. '. - The British Bridge World SUCCESSOR TO THE CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL: MEDIUM FOR ENGLISH BRIDGE UNION NEWS Edited by TERENCE REESE voLUME 9 February 1960 NUMBER 2 Assistant Editor: KENNETH KONSTAM Editorial Board BERNARD WE~TALL (CHAIRMAN) GEOFFREY L. BUTLER HUBERT PHILLIPS ~ TERENCE REESE KENNETH KONSTAM ADVERTISEMENT MANAGEMENT L. TEMPLE ROSSWICK LTD. BAY 5812 3 QUEENS COURT, QUEENSWAY, LONDON; W.2 All other correspondence, including Subscriptions, to the Publishers: Hugh Quekett Ltd., 35 Dover Street, London, W.l Annual Subscription 30/- The British Bridge World is published 011 the 15th of eaclz month Publlshtd on behalf of tht proprietors, Thomas De La Rut & Co. Ltd., by Hugh Qutktll Ltd. JS Dover Strttl, London JV.I. Print11d by llfoorc Batley Ltd., Rttreat Place, London. E.~ 3 February, !960 Contents Page Editorial 5-6 Bridge Forum 6 The Whitelaw Warriors, by George Baxter 7-10 Expected Entries for Olympiad at Turin ... 10 'Slamentable, by Harold Fra~klin ... ... 11-17 Yorkshire Wins Tollemache Cup, by Terence Reese . .. 19-21 · One Hundred Up: Repeat of January Prob~ems 22 . E.B. U. List of Secretaries ... 23 - Court of Sessions, by Alan Trusc<?tt . .. 24-27 Letter from Paris, by Jean Besse ... ... 27-29 · Subscription Form ... 29 You Say ... .. 30-31 Defending a Squeeze, by J. Hibbert . .. 32-34 One Hundred Up: February Competition . ... 34-35 One Hundred Up: Answers to January Problems . .. 36-42 Directory of E.B.U. Affiliated Clubs ... 43-44 Result of January Competition 44 E.B.U. Results ... 45-46 E.B.U. Master Points Register ... 47-48 Diary of Events 48 I • ·- 4 Editorial - •I BEFO!ffi THE STORM in soliciting, and being influenced Something of a lull this month, by, advice . from many quarters. with domestic news. occupying Human nature being what it is, it most of our space: Tollemach~, can happen that players on the Whitelaw, and Camrose. Next fringe, as it were~ who know that month, the Masters Pairs (already they would not be chosen by any over by the time this issue comes direct vote, will tend to propose out), the second half of the Open a form of trial that unduly widens ·Trials, and the Ladies' Trials to the ·possibilities. One did not find a third pair, Mrs. Gordon have to be a psychologist to and Mrs. Fleming, Mrs. Markus perceive that line of thought and Mrs. Whitaker having already being expressed when the last been selected. pl£!-yers' meeting was held. The FORUM foolish advice, "Send the winners . In our correspondence column of the Gold Cup", usually springs Geoffrey Butler, as Chairman of from the same motive. the B.B.L., replies to the critic­ GREAT POWER isms made by Albert Dormer The A.C.B.L. has picke'd two . last month and opens for dis­ additional teams for the Open at cussion among leading ·players Turin. and a Ladies' team. The the system of trials to be adopted open teams are: Goren, Helen when the European Champion­ Sobel, Schenken, Ogust, Mathe, ship comes to Torquay next year. Taylor; and Harmon, Stakgold, Admirable as it may be to avoid Lazard, Hanna, Oakie, Schleifer. being autocratic and to invite The ladies' team: Agnes Gordon, opinions from ail, I cannot help Sylvia Schwartz, Dorothy Hay­ thinking that this offer is pre­ den, Josephine Sharp, Malvina mature. The possibility is not Klausner, Helen Portugal. entirely to be excluded, one hopes, FRATERNAL AID that our representatives at Turin The two teams announced should perform with sufficient earlier were Jacoby, Stayman, credit to have a bearing on the Mitcheii, Rubin, Rubinow, following year's selection. Grieve; · and Becker, Crawford, ROOM AT THE TOP Silodor, Rapee, Stone, Kay. In addition, there are pitfalls At a B.B.L. meeting a delegate s - ' , ... ~ from one of the home countries The publisher, George ~ Coffin \. raised the following question: . writes to me:- ' Since America had four teams "As soon as "Master Play " might it not happen that towards is . -published, I will - send you the end of the qualifying round author's copies. You may not one team would be in a position like some of the changes, and to assist another? bits of poetry ". That gives rise to some interest­ I'm sure I shall. ing, reflections. _Let me see now ... LIFE IS FULL OF TROUBLE VERSIFIED After the delays that seem to Mrs. Markus's account of a be endemic in the publishing bidding misadventure in the world, my book " The Expert Whitelaw began:- Game " is to appear in America "It we~t No Bid,. :No Bid-and under the title " Master Play " . I was trapped! " ... ~ . Five Sessions of Play, Practice and Tuition! • I TERENCE REESE HAROLD FRANKLIN and JOE LAZARUS announce their first week-end BRIDGE FORUM at the ~ERIAL HOTEL, BLACKPOOL Saturday, February 27th, and Sunday, February 28th, 1960 Inclusive fee for all play and tuition: 50/- You can enter as a pair or individually Accommodation is limited. Be wise! Be helpful! Send your entry NOW to the Ron. Sec., Mrs. L. P. Robinson, Madrid-Loftus, 58 Whinney-Heys Road, Blackpool, enclosing the entry fee at 50/- a head. If requested, the Hon. Sec. will book your accommodation. Please state requirements. (A summary of the Programme appeared in the December, 1959, issue) 6 The· Whitelaw ·Warriors by GEORGE BAXTER " My driving ", said Bert Dor­ next round. Mistresses Markus, mer, having just passed his test, Whitaker, Durran, and Lady "is as steady and well founded · Rhodes, defeated Fleming, Gor­ as my bid dings ". And so it don, Williams, and Moss (with proved, though it became clear Rye and Gardner in reserve), by on the way to Eastbourne and 2 points in a match that was back that his Take-over Conven­ level throughout. tion of Winking Lights was not The losers missed a chance on played by other motorists. the following instructive deal:- When we arrived there had al­ North dealer ready been a pr~liminary round Love all of the Whitelaw, reducing the NORTH teams from 24 to 16. The most + KQ6 notable result so' far of the 32- \1 A 8 4 board matches had been the 0 Q9 6 3 eclipse of Mistresses MacDonnell, + J74 Coen, Higginson, and Gar­ WEST EAST dener by Shanahan, Hiron (for­ • J 10 7 2 +3 merly van Rees), Oldroyd, Cor­ \1 QJ7632 \1 K 10 9 wen_..:._the margin no less than 34. 0 10 4 0 A 7 5 In the first round proper came +I( + 10 9 6 53 2 the first sensation : the Shanahan SOUTH team lost by 31 to Mistresses + A9854 Schellenberg (Middlesborough), \15 Carpenter (Durham), Jackson 0 KJ 8 2 (Newcastle), and Nicholson + AQ8 (Sunderland). Oldroyd and This was the bidding when , Corwen ·accepted most of the M~s. Markus was North-South:- blame for this reverse. SouTH WEsT NoRTH EAsT Markus Gordon Whitaker Fleming Quarter Finals No No Since there is no seeding in this I+ No 30 No contest' the two most fancied 40 No 4+ No teams chanced to meet in the No No 7 ' • 1 ... Repeated for convenience .. •' I ~ but throws a -diamond. West NoRTH ruffs the ' next lead and plays a • KQ6 ~ A84 heart; dummy ruffs but declarer 0 Q9 6 3 cannot come to hand to draw the + J 74 . outstanding trunip. WEST EAST .• J 10 7 2 • 3 . This sequence <?f events is by ~ - K 10 9 · ~ QJ7632 no means easy for East to foresee 0 104 0 A 7 ~ +K + 10 9 6 53 2 but in such defensive positions' SoUTH • A9854 it is usually safe to rely on the ~5 general proposition that when 0 KJ82 declarer has refrained from draw­ + A .Q8 ing trumps it is because control ~ . Declarer won the heart lead is a problem. Giving partner a in dummy and cashed +KQ. ruff is then likely to be the wrong When the spades were seen to game. be · 4-1 declarer was in some trouble, for the diamond Ace NORTH had to be forced out and two • 6 ~ricks ~ould be needed from <y>8 clubs. Meanwhile, trumps would 0 9 6 3 be running short. + J7 Mrs. Markus therefore turned WEST EAST to clubs, finessing the Queen. • J 10 West won and forced in hearts. <y> 1763 <y>9 0 10 ·­0 7 5 South ruffed and led a diamond 10 9 6 5 · to the Queen, East winning in + - + this position:- SOUTH + A9 (see next column} <y> - 0 KJ8 At this point Mrs. Fleming 4t A8 succumbed to the lure of giving her partner a club ruff, and after At the other table Mrs. :M~ss responded 2NT to the ope~tng , .that the declarer was home. Wilhaills In the diagram position East One Spade and Mrs. Id h h onewou does best to continue the forcing gave her Three, t oug pin· game by playing a heart. South have thought that Three 1 call e natura · ruffs and her best chance is to monds was t he mor d :Mrs lead +A. West does no t ru ff, Mrs. Durran led a club an . 8 -· Moss; p~operly refusing the finesse trumps' to the Jack. These broke because if the spades were going _ 4-1 and "the- Northern team bid to break there would be at least the small slam to gain 10 points. nine tricks, was rewarded by the Then came a sensational deal:- fall of the singleton King. South dealer Game all . Semi-Finals NORTH In the semi-final matches Mrs. + A 10 7 52 Markus had a big win against <y> 6 3 Mrs. Lees, of Manchester, who 0 A84 was subsequently to win the + J 10 3 Plate in partnership with Mis­ WEST EAST tresses - Grice-Jackson, Higson, +- + 8 43 and Baddeley .