THRICE-CROWNED CAPTAIN r· ...... " ........ ........, f Dun Laoghairc, County Dublin f !--,...,........,.--~ l OPEN BRIDGE CONGRESS l l ~ l . 30th September to 8th October, 1950 f 1 Write: T. J. Kelly, 6 Cr~fton Man~lon s, J l Dun Laoghairc, Co. DulJhn tor ~ctmls. I L..-... .................... ~..-.... ...... ..._.~ ............... l l l CHAS. BRADBURY l Lll'tiiTED l TtiE 26 SACKVILLE ST., PICCADILLY l LONDON, W.J. l EUROPEAN Phnne R£(;: 3 123-3995 BRIDGE I LOANS ARRANGED I REVIEW With or without Security l I l Annual Subscription Rate : 30/- post free. The. copyright of this magazine is l vested in Priestley Studios Ltd. l European Bridge Review It is published under the authority l of the English Bridge Union. l Klinte.n, Sweden .. I The Editorial Board is composed of, l Single copies 3/- from Ncwsagents and the Editor is appointed hy. the English Bridge Union. L~~~ .............. ----------~ RIVIERA HOTEL CANFORD CLIFFS BOURNEMOUTH FACES CHINE AND SEA AMID GLORIOUS SURROUNDINGS Quality fnre prepared by first class chefs Perfectly appointed bedrooms nnd suites CocktallLoun~ e-Tennis -GoU Telephone : Canford Cliffs 285 Brochure on Request • Y 011 ca11 always:. rely · o_11 ' a .good game of Bridge at The Ralph Evans's Hotel CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL OFFICI A L ORGA N . OF TH E ENGLISH BR I DGE UNION VoLUME 4 JULY 1950 NUMBER 9 APOLOGIA T HE over-riding importance of · CONTENTS · Brighton has decided us to Page devote the whole of the current issue to as thorough, as careful EDITORIAL .... 2 and as impartial an analysis of TRIUMPH the Open Series of the Inter­ City Ramsey 4 nationals as it has been possible ORDER OF r.1ERIT .... 32 fo r us to make-a review compiled from actual eye-witness reporting, THIS 1\IONTH' S COMPETITION 33 study of the records, and dis­ ANSWERS TO jUNE cussron with the players and other CoMPETITION 34 experts. The August issue will be largely ANNOUNCEMENTS : devoted to the Ladies' Series, DAILY TELEGRAPH 25 which will be subjected to similar treatment. CULBERTSON The Editorial contains those I PUBLICATIONS 27 items of interest which were made public at the Banquet which wound up the great week ; for • • • our only Editorial comment this month may be restricted to the • A II Bridge Correspondence to lhr unstinted congratulation : Well Editor : done, both teams. G UY RAMSEY, 13 Connon Pl.nce, OPEN SERIES London, N.W.3. V.P. L\I.P. GHEAT BRITAIN 1-1 166 A II Correspondencr 011 5WEOEN 1-1 3R Subscriptio11s or Aduerlisi11g to lcEJ. A:<n I~ 91 Publishers : FRANCE 13 93 ITALY 13 116 PRIESTLEY STUDIOS Ltd .• BELGI U ~l 12 55 Commercial Road, HOLLANO 12 71 IRELAND 8 -H9 Gloucester. DENMARK :: - ~0 NonWAY -1 - 1~4 FlNLANil 2 ':.!'>7 EDITORIAL HE great banquet, held to set first time in all bridge history, had T the seal on the 1950 Inter­ brought both Championships to nationals, was an unqualified Great Britain. success, with but one element in Sir Noel announced that the it not for rejoicing. Advisory Selection Committee That single matter for regret had co-opted Mr. Leslie Dodds to was the announcement that Sir select the team for Bermuda ; and Noel Mobbs proposes to resign his it was the decision of the thus­ Presidency of the European implemented group ihat the team Bridge League with the current which had triumphed at Brighton year, after a tenure during which should if possible, go en bloc. If any he has been the focus of the body's member of the team found himself re-emergence after its disintegra­ unable to make the trip, some tion during the war. other pair might be selected, since Copenhagen, ·Paris, Brighton the basis of selection was still; as and-still to come- Bermuda it had been thitherto, on the basis have been the manifestations of of partnerships. the energy, initiative and In such an event, said Sir Noel, enthusiasm of the big, bluff, burly the Selection Committee would man who is, today, the pivot of assuredly consider the name of bridge in Britain : Chairman of i\Ir. Terence Reese a.<> a potential the Portland, Chairman of the candidate-provided a suitable Legislative Body, Chairman of the partner could be found for him. B.B.L. The team would go to Bermuda He will remain, however, a under the captaincy of thrice­ perpetual Vice-President and victorious Til. Harrison-Gray ; Adviser Emeritus to the E.B.L. and he stressed again that the He announced that it had firm basis for any team carrying always been his intention that the the B.B.L. colours must be not office should never become the mere incli\·iclual excellence of play, appanage of any individual or but proven partnerships, which single country ; but should " go were free from any tendency to round "- and he announced his bicker or blame eit"her each other successor : Baron Hobert de or their opposite numbers " in Nexon, of France. the other room." It is a matter· of history that Sir Noel l\lobbs, whose personal Britai~'s _succes~ in world ·bridge game- at the Portland-is has comctded wtth the dominance virtually convention-free, spoke in the game of Sir Noel; and he of the difficulties the Tournament had a wry word to say about the Committee of the E.B.L. had storm of criticism that has experienced with some of the centred on him and the Chairman systems proposed by some of the of the _E.B.U.,. 1\fr. Geoffrey competing teams ; and he sug­ Butler, Ius co-adviser on Selection gested on " all-in " tournament to the B.B.L. Council. He was might well be held, wherein any happy to repose on the perfoml­ pair might play any system ance of the teams which, for the without disclosure to opponents; CONTRACT BRIDGE JOURNAL wherein no question as to the while they would be re-inforced meaning of any bid might be by a pair from Iceland, whose sanctioned ; and where no quarter steady, brilliant performance should be given. had impressed everyone. In the course of a vigorous Count Bonde, of Sweden, Vice­ speech, Sir Noel paid high President Designate, and sponsor tribute to : the British Clubs and of the invitation to the touring Associations whose donations British team was responsib)e for had alone made the Brighton the decision to invite an Icelandic event possible; to Major George pair to join his own compatriots. E. Gray and his assistants in the Other speeches, sententious and :Management of the 100-match witty, were made by Hr. Nielsen, event; to l\lajor Basil Tatlow and Chairman of the Tournament his cohort of Recorders and Committee (Denmark), Mynheer Scorers; to the Tournament Direc­ Heldring (Holland). tors; and to Mr. Herman Dedichen, M. Harrison-Gray, replying as Hon. Secretary to the·E.B.L. · the victorious British Captain, In a storm of applause, he spoke generously of his rivals, and handed the microphone, sym­ of those allies who had won vital bolically, to the man who will matches to let us win on the post. succeed him in 1951-Baron de He spoke glowingly of Sweden's Nexon. players-for the third time, The Chairman Designate, runner-up to Britain. speaking in magnificently Mrs. Renshaw, deputising for idiomatic English, plunged at Col. G. G. J. Walshe (non-playing once into the thorniest problem Captain of the Ladies, recalled to confronting any organisation con­ London), confined her speech of cerned with tournament bridge: acknowledgement to a graceful, the intolerable slowness of play. gracious and brief word of thanks. It spoiled the game of ,Duplicate No report of the occasion would for players and spectators alike ; be complete without a word of and it really did little good to the congratulation to Mr. Sydney " trancer " . who could think \Voodward, who was responsible himself out of, as easily as i11fo, for the menu, the choice of wines, the right line of play. and the ancillary organisation. He spoke, too, of the high For once- and our felicitations standard of ethics that have been, go, additionally, to the Metro­ and must ever be, enjoined upon pole- a public dinner was worth our game ; and, in the person of attending qua dinner ; and-a its Editor, the Co1zfracl Bridge happy touch-as the victorious jounzal took occasion subsequent­ teams received their trophies from ly to pledge to the hilt its support the hand of Sir Noel Mobbs, the of the new Chairman's policy. flags of their countries (Britain Baron "Bobbie'! de Nexon twice, Sweden and Belgium) were announced that Sweden would run up and the orchestra broke carry the E.B.L. colours to into the strains of the relevant Bermuda : Einar \Verner and National anthems. Rudolf Kock, Jan \Vohlin and All in all, a fitting climax to a Lilliehook being nominated ; great occasion. TRIUMPH by GUY RAMSEY p oR the first time in the history H earts as well as Diamonds ; the of bridge, Great Britain stands hand was admirably defended, at the head of both the Open and South ruffing Hearts ahead of the Ladies' Events, and has Declarer with the Nine and Six of brought off the Double. She has Spades and forcing out Ace and done so in the most thrilling and Queen. exci ting photo-fi nish that the Or this one where indifferent greatest of novelists, Life, could play went for nothing owing to possibly devise. blind good luck : In sweltering heat that turned + AKQxxx + Jxx the match-rooms into Turkish­ <y> A X <y> K J 10 X bath steam-rooms ; through OQJ8x OA2 arduous hours of grim, and often + x + AQJx lamentably slow, play; before Declarer, in 6+ , got a trump tiered seats sometimes almost lead which was won by Dummy ! empty and sometimes so full that Ace and another Diamond gave the back rows imperilled their North the King- unnecessarily; necks by standing on chairs like three rounds of trumps removed so many Colossi, the players of any chance of ruffing the Eight of 11 countries in the Open, 9 in the Diamonds ; subsequently, the Ladies, battled and slogged their H earts were played and ruffed, way to their fi nal placings.