Out Doubles Bernard deals with basic take-out doubles 8 Losing Trick Count 18 Thinking Defence and their responses, then progresses to talk A way of hand evaluation for when you By far the hardest aspect of bridge, but if about competing for every partscore. (99 mins.) find a fit. Bernard deals with the basics of you can improve your defence your results the LTC then looks at advanced methods to will quickly improve. Learn how to think 29 Suit Establishment hone your bidding. (92 mins.) through the defence. (87 mins.) in Suit Contracts 5-card suits (and longer) are powerful things: 9 Making a Plan as Declarer 19 Defensive Plan Bernard tries to get across his passion for Bernard explains how to make a plan Looking at your own hand, then at dummy them by showing you how to develop your then expands on how to make the most and envisaging how partner’s hand will extra tricks through establishment. (81 mins.) of your long suits, both in no-trumps and allow you to make a plan for the defence. suit contracts. (87 mins.) (112 mins.) 30 Landy / Defending Against a 1NT Opening 10 Responding to 1NT 20 Further Into the Auction Competing against a 1NT opening allows This seminar deals with Transfers and The first two bids of an auction are usually you to challenge for the partscore and Stayman in detail. The 1NT opening comes easy, but beyond that the complications disrupts your opponents’ conventions. up frequently, so having a good, accurate increase. Learn how to ‘talk’ to your part- Bernard talks about competing over 1NT in system of responses is paramount. (93 mins.) ner during the bidding. (95 mins.) general and then about Landy. (85 mins.) £25 EACH. PICK AND MIX. A BOX OF ANY 6. £105 Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 On-line shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/shop Features this month include: ADVERTISERS’ 1 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee INDEX BRIDGE 5 Mr Bridge 2 Bernard Magee DVDs Ryden Grange, Knaphill, 6 The 1NT Helicopter by Ned Paul Surrey GU21 2TH 3 Clive Goff’s Stamps 9 Sally’s Slam of the Month ( 01483 489961 4 Central America & 10 Bidding Quiz Answers (1-3) by Bernard Magee The Mardi Gras [email protected] with Fred.Olsen www.mrbridge.co.uk 11 Readers’ Letters 5 Mr Bridge shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/ 12 Bidding Quiz Answers (4-6) by Bernard Magee Tutorial Weekends mrbridge-shop 14 Bidding Quiz Answers (7-9) by Bernard Magee 7 Mail Order Form Publisher and 16 Bidding Quiz Answers (10-12) by Bernard Magee 8 Bridge Event Managing Editor Booking Form Mr Bridge 17 Teacher’s Corner by Ian Dalziel 8 Bridge Events 18 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions Associate Editor and with Bernard Magee Bridge Consultant 20 Catching Up with Sally Brock 9 Christmas Cruise Bernard Magee to Cape Town and bernardmagee 21 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett South Africa with @mrbridge.co.uk 22 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions Voyages to Antiquity Cartoons & Illustrations 25 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett 10 Cape Town to Marguerite Lihou Colombo with Voyages to Antiquity www.margueritelihou.co.uk 26 Wendy Wensum’s Diaries 27 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage 12 Ancient Jordan & Technical Consultant Classical Greece with Tony Gordon 28 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage Voyages to Antiquity Typesetting & Design 29 Psyches and Misbids by David Stevenson 14 Festive Season 2015 Ruth Edmondson 30 Losing Hearts and Love’s Law 15 Charity Events [email protected] by David Holden and Roy Rowe 16 Travel Insurance Proof Readers 32 The First Sunday Times Invitational Pairs, 1963 19 Duplicate Bridge Brigid McElroy by Shireen Mohandes Rules Simplified Mike Orriel Catrina Shackleton 35 Losing Trick Count by Bernard Magee 19 Baltic Capitals Richard Wheen & Stockholm 36 Nazir’s Contribution by David Bird Archipelago Customer Services 38 Ducking by Heather Dhondy with Fred.Olsen Catrina Shackleton 22 Rivers, Canals & 40 Sorry Partner by Liz Dale [email protected] City Overnights 41 Leading Partner’s Suit by Andrew Kambites with Fred.Olsen Events & Cruises ( 01483 489961 43 The Unusual No-Trump by Jeremy Dhondy 23 France Mini-Cruises Jessica Galt with Fred.Olsen 45 More Tips by Bernard Magee [email protected] 24 Croatia with Mr Bridge Megan Riccio 46 Seven Days with Sally Brock [email protected] 27 Denham Grove Sophie Pierrepont Filming Weekend 2016 [email protected] REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE 34 Bernard Magee’s Tutorial Software Clubs & Charities Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value, Maggie Axtell all mint with full gum.