BRIDGE · 2018-09-11 · BRIDGE Number: 190 UK £3.95 Europe €5.00 October 2018 Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz This month we are dealing with auctions where your partner passes

BRIDGENumber: 190 UK £3.95 Europe €5.00 October 2018

Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding QuizThis month we are dealing with auctions where your partner passes in response to your opening bid. You

are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and four-card majors. It is your turn to call.

1. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A Q 2 ♥ 7 6 ♦ A 4 3 2 ♣ A K Q 5

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass ?

2. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 9 2 ♥ A K 2 ♦ K 8 7 ♣ A K Q 6 5


3. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ J 2 ♥ K 5 ♦ A 8 7 3 ♣ A K Q J 8


Answers on page 41

NW E

S

NW E

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NW E

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4. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A K Q 7 6 5 ♥ A K Q ♦ A 3 2 ♣ 2

West North East South 2♣ 2♦ Pass Pass ?

5. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 4 2 ♥ A 7 6 ♦ A K 2 ♣ A K J 4 3


6. Dealer West. E/W Game. ♠ 4 3 2 ♥ A ♦ A K 9 8 ♣ A K Q 6 5

West North East South 1♣ 2♠* Pass 4♠ ?* weak jump overcall

Answers on page 45

NW E

S

NW E

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NW E

S

7. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A J 4 ♦ A K 8 7 6 ♣ A K 3

West North East South 1♦ Pass Pass Dbl ?

8. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A 4 ♦ A K 8 7 6 ♣ A K 3 2


9. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A 6 5 ♦ A K 2 ♣ A Q J 9 7

West North East South 1♣ 1NT Pass Pass ?

Answers on page 47

NW E

S

NW E

S

NW E

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10. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A J 3 ♥ A K 3 ♦ J 8 3 ♣ A Q 8 7

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass ?

11. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 ♥ A 10 4 2 ♦ A K 4 ♣ A K J 10 5

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass Dbl 2♦ 2♥ Pass ?

12. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A J 2 ♥ A 3 ♦ 5 4 ♣ A K Q J 5 4

West North East South 1♣ 1♦ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 1♥ Pass ?

Answers on page 49

NW E

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NW E

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BRIDGE October 2018 Page 3

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3 Clive Goff ’s Stamps 4 Mr Bridge UK Events 2018 8 Islands of the

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9 Mr Bridge UK Events at The Olde Barn Hotel

10 Bridge With Angela 11 Mr Bridge UK Events at

The Chatsworth Hotel 14 Bernard Magee DVDs

Sets 1-3 15 Bernard Magee DVDs

Sets 4-6 16 Festive Events 2018 18 Mr Bridge UK Events 2019 24 Acol Bidding with

Bernard Magee 26 Declarer Play with

Bernard Magee 28 Bridge Tables 31 Re-boot your Acol with

Bernard Magee 32 BRIDGE Subscriptions 33 Little Voice 33 Defence with

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43 QPlus 12 44 Books on Bridge 44 Croatia 2019 45 Designs for Bridge

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47 Tunisia 2018-19 47 Mobility Scooter

Insurance 49 2019 Diaries 51 Charity Events 51 Travel Insurance 51 Home & Contents

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Waterways with Fred. Olsen

Features this month include:

1 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee

5 Mr Bridge

6 Reviews by Shireen Mohandes

7 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee

9 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage

10 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum

11 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett

12 Take-Out Doubles Part 1 by Andrew Kambites

15 Take-Out Doubles Part 1 Quiz by Andrew Kambites

17 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions

20 Robin Hood’s Bad Breaks by David Bird

22 Julian Pottage Answers your Questions

24 Catching Up with Sally Brock

25 Take-Out Doubles Part 1 Quiz Answers by Andrew Kambites

26 Letter From Overseas by John Barr

27 Readers’ Letters

29 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage

30 Ganjifa - Playing Cards From India by Paul Bostock

32 Pressing the Defence by Bernard Magee

35 Sally’s Slam Clinic

36 Two Games in Toronto by Paul Barden

37 Point of View by Philip Watson

39 Declarer Play Quiz Answers by David Huggett

41 Bidding Quiz Answers (1-3) by Bernard Magee

42 Seven Days by Sally Brock



48 What is Checkback and how do you use it? by Julian Pottage


50 Nothing To Do With Bridge by Janet Ward

51 More Tips by Bernard Magee

Mr Bridge UK Events 2018

Elstead HotelBournemouth BH1 3QP

Ramada Resort, GranthamMarston, Lincs NG32 2HT

Denham GroveNear Uxbridge, UB9 5DG

Chatsworth HotelWorthing BN11 3DU

Just Duplicate

Blunsdon House9-11 November £228

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Chatsworth Hotel12-14 October £218

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Elstead Hotel5-7 October £218

2-4 November £218

Olde Barn Hotel (formerly Ramada Resort

Grantham)

26-28 October £208


Please note that there are no seminars, set hands or prizes at these events.

PROGRAMME

DAY 11500 Mr Bridge

Welcome Desk open Tea or coffee on arrival

1745 to 1830 Welcome drinks

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DAY 20800 to 0930

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1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 2 DUPLICATE PAIRS

1815 to 2000 Dinner

2015 BRIDGE 3 DUPLICATE PAIRS

DAY 30800 to 0930

Breakfast

1000 to 1230 SEMINAR & PLAY of SET HANDS or

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Tutorial Events with Bernard Magee

Full Board – No Single Supplement*

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Play and Defence of 1NT

Tutorial Events

Blunsdon House19-21 October £238 Better Leads & Switches

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Denham Grove

5-7 October £228 Declarer Play Hosted by Sandy Bell

Elstead Hotel16-18 November £228

Bidding Distributional Hands

Hosted by Lesley Lewis

Olde Barn Hotel

9-11 November £218 Better Finessing Hosted by Michael Haytack

Chatsworth Hotel 26-28 October £258

Supporting Minors

2019 dates now availablesee page 18

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at Just Duplicate Events DUPLICATE BRIDGE( )

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Limited availability at some events


UPGRADE

Send in the cover of your out of date edition of DBRS together with four 2nd class stamps. The 2017 edition will be posted to you by return. Enclose two more 2nd class stamps for an extra copy for your partner.

PICK 'N' MIX SALE

Do look at the bound-in insert at the front of this issue. Use the cut-out form to place your order.

2019 DIARIES

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FLAT STANLEY

Mrs Anne Oppenheim, while on the beach in Lindos, sent in this pleasing snap. Readers will understand that we have all sorts of little spaces throughout the magazine which we currently use for

adverts to liven up the pages. Please send in your snaps together with your name and details.

2018 INTO 2019

On the facing page are the remnants of this year’s weekend events. As these are filling up fast and space is limited I recommend you book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. All the 2019 weekend event dates are listed both on pages 18 and at the back of the bound-in insert between pages 50 and 51.

GREAT DAY OUT

Barnes Café Bridge Drive in support of Age UK Richmond-upon-Thames. To be held on Tuesday 16 October 2018 £30 entry, includes bridge & lunch. Contact Emma Forbes ( 0208 7487821 [email protected] Victor Lesk ( 07804 953460 [email protected] for more information.

ANY IDEAS?

Last night, at home, playing rubber bridge with friends, my partner and I needed just 20 for game and I picked up the ace and king

in all four suits. I did not even count the points, just opened 2NT and hoped my partner said pass. She had 3 points and she did. My other 5 cards were rags.

They led. I won the first trick, put the other 7 winners on the table and claimed. Unbelievable they all said ‘What are the odds on this happening?’ BUT what should I have done/called/played? Suggestions please. John Handley, Bedford.

GOFFIES STAMPS

With Christmas now approaching why not get ahead and order your stamps from Clive Goff’s wonderful discounted stamp service. See his advertisement on page 3. ( 020 8422 4906 or email: [email protected]

FIDENTIA

Club secretaries and / or treasurers are reminded that their annual renewals are due 1 November.

WARNING

For the first time I have included a page (a review in fact) nothing whatsoever to do with bridge. However, having read the book myself, I wanted to tell you all about it. Be assured it will make a wonderful Christmas present. You will find the review buried at the back of this issue on page 50. You might even want to buy a copy for yourself. I have included the publishers details and retail price, but if you do want a copy you should shop around and second-hand is an acceptable option these days.

SKELETON COAST

This cruise on board Aegean Odyssey had been earmarked as a must by Mrs Bridge when the 2019 winter programme was first planned way back in early 2016. It was to have been our 80th birthday cruise. See insert enclosed. I am still hopeful of making it but it is a long voyage. All good wishes

Mr Bridge

PS. Todays scan confirmed my recent biopsy. All clear. I still live in hope.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE RULES

SIMPLIFIED2017

David Stevenson

Mr Bridge

Page 6 BRIDGE October 2018

When Mr Bridge asked me to review Tricks of the Trade, Strategic Thinking

for Advanced Bridge, I had high expectations, based on the author and the publisher, namely Larry Cohen, and The Bridge World (see Bridge 158).

I was not disappointed at all. The book is a very good read. In a very honest and direct way, Larry shares his wisdom – wisdom that would normally take years to attain.

This is a book about how to be a better bridge player. Rather than discussing new conventions and standard cardplay techniques, Cohen focusses on how to form a good partnership, how to think effectively, and how to recognise common situations so as to be prepared.

His well-explained arguments, based on his considerable experience, make for easy reading.

The topics he covers are not often seen in bridge literature – for example, these chapters:

How to Prepare a DuckAdvice on anticipating when you need to duck smoothly.

Dummy Means DummyDummy has a formal, and informal role. The tips given will help you to make the most of being dummy, and

also avoid bad habits, that don’t make for a lasting and trusting partnership.

Sleeping with a Clear ConscienceHow often have you been party to a hesitation (or fast play) that has given information to players that they aren’t entitled to? Cohen says, ‘Sleeping with a clear conscience is more satisfying than trying to win at all costs’.

But don’t let that short list mislead you – the book covers a great breadth of wisdom. Do you like to play a lot of conventions? Do you psyche a lot? Do you redouble (or is that bidding card in the pristine condition that it was when it was removed from the cellophane wrapper?) What tone and body

Tricks Of The Tradeby Larry Cohen

ISBN: 978-1-891994-05-0. Published 2018 www.bridgeworld.com Larry Cohen’s website: www.larryco.com £20.00

Reviews by Shireen Mohandes

language do you use when scoring up with teammates? There are some novel and instructive words on how to run a long solid suit, something perhaps few of us have thought about.

The methods used in the book are American, but systems are not the focus of the book. The advice in the book is applicable to players everywhere.

Excerpt form Chapter 13It’s Dangerous to Bid; It’s Dangerous to Pass.

Sometimes a gun is held to your head and you have no way to avoid danger. For example, after RHO deals and opens 3♥, you must overcall 3NT with Hand 1, even if red versus green. Sure, you can go for a number – a big number, but you can’t play scared bridge and pass (or try to hedge with an ill-judged take-out double).

Don’t confuse that situation with one like Hand 2.

Hand 1 Hand 2

♠ K Q 3 ♠ A 5 2

♥ K J 4 ♥ A 8 6

♦ A 7 6 4 ♦ K J 5 3

♣ A J 8 ♣ K 7 4

RHO deals and opens 1♠. I consider it suicidal to overcall 1NT, especially vulnerable, on this collection. There is no urgency to stick your neck out. Here, I can live with a compromise double. The all-or-nothing macho 1NT is not only dangerous on this deal but also damaging on other deals, where partner will not be able to judge accurately if your no-trump overcalls can be this shabby. ■

New Yorker Larry Cohen (b.1959) retired from a career in I.T and options trading in the early 1980s to become a full time bridge professional. In 2009 he switched from playing professionally to pursue a career in bridge teaching and writing, and is now based in Florida. His success as a player in the USA and in international tournaments, and his best-selling book, To Bid or Not to Bid, mean that he has achieved fame and praise from a wide audience around the world.

Journalist Miles Kingston (1941-2008) is credited with saying, ‘Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.’

Source: Wikipedia


Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz

1. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A Q 2 ♥ 7 6 ♦ A 4 3 2 ♣ A K Q 5


2. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 9 2 ♥ A K 2 ♦ K 8 7 ♣ A K Q 6 5


3. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ J 2 ♥ K 5 ♦ A 8 7 3 ♣ A K Q J 8


My Answers:

1...........................................

2...........................................

3...........................................

Answers on page 41

NW E

S

NW E

S

NW E

S

4. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A K Q 7 6 5 ♥ A K Q ♦ A 3 2 ♣ 2

West North East South 2♣ 2♦ Pass Pass ?

5. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 4 2 ♥ A 7 6 ♦ A K 2 ♣ A K J 4 3


6. Dealer West. E/W Game. ♠ 4 3 2 ♥ A ♦ A K 9 8 ♣ A K Q 6 5

West North East South 1♣ 2♠* Pass 4♠ ?* weak jump overcall

My Answers:

4...........................................

5...........................................

6...........................................

Answers on page 45

NW E

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NW E

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NW E

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7. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A J 4 ♦ A K 8 7 6 ♣ A K 3


8. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A 4 ♦ A K 8 7 6 ♣ A K 3 2


9. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A 6 5 ♦ A K 2 ♣ A Q J 9 7

West North East South 1♣ 1NT Pass Pass ?

My Answers:

7...........................................

8...........................................

9...........................................

Answers on page 47

10. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A J 3 ♥ A K 3 ♦ J 8 3 ♣ A Q 8 7

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass ?

11. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 7 ♥ A 10 4 2 ♦ A K 4 ♣ A K J 10 5

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass Dbl 2♦ 2♥ Pass ?

12. Dealer West. Love All. ♠ A J 2 ♥ A 3 ♦ 5 4 ♣ A K Q J 5 4

West North East South 1♣ 1♦ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 1♥ Pass

?

My Answers:

10 .........................................

11 .........................................

12 .........................................

Answers on page 49

This month we are dealing with auctions where your partner passes in response to your opening bid. You are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and four-card

majors. It is your turn to call.

NW E

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NW E

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NW E

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DEFENCE QUIZby Julian Pottage

(Answers on page 29)

You are East in the defensive positions below playing Swiss Teams (IMP scoring) with only North-South vulnerable.

1. ♠ A 9 6 5 3

♥ K 10 7 3 2

♦ K

♣ Q 9

♠ 7 4

♥ A J 6 5

♦ Q 6 3 2

♣ J 8 7

West North East South

1NT1 2♣2 Pass 3♠

Pass 4♠ All Pass112-142Landy, both majors

Partner leads the ♦A. What do you do?

2. ♠ 9

♥ Q 10 8 6 3

♦ Q J 4

♣ A K 10 2

♠ A 5

♥ K 9 7

♦ K 10 8 7 6 5

♣ J 7


1♠

Pass 2♥ Pass 2♠

Pass 3NT Pass 4♠

All Pass

Partner leads the ♦A and continues the suit. You win, all following, and play a third round. Declarer ruffs with the ♠10 (♣4 from partner) and leads low to the ♠2 and ♠9. After you duck, declarer comes to hand with the ♥A (♥5 from partner) and leads the ♠K to your ♠A. What do you do next?

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3. ♠ J 8 2

♥ Q J 3

♦ J 10 9 8

♣ Q 3 2

♠ K Q 9 4

♥ 7 5

♦ 7 6 3

♣ 10 9 5 4


1♣1

Pass 1♦ Pass 2NT2

Pass 3NT All Pass1Could be short218-19

Partner leads the ♥8, won by the ♥Q. The ♦J runs to the ♦K, after which partner leads the ♣A. What do you do?

4. ♠ J

♥ K Q 4

♦ K 9 6

♣ A K 10 8 4 3

♠ K 9 7 6

♥ 2

♦ A 8 5 2

♣ Q 6 5 2


2♣1 Pass 2♦2

Pass 3♣3 Pass 3NT

All Pass 1Natural, 11-162Enquiry 3Maximum, 6 clubs, no major

Partner leads the ♥7: ♥Q, ♥2 and ♥8. The ♦6 goes to declarer's ♦Q and then comes the ♦3 to the ♦10 and ♦K. What is your plan?

NW E

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NW E

S

2018 26-28 October £208

Just Duplicate

9-11 November £218 Better Finessing Hosted by Michael Haytack

16-18 November £208Just Duplicate

For Festive events, see page 16

201918-20 January £208

Just Duplicate

8-10 February £218 Finding Slams

Hosted by Gary Conrad

8-10 March £208Just Duplicate

17-19 May £238 Drawing Trumps

Hosted by John Ronan

14-16 June £218Just Duplicate

12-14 July £264 Supporting Minors Hosted by Bernard Magee

2-4 August £229 Masterpointed Duplicate

20-22 September £238 Further into the Auction Hosted by Ray Hutchinson

11-13 October £218 Just Duplicate

For details and bookings call Mr Bridge Holidays ( 01483 489961

Prices shown are per person, full board including tea & coffee during breaks and a welcome drinks party. There is no single supplement and single players will always be found a partner.

The Mr Bridge team will offer support during the set hands sessions, on the seminar events, and make up the numbers

in the duplicates, so there should never be a half table. All rooms are ensuite, have tea & coffee making facilities and

free Wi-Fi. The venue has a lift.

This charming rustic hotel is set in the beautiful countryside of Grantham in the heart of England. Comfortably furnished and tastefully decorated rooms, with a traditional bar, contemporary lounge, atmospheric restaurant, and health club altogether make for an idyllic retreat.


As I arrived at the bar at the Riverside the secretary was introducing Millie to a

potential new member with, ‘This is Abba, or should I be more formal and say Mrs .. .’ At this point Abba interrupted him. ‘I’m not married, I’ve never met the right man.’ ‘None of us have,’ Millie announced adding sympathetically, ‘but believe me it makes no difference.’ ‘I have had four marriages,’ admitted Abba. ‘Goodness’, acknowledged Millie, ‘That’s brave.’ ‘Not really,’ Abba retorted, ‘One is to bridge; the other three all failed. Mind you, it’s great to own three houses.’

I knew Millie was very tense that evening. Not only were all boards now computer-generated, but this was the day that instant scoring was being introduced with handsets on every table. Millie had already announced that she wouldn’t ever play North again as she felt that inputting the result of each deal would be too great a responsibility. I explained that although it was traditional for North to perform this manoeuvre, it was not compulsory and I could operate the electronic box from the South seat. This cheered her up considerably. Abba, playing at the club for the first time, followed us to a table with George, who had agreed to be her partner for the session. I remarked that Abba was an unusual first name. ‘My mother chose it,’ explained Abba, ‘She is dyslexic and wanted to be able to spell it. My siblings are Ada, Pip, Eve and Otto.’ The first board was this extraordinary hand:

Dealer West. E/W Game.

♠ 10 5 3

♥ Q 10

♦ 7

♣ A J 7 6 5 4 3

♠ A K Q 8 4 2 ♠ J 9 7 6

♥ 6 ♥ J 8 7 4

♦ J 5 ♦ A 4 2

♣ K 10 9 8 ♣ Q 2

♠ Void

♥ A K 9 5 3 2

♦ K Q 10 9 8 6 3

♣ Void

As West and dealer, Abba opened 1♠. I overcalled 3♣, after which George bid 3♠. Millie of course was looking at a massive hand with only two losers, so she doubled in an attempt to show a red two-suiter. Abba bid the spade game. Clearly Millie could not hold many spades. As I held the club ace and what appeared to be the useful queen of hearts, I bravely bid 5♥ as a sacrifice. George passed and Millie confidently bid a slam.


Abba Wendy George Millie

1♠ 3♣ 3♠ Dbl

4♠ 5♥ Pass 6♥

End

Abba led her top spade and I faced my hand as dummy on the table. Millie played low. George was constantly smiling inanely at Abba and inexplicably placed his pass card on the first trick. He was totally unaware of his transgression and when questioned looked bemused. Eventually he realised his error and apologised for his lapse. The six of spades finally appeared and the pass card was returned to his bidding box. Millie ruffed in hand, and played a small heart to the queen. She now continued with the ten of hearts and George hesitated before playing low.

NW E

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After much grimacing Millie let the ten run, winning the trick. Millie decided that she might be pushing her luck to finesse George for the ten of diamonds as well. When she played diamonds from the top and the jack fell, the contract came home with the ace of diamonds the only trick for East-West. What I thought was a key card, the ace of clubs, had not made a significant contribution to the final result. Millie now had yet another change of heart and announced that perhaps computer-dealt boards were quite a good innovation after all. In our usual hostelry later, it turned out that Jo and Kate had been allowed to play in four spades. In their auction the first five calls were exactly the same as at our table, but the bidding then ceased.


Kate Jo

1♠ 3♣ 3♠ Dbl

4♠ End

North led the club ace on which South discarded the ten of diamonds. North, hoping South could ruff, continued with another club. No such luck. Kate removed trumps and the contract made, their opponents taking one further trick in each red suit. We then had a bit of a giggle over George’s mishap with the pass card and wondered about the impression that incident might have had on Abba. Millie noted that George seemed besotted by her. ‘Perhaps she is looking for a new house,’ suggested Kate unkindly. ‘If he’s not careful he could lose his,’ warned Jo. Time would tell. As usual Millie tried to have the last word with ‘Isn’t Abba mentioned in the Bible?’ ‘I’m not sure,’ responded Jo, ‘but I know it’s a title given to bishops in the Coptic Church.’ This information produced an abrupt end to the conversation. ■

The Diaries of Wendy WensumEpisode 78:

The Curious Case of a Careless Card

Bridge with Angela. Consolidate Your Basic Skills with

this Easy to Read Guide to Standard Bidding, Play, Defence & Conventions

£7.95 ( 01483 489961


1. ♠ K 10 8 6

♥ 7 5 3

♦ K 8

♣ 7 6 4 2

♠ A J 9 5 4

♥ A 8 4

♦ 7 5 4

♣ A K

You are declarer in 4♠ after three passes and West leads the ♥K. East plays the ♥2. How do you plan the play?

2. ♠ 6 2

♥ 8 7 5

♦ A J 2

♣ K Q 9 6 5

♠ K J 5

♥ A 9 6 3 2

♦ K Q 8

♣ A 8

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♠8. East plays the ♠10. How do you plan the play?

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3. ♠ K J 10

♥ K Q 6

♦ A 7 6 5

♣ K 7 6

♠ Q 9 8 6 4

♥ A 5 4

♦ J 2

♣ A 9 3

You are declarer in 4♠ after West opened 3♦. West leads the ♦K. How do you plan the play?

4. ♠ A K 9

♥ K 8

♦ A J 9 5 3

♣ Q 3 2

♠ 7 5

♥ A Q J 10 9 7

♦ 8

♣ A K 10 7

You are declarer in 7♥ after West opened 2♠ showing 5-5 in spades and a minor and a weak hand, 5-9 points. West leads the ♠Q. Trumps break 2-3. How do you plan the play?

NW E

S

NW E

S

DECLARER

PLAY

QUIZby David Huggett


You are South as declarer playing rubber bridge or teams. In each case what is your play strategy?

2018 12-14 October £218

Just Duplicate

26-28 October £258Supporting Minors

Hosted by Bernard Magee

23-25 November £218Just Duplicate

20191-3 February £228 Hand Evaluation


29-31 March £258Drawing Trumps

Hosted by Bernard Magee

26-28 April £218Just Duplicate

10-12 May £238 Doubling


7-9 June £218Just Duplicate

5-7 July £218Just Duplicate

16-18 August £238 Leads and Fundamental

Defence Hosted by Martin Holcombe

27-29 September £218Just Duplicate

A family run, grade II listed building, with beautiful Georgian frontage. The Chatsworth Hotel retains much of its 19th century charm and is renowned for its friendly, efficient service. The hotel is backed by a Silver Tourism Award for Quality. Adjacent to the seafront, it is the perfect location for a stroll.



The Mr Bridge team will offer support during the set hands sessions, on the seminar events, and make up the numbers

in the duplicates, so there should never be a half table. All rooms are ensuite, have tea & coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi. The venue has a lift and is located in lovely Steyne

Gardens, close to the sea front. Garden view or sea view rooms may be available (sea view at a supplement).


About the Contested Auction by Andrew Kambites

Take-Out DoublesPart 1

Double of a one-level suit bid is for take-out and, unlike an overcall, shows at least the

values of an opening bid. The perfect shape for a take-out double of 1♥ is shown by Hand A or B, where you have four-card support for whichever suit partner chooses. These hands also demonstrate the minimum point count expected if you have perfect shape.

The less suitable the shape, the more points you need. The lack of a fourth spade in Hand C is regrettable but with 13 points a double of 1♥ is justified. With a 4-3-3-3 hand with 16 points you may have to double if you have no stopper in their suit.

Hand A Hand B Hand C

♠ Q 10 7 6 ♠ Q 10 7 6 ♠ Q 10 7

♥ 5 ♥ Void ♥ 3 2

♦ A Q 4 3 ♦ A Q 4 3 ♦ A Q J 6

♣ K 9 7 6 ♣ K 9 7 6 5 ♣ K J 8 2

Hands D and E form an interesting contrast. Should you double 1♥ or bid your five-card suit?

Hand D Hand E

♠ K J 8 ♠ Q 9 7 6 5

♥ 3 ♥ 3

♦ A Q J 6 ♦ A Q J 6

♣ Q 9 7 6 5 ♣ K J 8

You should double with Hand D, and ask partner to choose the suit. You might miss a 5-3 club fit, but if you bid 2♣ with this ropey suit you may well miss a far better fit in diamonds or spades.

Hand E is very different. Your five-card suit is a major and can be bid at the one level. There is an important piece of theory here. Compare Auctions F and G which look at a very likely development of the auction.

Auction F


1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass

Pass Dbl Pass 2♠

Auction G


1♥ Dbl 2♥ Pass

Whether you start with a 1♠ overcall or a take-out double, if the auction returns to you with your opponents in 2♥ you do not want to sell out. They have a fit in hearts so you almost certainly have a fit somewhere, and you want to find it. Partner must have some points, otherwise why are opponents passing out 2♥? You can make a take-out double on the second round with Auction F without promising extra values. However, you cannot proceed with 2♠ (Auction G) without showing a very strong hand, as I will explain in the next section. If you start with a double you end up not bidding your spades and you are very likely to miss a 5-3 spade fit. This explains why, when given a choice, experts prefer to overcall a major at the one level rather than make a take-out double. Note also a method of thinking that distinguishes experts from the rest. The club player considers what he should bid now. The expert weighs up alternatives by considering how the auction might develop and how his choice now affects his future options.

Take-out doubles without support for all the other suits

The point about a take-out double is that you are asking partner to choose. Suppose you do this and then overrule partner?

If you ask your partner to choose the denomination with a take-out double and then overrule

him you are showing a very strong hand.

Hand H Hand J Hand K

♠ K Q 10 9 6 ♠ A 4 3 ♠ A Q J 7 6 3

♥ A 9 2 ♥ A Q 9 ♥ 7

♦ A Q ♦ A K J 9 ♦ K Q 2

♣ A 9 7 ♣ Q 10 9 ♣ A K J

Auction L


1♣ Dbl Pass 1♦

Pass 1♠/1NT/2♠

With Hand H, you double and then bid spades at the lowest level, showing at least five good spades and more than the 16 points that is the maximum of a 1♠ overcall.

With Hand J, you double and then bid no-trumps at the lowest level, showing more than the 18 points that is the maximum of a 1NT overcall. 1NT after the double shows 19-21 points.

With Hand K, you double and then bid spades with a jump, showing at least six good spades and more than the 16 points that is the maximum of a strong 2♠ overcall.

I would comment that for some


pairs there are sequences where double followed by a change of suit shows the other two suits when the change is at the same level. It is called ‘Equal Level Conversion’. It is beyond the scope of this article and I would comment that if you look it up and decide you like it you must decide how you deal with stronger single suited hands.

Responding to a take-out double

If partner asks you to pick a suit you cannot opt out because you are weak. Suppose partner doubles 1♦ and the next hand passes.

Hand M Hand N Hand P

♠ 8 7 6 2 ♠ 8 7 6 ♠ K J 7 6

♥ 7 5 4 ♥ 7 5 4 ♥ 8 6 3

♦ 8 5 4 ♦ 8 5 4 2 ♦ A 7 6

♣ 10 7 5 ♣ 10 7 5 ♣ 10 7 5

With Hand M you must bid 1♠. No points is not an excuse for passing. If you think otherwise just look up the score for 1♦ doubled, making with four overtricks.

Hand N is a nightmare. You just have to bid 1♥ and hope. Some eminent older authorities used to argue that 2♣ was better because 1♥ would excite partner too much. I can see no sensible reason to push the bidding to the two level unnecessarily with this rubbish.

Hand P is a maximum for a 1♠ response.

Hand Q Hand R Hand S

♠ K J 7 6 ♠ A Q 8 7 6 ♠ K J 7 6

♥ 8 6 3 ♥ 8 7 ♥ Q 10 7 4

♦ A 7 5 ♦ 7 5 ♦ 9 8 3

♣ Q 7 6 ♣ Q 10 7 5 ♣ K 6

Hand Q is worth 2♠: roughly 9-11 points. Hand R is also worth 2♠. It has only eight points but good shape. (If South has more than eight points, he needs to jump to 2♠, jump to 3♠ with 9-11 points and 4♠ with 12+ points.)

With Hand S, you have a promising nine points and bearing in mind partner could be 4-3 in the major suits you would really like him to choose a

major. I would bid 2♦, a cue bid of your opponents’ suit. Traditionally this was played as game forcing but nowadays most experts just stipulate that you promise another bid. The auction might develop with Auction T:

Auction T


1♦ Dbl Pass 2♦

Pass 2♥1 Pass 3♥2

Pass 4♥3

1North has four hearts. He might also have

four spades. He is not necessarily minimum.

He will keep the bidding low because you

cannot pass 2♥.23♥ is a courtesy raise, showing about 9-11

points. North can pass this.3North is not minimum.

Hand U Hand V Hand W

♠ 6 3 ♠ 10 5 ♠ 10 8

♥ A 5 4 ♥ 7 3 2 ♥ 7 3 2

♦ K 10 9 6 ♦ A K 4 3 2 ♦ K Q J 10 8 6

♣ J 6 4 3 ♣ 7 5 4 ♣ 7 5

Partner’s double of 1♦ asks you to pick a suit but maybe you have good values in diamonds.

With Hand U bid 1NT, showing 6-9 points. You certainly need at least one diamond stopper and two is preferable because your stopper is likely to get knocked out quickly and it is highly likely that the 1♦ opening bidder will regain the lead. 2NT would show 10-12 points and 3NT 13-15 points. If you swap round the black suits you would have a close choice between 1♠ and 1NT. I would choose 1NT. The spades are poor and 1NT accurately shows my diamond stoppers and point count.

With Hand V 1NT is also best. Your diamonds may look good to you but they are not good enough to pass 1♦. In 1♦ doubled your ♦A-K will certainly take tricks but your opponents will use their better intermediate diamonds to draw your other diamonds. Your correct response is 1NT.

Your diamonds need to be truly outstanding to pass 1♦ doubled, as in Hand W. If you pass 1♦ doubled you are asking partner to lead a trump if he has one so that you can start drawing trumps. For that you need excellent

intermediates in diamonds, not just top cards.

Making a Free BidYour partner’s double of 1♦ virtually forces you to bid unless your diamonds are very strong indeed. However, this isn’t a ritual. The reasons you have to bid on Hands M and N is that whatever the problems you might face as a result of entering the auction on this rubbish, it is likely to be considerably cheaper than allowing 1♦ doubled with multiple overtricks. Look at Auction X. East has bid 2♦ so 1♦ doubled with overtricks is no longer a threat. If South has nothing to say, he is permitted to pass. 2♠ here is called a Free Bid and shows roughly 5-8 points.

Auction X


1♦ Dbl 2♦ 2♠

South could have Hand Y, and although it may offend the purists, in my opinion he could also have Hand Z.

Hand Y Hand Z

♠ K 10 6 5 ♠ K 10 8 5 4

♥ 7 5 ♥ 7 5

♦ 9 8 7 ♦ 9 8 7

♣ Q 10 6 3 ♣ 6 5 3

To justify my desire to bid 2♠ with Hand Z, I would refer you back to my first article in this series, on overcalls. I started by explaining an essential principle of the competitive auction, namely that you should try to bid to the level of the fit. You certainly have an eight-card spade fit here and quite likely a nine-card fit, and if you have a nine-card fit, your opponents are also likely to have a nine-card fit. It is quite possible that your opponents can make 3♦, and you can make 3♠. I would suggest that the principle of bidding to the level of the fit should take priority over adhering to any particular point count. And I wouldn’t let adverse vulnerability deter me. Look at the layout on the next page. If you pass, the auction might well continue as in Auction X2. u


Do you really expect partner to compete further if you pass? He has shown his hand with his take-out double. Yet you easily make 3♠, while 3♦ makes (with an overtrick) for your opponents. I suppose you could protect with 3♠ over 3♦, but it is much more dangerous now.

NW E

S

♠ Q J 3 2

♥ A 8 6 3

♦ 3

♣ A Q 9 2

♠ A ♠ 9 7 6

♥ Q J 4 2 ♥ K 10 9

♦ A Q J 6 2 ♦ K 10 5 4

♣ K J 4 ♣ 10 8 7

♠ K 10 8 5 4

♥ 7 5

♦ 9 8 7

♣ 6 5 3

Auction X2


1♦ Dbl 2♦ Pass

2♥ Pass 3♦ All Pass

When should the doubler raise his partner’s choice of suit?

You have asked partner to choose a suit with a double. Partner has done so. You are happy with his choice. Is that sufficient or might you still want to make a game try?

In Auction B, West must be aware that East’s 1♠ is forced, he could have no points.

There is a nice rule of thumb here.

When deciding whether to bid on, West decides the level to which he would

have supported East if West had opened the bidding in another suit and East had freely responded in an uncontested auction. He should bid one fewer.

NW E

S

Layout A

♠ K J 9 6 ♠ Q 10 4 3

♥ 7 ♥ A 8 4

♦ A J 8 3 ♦ Q 7

♣ A K 6 2 ♣ 8 5 4 3

Auction B


1♥

Dbl Pass 1♠ Pass

2♠ Pass 4♠

In Layout A West reasons that if he had opened 1♦ and East had responded 1♠ West’s rebid would have been 3♠, hence in Auction B he raises to 2♠. East recognises West’s game try. He is maximum for 1♠ so he bids game.

Auction C


1♥

Dbl Pass 1♠ Pass

3♠ Pass 4♠

NW E

S

Layout D

♠ K J 9 6 ♠ Q 10 4 3

♥ 7 ♥ 9 8 4

♦ A K J 3 ♦ Q 7

♣ A Q 6 2 ♣ 8 5 4 3

In Layout D West would have raised a 1♠ response to 4♠ (or made a splinter bid of 4♥) so he is worth 3♠ in Auction C. This might seem cautious but how easy is it going to be to make ten tricks if there are no entries to East to take finesses? East should appreciate his partner’s strong bidding. Two queens might not seem much but they are entries as well as tricks so 4♠ is clearcut.

The balance changes if opponents compete further.

Auction E


1♥

Dbl Pass 1♠ 2♥

2♠

NW E

S

Layout F

♠ K 9 6 2 ♠ Q 10 4 3

♥ 7 ♥ 9 8 4

♦ A 10 9 3 ♦ Q 7

♣ A Q 6 2 ♣ J 5 4 3

In Layout F West would have preferred to pass 1♠, but now that South has competed with 2♥, bidding to the level of the fit becomes appropriate as in Auction E. ■

SET 1 1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks

2 Competitive Auctions

3 Making the Most of High Cards

4 Identifying & Bidding Slams

5 Play & Defence of 1NT Contracts

6 Doubling & Defence against Doubled Contracts

SET 2 7 Leads

8 Losing Trick Count

9 Making a Plan as Declarer

10 Responding to 1NT

11 Signals & Discards

12 Endplay

SET 3 13 Hand Evaluation

14 Pre-Emptive Bidding

15 Splinter & Cue Bids

16 Avoidance Play

17 Play & Defence at Pairs

18 Thinking Defence

BERNARD MAGEE

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1. At love all what should South call with these hands if East opens 1♥? If you choose to double what will be your next bid if partner responds 1♠ to your double?


♠ K J 7 ♠ K J 7 4 ♠ K Q 10 6

♥ Q 4 ♥ 4 ♥ 4

♦ A Q 6 5 ♦ A Q 6 5 ♦ A K J 8

♣ 8 4 3 2 ♣ Q 4 3 2 ♣ A K 7 6

Hand D Hand E Hand F

♠ K Q J 7 6 ♠ K 5 4 3 ♠ A Q J 7 6

♥ 8 ♥ 8 ♥ 8 3 2

♦ A 9 8 ♦ A 9 8 ♦ K J 8

♣ K 5 4 3 ♣ K Q 8 7 6 ♣ A 6

Hand G Hand H Hand J

♠ A Q J 7 6 ♠ K J 7 ♠ K J 7

♥ A 3 2 ♥ A 9 4 ♥ A K 4

♦ K J 8 ♦ A K J 4 ♦ A K J 4

♣ A 6 ♣ Q 6 5 ♣ Q 6 5

2. At love all how should South respond to North’s take-out double with these hands after Auctions (i) and (ii)?

Auction (i)


1♦ Dbl Pass ?

Auction (ii)


1♦ Dbl 1♥ ?


♠ 9 7 ♠ 9 7 ♠ 9 6 5

♥ 5 3 2 ♥ 5 3 2 ♥ Q 3

♦ K 10 9 5 2 ♦ K 10 9 4 2 ♦ K Q J 10 9

♣ 10 7 6 ♣ A 8 6 ♣ A 8 6


♠ K 7 6 2 ♠ K Q 7 6 2 ♠ K 7

♥ K Q 5 ♥ A 8 5 ♥ K Q 6 5

♦ 9 4 3 ♦ 10 4 3 ♦ 8 5 4 3

♣ 6 3 2 ♣ 6 3 ♣ Q 10 9

3. With N/S vulnerable how should North continue with these hands?


1♥ Dbl Pass 1♠

Pass ?


♠ K J 7 ♠ K J 7 2 ♠ K J 7 2

♥ 6 2 ♥ 6 ♥ 6 2

♦ A Q 8 7 ♦ A J 8 7 ♦ A K Q 7

♣ K J 7 6 ♣ A K 6 5 ♣ A K 6

4. With E/W vulnerable how should South continue with these hands after Auctions (i) and (ii)?

Auction (i)


1♦ Dbl Pass 1♥

Pass 2♥ Pass ?

Auction (ii)


1♦ Dbl Pass 1♥

Pass 1NT Pass ?


♠ K 8 ♠ 9 4 3 ♠ 9 4 3

♥ K J 6 4 3 ♥ 8 6 4 3 ♥ A 7 5 4

♦ 6 4 3 ♦ K J 5 3 ♦ A 10 9 3

♣ 9 3 2 ♣ 9 3 ♣ 9 3

Take-Out Doubles Part 1 Quizby Andrew Kambites


SET 4 19 Defensive Plan

20 Further into the Auction

21 Weak Twos

22 Trump Control

23 Sacrificing

24 Improving Bridge Memory

SET 5 25 Defence as Partner

of the Leader

26 Aggressive Bidding at Duplicate Pairs

27 Strong Opening Bids

28 Take-Out Doubles

29 Suit Establishment in Suit Contracts

30 Landy / Defending Against a 1NT Opening

SET 6 31 Counting Defence

32 Extra Tricks in No-Trumps

33 Supporting Partner

34 Finessing

35 Bidding Distributional Hands

36 Coping with Pre-Empts

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North discarded ♦2 and East discarded ♠5.

South correctly assumed that West had all the missing hearts ( ♥A-10-x-x-x). She decided to remove the ♥10 first, hence she played ♥8 (on trick 5), West played ♥5, North discarded a diamond and East then played ♥10.

A director was called and they continued playing.

On trick 6, East played another spade, South ruffed with ♥9 and West discarded.

On trick 7, South played ♥Q and West took with ♥A. Then N/S made all the rest of the tricks. N/S made only 9 tricks. (They lost four tricks; ♠A, ♠K, ♥10 and ♥A.)

What is the correct ruling?

Dealer North. N/S Game.

♠ 9 8 4

♥ Void

♦ A 8 4 3 2

♣ A K J 4 3

♠ 7 6 3 ♠ A K Q 10 5

♥ A 7 5 3 ♥ 10

♦ J 9 7 ♦ Q 10 6

♣ 10 9 2 ♣ Q 8 6 5

♠ J 2

♥ K Q J 9 8 6 4 2

♦ K 5

♣ 7

Dilip Mithani by email.

A There was a revoke, but the revoke card did not win the trick.

Since the offending side took at least one further trick, then one trick is transferred to declarer at the end of the hand making ten tricks.

NW E

S

If there had been no revoke then declarer would have made ten tricks.

Thus no further tricks need to be transferred to restore equity.

Sometimes, as here, the revoke trick (or tricks) merely restore equity, sometimes they provide an additional penalty.

♣♦♥♠

QWhilst you must announce the values of your

1NT and 2NT openings, as far as I can see, there are no guidelines on what you should do with a 1NT response to a 1-level opening. Playing Acol (or SAYC for that matter I believe), a 1NT response is showing 6-9 HCP. More exotic systems such as 2-over-1 have a different HCP range.

At our club, a system has been widely adopted where a 1NT response has a range of 0-9 HCP. Should a 1NT response which has a different range than 6-9 HCP be alerted? Alan Mansell by email.

A It would have to be very different from 6-9 which is

nowhere near standard. 5-9 is common, some include bad 10 counts and some play 5-8.

All these are fairly standard and minor diversions are not alertable. If you need to know

the exact range you must ask: you cannot assume 6-9.

But serious diversions from 6-9 should be alerted. Playing 2/1 some people play 6-11 or 6-12 but not forcing: they require an alert.

Similarly, if people are playing 0-9 that should be alerted.

♣♦♥♠

QIn my experience it happens all too often that one can

hear a loud post mortem being conducted at the table from which the boards will next be passed. This may take the form of “Four spades just made – good job the king of trumps was on the right side!” This can greatly inhibit later bidding.

Should one bid normally, knowing that a marginal game can be made, or should one bend over backwards to avoid making use of unlawful information?

What should a TD do if a player brings a complaint that he/she has clearly overheard what the contract is on a hand that he/she has yet to play and feels inhibited? What penalties might apply?John Bunch,Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire.

AWhen you overhear something you are required by law to

report it to the director and it is their decision whether it

Continued on page 19 u

David Stevenson Answers your Bridge Questions

How Do We Keep Track Of What The Contract Is?

QWe recently had a heated discussion at our club about

clarification of the contract. I thought any player could ask during the play to be reminded of the contract. Others thought you were not allowed any reminder whatsoever. I read your answer to a similar query in BRIDGE 186 (June 2018), stating that the club could decide to allow a card from the bidding box to be raised as a reminder. Is it still legitimate to ask if you have no physical reminder? Is there a law covering this?Elaine Slinn, Ness Bridge Club.

A As a matter of law, declarer or either defender may ask

what the contract is at any time, including whether it is doubled or redoubled, though not by whom it was doubled or redoubled. This is different from asking what the auction was which a player may not do once he has played to the first trick.

♣♦♥♠

QCan you please help me in the ruling on the following hand.

N/S were in 4♥ by South.West led the ♠3 and East

took the first two tricks in spades (ace and king). Then East played ♠Q which South ruffed with ♥2.

South played ♥K (on trick 4), West played ♥3,

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makes the board unplayable. Normally they will let you

play it but afterwards may give you averages, usually strong plusses, if they feel you suffered from the informa-tion.

From the point of view of the director, a stern warning is normal first time.

If any player re-offends, even at club level, a standard procedural penalty of 25% of a top should be given.

♣♦♥♠

QI play a strong NT in two bridge clubs but a weak NT

in another. This can mean I am playing against the same couple with the same partner but with a different NT opening and rebid, but on different occasions.

An interesting question came up last night, ‘should I alert or announce my 1NT rebid?’ It being 12-14most of the time or 15-17 at other times.

We just didn’t know.Alun Williams,Llanfairpwll.

A There is no alerting or announcing for 1NT rebids.

If the opponents wish to know they should ask.

♣♦♥♠

Q We use curtain cards in case the wrong cards are

placed in the wallets.Last week South had all

of West’s cards and West all of South’s cards, both had seen all of each oth-ers cards. Five tables had played with the correct cards before the 6th table found the error - cards replaced incorrectly in the wallet.

How is this scored please?Joan Bronkhorst by email.

A The board cannot be played at the sixth table so both

sides get average plus. You might strongly consider a small penalty (25% of a top is standard) to both sides at the previous table since both sides made a mistake that made a board unplayable at the next table.

♣♦♥♠

QAt a local club duplicate, West opened 1♥ and

North overcalled 3♣. When asked, South said it was opening values.

West declared a contract of 4♦.

Before he led, North said 3♣ could also be weak. North held:

♠ 8 3

♥ Q 9 6 5

♦ 7

♣ K Q J 8 5 4

Was North correct in explaining this to the table?Huw Jones by email.

ANo, defenders should only correct partners’ mistakes

in explanation at the end of the hand. On the other hand it is correct for declarer or dummy to explain it at the end of the auction.

♣♦♥♠

Q The opposition were in 3NT and my partner’s opening

lead was the ♥K. Dummy had a doubleton, ♥10-6. I held ♥A-4. I considered the possible distributions – did partner hold four or five or six hearts? Did he hold ♥K-Q-J... or just ♥K-Q...? Should I unblock

by overtaking his ♥K with my ♥A and returning the ♥4 immediately, or was it better to duck, even though it blocked the suit? Eventually, I played low. It was, of course, obvious to everyone that I held at least two hearts including the ♥A, and probably only two hearts. We eventually defeated the contract, by one trick (we should have taken six, not five).

As the scores were being entered, our opposition suggested politely that, because of my very long hesitation, I should have felt obliged to play the ♥A, and that it was unethical to have played the ♥4. I said that I would be perfectly happy if they wished to call the director, but they did not do so. We parted amicably.

I should, however, like to know your opinion. I needed to take a long time to try to assess the situation; having done so, I did not feel that I was under any obligation to play the ♥A, since both my partner and declarer could make the same inference from my hesitation, and there wasn’t much point in taking time to assess the situation if my two options were thereby reduced to one.Tim Sharrock,Blunham, Bedford.

A It is certainly not unethical for you to take the decision

that you feel is right. The only relevant laws on hesitations are whether your partner uses the unauthorised information from your hesitation, which is a matter for him to deal with, or whether it

misleads the opposition, which it clearly did not.

To be honest I cannot even understand the opponent’s suggestion. One wonders whether if you had played the ace and it was successful they might have suggested that was unethical? Their argument makes no sense that I can see.

There is another point. It is strongly recommended that you take time to think about the hand at the first trick, so if declarer plays quickly from dummy, it is normal and acceptable to think about the hand in general, whether you have a problem in the suit led or not. If I had been declarer I would not have assumed you had the ace from your hesitation, but of course I would not have played quickly from dummy.

♣♦♥♠

Q My question this time regards the “unassuming cue

bid” which we alert, but what about the reply to an overcall that is bidding to the level of the fit?

Such as:


1♣ 1♥ 2♣ 3♥1/4♥2 1Showing weak with 4 card support*2Showing weak with 5 card support*

Are these alertable?Alun Williams,Llanfairpwll.

A No. Raises in com-petition are generally accepted as some-

what pre-emptive without the need to alert them. n

E-mail your questions to: [email protected]


Robin Hood's Bridge Adventures by David Bird

Robin Hood’s Bad Breaks

Robin Hood’s team were competing in a teams-of-four championship in the Baron

of Beef alehouse. In the fourth of six 8-board matches they faced Wise Wynfryth. With her reputation in mind, few would dare to call her a witch. She charged a good amount for issuing evil spells, however, and had many satisfied customers.

This was the last deal of the match:

Dealer South. Love All.

♠ 9 6 4

♥ 10 2

♦ 9 7 4 3

♣ A K 3 2

♠ Q 10 8 2 ♠ J 7

♥ J 9 8 ♥ A 7 5 3

♦ Q 10 5 2 ♦ J 6

♣ 10 5 ♣ J 9 7 6 4

♠ A K 5 3

♥ K Q 6 4

♦ A K 8

♣ Q 8


Wise Nazir Basil Robin

Wynfryth Leape Hood

2NT

Pass 3NT All Pass

Wynfryth led the ♠2 to her partner’s jack and Robin Hood paused to consider his prospects.

He had seven top tricks and a certain eighth trick to come from the hearts. What was the best chance of a ninth trick?

Since he had only one practical entry to dummy in the club suit, it would not be possible to lead twice towards his ♥K-Q. A better idea was surely to lead towards dummy’s ♥10, hoping that Wynfryth held the jack.

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Robin Hood won the first trick with the ♠K and led the ♥4 from his hand. Wise Wynfryth went in with the ♥J and returned the ♠Q to declarer’s ace. A heart to the ten was allowed to win, but Hood returned to his hand with a top diamond and cleared a ninth trick from his ♥K-Q. The game was his.

‘Even a blind man would see that heart play,’ declared Wise Wynfryth, thrusting her cards to the rough-hewn wooden board. ‘If they rely on a 3-3 diamond break at the other table, it’s the last time they’ll play with us!’

With two matches still to play, Robin Hood’s team were leading the field by a healthy 24 IMPs.

Their next opponents were unknown to him. Since they were currently in 4th position, they were doubtless sound performers.

At Little John’s table the white-haired Meryl Docket had just picked up a rather good hand.

Dealer East. N/S Game.

♠ K 5 4 2

♥ Q J 10 2

♦ J 5 2

♣ 10 2

♠ 9 ♠ 8 3

♥ 9 8 7 ♥ K 6 5 3

♦ K 10 8 7 ♦ Q 4 3

♣ A Q 8 7 5 ♣ J 9 4 3

♠ A Q J 10 7 6

♥ A 4

♦ A 9 6

♣ K 6


Little Baxter Friar Meryl

John Docket Tuck Docket

Pass 1♠

Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠

All Pass

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Little John led the ♥9 and down went the dummy. ‘You want the queen?’ enquired Baxter Docket. His florid complexion bore witness to a passion for mulberry gin. Not that he would touch a drop before an important bridge event like this.

‘Probably,’ his wife replied. ‘Wait a minute, though.’

What would happen if she played dummy’s queen and the fat priest held off his king? There was only one trump entry to dummy, so she would then score two heart tricks instead of three. Thanks heavens she had stopped to think about it!

‘No, play a low one, Baxter,’ said Meryl Docket.

She won in hand with her ♥A and drew trumps with the ace and queen. It was then a simple matter to lead a second round of hearts to dummy’s Q-J-10. Friar Tuck won with the king and switched to a club, Little John scoring two tricks in the suit.

‘I make the rest,’ said the white-haired declarer, beaming happily at her husband. ‘I cross to the ♠K and throw two diamonds on the hearts.’

Friar Tuck nodded resignedly. Few declarers in the event would have seen the winning play in hearts. Not that it was remotely difficult if you gave the matter any thought. Perhaps they could have beaten the contract if John had led a diamond? A low diamond would be no good but maybe the king or the 10 would give declarer a problem. It wasn’t the moment to broach the subject. Little John was quick to fly off the handle if he sensed any criticism of his play. A heart lead had been obvious anyway.

On the other table, Robin Hood faced two well-known undertakers from Nottingham. They maintained their lugubrious appearance even when off


duty and playing bridge. Hood had just arrived in a slam contract:

Dealer South. Game All.

♠ A 8 5 3

♥ Q 5 3

♦ A 6

♣ 10 7 4 2

♠ J ♠ Q 10 2

♥ 9 6 4 2 ♥ J 10 8 7

♦ J 10 9 5 ♦ K Q 8 7 4 3

♣ J 9 8 6 ♣ Void

♠ K 9 7 6 4

♥ A K

♦ 2

♣ A K Q 5 3


Durwin Nazir Allard Robin

Eymor Lode Hood

1♠

Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT

Pass 5♥ Pass 6♠

All Pass

‘That’s the fifth slam bid against us today,’ Durwin Eymor announced dolefully. ‘We never seem to get any cards.’

‘It sometimes seems that the Good Lord must frown upon our profession,’ added his partner. ‘I can’t think why.’

Robin Hood saw little logic in this assertion. How would the Good Lord know that the undertakers intended to sit in the East/West direction? ‘At least you can enjoy defending,’ he retorted. ‘My poor partner will have nothing to do for the rest of this hand.’

Showing no sign of agreeing with this view, Durwin Eymor reached for the ♦J.

‘Ace, please,’ said Hood. He continued with a trump to the king, the jack falling on his left. If trumps broke 3-1, the slam would still be easy unless clubs broke 4-0. What could he do to guard against that circumstance?

Robin Hood’s next step would not have occurred to many of the contestants in the event. He cashed the ♥A-K. When he played a second round of trumps to dummy’s ace, the 3-1 trump break came to light. ‘Queen of hearts, please,’ he said.

Robin Hood discarded a club from his hand and ruffed dummy’s last

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diamond. These cards remained in play:

♠ 8 5

♥ —

♦ —

♣ 10 7 4 2

♠ — ♠ Q

♥ — ♥ J

♦ 10 9 ♦ K Q 7 4

♣ J 9 8 6 ♣ —

♠ 9 7

♥ —

♦ —

♣ A K Q 5

Robin Hood played the ♣A, his eyes lighting up when East discarded a diamond. Splendid! His careful play earlier in the deal would now bear fruit. He exited with a trump to East’s queen. Unwilling to lead any of his remaining cards, Allard Lode sat motionless in his chair for a few seconds.

‘It makes no difference,’ Robin Hood informed him, displaying his hand. ‘Whether you play a heart or

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a diamond, I will throw the ♣5 from my hand and ruff in the dummy. The remaining tricks are mine.’

‘Absolutely typical of our luck, Durwin,’ declared Allard Lode. ‘Even when the opponents suffer bad breaks, the contract is still there.’

‘It’s how the Good Lord wills it,’ his partner replied.

In their final match the outlaws found they would play the team in second place. ‘Wylie, they’re called,’ said Little John. ‘Never ‘eard of ‘em.’

Robin Hood approached the opponents’ table and gasped at the sight before him. Sitting in the West seat, wearing the worn clothes of a commoner, was none other than Sir Guy of Gisborne.

‘You recognise him?’ Hood asked his team-mates. ‘Gisborne has the affrontery to enter our stronghold, unarmed and with a female partner.’

Little John’s eyed blazed. ‘He’ll regret it when I’ve finished with him,’ he exclaimed.

‘Later, later,’ said Robin Hood. ‘Our first duty is clear. We must ensure that he doesn’t win the event at our expense.’ (Concluded next month) n


Julian Pottage Answers your Bridge Questions

Should You Always Lead An Ace Against A Gambling 3NT?

QSouth opens 3NT and all pass.

West holds:

♠ Q 10

♥ A 9 7 4 2

♦ 7 3

♣ K Q J 3

What do you recommendleading?

1. 3NT explained as gambling 3NT (solid mi-nor with little outside)?

2. 3NT is not conventional?Huw Jones, Swansea.

AIn both cases, you might expect South to hold a running

diamond suit; in case 1, dummy has the missing strength; in case 2, de-clarer will have some of it.

Holding a king-queen-jack combination I would look no further whatever the explanation. While this could be wrong if the opponents are wide open in hearts, you can be sure of setting up at least two tricks in the suit. In contrast, cashing the ace of hearts (the traditional lead ‘to take a look’ against a gam-bling 3NT) could easily set up a trick or two for the oppo-sition and might block the hearts anyway if partner has a good three-card holding.

In short, either lead will probably defeat the contract

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if partner holds the ace of clubs. The club lead is quite likely to do so if partner has the ace of spades, while partner will need a good four-card heart holding for the ace of hearts lead to beat it. At matchpoint pairs, an added reason for the club lead is that it is less likely to concede overtricks.

♣♦♥♠

QSeveral people at my club, including my

partner, prefer a different reply to the strong 2♣ opening. This is as follows:

2♦ 0-5 points2♥ 6-72♠ 8-92NT 10+ points

I prefer the old system of showing an ace and a king or a king queen together and a king.

I will be interested to hearyour opinion and which answer you would recommend.Elizabeth Hocken by email.

ASince strong 2♣ openings occur infrequently, the

most important thing is that the system of responses is one that both you and your partner can remember.

Generally opener has some important features to describe and therefore

responder does not want to be taking up a lot of bidding room with the response unless there is a specific message to convey.

You have not said what your old system is. Responder does not often have one and a half quick tricks, so you do not want to be allocating too many responses to hands with such strength. If your method is to have one bid to show no controls, another to show one, another bid to show two, etc that is reasonable too.

I can see some advantages in your partner’s system. Hands with 0-5 points rarely produce a slam. Hands with 6-7 points may do if a fit is present or opener has extras. Hands with 8-9 points will often produce a slam.

♣♦♥♠

QUnder our system of 5-card majors, my partner opens

1♦, which means she has no 5-card major, has 12-18 HCPand at least 4 diamonds. I had 5 diamonds, headed by the 10, and 2 HCP.

What should I do? Roddy Vernon by email.

AWith 2 HCP it is usual to pass partner’s non-forcing opening

bid. With such a weak hand, system and shape do not really affect the decision.

Having passed first time,

you might compete later if the bidding has not got too high before it gets back to you.

♣♦♥♠

Q My partner, sitting West, who was declarer in

a 6NT contract, received a small heart lead.

♠ A Q 5 4 ♠ K 9 2

♥ A Q 2 ♥ K 9 3

♦ J 7 ♦ A Q 9 8

♣ A Q 6 4 ♣ K 7 3

Obviously if either black suit breaks, the contact can not be beaten.

Otherwise three tricks are needed from the diamond suit and this suit must be explored before fully testing the black ones.

My partner and I can not agree on how to play the diamonds and would welcome your expert advice.

There is a large scotch depending upon your decision.Len Macauley by email.

AThis is a really interesting problem.

If you run the jack of diamonds and plan to finesse the queen if it holds, you are certain of three diamond tricks if North has the king.

If you play small to the jack and plan to finesse the nine

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whether it holds or loses, you are sure of three diamond tricks if North has the ten.

The former is better in terms of leaving squeeze chances intact, because if you take a finesse without having lost a trick first you will not have to choose between a finesse and a squeeze.

In what is probably the worst case scenario that the jack holds but the queen loses, you will later be able to discard the two of hearts on the ace of diamonds to test whether the ten drops. If it does not, you can cash West’s second heart honour and all but one of the black suit tops ending in dummy.

The end position is then like this with dummy ready to lead the third round of hearts:

♠ 5 ♠ —

♥ — ♥ K

♦ — ♦ 9

♣ A 6 ♣ 7

If diamonds are 4-3, you will not know who holds the ten of diamonds but you will know (assuming there is a spade out) who holds the missing spade. When you cash the king of hearts, South will be squeezed if he started with club length and either the missing spade or the ten of diamonds. Unless South discards the missing spade, you throw the spade on the king of hearts. North will then be squeezed if he started with club length and the ten of diamonds.

As well as when one of the black suits breaks 3-3, which you have already mentioned, this line guarantees success if:

(i) North has the ♦K;(ii) the ♦10 falls in no

more than three rounds;(iii) South has four or

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more clubs and the ♦10;(iv) South has four

or more clubs and four or more spades;

(v) North has four or more clubs and the ♦10

(vi) Either defender holds J-10 doubleton of spades.

If North shows out on the second round of clubs, you might decide to cash the third round of clubs rather than the third round of spades. You would know that option (v) is an impossibility and so might instead give yourself the chance of squeezing North in spades and diamonds.

♣♦♥♠

QOur non-vulnerable opponents made life difficult for us

in a Swiss teams match:

♠ K Q 9 7 6 4 2

♥ 2

♦ A K 3

♣ A Q


Pass 1♦* 1♥ 1♠

4♥ Pass Pass ?

*Playing a strong no-trump, 5-card majors and better minor

At the table, South tried 5♠. Thinking that this asked for a heart control, North passed holding:

♠ A J 10

♥ J 3

♦ Q J 9 7

♣ K 10 7 3

What should we have done differently?Name and address supplied.

A With such a strong hand and knowing that North is often

balanced, South should just take control and ask for aces with 4NT. When North shows an ace, South then bids 6♠. Another factor is that the big heart fit for East-West increases the chance of finding North with spade tolerance.

Whether South’s 5♠ asked for good spades or for a heart control is a matter of partnership agreement. Either way, South does not have the right hand for the bid.

♣♦♥♠

QWe played in the Notts CBA Swiss Pairs 21st July and

on board 25 we missed a game, never mind a slam.

♠ A K 8 4 2 ♠ 7 6

♥ K Q J 8 5 ♥ 10

♦ 9 5 4 ♦ A Q J 10 2

♣ Void ♣ A J 10 7 2

The bidding went (North and South Pass throughout) 1♦-1♥-2♣-2♠*-3♣-3♥-Pass.

Should I (as West) have bid 3♠, as 2♠ is just 4th suit forcing?

As the ♦K onside is key to the slam it is probably not a good one, so is 3NT or 4♥ the best contract?Roger Harris,Stratford-upon-Avon.

AWith two 5-card ma-jors it is normal to bid spades before hearts.

If you bid the hearts first and then the spades, partner will think your hearts are longer.

My auction would therefore be 1♦-1♠-2♣-2♥*-3♣-3NT.

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Once partner bids the clubs a second time, showing 5-5 in the minors, the chance of a 5-3 heart fit is slim. I would play 3♥ (over 3♣) as a general force rather than as promising a fifth heart.

I must admit the auction would probably be the same if East had a similar hand with ♦A-K-Q-x-x, when you would be happy to be in a slam. Matchpoint pairs scoring often leads to missed slams in the minors.

♣♦♥♠

Q Some of our members have been going back

to lessons even though they have been playing for some time (a great idea). The topic at the moment is opening a weak two and one of the responses is “Ogust”.

Looking back to an article you wrote on “responding to a weak two” I was wondering if the same response works after a ‘weak jump overcall” eg 1♦, 2♠, Pass?

Would 2NT be strong asking partner to bid “Ogust”? Alun Williams,Llanfairpwll, Anglesey.

AYes it helps with memory to play similar continuations

in similar sounding situations. While you would not have to play 2NT as an enquiry in this situation, there is a logic in doing so even though the player in fourth seat is less likely to hold a strong hand once an opponent has opened the bidding. n

E-mail your questions for Julian to: [email protected]


Last year you may remember that I had a visit from my American friend Karen – we played in the

Women’s Teams at the Young Chelsea. In the gap between returning from Vienna last month and flying off again, I will be preparing for, enjoying and recovering from her visit this year.

I drove to Luton Airport to pick her up – she had arrived from the US via Reykjavik where she was visiting a friend. On the Friday evening we went out with Margaret and Debbie to a tapas place near Edgware Road tube. Margaret was off on holiday the following day so it was then or never.

On the Saturday Karen stayed with Gilly in Ealing (they played in the Swiss Pairs at the London Congress at the Young Chelsea) because Barry and I had tickets for the World Athletics Teams event at the Olympic Stadium. Barry is seriously into athletics and I like to go with him sometimes – it is interesting because he points out so much that is going on that I would miss. I did think that the tickets were particularly expensive – £125, which I believe is considerably more than a football match or a West End theatre – and few of the real stars were there. Still, I did thoroughly enjoy myself.

On the Sunday I played with Karen while Barry played with Gilly in the Swiss Teams at the Young Chelsea. Barry and Gilly played very well and Karen and I let them down somewhat. The following week continued rather frenetically.

On the Monday we went out to dinner with some of Karen’s friends I had not met before.

On the Tuesday we went to the Holland Park open-air opera to see Ariadne auf Naxos. That is a really fun thing to do as you can hire a table and take a picnic.

On Wednesday we went to Ipswich where I had been hired to play in their

60th anniversary duplicate, have lunch and go through the hands afterwards. This was a very enjoyable day – I hope for them as much as us. There were several slam hands, one of which was:

Dealer North. Game All.

♠ A 9 3

♥ K 10

♦ A Q 9 5

♣ 10 9 8 5

♠ J 10 7 ♠ 8

♥ 9 7 5 4 3 ♥ 8 6 2

♦ K 8 6 4 ♦ J 7 3

♣ 6 ♣ K Q J 4 3 2

♠ K Q 6 5 4 2

♥ A Q J

♦ 10 2

♣ A 7

We had a straightforward Acol auction:


1NT Pass 3♠

Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥

Pass 5♠ Pass 6♠

All Pass

My slam try was slightly pushy. Superficially it looks as if slam is on a finesse with few extra chances, but …

West led the six of clubs. If you look carefully at those spot cards, you will notice that the six is the highest small card out. So West cannot have an honour with it. It was easy to draw trumps and give up a club. Even if West had not shown out, I would have known that it was safe to take a ruffing finesse against East’s remaining honour. This time the diamond finesse was right too, but it did not have to be.

On the Thursday I had a dinner party in honour of my guest. On the Friday we went up to Manchester to stay with friends Rodney and Lorraine... n

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Catching Up with Sally Brock

BERNARD MAGEE’S

INTERACTIVE TUTORIAL CD

ACOL BIDDING

Throughout 200 deals split into ten chapters, Bernard evaluates your bids, praising the correct ones and discussing the wrong ones.

l Opening Bids and Responses

l Slams and Strong Openings

l Support for Partner

l Pre-empting

l Overcalls

l No-trump Openings and Responses

l Opener’s and Responder’s Rebids

l Minors and Misfits

l Doubles

l Competitive Auctions

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www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop


1. At love all what should South call with these hands if East opens 1♥? If you choose to double what will be your next bid if partner responds 1♠ to your double?


♠ K J 7 ♠ K J 7 4 ♠ K Q 10 6

♥ Q 4 ♥ 4 ♥ 4

♦ A Q 6 5 ♦ A Q 6 5 ♦ A K J 8

♣ 8 4 3 2 ♣ Q 4 3 2 ♣ A K 7 6


♠ K Q J 7 6 ♠ K 5 4 3 ♠ A Q J 7 6

♥ 8 ♥ 8 ♥ 8 3 2

♦ A 9 8 ♦ A 9 8 ♦ K J 8

♣ K 5 4 3 ♣ K Q 8 7 6 ♣ A 6

Hand G Hand H Hand J

♠ A Q J 7 6 ♠ K J 7 ♠ K J 7

♥ A 3 2 ♥ A 9 4 ♥ A K 4

♦ K J 8 ♦ A K J 4 ♦ A K J 4

♣ A 6 ♣ Q 6 5 ♣ Q 6 5

Hand A Pass. 12 points but the ♥Q is not really worth two points.

Hand B Dbl. Pass 1♠.Hand C Dbl. There is no upper limit

on a double. Raise 1♠ to 4♠.Hand D 1♠. Show your five-card

major. If opponents bid to 2♥ you can make a take-out double. If you double and then bid spades you are showing a very strong hand.

Hand E Dbl. You can afford to lose a 5-3 club fit. Pass 1♠.

Hand F 1♠. A maximum 1♠ overcall.Hand G Dbl. Intending to bid

spades next. If partner bids 1♠ raise to 3♠.

Hand H 1NT. 15-18 points and at least one heart stopper.

Hand J Dbl. You are too strong for 1NT. Continue with 1NT over 1♠.

2. At love all how should South respond to North’s take-out double with these hands after Auctions (i) and (ii)?

Auction (i)


1♦ Dbl Pass ?

Auction (ii)


1♦ Dbl 1♥ ?


♠ 9 7 ♠ 9 7 ♠ 9 6 5

♥ 5 3 2 ♥ 5 3 2 ♥ Q 3

♦ K 10 9 5 2 ♦ K 10 9 4 2 ♦ K Q J 10 9

♣ 10 7 6 ♣ A 8 6 ♣ A 8 6


♠ K 7 6 2 ♠ K Q 7 6 2 ♠ K 7

♥ K Q 5 ♥ A 8 5 ♥ K Q 6 5

♦ 9 4 3 ♦ 10 4 3 ♦ 8 5 4 3

♣ 6 3 2 ♣ 6 3 ♣ Q 10 9

In Auction (i) South must bid unless he has truly excellent diamonds. In Auction (ii) South can pass so any bid is a free bid.Hand A (i) 1♥. Horrible, but not

strong enough for 1NT. (ii) Pass.Hand B (i) 1NT. 6-9 points. (ii) 1NT. Rely on partner to

stop the hearts. Hand C (i) Pass. Partner will lead a

trump. (ii) 2NT.Hand D (i) 1♠. (ii) 1♠.Hand E (i) 2♠. (ii) 2♠.Hand F (i) 2♥. (ii) Dbl. Although you do not

expect your double to end the auction, this is a penalty double of a suit. As a penalty double of a suit contract below 3NT, it should be alerted.

3. With N/S vulnerable how should North continue with these hands?


1♥ Dbl Pass 1♠

Pass ?

Answers to Take-Out Doubles Part 1 Quiz on page 15


♠ K J 7 ♠ K J 7 2 ♠ K J 7 2

♥ 6 2 ♥ 6 ♥ 6 2

♦ A Q 8 7 ♦ A J 8 7 ♦ A K Q 7

♣ K J 7 6 ♣ A K 6 5 ♣ A K 6

Hand A Pass.Hand B 2♠. You would have raised to

3♠ if South had responded 1♠ in an uncontested auction.

Hand C 3♠. Partner will raise to 4♠ unless completely useless. If he has nothing he will have no entries to hand to take finesses, so 3♠ is enough.

4. With E/W vulnerable how should South continue with these hands after Auctions (i) and (ii)?

Auction (i)


1♦ Dbl Pass 1♥

Pass 2♥ Pass ?

Auction (ii)


1♦ Dbl Pass 1♥

Pass 1NT Pass ?


♠ K 8 ♠ 9 4 3 ♠ 9 4 3

♥ K J 6 4 3 ♥ 8 6 4 3 ♥ A 7 5 4

♦ 6 4 3 ♦ K J 5 3 ♦ A 10 9 3

♣ 9 3 2 ♣ 9 3 ♣ 9 3

In Auction (i) North would have raised to 3♥ if South had responded 1♥ in an uncontested auction. In Auction (ii) North has 19-21 points, too strong for 1NT over 1♦.Hand A (i) 4♥.

(ii) 3♥. Showing five. Forcing. 2♦ would not promise five hearts. 3NT is a reasonable alternative.

Hand B (i) Pass. (ii) Pass.Hand C (i) 3NT. North will correct to

4♥ provided he has four. (ii) 3NT. ■


When we want to do well at the bridge table we usually choose to play with our

favourite partner. But the next best thing is to play against your favourite opponent. By favourite opponent I don’t just mean someone who is hopeless and will scatter match points in your direction. My favourite opponent is irritating and annoying. He tells opponents and partners alike what they should have done, after he’s seen all 52 cards.

He’s my favourite opponent because I can’t bear to get bad scores against him – and then hear him tell me what I should have done. So he inspires me to play above myself. The following hand is a good example.

♠ K Q 7 6 3

♥ A 9 6

♦ 5 2

♣ J 10 7

♠ A 2 ♠ 10 8 4

♥ 10 5 2 ♥ J 7

♦ 9 4 ♦ Q J 10 8 7 6

♣ A K Q 8 6 4 ♣ 3 2

♠ J 9 5

♥ K Q 8 4 3

♦ A K 3

♣ 9 5


1♥

2♣ 4♥ All pass

Our opponents, who were playing five-card majors, quickly bid to 4♥, with my favourite opponent as declarer

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while I sat East. Although North’s game bid is a bit of a stretch, the play looks straightforward, with declarer losing just the spade ace and two clubs.

My partner led out three top clubs and I was about to discard a diamond but thankfully stopped to consider what would happen next.

It was clear that South must have most of the remaining unseen points, and that West probably had one winner outside his club suit, but was unlikely to have two more winners. So I tried the effect of ruffing partner’s third club winner with the jack of hearts.

Declarer overruffed with the queen, cashed the king of hearts and led a small heart towards dummy’s A-9, West having followed to the trumps with the two and the five.

It was then the turn of my favourite opponent to stop and think.

On the one hand, the principle of restricted choice suggested finessing the nine because if I held the jack and ten of hearts I might have ruffed with the ten rather than the jack. On the other hand, if trumps split evenly there would be no problem whatsoever in avoiding a diamond loser.

He finally decided to play for me to have started with J-10-7 in trumps – going up with the ace, which set up my partner’s ten of hearts as the fourth trick for the defenders.

I should have considered ruffing the queen of clubs no matter who I was playing against, but playing against my irritating, favourite opponent inspired me to find the play that gave declarer the chance to go wrong. n

My Favourite Opponent

Letter from Overseas by John Barr BERNARD MAGEE’S


DECLARER PLAY

Bernard develops your declarer play technique in the course of ten introductory exercises and 120 complete deals.

l Suit Establishment in No-trumps

l Suit Establishment in Suits

l Hold-ups

l Ruffing for Extra Tricks

l Entries in No-trumps

l Delaying Drawing Trumps

l Using the Lead

l Trump Control

l Endplays & Avoidance

l Using the Bidding

MAC or Windows



£76


READERS’LETTERSRESEARCHCould I ask readers of the magazine if they have a recording of the first episode of the TV series called Master Bridge, broadcast on Channel 4, back in 1983.

If anyone has a copy, please would they be kind enough to get in touch with me via the Mr Bridge office. (01483 489961. Thank you.Shireen Mohandes, c/o Mr Bridge.

RETURN TO BRIDGEA while back, living in Scotland my bridge playing friends and myself all took your magazine and looked forward to the next copy to pop through the letterbox. I think we learnt a lot from it.

...I even wrote to Sally Brock on a couple of occasions and still refer to her answers.

The magazine went online with only random copies sent out by post because of the cost of postage etc and a small charge was made if one still wanted a regular paper copy.

I moved house and cameback south. The magazine got lost on the way and I hadn’t read a copy for a few years.

Now sitting comfortably and finding new bridge playing friends, I decided it was time to take a subscription, which I havenow done.

But I can’t basically make head or tail of it.

All these laws and rules, every hand having a different convention, nothing

straightforward any more....Everything appears to lean

to quality players playing at bridge clubs, nothing for the new learner or even players that have played the game over many years, still meeting up with friends and having a jolly afternoon of bridge – as we know it....

I lent my new copy to friends at our little club ear-lier this week, only to be met with blank looks. Nobody was interested, they couldn’t understand it. Even Bernard’s quiz isn’t straightforward.

So, can I ask that a certain amount of copy is given to players that want a game that is simple, KISS for example, and that doesn’t involve all these new-fangled conventions but just aim for an afternoon of old fashioned bridge, rubber or Chicago and helpful comments that we all understand?Or is the common player below you now?Diana Parish, Singleton, West Sussex.

BY TELEPHONEMr Berlanny of Portsmouth, a long-standing subscriber telephoned asking whether we would consider using a biodegradable plastic packaging when mailing BRIDGE. He has been working with The Mail on Sunday for the last few months and they have (as of last Sunday) started using biodegradable plastic wallets for their magazine. Our printer tells us that this is a question some

of his customers are inquiring about of late.As it stands they can offer bio-degradable plastic but it has several downsides:

1) It is both more costly and needs to be invoiced in advance.

2) As it is bio-degradable, it does not have a long shelf life. It therefore cannot be ordered too far in advance.

3) When it goes into landfill, it does not degrade if covered as the plastic needs oxygen to assist the breaking down process.

COMPETITIONI have just read your letter in the August issue of BRIDGE. So pleased all is now well with you, but I am not sure your panama hat can cope with competition from your new glass frames.Jo Walch by email.

BIG THANK YOULast week I received 4 DVDs as prizes for our charity bridge raffle being held in Barnes on 16 October.

Age UK Richmond-upon-Thames will be thrilled by your contribution.Name & address supplied.Organisers of fundraising events should ask for prizes. We don’t like to say no.

IMPROVISATIONThank you very much for the magic parcel of 4 refills. In fact they are about 10mm too short for the prize pen but with the aid of 10mm cut off a matchstick, the pen now works well.Bob Davies by email.

GOOD FOR HIMI am so pleased that you have got the all clear from the hospital concerning your cancer and are now enjoying travelling once more.

We have been reading your articles in BRIDGE and

have followed your progress through your illness.

My husband was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in December and has been undergoing many treatments and procedures since then and awaits the results, which will be given in a few weeks time.

He has been extremely heartened and encouraged by your health reports and writings, and feels that there is hope for him to be able to procure insurance and enjoy going on holiday once more.

We have enjoyed a cruise, as well as several weekends and seminars with Mr Bridge in the past, so now are looking forward to many more in the future.

Thank you again for your uplifting articles. They have filled us with optimism and make us happy to look forward.Name & address supplied.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUSI was disappointed but not surprised by Bill Thompson’s email on page 39 of issue 188 of BRIDGE.

He declares that:1) Computer dealt hands

are too difficult for average players.

2) Players giving the deck a thorough shuffle should be penalised.

Several questions and observations flashed through my mind whilst reading hisarticle:

1) How can he tell the difference between manual and computer dealt hands? I once did an experiment at one of the clubs I play at. Over the course of 4 weeks I said we would have two manually dealt sets and two computer dealt sets. I asked members if they could tell the difference and which weeks were computer dealt. u


Over 80% declared they could. Little did they know that they were all computer dealt. In other words, they could not tell the difference.

2) Why does he say that average players struggle with computer dealt hands? Bridge is built on bidding systems and conventions designed to describe your hand, whatever it is. Any average player can bid accordingly.

3) Stronger pairs will generally do better in an evening, irrespective of the cards.

4) To take Bill’s suggestion to its logical conclusion, why shuffle at all?

I ran another experiment where for a few weeks I would not shuffle a small number of “non-flat” boards. I kept a record of the contracts and generally they were different contracts each week. Unsurprisingly no one remembered the hands.

5) The bias against computer dealt hands is about change and the suspicion that the computer has “fixed” the hands in some way.

a. What does “fixed” mean?b. ALL players must play the

hands, so if they are “fixed” it is still a level playing field.

c. If we had all been brought up using computer dealt hands they would be the accepted norm.

6) The beauty of computer dealt boards is that we get properly random hands that are in line with the statistical probabilities.

7) I run a small club where most members are a long way past pensionable age and a few are 90 years young. I introduced electronic scoring and computer dealt hands a few years ago and they love it. Instant results, no shuffling to perform, varied hands and no complaints. This also allows easy scoring of teams and handicap events as well as the use of Web Mitchell’s.

When I first started playing bridge, I would often hear players comment that the boards were strange that evening, usually meaning there were fewer flat hands than usual. As computer dealt hands have become more common,

this has been replaced by the words interesting, challenging and varied.

I say to Bill Thompson that, apart from the sociability side of things, this is the very essence of why we play the game, ie an interesting, challenging and varied evening. Long live computer dealt hands.Reg Hull, Oxted, Surrey.

NOT A QUERY JUST ODDThis is not so much a query but ratheran example of a bridge curiosity.

How often do you get a hand which can be bid and played at game level in all 4 suits?

These were the 7 contracts at a recent club session:

1 x 4♠* by West going 4 off2 x 4♥ by East making1 x 5♥ by East, going 1 off1 x 5♦* by South going 4 off1 x 5♦* by South going 5 off1 x 5♣ by North going 5 off

This was the hand:

Dealer West. Love All.

♠ Q 6 3

♥ 10 5

♦ 2

♣K J 8 6 5 4 3

♠ A J 8 7 2 ♠ 5

♥ Void ♥ K Q J 9 8 4 3 2

♦ K 9 7 3 ♦ Q 5

♣ A Q 10 7 ♣ 9 2

♠ K 10 9 4

♥ A 7 6

♦ A J 10 8 6 4

♣ Void

At our table (I was North) it went:1♠-4♣-4♥-5♦-Dbl

Nonetheless, how might it have gonein the hands of four experts – or at any rate in those of four competentplayers?Richard Ackland, Kenley, Surrey. n

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READERS’ LETTERS Continued...

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Answers to Julian Pottage’s Defence Quiz on page 9

1. ♠ A 9 6 5 3

♥ K 10 7 3 2

♦ K

♣ Q 9

♠ K 2 ♠ 7 4

♥ Q 9 ♥ A J 6 5

♦ A 9 8 5 4 ♦ Q 6 3 2

♣ K 10 4 2 ♣ J 8 7

♠ Q J 10 8

♥ 8 4

♦ J 10 7

♣ A 6 5 3


1NT1 2♣2 Pass 3♠

Pass 4♠ All Pass112-142Landy, both majors

Partner leads the ♦A. What do you do?In a suit contract, if dummy has a

singleton in the suit led, you do not give an attitude signal because your side can cash no further tricks in the suit.

Best is to express preference between the other two suits, playing high for the higher suit and low for the lower suit. Since you do not fancy a club switch, play the ♦6.

2. ♠ 9

♥ Q 10 8 6 3

♦ Q J 4

♣ A K 10 2

♠ 8 6 3 2 ♠ A 5

♥ J 5 4 2 ♥ K 9 7

♦ A 3 ♦ K 10 8 7 6 5

♣ 6 5 4 ♣ J 7

♠ K Q J 10 7 4

♥ A

♦ 9 2

♣ Q 9 8 3


1♠

Pass 2♥ Pass 2♠

Pass 3NT Pass 4♠

All Pass

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Partner leads the ♦A and continues the suit. You win, all following, and play a third round. Declarer ruffs with the ♠10 (♣4 from partner) and leads low to the ♠2 and ♠9. After you duck, declarer comes to hand with the ♥A (♥5 from partner) and leads the ♠K to your ♠A. What do you do next?

You have the master ♥K, which will be the setting trick if you lead it and declarer does not ruff. If you remember what happened on the first round of the suit, you will know that partner played the ♥5. On an opposing lead, a defender gives a signal, it is count, high with an even number and low with an odd number. With the ♥4 and the ♥2 missing, the ♥5 is high in this context. This means partner started with an even number, which must be four given South’s repeated failure to support the known five-card suit. Instead you should persevere with diamonds. Declarer will have to ruff high to prevent an overruff. Partner will then discard and later make a trick with the ♠8.

3. ♠ J 8 2

♥ Q J 3

♦ J 10 9 8

♣ Q 3 2

♠ 10 6 3 ♠ K Q 9 4

♥ 9 8 6 2 ♥ 7 5

♦ K 5 2 ♦ 7 6 3

♣ A K 6 ♣ 10 9 5 4

♠ A 7 5

♥ A K 10 4

♦ A Q 4

♣ J 8 7


1♣1

Pass 1♦ Pass 2NT2

Pass 3NT All Pass1Could be short218-19

Partner leads the ♥8, won by the ♥Q. The ♦J runs to the ♦K, after which partner leads the ♣A. What do you do?

By switching to ♣A, partner is looking

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for an attitude signal this time. Although you have four clubs, you have strong spades and would like a spade switch. You will hope that your partner holds the ♠10, in which case you can dislodge the ♠A and establish at least two winners in the suit. So play the ♣4 on this trick. Since partner would lead the ♠A next if holding it, you will finesse the ♠9 if you have to, although a helpful partner will lead the ♠10 to spare you the decision.

4. ♠ J

♥ K Q 4

♦ K 9 6

♣ A K 10 8 4 3

♠ A 10 8 5 ♠ K 9 7 6

♥ 9 7 6 5 3 ♥ 2

♦ 10 7 ♦ A 8 5 2

♣ J 9 ♣ Q 6 5 2

♠ Q 4 3 2

♥ A J 10 8

♦ Q J 4 3

♣ 7


2♣1 Pass 2♦2

Pass 3♣3 Pass 3NT

All Pass1Natural, 11-162Enquiry3Maximum, 6 clubs, no major Partner leads the ♥7: ♥Q, ♥2 and ♥8. The ♦6 goes to Declarer’s ♦Q and then comes the ♦3 to the ♦10 and ♦K. What is your plan?

If the ♥7 was fourth highest, partner will hold the ♥A (the lead would be the jack from J-10-9-7) and the situation will be hopeless with good spades behind you. With the ♥A, it looks as if declarer can cash four hearts, three diamonds and two clubs; this means you need to make four spade tricks. Knowing what you need to do, you thus take the ♦A and switch to the ♠K. You then continue with the ♠9 ready to hold the lead in case you need to take a further finesse against the ♠Q. n

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Ghulam a household assistant in one of many possible rolesChang a small harp, relating to entertainmentSurkh meaning red or gold and also associated with the

sunBarat a document, related to the chancellery of the courtQimash general household items, often shown as a bolster

cushionThe Ghulam suit numerals show increasingly large groups of people and are often very interesting designs. Many of the numeral cards have people or animals added, simply to make them interesting. The Chang suit often depicts the harem, where music was played, and as a result the cards often have female characters. In some regions, the harp was unknown and the artist made something up – a cap or a horn, say – a practice that has puzzled many students of these cards.

Ganjifa are traditionally circular and made by hand-painting onto thick card and then varnished for protection and smoothness. Some are more lavishly produced on

Playing cards were made in India at least as long ago as the beginning of the sixteenth century. It is not certain whether they pre-date European and Middle-Eastern

cards, but there is enough similarity to say that they are re-lated. ‘Ganjifa’ is the name of a game commonly played with the cards, as well as the cards themselves.

The Indian cards are arranged in suits of twelve, like Spanish sets. They have two court figures – a Shah or Mir (King) and a Wazir (Minister) – and ten numerals. The most common arrangement, ‘Mughal Ganjifa’, has eight suits, and 96 cards in all, almost certainly the result of combining two simpler sets of 48.

The suits relate to various aspects of the Court of a wealthy ruler:Taj a crown representing the court and its regaliaSafed white or silver, and meaning a coin, also associated

with the moon Shamsher – a curved sword and sometimes shown with military figures

Ganjifa – Playing Cards from India

A History of Playing Cards: Part Twenty-Two by Paul Bostock

Single Mughal Ganjifa court card. Mir of Surkh (gold coins).All the cards shown date from c.1850-1875.

Single Mughal Ganjifa – ten of Ghulam, the suit showing court assistants.


The author is a Court Assistant in the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards – see www.makersofplayingcards.co.uk. Many more sets of cards are illustrated on the author’s website www.plainbacks.com

materials like ivory and brass. As these cards are so beautifully painted (see the examples), it is unfortunate that we cannot identify their creators as there was no tradition for the maker to add a personal signature or symbol.

European and American cards can be given approximate dates through tax stamps and because of a steady evolution of the techniques used for printing, but the traditional

painting of Ganjifa has remained largely unchanged. It is therefore highly useful to have reference examples where dates are already known. The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has over 35 Ganjifa sets, many from the Victorian era and some even earlier. These mostly have known dates and they have been catalogued by Ganjifa expert, Rudolf von Leyden.

The most popular variant is called ‘Dashavatara Ganjifa’ with 120 cards. These em-body a Hindu culture as the ten suits are chosen to sym-bolise the ten incarnations of Vishnu – the ‘avatara’ part of the naming.

In later Indian packs, we see up to 20 suits. Why have Indian cards evolved into such large sets? In Gan-jifa sets, every card is hand-painted and each set requires a huge labour commitment. The makers must have been much happier to sell cards in larger sets, and equally, their prosperous owners must have been proud to own such imposing sets of cards.

Bridge players may want to pause to consider what their game would be like with eight suits instead of four. Those wishing to try could buy a ‘Fat Pack’ (there is a website) with four additional suits so 104 cards in all. The play would be difficult with so many cards to keep track of – but the bidding with eight suits would offer all sorts of new possibilities. ■

Mughal Ganjifa: The 8 of Surkh (gold coins).

Dashavatara Ganjifa Court Card: A Wazir, possibly from suit of cows.

Re-boot your Acol with

Bernard Magee Denham Grove, Uxbridge,

Bucks UB9 5DG

10-14 January 2019

£454pp Thursday –

MondayFour Nights

Full Board – No Single Supplement1

TopicsOPENER

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RESPONDING TO 1NT

OVERCALLS

LAWS & ETHICS

IMPROVING BRIDGE MEMORY

Contact Mr Bridge to book your place

or for further details.

( 01483 4899611Subject to availability. 2Not directed by Bernard Magee.

Sessions of supervised play follow each lecture.

Optional duplicate session every evening2.


T his DVD is on declarer play and touches on one of the more difficult aspects of it: squeeze

play. The early part of the DVD tries to simplify the topic and explain that often you can gain tricks by putting pressure on the defenders to discard. This does not require any particular planning, just playing a few extra rounds of trumps when there is no other chance available:

♠ A 8 2

♥ 4 2

♦ A J 5 3 2

♣ 8 5 2

♠ K 7 5

♥ A K Q J 10 3

♦ Void

♣ A K 7 4

6♥ by South with the lead of the ♥5.

You have eleven tricks off the top and there is the hope that clubs break 3-3 which would allow you to make an extra trick with the thirteenth club. There is little other hope. You could explore a little, by playing some of the suits, but perhaps best is to play off five rounds of trumps and put the defence to the test. By ‘pressing’ the defence, you are making them discard – most of the time they can gather evidence to keep the right cards, but here West may well struggle:

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Bernard Magee DVDs – Number Forty-Eight

Pressing the Defence ♠ A 8 2

♥ 4 2

♦ A J 5 3 2

♣ 8 5 2

♠ Q 10 4 ♠ J 9 6 3

♥ 9 7 5 ♥ 8 6

♦ K 10 8 ♦ Q 9 7 6 4

♣ J 9 6 3 ♣ Q 10

♠ K 7 5

♥ A K Q J 10 3

♦ Void

♣ A K 7 4

On the fourth and fifth rounds of hearts, West would have some very difficult decisions to make and I think 90% of defenders will discard at least one club. This would allow declarer to make the last round of clubs and with it, his contract.

This is not a genuine squeeze, because if West knows his partner has good enough diamonds and good enough spades, then West can discard both spades and diamonds, but that is not easy.

Of course, you should never give up on a genuine chance, as is shown on the DVD, like when you might be able to establish a long suit. However, if you can see little hope, then playing off some long trumps can often make the difference.

Hand in hand with this tactic, is the idea of disguising your strength in a side suit.

♠ A 6 4

♥ A 4 2

♦ J 10 2

♣ 8 6 5 2

♠ K 5 3

♥ 7 6

♦ 8 7 4 3

♣ A K Q 4

1NT by South; Lead = ♠J

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Here is a relatively straightforward 1NT contract: declarer has six top tricks and if the clubs break 3-2 he has a seventh trick. However, there is no rush to play on clubs.

Declarer wins the ♠K and plays a diamond to the jack and East’s queen. He returns a spade which you win and play another diamond to West’s ace. He now takes three spade winners and his partner needs to keep the right cards while watching dummy throw two clubs:

♠ A 6 4

♥ A 4 2

♦ J 10 2

♣ 8 6 5 2

♠ J 10 9 8 7 ♠ Q 2

♥ J 10 8 5 3 ♥ K Q 9

♦ A 5 ♦ K Q 9 6

♣ 10 ♣ J 9 7 3

♠ K 5 3

♥ 7 6

♦ 8 7 4 3

♣ A K Q 4

East has to throw all three hearts from the holding of K-Q-9.

Not many will manage this. But if declarer plays his clubs early, then East will be aware of how important his fourth club is and will try hard to hold on to it. By disguising your club strength you make it almost impossible for East to keep the right cards.

The main meat of the seminar of course is squeeze play: this is when declarer forces a defender to make a discard which gives declarer an extra trick.

In the previous examples, if the defender could see all the cards he would have been able to keep the right cards, but in a genuine squeeze position the defender has no alternative. Take a look at this four-card ending with South on lead in no-trumps.

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Subscriptions to BRIDGEAn ideal gift 1 year £492 years £79 3 years £109

( 01483 489961


of a bottle you need to make sure all the air has gone first – get rid of any spare cards. Here with 11 winners and two losers, there is a spare loser, so you would prefer to lose a trick before progressing. To lose your trick you simply allow West to win the first trick with his ♣K. After that the hand plays itself.

♠ A K Q 3

♥ 9 5

♦ 9 8 3 2

♣ 8 5 2

♠ 8 7 ♠ J 10 9 6 4

♥ 4 3 2 ♥ J 10 8 7

♦ 10 7 6 ♦ 5 4

♣ K Q J 10 6 ♣ 9 3

♠ 5 2

♥ A K Q 6

♦ A K Q J

♣ A 7 4

You win the second trick with the ♣A and then play four rounds of diamonds. That leaves seven cards – you have four hearts in hand and four spades in dummy, but poor East has to try to hold four of both in the same hand – two fours do not make seven, so he has to let one card go and allow you to score four cards in that suit.

Had you not ducked the first trick then East could still hold on to four of each suit because there would be eight cards remaining.

Some squeeze play is very difficult, but this DVD attempts to show that parts of the technique are available for everybody. Admittedly a majority of squeezes are for experts only, but the practice of playing off a long suit at the right time can earn you many extra tricks. n

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♠ A J

♥ 4

♦ 4

♣ —

♠ 9 ♠ K Q

♥ 9 8 ♥ K Q

♦ 6 ♦ —

♣ — ♣ —

♠ 3

♥ A J

♦ A

♣ —

South has three obvious winners: his three aces, but it looks as if he will have to lose one of his jacks. However, when South leads the ♦A and West and dummy follow suit, what on earth does East do?

If East discards a spade, then declarer can make the ♠A and ♠J, but it is no better if he discards a heart because then declarer can make his ♥A and ♥J. East is genuinely squeezed and whatever he does declarer is able to make the last four tricks.

Here is a full deal to look at:

♠ A K Q 3

♥ 9 5

♦ 9 8 3 2

♣ 8 5 2

♠ 5 2

♥ A K Q 6

♦ A K Q J

♣ A 7 4

You are declarer in 6NT with the ♣K lead.

You have eleven tricks, but have little natural chance of another trick since you hold only six cards in each major, which means one defender must have at least four cards. There is though, one genuine chance – if the same player holds length in both majors, then he might struggle to hold on to both – you may well be able to squeeze him.

The tactic required on this hand is called rectifying the count: a flashy name for something very simple.Basically to squeeze anything out

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BERNARD MAGEE’S


DEFENCE

Bernard develops your defence in the course of ten introductory exercises and 120 complete deals.

l Lead vs No-trump Contracts

l Lead vs Suit Contracts

l Partner of Leader vs No-trump Contracts

l Partner of Leader vs Suit Contracts

l Count Signals

l Attitude Signals

l Discarding

l Defensive Plan

l Stopping Declarer

l Counting the Hand

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Where did we go wrong?Jim Miller of Loughborough asked how the following hand, which came up in a beginners/intermediate class, should be bid:

♠ A K Q J 4 ♠ 8 7

♥ A 5 3 ♥ K 7 6 4

♦ A 6 ♦ 4

♣ A 7 3 ♣ K J 8 6 4 2

I think the hand is difficult, but this would be my recommended sequence:

West East

2♣ 2♦

2NT 3♣

3♠ 4♣

4♦ 4♥

4♠ 6♣

6♠ Pass

The choice of opening bid is not clear. My experience is that when in doubt it works better to describe your hand as balanced. Partner knows how to bid over a 1NT or 2NT opening (or 2♣ followed by 2NT rebid). It is not so easy if you rebid 2♠ because partner does not have the guarantee of some sort of fit.

The East hand is not quite worth a positive in my view (though were the long suit a major I would go for it). Over the 2NT rebid East uses Stayman, West shows four (or five) spades, East bids a natural 4♣, and some cue-bids follow. East has enough to jump to the small slam now and West converts to 6♠ because of the solid five-card suit and the matchpoint scoring.

I would add, however, that this is quite an expert bidding sequence and in a class the auction might well start 2♣-3♣-3♠-3NT-4♣.

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Sally’s Slam Clinic

Sally Brock Looks at Your Slam Bidding

Send your slam hands to [email protected]

Slam of the monthMike Reid sent in this slam hand that occurred at the Merseyside Bridge Club:

♠ A 8 ♠ K Q 10 6 3 2

♥ 8 7 4 ♥ 9

♦ K 10 5 2 ♦ A J 9 7 4

♣ A K 10 8 ♣ J

This was their auction:


1♠ 2♣

2♦ Pass 4NT Pass

5♥ Pass 6♦ Pass

7♦ All Pass

I have dubbed this ‘slam of the month’ not for the excellence of the bidding, but as an example of what can be achieved with bare-faced cheek and a complete misunderstanding.

With no other special agreement, West has no real choice on the first round but to start with 2♦, as most would play that a double would promise four hearts.

East’s decision to use Roman Key Card Blackwood with just 11 HCP was asking for trouble. However, the real problems started when West miscounted his ‘aces’, and bid 5♥, showing just two.

Although there were two missing (and the queen of trumps), East had nowhere to go (it is unclear that 5♠ would be ‘to play’ here) and bid the small slam anyway. However, now West ‘found’ an ace so went on to the grand slam.

Luckily for them North led a club and trumps broke 2-2 so there were no problems in the play. ■

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( 01483 489961www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

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l Basicsl Advanced Basicsl Weak Twosl Strong Handsl Defence to Weak Twosl Defence to 1NTl Doublesl Two-suited Overcallsl Defences to Other Systemsl Misfits and

Distributional Hands

ALSOl Defence (see p33)lDeclarer Play (see p26)l Acol Bidding (see p24)

ADVANCED DECLARER PLAY

l Overtricks in No-trumpsl Overtricks in Suit Contractsl Endplaysl Avoidancel Wrong Contractl Simple Squeezesl Counting the Handl Trump Reductions & Coups l Playing Doubled Contractsl Safety Plays

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the first finesse, that risk goes away – you don’t care about an unlikely trump promotion on a fourth round of diamonds, because that would be West making a second spade trick you were going to lose anyway.

So, in much less time than it took to read this, Lew crossed to the ♦A and ran the ♠9. Contract made.

Meanwhile, in the other room:


David Kevin Debbie Richard

Grainger Bathurst Rosenberg Coren

3♣ Pass 3NT Dbl

Pass 4♥ All pass

The West player, David Grainger opened 3♣ despite having only six of them vulnerable. Debbie Rosenberg tried 3NT, which in the expert game is natural in principle but often not entirely serious. South doubled for take-out of clubs – this is a reasonable treatment: when South has values the 3NT bid is usually based on some sort of club length. Kevin Bathurst ran to 4♥, and must have been pleased to find that East didn’t have a double and South did have good hearts. Nevertheless, a commentator on BBO, seeing that club ruffs in dummy would be awkward, observed that 4♠

The American Contract Bridge League is the umbrella organisation for North

America, and they are the organisers of the Grand National Teams; the finals are held in the summer each year. Known as the ACBL, they were founded in 1937. Their membership is 167,000, and their website states that they have an annual budget of US$16,000,000.

As with many national and international events, it is possible to follow the auction and play using the online vugraph auditorium service provided by BBO (see www.bridgebase.com). Some of the matches show live video feed and voice commentary, so it can be quite exciting to watch the match. The records are kept in an archive and are easily accessible.

This deal, from the 2017 final, held in Toronto, saw the team captained by Lew Stansby, playing against Richard Coren’s squad.

Board 20

Dealer West. Game All.

♠ 9 7 5

♥ J 8 7 5

♦ A 9 2

♣ J 10 7

♠ 2 ♠ K Q 3

♥ 10 4 2 ♥ 9 6

♦ Q 7 3 ♦ K 10 6 5

♣ A K 9 5 4 3 ♣ Q 8 6 2

♠ A J 10 8 6 4

♥ A K Q 3

♦ J 8 4

♣ Void


Kevin JoAnna Russell Lew

Dwyer Stansby Ekeblad Stansby

Pass Pass Pass 1♣*

2♣ Pass 3♣ 3♠

Pass 4♠ All pass

*Precision - see box on right

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Two Games in Toronto by Paul Barden

Letter from Overseas

Kevin Dwyer, sitting West, led the ♣A against 4♠, Russell Ekeblad playing the two, showing an even number in principle. How should declarer play?

4♠ depends on the spade suit – you expect to lose two diamond tricks, so you can afford only one spade loser. A commentator on BBO observed that 4♥ seems to be a better contract. But how should you play 4♠? You have two entries to dummy: the ♦A and ♥J, so you can take the percentage line in spades of finessing twice against East. This is inferior to ace and another only when West has ♠K-Q doubleton, and superior when he has a void or the singleton 2 or 3.

Here there are additional clues: West is a passed hand probably with a six-card club suit to two top honours, so he’s unlikely to have two spade honours as well. And if he had a red singleton, he might well lead it, hoping to get a ruff then put his partner in again with a club underlead for a second ruff, so he will often have a singleton spade.

Is there any risk in this line apart from getting the spades wrong? Yes, if you start by crossing to the ♥J, West with say a 1-4-2-6 shape may be able to win and give his partner a heart ruff. But if you make the slightly strange looking play of crossing to the ♦A for

This article is part of an occasional

series written by guest authors

Precision ClubA system developed by C. C. Wei in 1963 with assistance from Alan Truscott.It attracted international attention during the 1969 Bermuda Bowl when four members of the Taiwan team made their way to the final, but lost to Italy. Again in 1970, they reached the final, this time losing to North America.

The basics of the system are:1♣ = forcing and artificial, 16+ HCP1♦, 1♥, 1♠ = Natural and limited to 15 HCP. Major suit openings promise at least a 5-card suit.2♣ = Natural, normally showing a six-card suit, or 5 or more clubs and a 4-card major. Limited to 15 HCP.

British player Alan Truscott (1925-2005) emigrated to the USA. He was the bridge columnist for the New York Times from 1981 to 2005. Charles C. Wei (known as C. C. Wei) (1914-1987) was born in Shanghai. He was an engineer by profession. He left his home country during WW2 and lived in the USA. He was a shipping magnate.Sources: Wikipedia; The Official Encyclopaedia of Bridge. Published by the ACBL. www.acbl.org.


would have been easier to handle. 4♥ on a club lead is a much more

complicated contract than 4♠, and a worse one.

You can never make with trumps 4-1 because you will be forced to ruff a club with a trump honour, setting up a trump loser. Even if spades are 2-2, you will never be able to cash them, because the opponents will ruff the third round to cut you off. Then you will lose three minor-suit cards as well as the trump and a spade.

Assuming trumps break 3-2, one line is to ruff high in dummy at trick one, draw trumps, then take the double finesse in spades. The defence can cash two club tricks when they win a spade, but that’s all. The problem with this is that if East plays an honour on the first spade, you can make against ♠K-Q-x only by ducking, otherwise you get cut off from the spade suit. And if you do duck, you will go off when a first-class East such as Debbie Rosenberg puts in a doubleton honour, or when East has a singleton honour. In view of this, Kevin Bathurst played the simple line of ruffing low in dummy and leading out the ♠A then ♠J.

Unfortunately for him, Grainger discarded a club on the second spade. Debbie Rosenberg won, and reasoning that her partner would have discarded a diamond from all low ones, switched to the ♦10, which would be necessary in the admittedly unlikely event that North had five hearts but East had the ♦Q and ♦9. The ♦10 was covered all round, West pitched a diamond on the next spade, and East cashed the ♦K and gave him a diamond ruff to beat the contract.

That was 12 IMPs to the Stansby team (David Grainger, Debbie Rosenberg, Chip Martel, JoAnna Stansby, Kit Woolsey, Lew Stansby), who went on to win the event. n

How to watch bridge tournaments on Bridge Base OnlineVisit the home pagewww.bridgbase.com. Register yourself as a user (there is no fee). Once you have completed registration login to the system, on the first screen you will see a link that says: “Vugraph (Live Broadcasts)”. When there are tables to watch, you will see the tables. If there aren’t any tables to watch, then click the “Vugraph Schedule” link.

I have been playing duplicate bridge for over 50 years and have enjoyed playing in a number of bridge

clubs in the UK. There has been a decline in membership over the past 10 years and some clubs are now so down in numbers they are struggling to survive.

The South Croydon Bridge Club (SCBC) devised a project in order to stabilise and then increase the membership of the SCBC. The committee decided some 5 or 6 years ago to forgo their Wednesday evening duplicate teams of four session and employ an experienced EBU teacher. Thus, for the next 3-4 years there were bridge classes on Wednesday evenings and also during a couple of other days, with lessons for those new to the game of bridge and those with limited experience. Although over that period some 40-50 people were being taught to play bridge, only 4-6 participants actually joined the SCBC itself.

Around this time, there was also a decision not to continue the ‘host’ system at the SCBC. This was due to a lack of support from its members, as the system was completely voluntary and it fell to some 3 or 4 members to do it at the club’s regular four sessions of bridge per week.

Thus, some two years ago, at my suggestion, it was agreed that the SCBC would hold a once a month Sunday afternoon ‘training’ session of about 3 hours duration for new players to duplicate bridge. The layout of the afternoon was quite simple:

• A short lesson, with notes, on a particular topic (the first one was on the correct use of Stayman) of some 30 minutes using a PowerPoint presentation.

• The lesson was followed by a supervised play session on hands based specifically on the topic and carried out by 3 or 4

senior members of the club, who helped on a voluntary basis; and then

• After some 90 minutes or so, some of the hands (copies of which were available) would be displayed on the PowerPoint screen and discussed.

The take-up of this scheme in the first couple of months from July 2016 was extremely slow. However, word about it spread and currently there are 7-8 tables regularly at these monthly training sessions.

The committee at SCBC (a small club with about 80 members) has been very supportive in carrying out this relatively ‘long-term’ project. Along with the re-introduction of the ‘host’ system, it had the following benefits:

• The numbers attending on a Wednesday lunchtime session have increased;

• Thursday and Friday evening duplicate sessions have shown increased numbers;

• Similarly the Saturday afternoon session;

• Recently a gentle duplicate session has been started on Wednesday evening.

Thus, if you examine the average number of tables in play at the SCBC some 2-3 years ago during a month and compare it with the current level of activity, not surprisingly, you will find that there are at least an extra 10-12 tables per month in play.

This means that there are an extra 40 attendances per month.

Food for thought then, in that as far as I am aware there seem to be no transitional arrangements in place for bridge clubs for the new people, who have recently been taught to play bridge, to actually play at a club and not retire to ‘kitchen bridge’ at home.

Where do bridge clubs go from here and with whose help? n

Where are all the missing bridge players?

Point of View by Philip Watson


Set 737 MORE SIGNALLINGI will be looking at different times when you signal and the messages you might want to give. Using signals in new ways can greatly improve your enjoyment of defence as well as pushing up your scores.

38 4-4-4-1 HANDSEverybody’s least favourite type of opening hand. I will be going through the methods for choosing the right suit to open as well as coping with responses. As responder you need to be aware of the options and work out your partner’s type of hand. Strong 4-4-4-1 hands can be just as difficult and will be dealt with too.

39 DRAWING TRUMPSThis seminar sounds straightforward, but we will not be simply drawing trumps, we will be considering the reasons for delaying. Keeping control of trumps is an important part of declarer play. Knowing when to risk leaving trumps out and when not.

40 FIVE-CARD MAJORSPopular around the world, this method is becoming more popular here. It is not a method I would advocate for club players, however it is important to understand the method as you will need to defend against it.

41 FUNDAMENTALS OF DEFENCEDefence is by far the hardest aspect of bridge: this seminar seeks to show the building blocks that can start you off on a wonderful journey. If you can get the basics right then the more complicated aspects of defence can follow.

42 SUPPORTING MINORSMinors are not as important as majors, but we have to bid them and it is important to know your system. Bidding more 3NT contracts will get you better scores, but being able to spot a minor suit slam will put you a cut above.

BERNARD MAGEE

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22-24 November £238Dealing with 1NT



1. ♠ K 10 8 6

♥ 7 5 3

♦ K 8

♣ 7 6 4 2

♠ 2 ♠ Q 7 3

♥ K Q J 6 ♥ 10 9 2

♦ A 9 6 2 ♦ Q J 10 3

♣ 9 8 5 3 ♣ Q J 10

♠ A J 9 5 4

♥ A 8 4

♦ 7 5 4

♣ A K

You (South) are declarer in 4♠ after three passes and West leads the ♥K. East plays the ♥2. How do you plan the play?

With two hearts and at least one diamond to lose the contract is a precarious one and you will need a bit of luck to make this contract. It looks as though West started with the king, queen and jack of hearts from the carding so far (East would encourage if holding the jack) and unless West has the ace of diamonds there is no hope at all of a successful outcome. That would give him ten points and if you remember he passed as dealer, then it is odds against him holding the queen of trumps because most people are conditioned to open on a twelve count.

So win the heart and lead a diamond, and if the king wins play for East to hold the queen of trumps.

2. ♠ 6 2

♥ 8 7 5

♦ A J 2

♣ K Q 9 6 5

♠ A Q 9 8 3 ♠ 10 7 4

♥ K 4 ♥ Q J 10

♦ 10 7 6 5 ♦ 9 4 3

♣ 10 2 ♣ J 7 4 3

♠ K J 5

♥ A 9 6 3 2

♦ K Q 8

♣ A 8

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You (South) are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♠8. East plays the ♠10. How do you plan the play?

Assuming West has led his best suit, the Rule of Eleven would indicate that East has no other spade higher than the ten so you cannot entertain any thoughts of a hold up. Additionally you must do everything you can to prevent East from gaining the lead when a spade through your remaining holding would be disastrous. As you need only four club tricks to make your contract, play a diamond to the jack and play a small club to the eight.

Now you are safe from a spade attack and unless clubs started out breaking 5-1 (or East has the ten and jack and splits his honours) you will be home with one spade, one heart, three diamonds and four clubs.

3. ♠ K J 10

♥ K Q 6

♦ A 7 6 5

♣ K 7 6

♠ 2 ♠ A 7 5 3

♥ 8 7 ♥ J 10 9 3 2

♦ K Q 10 9 8 4 3 ♦ Void

♣ Q 8 2 ♣ J 10 5 4

♠ Q 9 8 6 4

♥ A 5 4

♦ J 2

♣ A 9 3

You (South) are declarer in 4♠ after West opened 3♦. West leads the ♦K. How do you plan the play?

This could be a frustrating hand in that you can count ten tricks easily via four spades, three hearts, one diamond and two clubs and yet if you didn’t stop to think the whole enterprise would end in tears. It is by no means certain but highly possible that East is void in diamonds. This means that if you play the ace from dummy at trick one it will be ruffed and you will lose one of your ten tricks. The answer of course is not to play the

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ace but let West win, who may well play another high diamond. Let that win too but ruff the third round in hand and knock out East’s ace of trumps. Later you can draw East’s remaining trumps and dispose of your club loser on the preserved ace of diamonds.

4. ♠ A K 9

♥ K 8

♦ A J 9 5 3

♣ Q 3 2

♠ Q J 10 8 3 ♠ 6 4 2

♥ 5 3 ♥ 6 4 2

♦ K ♦ Q 10 7 6 4 2

♣ J 9 8 6 5 ♣ 4

♠ 7 5

♥ A Q J 10 9 7

♦ 8

♣ A K 10 7

You (South) are declarer in 7♥ after West opened 2♠ showing 5-5 in spades and a minor and a weak hand, 5-9 points. West leads the ♠Q. Trumps break 2-3. How do you plan the play?

You have twelve tricks on top and an early appearance of the jack of clubs would give you the thirteenth, but in fact the contract is more or less guaranteed once West shows up with two trumps. This means he has a singleton in one of the minors, so find out which by playing the ace of diamonds and ruffing one after drawing trumps. If he follows then you will soon have a marked finesse against the jack of clubs.

If he shows out, you will know that he holds length in the black suits. Since you have all but one trick on top, threats in both black suits and plentiful entries, by running your trumps you expect to squeeze West in the black suits - forced to discard a total of four times, he will be unable to keep parity with the club length you have in hand and keep the same number of spades that dummy has.

All you need is for him to hold the ten of spades. n

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Answers to David Huggett’s Play Quiz on page 11


1. Dealer West. Love All.

♠ A Q 2 ♠ J 4 3

♥ 7 6 ♥ 9 8 5 4

♦ A 4 3 2 ♦ 10 7 6

♣ A K Q 5 ♣ 7 6 4


1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass

?

1NT. Your partner has not bid, which means he could have zero points – this means that your rebids have to change their meanings. If you rebid 1NT with just 15 points you may go a long way off and the same will happen if you jump to 2NT on a stronger hand. Instead you should rebid 1NT with 17-19 points – a strong balanced hand that should be able to manage even if partner is very weak. You need a stopper in spades as well, of course.

Your 1NT rebid finishes the auction – you may well go one off, but it is rather better than 2NT going two off.


♠ 9 2 ♠ 8 7 6 5

♥ A K 2 ♥ J 8 7 6 5

♦ K 8 7 ♦ 10 6

♣ A K Q 6 5 ♣ 4 2


1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass

?

Double. Once again, your partner has passed, so could be very weak. With 19 HCP you certainly want to make a call of some sort. From your point of view clubs look like the best denomination, but it is better to include your partner in the conversation and ask him to choose the partnership’s best fit, bearing in mind you have already shown club length.

You reopen with a take-out double and

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your partner would respond 2♥ – your best fit is found and the 2-level is high enough.


♠ J 2 ♠ 9 8 3

♥ K 5 ♥ Q 8 4 2

♦ A 8 7 3 ♦ 10 9 6 2

♣ A K Q J 8 ♣ 7 4


1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass

?

2♦. Another strong hand and another passing partner. With just two suits to choose from you do best to show your second suit and let your partner choose between them. By bidding 2♦, above two of your first suit, you are showing a strong hand and are happy for your part-ner to put you back to 3♣.

2♦ is probably not forcing although a partnership could decide that it was. However, without agreement I would pass with the East hand – if our side can make game then surely partner should have opened with a stronger bid. n

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Answers to Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quizzes 1-3

on the Cover and page 7

BERNARD

MAGEE

TUTORIAL

DVDS

Set 843 TEAMS OF FOURThis form of the game is the most common at international level and is great fun to play at club level and even in the home. I will discuss the basic format and then look at the tactics you might use in the bidding and play.

44 GAME TRIESWhen your partner raises your suit to the two-level, you have a variety of options available to you, in order to find out whether game is a sensible option. I will talk about major suit game tries to find better games and minor suit game tries, when you consider the option of a no-trump contract.

45 DISRUPTING DECLARERA defender needs to try and predict what declarer might want to do. Your job is then to disrupt declarer’s plan. Stop him ruffing, stop him establishing suits and generally try to put him off, by using only your cards, of course.

46 DEFENDING SLAMSMaking the right plays against slams can make a huge difference. Knowing when to attack and when to lie low: should you lead an ace or not? We will not just consider slam contracts, but also other high level contracts in competitive auctions.

47 OVERCALLINGDuplicate bridge is so much more competitive now and it is important you are part of this. Knowing the reasons for overcalling and understanding them will allow you to compete more and at the right time.

48 PRESSING THE DEFENCEAs declarer there are ways you can make life more awkward for the defenders, particularly by disguising holdings in your hand for a little longer. I will be exploring a number of tactics that will help you to exploit the defenders, including the dreaded squeeze.

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SATURDAYWe are woken first thing by the enticing smell of a full English breakfast being cooked for our benefit. Today we are playing in the Michelle Brunner Memorial teams at the Manchester Bridge Club. Michelle was a good friend of ours and we try to play in this event whenever we can. It is a mixed pivot teams. Eight of us are assembled and sort ourselves out into two teams. I play with Axel, Rodney and Michael, while Karen and Barry play with Raymond and Eve. We don’t much care about the result as long as we finish above them! It is a good day out and we finish second – a rather poor second, nearly a match behind John Holland, Jackie Pye, Geoff Smith and Alan Mould. We win rather a lot of bottles of wine in the raffle and then go back to Rodney’s for a drink and to go through the cards before going out to their local Indian.

SUNDAYSmoked salmon and scrambled eggs today. Then it’s off to Altrincham for the Manchester One-day Swiss Teams. Barry and I are playing with Rodney and John. We start fantastically – plus 100 IMPs in the first two matches. We still do pretty well for the next two matches but lose all of our last three to finish a disappointing fifth. A local team head the field, with Karen and her team snapping at their heels.

This is a contender for the worst opening lead ever, against the eventual winners. You hold:

♠ Q 7 2

♥ Q 8 5

♦ Q 6 2

♣ A 9 8 7

The bidding, with neither side vulnerable, goes:


1♥

Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠

Pass 4♣ Pass 6♥

All Pass

I toy with the idea of leading the ♣A, but that often makes declarer suspicious and I don’t want him picking up my ♥Q. It doesn’t sound as if the club is going anywhere. The trouble is that I don’t have a ‘safe’ lead so I opt for the unbid suit – a diamond. This is the full deal:

♠ K J 6 4

♥ A 6 4 3

♦ 10 8 7 5

♣ K

♠ Q 7 2 ♠ 10 8 5

♥ Q 8 5 ♥ 10

♦ Q 6 2 ♦ 9 4

♣ A 9 8 7 ♣ Q J 10 6 4 3 2

♠ A 9 3

♥ K J 9 7 2

♦ A K J 3

♣ 5

Declarer simply draws a couple of rounds of trumps and takes a spade finesse. When the suit breaks 3-3, he has a discard for his club loser and he is home.

Karen and Axel disappear to visit friends near Darlington while we stay in Manchester for one more night. This evening Lorraine cooks and we are treated to some delicious sea bass.

MONDAYWe catch a train just after 11. The London to Manchester service is really excellent. It takes about two

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Seven Daysby Sally Brock

hours and £57 return seems quite reasonable for a flexible ticket. It certainly beats driving, in my view. I get home in time for a late lunch, and after pottering around for a while, go to Gilly’s in Ealing for a dinner party. This dinner party had to be changed from Tuesday to today because it was discovered at the eleventh hour that Karen was flying home on Tuesday! Consequently, many of the people who had been originally invited couldn’t make it. At one time it seemed as if numbers would be rather depleted, but in the end other people came and there were eight of us – perfect for Gilly’s dining space (she has the most fabulous flat).

TUESDAYI have to get up reasonably early for an online teaching session with Chris. The rest of the day is spent tinkering with emails I haven’t had time to deal with. This evening is the launch of the British Guild of Travel Writers Yearbook. If you remember I was working on the production of this in the winter. They always manage to get a fantastic venue for their launch. This time it is Proud Embankment, a restaurant/night club on the Victoria Embankment. It does old-style cabaret and the posters look amazing. Tonight it is just full of travel writers, PR representatives and me, drinking plenty of wine and gobbling down the canapés they bring around. It is good to catch up with old friends.

WEDNESDAYI potter around during the day, and at five o’clock or so make my way to TGR’s. We have a Hubert Phillips match there tonight. I decide to go early as I have an online session at six, and it seems to make more sense to do it there rather than at home and then


have to rush. That all passes off peacefully, as does

the Hubert Phillips match – a good match, with quite a lot of difficult hands.

Your right-hand opponent opens 3♥ first in hand, vulnerable against not, you pass, LHO passes and partner doubles. What do you bid holding:

♠ J 9

♥ J 9 5 3

♦ Q 10 9 6 3

♣ Q 2

Against us, East goes for the simple 4♦, raised to 5♦ by partner. In the other room, our East tries 3NT, thinking that at least that might earn him a game bonus. The full deal is:

♠ 8 6 5

♥ K Q 10 7 6 4 2

♦ 8

♣ J 6

♠ A Q 7 ♠ J 9

♥ A ♥ J 9 5 3

♦ A 7 4 2 ♦ Q 10 9 6 3

♣ A 10 9 7 4 ♣ Q 2

♠ K 10 4 3 2

♥ 8

♦ K J 5

♣ K 8 5 3

Stuck in dummy after the singleton heart lead, the declarer in 5♦ decides to start with ace and another diamond, and after that there is no hope. In three no-trumps, South starts with a heart and Phil (West) plays a low diamond from the dummy, sticking in the nine.

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South wins but is endplayed. In the event he chooses to exit with a diamond but Phil runs that and plays the ♣Q to the king and ace, followed by the ♦A and the ♣10. North can win the ♣J and two hearts but that is all.

Of course, the real winner would be to pass the double as normal defence beats 3♥ two for +500, while perfect defence (two spades and a spade ruff, ♦A, ♣A and another club, followed by a third club when in with the ♥A to get a trump promotion) gets 800.

THURSDAYI leave Barry’s early and get home in time for a new online client. She prefers Funbridge to BBO and we spend an hour or so not quite working out how to use it. We must seek advice.

In the evening we have been invited by Robert Sheehan to dinner at the Portland Club. We turn up half an hour or so before dinner and have some champagne and a couple of Chicagos of bridge.

The dinner is excellent, and afterwards we adjourn for more bridge.

This does not go well for me and I lose two large Chicagos – my total losses are about £450 (at £10 a hundred). Luckily Barry wins nearly as much as I lose so there’s no real harm done. At the Portland they play a form of goulash. At the Portland, this means that if a one-level contract is passed out, it is awarded without declarer having to play it and for the next deal the cards are not shuffled. Dealing an unshuffled pack three or five cards at a time leads to lots of freaks.

This is perhaps the most dramatic deal I have ever seen:

♠ K Q J 10 9 8 7

♥ Void

♦ K Q 10 8 7 3

♣ Void

♠ A 3 ♠ 6 5 4 2

♥ 7 ♥ A 3 2

♦ A J 6 ♦ 9 5 4 2

♣ A Q J 8 6 5 4 ♣ K 10

♠ Void

♥ K Q J 10 9 8 6 5 4

♦ Void

♣ 9 7 3 2

This is our bidding:


1♠ Pass 4♥

5♣ 5♦ Pass 5♥

Dbl All Pass

Voids in all four suits in the North-South hands!

Luckily, West misdefends at the end and I manage to make a club to go with my eight heart tricks but that is still a 300 penalty.

FRIDAYI have a dental appointment at ten o’clock. I need to have implants but until recently my diabetes has not been sufficiently under control for them to be prepared to do it.

However, it has improved a lot and now it is full steam ahead. I am booked in for the procedure (maybe just the upper jaw, but if it goes well on the day it could be the whole lot). I am not too worried (though the list of what could go wrong that I have to sign that I am aware of is a bit scary) but the thought of no solid food for eight weeks afterwards is a bit miserable. I’ll probably lose a lot of weight (not a bad thing!).

While I am at the dentist, Briony (who is going off on a road trip around Scandinavia today) manages first to get a parking ticket outside my flat and then, while driving off in a hurry, clips the kerb and has a tyre blow out. She and Barry sort this out, then she and I go to Tesco shopping for what I need for a dinner party I am holding on Saturday. Then, after lunch, she leaves … for a month. u

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Continued from page 43Fingers crossed it all goes well for her.

In the evening we play in the IMP game at the Young Chelsea – something we usually do if there is nothing else on. Today everything goes well from the outset and we win with a comfortable margin.

This is my favourite deal:

Dealer West. Game All.

♠ A 3 2

♥ K J 9 5

♦ 8 7 2

♣ K J 4

♠ 9 8 7 5 ♠ 10

♥ Q 10 3 ♥ A 8 7 6 4 2

♦ K 10 5 ♦ A Q J 9 6 4

♣ 9 7 3 ♣ Void

♠ K Q J 6 4

♥ Void

♦ 3

♣ A Q 10 8 6 5 2

As you can imagine, there are lots of different final contracts on this board. Our bidding is:


Pass 1NT 2NT Dbl

3♦ Pass 4♥ 6♣

All Pass

East’s 2NT is alerted as showing the minors, so I can’t bid clubs naturally on the first round as partner will surely think I am showing the other two suits in some form or other.

On the next round, I bid what I think I might be able to make – and duly do make an overtrick on a heart lead. This is worth only a small, 1.5 IMP, swing, as some people are doubled and make an overtrick – though others go down in 6♠ after a Lightner double and a club lead, and one East-West finds the good sacrifice in 6♦.

We stay for a drink and as we wander home we bump into Mike and Sarah Bell who had gone for a quick curry. The night is still young so we invite them back to Barry’s flat for a nightcap. A good evening. ■

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Books on bridge.Gordon Bickley ( 07530553594

or email [email protected]

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Hotel Eden is wedged right between a peninsula covered by a one hun-dred year old park forest and a quiet cove. The old city centre is just a 20 minute walk away.

Bridge:Land based holidays allow time for plenty of bridge, but there is also time to both visit the local area and just sit back and relax. Over the fortnight the bridge programme includes four seminar and set hands sessions, which gives you the opportunity to enhance your bridge skills, as well as duplicate bridge every evening. You can play as much or as little as you wish and the excursions* are fitted around the bridge programme to maximise your enjoyment.

Singles: There is a sole occupancy supplement of £12 per room per night. If you are a single bridge player please do not worry about being on your own. We will be able to find you a partner so you can always have a game.

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1♣ 3♠ Pass Pass

?

Double. You open at the one-level with a strong hand and annoyingly North makes a pre-emptive overcall of 3♠: he is showing long spades and not a particularly strong hand. Your partner passes as does South and it is your turn to call again.

There is little choice with this hand – you must double – this is not for penalties, but for take-out. It asks your partner to choose his best suit, whilst taking in to account that your best suit is clubs.

Here he would bid 4♥ and the best contract is reached.

It is best to play doubles on the early rounds when only suits are bid as take-out – asking partner to reply with his best suit. (The exception being when your own side has made a pre-emptive bid).

6. Dealer West. E/W Game.

♠ 4 3 2 ♠ 7

♥ A ♥ J 9 5 4 2

♦ A K 9 8 ♦ 7 6 5 3 2

♣ A K Q 6 5 ♣ 4 2


1♣ 2♠* Pass 4♠

?

*weak jump overcall

4NT. On the previous hand your opponents pre-empted up to 3♠, well here they have gone another level higher. North’s 2♠ bid was weak: 6-10 and a six-card suit. South’s raise might be weak or strong, although looking at

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♠ A K Q 7 6 5 ♠ 4

♥ A K Q ♥ J 10 8 7 3 2

♦ A 3 2 ♦ 5 4

♣ 2 ♣ 9 8 7 6


2♣ 2♦ Pass Pass

?

2♠. You opened with 2♣, the strongest bid possible, because you were confident of game irrespective of your partner’s hand. North overcalled, so your partner passed to suggest weakness – he would have bid a 2♦ negative bid had North passed.

You should bid on as normal – there is no need to jump because your 2♣ opening already told your partner that he has to bid on towards game. By bidding 2♠ you leave room for your partner to bid a suit and here he would show his hearts and allow you to find the best denomination: hearts – you might even stretch to a slam.

Had you jumped to 3♠ or bid 4♠, then your partner would have settled for spades as trumps, since your jump would basically set spades as trumps. 4♠ might go down, with no entry to the East hand, whilst 6♥ is a pretty good contract.


♠ 4 2 ♠ 6 5

♥ A 7 6 ♥ K 9 8 3 2

♦ A K 2 ♦ 7 6 4 3

♣ A K J 4 3 ♣ 9 8

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your hand you predict that it is weak.

You are likely to take 4♠ off, but at the prevailing vulnera-bility, you would need to take it four off to beat the score for your game.

Doubling a game-level bid is generally regarded as a penalty type of double, so if you want partner to bid you will need to try something else.

With three spades in your hand, it is not unreasonable to expect that your partner has shortage (the opponents are likely to have at least nine spades if not ten).

How can you get your part-ner to bid?

You use a bid of 4NT. Surely this is Blackwood you might suggest? However, when you opened at the 1-level and your partner has shown no strength, you can never have a hand that would want to ask for aces. Instead the 4NT bid is used as a take-out bid showing two places to play (clubs and diamonds on this occasion). Here your partner will respond 5♦ and you pass. 600 from 5♦ is worth more than getting 4♠ doubled down two or three. n

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♠ 7 6 ♠ 10 4 3 2

♥ A J 4 ♥ 9 8 7

♦ A K 8 7 6 ♦ 5

♣ A K 3 ♣ Q J 7 6 5


1♦ Pass Pass Dbl

?

Redouble. Your partner has passed and thereby shown fewer than six points. This time it is your turn to bid over South’s take-out double. Rather than bid no-trumps with a suit unstopped, you have a better call to show your strength: redouble – this would suggest 18+ points and make your partner reappraise his hand.

If you were to rebid in no-trumps, you should call 1NT only since your partner has passed, otherwise you might get too high.


♠ 7 6 ♠ J 8 5 4 2

♥ A 4 ♥ 9 6

♦ A K 8 7 6 ♦ 10 4 3

♣ A K 3 2 ♣ 7 6 5


1♦ Pass Pass Dbl

?

2♣. Once again you have 18 high card points and the chance to bid over South’s

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double. Knowing that your opponents are likely to have a major suit fit, you do best to get your second suit into the auction early, before they bid higher. This will allow your partner to choose your side’s best fit and hopefully compete to the right level.

You rebid 2♣, showing at least five-four in the minors. Your partner is then able to compete to 3♦ over 2♥, which is crucial. 3♦ might well go down, but 2♥ is likely to make so it will be a good score.


♠ 7 6 ♠ Q 9 8 5

♥ A 6 5 ♥ K 3 2

♦ A K 2 ♦ 6 4 3

♣ A Q J 9 7 ♣ 10 6 5


1♣ 1NT Pass Pass

?

Double. With a very strong hand you should suggest to your partner that you might be able to take 1NT down. Doubles of no-trump bids are almost all for penalties.

If your partner is very weak (0-1 points) he might take you out, but in this kind of auction he will expect you to hold about 18-19 points, so as long as he has a useful card or two he will leave the double in. 1NT is likely to go a couple off. n

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Checkback is a convention initi-ated by responder after opener rebids 1NT. The bid initiating

Checkback is 2♣ and asks opener for further information about strength and shape.

The idea of using a responder’s rebid of 2♣ over 1NT as an enquiry became popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Eric Crowhurst popularised a precursor to the convention. The aim then was to allow opener to rebid 1NT not just on hands with 15-16 points (the traditional Acol range for a 1NT rebid back then) but also on ‘off-shape’ hands in the 12-14 range. For example hands in the 12-14 range with a singleton spade would be unsuitable for a 1NT opening but could then rebid 1NT if partner responded 1♠. This saved opener from having to rebid a weak five-card suit on hands where the side four-card suit was in a higher-ranking suit. With a 12-16 range for a 1NT rebid, it was essential that responder had some way of finding out.

Today hardly anyone still plays a 12-16 range for a 1NT rebid, although some people do play 13-16 or 13-17 in conjunction with a mini (10-12) 1NT opening.

Nowadays most people using Checkback do so simply for higher accuracy facing a 15-17 or 12-14 1NT rebid. The 15-17 1NT rebid range applies for those using a 12-14 1NT opening and vice versa. To use the 2♣ enquiry responder needs to have at least sufficient values to invite game, at least 8 or 11 points respectively.

The general principle is that opener tries to rebid naturally over 2♣, at the level of 2♠ or lower with a minimum,

What is Checkback and how do you use it?

at the level of 2NT or higher with a maximum. The exact length shown by the rebid will depend upon the suits already shown. A bid in a new suit will show four cards in it. A bid in responder’s suit shows three-card support (opener would have raised already with four-card support). A bid in opener’s suit normally shows a fifth card in it.

Opener Responder

1♦ 1♠

1NT 2♣

?

2♦ = Minimum without three spades or four hearts2♥ = Minimum with four hearts2♠ = Minimum with three spades and without four hearts2NT = Maximum without three hearts, four spades, five good diamonds or four good clubs3♣ = Maximum with four good clubs and no major3♦ = Maximum with five good diamonds and no major3♥ = Maximum with four hearts3♠ = Maximum with three spades and without four hearts

Some people treat hands with three-card support for responder’s major differently, giving that priority over showing length in the other major. For simplicity I have taken the same approach as with Stayman ie a heart bid does not deny spades but a spade bid denies hearts.

As with Stayman, responder does not have to use the enquiry. On a hand without interest in the majors (or a slam), you just raise 1NT to

2NT or 3NT depending upon your point count. The 2♣ enquiry discloses information about the 1NT bidder’s hand, so you only ask if knowledge of opener’s shape will help you find the right contract.

Playing a 12-14 1NT opening and hence a 15-17 1NT rebid, here is a possible responding hand for the above sequence.

Hand 1

♠ A 10 8 7 2

♥ 8 6

♦ J 8 5

♣ K 9 2

Here are some possible opening hands you might hold to accompany it:

Hand 2 Hand 3

♠ K 4 ♠ K 6 3

♥ A Q 3 2 ♥ Q 9 4

♦ Q 9 6 4 2 ♦ A Q 6 2

♣ A 3 ♣ A 8 4

Hand 4 Hand 5

♠ K 3 ♠ K J 3

♥ K 10 5 ♥ A 3

♦ A Q 10 9 3 ♦ K Q 4 3 2

♣ A 8 5 ♣ A 5 3

With Hand 2, you bid 2♥. You are minimum with four hearts.

With Hand 3, you bid 2♠. You are minimum with three spades.

Julian Pottage Answers Your Frequently Asked Questions





♠ A J 3 ♠ 7 6 2

♥ A K 3 ♥ 9 8 6 2

♦ J 8 3 ♦ 7 6

♣ A Q 8 7 ♣ J 10 4 2


1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass

1NT Pass 2♣ Pass

?

Pass. You opened 1♣ and rebid 1NT after your partner has passed – this action shows about 17-19 points – the reason for this is that your partner might have zero points, so your rebid should be stronger than the usual 15-17 HCP for a 1NT rebid.

Your partner’s 2♣ is natural – it is not a convention – he is simply taking you out to a safer contract. Furthermore if he has club support then he will be very weak, otherwise he might have scraped up a support bid on the first round.

Pass 2♣ and be glad to be in the best contract.


♠ 7 ♠ 9 6 5 2

♥ A 10 4 2 ♥ K 9 8 7 6

♦ A K 4 ♦ 8 5

♣ A K J 10 5 ♣ 3 2


1♣ 1♠ Pass Pass

Dbl 2♦ 2♥ Pass

?

4♥. You open the bidding and then make a reopening double to ask your partner to show his best suit. Had North passed, your partner would have been forced to respond, but when North rebids 2♦, East

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does not have to bid. This means you can rely on your partner for something: in particular he is likely to have five or more hearts. He will not have much strength, but with your powerful hand, full of high cards and shortage in the opponents’ first suit, it is worth a shot at game. Bid 4♥ yourself because if you invite your partner he is likely to pass 3♥.


♠ A J 2 ♠ 7 6 3

♥ A 3 ♥ K 9 7 6

♦ 5 4 ♦ J 10 3 2

♣ A K Q J 5 4 ♣ 6 2


1♣ 1♦ Pass Pass

Dbl Pass 1♥ Pass

?

2♦. You opened 1♣ and then chose to make a reopening double to start showing your strength. Unsurprisingly your partner has replied in hearts. With eight likely tricks in your own hand, if your partner can supply a diamond stopper you might make 3NT. To ask him that, you should bid the opponents’ suit: 2♦. Your bidding is showing great strength and your partner should trust you for it: here, he responds 2NT and you can raise to 3NT.

There are nine top tricks with your partner’s ♥K added in and his four diamonds will be enough to stop the run of the suit.

Might West have bid 2♦ on the previous round?

He was not sure of its meaning – he thought it might be a take-out style bid, therefore decided to double first. Many of these auctions depend on the partnership’s agreements and very few of us will have discussed this issue. n

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With Hand 4, the good intermediates and five-card suit mean the hand is definitely maximum, so you bid 3♦ to show the good diamonds and lack of a major.

With Hand 5, you bid 3♠. You are maximum with three spades and without four hearts.

If you play a strong no-trump opening and hence a weak no-trump rebid, swap the king of spades to responder and the two of spades to opener on the above example hands.

How does the auction continue? Often responder is able to place the final contract. If opener has shown a maximum, any bid below game is forcing – remember, responder has promised at least game invitational values. If opener has shown a minimum, any rebid at the two level is non-forcing and any bid at the three level is forcing. If opener has denied three-card support, a repeat of responder’s suit shows six.

Facing Hand 2, responder rebids 2♠. Opener, with tolerance for spades, will then pass.

Facing Hand 3, responder passes 2♠.

Facing Hand 4, responder converts 3♦ to 3NT.

Facing Hand 5, responder raises 3♠ to 4♠ to play in game in the known 5-3 fit.

Just as you do not use Stayman on all hands looking for a fit, responder can explore the best contract with a natural bid.

Over 1NT, a reverse or a jump is natural and forcing. Hands that do not wish to look for game can pass 1NT or bid two of a lower ranking suit or two of opener’s suit or two of responder’s suit.

The only option given up when playing Checkback is the option to make a natural non-forcing bid in clubs. Most people think that this is a reasonable price to pay for the added help in identifying the best denomination and level. n

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The Hidden Life of TreesWhat They Feel, How They Communicate.

Discoveries from a Secret World. by Peter Wohlleben

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Warning: Nothing To Do With Bridge

Peter Wohlleben (b.1964) is a German forester who has tended the forest in the Eiffel mountains for many years.

My copy of this book is boldlyemblazoned international best seller. Not having heard

of it beforehand I was intrigued. What was it about a book about trees that makes it so popular? The clue lies in the sub-title. We do not usually think of trees other than as very large insentient plants, so the idea of trees having feelings and communicating is innovative.

Peter Wohlleben is not a rustic forester in the Grimm fairytale tradition. Rather he is a scholar, a scientist, whose intimate knowledge of his forest, together with recent research, is drawn upon to find new meanings in what he sees. He is at the forefront of tree knowledge, loves his forests, and wants us to share in the delight and wonder of his discoveries.

Communications

He challenges accepted beliefs about the nature of trees. Thus trees do move, albeit not in the dramatic manner of the Ents in the Lord of the Rings. They appear to communicate with one another, sending ‘warnings’ of predators. They support one another through their intermingled root systems, and through mycelium, fungi that send threads throughout the forest soil, providing water, nitrogen and phosphorus in exchange for sugar and other carbohydrates. We discover that the oldest tree, 9,500 years old, is not some enormous redwood or other majestic specimen, but a stunted spruce from Sweden, its root system telling its story. Each chapter

and the threatened horse chestnut. My mind’s eye has been formed both by the landscape of Britain, and the influence Capability Brown had on it. Here The Hidden Life of Trees is less about individual deciduous trees and more about forests, especially ancient forests, deciduous and coniferous, operating as an organic whole. Where Britain was once extensively forested only remnants of these remain: The Forest of Arden, The Forest of Dean, the New Forest, Sherwood and Epping. The very same processes are happening throughout the world.

His is a realistic approach to valuing and conserving the delicate ecosystem of the ancient forests. But he warns of the long-term dangers of exploitation, the loss of the considerable environ-mental benefits the forest brings, and the need to preserve some of the un-contaminated natural forests.

Occasionally I found the writing style excessively anthropomorphic, describing trees in human terms as social beings: clearly he wants us to love them as much as he does. There were so many new ideas, challenging as they often were, that the book was good to dip into rather than read in one stretch.

The lack of an index made it difficult to keep track of all Peter Wohlleben’s interconnected ideas, ideas that are as interconnected as the trees of his forests. Nonetheless, the popularity of this book is clearly warranted: no one who reads this book will ever look at trees, or think about forests and the natural environment, in quite the same way again. n


More Tips from Bernard Magee

Pause over the trick with the first discards – remembering this trick could be important

Remembering the last few cards of a hand can be tremendously

difficult, but there are a few little tactics that can help.

One of these is to pause when the first discards are made in a hand and try to make a record of the trick. Generally, players can recall the play of the suits when players follow (counting up to thirteen), but very often the discards go missing from their mind. How best to take in the first discards depends on your memory – you can stare at the cards, say them in your mind, take some action.

One of my common tactics is to leave my card face up, and when the opponents all turn their cards over quickly, I ask to see them again, as is my right. They are then required to turn their cards back up. This interaction generally allows me to recall the cards better.

♠ 9 8 5 3

♥ K Q 4 2

♦ 10 9 5

♣ J 9

♠ A 6 2

♥ 8 7

♦ A K Q J

♣ A 4 3 2

After the dubious auction of 1♦-1♥-2NT-3NT, you get the ♣K lead.

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You duck the lead and win the next high club with the ♣A. At this point, you take four diamond tricks, throwing a heart from dummy: West throws ♠4 and East throws ♣7.

Now this is the point to pause and make an effort to record those cards – they tend to be hard to remember when the crucial part of the endgame is taking place. Say them in your mind, take a mental picture of them – do whatever works for you.

Now you play a heart to the queen, which wins the trick and next you duck a spade. East wins the ♠10 and plays a club to his partner’s ♣10. West then exits with the ♠Q which you win leaving this:

♠ 9

♥ K 4

♦ —

♣ —

♠ 6

♥ 8

♦ —

♣ 4

South is on lead, what do you do?

Remember that first trick on which there were discards: ♠4, (♥2 from dummy), ♣7.

It is the club discard that was crucial – East placed his partner with longer clubs and did not think his tiny

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clubs would be useful, but now your ♣4 is the only club remaining. You cash the ♣4 and lead a heart. All West can do is win his ♥A and play another one back.

♠ 9 8 5 3

♥ K Q 4 2

♦ 10 9 5

♣ J 9

♠ Q 7 4 ♠ K J 10

♥ A 10 5 3 ♥ J 9 6

♦ 8 4 2 ♦ 7 6 3

♣ K Q 10 ♣ 8 7 6 5

♠ A 6 2

♥ 8 7

♦ A K Q J

♣ A 4 3 2

West chose not to start with dummy’s bid suit, so led the ♣K – a good choice.However, when declarer played out his diamonds, East was not sure what to throw – his clubs did not look as valuable as his hearts or spades, so he let the ♣7 go. This was a costly mistake, but only if the declarer takes advantage and remembers the first discards.

As always it is not easy to show memory retention, but little tactics like this will help you in the long run. There is nothing worse in bridge than getting to the endgame and then forgetting which cards are winners. n

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Documents

BRIDGE · 2018-09-11 · BRIDGE Number: 190 UK £3.95 Europe €5.00 October 2018 Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz This month we are dealing with auctions where your partner passes