TI1e British Bridge Vvorld Editorial Board BERNARD WESTALL (CHAIRl<.·fAN) GEOFFREY BUTLER KENNETH KONSTAM TERENCE REESE ALBERT DORMER (EDITOR) VOL. 14, 1':0. 10 CONTENTS OCTOBER, 1963 Page Editorial 5-7 Reminiscences of a Bridge Player, by Harry Ingram 8-13 Annals of Ruff's Club, by Terence Reese 14-15 Texas and Gerber, by Colonel Roy Telfer 16-18 The Little Major under Fire, by Harold Franklin 19-30 The Bridge Battle of the Century, by Terence Reese 31-34 Psychiatrists! They Slay Me, by Jimmy Tait 36-38 You Say: Readers' Letters 39-M One Hundred Up, conducted by Alan Hiron 46-53 Bridge Academy, conducted by G. C. H. Fox ... ... 55-61 All V E ItT ISING : ,\llt·ntlu ir it•• •houl•l hl' 1ultlr""''d to thl': AU\'EltTISI:'\G ~IA~M;J.: Jt , TIIO\IAS UE J...\ RUE ,or.: CO. J.Til. llunhill Jto,.·, E.C.I. Al.l. OTIIElt <;olt~l : s.l' o~. m: :--;o: . I~CI.UI>I:'\G SlJIISCitii ' TIO~s. TO Till: l't:fii.ISIIJ'M'-. A~I>IU. \\S & \\AitiiUJt(;: LTJ> .• 3S 1>0\T Jt STit EE T,I . O~IlO~. W.l. h ·l : ~IA\'I " ir IIIJIJ7 . \nn u~ l Sul.. n il>liun 3~ / · 1' ../o/ iilu·J I>)• All . /r ~" • ,( II '•"''"'J:. I.tJ.• JJ /),,..,., S t,.-.-r, J.. ,,.,,,.,,, 11'. / ,,,,/ rrint,·,/ 1> •· c;, /'. J', . ,.. ~ .·• J r.!. 9 $01- c, .. ,. ~ Gr rr/1 R ..... J. l .... n,/, , I:'. II, Oil "''"·•'1 •1 lht' rrurrin •., •• Th t>m.J.J /) ,•/.oJ R~ · · ,( C. •. I :.i The ·new artificial system spon­ ments? Yes-if it wins back for sored by the Reese-Fiint-Schapiro Britain the place in the sun which h/oc, the Little Major, was granted was lost with the emergence of an 'A' licence at a recent meeting the Italian and French systems. of the full Council of the English The way to do this is clear. Bridge Union. This decision over­ ruled an adverse report by the THE ACID TEST Rules and Ethics Committee of First, the Little Major must the E.B.U. assert itself emphatically in home The system can now be played tournaments this season. Not by in any E.B.U. knockout team merely winning the Gold Cup event but I believe that in county (in which Reese's team-Flint, events the local association can Schapiro, Konstam, Priday and withhold consent. The London Rodrigue-would in any case Association, however, has already start favourites on grounds of admitted the system in the ability) but by winning it in great prestige-carrying Richard Lederer style, and by scooping other Memorial Trophy, to be held in major events as well. Next, the mid-December, and in the Mel­ system must butcher the opposi­ ville-Smith Trophy. No doubt tion in whatever trials may be the Little Major will also be arranged for next year's Olym­ allowed in such special events piad. Finally, we hope for a bold as the Sunday Times Pairs. · bid in the Olympiad itself. Exponents of the system must If this is accomplished all will supply details to opponents well be forgiven. Failure will probably in advance. These details will mean the death of artificial sys­ also be published in next month's tems in Britain but it could still /Jriti.\h /Jric(r.:c· World and at the prove a needed shot in _tl~e arm same time Alan Biron will con­ for duplicate bridge. Otltctaldom tribute un article suggesting a itself docs little enough to pro­ possible partnership Ulllkr­ mote the game, as can be seen standing for combating the Little from the virtually static E.B.U. M~tjor. membership figures and by the Is it a wise mow, letting the Jack of publicity and new ideas. So Little Major loose in home tourna- any excitement is welcome. 5 WHY ARE WE \\'AITING? less deft were disappointed and the Congrc:;s '••'as soon sold out, Mention of the Olympiad brings as it has beef! !:or years. to mind the question, "Why can't the trial scheme be announced It seems · c1. traordinary that early?" Players want to know. the authorities do not cater for It can add spice to the game. bigger numbers. Obviously it is convenient to restrict the Con­ Young players who feel there gress to one hotel-but is it is a chance of glory-as by win-: justified when many are thereby ning a place in the trials-will denied the pleasure of competing? try just that bit harder, to catch Tony Priday writes in the Sunday the selection committee's eye. Telegraph: It may sound preposterous to some old-timers, that unknown "Why does the English Bridge players should aspire so highly, Union restrict the numbers? but sometimes they make the Partly through fear that a larger grade. For example, it was his entry might detract from the deserved success in the 1961/62 social enjoyment of the congress, trials that brought Ken Barbour but mainly through lack of suit­ into the limelight-where he is able accommodation. The first expected to stay, despite the fact is surely a parochial view but the that he has gone to the U.S.A. second is more realistic. Could Another reason for an early it not be remedied by varying the announcement is that the struc­ . programme and using two hotels, ture of the trials scheme can or by erecting a large marquee? influence pamngs and team for­ "Tbe recent American Summer mations during the duplicate Nationals, held at Los Angeles, season. attracted an entry of nearly 5,000 FULL HOUSE bridge players and involved 12,500 tables of play. An electronic Last weekend 450 of England's brain dealt the hands and, later, keenest players contested the four­ match-pointed the main pairs day Eastbourne Congress-the event and all the results were season's highlight for many. 1 announced to competitors on say "keenest" with assurance closed-circuit television. Seventy­ for in order to get in they mus~ eight young score caddies were have returned their entry forms used to carry the boards and the as soon as the postman pushed congrcss' cndcd with the ekction them through the letter-box. The of a caddy queen! 6 "Heaven forbid that we shoul(l ~ d o ptcd at Juan lcs Pins, where !.lavishly emulate the American;; on e longish session is played but it docs no harm to Jearn l:J ;:. t··.rccn mid-afternoon and about from their experience." ( J) p.m., is far superior. Priday's weekly column, by lloth events at Pula were won the way, docs more to promote Ly the Belgian player-writer duplicate bridge than most of Joseph Vanden Borre and .M: the other columns together. What Verdone, who teamed with Gulyas a pity that other scribes do not and Hacnscl of Austria. David pound their typewriters to that Rose and David Lock were top purpose, rather than the denigra­ English pair. tion of enemies and the elevation of friends. British visitors Jill Gatti and Tony Lederer were victims of a BRIDGE IN YUGOSLAVIA new convention when opposed This year saw the first sizeable by a Continental pair. Lederer entry of British players to the opened a weak 1NT in fourth tournaments held at Porcc and position and there were two Pula, Yugoslavia. So far as I passes. Right-hand opponent could ascertain, the visitors' im­ tranced, then came a perceptible pressions were mainly favourable: nod from lefthand. "Double" the cost was low, the accommo­ from righthand was followed dation and setting good. A keen by "Two Spades" on his left, !>tandard of bridge and a cosmo­ passed out and just made for a politan flavour were found in the big score. The new convention 3-day team and 2-day pairs events. which, as the cliche-mongers say, Soured perhaps by lack of consumes no bidding space, was ~ucccss, I must record that the quickly christened the Noddy state airline and the tourist organi­ Convention. sation arc uncertain and difficult There is just time to enter the to deal with. That was not the St. Dunstan's Congress . at Craig­ fault of the bridge league, but I lands Hotel, Ilklcy, Yorkshire. feel that at Pula the organisers Write to Donald Pearson, Dinar­ over-estimated their visitors' ben, Clifton Road, Jlklcy, and a~pctite for the game. They were have the pleasure of competing With diflkulty persuaded to cur­ in this important master-point tail a programme which would congress whill! at the sam\! time hav.e meant playing from 2.0 p.m. helping the blimkd \'Ctcran s of untal the small hours. The ,,~gimL' two world wars. 7 REMINISC ~. CES OF A BRIDGE LAYER Harry Ingram, author of the recent series "The Brave Old Days," delves again into lzis memories. In reading these recollections of on the other hand, is a marvellous a so-called bridge player you may game, requiring great skill and come across stories which arc concentration. I very much wish not new to you. I ask readers to I could have thoroughly succeeded forgive these "chestnuts"-they at it. arc inevitable, and remember that Solo was my great love for there arc many to whom they many years and I still think it a will be new. I also apologise in good game. Perhaps · the spells advance if, at this distance of of solo-playing that. I remember time, my memory lets me down mosf clearly were during the in some details, but nothing will 1914-18 war.