106.pdf

St Emilion, Bordeaux

*EXCLUSIVE

MR BRIDGE

FARES F ARES

Opor Oporto, too,, Por Portugal tugal

Jeronimos M Monastery, Monaster onasterr y, L Lisbon isbon

Picos de Europa, Europa, Gijon Gijon

Rouen, Rouen n, Normandy Normandy

SENSATIONAL S ENSATIONAL VALUE VA V ALUE FOR FOR SW SWAN WAN AN H HELLENIC’S ELLENIC’S SUMMER SUMMER R 2011 2 CRUISES CR RUISES

Rivers R ivers and V Vineyar Vineyards ine ineyards 15 Day Days yss A Aboard boarrd Miner Minerva M va 8 JUNE JUNE – 22 JU JUNE NE 2011 Inside cabins cabins from £1,395pp° Outside Outside cabins from £1,795pp° Hur Hurry! r y! Extremely Limited dA Availability Availa vailability at these prices. ^Up to 28% Saving on other categories.

Portsmouth England

Travel Travel iin n ccountry-house ountrryy-house style style aboard aboard Minerva Minerva w with ith aaround round 3 320 20 like-minded l passengers and dine in the Be assured restaurant restaurant of of your yo our choice. choice. Be assured of of excellent excellent value value for for money, mone including all tips on board and ashore as as well well as as inclusive inclusive tailor-made taaiilor-made excursions excursions programme. programme. From the the port port houses houses of of Oporto, Oporto, tto From o the the Rioja Riiojja region R region of of northern northern Spain, and the world-famous winegrowing region region of of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, Minerva Miner va m akes h er w ay lleisurely eisurely around ar growing makes her way the Iberian peninsula, along the west coast coast of of France France and and home home to to Portsmouth. Portsmoutth h. H er ssmall mall ssize ize aalso west Her ls allows her to explore the Seine and Gironde off sscenic beauty G ironde rivers rivers on on this th hiis itinerary ittiinerar y full full o cen niic b eauty and and local local culture. cult

Return 22nd June

ENGLISH CHANNEL

St Peter Port Channel Islands

RIVER SEINE

18th June Morning

GIVERNY

Rouen River Seine

A Al passengers w ho have have booked booked aand nd registered registered tthrough hrough Allll passengers who will be eligible to partake in the llate ate aafternoon fternoon duplicate duplliicate sessions, sessions, held held o n days days when when the the ship ship iiss aat sea. There is no bridge supplement as, on it is llilike ike m ost o he eexcursions, xcursions, it is included included iin n tthe he p rice. Mr Mr Bridge Bridge actively encourages singles to join the most off tthe price. parttyy aand nd tthey hey w ill aalways lways b found a partner partner ffor or a game. game. party will bee found

20th June Eve 21st June Morning

St Malo France 19th June Full Day

SAVE SA AVE UP TO 10% 10%† † ON THESE SUMMER CRUISES

FRANCE

G GTY TY - cabin number will be allocated approximately thr three ee weeks prior to depar departure ture Date

Cruise

May 11 2011

AN AN ITALIAN ITALIAN SERENADE SERENADE Venice, Raavenna, Kotor, Crotone, Palermo, Cagliari, Naples, Gaeta, Bonifacio, Ciivitavecchia

May 25

A MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN PALETTE P ALETTE Ciivvitavecchia, Por tovenere, Livorno, Nice, Sete, Barcelona, Alicante, Tangier, Seville, Lisbon

No. of days

Inside from

O

RIVER GIRONDE & GARONNE

15

GTY

£1,769pp

ST EMILION

GTY

Bordeaux France

£2,786pp £

15th June Overnight 16th June Full Day

Gijon Asturias Spain 13th June Long Morning

15

GTY

GTY

£1,598pp

£2,565pp £

PICOS DE EUROPA

RIOJA

Bilbao Basque Spain 14th June Full Day

PORTUGAL SPAIN

To book or request a brochure call

01483 489 961

Oporto (Leixoes) Portugal 10th June Eve 11th June Full Day

www.bridgecruises.co.uk

°Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest inside/outsid cabins available as shown above, apply to new bookings only, are subject to av are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Booking terms and apply. Travel insurance not included.*£100 On board credit and transport off to R Riivers and Vineyards cruise only. ^ 28% saving refers to Cat 3 on R Riivers an cruise, all savings are subject to availability. Swan Hellenic is a trading name o Holidays Limited ABTA W0392 ATOL 3897. On nlly book kiings made directly w guarantee participation in the onboard Mr Bridge programme, subject to avai saving refers to Cat 8 outside fare on A Mediterranean Palette. Up to 10% savings refers to Cat 7, 8, 11, 12 on ‘A An n Italian Serenade’ and ‘A Mediterranean Palette’ only.

Lisbon Portugal 8th June 9th June Full Day/Eve JERONIMOS MONASTERY

BRIDGE Publisher and Managing Editor Mr Bridge Ryden Grange Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.mrbridge.co.uk

Associate Editor Julian Pottage Technical Consultant Tony Gordon Bridge Consultant Bernard Magee Proof Readers Tony Richards Danny Roth Hugh Williams Richard Wheen Office Manager Catrina Shackleton Events & Cruises ( 01483 489961 Jessica Galt Rachel Everett Megan Riccio Zoe Wright Clubs & Charities Maggie Axtell

FEATURES 3 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee

7 Cut-out Form Mail Order Form

5

8 Bridge Weekends with Bernard Magee

5 Double Dummy Quiz by Richard Wheen

9 Playing Cards

6 Lead Quiz by Andrew Kambites 9 Bidding Quiz Answers by Bernard Magee 11 Declarer Play Quiz by Dave Huggett 11 Double Dummy Answer by Richard Wheen 14 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage

10 The Times Website Bridge Section 11 Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified 12 Voyages of Discovery 2011 Summer Cruises 14 Bridge Event Booking Form

15 The A to Z of Bridge B by Julian Pottage

20 Bernard Magee’s Begin Bridge – Acol Version

21 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions

24 Global Travel Insurance

27 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions

26 Reader’s Digest

33 Readers’ Letters

33 Stamps

35 Little Voice Used Stamp Contributors 37 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage 38 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett 40 Lead Quiz Answers by Andrew Kambites

44 Wendy Wensum

Address Changes Elizabeth Bryan ( 01483 485342

46 Seven Days by Sally Brock

You are West in the auctions below, playing 'Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and four-card majors. (Answers on page 9)

1. Dealer West. Love All. ´ A2 ™ AK765 N W E © J983 S ® 64

West

North

East

South

1™ ?

1NT

Dbl

2©

2. Dealer East. Game All. ´ A J 10 8 7 N ™ 42 W E © KQ52 S ® 74

West

1´ ?

North

East

South

Pass

1™ 1NT

Pass Pass

36 Bernard Magee’s Interactive Software 39 Bridge Breaks

41

Christmas and New Year

45 Just Bridge

3. Dealer West. Love All. ´ 43 N ™ A K 10 5 W E © A972 S ® A85

West

North

East

South

1™ ?

1´

2©

2´

45 Rubber/Chicago Bridge Events 47 Voyages of Discovery Winter 2012 Cruises

ADVERTISEMENTS 2 Summer 2011 on board mv Minerva

35 Bernard Magee’s Better Hand Evaluation

41 Bernard Magee at Haslemere Hall

42 Bidding 4-4-4-1 Hands by Elena Jeronimidis

45 Catching Up by Sally Brock

26 Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge

Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quiz

32 Charity Bridge Events

35 Your Questions and Suggestions

[email protected]

All correspondence should be addressed to Mr Bridge. Please make sure that all letters, e-mails and faxes carry full postal addresses and telephone numbers.

4 QPlus 10

48 Table and Chairs Offer

4. Dealer North. Love All. ´ 964 N ™ K75 W E © 53 S ® AQJ87

48 QPlus Offers West

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.

Page 3

?

North

East

South

1´

Dbl

Pass

Q PLUS 10 NEW VERSION

Really user-friendly bridge-playing software

NEW FEATURES

SYSTEM

£86

l

Updated comprehensive manual

l

8mb RAM

l

Displays on HD screen & supports large screens

l

CD-ROM

l

Minibridge option

l

Pentium or better

l

Extra 500 preplayed hands for teams making 5,000 in all

l

Windows XP, Vista or 7

l

Extra 500 preplayed hands for match-point pairs making 4,000 in all

QPLUS TRADE-IN OFFER

l

Improvement over two years from version 9

l

New save match function

Return any QPLUS CD and booklet with a cheque for £35 and receive the latest version of wonderful QPLUS Bridge.

l

Save deals with automatic file labelling

l

Closed room – new button to view other table

Make your cheque payable to

( 01483 489961

including delivery

Order with absolute confidence.

and send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

Fax 01483 797302

AT LAST

The latest version of QPlus is now available. It is the result of two years’ work by its programmer, Johannes Leber. The advert on the adjacent page gives the information you need to upgrade or buy first time. Order with confidence.

BEGINNERS Just a reminder that should you have friends that want to learn to play bridge, then Bernard Magee’s Begin Bridge tutorial software is exactly what they need. Designed to enable students to learn at their own speed, the lessons can be gone over and over until they are well and truly absorbed. Begin Bridge is ideal to teach our grandchildren to learn to play in a week, but it is also designed to enable oldsters to learn at a speed that is comfortable for them.

APPLE MAC I am nagged by aficionados of Apple Mac to provide a bridge play program as there is no prospect of a Mac version of QPlus. As a service to readers, I now stock the latest copy of the Mac compatible, bridge play program, Bridge Baron for only £60. I also offer to take any old bridge software and £36 for it. Offer ends 31 May 2011.

VITAL PROTECTION

SECONDS

Last year I reminded clubs of the need for insurance. Basic cover, costing £60.25, is usually adequate and allows for peace of mind.

I am so pleased with my luxury bridge tables. I am sure those who bought them as Christmas gifts or for themselves are pleased too.

The accommodation your club uses for its meetings may or may not be covered by the policy of the owner. Even if it is, there may be a freak accident due to the negligence of a club member, or even some incident as yet completely unimagined or foreseen. As we live in a litigation-mad age, clubs need cover. Over 400 bridge clubs now enjoy my service, organised in conjunction with brokers, Moore Stephens. Cover is still available for this year on a pro-rata basis. Do ring Sylvia Donovan. She really is most helpful. ( 0207 515 5270. Do mention Mr Bridge.

AMNESTY OFFER Any of my out of date or expired prize vouchers may be used as full or part payment for any weekend event or any play or tutorial software if claimed before 30 April 2011.

DOUBLE DUMMY by Richard Wheen ´ ™ © ® ´ ™ © ®

J Q2 Void K87

N W

CLUB TABLES

E S

´ ™ © ®

These are now out of stock and I will not be receiving a new consignment until early Autumn. However, I do have some that fall short of my exacting standards and I am clearing them at £99 each, delivery to mainland UK included.

A 10 K Void AQ3 ´ ™ © ®

Q4 Void 43 J2

3 43 Void 654

You are South on lead, needing to make five of the last six tricks, with hearts as trumps. How can you achieve this, when you seem to have a heart and a club to lose? (Answer on page 11.)

BRAND PLUG

I am just as pleased with my club tables, which are also made to my exacting requirements, especially the padded, black vinyl playing surface. Still only £60 each, despite the VAT increase.

SILLY ME

DOGGY GUESTS

The increase in the rate of VAT has been absorbed on these lovely playing cards. 12 unboxed packs £19.95, 60 unboxed packs £60.

MORE VOICE

Mrs Antoinette Dixon of Exeter writes to ask if there are any breaks that allow well-behaved dogs to accompany their owners. The following hotels allow dogs but they must be prebooked. There are no extra costs unless stated.

QUIZ ANSWERS

The Chatsworth Hotel. Inn on the Prom. Latimer Mews . The Olde Barn – £25. Scalford Hall. Staverton Park* – £20.

Hand 1: No bid Hand 2: 3® or 4®

*Your dog must be caged at this venue when left alone.

I forgot how long it would take to sell my lovely chairs, with the extra padding and special curved, more upright back. Indeed, I reduced the original price from £190 per box of four to £99 and there has been a reasonable uptake but I still have to store the remainder. My number-crunchers have pointed out that it would be cheaper to send them to the tip. Hence the offer on the back cover.

Page 5

Readers have asked to hear a bit more about my chosen charity, Little Voice, so I have asked Jenna Hoyt, pictured above, to write about it in the next issue. On page 35 you will find a list of those who have recently sent in stamps.

GETTING IT RIGHT

In addition to its 2010 Best Niche Cruise line Award, see above, Discovery has now won the Cruise Critics Award for Best Lectures at Sea 2010, see below.

BERNARD’S TIPS Some readers have mistaken the advert for Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge as his tips for better bridge. Indeed they are. All sixty five tips listed on page 26 are subject headings and as such are fully explained within the pages of the book with Bernard’s usual clarity. A really good buy.

COVER STORY

BERNARD’S CRUISES Bernard Magee goes on three Discovery cruises in 2011. See page 13.

NEW FEATURES I have learned from my postbag that many of you find opening leads the most difficult part of the game. Last issue, I introduced an opening lead quiz hosted by Andrew Kambites. Indeed, it is adjacent to this column.

NEW ADVERTISER The Reader’s Digest is promoting subscriptions on page 26. They offer a reduced price sub and a free book, a choice between The Big Book of Pasta or The Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things. The first does not interest me but I have kept dipping in to the other one instead of getting on with writing this column. In order to finish, I have put it to one side and will start at the beginning. With lots of grandchildren asking why? how? or when? I will certainly be equipped to give them some answers.

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR 2011/2012 This year these events will be held at Denham Grove. The Christmas break 24-27 December will focus on just bridge although there will be low key bridge tutorials and supervised play for those who want it. Twixmas, 27-29 December, will be a standard tutorial break, but the New Year Event, 29– 1 January will feature a new series of three seminars. Developing at Duplicate Pairs. There will be matching sessions of supervised play. Following this, there will be a standard tutorial event 1-3 January 2012. See advert on page 41.

POSTAGE STAMPS

After dinner bridge is always the icing on the cake. When booking, do stress you want to be part of the Mr Bridge group. This also applies to those booking in the US, New Zealand and Australia.

Clive-goff@londonrugby.com

The future of club bridge is made more interesting with Bridgemate. I will expand upon what it is and what it does in the next issue.

Here are some more interesting hands for you. 0219 – 08 0680 – 11 8924 – 13

0680 – 10 1151 – 03 6722 – 82

They have all been dealt in the course of playing QPlus.

HASLEMERE

No issue of BRIDGE would be complete without a mention of Clive Goff and his discounted British postage stamps. Contact him on ( 0208 422 4906

BRIDGEMATE

MORE QPLUS

Just one last reminder that Bernard Magee will be giving a series of six selfcontained seminars over three days at Haslemere Hall. Full details are provided on page 41. Each of the seminars is being filmed. Do try to come to at least one.

CLOSING BEACH As full planning permission has now been granted, the death knell is becoming increasingly strident but I have grabbed space at the hotel for two final Bernard weekends, see page 8, and two smaller tutorial events, see page 39. Don’t just think about it, book a place. All good wishes.

Page 6

Andrew Kambites’ Lead Quiz You are West in the auctions below. It is your lead. (Answers on page 40)

1 ´ ™ © ®

J952 64 A96 10 9 6 5

West

North

East

South

Pass Pass End

2® 3™

Pass Pass

1´ 2™ 4™

2 ´ ™ © ®

J75 J974 A9632 9

West

North

Pass Pass Pass End

N W

E S

N E

W S

East

South

1™ 1´ Pass 2® 3® 2©* Pass 4® Pass 5® *fourth suit forcing

3 ´ ™ © ®

A42 6532 876 954

W

West

North

East

South

1´ End

1NT

Pass

1© 3NT

4 ´ ™ © ®

A42 542 943 10 9 5 3

West

North

East

South

1© 3™

1´ Pass

2™ 4™

Pass End

N E S

N W

E S

✄ If you have not contacted us in the last two years, please enter your details in the box below to re-register:

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Please complete all or part this form and return to , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey, GU21 2TH.

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( 01483 489961 Page 7

PROGRAMME

BRIDGE WEEKENDS

This is the format for all Bernard Magee hosted events.

with Bernard Magee

FRIDAY 15 - 17 April 2011 The Olde Barn Hotel Doubles £235

1500 Welcome Desk open Afternoon Tea 1745 to 1830 Welcome drinks reception 1830 to 2000 DINNER 2015 BRIDGE 1 DUPLICATE PAIRS

SATURDAY

3 - 5 June 2011 Blunsdon House Hotel Declarer Play £245

1230 to 1330 COLD BUFFET LUNCH 1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 2 TEAMS of FOUR or FURTHER SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS 1815 to 2000 DINNER 2015 BRIDGE 3 DUPLICATE PAIRS

SUNDAY 0800 to 0930 BREAKFAST 1000 to 1230 SEMINAR & SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS (tea & coffee at 1100) 1230 to 1400 CARVERY LUNCH 1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 4 FURTHER SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS or DUPLICATE PAIRS

25 - 27 November 2011 Denham Grove NEW Squeezes £245 SEMINAR

10 - 12 June 2011 The Beach Hotel Further into the Auction £245

6 - 8 January 2012 Chatsworth Hotel Leads and Defence £245

24 - 26 June 2011 The Beach Hotel Better Defence £245

23-25 March 2012 Chatsworth Hotel Squeezes £245

30 Sept - 2 Oct 2011 The Olde Barn Hotel Finding Slams £235

30 March - 2 April 2012 Blunsdon House Hotel Finding Slams £245

7 - 9 October 2011 Blunsdon House Hotel Stayman and Transfers with Improver Section £245

The Beach Hotel Worthing BN11 3QJ

0800 to 0930 BREAKFAST 1000 to 1230 SEMINAR & SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS (tea & coffee at 1100)

18 - 20 November 2011 Chatsworth Hotel NEW SEMINAR Finding Slams £245

NEW SEMINAR

14 - 16 October 2011 Chatsworth Hotel NEW SEMINAR Declarer Play £245 21 - 23 October 2011 Denham Grove Game Tries £245 4 - 6 November 2011 Inn on the Prom Hand Evaluation £235 11 - 13 November 2011 Blunsdon House Hotel Suit Establishment £245

Blunsdon House Hotel Swindon SN26 7AS Chatsworth Hotel Worthing BN11 3DU Inn on the Prom St Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU Denham Grove Near Uxbridge UB9 5DU The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT Full Board No Single Supplement

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.holidaybridge.com

Page 8

Answers to Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quiz on page 3 ´ ™ © ®

1. Dealer West. Love All. A2 ´ K985 N AK765 ™ 42 W E J983 © K 10 S 64 ® AQ753

West 1™ ?

North 1NT

East Dbl

South 2©

Double. Doubles of no-trumps are for penalties: East’s double shows that your side has the majority of the points and can defeat the opponents in 1NT. Subsequent doubles are also for penalties and it is vital to use them when you can because otherwise your opponents will escape from 1NT doubled. Whenever you hold four cards in your opponents’ suit and they are running from a penalty double, you should double them again – the rewards can be very big indeed. Poor South had a Yarborough with ©7-6-5-4-2 – 2© undoubled would have given you 200 – after your double, it becomes 800.

3©. You have two decisions to make: what level should your side play at and in what denomination? With ten points opposite a 1NT rebid showing 15-17, you can be sure of game; the denomination is not so obvious since you have a good five-card spade suit. Rather than simply jump rebidding spades, you should jump in a new suit to have the best conversation you can. This complete auction shows a wonderful bridge conversation. West has shown two suits and alerts East to the lack of a club stopper in both hands, but East does not have support for spades so rebids his hearts. West does not like hearts either so rebids his spades. Now, it is up to East to place the contract: knowing that the clubs are too weak for no-trumps, he picks the better major fit: 4´ – an excellent final contract.

´ ™ © ®

3. Dealer West. Love All. 43 ´ A2 N A K 10 5 ™ 42 W E A972 © KQ6543 S A85 ® J43

you have a minor-suit fit, you should try to explore the option of 3NT. You cannot bid no-trumps yourself without holding a stopper in spades, so you need to ask your partner to bid no-trumps if he has one. The way to do this is to use your opponents’ suit: bid 3´ – your partner then bids 3NT if he has a spade stopper or retreats to a suit without one. So you will finish in 3NT or 5©. Here, you would finish in 3NT with ten top tricks, whilst 5© has the same ten top tricks and is likely to go one down. A bid of the opposing suit is a valuable tool – it shows strength and asks partner to describe his hand further.

´ ™ © ®

4. Dealer North. Love All. 964 ´ A2 N K75 ™ AQ98 W E 53 © Q974 S AQJ87 ® K 10 3

West

North 1´

East Dbl

South Pass

?

3®. Your partner’s double is for take-

´ ™ © ®

2. Dealer East. Game All. A J 10 8 7 ´ K2 N 42 ™ AKJ53 W E KQ52 © AJ3 S 74 ® 963

West

North

1´ 3© 3´

Pass Pass Pass

East 1™ 1NT 3™ 4´

South Pass Pass Pass

West 1™ ?

North 1´

East 2©

South 2´

3´. As usual, you aim to assess the level you should play in and the denomination. You have 15 HCP and your partner has made a two-level response: this should show the usual 10+ HCP; which give you enough for game. As to the denomination, diamonds seems the obvious choice, or is it? Whenever

out: he wants you to bid a suit – it is also important to show your strength. A 2® reply shows 0-8 points – because you have to say something however weak you are, you could have zero points. Whenever you have more than 8 points, you should try to make a jump – this shows your partner that you are serious about your hand and suggests the possibility of a game. Here, you should jump to 3®, over which your partner should bid 3NT, which makes easily. After ■ 2® from you, East would pass.

PremiumQualityCards Standard Faces, with or withour bar codes. Unboxed. 6 red / 6 blue £19.95 30 red / 30 blue only £60 AvailablefromTheLondonBridgeCentre.www.bridgeshop.com ( 02074868222

Page 9

W IN

FOR YOUR NEXT TRICK Visit the incredible new bridge section on The Times website Love bridge? Then visit its new home at thetimes.co.uk/timesbridge Using imagination, flair and the latest technology, we have created an online bridge section that will excite seasoned players and inspire beginners. The Times Bridge Correspondent, Andrew Robson, is one of the biggest names in the game, and he has been heavily involved in developing the new section.

~ He has created a 32-part video guide to bridge, from the very beginning to Slams and Blackwood. It’s perfect for beginners, but will also improve an experienced player’s game.

~ Each day, Andrew will bring The Times bridge column to life with an animated hand and a specially-recorded commentary.

~ Finally, enter our competition by May 8 and you could win an exclusive masterclass from Andrew Robson at your own bridge club. It’s all available with The Times digital subscription – just £1 for your first 30 days. Visit the bright new home for bridge enthusiasts.

thetimes.co.uk/timesbridge thetimes co uk/timesbriidge

thetimes.co.uk is an absolute must for any bridge player from beginner to expert.

Andrew Robson The Times Bridge Correspondent

eet e to mson c n a a ch ew Rob Andr

Answer to Richard Wheen’s Double Dummy Quiz on page 5

DECLARER PLAY QUIZ

´ ™ © ®

by David Huggett

´ ™ © ®

(Answers on page 38) ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge. In each case, what is your play strategy?

Y 1.

´ ™ © ®

J8 AK873 AQ8 AQJ

3.

´ ™ © ®

832 K92 10 7 AK732

N W

N E

W

E

S

´ ™ © ®

S

You are declarer in 7´ and West leads the ©J. How do you plan the play?

2.

´ ™ © ®

A K Q 10 6 5 4 2 10 2 6 10 9

´ ™ © ®

K83 J8 Q8532 K87

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ´4. How do you plan the play?

4.

´ ™ © ®

N W

AJ3 975 J 10 8 2 A86 N

E

W

S

´ ™ © ®

AK7 A763 AK63 64

AQ76 10 7 5 A K 10 7 A3

You are declarer in 4´ and West leads the ®Q. How do you plan the play?

E S

´ ™ © ®

10 7 4 AKQJ42 K93 4

You are declarer in 4™ and West leads the ®J. How do you plan the play?

J Q2 Void K87

A 10 K Void AQ3 N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

´ ™ © ®

Q4 Void 43 J2

3 43 Void 654

S

o there we were, in another South-East Surrey Senior Novices’ event and I was South, declarer. We were playing the extended Balham convention*, and were in too high a contract for comfort, needing five out of the remaining six tricks. My partner had come round behind me in his electric buggy (registration number SE 55 NOV) to watch me play the hand (such things being permitted in S-ESSN events). Hearts were trumps and, as East had already shown out of them, I knew that West had a natural trump trick. I also had at least one club loser. Rather than concede gracefully (which does not come naturally to me), I took the club finesse, which worked. For want of anything better, I then cashed dummy’s black aces, and continued with the spade ten, East following with his queen. Intending to ruff this, I accidentally played a club instead; West also pitched a

club. So East won the trick and then led a diamond. I, as South, had to ruff and West went uncharacteristically quiet. I suddenly realised why. His remaining cards were the trump queen and two. If he played the two, I would discard dummy’s last club, my small trump would win that trick and the heart king would win the last trick. Alternatively, if he played his queen to the penultimate trick, dummy would overruff with the king and the small trump in my hand would take the last trick. West’s ‘natural’ trump trick had disappeared, as if by magic. I thanked my lucky stars and commiserated with my opponents, but my partner was ecstatic, telling me I had just executed what he described as a ‘smother play’. Once again, I had achieved a coup. At least that is what partner called it and without knowing it, just by playing the ‘wrong’ card on the way. One of these days, maybe I shall do something clever deliberately. *In the normal Balham convention (Bid A Level Higher Against Minors) the last person to bid, when playing against juniors, bids one level higher than he would normally, (unless that would take the partnership to game or slam), to make the defence easier for the juniors.

Extended Balham is the same, albeit used against inferior adults.

DUPLICAT E BRIDGE RULES SIMPLIFIED (otherwise known as the Yellow Book) by John Rumbelow and revised by David Stevenson

Includes 2008 Law Revisions. Only £5.95.

Available from 

Page 11

( 01483 489961

Summer 2011 Cruise Sale Experience Voyages Experience Voyages of of Discovery’s Discover y’s Summer Su um mmer 2011 2011 programme, programme, eencompassing ncompassing 14 ccaapttiivating cruises cru uiises around un nd Northern Nortth hern Europe, Europe, 14 captivating arou The Mediterranean Med diiterranean & The The Black Black Sea Sea The This Summer, Discovery explores the Baltic, Northern Waters and the Mediterranean, taking in Š–’•’Š›ȱŠŸ˜ž›’ŽœȱŠœȱ Ž••ȱŠœȱ˜ěȱ‘Žȱ‹ŽŠŽ—ȱ›ŠŒ”ȱŽœ’—Š’˜—œǯȱ—Œ˜ŸŽ›ȱ–Š“Žœ’ŒȱȱŽŽ›œ‹ž›ǰȱ venture into the Gulf of Bothnia and the northernmost tip of the Arctic, explore artistic cities of ‘ŽȱŽ’Ž››Š—ŽŠ—ȱŠ—ȱ’œŒ˜ŸŽ›ȱ‘Žȱ–Š’ŒŠ•ȱ—Šž›Š•ȱ‹ŽŠž¢ȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ˜› Ž’Š—ȱĦ˜›œǯȱ Žȱ‘ŠŸŽȱŠȱŽ ȱŒŠ‹’—œȱ•ŽĞȱŠȱœ™ŽŒ’Š•ȱœž––Ž›ȱœŠ•Žȱ™›’ŒŽœǰȱ ’‘ȱœŠŸ’—œȱ˜ȱž™ȱ˜ȱǡŚŚŖȱ™Ž›ȱ™Ž›œ˜—ȱ ‘ŽœŽȱŠ›ŽȱžŠ›Š—ŽŽȱŒŠ‹’—ȱœ™ŠŒŽœǰȱ ‘Ž›Žȱ¢˜ž›ȱŒŠ‹’—ȱ—ž–‹Ž›ȱ–Š¢ȱ—˜ȱ‹ŽȱŠ••˜ŒŠŽȱŠȱ’–Žȱ ˜ȱ‹˜˜”’—ǯȱ’œŒ˜ŸŽ›¢ȱ’œȱŠȱœ–Š••ȱœ‘’™ȱ‘˜ž‘ȱŠ—ȱœŽ••’—ȱŠœǰȱœ˜ȱ‹˜˜”ȱ˜Š¢ȱ˜ȱŽ—“˜¢ȱ‘ŽœŽȱ œ™ŽŒŠŒž•Š›ȱ˜ěŽ›œǯ "MM




























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www.bridgecruises.co.uk ww w ww w w.bridgecruises.co.uk FFares ares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest twin-bedded cabin categor currently available, are subject to availability and include all applicable discounts including savings as shown on selected cabin categoryy currently only.. Savings shown are based against full brochure fare and apply to Guarantee Fare, categories where applicable, for new bookings only Fare, where cabin number may not be allocated at time of booking. Fares Fares shown include current current fuel supplements cor offer, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. ^On correct availability,, cannot be combined with any other offer or loyalty offer, rect at time of printing, but subject to change. All offers are subject to availability ÁÁ\FUXLVHVÁLJKWVIURP0DQFKHVWHULQFXUD…SSVXSSOHPHQW…SSHDFKZD\ 6HHEURFKXUHIRUIXOOWHUPVDQGFRQGLWLRQV2QO\ERRNLQJVPDGHGLUHFWO\ZLWK0U%ULGJHDUHHOLJLEOHWREHSDUWRIWKH0U%ULGJH*URXS 7KRVH \FU XLVHVÁLJKWVIURP0DQFKHVWHULQFXUD…SSVXSSOHPHQW…SSHDFKZD\ 6HHEURFKXUHIRUIXOOWHUPVDQGFRQGLWLRQV2QO\ERRNLQJVPDGHGLUHFWO\ZLWK0U%ULGJHDUHHOLJLEOHWREHSDU WRIWKH0U%ULGJH*URXS 7KRVH Z LVKLQJWRSOD\EULGJHSOHDVHQRWHWKDWWKHUHLVDEULGJHVXSSOHPHQWRI…SHUEULGJHSOD\HUWREHFRQÀUPHGDWWKHWLPHRIERRNLQJ9R\DJHVRI'LVFRYHU \LVDWUDGLQJQDPHRI$OO/HLVXUH+ROLGD\V/WG ZLVKLQJWRSOD\EULGJHSOHDVHQRWHWKDWWKHUHLVDEULGJHVXSSOHPHQWRI…SHUEULGJHSOD\HUWREHFRQÀUPHGDWWKHWLPHRIERRNLQJ9R\DJHVRI'LVFRYHU\LVDWUDGLQJQDPHRI$OO/HLVXUH+ROLGD\V/WG

BRIDGE BREAKS © Full-board

© Two seminars*

© All rooms with en-suite facilities

© Two supervised play sessions*

© No single supplement

© Four duplicate sessions**

DEFENCE QUIZ by Julian Pottage (Answers on page 37)

Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person,

ou are West in the defensive positions below. It is your turn to play.

Y

Single .... Double .... Twin .... ´ ™ © ®

1.

Name of Hotel/Centre ........................................................ Date(s) ...............................................................................

´ ™ © ®

Mr/Mrs/Miss ..................................................................... Address...............................................................................

Q8753 KQ A 10 AQJ2

K9 J965432 65 87

´ ™ © ®

N W

´ ™ © ®

3.

E S

K72 J4 J9654 873

8653 K7 K 10 8 2 10 9 4 N E

W S

............................................................................................ Postcode ............................................................................ ( ...................................................................................... Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, but we will do our best to oblige) ........................................................................................... Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking

West North East South 3© 3´ Pass 4NT Pass 5™ Pass 6´ End

West North East South 1´ Pass 2´ 3™ 4´ End

You lead the ©6: ©A, ©9, ©3. After a trump to the ace (East void), declarer cashes the ®K, crosses to the ®Q and leads the ®A. What do you do?

You lead the ™J, covered by the ™K and ™A. Partner cashes the ™Q and continues with the ™2, which South covers with the ™10. What do you do now?

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

Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will be sent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. Should you require insurance, you should contact your own insurance broker.

´ ™ © ®

´ A983 ™ AKJ8 © J9 ® A94 Q 10 2 N 974 W E S 10 6 J 10 8 6 2

West North 1™ Pass 3´ Pass 5´ End

Expiry: ............................ CVV.................... Issue No. ............... (CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip)

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.holidaybridge.com *on tutorial weekends. **6 sessions on rubber & Just Bridge events.

Page 14

East South Pass 1´ Pass 4NT Pass 6´

You lead the ®J: ®4, ®5, ®K. Declarer leads a trump to the ace (all follow), and plays one back to the king, ©2 from East. Now, South leads ©A, ©K and a low diamond. What do you do?

´ ™ © ®

4.

´ ™ © ®

72 10 8 3 2 65 J8763

AK53 AQJ6 10 7 942 N W

E S

West North East South 1NT1 Pass 2®2 2© 2´ Pass 4´ End 1 2 12-14 Stayman

You lead the ©6. Partner wins with the ©K, cashes the ©A and continues with the ©J. What do you do when South covers with the ©Q?

A to Z of Bridge compiled by Julian Pottage

B BACKWARD FINESSE

A normal finesse is the lead of a card towards a tenace position, with the intention of playing the lower of the top two cards if the missing card is not forthcoming. Now, suppose you know that the missing card is over the tenace, you may take the finesse ‘backwards’. For example:

A72 N W

E S

KJ9

Needing three tricks in the suit, as South you would normally play a small card from dummy towards the K-J, playing East for the queen. However, if you judge that West holds the queen (perhaps he has opened the bidding and shown up with only 10 points in the other suits), you may lead the jack from hand. If West covers with the queen, North’s ace wins and you play back towards the K-9 finessing East for the ten. BAD CARDS

1 Cards that you expect to prove valueless in the play of a hand.

BALANCE OF POWER OR BALANCE OF STRENGTH

A partnership possesses the balance of power or balance of strength when it has a higher number of high-card points (usually a significantly higher number) than its opponents. West

North

East

1NT

2™

3NT

As soon as West opens the bidding, East knows that the partnership holds the balance of power. However, this becomes apparent to the other three players only after East makes the strength-showing 3NT bid. When you hold the balance of power, you usually expect to buy the contract or to double the opponents if they outbid you. BALANCED DISTRIBUTION

Hand distributions of 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 and 5-3-3-2 (the first of these being described as ‘completely balanced’) i.e. hands with no singleton or void and at most one doubleton. Hands of 5-4-2-2 or 6-3-2-2 distribution count as ‘semibalanced’. An opening bid of 1NT usually shows a balanced hand, often with the further constraint that the hand contains no decent five-card major. BALANCING

When a player is in the position such that to pass would end the bidding, he is in the balancing (protective) position. West

North

East

1´

Pass

Pass

West

North

East

South Pass

Pass

1© Pass

2©

2 A player who picks up weak hands consistently during a session of rubber bridge can claim to have had ‘bad cards’.

South

South

In both examples, South is the player in the balancing position. Since partner may have a fair hand, but the

Page 15

wrong shape for an overcall or takeout double, it is often advisable for the player in that position to bid or to double for take out, even on slender values. In the second example, it is particularly attractive for South to take some action. This is because EastWest’s known fit in diamonds increases the chance of a North-South fit somewhere whilst minimising the risk that action by South will push East-West into a better contract. BANZAI

An alternative method of counting points for hand valuation purposes. With Banzai, you count 5 points for an ace, 4 for a king, 3 for a queen, 2 for a jack and 1 for a ten. For an opening bid, you need about 18 points; for game, you need about 38 points. Banzai tends to be more accurate than the usual 4-3-2-1 count when both members of the partnership are balanced but less accurate when the hands are unbalanced. BAROMETER SCORING

The calculation of results, round by round, rather than at the end of each session. This method requires all the tables to play the same boards on each round. A leader-board in or near the playing area displays the progress of the competitors. BARON OVER 2NT

In response to an opening bid of 2NT, a bid of 3® asks opener to show his lowest-ranking four-card or longer suit (bidding 3NT if his only four-card suit is clubs). The partners may continue to show four-card suits in ascending order up to the level of 3NT. For many years, Baron over 2NT was a standard part of Acol but now most players use either simple Stayman or five-card Stayman.

A to Z of Bridge continued

BARON SLAM TRY

A rarely used convention whereby a bid in the suit below the agreed trump suit at the five- or six-level asks partner to bid a slam (small or grand) if his trump holding is better than could be expected from his previous bidding.

BATH COUP

A hold-up after a king (from K Q) lead towards an A-J combination that forces the leader to switch or concede a trick to both the ace and jack. For example: you are South in 4™ and West leads the ´K. You should use the Bath Coup and duck the first trick. West cannot continue spades safely. Now, when East gets in with the ©K, you will be able to win the second spade and throw the ´J on a diamond.

BENJAMINISED ACOL (BENJAMIN CONVENTION)

BARON SYSTEM

Leo Baron invented this system in the 1940s with the help of Adam Meredith. Several of their ideas have become part of other systems, especially modern Acol. BARON TWO NO-TRUMP RESPONSE

Stemming directly from the work of Leo Baron, the 2NT response to an opening suit bid at the one-level is game forcing, showing 16-18 points and a balanced hand, although modern practice is for simply 16+ points and a balanced hand. Normally, both opener and responder continue by bidding four-card (or longer) suits upwards until they locate a fit or they reach 3NT. For example:

´ ™ © ®

K95 KQ75 K8 AJ74

West

N W

E S

´ ™ © ® ´ ™ © ®

K Q 10 9 J4 654 J852

763 A973 AQ97 K3 N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

´ ™ © ®

842 Q 10 5 K82 Q 10 9 4

AJ5 K862 J 10 3 A76

BATTLE OF THE CENTURY

In the winter of 1931, Ely Culbertson challenged Sidney Lenz to a match over 150 rubbers, Lenz playing the then ‘official’ system, and Culbertson his own. The winner of this match (dubbed ‘The Battle of the Century’) was Culbertson, by 8,980 points, and it resulted in the wide acceptance of Culbertson’s ideas on bidding.

Benjaminised Acol (Benji-Acol), devised by Albert Benjamin from Scotland, is Acol with a revised system of two-level openings to allow an Acol player the opportunity to use two-bids in the majors as weak. 2© (with a negative 2™ response) shows a hand that you would open 2® in traditional Acol and 2® (negative 2©) shows either a balanced hand or an eightplaying trick hand in an unspecified suit. Note that many players use an opening 2NT to show a balanced 19-20 points and the sequence 2®Pass-2©-Pass-2NT to show a balanced hand with 21-22 points. Some players interchange the 2® and 2© openings (Reverse Benjaminised Acol).

´ ™ © ®

Hand 1 A Q J 10 8 5 3 AK5 74 Q

´ ™ © ®

Hand 2 KQ9852 10 7 42 Q83

´ ™ © ®

Hand 3 AKJ64 AK5 AK64 5

BED

North

East

South

Pass Pass

1© 3© 3´

Pass Pass Pass

2NT 3™ 3NT

identify scores entered below the horizontal line on the score sheet. These are the trick scores for contracts bid and made. Only the scores below the line count towards making game. For example, if you bid 2´ and make 9 tricks, while holding the ´K-Q-J-10 in one hand, the only score to go below the line is 60. The 30 for the overtrick and the 100 for honours go above the line and do not count towards game.

It is still quite common to play 2NT over 1® or 1© as Baron but, increasingly, players are using 2NT over 1™ or 1´ as a game-forcing raise of opener’s major. Some people play that 2NT promises at least three-card support for opener’s minor.

A player has ‘gone to bed with an ace’ if, having had the opportunity to cash it earlier, he fails to take it at all. BEER CARD

The ©7 – if you win the last trick with this card, it is usual to buy the other players a beer. BELONG

A deal will ‘belong’ to a side if it can make the optimum contract. For example, if the best North-South can make is 3´ and the best East-West can make is 4©, then the deal belongs to East-West.

BARRAGE

Another term for pre-emptive bidding, especially a series of such bids.

BELOW THE LINE

Phrase used in rubber bridge to

Page 16

With Hand 1, you open 2® intending to rebid 2´ to show the same as an Acol two in spades. With Hand 2, you open 2´, weak. With Hand 3, where you would have opened an Acol 2®, you open 2©, the big bid in Benjamin.

A to Z of Bridge continued

BERMUDA BOWL

This is the competition for the best team in the world. For a country to compete in the Bermuda Bowl, a team has first to do well in its zonal competition, such as the European Championships. The USA and Italy have won the Bermuda Bowl the most times. Great Britain won once in 1955.

BIDDING BOXES

BID OUT OF TURN

Swedish invention permitting silent bidding. Each player, instead of making his bid vocally, takes a card from a complete set of indexed cards held in a small holder and places it in front of him on the table. Bidding boxes have become very popular in duplicate bridge and are universal in tournament play. As well as helping to keep down the general level of noise, they avoid a number of ethical problems since bids are generally made in a uniform manner.

A bid made when it is someone else’s turn to call. Penalties apply, the severity of which depends upon whose turn it was to call – summon the director if one is available.

BETTER MINOR

In some systems, such as five-card major systems, it is necessary to open in a minor suit with fewer than four cards. Playing the ‘better minor’ method, a minor-suit opening always guarantees at least three cards. Players who open 1® when they have 3-3 in the minors are not actually playing ‘better minor’, though they often use the term incorrectly for such a method.

AJ74 KQ74 K74 10 2

If you are playing five-card majors and a strong no-trump, you cannot open 1™ (or 1´) as that would show five. Nor can you open 1NT as that would show 15-17. The solution is to open 1©, better minor. BID

Any call that includes the naming of a denomination and thereby undertakes to win a certain number of tricks in that denomination. There are 35 possible bids, the lowest being 1® and the highest being 7NT. BIDDABLE SUIT

A suit that complies with minimum requirements in terms of length and strength for bidding it. A holding such as Q-J-x-x used to be the minimum for a four-card suit, whilst all five-card suits were biddable. In the modern style, most authorities consider any suit of four cards as biddable.

Slang term for a small card as in ‘acebit’ (A-x). BLACK POINTS

These are a type of master point, typically of less value than the green (or in Scotland red) national points.

BIDDING CHALLENGE

Feature of some bridge magazines whereby readers are given a number of pairs of hands to bid, comparing their bidding with that of selected experts. The hands are often quite challenging, making it difficult to reach the right contract. However, for developing partnership bidding understanding, they can be a very useful exercise. BIDDING SPACE

´ ™ © ®

BIT

The space available for making bids. The cheaper the bid, the less bidding space it uses. West

North

East

1®

1©

1™

West

North

East

1™

3©

4®

South

South

BLACKOUT

A convention played after an opener’s reverse following a one-over-one response. The lower of the fourth suit and 2NT is an artificial weak bid, saying responder is happy to stop short of game if opener has a minimum reverse; other responder’s rebids create a game force. West

North

East

South

1® 2™

Pass Pass

1´ 2NT

Pass

Using Blackout, 2NT here is the weak action. Opener usually bids 3® over 2NT, allowing responder to pass (if wishing to play in 3®) or sign off in another suit. BLACKWOOD CONVENTION

The first example shows highly economical use of bidding space. The second example, with the jump overcall and less convenient suit ranks, is far less economical. In constructive bidding, it is usually preferable to conserve bidding space (at least until a fit is found) in order to exchange the maximum amount of information. Conversely, it is often in the interest of the players with weaker hands to restrict the amount of space available to their opponents, for instance by making pre-emptive bids. BIDDING SYSTEM

The sum total of partnership understandings and conventions that form the language of the bidding. Acol, Precision and Standard American are all examples of bidding systems.

Page 17

In its most basic form, a bid of 4NT, when you have agreed a trump suit, asks partner to show how many aces he holds. In response: 5® 5© 5™ 5´

Shows zero or four aces Shows one ace Shows two aces Shows three aces

After the response to Blackwood, 5NT asks for kings on a similar scale but with 6NT, not 6®, showing four kings. Since the 5NT bid commits the side to at least a small slam, it announces that the partnership has all four aces. Most players now use a more sophisticated Blackwood, either Keycard Blackwood (also known as Five Ace Blackwood) or Roman Keycard Blackwood. You use Blackwood when you think the values for a slam are present

A to Z of Bridge continued

BLOCKING PLAY

3®

A play made in an attempt to cause a blockage in the opponents’ suit. For example:

3©

but you are worried that the opponents might have too many aces.

´ ™ © ®

K 10 8 5 3 2 K5 AKJ2 4

3™ ´ ™ © ®

N E

W

´ ™ © ®

S

West

North

East

South

1´ 4NT

Pass

1™ 3´

Pass Pass

KJ763 J4 A64 J82

N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

3´

A2 A97 K 10 9 7 Q943

3NT ´ ™ © ®

Q8 Q 10 6 5 3 852 10 7 5

10 9 5 4 K82 QJ3 AK6

Minimum opener; poor quality suit Minimum opener; good quality suit Maximum opener; poor quality suit Maximum opener; good quality suit Solid suit headed by A-K-Q

For a suit to count as good it normally needs two of the top three honours or perhaps K-J-10-9-x-x. Minimum and maximum will depend upon the range of the weak two. If that is 5-9, minimum will be 5-7 and maximum a good 7-9. BLUE TEAM

You plan to bid 7´ if partner shows three aces (5´); settle for 6´ if partner shows two aces (5™); or to sign off in 5´ if, disappointingly, partner shows only one ace (5©). BLOCK OR BLOCKAGE

A suit has a blockage if it is impossible, without the use of an outside entry, to play out the suit by cashing top cards. If you block a suit, it means you play a suit in such a way as to create a blockage (not normally a good idea). For example:

Layout 1 A

Layout 2 A5

West leads the ´6 against South’s 3NT. The contract is in danger if spades split 5-2, because the defenders might make four spade tricks and the ©A. Since you would expect West to lead the king from K-Q-J-x-x, you can place East with at least one of the missing honours. In this case, if spades are 5-2, the play of the ace from dummy will block the suit. East cannot play the queen without giving declarer a second stopper. Similarly, when one of them gains the lead, they cannot afford to play the king and queen on the same trick without promoting South’s holding into a fourth-round winner.

The name given to the enormously successful international Italian team, so-called after their triumph over the Red team in the 1956 Italian trials. From 1957 until 1975 the Blue Team won every Bermuda Bowl World Championship it contested (it did not participate in 1970/71) and the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympiads. The three best-known players in this period were Giorgio Belladonna, Pietro Forquet and Benito Garozzo. The team divided into two schools of thought over bidding, which led to the development of the Neapolitan Club (forerunner of the Blue Club) and the Roman Club. BOARD

BLUE CLUB SYSTEM

KQJ3

KQJ3

Layout 1 starts as blocked. To cash four tricks, South must possess an outside entry since the ace will win the first round in the North hand. On Layout 2, you can avoid a blockage by cashing the ace first; if, instead, you cashed one of the honours from the longer holding, then that would block the suit. BLOCKBUSTER

A very powerful hand – powerhouse and monster are similar terms.

System used by the Italian Blue Team during their long string of World Championship victories. Developed mainly by Benito Garozzo and Leon Yallouze, the system uses an artificial 1® opening (17+ points), four-card majors, a wide-range 1NT opening and canapé (bidding your second suit before your main suit). The responses to 1® include a 1© negative with control-showing positive responses.

1 A plastic or wooden device used in duplicate bridge (showing the hand number, dealer, vulnerability and compass points) with four slots to house the hands and another for the travelling scoresheet. Leather or plastic wallets serve the same purpose. 2 The dummy (as it is on the table). BODY

BLUE CLUB RESPONSES

A method of responding to a 2NT enquiry following a weak-two opener in a major. The ‘Blue Club Responses’ (also known as ‘Ogust’ responses) are:

That part of the hand excluding the honour cards. The quality of the body can influence significantly the value of the hand, particularly in judging whether to bid marginal games.

Register NOW for BRIDGE WEEKLY. The weekly e-mail full of tips and quizzes. www.mrbridge.co.uk

Page 18

A to Z of Bridge continued

BOTTOM

A score of zero Matchpoints on a board in a duplicate event. BONUS

BOXED

Different bonuses are available in all types of bridge.

A hand or deck of cards counts as ‘boxed’ if at least one card is face up. It is usual to turn one card face up in undealt boards to signify those that need shuffling.

In Rubber Bridge the bonuses are: 1500 Vulnerable Grand Slam Non-vulnerable Grand Slam 1000 Vulnerable Small Slam 750 Non-vulnerable Small Slam 500 Rubber completed in two games 700 Rubber completed in three games 500 One game in an incomplete rubber 300 Partscore in an incomplete rubber 100 Successful doubled contract 50 Successful redoubled contract 100 Five trump honours in one hand 150 Four trump honours in one hand 100 Four aces in one hand at no trumps 150

BRIDGERAMA BREAK

1 The distribution of the outstanding cards in a suit between the unseen hands, for example ‘trumps might break 4-1’. Also used colloquially to describe a favourable break (e.g. 33), or a nearly even break when an odd number of cards is missing (e.g. 3-2). For example: ‘If the clubs break...’ 2 To defeat (set) a contract. 3 To break a new suit is to open it up, i.e. make the first lead of the suit.

In normal Chicago the bonuses are: Vulnerable Grand Slam 1500 Non-vulnerable Grand Slam 1000 Vulnerable Small Slam 750 Non-vulnerable Small Slam 500 Vulnerable game 500 Non-vulnerable game 300 Partscore bid and made on last hand 100 Successful doubled contract 50 Successful redoubled contract 100 Five trump honours in one hand 150 Four trump honours in one hand 100 Four aces in one hand at no trumps 150

BREAKING A TRANSFER

In Duplicate or in Chicago with duplicate scoring the bonuses are: Vulnerable Grand Slam 1500 Non-vulnerable Grand Slam 1000 Vulnerable Small Slam 750 Non-vulnerable Small Slam 500 Vulnerable game 500 Non-vulnerable game 300 Partscore 50 Successful doubled contract 50 Successful redoubled contract 100

´ ™ © ®

BOOK

The first six tricks won by the declaring side. The term originates from the practice by declarer of placing the first six tricks won in a single pile, a ‘book’.

Russian origin. The name Bridge is simply a corruption of ‘Biritch’. Due to the dominance of Contract Bridge, the term is nowadays synonymous with Contract Bridge. There are several variations of Contract Bridge including Rubber Bridge, Chicago Bridge (fourdeal bridge) and Duplicate Bridge (Pairs, Teams or Individuals).

If partner makes a transfer bid (e.g. 2© in response to 1NT, showing hearts) and you do not make the anticipated bid of partner’s suit at the minimum level (e.g. you bid 3™ rather than the expected 2™), you are breaking the transfer. To justify such an action, you usually need a very good hand in the context of your previous bidding, for example, maximum HCP for your opening, four-card support for partner and a ruffing value. If 1NT was 12-14, you might hold:

K4 A 10 8 3 AQJ4 863

BRIDGE

A partnership game derived from Whist. The term used to refer to three games; Bridge Whist, Auction Bridge and Contract Bridge. The first recorded mention of a game like Bridge was in a pamphlet published in 1886 about the game Biritch or Russian Whist. There is little evidence to suggest that the game did originate in Russia, although it does bear a close resemblance to Vint, which is a game of

Page 19

Old method of displaying bridge to an audience. First used in the 1958 World Championship but, due to the requirement for a great number of operators, VuGraph has replaced it since the 1970s. BRING IN

To ‘bring in’ a suit for three tricks means to make three tricks in that suit. BRITISH BRIDGE LEAGUE

Body responsible until 2000 for representing Britain in international bridge matters including the selection of British teams. Formed by Alfred Manning-Foster in 1931, its constituents were the English Bridge Union, the Scottish Bridge Union, the Welsh Bridge Union and the Northern Ireland Bridge Union. BRIDGE GREAT BRITAIN

Body responsible since 2000 for helping to fund international bridge representation for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It organizes simultaneous pairs’ events as well as the Gold Cup and the home international series. BRIDGEMATE

A device to facilitate rapid computer scoring of a duplicate session. Players enter scores not on a travelling scoresheet but into the Bridgemate device. This transmits the score to the scorer’s computer. Results become available instantaneously once all scores are complete. BROKEN SEQUENCE

A sequence of honour cards (but including the 9) with one of the middle cards missing, for example K-J-10-9 or A-Q-J. The standard lead from such a holding is the highest touching card, the jack and queen respectively.

A to Z of Bridge continued

ours are busy cards while the three low hearts are idle on this trick.

BEGIN BRIDGE

BUENOS AIRES AFFAIR

This refers to the 1965 Bermuda Bowl World Championship when there was an accusation that the British pair, Terence Reese and Boris Schapiro, cheated by transmitting information regarding the length of their heart suits by finger signals. Although at the time the World Bridge Federation executive committee found Reese and Schapiro guilty, a subsequent thorough independent enquiry headed by Sir John Foster QC and General Lord Bourne found that the charges were unfounded. Arguments for both sides can be read in the books The Story of an Accusation by Terence Reese and The Great Bridge Scandal by Alan Truscott. BURN’S LAW

It pays to have more trumps than your opponents when declaring a contract. Reference to this usually occurs when discussing a disastrous auction. BUSINESS DOUBLE

A double indicating that you think the opponents will fail in their contract, synonymous with the term penalty double. BUST

AJ AKQ9 6 Void ´ KQ N ™ J 10 7 4 2 E W S © Void ® Void

£66

Slang term meaning to misplay, especially to misplay very badly. ‘Carve’ and ‘Misere’ are similar terms. BUTLER METHOD

A way to score pairs’ events in IMPs. You start by averaging the scores for each board to produce a datum, ignoring the top and bottom scores. You then compare each pair’s score with the datum and convert it to IMPs. For example, if the remaining North-South scores are +600, +600, +600 and -200, the datum is +400. The three pairs with +600 have done 200 better than the datum and each score 5 IMPs. The pair with -200 has fared 600 worse than the datum and scores -12 IMPs. BUY

In a competitive auction, a player or partnership buys the contract if the opponents do not compete further. BYE-LAWS

A card that has some definite purpose in the play of a hand, as opposed to an idle card that has no clear purpose. Discarding a busy card can be costly. The term refers to an important card in a squeeze position. In the following deal East’s hon-

An Interactive Tutorial with Bernard Magee

BUTCHER

A seemingly useless hand. BUSY CARD

ACOL VERSION

´ ™ © ®

Rules determined by the national organisations governing their membership. BYZANTINE

A very complicated and nowadays very rare form of Blackwood. Nearly all expert partnerships now use Roman Keycard Blackwood rather than Byzantine. n

Page 20

Learn to play bridge with Britain’s best-known teacher. Through 20 interactive chapters, Bernard teaches you the basics of bridge. l

Basics of Bridge

l

l

Basics of Card Play Technique

The Stayman Convention

l

Practice of Card Play Technique

2NT Opening and Response

l

Strong Two Openings and Response

l

Overcalls

l

Doubles

l

Pre-empting

l

l

Planning the Card Play

l

Basics of Bidding

l

Bidding Balanced Hands

l

Bidding Suits

l

Basics of Defence 1

l

Responding to a Suit

l

Basics of Defence 2

l

l

Supporting Partner

Defence against No-trump Contracts

l

Defence against Suit Contracts

l

Responding to 1NT

See Mail Order form on page 7 System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM

David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

Is it legal to open an Acol 2® with 18 points?

Q

In third seat, West opened 2® on 18 points:

´ ™ © ®

QJ7 AK52 6 AKJ84

Is this legal? Martin Plane, Bradwell, Great Yarmouth (similar from David Drinkwater, Stafford).

A

If you open an artificial strong 2® or 2©, you must have a strong hand. Unfortunately, there is a growing habit of opening pre-emptive hands 2® ‘because they have eight playing tricks’. This is bad bridge and often illegal. None of this applies to this 2® opening. One of the three definitions of ‘strong’ is at least 16 points. This 2® opening is indeed legal if inadvisable. Of course, they have to tell you what they are playing, and you might have a case that you have been misinformed. Somehow, I doubt it: they probably do not see anything wrong with bidding this way and you were unfortunate.

Q

When my wife was putting down dummy, she commented that hers was an unusual action and hoped that it would work out. An opponent said that it was wrong for dummy to talk. My wife said that she was not giving her partner any information. Her opponent repeated his criticism in a more aggressive manner. There were further words and my wife called the director, who ruled ‘no penalty’. A Simpson, Leeds.

A

What an unfriendly opponent! Players talk all the time at bridge and sometimes at unsuitable times. Yes, your wife may have been in the wrong in commenting when she put down dummy, but many people do, it is perfectly normal and it does not justify rudeness. Your wife’s opponent could have suggested that your wife would do better to keep quiet in a friendly and unthreatening way. The way he did it sounds like bad behaviour to me and, as a director, I might have penalised your wife’s

opponent, or perhaps just suggested a change of approach. You also say there were words. Your wife might have said injudicious things as well. At the very least both sides were at fault; it is not entirely clear how much blame goes to each side.

®©™´

Q

Using bidding boxes in a match, I opened 1™ and my partner raised. By mistake, I rebid 4´ and, as soon as I released the card, I explained that I meant to bid 4™. My LHO stated that I could not change my bid to 4™. After a double of 4´, I bid 5™ and was one down. We lost the match as a result. John Martin, Evanton, Scotland (similar from Mrs J I Taylor, West Wickham, Kent).

A

If you pull the wrong card out of the box, you may change it if you attempt to do so without pause for thought, which seems to be the case here. Opponents are notoriously poor on the rules. You should always call the director when

Page 21

in doubt. If this was a match played privately with no director, you will have to phone one. If that was the case, it might be worth asking the organisers whether you are still in time to appeal.

®©™´

Q

Is it acceptable to play a card by holding it up in

the air? J Etchells, Barrow-in-Furness.

A

The Laws say clearly that you place a card on the table to play it. Anyone who holds them in the air is not only not following the rules but is, in my view, being discourteous and making it more difficult to see. Have a word with the director, or the Club Host in a rubber club, and ask him to have a word with them about playing their cards correctly.

David Stevenson answers all queries based on the facts supplied by the letter writer. Neither Mr Bridge nor David Stevenson has any way of knowing whether those facts are correct or complete.

Ask David

continued

Q

After my partner opened, the opponents bid up to 3´. I started putting the contract on the scoresheet when my partner reminded me that the bidding had not finished. There was some general mirth at my expense. After my partner doubled 3´, the opponents retreated to 3NT, which failed on a spade lead. My partner said that I had cheated and that in a bigger club, the director would have taken strong action against me. Name and address supplied

A

Your partner is talking complete nonsense. What you did was wrong, certainly, but most players do things wrong from time to time without the sky falling in. The general reaction at the table would be somewhat similar at any level of the game.

®©™´

Q

With one of my partners, we play transfers if I open 1NT but not if my partner does – we are both happy if I play more hands. Are we breaking any laws by doing this? Alan Mansell by email.

A

Although what you are doing is not against the Laws of bridge, the EBU does not permit it. One of their regulations says, ‘Both members of a partnership must have the same bidding agreements and play the

same system of leads, signals and discards.’ Of course, clubs do not have to follow the EBU in what they allow, so your club could permit it.

®©™´

Q

My opponents, who were playing five-card majors, opened 1®. If this might be on a threecard suit, should they alert or tell us in some other way? Rose Smith by email.

A

Three-card minor openings count as natural and, as a result, are not alertable. Of course, your opponents should show this on their System Card (formerly called a Convention Card). If your club does not use System Cards, then they should tell you they play five-card majors at the start of the round. It is normal for people who play five-card majors to play three-card minors.

I would expect the director just to explain the rules to him unless he keeps doing it. After a time, the director will have to start penalising him 10% of a top (or more) until he follows the rules. 2. The rules do not force a call on anyone until it is complete, so a player who does not jump after a Stop bid has made the bid he puts down. He might think he has jumped, however, and again this is unauthorised information to partner. As for a penalty, the same applies: the director will act leniently unless he makes a habit of this.

®©™´

Q

This was the West hand, with East dealer and neither side vulnerable:

´ ™ © ®

A 10 9 A96 10 8 6 A742

®©™´

West North

1. After LHO opens 1NT, RHO bids 2® and alerts. Is this unauthorised information? Is there any penalty? 2. LHO places the Stop card on the table but does not jump. Is this an insufficient bid? Is there any penalty? Peter Holman, Buckingham.

1NT 2™ Pass 3™ 3´ End *After a hesitation

Q

A

1. If a player alerts his own bid then it is certainly unauthorised information to his partner. As for penalties, there are very few automatic penalties in bridge: penalties are mainly for very bad offences or repeated offences. Therefore,

East South Pass Pass 2´ Pass Pass* Pass

North objected to West’s 3´ bid and called the director. East made 10 tricks for 170 but the director changed the score to 20 matchpoints for North-South – a good score for them. Mrs P Higgin, Southport.

A

When a player makes unauthorised information available to his partner, that partner must make every effort to gain no advantage; the director may adjust the score

Page 22

if he thinks the partner has taken such an advantage, whether deliberately or not. In this case, East hesitated then passed. This suggests that he was close to making a positive bid and suggests that for West to bid might be better than passing. Since West has a borderline bid with only three-card support, minimum and no ruffing value, he should have passed. The director will have looked at this, agreed with my logic, and adjusted the score back to 3™ making some number of tricks. This seems a perfectly normal ruling. Of course, the director should have come to tell you his ruling and explained it: it was very poor that he did not.

®©™´

Q

My partner (North) led a heart. East (dummy) followed and I ruffed with the jack of spades. Declarer produced the two of spades for all to see. She then noticed my jack of trumps. She said that as she had not let go of her card, she could change it to the queen of trumps. Was this correct? Mrs J I Taylor, West Wickham, Kent.

A

If declarer places a card near the table and holds it there still for a moment, it counts as played and she may not change it. She may change it if she takes it back immediately or the card does not get near the table. Declarer’s card sounds played to me and may not be withdrawn. The rule for allowing a change if she has not let go of it is a rule from chess, not bridge.

Ask David

continued

Q

South opens 1NT and West bids 1© (insufficient). North accepts by bidding 1NT again; this ends the bidding. Who is declarer? Chris Simmons, Croydon.

A

South – he bid notrumps first.

®©™´

Q

Sally Brock writes, ‘Traditionally, a 2NT overcall of a 1NT opening shows a gameforcing two-suiter.’ The Orange Book, under Permitted Agreements 11 N 7, says that notrump bids to show a two-suiter must specify at least one of the suits. Peter Dunn, Moulton, Northampton.

A

11N7 refers to defences to one of a suit, not 1NT. Defending 1NT is in 11P, and 11P3C permits the specific sequence to which you refer.

®©™´

Q

A player selects a card from his hand and holds it with the leading edge of the card touching the table. Does this comply with the laws? Allan Rayner by email.

A

That is just an annoyance – but, frankly, you have to be tolerant to play this game.  At a certain point, it becomes a played card. There are far more annoying habits at the bridge table.

Q

North, playing in 3NT, led a good spade and called for a heart discard from dummy. I, West, missed the spade lead and played the ™A, thinking it would win the trick. The director ruled that I could change my ™A to a spade but not to anything else. As I was void in spades, I had to play the ace. As this was not an established revoke, why could I not change the card to a low heart and have the ace as a penalty card? Colin Harbury by email.

A

Once you have played a card, you may not change it, except to correct a revoke. Since you did not have any spades, you had not revoked and so the question of whether there was an established revoke is irrelevant. Once you had played the ace, it stands.

®©™´

Q

During the play, declarer takes a trick with dummy’s ™A. Dummy’s hand then contains ™Q-x-x and ®Q-x. Declarer now points to the ®Q and says ‘queen’. Dummy plays the ®Q but the next hand claims that the call was for the ™Q. Who is correct? Stuart Barrett, Denby Dale, Huddersfield.

A

In general, if you call for a card having won the previous trick in dummy and do not say which suit, it is the suit played previously. However, there is a small addition to the rules about partial calls – it says,

‘unless declarer’s different intention was incontrovertible.’ Since he was pointing at the ®Q, I believe it was incontrovertible that is what he meant, so the ®Q is the card played.

®©™´

Q

Declarer called for the ®2 but dummy played the ™2. The next hand waited a short while before playing the ™A. Realising that dummy had played from the wrong suit, declarer called for the director. The ruling was that declarer could withdraw dummy’s ™2 and that the ™A was now a major penalty card. Jim Sherman by email.

A

The ruling was wrong. Directors are most remiss not to read standard book rulings from the book: if he had, he would have got it right. In this situation, a defender may withdraw a card without any penalty.

®©™´

Q

During the bidding, some players have a tendency to assume that after a certain bid (e.g. 4´ on the third round) that is it; they either put their bidding cards away or start to write the contract into their score card. A few times, I have been considering whether to double or sacrifice; so when I object, it becomes

Page 23

clear to the table that I have something to think about. Peter Taylor, Dunstable.

A

It is a very unfortunate habit, and at the very least discourteous. Perhaps you could try objecting sometimes when you have nothing to think about!

®©™´

Q

Playing a teamsof-four match, declarer (South) won trick 10. West then put his last three cards down (face down) and said, ‘well, the rest are yours.’ East stated promptly that he wanted to play out the hand, which we did and South won all three remaining tricks. West had no possible winners. East could have won a trick, but only if South had played very badly. Did the attempted concession and ensuing reversal give the players any unauthorised information? Name and address supplied.

A

When a defender concedes, play continues if his partner objects immediately. Both East and West have unauthorised information. West knows East has the potential for a trick, though that tells him very little, since presumably he would assume it if the hand was played out. East knows West has nothing at all and must avoid gaining from that n information.

E-mail your questions on bridge laws to: [email protected]

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Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge

Subscribe ttoo Reader’s Reader’s Digest – 12 is issues sues for £29 29.99 .99!

65 invaluable tips in 160 pages Bidding Tips 1 Always consider bidding spades if you can 2 Bid more aggressively when non-vulnerable 3 Always double when the opponents steal your deal 4 A take-out double shows shortage in the suit doubled 5 ‘Borrow’ a king to keep the auction open 6 After a penalty double, don’t let the opponents escape 7 Halve the value of a singleton honour when opening 8 Only add length-points for a suit that might be useful 9 Isolated honours are bad except in partner’s suit 10 Use the jump shift sparingly 11 Consider passing and letting partner decide 12 You need two top honours for a second-seat pre-empt 13 Put the brakes on if you have a misfit 14 Strong and long minors work well in no-trumps 15 One stop in the opponents’ suit can be enough for no-trumps 16 Keep your two-level responses up to strength 17 Use your normal methods in response to a 1NT overcall 18 Don’t overcall just because you have opening points 19 Overcalls can be quite weak, so be prudent when responding 20 Weak overcalls must be based on strong suits 21 6NT requires 33 points not 4 aces and 4 kings 22 Raise immediately, if weak with four-card support 23 In a competitive auction, show support immediately 24 Bid to the level of your fit quickly with weak hands 25 With strength and support, use the opponents’ bid suit

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Declarer-play Tips 26 When your contract depends on a finesse, think ‘endplay’ 27 Consider what a defender might be thinking about 28 Always take your time at trick one 29 Establish extra tricks before cashing your winners 30 Use your opponents’ bidding to your advantage 31 Avoid the ‘baddie’ gaining the lead 32 Use the Rule of Seven when holding up in no-trumps

33 A low lead usually promises length and an honour 34 When declaring 1NT try to be patient 35 Duck an early round when you are short of entries 36 Lead up to your two-honour holding 37 Do not always assume a suit will break well 38 Drop a high card to put off the defence 39 Play your highest card to tempt a defender to cover 40 Draw trumps first unless you have a good reason not to 41 Do not waste your trumps 42 Consider leaving a lone defensive trump winner out Defence Tips 43 Keep four-card suits intact whenever possible 44 Give count on declarer’s leads 45 Keep the right cards rather than signal 46 Take your time when dummy is put down 47 High cards are for killing other high cards 48 Do not waste intermediate cards 49 Pick two key suits to concentrate on during the play 50 If in doubt, cover an honour with an honour 51 If a lead is from two honours, it is best not to cover 52 Keep your honour to kill dummy’s honour 53 Try to show partner your solid honour sequences 54 Lead the normal card when leading partner’s suit 55 Never underlead an ace at trick one in a suit contract 56 Be wary of leading from four cards to only one honour 57 Lead a higher card from a suit without an honour 58 Lead through ‘beatable’ strength and up to weakness 59 Cash your winners before trying for a trump promotion 60 Be patient when defending 1NT 61 Trump leads can be safe throughout the play General Tips 62 Do not put important cards at either end of your hand 63 Avoid being declarer when you are dummy 64 Before you lead ask for a review of the auction 65 Enjoy the Game!

£14 including postage and packing from Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961

Page 26

Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

How Does Matchpoint Bidding Differ from Rubber Bridge Bidding?

Q

What is the difference in the bidding between matchpoints and rubber bridge? T Betts, Chandler’s Ford, Hants.

A

On most hands – say 85% of the time – there is no difference. Your main aim at any type of bridge is to bid and make a contract. On the minority of hands where there is a difference, it is because at matchpoints you are looking for a good relative score, whereas in rubber bridge you are looking for a good absolute score. On part-score deals, you often risk conceding a penalty to push your opponents higher. If you can make a vulnerable game, picking up 500 instead at rubber bridge is no disaster. However, at matchpoints, if everyone else scores 620 your way, 500 is a bottom. At matchpoints, you might be more willing to try a dicey game rather than accept an inadequate penalty. In choosing which game to bid, at rubber bridge you are looking for the safest game whereas, at matchpoints, you are looking for the highest scoring game. Unfortunately,

there is not a simple rule to use to apply this. A majorsuit game scores more than 3NT if you can make an extra trick playing in the major, as is often the case when you have a 4-4 fit and the suit breaks 3-2. However, a no-trump contract scores more than any suit contract if you can make the same number of tricks, which can be the case when you are unable to ruff anything in the short trump hand.

West ´ ™ © ®

East ´ ™ © ®

Q4 AK74 AK63 A83

AK8632 83 72 10 5 2

With these hands, you want to be in 4´ at rubber bridge. This makes even if spades are 4-1. At matchpoints, you want to be in 3NT, which will outscore 4´ on the normal 3-2 break.

´ ™ © ®

A943 AK KQJ7 Q74

N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

8752 942 10 4 2 AK3

Here, you want to be in 3NT,

which is laydown, at rubber bridge. At matchpoints, you want to be in 4´, which makes 10 tricks on a 3-2 spade split but fails on a 4-1 split.

double. As you say yourself, you were rather lucky that nobody doubled.

®©™´

I understand that a partner who opens 1NT (12-14) is more likely to hold 12 HCP than 13 or 14 HCP, a similar situation applying to 20-22 HCP 2NT openings. What are the actual percentages? David Briggs by email.

Q

I, South, opened 1NT (12-14). West passed and my partner bid 2™ (transfer to spades). East bid 3©; looking at my 14 count with ´K-J-8, I decided to bid 3´, which ended the auction. Dummy put down a Yarborough and the suits broke badly. I made only three tricks, luckily undoubled. Alas, since none of the E/W pairs reached game, our -600 was a clear bottom! Peter Rollin, Tamworth.

A

My usual rule on this sort of auction is to bid 3´ only with fourcard support, especially when vulnerable. Having a ninth trump between the two hands greatly increases the chance that it is right to be playing at the three level and significantly reduces the chance that one of the opponents is in a position to

Page 27

®©™´

Q A

Ignoring the information that the hand is balanced (which has only a minuscule effect), the percentages are as follows: 12    8.03% 13    6.91% 14    5.69% 20    0.64% 21    0.38% 22    0.21%

You will notice that the chance of 20 HCP actually exceeds the combined chance of 21 and 22 HCP. So, if partner opens 2NT showing 20-22, it is wise to assume 20 rather than 21 or 22.

Ask Julian

continued

Q

With North dealer, how do you get to 7NT with these hands?

´ ™ © ®

A94 AJ9 5 AKQJ82 N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

KQ KQ5 A96 97643

Gertrud Porter, Harrow.

A

The exact sequence is going to depend upon your bidding system. What needs to happen is for North to show a strong opening hand with a very good club suit and then South checks on key cards. Assuming you are not playing either Benjamin (when North would open 2®) or inverted raises, North opens 1® and South has a bit of a problem. Let us say South responds 1©. North rebids 3NT, which in the modern style shows a good club suit rather than just 19 points (North would rebid 2NT with 18-19). South then bids 4®, setting the suit and North makes a cue bid. Having already agreed clubs with 4®, 4NT from South should then be a key card enquiry and all is plain sailing.

®©™´

Q

At our club we are using ‘computer dealt hands’. Are they different from ‘normally’ dealt

hands? Is the distribution different, and does this affect play and bidding? Brian Brooks, Cantley, Doncaster (similar from Jean Threlfall).

A

All tournaments and an increasing number of clubs are using computer dealt hands. The principal benefits are as follows: (i) The hands are truly random. (ii) The knowledge that the hands are random enables players to make decisions about bidding and play based on expected probabilities. (iii) The hands are more likely to reward accurate bidding and play than hands dealt after imperfectly shuffling. (iv) It is easy to provide hand records at the end of the session, and often with an analysis of the makeable contracts. (v) Computer dealing means you can have several sets of boards made up, thereby avoiding sharing whatever the movement. Assuming that the players used to be reasonably efficient at shuffling, they should not need to make any real adjustment to their play. One thing, rules that rely on imperfect shuffling for their basis, such as ‘queen lies over the jack’ go out of the window with computer deals.

®©™´

Q

I opened 1© on a 4-1-4-4 hand with 13 points, intending to rebid 1´ if my partner bid hearts. She did, but then my right-hand opponent bid 1´. Was I

right to pass over this or should I have bid my clubs? Shirley Rose.

A

When you have a minimum opening and the player in fourth seat overcalls, you only bid again if you have a convenient descriptive bid. If you bid 2®, partner will never imagine you have only eight cards in the minors. Your pass seems spot on to me.

®©™´

Q

My partner and I (South dealer) bid these hands to 6© after the start 1®-2©:

losers. I would say that with a twosuited hand it is normal for North to start with a simple 1© rather than a jump shift to 2©. If it starts 1®-1©-1´-2™2´, North is getting the idea that South has a fistful of black cards – five spades (to bid the suit twice) and probably at least six clubs (to bid them before the spades). North then tries 3© and South rebids 3´. To bid spades a third time, South ought to have six spades, so the huge misfit is becoming more and more apparent to North. A slam is now looking unlikely. 3NT (which North should bid over 3´) and 4´ look like they should make.

®©™´ ´ ™ © ®

K AKJ62 KQJ8764 Void

Q

East opened 2© (weak). What should I bid as

South?

N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

It went badly off. Is there a way to reach a making contract? R W Smith, Brockenhurst, Hampshire.

A

Freak hands are difficult to bid, as are misfits. Very few pairs would manage to stop at a safe level with this pair of hands. As soon as South opens the bidding, North is thinking of a slam. Not only does the South hand not contain any of the three cards North is looking for (the ´A, ™Q and the ©A) but also the extreme misfit creates unexpected extra

Page 28

´ ™ © ®

QJ7642 Void Void AKJ8762

AQ94 K 10 4 AQ7 KQ8

I chose 2NT, which ended the auction. I made 10 tricks.  Patricia Wicebloom.

A

If an opponent opens a weak two, it does make life difficult for you – one just does not have as much space to explore. I usually suggest a range of 15-18 or 16-19 for a 2NT overcall, so, on that basis, it would be slightly better on your hand to double first. The odds are that partner will bid 2™ or 2´, in which case you can bid 2NT on the second round to show a hand too good for an immediate 2NT overcall.

Ask Julian

continued

Q

At rubber bridge, can one make a preemptive bid after an opponent has opened? Mrs H R Dirckze, London SW15 (similar from John Clarke, Herts).

nowhere near as attractive if your suit is poor and you have defensive values in the other suits.

®©™´

Q

´ ™ © ®

A

Yes, you can preempt after an opponent has opened. Indeed, you can do so at any form of the game. It is normal to play any double jump, such as 3´ over 1® or 4® over 1™ as pre-emptive. The requirements are similar to an opening pre-empt.

´ ™ © ®

Hand A AQ98753 4 86 974

´ ™ © ®

Hand B 4 3 J 10 9 2 KQJ8542

With Hand A, you would bid 3´ over one of any other suit when non-vulnerable. Vulnerable, you are light for doing so – you would really like to have a more realistic chance of making seven tricks in your hand. However, I suspect that most people would bid it even when vulnerable. With Hand B, you have more shape and playing strength; you happily bid 4® over 1™ or 1´, if you are not vulnerable – perhaps at game all too. Note that on both hands the strength is very much in the long suit. Pre-empting is

What should you respond to 1™ with this?

AK7 AK875 QJ4 64

Richard Harrop by email.

A

The traditional solution would be to start with a jump shift in diamonds. By bidding a suit lower ranking than hearts, you are not worried if partner raises because you can go back to hearts at the same level. The more modern approach, particularly amongst tournament players, is to play a 2NT response as showing a game forcing raise in opener’s major. This is similar to the sequence 1™double-2NT, which many people play as showing support for opener’s suit.

®©™´

Q

My wife held the hand below. She opened 2® and rebid 5® over her partner’s reply of 2´. Is there a way to explore whether a slam is on?

A

With a solid eightcard suit and first round control in the other three suits, the 2® opening seems reasonable, the shortage of high cards notwithstanding. One of the traditional options for a positive response to 2® is a hand with an ace and a king. If partner does have an ace and a king, you can almost count twelve tricks – even if they are both in spades, partner might have the ®J or some other entry. Another tradition is that a jump in a long suit in a forcing situation shows a solid suit. In this case, your wife could have bid 4® over 2´ to show the solid suit. This would then invite her partner to make a cue bid. While her jump to 5® conveyed the general nature of her hand, it cut out a lot of bidding room. The whole idea of a 2® opening is to establish a game force at a low level to leave plenty of room to explore. The leap to 5® runs contrary to that.

®©™´

Q

What is the ideal bidding strategy on these hands? At one table, North opened 4´ in third seat and played there:

´ ™ © ®

A Q J 10 9 7 3 2 AK Void AJ9 N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

Void A84 A5 AKQ96532

Stephen Wright, Hornsea, East Yorkshire.

´ ™ © ®

4 QJ973 KQ9 Q432

Name and address supplied.

Page 29

A

Even facing a passed partner, it seems unduly pessimistic to give up on a slam. If you give South the king of clubs and the queen of hearts or clubs, 6´ is cold. The king of spades and the queen of clubs would also make 6´ laydown. In terms of high cards, North is a bit light to open 2® but I cannot see a good alternative. South would make a positive response in hearts and then the players would be doing quite well to stay out of the slam. North will keep bidding spades and South will show little sign of encouragement.

®©™´

Q

What do you think of a spade lead here?

´ ™ © ®

KJ83 K8 4 Q 10 8 7 6 2

West North East South 1´ Pass 2® Pass 3NT Pass 2© End

Terence Crispin, Beckenham.

A

Given the bidding and your hand, dummy is likely to hold a singleton or void in clubs, making a club lead much more appealing than a spade. The unbid heart suit would be my second choice. A spade could be horrible if declarer has 10-x or Q-x. A club should be safe if partner has any club honour and may set up several tricks if partner has goodish clubs. Even if partner has nothing in clubs, dummy’s club could be the ace or king.

Ask Julian

continued

Q

Is there any rule/advice about leading small from a suit when the leader holds the ace of that suit in a NT contract? Pauline Bailey.

A

Yes – a lead from a four-card suit headed by the ace is not in general an attractive lead. You will often give away a trick and, with only four-card length in your hand, you will not set up many long cards, sometimes none at all. If you have a reasonable alternative, it is best to avoid leading a four-card suit headed by an ace. This does not apply if you have five cards or more. In this case, you should lead the suit (assuming it is your longest and strongest suit and the opponents have not bid it).

®©™´

Q

With South the dealer, we ended in 7®, going one down. The other table made 3NT with overtricks. How should we have bid?

´ ™ © ®

KJ8 K32 K J 10 7 5 4 8 N W

E S

´ ™ © ®

A Q 10 5 A5 9 A K Q J 10 6

Corinna Christopher by email.

A

You want to be in a small slam, 6NT at pairs, 6® at rubber bridge (for the honours). 6´ is good too but risks a 5-1 spade break. With an ace missing, you should know to stay out of a grand slam. If the auction starts 2®-3©-4®-4©-4´, you are quite high without knowing what denomination you are playing in. Even so, North should not be taking the bidding to a grand slam on an aceless hand. If North bids 6NT over 4´, South should respect this and pass. If South takes the slight risk of missing game by opening 1®, the problem is how to reach a slam at all. North responds 1©, South rebids 2´ and North rebids 3©. If South rebids 3NT at this point, North might give up in the face of the misfit.

The requirement is for playing strength rather than points. If you have an eightcard suit headed by the queen-jack and nothing else, that would give you six tricks and sufficient for a nonvulnerable pre-empt at the three level.

®©™´

Q deals.

®©™´ ´ ™ © ®

´ ™ © ®

®©™´

Q

Is it right that you need 7-9 points and at least two honours for a pre-empt, or is 5 points enough? Steve Elliott, Castalla, Spain (similar from Patricia Evans).

A

How should we bid and play this hand? North

K 10 3 987 10 7 6 3 Q53 Void ´ Q752 N W E AK2 ™ Q 10 5 4 S KQ8542 © AJ AJ84 ® K72 ´ AJ9864 ™ J63 © 9 ® 10 9 6

Gill Kirkman, Bovey Tracey, Devon.

A

It depends upon style. Vulnerable, some partnerships insist on having two of the top three honours. Most experts are happy to vary their pre-emptive bids a bit because two opponents are guessing and only one partner. The traditional requirement is that you should have about six playing tricks non-vulnerable and about seven playing tricks when vulnerable, in each case in a hand too weak for an opening one bid. Not everyone sticks to the traditional requirements!

three club tricks any time they break 3-3 or South has the queen and also when North has a doubleton or singleton queen. Possibly, it might be better to finesse the jack of clubs after the second round of trumps. If it wins, you are home. If it loses, you have chances of an even break in either hearts or clubs, as well as the possibility of a squeeze if one defender has length in the two suits.

There is quite a good case for East to open 1NT and West to bid 6©, which gives the opposition little information. Perhaps, if East had the perfect cards, ©A-x-x-x and ®K-x, 7© could be on; my partners rarely have perfect cards. The more scientific approach is to start with 3© or, if you play four-suit transfers, with 2NT. Most routes lead to 6©. North is quite likely to lead a heart. You could win in hand, take two trumps and ruff a spade. Then you draw the remaining trumps. If you test the hearts next, you will find the jack drops and the slam is safe. If the jack did not drop, you could cash the aceking of clubs and play towards the jack, making

Page 30

Q

Playing basic Acol, I opened 1´ with this:

´ ™ © ®

K864 86 AK85 KJ7

My partner responded 2™. Assuming she had 10 points I rebid 2NT, leaving her to pass or raise to 3NT if she had more than 10 points. The other players said that by calling 2NT I was showing 16 plus points. What is your view? John Rolph, Towcester, Northants.

A

Basic Acol involves a 12-14 1NT opening rather than a 13-15 1NT opening. Opening 1´ and rebidding 2NT after a two-level change of suit response therefore shows a minimum of 15 points rather than a minimum of 16. If you are in range for a 1NT opening, you really have to open 1NT whether you have all suits covered or not. If you open 1´, you leave yourself an impossible rebid, as you discovered.

Ask Julian

continued

Q

East was the dealer and opened 1´. After that, things went downhill at all six tables. Two N/S pairs went off in spade contracts, two E/W pairs went off in spade contracts as well and two E/W pairs went off in no-trump contacts.

´ ™ © ®

´ ™ © ®

4 QJ8 K9843 10 9 7 6 9 ´ K8632 N W E AK52 ™ 7 S Q J 10 7 5 © A62 J43 ® AK85 ´ A Q J 10 7 5 ™ 10 9 6 4 3 © Void ® Q2

1. How do you deal with a hand long in opener’s suit? 2. What sequence do you recommend on this hand? John Martin, Glendale, Near Inverness.

A

1. If an opponent opens the bidding in your long suit, you have to pass first time around. If South bid 2´, that would (for most pairs) show a two-suited hand not including spades. If South bid 3´, that would be asking for a spade stopper. You may be able to bid the suit naturally on the second round if the auction has not gone too high and partner has not bid. 2. With North-South passing throughout, the standard Acol sequence is 1´-2©-2´2NT-3NT – it would be an overbid if East rebid 3® over

2© or West rebid 3™ over 2´. The second most likely auction is 1´-2©-3©-3™-3NT, or perhaps West would pass 3©. It rather surprises me to hear that so many pairs played in spades, whichever way they were sitting!

®©™´

Q

In the sequence 1®/©-1´-1NT, the 1NT rebid shows 15-17 HCP. Does it also promise at least a half stopper in each of the unbid suits? Alan Mansell.

A

With a 4333 shape, you should rebid 1NT regardless of your honour location. Only with a losing doubleton (worse than Q-x) would I consider an alternative if the hand is balanced. With three-card spade support, just 15 points and a losing doubleton elsewhere, you might raise the 1´ response to 2´. With any more than 15, a raise to 2´ is an underbid and you have to rebid 1NT even with a weak suit somewhere.

®©™´

Q

When playing Precision, is it reasonable for a 1NT overcall to show 1621 or should it be 13-15, as per a 1NT opening? Eric Graydon by email.

A

When it comes to overcalls, your system is irrelevant. A 1NT overcall shows about 15-17 points; some agree a range of 15-18, some 16-18 but that order of magnitude. A hand with 13 points is definitely too weak and a hand with 21 points is way too strong. With 13 points and a shape unsuitable for a

takeout double, you pass. With 21 points, you start with a double.

Q

Playing with my wife, our hands were:

®©™´ ´ ™ © ®

Q

North opened a weak 2©. My partner (East) doubled and I called 3™.

´ ™ © ®

A7542 K 10 7 4 2 N Q E W S 64

´ ™ © ®

10 7 4 J9532 942 73 N W

´ ™ © ®

10 9 3 J8 K 10 7 3 AKQ3

A8 AKQ K 10 8 5 A842

West North

East rebid 3NT and I bid 4™, which went two down. If East passed over 2©, I would have bid 2™. Michael Grant by email.

A

A double of a natural 2© opening is for takeout, implying a shortage in diamonds and support for the other suits, especially the majors. East’s shape was some way from being right for the double. As the hand is too weak for a natural 2NT overcall, pass is the correct call. Whether this would have kept you out of trouble is another matter. Your hand is marginal for reopening, though with 5-5 in the majors it is very tempting. I prefer 2´ to 2™. While you might like a heart lead, once you do not pass out 2©, you do not know which side is going to buy the contract. When you have both majors, your side should be in with a fair chance, so you want to maximise the chance of being able to show both suits. Whichever major you bid, it is hard to avoid finishing in either 3NT or 4´, neither of which is going to make.

Page 31

E S

Pass End

2™

East South 1´ Dbl Pass 2´

My wife (South) said I should have bid again. Any comments on the best bidding sequence?  Name and address supplied.

A

Your side’s first three actions all seem fine. When your wife bids 2´, the opposing suit, she is showing significant extra values and often three-card support for your suit. Like most bids of the opposing suit, it is a forcing bid. You should not pass. Since you have a fifth heart, you have a clear rebid, which is 3™. Having bid the full value of her hand, your wife would do best to pass this, tempting though it will be to raise to 4™.

®©™´

Q

What is the origin of the term Barbara, for a hand with no card higher than a 5? Ian Shaw.          

A

Richard Wheen coined the name, choosing it to rhyme with Yarborough.

Ask Julian

Q ´ ™ © ®

continued

The following hand occurred at duplicate pairs:

Void AKQJ97532 53 74 N W

cue bid and not an attempt to play there. With a void in spades and more playing strength than previously advertised, North could cue bid 5´. By going above 5™, North commits the partnership to at least a small slam and so indicates interest in a grand slam. I am not sure South can quite bid 7™ over that, though a further cue bid of 6© might induce North to do so.

E S

´ ™ © ®

832 6 AKQ94 A J 10 5

North usually opened 4™ and South passed. Some gambled and raised to 6™ – effective, but scarcely scientific. Nobody bid the laydown grand slam. The only way I can see that it might be possible would be if North opened a strong 2™, which looks wrong with so few high cards. Alan Mansell by email (similar from Nicholas Beswick).

A

Hands with a solid 9card suit are rare. No bidding system really caters for them. The 4™ opening seems fine. I assume that North-South were vulnerable. South was rather optimistic potting the slam facing a non-vulnerable pre-empt. South could try a cue bid of 5® in response to 4™, which would highlight the lack of a spade control. One would not be rescuing a 4™ opening, so 5® must be a

®©™´

Q

When the opponents play Precision, what range should we use for a 1NT overcall? Name and address supplied.

A

The range for a 1NT overcall is the same whether your opponents are playing Precision or some other system. It is usually 15-17 over a minor (1© when they are playing Precision) and 15-17 or 15-18 over one of a major. When they show a fivecard major, you definitely need a stopper or two in the suit opened. When they open 1©, you might get away without a diamond stopper. Most of the time you will have one, because if you are too weak in the majors to make a takeout double, then you are likely to have some diamonds. If they open a strong 1®, you do not overcall 1NT to show a strong balanced hand. You pass if you happen to hold 15-17 balanced, which will not happen very n often.

CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTS APRIL 2011 6 MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF Bridge drive at Sandon Hall, Sandon, Staffs. Keith Burton ( 01785 714386 8 GIRLGUIDING OXFORDSHIRE Bridge drive at Eynsham Village Hall, OX29 4QP. 10 for 10.30 to 3.30pm. £30 per pair, includes a hot lunch. Bridget Walton ( 01993 702934 [email protected] 10 WESTON PARK CANCER CHARITY – TEENAGE WARD. Charity Swiss Teams. Calver Village Hall. 10.30am for 11am-5pm. £80 per team includes lunch. Judy Barker ( 01629 813100 17 HOSPICARE Exeter Golf & Country Club Charity Swiss Teams. 11am. £12.50 per person includes a salad platter and refreshments. Carol Horgan ( 01392 875513

MAY 2011 6 CHESHIRE HOMES Village Hall, Hartford, Hunts, Cambs. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480  212910 11 AFRICAN MISSIONS Bridge tea at Ladywell Convent, Godalming. 1.30 for 2.00pm. £30 per table. Sister June ( 01483 419393 [email protected] 11 A-CHURCH-IN COMMUNITY Bridge tea at Rotherfield Village Hall. 1.45 for 2pm. Anna Rees ( 01892 853668 11 GERRARDS CROSS MISBOURNE MARTINS ROTARY CLUB Gerrards Cross Memorial Centre. 1.00 for 1.30pm. £32 per table (including tea). Louis Moss ( 01753 887537 12 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLUB. Outlane Golf Club. 12 for 12.30pm. £44 per table including lunch. Brian Noble ( 01484 427536 18 PRINCESS ALICE HOSPICE Putney Leisure Centre 10am. £64 per table inc. lunch. Pam Turner ( 0208 995 2270

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

20 COMMITTEE FOR CHILDRENS’ CHARITIES Doddington Village Hall, March.  10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00. Val Topliss ( 01354  653696 27 FRIENDS OF HINCHINGBROOKE HOSPITAL Venue to be advised. 10.00 for10.30am. Tickets: £14.00. Diane Edwards ( 01480  350567

JUNE 2011 1 MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT DOWNHAM MARKET FESTIVAL “Festival Bridge with afternoon tea”. Downham Market Town Hall. 1.00pm start. Tickets £5.00. Pat Roberts ( 01366 382947 3 SUPPORT FOR PANCREATIC CANCER Village Hall, Hemingford Abbots. 10.00 for10.30am. £14.00. Pat Cole ( 01480  431574 17 ST MARYS’ CHURCH Eaton Socon, St Neots. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.00. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480  212910

JULY 2011 1 HCCA ALCONBURY  CONSERVATIVE BRANCH. Memorial Hall, Alconbury. 10.00 for10.30am. Tickets: £14.00. Paula Stock ( 01480 890938. 17 RUNSWICK BAY RESCUE BOAT Bridge Day, Hinderwell Village Hall. 10–4. Ticket includes lunch. Karen ( 01947 841013

AUGUST 2011 5 LITTLE GRANSDEN CHURCH TOWER APPEAL. Village Hall, Little Gransden.  10.00 for 10.30am. Tickets: £13.50. Margaret Hipwell ( 01767 677259 Barbara Horne( 01767  677895

SEPTEMBER 2011 7 GYDA (Gulu Youth Development Association, Northern Uganda) Corn Exchange, Faringdon. £15. Steve Braithwaite ( 01367 240929 16 ST MARYS’ CHURCH Eaton Socon, St Neots. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.00. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480  212910

E-mail your charity events: [email protected]

Page 32

READERS’ LETTERS TRIBUTE We six ladies were all taught to play bridge three years ago by octogenarian Doreen Hall. She introduced us to your magazine. She buys all the books and CDs, studies them and then prepares hands to help us learn. She is our inspiration and has more patience than anyone I know. Carol, Margaret, Joy Pamela, Carole and Joyce. Carshalton, Surrey.

BRIDGE WEEKLY Thank you for sending these weekly tips. They have been really useful. Mr R Newby by email.

CAN’T ALWAYS PLEASE What a sad life a few of the readership live. Being the editor of a local heritage magazine, I am well aware of how difficult it is at times to produce well balanced and interesting copy. Mr or Mrs ‘unsigned’, with a score 101 have an enviable lot of time to waste and I am glad that Mrs Twinberrow of Dartmouth, when throwing BRIDGE 104 ‘straight into the waste bag’, had the grace to see that it was recycled. Mr B Gibson, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex.

WELCOME BACK After years of living in the United States and of playing bridge there, I have returned to the land of the weak notrump opening bid. It may be heresy to write this, but I have come to prefer the strong no-

trump opening bid with a range of 14 to 17 high card points. I know of the argument that the no-trump serves to obstruct the opponents’ bidding, but it is easier to bid over the weak no-trump than over the strong one, which I prefer. Trouble may arise when partner is very weak, and also when he or she has a sound opening bid; the effect of the weak opening bid is to lose a round of bidding, perhaps with adverse consequences. My discomfort also applies to the pre-emptive opening two of a suit. It is not very effective in preventing the opponents from bidding and severely gets in the way when partner has a sound hand with which he would have opened; again, that bid has taken up valuable space. I wonder if I have any supporters for my views. William Caplan by email.

SOMEWHAT UPSET I have taken umbrage against the sad loser with nothing better to do than write anonymous letters. My only quibble with BRIDGE is that I pick it up for a quick glance, then half an hour later, I am still hooked on the bridge hand that caught my eye. Get yourself a life, sunshine. Learn how to spell your own name. Then bin yourself with your superiority complex in Room 101 where you can read ‘Transactions of the Miserable Old Codgers

Society’ in splendid isolation. Please publish this unless someone else has been even more forthright. Stella Burnett by email.

NEW LIBRARY I am in the process of developing a modest library of bridge books and if there are readers who wish to offload unwanted books on the subject of bridge please get in touch with me. From a financial viewpoint I am very willing to either pay for books not already in the collection, or to make a donation to a local hospice. Mr Gibson. ( 01255 673105.

NEW BEACH Just a short note to say how we enjoyed our stay at The Ardington Hotel, Worthing. We enjoyed the bridge, as we have always done in the past, but we especially enjoyed the food and the service. It was marvellous. Peggy De Souza by email.

but the cellar held up, and next day rescue workers cleared enough rubble away so that we could climb the steps and get out. In 1943 the Germans had found ways around our radar, and no warning was given. We were just sleeping peacefully in our beds. The noise of the bombs was all round us (either cluster bombs or more than one plane) and the ground shook so much our house changed shape but stayed up long enough for us to get out. We were fortunate. The four neighbours below us and the nine above were all crushed under their collapsing dwellings. Please send four ‘We are Survivors’ tea towels, which I believe you will send for a modest £21 to me in Wadebridge in a trice. Incidentally, the inhabitants of Wadebridge are called ‘Bridgers’ in the same way as people from Devizes are called ‘Moonrakers’. Mr John Stevenson, Wadebridge.

TRUE SURVIVORS In 1942 we went to see an elderly relative, and on our return we found a heap of bricks where our house had stood. The house we moved to had two large cellars strongly built with vaulted arches, very similar to those used by wine producers who like to store their vintage in a constant temperature. This time the sirens gave us warning of the raid, and we took refuge down there. The bomb flattened the house,

LOSING TRICK COUNT Several less experienced, but nevertheless keen, bridge friends are anxious to learn how to count losers. Could you cover this aspect of the game in a future issue? In addition, would it be possible to write an article dealing with misfits. How does one evaluate a hand when holding a void or singleton in partner’s bid suit? Margaret Bleakley by email.

REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE

Page 33

Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value, all mint with full gum. Quotations for commercial quantities available on request. Values supplied in 100s, higher values available as well as 1st and 2nd class (eg 1st class: 100x37p+100x5p)

(/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: [email protected]

READERS’ LETTERS continued SINGLETON ROVER Not only did I enjoy reading the unidentified writer’s penned moments, see BRIDGE 105, pages 13 and 14, but I have now added Bernard Magee’s web-page to my bookmarks for the added enjoyment of further reading since taking on board his explanation of negative doubles. I have often used the ‘double’ but only for penalties or to show an opening hand. More of these please to introduce the reader to the many ‘terms’ that are all too unclear to the eager-to-learn novice. I shall be discussing this very topic with my partner this evening. Mr A Rogers, Balmoral Bridge Club, Essex.

QPLUS FEATURE I have recently tried out the interesting hands you mentioned in BRIDGE 105. I, too, found them intriguing, especially the first one (872404). I think it would make an excellent regular feature in future issues. It might even persuade more people to buy the QPlus software. Mrs M Poole, Chippenham.

INNOVATION I have been meaning to write to you ever since BRIDGE 104 came out, to compliment you on the super presentation of the quiz, with the questions on one side of the page and the answers on the reverse. I found it most helpful, but unfortunately it has reverted to the old method. I trust you will take on board both compliment and criticism for the future.

a valuable input. Thank you. Keep them rolling... Karin Robinshaw by email.

Letters in same vein have been received from; Mr K Ansell, Winchester. Mrs S Ashford, Watford. Mrs M Dryburgh, Calne. Dr K Lancer, Shenley. Mrs White, Farnham Royal. Miss V Cleaver, Llowes. Mr E Angus, Brentwood. And at least 80 more and still coming in. Thank you.

WHAT IS YOUR BID? Here is a bidding problem included in a local quiz. Indeed, you may have been asked your opinion already. At love all, your right hand opponent deals and opens the bidding with 1 spade – what do you say holding the following hand?

I enjoyed reading issue 105 as usual. I noticed that there was an abbreviated numerical quiz which in the main part proved to be too difficult for me, but question 4 was very appropriate. 50 YM = GWA By an amazing chance I looked at this on 14 January which was our own Golden Wedding Anniversary. Neither myself nor my wife had worked out the answer before looking it up.

♠ ™ © ®

I certainly have, see future issues of BRIDGE.

Q5 K3 Q6532 AKQJ

BORING Glad you have stopped silly stories. Now you can do the same to ‘Catching Up’.

Mr A. Solomon, Wimbledon. London SW19.

Mr Campbell, West Kilbride, Scotland.

What is your best lie? I will tell you Bernard’s next time.

NEW SUBJECTS

GOOD CAUSE

Mr Brian Berlanny, Portsmouth, Hants.

Many thanks for all the bidding in BRIDGE 104 – great tuition. I like the lead quiz too. Sometime could you explain the support scale for a void, a singleton and a doubleton?

STILL UNCLAIMED

Mrs V. Le Couteur Rowell, St. Clement, Jersey.

A friend of mine has recently been working in Ethiopia, where he was a frequent visitor to the Little Voice Orphanage in Addis Ababa. He helped by giving English lessons to keen inmates. He is full of praise for those running the orphanage and

How sad that ‘sadly unsigned’ felt the need to be so negative, see readers’ letters, BRIDGE 105, p34, in expressing his/her views. I must add my voice to those who found BRIDGE 104 to be outstandingly good and exceptionally instructive. Mrs C Nixon, Chipping Campden, Glos.

Shirley Lake by email.

CANADIAN HELP Thank you for your support of Little Voice through the ‘Save Stamps – Change Lives’ initiative. Assuming this is an on-going programme, I enclose my second batch of stamps. I am a friend of Jenna Hoyt, who I met when we worked together at a charity in Toronto in 2007, and immediately fell in love with what she was doing with Little Voice, so I am happy to help however I can. I’d love to hear how the programme is going. Lance Morrison, Toronto, Canada.

Mrs E Hill by email.

CONGRATULATIONS

assures me it is a most worthwhile cause. I hope that those saving stamps will continue with this much needed support.

MORE VOICE Herewith a further cheque for Little Voice. The response from your readers has been significantly better of late well done. Stanley Gibbons will be auctioning a couple of items later in the year. Several readers have said they intend to put a box in their village hall or community centre to initiate ‘central’ collection points. Mr Colin Bamberger, 179 High Road, Trimley St Mary, Suffolk. IP11 0TN.

Send your used postage stamps and childhood collections to Colin at the ■ above address.

ENCOURAGEMENT I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated and enjoyed the new layout of Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quizzes, and all 21 of them so clearly explained on the succeeding page. Bidding is such an important part of the partnership conversation and

Write to Mr Bridge at: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH or e-mail [email protected] E-mail correspondents are asked to include their name, full postal address, telephone number and to send no attachments. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Page 34

THE FOLLOWING ARE AMONG THOSE WHO SENT IN USED STAMPS Mr L Morrison, Toronto. Mr M Coulon, Bury St. Edmunds. Mrs E. Main, Galashields. Mr D Abraham, Nottingham. Mr R Ferguson, New Milton. Mrs A Rideal, SE19. Mrs B Goodacre, Scunthorpe. Mrs C Leeds. Mrs C Archer, Essex. Mrs C Keith, Bath. Mr & Mrs P Wallis, Sutton Coldfield. Dr & Mrs C Mellor, Gosport. Mrs B Parsons, Essex. Mr & Mrs D Hardy, Ponteland. Mrs R Hawes, Marlborough. Mrs S Griffiths, East Barnet. Mrs M Woodside, Bridge of Weir. Mr & Mrs E Duckworth, Saxmundham. Mrs J Shaw, Kent. Mrs Keenan, Kilmarnock. Mrs Burkett, Prenton. Mrs M Dudlyke, Berkhamsted. Mrs D Bannock, Kent. Mrs J Kramer, Tillington. Mrs P Westrip, Richmond. Mrs I Ash, Norwich. Mr W Plumridge, Nottingham. Mrs J Kemsley, Reading. Mrs Freeman, Shrewsbury. Mrs N McGibbon, Glasgow. Ms L Taylor, Norwich. Mrs Murphy, Newtonle-Willows. Mrs M Westell, York. Mr C Moore, Blackwell. Mrs H Bunker, Chelmsford. Mr & Mrs P Marsh, Kent. Mr & Mrs D Baugh, Huntingdon. Mrs Luckham, Cranleigh. Mrs G Gibbons, Dorset. Mrs J Greener, Bradford on Avon. Mrs P Bradley, Newcastle. Mrs Trapp, Hungerford. Mrs S Fallaw, Alnwick. Mr & Mrs J Richardson, Norfolk. Mrs J Breeze, Wolverhampton. Mrs D Greenwood, Colne. Mr G Slater, Hope Valley. Mrs I Heskett, Tunbridge Wells. Mrs J Clements-Jewery, Cardross. Mr P Shah, Harrow. Mrs E King, Eastbourne. Mrs J Hollingworth, Ripon. Mr & Mrs K Cornelius, Dorset. Mrs M Henwood, Cornwall. Mrs A Wood, Romsey. Mrs M Hill, Betchworth. Mrs A Bates, Oakley. Mr D Guha, Chesterfield. Mr J Hoole, Hope Valley. Mrs Ramsden, Sedbergh. Mrs G Clarkson, Liverpool. Mrs C Marquina, Radcliffe-on-Trent. Mrs E Staples, Tadworth. Mr A Josephs, Bingley. Mr & Mrs C Starkey, Highcliffe-on-Sea. Mrs M Turner, Bridlington. Mrs J Haley, Burnham. Mrs A Howard, Bristol. Mrs P Long, Bournemouth. Mr M Griffiths, Milton Keynes. Mrs M Dean-Spencer, Exmouth. Mrs Griffith, Bridport. Mrs B Aleavey, Newcastle. Mr R Bond, SE7. Miss J Horgan, Bournemouth. Mr S Bridger, Slough. Mrs V Douglas, W6. Miss E Nicholson, Exmouth. Mrs J Allen, Oxford. Mrs M Murray, Glasgow. Mr & Mrs G McRobbie, Preston. Mr I Batey, Eastbourne. Mrs N Robertson, Crowthorne. Mr & Mrs B Smithers, Carmarthen. Mrs L Adds, Woking. Mrs Y Lewis, Belbroughton. Mrs P Crowe, Cheltenham. Mrs J Anderson, Rudgwick. Mr B Dumont, Surbiton. Mr P Cobham, Weybridge. Mrs Adamson, Prenton. Mrs J Totman, Cuffley. Mr G Hay, Turriff. Mrs B Horkan, Purley. Mrs Herron, Bury St Edmunds. Mrs E Carter, Leatherhead. Mrs E Casey, Richmond. Mrs E Dening, Yeovil. Mrs A Chaumeton, Highgate. Mr D Foster, Glasgow. Mrs E Hunter, Walton-on-Thames. Mr C McKerrow, SW19. Mr J Levy, Solihull. Mrs J Curtis, Burton-on-Trent. Dr A Biswas, Nottingham. Mrs R Sellors, Norwich. Mrs A Cottam, Fernhurst. Mr & Mrs T Roger, Chinley. Mrs N Lawmon, Cardiff. Mrs B Olyne, Bushey. Mrs I Duncan, Dundee. Mrs Measure, Wimborne. Mrs K Barry, Hove. Ms H Darby, Wolverhampton. Mrs P Hughes, Westerham. Mrs H Bunker, Chelmsford. Mrs B Sleath, Swansea. Mrs Brotherton, Virginia Water. Mr & Mrs Martin, SE22.

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS I understand approx 50% of what you write – and that 50% is very useful.  Martyn Lewis, Newport.

Consistent learning curve with bridge – Mr Bridge always a good source. Mrs M Pemberton, Maldon.

Please explain the advantages, if any, of Chicago over rubber bridge. Mrs Callway, London, NW7.

Could you have longer bridge breaks? Mrs M Miners, Glasgow.

I prefer BRIDGE to my glossy women’s mags. Mrs D Rodwell, Totnes.

What do you bid as S? N opens 1NT (12-14), you have 11pts 4441 (singleton diamond). Do you use stayman or what? Mr R Wholey, Guildford.

Love your holidays. Trying St Anne’s on Sea next. Mrs S Dickinson, Llanelli.

Monday to Thursday bridge breaks instead of weekends. Mrs S Dunstan, Edgware.

Bernard Magee’s book ‘Tips for Better Bridge’. The title says it all. Mrs S Hunt, Seaton, Devon.

We need to find ways of getting the younger people to start playing. Mr G Putman, Gt Yarmouth. Lots of people ask this but why do we need the young?

See the next issue.

Useful Bridge Weekly tips. Mrs Dalziel, Bexhill on Sea. So pleased to read the report about Betty Ellson. Mrs E Poole, Chippenham.

Please give a closing date for your competitions. Mr E Noble, Bognor Regis.

Please can you recommend a book to give us samples of games to play to practise eg. transfers, blackwood, etc. Valerie Warren, Brighton.

Have you considered setting up an online bridge club? Mrs M Taylor, Stockport. Yes. Thank you for the A-Z of Bridge. I just hope Julian Pottage stays the course.

Try Amazon for the Bridge Plus Practice Series. Would it be possible to publish your books with spiral binding please? Mrs C Short, North Harrow. No.

Mr Roberts, Thornton-Cleveleys. Good to see Sally back. Miss H Morley, Grimsby.

Thank you for devoting BRIDGE 104 to bidding quizzes. Perhaps this could happen at least once each year. Mr James Wells, Ruislip. Can we re-register by email? Mrs P Davey, Croydon. Yes. Can you please point me to the best way of arranging a game when there are 5 of us – there must be many ways but do you know the best? Ian Shaw by email. Ideas please.

No complaints. Mrs P Thompson, Bracknell. More bidding quizzes. Miss M Neeson, Brookfield. Letters section best. Mr N Aspinall, Walton. Hoping for bridge weekends in the North-East. Mrs V Pearson, Blyth. Seminars in the South-West would be good. Mrs M Smith, Honiton Clyst. More bidding quizzes please. Mrs M Chrisp, Cupar, Fife. ■

Send me your Questions and Suggestions by email or snail mail.

Page 35

Better Hand Evaluation Bernard Magee Introduction Better Hand Evaluation is aimed at helping readers to add greater accuracy to their bidding. It deals with auctions in which you and your partner, against silent opponents, can describe your hands fully to each other and, by evaluating them accurately, find the best final contract. The emphasis of all good, accurate bidding is on hand evaluation. There are two general types of auction: a) a fit is found and b) no fit is found. When you do not have a fit, you are aiming to describe the strength of your hand as soon as possible, most often using no-trump bids. This book begins by discussing balanced hand bidding in Acol, as it is very important that both members of a partnership have an accurate knowledge of how to show hands of different strengths. When a fit is found, there is much re-evaluation of the hand to be done; point count, though still important, needs to be evaluated together with distribution. The best way of reaching an accurate assessment is to use the Losing Trick Count; this is an important method of hand evaluation and takes up a number of chapters. Finally, we move on to different forms of evaluation including game tries and splinter bids. You can never know enough methods of hand evaluation; the more you learn, the better you get at judging your hand. Although the Losing Trick Count is used more easily in tandem with your partner, a large proportion of the ideas in this book can be used by an individual. For example, evaluating your hand to be worth an extra point is going to help anyone you partner – as long as you get it right.

£14

including postage

See Mail Order Form on page 7

BERNARD MAGEE’S INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS ACOL BIDDING l

Opening Bids and Responses

MORE (ADVANCED) ACOL BIDDING

DECLARER PLAY l

ADVANCED DECLARER PLAY

Suit Establishment in No-trumps

l

Suit Establishment in Suits

Making Overtricks in No-trumps

l

Making Overtricks in Suit Contracts

l

Basics

Slams and Strong Openings

l

Advanced Basics

l

Hold-ups

l

Support for Partner

l

Weak Twos

l

l

Endplays

l

Pre-empting

l

Strong Hands

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No-trump Openings and Responses

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Defence to 1NT

Entries in Notrumps

l

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Simple Squeezes

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l

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£66

Opener’s and Responder’s Rebids

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Minors and Misfits

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£76

£81

£96

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Delaying Drawing Trumps

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l

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DEFENCE

£76

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Lead vs No-trump Contracts

l

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l

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l

Discarding

l

Partner of Leader vs No-trump Contracts

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Sharpen your defence in the course of 20 introductory exercises and 120 complete deals

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Answers to Julian Pottage’s Defence Quiz on page 14 West ♠ ™ © ®

1.

♠ ™ © ®

Q8753 KQ A 10 AQJ2

Pass Pass End

K9 ♠ N J965432 ™ W E 65 © S 87 ® ♠ A J 10 6 4 2 ™ A7 © J3 ® K 10 5

West

North

Pass Pass

4NT 6♠

Void 10 8 KQ98742 9643

East 3© Pass End

South 3♠ 5™

You lead the ©6. Dummy wins with the ©A and partner encourages with the ©9. After leading a trump to the ace and finding East void, declarer plays on clubs, cashing the ®K, crossing to the ®Q and leading the ®A. What do you do? Your instincts may well tell you to ruff the third round of clubs and continue diamonds. If so, they are good. Although your king of spades is a sure winner whether you play it now or later, it is vital to gain the lead. This is because you want to stop declarer from playing a fourth round of clubs and discarding a diamond. Ruffing in to interrupt the run of dummy’s suit is often a good idea.

♠ ™ © ®

2.

♠ ™ © ®

Q 10 2 974 10 6 J 10 8 6 2

A983 AKJ8 J9 A94 N W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

KJ765 52 AK5 K73

♠ ™ © ®

4 Q 10 6 3 Q87432 Q5

North 1™ 3♠ 5♠

East Pass Pass Pass

South 1♠ 4NT 6♠

You lead the jack of clubs: four, five, king. Declarer leads a trump to the ace (all follow), and plays one back to the king, East throwing a diamond. After this, South leads ace, king and a low diamond. What do you do? Again, you have a natural trump winner and the chance to play it on the current trick. This time, it would not be a good idea to play it. South’s diamond is a loser. If you were to ruff, you would in effect be ruffing your partner’s winner. What would happen is that dummy’s club loser goes on the diamond and all you make is your trump trick. You need to bide your time, discarding a low club (or heart). At some point, declarer will try the heart finesse attempting to generate a twelfth trick, but will be out of luck.

♠ ™ © ®

3.

♠ ™ © ®

K72 J4 J9654 873

8653 K7 K 10 8 2 10 9 4

W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

9 AQ9862 Q7 QJ62

North

East

Pass End

2♠

3™

South 1♠ 4♠

You lead the jack of hearts, covered by the king and ace. Partner cashes the queen and continues with the two, which South covers with the ten. What do you do now?

Page 37

While you could win the trick by ruffing with the king, patience is a virtue once more. If you ruff high, dummy throws a club, just as if you did not ruff at all. You should ruff low – your king will still make later. This way you make a trump trick and your partner makes a club trick too.

♠ ™ © ®

4.

♠ ™ © ®

72 10 8 3 2 65 J8763

AK53 AQJ6 10 7 942 ♠ ™ © ®

N E

W S

♠ ™ © ®

Q986 75 Q83 AKQ5

North

Pass 2®2 Pass 4♠ 1 12-14 2Stayman

J 10 4 K94 AKJ942 10

East 2© End

South 1NT1 2♠

You lead the six of diamonds. Partner wins with the king, cashes the ace and continues with the jack. What do you do when South covers with the queen?

A Q J 10 4 10 5 3 A3 AK5

West

Since South is set to win the trick if you discard, ruffing looks right. Indeed, it could be costly to allow dummy to throw a club and later ruff a club.

West ♠ ™ © ®

N

You have two decisions to make this time: (a) whether to ruff and (b) how high to ruff.

Since the ©Q is a winner, it seems right to ruff. You do not want to let declarer throw a club from dummy and maybe ruff a club later. The general rule is that, if you are ruffing then you should ruff as high as you can afford. If you ruff with the seven rather than the two, dummy will have to play an honour to overruff. Then, if partner has J-10-x of trumps (or J-x-x and declarer misguess■ es), this will promote a trump trick.

Answers to David Huggett’s Play Quiz on page 11 ♠ ™ © ®

1.

♠ ™ © ®

93 J5 J 10 9 7 2 8752

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ®Q. How do you plan the play?

J8 AK873 AQ8 AQJ

♠ 7 ™ Q964 W E © K543 S ® K643 ♠ A K Q 10 6 5 4 2 ™ 10 2 © 6 ® 10 9 N

You are declarer in 7♠ and West leads the ©J. How do you plan the play? It was easy to bid the grand slam but even so there are only twelve tricks on top. The thirteenth could come from a successful club finesse – or even diamond finesse should you try it, although you should reject that after the opening lead. A better bet altogether is to try to establish a long heart in dummy. You can afford to take one round of trumps with the ace and then play the two top hearts, ruffing a third high. If the hearts were 3-3 to begin with, the suit will be good now. As it happens, West shows out on the third round. Never mind, enter dummy with the ♠J and ruff another heart. The remaining heart in dummy is your thirteenth trick and you can get to it via the ®A. If the trumps had broken 3-0, that would not be a problem as you could have ruffed the fourth round of hearts high.

♠ ™ © ®

2.

♠ ™ © ®

J4 AQ943 J9 Q J 10 6

K83 J8 Q8532 K87 N W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

AQ76 10 7 5 A K 10 7 A3

You have done well not to be in 3NT but have missed the safest spot of the diamond game. You can do nothing about that now, so you have to concentrate on the best way of bringing home the spade game. It looks simple because, if diamonds behave reasonably, you seem to have ten easy tricks via three spades, five diamonds and two clubs. There is a snag however; suppose you play three rounds of trumps and they do not break 3-3, if you abandon that suit now and play on diamonds, the defender with the long trump will ruff and now his side will take three heart tricks. The solution to this problem is easy once you see it. Simply duck a round of trumps early on. Now dummy will take care of a heart force, and when you regain the lead, you can draw the remaining trumps. While it is true that you will have lost an unnecessary trick if trumps were 3-3, you have gained against the more common 4-2 break.

♠ ™ © ®

3.

♠ ™ © ®

Q 10 6 4 Q 10 5 4 J92 10 9

832 K92 10 7 AK732 N W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

♠ ™ © ®

J95 J8 Q854 QJ85

AK7 A763 AK63 64

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♠4. How do you plan the play? ♠ ™ © ®

10 9 5 2 K62 64 9542

You can see from the lead that West can hold only four spades at most because dummy has both the three and the two. With eight tricks on top, it looks as though the ninth will come from either a 3-3 break in hearts or clubs. In fact, you can do better than that because you should be able to make at least three club tricks as long as the suit is no worse Page 38

than 4-2. However, you have to be a little careful. Suppose you win the opening lead and play three rounds of clubs, finding out that one of the opposition started with four in that suit. While it is true that you can win the return and enter dummy with the ™K to play another club, setting up a winner in the process, you will find yourself unable to get to dummy to make it! So give up the first club rather than the third. Win the return and play clubs from the top, setting up a long club as the ninth trick. You will still have an entry to dummy to enjoy it.

♠ ™ © ®

4.

♠ ™ © ®

Q862 3 AQ76 J 10 9 3

AJ3 975 J 10 8 2 A86 N E

W S

♠ ™ © ®

♠ ™ © ®

K95 10 8 6 54 KQ752

10 7 4 AKQJ42 K93 4

You are declarer in 4™ and West leads the ®J. How do you plan the play? You have eight tricks immediately available and at first glance it looks as though you might require a favourable position of the ©Q. Since entries to dummy are scarce, suppose you win the opening lead and take a losing diamond finesse. You will go down whenever the opponents find a ruff of the third round. (As is the case.) Fortunately, a closer look at the diamond pips shows that you always have two tricks in that suit by force, so draw trumps and play the ©K. If West wins and plays a spade, just duck, for although East can win, he cannot play another without giving you a second spade trick. He will probably return a club, which you ruff in hand. You then play another diamond to force out the queen and still have the ace of spades in ■ dummy as an entry.

2011 Tutorial Bridge Breaks MAY continued

OCTOBER continued

13-15

Staverton Park

14-16

The Olde Barn

£199

Suit Establishment

£199

Sacrificing

Sandy Bell

Gary Conrad

This is the format for tutorial events.

FRIDAY 1500 Welcome Desk open Afternoon Tea 1745 to 1830 Welcome drinks reception 1830 to 2000 DINNER 2015 BRIDGE 1 DUPLICATE PAIRS

20-22 The Beach Hotel £215

PROGRAMME

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Ardington Hotel Worthing BN11 3DZ

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JUNE

APRIL 15-17

SATURDAY

Ardington Hotel

3-5

The Beach Hotel

Hand Evaluation

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Endplay The Beach Hotel Worthing BN11 3QJ

& Avoidance

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MAY

28-30 Staverton Park

6-8

The Beach Hotel

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Signals & Discards

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The Olde Barn

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Splinters

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& Cue Bids

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Ray Hutchinson 13-15

Ardington Hotel

£215

Better Defence Alison Nicolson

Staverton Park Nr Daventry NN11 6JT

Staverton Park

£199

Improvers

10-12

The Olde Barn

Stayman & Transfers

£199

Hand Evaluation

Stan Powell

Ray Hutchinson

25-27 The Ardington

17-19

The Beach Hotel

£215

Sacrificing

Take-out Doubles

Alex Davoud

Crombie McNeil

OCTOBER The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

18-20

£215

Improvers

DECEMBER

14-16

The Ardington

2-4

The Ardington

£215

Losing Trick Count

£215

Game Tries

Sandy Bell

Ned Paul

See booking form on page 14. Page 39

1000 to 1230 SEMINAR & SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS (tea & coffee at 1100) 1230 to 1330 COLD BUFFET LUNCH 1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 2 DUPLICATE PAIRS 1815 to 2000 DINNER 2015 BRIDGE 3 DUPLICATE PAIRS

SUNDAY 0800 to 0930 BREAKFAST 1000 to 1230 SEMINAR & SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS (tea & coffee at 1100) 1230 to 1400 CARVERY LUNCH 1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 4 DUPLICATE PAIRS

Answers to Andrew Kambites’ Lead Quiz on page 6 West ♠ ™ © ®

1.

♠ ™ © ®

J952 64 A96 10 9 6 5

10 3 A 10 9 2 10 5 KQ732 N W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

♠ ™ © ®

A4 753 QJ8432 A4

KQ876 KQJ8 K7 J8

West

North

East

Pass Pass End

2® 3™

Pass Pass

South 1♠ 2™ 4™

With three suits bid, you should consider leading the unbid suit. Underleading the ©A is wrong: it is rarely right to underlead a side suit ace at trick one against a suit contract. Should you lead the ©A? You can construct hands where you must cash your ©A before your diamond tricks run away. However, the role of aces is to take your opponents’ kings and queens: if you start with the ©A, it will claim only small cards. Your partner will need to have some quick winners if you are to beat 4™, so I would advise a passive trump lead, the ™4. If you cash the ©A, declarer makes ten tricks. If you lead passively, partner will get to fire a diamond through declarer’s ©K.

♠ ™ © ®

2.

♠ ™ © ®

J75 J974 A9632 9

AKQ43 10 10 5 4 KJ84 N W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

2 KQ865 J7 A Q 10 7 6

10 9 8 6 A32 KQ8 532

East

Pass 1♠ Pass 2©* Pass 4® End *fourth suit forcing

South 1™ 2® 3® 5®

Pass Pass Pass

You have the same decision as you had on hand 1: do you cash the ©A or not? There are two important differences this time. South has shown at least five hearts and five clubs. He has at most three cards outside, so there is a danger of his diamonds being discarded on dummy’s spades. Listen to the bidding. If North had a diamond stopper, he might have bid notrumps on the second round. Equally, South’s failure to bid no-trumps when North bid 2© as fourth suit forcing may suggest that South has no diamond stopper. This implies your partner is likely to have the ©K. Leading the ©A is very necessary before declarer can discard his losing diamonds on dummy’s spades.

♠ ™ © ®

3.

♠ ™ © ®

A42 6532 876 954

Pass

for partner that you have this card; however, there is a high cost. If you lead the ♠A, declarer has two spade stoppers: the king and jack. The correct lead is the ♠2, the same card (bottom from three-to-an-honour) that you would choose if you felt the need to lead it against no-trumps without partner’s overcall. Declarer wins trick one and partner gets in with the ace of diamonds at trick two. Persevering with spades leads to two off. It is rarely right to underlead a side suit ace at trick one against a suit contract. That does not apply when on lead to notrump contracts.

♠ ™ © ®

4.

♠ ™ © ®

A42 542 943 10 9 5 3

W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

Q 10 9 8 7 A97 A 10 7 3 2

KJ5 J 10 8 Q532 J86

North 1© 3NT

East 1♠ End

South 1NT

You will need spade tricks to beat 3NT. Which spade should you lead? There is a widespread view among club players that it is right to lead the top card in partner’s suit, in this case the ♠A. That does have the advantage of clearing up Page 40

West Pass End

653 K J 10 9 AQ876 K N W

E S

♠ ™ © ®

63 KQ4 K J 10 9 4 AKQ N

♠ ™ © ®

West ♠ ™ © ®

North

♠ ™ © ®

Q J 10 9 7 3 K52 A876

K8 AQ876 J 10 QJ42

North 1© 3™

East 1♠ Pass

South 2™ 4™

You are certainly not going to underlead your ♠A against a suit contract, so your choice is between cashing your unsupported ace and making a passive lead. As in hand 1, you will need partner to get in early if you are going to beat 4™ – and if declarer has the ♠K, it will be best for partner to lead the suit. I would lead a trump: the ™2. Leading the ♠A certainly is not a gross error, but it lets the contract make on the layout shown. If partner asks himself why you have not led his suit, he should put you with the ■ ace.

Bernard Magee

Christmas & New Year 2011

at Haslemere Hall Haslemere, Surrey

17 – 19 May 2011 Tuesday 17 May Morning Session: 11.00 – 12.30 Ruffing for extra tricks Afternoon Session: 15.30 – 17.00 Competitive auctions

Denham Grove

Wednesday 18 May

Near Uxbridge, UB9 5DU

Morning Session: 11.00 – 12.30 Making the most of your high cards in play and defence

24-27 December £355 Just Bridge & Any Questions Jo Walch

Afternoon Session: 15.30 – 17.00 Finding and bidding slams

27-29 December £199 Suit Establishment Alex Davoud

Thursday 19 May

29 Dec – 1 Jan £355 Develop at Duplicate Pairs Crombie McNeil

Morning Session: 11.00 – 12.30 Play and defence of 1NT Afternoon Session: 15.30 – 17.00 Doubling and defence against doubled contracts

1-3 Jan 2012 £199 Sacrificing – Crombie McNeil

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Please note that all sessions will be filmed.

Page 41

Bidding 4-4-4-1 Hands with Elena Jeronimidis

T

ext-books on basic bidding are usually divided into two sections: ‘bidding balanced hands’ and ‘bidding unbalanced hands’. Each of these sections describes how to handle common hand-types in fairly simple steps. A balanced hand is usually defined as one of the following shapes: 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2, or 5-3-3-2. There are really only two ways to bid such hands. The first is to open with a no-trump bid (depending on the strength of the hand and your agreed opening notrump ranges). If you are playing a weak no-trump, then hands in the 12-14 range are opened 1NT, and you start with 2NT holding 20-22 HCP. The second, with hands outside these two ranges, you can open with a suit bid (either a natural opening, a prepared minor-suit opening, or an artificial bid such as 2® if your hand is very strong). At your second turn, you rebid no-trumps to show your point count. Unbalanced hands are trickier, although there are general principles that you can apply. For example, with a single-suited hand (that is, a hand with a six-card, or longer, suit and no other four-card suit), you open your long suit and then rebid it at your next opportunity. With two-suited hands (5-4 or 6-4) you open your longest suit and then, in most cases, rebid your second suit. With a 5-5 hand, you again bid both of your suits, and there are rules to tell you which of the two suits you start with. In modern Acol, opening one suit and then rebidding another shows at least five cards in the first suit. You do not, therefore, need to repeat it since partner will know you have five cards there when you bid a second suit. There lies the crux of the problem that this article attempts to address: into which category do 4-4-4-1 hands fall? The answer is, rather unhelpfully, both and neither. Books tend to ignore

these awkward and yet not uncommon hands; the reason for this is that they are a law unto themselves. For a start, it is often unclear which of your three suits to open. Even having overcome that first hurdle, your troubles are not over, as you will then have to find a rebid if partner has inconveniently, but not unexpectedly, bid your singleton. Again, which suit do you show next? How can you stop partner from thinking you have five cards in your first suit? If your partnership’s fit is in what becomes the fourth suit, how can you find it? Let’s start right at the beginning.

Which suit should I open? There are several theories about which suit you should open, but the rule for bidding three-suited hands that many of us learned in our bridge cradles (‘Open the suit below the singleton’) no longer enjoys much support amongst experts. A good general rule, and one that is both easy to apply and has the fewest exceptions, is to open your lowest-ranking suit (except in a small number of exceptional cases). Thus, as a basic platform, we will say that you should open 1® when holding a singleton other than clubs, and 1© when your singleton is in clubs. The reason for opening your lowest suit is not hard to see. When you have a balanced hand, you can describe it accurately by bidding no-trumps early showing your strength at the same time. With a one- or two-suited hand, you can usually describe your suit(s) length(s) and strength in two or three bids. With a three-suited kind, you may have to hunt a long way before finding a fit (or before discovering that you do not have one). In order to do this and to show your strength, too, you need as much room as possible. It is important that your best trump suit

Page 42

does not get lost because you are not strong enough to bid it. By opening your lowest suit, you leave room for partner to respond in all of the other suits for which you have a fit. The stronger your hand, the more important it is to leave partner room to respond – a point to which we will return later on. There are two situations in which you will have to break the ‘Open Your Lowest Suit’ rule. The first depends on which strength no-trump opening you employ. Here, we will assume that you are playing a weak no-trump, although doing so actually makes some 4-4-4-1 hands slightly more difficult to bid. The other is when your hand is too strong for a one-level opening bid. It is worth mentioning here that you do not have to treat your hand as three-suited just because you are 4-44-1. For example:

♠ ™ © ®

AKJ4 KQJ4 A 9643

It would be bizarre to open with 1®. Pretend one of your low clubs is a diamond and treat this as a balanced hand. Open 1™, intending to rebid in no-trumps unless partner raises hearts or responds in spades. Even opening 1♠ and rebidding hearts, thus showing 5-4 in the majors, would be better than opening 1®. From now on we will assume that you have a ‘real’ threesuited hand. Let’s take a look at those minimum 4-4-4-1 hands since, when playing a weak no-trump, you may have to ignore the ‘Open the Lowest Suit’ rule. The reason for this is that you will not have the option of rebidding in notrumps because you are too weak.

Bidding 4-4-4-1 Hands

continued

Opening minimum 4-4-4-1 hands First, let me say that you should not stretch to open 4-4-4-1 hands. Three-suited hands tend to play poorly unless a very good fit or, preferably, a double fit is present. As a rule of thumb, do not open 4-44-1 hands with only 11 points. With 12 HCP, do not open if any of those points are in the singleton. You might also consider passing a 12-count if the suit you plan on opening is very weak. Remember that if you pass and the opponents open

in your short suit, you will have the perfect shape for a take-out double.

♠ ™ © ®

AQ74 KQ63 J 9753

Opening 1™ intending to treat the hand as balanced will not work. If partner responds 2©, as is most likely, you will have no rebid. Opening with 1♠, intending to show hearts next, is all too likely to result in too many ‘Moysian’ (4-3) fits at the game level on sub-minimum values; after 1♠-2©-2™ partner will bid 4♠ with three-card support and a 12-13 count far too often. All you will need is a bad trump break to lose an 1100 penalty. Opening 1® has no real advantage. Pass and hope either that partner opens, or that the bidding proceeds in one of the following ways: You Pass ?

LHO Pass

Partner Pass

RHO 1©

You Pass ?

LHO 1©

Partner Pass

RHO 2©/1NT

In either of these auctions, you have a perfect takeout double. You have excellent support for all three unbid suits and, there is no chance of partner expecting you to have more since you have already passed. Assuming a 12-14 no-trump range,

you can stick to the ‘Open Your Lowest Suit’ rule when you hold a minimum hand with a singleton in one of the red suits. Opening 1® cannot get you into trouble: if partner responds in your short suit you can just bid your next suit, and if he bids one of your fourcarders you can raise. The problems arise when you hold a black singleton.

♠ ™ © ®

7 KQ85 K 10 8 6 AJ96

If you open with 1®, what are you going to rebid over partner’s 1♠ response? You could instead open 1™, but when you then bid a minor next, partner is going to expect five hearts, and that could lead to a delicate 4™ contract rather than a simple 3NT. The best strategy is to open with 1© intending to rebid 2® if partner bids spades. Similarly:

♠ ™ © ®

K974 KQ74 J 10 8 4 A

Hands such as this are the most problematic of all. You cannot afford to open with 1© as you will be unable to handle a 2® response; you must therefore open a major. Opening 1♠ risks losing the 4-4 heart fit if partner is only strong enough to respond 1NT, and opening 1♠ and rebidding 2™ both loses the diamonds, if that is your best spot, and overstates your rather poor spades. Remember, partner will expect you to have five of them and he will bid accordingly. You best chance of surviving this hand is to open with 1™, intending to rebid 2© over a 2® response.

I shouldn’t really mention this, but another possible solution on the hand above is to open with 1NT. Your National Bridge Authority will not like it, and doing so hardly renders you immune from disaster, but if you are feeling adventurous, then it’s worth a try (provided it comes as much of a surprise to partner as to the opponents).

Page 43

Opening intermediate 4-4-4-1 hands There are two ways in which you can approach these hands. The first is to follow the ‘Open Your Lowest Suit’ rule. This strategy should enable you to find your best fit (if one exits), and that is what I recommend. Alternatively, you could open your major suit (1™ with a minor-suit singleton) intending to ignore the minors and to rebid no-trumps if partner does not respond in a suit you can raise.

Opening strong 4-4-4-1 hands The stronger your hand, the more likely it is that partner will have meagre values. You should therefore make it as easy as possible for him to respond. He may hold:

♠ ™ © ®

10 5 6 K Q 10 7 6 3 9764

If you open 1™ on your 20-point 1-4-4-4 hand, partner is likely to pass. Not only will 1™ on a 4-1 fit be a silly contract that goes down, you may be cold for game, or even slam, in diamonds. If you open with 1®, partner will bid 1©. He may be reluctant to cooperate further, but at least you will play in the right suit. When you have enough points for a 2NT opening bid, you could still choose that as an option even with a 4-4-4-1 shape, provided your singleton is a high honour. After all, the singleton ace is a better stopper than a small doubleton. However, be wary of opening 2NT with a major-suit singleton: partners have a habit of jumping to game (or slam) in their six-card major expecting you to hold at least two cards in that suit. When you are very strong, you may elect to open with an Acol 2®. At your second turn, you will have to decide whether to rebid in no-trumps despite your singleton, or to bid 2™ or 2♠, either of which partner will merrily raise with three-card support as he

Bidding 4-4-4-1 Hands

continued

expects you to have at least a five-card suit. To avoid this, always consider opening with a one-level bid even if you are extremely strong. Remember that if you have no fit, 4-4-4-1 shapes tend to play poorly.

The later auction Many of you will have ‘Fourth Suit Forcing’ amongst your conventional weaponry. This is a great convention with many advantages, but it can make bidding 4-4-4-1 hands difficult. It is common to use the fourth suit at the one level (after 1®-1©-1™-1♠) as a two-way bid: opener will raise if he holds four spades (in a 4-4-1-4 or 4-4-0-5 shape), bid no-trumps without four spades but with a spade stopper, or make a descriptive bid on an unbalanced hand. Usually, a simple two-level bid (including 2♠) shows a minimum hand; jumps to the three level show extra values and are forcing. In other situations, a raise of the fourth suit generally does not show length there, but rather a hand too good to limit, or a strong hand with no descriptive bid to make. This can create problems as regards actually playing in the fourth suit. There is no ironclad solution to this dilemma, since these uses for fourth-suit bids are invaluable when you have a ‘normal’ hand. When you hold the awkward 4-4-4-1 shape, however, they can make life difficult. The best advice I can offer is to try and ensure that the fourth suit is a minor, unless partner has already suggested that he does not hold that suit. ■

The Diaries of Wendy Wensum Episode 2: Swings and Roundabouts

M

illie and I go to the Riverside Club as visitors most weeks now. It’s great fun. We feel very much at home there, and have applied for membership. Perhaps not surprisingly, we have mixed results. The other evening, at Millie’s request (and after much persuasion by her), we decided (or more accurately she decided against my better judgement) to experiment with five-card major openings. Playing with Jo and Kate in the subsequent team event, optimism and luck proved to be the twin themes on this hand:

North

♠ ™ © ®

♠ ™ © ®

9 10 9 5 A9752 10 8 5 3 West East 10 4 ♠ KQJ7653 Q643 ™ K 86 © K AK964 ® QJ72 South ♠ A82 ™ AJ872 © Q J 10 4 3 ® Void

Sitting South, Millie, the dealer, opened 1™. West passed. Hoping that Millie had remembered our agreement to use five-card majors, I bid a cautious 2™ with three-card trump support and my distributional

four count. East overcalled 2♠. Millie made a long suit trial bid of 3© and West passed. With my excellent diamond holding, I jumped to 4™, the final contract. The opening lead was the ♠10 by West. Considering her little drink problem, Millie managed to play the cards quite well. Winning the opening lead in hand with the ace, she ruffed a spade in dummy, and tested trumps with the king falling under her ™A. Now she played her last spade. West threw a diamond and Millie ruffed again. Now she played the ©A, which luckily dropped the ©K. Next she played a small diamond from table back to the ©Q in hand which West ruffed. West exited with the ®A, which Millie ruffed in hand. Now there was just the ™Q to lose in spite of the unlucky 4-1 break. Technically it probably wasn’t the best line of play, but a game bid and made is always good news. I congratulated her for bidding and making the contract with an over-trick and a score of +650. She accepted my praise modestly, but then rebuked me for supporting her 1™ opener on a three-card suit, adding, ‘I might have had only four hearts in my hand, you know.’ I tried to remind her that we were playing fivecard majors. ‘No, no!’ she protested, ‘I’m sure we were never taught that at classes.’

Page 44

At the other table, our teammates, Jo and Kate, had already got off to a good start by finding the right East-West seats. To be fair they needed more than a little help from the director. On the same board, the bidding proceeded: South West North East Jo Kate 1™ Pass Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass

The opponents took their three aces, but, fortunately for us, they failed to find the killing club ruff. Kate made the contract for +620, giving us our first ever double-game swing of +1,270 and +15 IMPs. Needless to say, when the final results were computed, we still finished well down the field. At the end of the evening and presumably unrelated to the hand described, the president came over to us and said that the committee was delighted to accept us as members. She welcomed us to the club and inquired why we had chosen the Riverside. ‘Oh, the civilised atmosphere, the pleasant company, the good bridge,’ I replied tactfully. With a double brandy poised by her lips, Millie was more candid. ‘Well, the bar is handy and I like the TD – what a hunk!’ The president looked as if she doubted the wisdom of the committee’s decision and, for that matter, Millie’s judgement!

JUST BRIDGE © © © ©

Catching Up RUBBER / CHICAGO

No single supplement Six sessions of duplicate bridge No prizes or masterpoints No tuition, seminars or quizzes, just bridge

Hosted by Diana Holland

by Sally Brock Latimer Mews Chesham HP5 1UG

2011 15-17 April

Scalford Hall

8-10 July

Latimer Mews

30 Sep-2 Oct Latimer Mews 28-30 Oct

Latimer Mews

4-6 Nov

Latimer Mews

Scalford Hall Melton Mowbray LE14 4UB

£169 full board Please see booking form on page 14.

C

hristmas came and went – not my favourite time in truth. Raymond died on January 1st 2008 so the end of the year brings back memories of unhappy times. It was good to get back to normal when the children went back to school, and Barry’s trial resumed at the Old Bailey. I am not sure whether I have said this before; he is a criminal defence lawyer; he is working on a long murder trial at the moment. It sounds more exciting than it is; at least for the moment he knows where he is working tomorrow, which makes a change. The first proper weekend in January saw Barry and me up north for the Manchester Congress. It is a while since I have played in a county congress and it was good fun. Barry and I played together in the pairs but, in the teams, we split up and played partly with Steve Eginton, and partly with Rodney Lighton – both old friends of Barry’s. We finished third in both events. Then two weeks later, I played with Susanna again in the Lady Milne trials. In a breathless finish, we managed to finish second and thus qualified for the team. Winning pair, who led throughout, were Lizzie Godfrey playing with Dinah Caplan, who last played in trials 35 years ago – at the ripe old age of 78, she decided to have another go and is living proof that you can play bridge at a high level at any age. In third place came a promising young pair – always good to see – Bryony Youngs and Alice Kaye.

Page 45

Ardington Hotel, Worthing BN11 3DZ

12-14 August 2011 Scalford Hall 30 Sept-2 Oct 2011 Ardington Hotel Please note there are no seminars or set hands at these events

£199 – Full-board No Single Supplement

Scalford Hall, Melton Mowbray LE14 4UB

Please see booking form on page 14.

Seven Days by Sally Brock Monday It is the gym first thing, then the dentist. By some oversight I forgot to go for 14 months (the dentist stopped sending out recall letters and I was not too keen to take the initiative) and that has resulted in my needing a series of fillings. This morning is my third visit in less than a week – and I hate it.

Tuesday My mother has won a week in a flat in Marylebone in a raffle. I used to think my mother was the luckiest person in the world when it came to raffles; then I worked out how much she spends in a year on raffle tickets and I guess it is not so surprising after all. This evening, Barry and I take her – and Helen Schapiro – out for dinner. I stay in London in order to deliver my Christmas present…

Wednesday … for my parents, which is to take them to the Bridget Riley exhibition at the National Gallery (the actual exhibition was disappointing, but there was an accompanying film which was fascinating) followed by lunch at the National Portrait Gallery. The views there are superb – the last time I went there happened to coincide with the State Opening of Parliament and we could see the procession from where we were sitting. My elder son, Ben, joins us,

which is lovely. Later on, I meet Barry at Tottenham Court Road tube station and we go to Muswell Hill to have supper with my online bridge clients, Richard and Gerry. Richard’s father died last week and Gerry is over from Toronto for the funeral. The idea is that we meet (which we have done previously only over Skype and BBO), have some supper and play a bit of bridge. The eating and drinking seem to take precedence (yes, I know I had only just finished my lunchtime eating and drinking!) but we do manage to squeeze in a few hands at the end. Then it is the last train home to High Wycombe.

Thursday A regular day for a change. Gym first thing. Then lots of work. Guidebooks to Armenia, Dominica, Cape Verde Islands and Mozambique are all at some stage of production. At this time of year, I work on the Yearbook of the British Guild of Travel Writers.

Friday Gym followed by an online teaching session in the morning. Then, after guidebook work in the afternoon, I pick up the children from school and take them to see Ben, Gemma and Hayden. They are staying with them for the weekend while I go to Hinckley for the National Swiss Teams. While I guess I am not the only grandmother to think that her grand-

son is the most forward, intelligent boy there has ever been, he is truly remarkable. Not yet 18 months old, when his mother says it is teatime, he immediately puts all his toys away. I am not sure I have learnt that lesson in more than three times as many years! Staying home alone with Barry in the evening, we have pepper steaks and a bottle of red wine in front of the telly.

Weekend We arrive in Birmingham in plenty of time for a coffee with teammates Heather Dhondy and Rob Cliffe. We start well, winning our first three matches, but then hit a rocky patch before dinner. We are lucky to get away with a flat board on this one:

Dealer West. N/S Game. ♠ A9543 ™ 86 © J98 ® A83 ♠ 82 ♠ K J 10 6 ™ A K Q J 10 7 5 ™ 9 3 2 N © 10 © 643 W E S ® J 10 4 ® Q75 ♠ Q7 ™ 4 © AKQ752 ® K962

At the other table, the opponents make life very difficult for Heather and Rob. West opens 3♠, showing a solid red suit! North passes and East bids 4©, doubled by South. West bids 4™ and Heather 4♠. Now the spotlight turns to Rob and he

Page 46

chooses to pass. When the defenders start with two rounds of hearts and then trumps are 4-2, Heather has to go one down. Without such arcane methods at our disposal, Barry opens 4™, which goes round to South who bids 5©, ending the auction. Barry leads a heart and switches to the jack of clubs. How would you plan the play? Our declarer wins with the king of clubs and draws two rounds of trumps ending in the dummy. He then plays a low spade. I rise with the king and exit with a club. Declarer wins with the ace, plays a spade to his queen and a diamond back to dummy. Now he would have succeeded had spades been 3-3; as it was, he has to give us a club at the end. Do you see where he went wrong? He needs to get started on those spades a trick earlier. Take the king of clubs and play a diamond to dummy immediately. Now he has the entries to set up the spades and get back to cash them. Over the rest of the weekend, we have our moments – both good and bad. We do get to table one for the last match but our opponents need only 1 victory point to guarantee overall victory – and they scored considerably more than that! Congratulations to the winners: John Salisbury, Filip Kurbalija, Dan Macintosh and Alice Kaye – yes, the same Alice Kaye who qualified in the Lady Milne Trials the previous weekend. It is a pleasure to see a young player (she is only 24) doing so ■ well.

No Sin ingle le Supplleements ts on sseelleected I & G ccaabiin ns subj su bjeecct ˜ ˜ȱŠ ȱŠŸ ŸŠŠ’’•Š •Š‹ ‹’’••’ ’¢ ¢ȘȘȘ

Winter Winter 2011/12

—Œ›Ž’‹•ŽȱŒ›ž’œŽȱ˜ěŽ›œȱ›˜–ȱ˜—•¢ȱǡŗǰŝŚş —Œ›Ž’‹•ŽȱŒ›ž’œŽȱ˜ěŽ›œȱ›˜–ȱ˜—•¢ȱǡŗǰŝŚşpppp In Winter 2011-12 Discoveryȱ ’••ȱœŠ’•ȱ˜ȱ‘ŽȱŠ›ȱŠœǰȱ‘Žȱ›’Ž—ȱŠ—ȱžœ›Š•’Šǯȱ‘’œȱŽ¡Œ’’—ȱ™›˜›Š––Žȱ ’—Œ•žŽœȱ–Š’Ž—ȱŒŠ••œȱ’—ȱ¢Š—–Š›ȱǻ˜›–Ž›•¢ȱž›–ŠǼǰȱ‘’—ŠȱŠ—ȱ Š™Š—ǯȱ¡™Ž›’Ž—ŒŽȱœ™’ŒŽȱ‹Š£ŠŠ›œȱŠ—ȱœŠŒ›˜œŠ—Œȱœ’Žœȱ’—ȱ—’ŠȱŠ—ȱ‹ŽȱŽ—Œ‘Š—Žȱ‹¢ȱ‹ŽŠž’ž•ȱ—˜—Žœ’Š—ȱœ•Š—œȱ˜›ȱŸŽ—ž›Žȱ˜ȱ‘’œ˜›’Œȱœ’Žœȱ’—ȱ¢™ȱŠ—ȱ ‘Žȱ•ŠŒ”ȱŽŠǯȱ’Ž—Š–ȱ˜ěŽ›œȱŒŠ™’ŸŠ’—ȱœŒŽ—Ž›¢ȱŠ—ȱ–Ž–˜›’Žœȱ˜ȱ›ŽŒŽ—ȱ‘’œ˜›¢ǰȱ ‘’•Žȱ–˜Ž›—ȱ•Š—œȱ–ŽŽȱ Š—Œ’Ž—ȱ›Š’’˜—œȱ’—ȱ‘’—ŠȱŠ—ȱ Š™Š—ǯȱ—ȱžœ›Š•’ŠȱȮȱ‘’œȱŸŠœȱŒ˜ž—›¢ȱ˜ěŽ›œȱŠȱ ŽŠ•‘ȱ˜ȱ—Šž›Š•ȱ‹ŽŠž¢ȱ Š—ȱ‹žœ•’—ȱŒ’¢ȱ•’Žǯȱ˜˜”ȱ—˜ ȱ˜›ȱ‹ŽœȱŠ›ŽœȱŠ—ȱŒŠ‹’—œȱŠ—ȱœŽŒž›Žȱ¢˜ž›ȱ™•ŠŒŽȱŽŠ›•¢ǯ ••ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ™ŠœœŽ—Ž›œȱ ’••ȱ‹ŽȱŽ•’’‹•Žȱ˜›ȱœŽ–’—Š›œǰȱ›’—”œȱ™Š›’Žœǰȱšž’£ȱŒ˜–™Ž’’˜—œǰȱŠ’•¢ȱ ŽŸŽ—’—ȱ‹ ‹››’ŽȱŠĞŽ›ȱę ꛛœȱœ’Ĵ’—ȱ’——Ž›ȱŠ—ȱ˜ŒŒŠœ’˜—Š•ȱŠĞŽ›—˜˜—ȱ‹›’ŽȱœŽœœ’˜—œǯȱ‘Žȱ‹›’Žȱ™›˜›Š––Žȱ ’œȱž••¢ȱ˜™’˜—Š•ȱŠ—ȱ¢˜žȱ–Š¢ȱ™Š›’Œ’™ŠŽȱŠœȱ–žŒ‘ȱ˜›ȱŠœȱ•’Ĵ•ŽȱŠœȱ¢˜žȱ ’œ‘ǯȱ›ȱ›’ŽȱŠŒ’ŸŽ•¢ȱŽ—Œ˜ž›ŠŽœȱ œ’—•Žœȱ˜ȱ“˜’—ȱ‘Žȱ™Š›¢ȱŠ—ȱ‘Ž¢ȱ ’••ȱŠ• Š¢œȱ‹Žȱ˜ž—ȱŠȱ™Š›—Ž›ȱ˜›ȱŠȱŠ–Žǯ

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