108

Cadiz, Spain

Minerva

Exceptional cruise offer aboard Minerva Travel in country-house style aboard Minerva with around 320 like-minded passengers and dine in the restaurant of your choice. Be assured of excellent value for money, including all tips on board and ashore as well as an inclusive tailor-made excursion programme. All passengers who have booked and registered through will be eligible to partake in the late afternoon bridge sessions, held on days when the ship is at sea. There is no bridge supplement as, like most of the excursions, it is included in the price. Mr Bridge actively encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.

SouTh To The MediTerranean 15 dayS deParTing 1 auguST 2012 Inside from £1,495pp Single Inside from £1,995pp

St Peter Port

iVe

Mr Brid

ge

FareS

Green Spain, the ‘golden’ River Douro, the Moorish Alhambra Palace, the gem of the naval port of Cartagena and a quartet of Mediterranean islands lie in wait as Minerva sails south to the Mediterranean.

Portsmouth England

your guest speakers include: Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe – archaeology of the Mediterranean Professor ian Beckett – military history dr Philip de Souza – ancient history

La Coruña Oporto Palma Cartagena Cadiz

eXCLuS

Malaga

Cagliari Trapani

Valletta Malta

inclusive shore excursions: Santiago de Compostela, Oporto city tour and port tasting, Jerez and sherry tasting, Cadiz walk, full day Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens, Cartagena walk and Roman theatre, Murcia, Nora, Cagliari town walk, Segesta Greek site, Selinunte Acropolis, Valletta town walk, Malta island drive. Complimentary airport coach transfers from London to Portsmouth at the start of your cruise.

Twin fare shown is per person, sharing a category 12 inside cabin. Single fare shown is based on sole occupany of a category 12 cabin. All fares include all fuel supplements (correct at time of printing but subject to change). Offers apply to new bookings only, are capacity controlled, subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Fares shown include all applicable discounts are subject to change and are not combinable with any other offer. Booking terms and conditions apply. All fares shown are guarantee fares - cabin number will be allocated approximately 3 weeks prior to departure. Travel insurance not included. Swan Hellenic is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Limited ABTA W0392 ATOL 3897. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge guarantee participation in the onboard Mr Bridge programme, subject to availability.

To book or request a brochure call

01483 489 961 www.bridgecruises.co.uk

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

[email protected]

Address Changes Elizabeth Bryan ( 01483 485342 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.

FEATURES

ADVERTISEMENTS

4 Mr Bridge

2 Summer 2012 on board mv Minerva

5 Double Dummy Quiz by Richard Wheen 9 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions 14 Wendy Wensum

3 Mr Bridge Playing Cards 5 Voyages to Antiquity Cruise to Greece 6 Tunisia

15 Derek Rimington says Don’t Bid Again After Pre-Empting

Mr Bridge

Premium Quality Cards

7 Mail Order Form 8 Voyages of Discovery 2011 Summer Cruises

17 Harold Schogger says When Holding Up, Use the Rule of Seven

10 Voyages of Discovery Winter 2012 Cruises

21 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee 22 Bidding Quiz Answers by Bernard Magee

11 Bridge Event Booking Form 12 Cut-out Form 16 Bernard Magee’s Interactive Software

23 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage 24 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage

18 Voyages of Discovery 2012 Summer Cruises 20 Bridge Weekends with Bernard Magee

25 Declarer Play Quiz by Dave Huggett 26 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett 27 Lead Quiz by Andrew Kambites

Standard Faces with or without bar codes. Unboxed.

22 Bernard Magee’s Begin Bridge – Acol Version 23 Mr Bridge Rubber/ Chicago Events

28 Lead Quiz Answers by Andrew Kambites

25 Mr Bridge Christmas and New Year

29 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions 32 Klinger’s Flippers reviewed by Sandra Landy

27 Mr Bridge Tutorial Bridge Breaks 33 Stamps 34 Charity Bridge Events

33 Readers’ Letters 35 Little Voice Used Stamp Contributors 37 The A to Z of Bridge D by Julian Pottage

43 Bernard Magee’s Better Hand Evaluation 44 Global Travel Insurance 47 Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified

46 Seven Days by Sally Brock

48 QPlus 10

47 Double Dummy Answer by Richard Wheen

48 Voyages to Antiquity Cruise to the Red Sea

6 red / 6 blue £19.95 30 red / 30 blue only £60 Available from The London Bridge Centre ( 020 7486 8222

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor. Page 3

www.bridgeshop.com

RE-REGISTRATION

ALL GONE All the old tables have now been cleared. If you have been disappointed, I am truly sorry. Going forward, I shall be using metal tables with black vinyl tops which should last 25 to 30 years. My special offer: 1 table and 4 chairs for only £100 plus £20 delivery, categorically expires 31 July 2011. The table price is increased from 1 August to £63.50 to reflect the last budget increase in VAT and a recent rise in delivery charges. The boxed set of four exclusively designed chairs reverts to £199 including delivery, also on 1 August 2011.

RED SEA BRIDGE

With great reluctance, I have deliberately and irrevocably deleted the names and addresses of over 100,000 bridge players from my database so they are no longer sent BRIDGE. If you or your friends no longer receive my unique and quite free publication, you now need a fresh registration.

LUXURY VERSION The luxury version is £14.95. Features include a built-in ball point pen and a soft kidrell cover. Choice of colours: ruby red, bottle green and new for 2012, navy blue. Five for £40 or pro rata.

BRIDGE SUNDRIES As I do not offer bridge supplies or sundries, I list below for readers’ convenience, those companies that do. Let them know you heard it from Mr Bridge.

GOFF STAMPS

London Bridge Centre ( 020 7486 8222 English Bridge Union ( 01296 317200 Simon Lucas ( 01380 829922

Conventional postage will never get cheaper, so buying valid British stamps below face value must be a bargain. It also helps support this magazine. For Clive Goff’s unique service, telephone him on: ( 020 8422 4906.

A L Fleming ( 01689 891122 Chess and Bridge ( 020 7486 8222

SUPPORT THE BRAND

[email protected]

PLEASE HELP ME

As the affairs of the world move on, little decisions have to be made. So, yes, we are planning a fortnight hosted by Bernard Magee in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in January. Likewise, a fortnight in February in Tunisia. Yes, I know these are repeats but repeats of established success.

In the last issue, I asked clubs to post in the average age of players at their sessions. As these are still coming in, publication of a full list will be delayed until the October issue as it has taken some clubs a little time to get properly organised. If you still haven’t helped, please do so asap. Club results received before 31 August will be included in the October issue.

QPLUS NEWS QPlus version 10 is the leading Acol-playing bridge software program. For the interest of those of you who have QPlus, here is another list of hands which again I do hope you will find interesting. Do send me details of any you have come across. I will include them in the October issue. 0001 / 11 4139 / 07 4128 / 02 3430 / 07 9474 / 11 4953 / 06

4139 / 03 9885 / 04 6625 / 09 0007 / 02 4576 / 08 3212 / 13

IMPORTANT The first editions of these wonderful products were made just before 2000, so they are almost antique as far as modern IT goes. Until now, I have supported every title with every version of Windows, but from now I am supporting only Windows XP, Vista and 7. Nor can I provide replacements for discs that have been stolen, scratched, cracked, misused or have exploded in your computer. In future the charge for a replacement disc is £35.

BUNDLEWARE

2012 DIARIES

Not only are my wonderful playing cards the very best on the market and the very best value for money but they have by far the jolliest jokers.

Ready in August. Standard covers are black, navy, light blue, green, red, ivory, maroon and tan. £6.75 each. Ten for £35 or pro rata.

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

Page 4

A number of you took the opportunity to buy another piece of Bernard Magee’s tutorial software. Some have even completed their collection to date. I have extended the expiry date so that those that missed the offer, see order form, page 7, now have until 31 July 2011 to take action. If you have made a purchase in the past six months or so, do draw it to my attention and claim your bundle discount, if applicable.

0862 Mr Bridge Greece ads_Layout 1 30/06/2011 12:35 Page 1

DOUBLE DUMMY by Richard Wheen ♠ Void ♥ Void ♦ 4 3 2 ♣ A K 2 ♠ Void ♠ Void N ♥ 9 W E ♥ Q J 10 ♦ K Q S ♦ Void ♣ 9 8 7 ♣ Q J 10 ♠ Void ♥ A K 3 2 ♦ A ♣ 3

With six tricks remaining, North is on lead in a notrump contract. How can North/South make all six tricks against any defence? Solution on page 47.

COVER STORY

Such was the success of my promotion of Aegean Odyssey in the last issue that Mrs Bridge and I have decided to promote a similar bridge-themed cruise to launch the ship’s 2012 season. This really is comfort cruising, with none of the big crowds and queues that are associated with modern floating hotels and holiday camps. The party is restricted to no more than twelve tables. Other features included in the price that appeal are local wines with dinner, port excursions, and scheduled flights out of Heathrow.

CRUISES TO CLASSICAL CIVILISATIONS

CLASSICAL GREECE & THE MAGIC OF SICILY

Explore the ancient sites of Greece, the Minoan heritage of Crete, the palaces of Malta and the fascinating history of Sicily.

BOOK NOW FOR SPECIAL This journey to classical Greece, Crete, Malta and Sicily not only offers you the opportunity to visit some of the greatest sites of antiquity but also the possibility to enjoy some much needed Spring sunshine. The usually good weather points to the importance that climate played in the development of the great classical civilisations: the short, mild winters and long, warm summers created the perfect conditions for these remarkable societies to thrive. Cruise in comfort, relax in style Aegean Odyssey is a premium class ship that has been especially refitted for cruising in the Mediterranean. Carrying just 350 passengers, the atmosphere on board is relaxed with plenty of passenger space, a choice of restaurants (with open-seating dining) and generously-sized accommodations, plus the comfort and attentive service of boutiquestyle cruising.

FARES

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

Civitavecchia

ITALY GREECE

Trapani

Athens Palermo SICILY Syracuse Nauplia Monemvasía Rethimnon Heraklion Valle�a MALTA

Mediterranean CRETE Sea

12-DAY FLY-CRUISE FROM ATHENS TO ROME DEPARTS MARCH 21, 2012

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Visit to the ancient city of Mycenae; Minoan Knossos in Crete; the Greek theatre and fortifications of Syracuse; the Palaces of Malta; the superbly well-preserved Greek temples of Segesta; the Norman Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel in Palermo and Monreale Cathedral.

MR BRIDGE FARES* Standard Inside Superior Inside Standard Outside

£1,495pp from £1,650pp from £1,895pp

Superior Outside Deluxe Outside Deluxe Balcony

from £1,950pp from £2,295pp from £2,950pp

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

FARES INCLUDE: SIGHTSEEING EXCURSIONS AT ALL PORTS EXPERT ANTIQUITY LECTURE PROGRAMME WINE WITH DINNER & GRATUITIES ON BOARD EXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE COCKTAIL PARTIES SCHEDULED AIR & TRANSFERS

There is a supplement of £30 for those wishing to participate in the duplicate bridge programme or learn to play bridge. Singles are made especially welcome and a playing partner will always be found.

10093

ABTA No.Y2206

BOOK EARLY – THIS SPECIAL OFFER IS SUBJECT TO LIMITED AVAILABILITY

CALL

ON 01483 489 961

VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY www.voyagestoantiquity.com * Price is per person, single or double occupancy, and includes MR BRIDGE SPECIAL SAVING. The bridge programme is completely optional and Mr Bridge passengers can participate as much, or as little as they wish. This offer is subject to availability, is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time.

Page 5

Mr Bridge AT THE ROYAL KENZ TUNISIA Two-week half-board duplicate holidays

£769*

INSURANCE

CHARITY SUPPORT

Naturally, I am thrilled by the growing success of my club insurance promotion. Over 400 clubs are now covered by a policy that costs less and covers more than any other of its kind on offer in the market place. The significant uptake is evidence of this. Club committees should contact Moore Stephens on ( 0207 515 5270.

Do support the bridge events featured on page 34. All are in support of worthwhile causes. Also, save your used postage stamps and send them to: Colin Bamberger, 179 High Road, Trimley St Mary, IP11 0TN. This will help my chosen charity, Little Voice, whose work with the young homeless in Addis Ababa is worthy of your support.

Buoyed up by this success, I am looking into competitive car insurance for us reliable bridge-playing types.

BRIDGE WEEKLY

19 Feb – 4 March 2012 Golf available Bernard Magee *per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive of bridge fees. Single supplement £6 per night. These prices are based on air travel from Gatwick to Monastir. Flights from other UK airports are available at a supplement. All prices are firm until the end of October 2011. Prices for sevennight stays are available on application. Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facing room, tea & coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl of seasonal fruit. These holidays have been organised for Mr Bridge by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933, working in association with Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited, ATOL 1179.

DETAILS & BOOKINGS

( 01483 489961

AT THE 5* KIROSEIZ THREE CORNERS, NA’AMA BAY EGYPT 2012 A 5* spacious resort hotel complex with a friendly atmosphere situated 3km from the resort centre of Na’ama Bay and a 15 minute courtesy bus ride from the hotel’s private beach.

The e-mag is now well into its second year and is paid for by sponsorship and advertising. That’s how it works.

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

6-20 November 2011 Golf available Tony & Jan Richards

Mr Bridge

Most of you are leaving your bookings later and later. At some stage, many are going to be really disappointed. Our restricted programme for the festive season is advertised on page 25. Limited it may be, but it will take place, as we are not in the business of generating disappointed.

I can understand some don’t like the advertising. Likewise, with this printed magazine which has inserts and adverts, but without which, neither can survive.

COMPLAINTS

BRIDGE & GOLF Tony and Jan Richards will be at the Royal Kenz Hotel, Port el Kantoui this coming November. Until Tunisian tourism recovers, the golf courses will remain delightfully empty and the weather in November is just right. Try it.

BRIDGE & TENNIS Tennis proved a popular extra activity for some of the bridge party with Bernard Magee in Sharm el Sheikh last winter. This coming January, Roe Bissett will be organising tennis matches as and when required, all in addition to the full bridge programme.

When on holiday, at home or abroad, if you have a complaint, do make it to the hotelier at the time, seeking out assistance from one of our team if necessary. It is part of their job to help make your holiday or weekend break a hassle free pleasure. It is usually too late to do anything once you return, even if you feel you should be entitled to some material compensation.

BRIDGE WITH MAC As a service to readers, I now stock the very latest version of a Mac bridge play program, Bridge Baron 21, for only £63. I also offer to take a cheque for £36 and any piece of old bridge software in part exchange. Offer ends 31August 2011.

Page 6

Duplicate Bridge Bernard Magee 15-29 January 2012

from £1099* All inclusive board includes: buffet-style breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks served at selected times between meals, ice cream served in the afternoon and afternoon tea. An unlimited amount of hot, soft and alcoholic drinks (excluding international brands and cocktails) served 10am to midnight. *per person full-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive of bridge fees. Single supplement £220 per fortnight. These prices are based on air travel from Gatwick. Flights from Manchester, Newcastle and East Midlands are available at a supplement. This holiday is arranged in conjunction with Thomas Cook Holidays ATOL1179.

DETAILS & BOOKINGS

( 01483 489961

BACK COVER

✄

MINERVA

Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER

At short notice, I have been able to add the back cover cruise due to a cancellation by an American group. There is a Mr Bridge host on this ship on all cruises until November 2012. This does not guarantee a duplicate which is dependent on numbers. However, teams or a rubber or two after dinner can make all the difference to a holiday. See their advert on page 2. Nearly all port excursions are included in the prices quoted.

PLAY SOFTWARE QPlus 10 QPlus 9.1 (second hand) Bridge Baron 21 The latest version – Mac compatible

The holiday includes a two-day stay in a five-star hotel in Jordan at the start, then an overnight stay in Petra before joining the ship and sailing to Safaga. Then an overnight excursion to Luxor and another five star hotel before rejoining the ship to sail through the Suez Canal, on to Beirut and finally to Limassol (Cyprus) from where we all fly home.

They provide great service and supporting them should eventually help keep this publication going.

FAREWELL BEACH

£63.00.......

TUTORIAL SOFTWARE Begin Bridge – Acol Version Acol Bidding More Acol Bidding Declarer Play Advanced Declarer Play Defence

£66.00....... £66.00....... £96.00....... £76.00....... £81.00....... £76.00.......

SOFTWARE BUNDLE OFFERS Any two software pieces Any three software pieces Any four software pieces

TEA TOWELS More than 200,000 tea towels later, should you now want any of my designs, please contact: Art Screen Prints, 7a Chaloner Street, Guisborough. TS14 6QD. ( 01287 637527 www.artscreen.co.uk/ customizeArea/shop.html

£86.00....... £62.00.......

£120.00....... £175.00....... £220.00.......

BOOKS Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified Better Hand Evaluation – Bernard Magee Bernard Magee’s Bridge Quiz Book Bernard Magee’s Quiz and Puzzle Book Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge

£5.95....... £14.00....... £14.00....... £14.00....... £14.00.......

TABLES AND CHAIRS

As you can see the price includes all meals and accommodation in the precruise Jordan package, the Luxor excursion and a full day visit to the Pyramids. It also includes any other full day excursions from the ship, all sightseeing as detailed in the advertised itinerary and lots more. Mrs Bridge and I look forward to meeting you on board for a truly memorable cruise.

Mr Bridge exclusive design black metal chairs, padded and covered in black vinyl Set of four £199.00....... Mr Bridge exclusive black metal tables, padded and covered in black vinyl £63.50....... Prices are inclusive of VAT and postage. I enclose a cheque for £.......... Mr/Mrs/Miss ................................................................................................... Address............................................................................................................ ......................................................................................................................... Postcode............................................... ( ......................................................

All good wishes.

Anyway, come what may, Mrs Bridge and I will be at the Gala Dinner on Friday 12 August. Be assured I will be wearing my charisma.

Mr Bridge STOP PRESS I am saddened to report the recent death of Michelle Brunner after a long illness. 1953-2011. A full obituary will be included in the next issue of BRIDGE. May she rest in peace.

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

Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

✄

Despite the attractive pricing and the prospect of good weather for the final weekends at this lovely venue before it closes, bookings are quite light.

Page 7

( 01483 489961

Save an

5%

extra as a Discovery Club member

Summer 2011 cruises This Summer, Discovery explores Northern Waters, The Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Explore artistic cities of the Mediterranean and discover the beauty of the Norwegian fjords. In Autumn, uncover tales of war and heroic sieges in the Black Sea or travel to the fascinating and sacred Holy Land. All passengers are eligible to attend the exclusive drinks parties. When Discovery is at sea there are morning seminars and afternoon bridge sessions. Those Mr Bridge passengers choosing to pay the £30 per bridge player supplement will be eligible for the evening duplicate after the first dinner sitting. The bridge programme is fully optional and you may participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridge actively encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.

NO~FLY CRUISES TO THE NORTHERN WATERS NORWEGIAN EXPLORER Jul 30, 2011 ~ 13 days Harwich ~ Bergen ~ Hellesylt & Geiranger~ Kristiansund~ Leknes ~ Narvik ~ Andalsnes Lerwick ~ Harwich OSLO AND THE TIMELESS FJORDS with Bernard Magee Aug 11, 2011 ~ 10 days Harwich ~ Oslo ~ Kristiansand ~ Stavanger ~ Olden ~ Flåm ~ Bergen ~ Harwich

Bridge Hosts

Fares from

£630PP

Ray & Liz Hutchinson

£949pp

cAbinS SElling fASt

Bernard Magee

£1,389pp

Bernard Magee

£599pp

SAVE....

FLY CRUISES TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEA EUROPEAN CONNOISSEUR with Bernard Magee Sep 11, 2011 ~ 9 days

Harwich ~ Rouen (overnight) ~ La Rochelle ~ Bilbao ~ La Coruña ~ Leixoes (for Porto) ~ Lisbon

CLASSIC MEDITERRANEAN Sep 19, 2011 ~ 12 days

Lisbon ~ Cadiz ~ Malaga ~ Cartagena ~ Ajaccio ~ Livorno (for Pisa) ~ Civitavecchia (for Rome) Messina ~ Dubrovnik (overnight)

VENETIAN AND ADRIATIC TREASURES Sep 30, 2011 ~ 13 days

Dubrovnik (overnight) ~ Split ~ Zadar ~ Venice (overnight) ~ Kalamata ~ Piraeus (for Athens) Volos ~ Myrina ~ Istanbul (overnight)

BLACK SEA CONTRASTS AND CONFLICTS Oct 12, 2011 ~ 13 days

Istanbul (overnight) ~ Trabzon ~ Sochi ~ Novorossiysk ~ Yalta ~ Sevastopol ~ Odessa ~ Nesebur Kusadasi (overnight)

THE HOLY LAND AND RED SEA Oct 31, 2011 ~ 15 days Piraeus (for Athens, overnight) ~ Rhodes ~ Limassol ~ Ashdod ~ Haifa ~ Alexandria (overnight) Port Said ~ Suez Canal Transit ~ Sharm el Sheikh ~ Aqaba ~ Safaga (overnight)

SAVE.... £430PP

SAVE.... Tony & Jan £600PP Richards

£999pp

cAbinS SElling fASt

Tony & Jan Richards

£1,601pp

cAbinS SElling fASt

Ray & Liz Hutchinson

£1,691pp

SAVE....

Sandy Bell

£1,599pp

£280PP

For passengers interested in a higher grade or Sole Occupancy, please contact our friendly team who will gladly assist with current availability and fares.

01483 489961 for brochures and bookings www.bridgecruises.co.uk

YOUR VOYAGE INCLUDES: • Inspiring destinations • Seminars and exclusive Mr Bridge drinks parties* • Comprehensive lecture and Guest Speaker programme • Travel with around 650 like-minded passengers in 4-star comfort • Free parking for no-fly cruises • Flights from/to the UK for fly-cruises (supplement applies for Manchester)^ • All meals, entertainment and gratuities on board included with no hidden extras • Friendly and relaxed atmosphere on board • All prices on board in British pounds • Captain’s cocktail parties and gala dinners • All port and pre-paid airport taxes

Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available, are subject to availability and include all applicable discounts including savings as shown on selected cabin categories where applicable, for new bookings only. Savings shown are based against full brochure fare and apply to Guarantee Fare, where cabin number may not be allocated at time of booking. Fares shown include current fuel supplements correct at time of printing, but subject to change. All offers are subject to availability, cannot be combined with any other offer or loyalty offer, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. ^On fly cruises, flights from Manchester incur a £20pp supplement (£10pp each way). See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. *Those wishing to play evening bridge, please note that there is a bridge supplement of £30 per bridge player to be confirmed at the time of booking. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.

Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

Are Doubles After No-Trump Bids Different?

Q

Our bidding went as follows:

West North East South Pass Pass 1NT1 2♠ Dbl End 112-14

West made 2♠ doubled easily. North, who had 11 points and four hearts, intended her double as negative. South, who had two hearts and three spades, thought it was for penalties and passed. Shirley Rose, Camberley, similar from John Hankin.   There are three commonly played meanings to the double (a) penalties (b) takeout (c) the values to raise to 2NT. It is for you and your partner to decide which one you are playing.   Traditionally, negative doubles apply only after a suit opening and a suit overcall. Here, if you have not discussed the double, it would be normal to play it for penalties.  If you are playing the double as for takeout, you would need four spades to leave the double in. If you are 3-2-4-4, you can rebid 2NT. If you have a fivecard minor, you can bid it.

A

Q

My partner opens 1NT; the next player doubles. Should I play this for penalties? Dorothy Alexander, Bourne, Lincs.

15-17 points. Should the 4NT bid be Blackwood or a quantitative bid?  A Ferguson, Manchester, similar from Bob Browne, Orpington.

A

Since the partnership has not agreed a suit and the 4NT bid is a raise of a no-trump bid, it is quantitative unless agreed otherwise. Facing 15-17, it suggests about 16.

Yes, it is normal to play a double of 1NT for penalties. The double usually shows a hand better than the opener’s (15+ if 1NT showed 12-14). If the 1NT is strong, it is usual to double with 17+ or if you have seven tricks in your hand. One reason why a double is for penalties over 1NT (but takeout over one of a suit) is that it is impractical to have support for all four suits. If you do have support or at least tolerance for all four suits, it means you have a balanced hand, which will be good for defending 1NT. ♣♦♥♠

Q

The bidding went as follows:

 

West North East South 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 4NT

  The 1NT rebid showed

bidding 1♥, you give yourself the chance to find a fit in any of the other three suits, which may well be better than playing in 1♦. Bidding 1NT would be a very poor idea, often leading to missed 4-4 fits. This is the case in any system, especially if you have agreed that your 1♦, 1♥ and 1♠ openings promise a 5-card suit.

A

♣♦♥♠

Q

♣♦♥♠

Q

When my partner opened 1♦, normally showing five cards, I held:  



♠ Q 8 7 4 ♥ J 9 5 2 ♦ 9 ♣ Q 9 6 3

I passed. My partner said I should respond 1NT. Jean Laird by email.

A

With 5 points, it is marginal whether you keep the bidding open. On some hands, you do; on some hands, you don’t. Here, you should. By

Page 9

After making a pre-emptive opening bid of three of a suit, does control of the final contract pass to the bidder’s partner? That is, should the pre-emptor take no further part in the bidding unless asked to do so? Mike Armstrong by email.

A

Yes, the general principle is that the pre-emptor does not bid again unless asked to do so. The pre-empt defines the nature of your hand, as well as its strength. Partner can have a wide variety of hands, which will be difficult to describe after the preempt and so they will take most of the decisions for the partnership.

No Single Supplements on selected I & G cabins **

Winter 2011-12

Incredible cruise offers from only £999pp In Winter 2011-12 Discovery will sail to Australia, the Orient and the Middle East. This exciting programme includes maiden calls in Myanmar (formerly Burma), China and Japan. Experience spice bazaars and sacrosanct sites in India and be enchanted by beautiful Indonesian Islands or venture to historic sites in Egypt and the Black Sea. Vietnam offers captivating scenery and memories of recent history, while modern lands meet ancient traditions in China and Japan. And Australia – this vast country offers a wealth of natural beauty and bustling city life. Book now for best fares and cabins and secure your place early. All passengers will be eligible for seminars, drinks parties, quiz competitions, daily evening bridge after first dinner sitting and occasional afternoon bridge sessions. The bridge programme is fully optional and you may participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridge actively encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.

DiScOvERy cLub mEmbERS SAvE A FuRTHER 5% ON ALL cRuiSES TRADE ROUTES to BOMBAY November 14, 2011 ~ 15 days^

Safaga (overnight) ~ Jeddah ~ Massawa ~ Salalah ~ Muscat ~ Mumbai (overnight)

VOYAGE to RANGOON and THE ORIENT November 27, 2011 ~ 24 days Mumbai (overnight) ~ Marmagoa ~ Cochin ~ Colombo (overnight) ~ Yangon (2 nights) ~ Phuket Penang ~ Port Kelang ~ Singapore ~ Bangkok (overnight) TREASURES of the ORIENT and VIETNAM December 18, 2011 ~ 18 days

Bangkok (overnight) ~ Ho Chi Minh (2 nights) ~ Nha Trang ~ Da Nang ~ Ha Long Bay (overnight) ~ Beihai Haikou ~ Hong Kong (overnight)

NEW LOWER FARES NEW LOWER FARES

Hong Kong (overnight) ~ Xiamen ~ Shanghai (overnight) ~ Nagasaki ~ Hiroshima ~ Osaka ~ Nagoya ~ Keelung ~ Manila

SOUTH EAST ASIA and AUSTRALIA January 21, 2012 ~ 23 days

Manila (overnight) ~ Sandakan ~ Bitung ~ Ambon ~ Darwin ~ Port Douglas ~ Brisbane ~ Newcastle ~ Sydney (overnight)

AUSTRALIA and the INDONESIAN ISLANDS

February 7, 2012 ~ 26 days Sydney ~ Brisbane ~ Hamilton Island ~ Townsville ~ Cairns ~ Cooktown ~ Darwin (overnight) ~ Komodo ~ Bali (overnight) Semarang ~ Singapore

ORIENTAL ODYSSEY March 1, 2012 ~ 20 days

Singapore (overnight) ~ Langkawi ~ Phuket ~ Yangon (2 nights) ~ Port Blair ~ Cochin ~ Marmagoa ~ Mumbai (overnight) March 19, 2012 ~ 17 days Mumbai (overnight) ~ Porbandar ~ Muscat (overnight) ~ Salalah ~ Jeddah ~ Aqaba ~ Safaga (overnight)

EGYPT and THE HOLY LAND

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Ask Julian continued

Q

Andrew Kambites suggests leading the lowest trump from three. My partner and I tend to lead middleup-down to show three cards. Are we wrong? Roger Pearce, Poole.

A

In the trump suit, you do not worry that partner is going to try to give you a ruff in the suit, so MUD does not apply. Having said that, you ask an interesting question. Many players (myself included) regard it as normal to lead the middle card from three trumps. A high-low in the trump suit generally shows three trumps (and often the ability to ruff some other suit). If you start by leading the lowest one, you cannot give a highlow, so partner will never know for sure whether you have a third trump until you actually play it. Even if you cannot ruff anything, it can be important for partner to know how many trumps declarer has as this can determine whether it is right to play an active or a passive defence or how many points declarer is likely to hold. Another (less common) reason for starting with your middle trump is that you then have the option of leading the high or the low one when you want to give a suit-preference signal on the opening lead. The reason why other players prefer always to lead the low one is that you never quite know when a seemingly insignificant spot card becomes significant. If you part with a high trump unnecessarily, you make it

easier for declarer to take ruffs safely and to cross from to hand to hand.

BRIDGE  BREAKS

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Q

If an opponent opens and I have a weak hand with a very long suit, do I have to bid all the way to the four level to show the hand? Doreen Parrington, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

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The traditional rule is that a double jump (1♣-3♥ or 1♠-4♦) is a pre-empt, whereas a single jump (1♠-3♦) is not. Nowadays, it is quite common to play weak jump overcalls, in which case a single jump to the three level is weak/pre-emptive.

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The opposition are in 3NT.  Should you lead your longest suit even if the opponents have bid that suit or should you lead the unbid suit? Patricia Wicebloom by email.   Opening leads are a big subject and nothing is right on every hand. In general, you do better to lead an unbid suit rather than a bid suit. The opponents will have length and often strength in the suits they bid, which reduces the chance that you can set up winners in such suits. Intermediate cards assume added importance in suits the opponents have bid. If you have Q-J-10-9-8 in a suit, you are likely to lead it whether the opponents have bid it or not. With Q-J-5-3-2, an opposing bid in the suit would probably dissuade you from leading it.

A

Page 11

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Ask Julian continued

Q

What should I rebid with this hand?



♠ 8 5 4 ♥ K Q 10 9 5 ♦ 8 4 3 ♣ 9 4

 

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A

Partner’s jump rebid is encouraging but not forcing. With minimum values for your original response, you pass.

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My partner opens 1NT (12-14 pts) and the hand on my right doubles. If I have very few points, should I take the double out with only a four-card suit? Barbara Taylor by email.   With a balanced hand, it can be better to leave the double in and hope that one of the opponents runs – or that they misdefend. If you run to a four-card suit, you may find yourself in a 4-2 fit and trying to make a trick more, which is not a good idea.  If you play a conventional means of showing fourcard suits, removing the double becomes much more attractive. It is quite common to play that, if you have a

A

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Page 12

five-card suit then you start with a redouble – partner bids 2♣ and you either pass with clubs or bid your suit if not. If you are playing that, you bid a suit directly to show your lowest four-card suit. That gives you a better chance of finding a fit.



♠ A 6 4 ♥ K Q 8 3 ♦ Q 10 9 3 ♣ K 2

N W E S

♠ 7 5 ♥ J 7 2 ♦ J 6 5 2 ♣ Q 8 6 3

  West North East South 1NT Dbl 2♣1 Pass 2♦ 1 clubs plus another suit

  Knowing that you have a second suit, opener bids 2♦ over 2♣. This enables you to find your fit. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Please can you remind me why you need five hearts to respond 2♥ to a 1♠ opening in Acol? Alan Adams, Romford, Essex.

A

The reason is that this enables you to find both 4-4 and 5-3 fits. You find a 5-3 fit when opener has three hearts and hears partner respond 2♥, showing five hearts. Opener then knows it is safe to raise. How do you find a 4-4 fit? If opener has 5-4 in the majors, opener bids 1♠ first time and rebids 2♥, finding the fit on the second round. If opener is 4-4 in the majors, the opening is 1♥, finding the 4-4 fit straight away. Acol is not alone in requiring five hearts for the 2♥ response to 1♠. It is the same in Precision and Standard American, for example.

Ask Julian continued

bid these hands?  

Q

Is it ever right to raise partner’s opening bid with three cards (including an honour)?  There seems to be a complete mixture of views. Bob Barrow, Guisborough, Yorkshire.

A

The reason for the mixture of views is that the answer depends upon three things: (a) system (b) style (c) rank of suit If you are playing 5-card majors, giving partner a simple raise from 1♥ to 2♥ or 1♠ to 2♠ is routine. If your style is to open 4-card majors whenever you are not in range for a notrump opening (as Bernard Magee, David Huggett and Standard English recommend), you need to be wary about raising with three because partner will often have only four. You would want to wait for hands with three-card support and a singleton (or void) outside. If your style is to avoid opening 4-card majors when you have a reasonable alternative, this puts a different complexion on things. In this case, you can raise more freely, say wherever you have three-card support and any ruffing value (doubleton, singleton etc). Whatever your system, it is rarely right to raise a minor with only three. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Playing 5-card majors, how should we have

West East ♠ Q ♠ A K 7 6 ♥ A K 8 5 3 ♥ Q 6 ♦ A J 8 7 4 2 ♦ Q 6 3 ♣ 8 ♣ 7 6 4 2

West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ End

We made 5♥. Olive Lowis, Southsea.   I suggest the bidding should start 1♦-1♠2♦-3♦-3♥. Although I agree West is not quite good enough to reverse, I do recommend that you open your longest suit. Once West bids diamonds twice, East has an easy raise. Having found out about the diamond fit and that East has better than a minimum response, West is always going to game. On your sequence, I have some sympathy with East’s simple preference to 2♥. Four clubs to the seven is not a stopper and East’s intermediates are generally poor. Perhaps West should make one more effort, bidding 3♦. This is a non-forcing game try showing extra length in diamonds. East would raise this to 4♦ and West would go on to game.

A

♣♦♥♠

Q

With a 13 point 5-3-3-2 hand, I opened 1♠. My LHO overcalled 2♥. My partner doubled and I left it in. She said she had made a takeout double. Why would this be a better call than showing me a minor? Is this a new kind of

One pair bid to 7♦ (3♣4NT-5♦-7♦), six bid to 6♦, eight played in game and three in a partscore. Why did the pairs find the bidding so difficult? Judy Collins, Teddington, Middlesex.

double? Stella Burnett by email.   In club and tournament play, it is common to play something called negative doubles. A (negative) double of a suit overcall shows values and something in the unbid suits. On this auction, your partner might wish to double on a hand that is too weak to bid a new suit at the three level or is too flat to justify emphasising one minor over the other. Something like this perhaps:

A

A

 

♠ 8 5 ♥ 7 4 3 ♦ A Q 9 3 ♣ K J 6 3  

If you had not come across this double then clearly you had not agreed to play it, in which case double would be penalties, unlikely though that is when you have three hearts yourself. ♣♦♥♠

Q

At the Richmond Bridge Club the NorthSouth hands were:



♠ 7 ♥ 8 5 4 ♦ 6 4 ♣ A Q J 9 5 3 2 N W E S



Page 13

♠ A K Q J 5 ♥ Void ♦ A K Q 10 9 8 2 ♣ 4

I share your amazement at the results. The part scores are surely the result of a bidding misunderstanding – South thought a bid (e.g. 3♣-3♦) was forcing while North did not realise this. Leaving that aside, the number of pairs in game is staggering. You must have some very pessimistic players in your club for so many of the South players to allow the bidding to stop short of a small slam. Unless an opponent has four diamonds to the jack or a five-card spade suit, South can count twelve tricks. In the days before Keycard (Five Ace) Blackwood, most of the pairs would have bid the grand slam using the sequence you quoted. Given the 3♣ opening, it would be reasonable for South to gamble that North’s ace is in clubs rather than hearts. Nowadays, for many players, North’s reply to 4NT would show one key card, which could be the ♣K, the ♣A or the ♥A. This makes it far more of a gamble to bid 7♦. Perhaps if South bid 3♦ and then 4NT, diamonds rather than clubs should count as the agreed suit – however, few pairs would have such an agreement. Pre-empts can make life difficult for partner. This is one of those occasions.

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

Ask Julian continued

The Diaries of Wendy Wensum

Q

Episode 4: A Spanish Jaunt

How many points do you allow for doubleton honours, K-Q, K-J, and Q-J when opening the bidding? Fred Sleight, Alicante, Spain.

Part 1: Dramatic Effects

I

A

I use a simple rule of deducting one point for bare honours, so K-Q doubleton is 4 points, K-J doubleton is 3 and Q-J doubleton is 2. ♣♦♥♠

Q

I was South and held:   ♠ A J 8 4 ♥ K Q 10 ♦ A K 8 4 ♣ 8 3

West opened 1♣ and my thoughts were that I would re-open with a double. However, my RHO, East, bid 1♦ on 5 points.  Not knowing what else to say I bid 1♠. Ann Yeldon by email.

A

Nothing is perfect here: 1♠, pass, 1NT and double all have flaws. To overcall with only a 4-card suit, you need a very good suit – A-J-x-x is not good enough. With 17 points, it seems a little cautious to pass. Without a club stopper, you cannot really bid 1NT, so this leaves a takeout double. While it is true that you would prefer to have more than seven cards in the unbid suits, your extra strength should compensate ■ for this.

t was with some trepidation that Millie and I left the safe haven of the Riverside Bridge Club, and set forth from Norwich airport on our first airborne foray into Europe. As we touched down near the Mediterranean coast in sunny Spain, our spirits rose. Although in Millie’s case this was not difficult considering the quantity of in-flight brandy consumed already. As we alighted the aircraft, Millie commented on the absurdity of erecting a garden shed at the end of the runway. As we approached, the shed transmogrified into the terminal building and with formalities completed, we were soon on our way to our hotel. A delightful supper was consumed on the balcony overlooking the beautiful blue sea. Our first continental bridge holiday had begun. I think some of our opponents were suffering from jet lag because the duplicate pairs’ event that evening was going rather well for us, until on the last board a wheel came off the system. As South, I picked up a flattish 14 count and opened 1NT. Millie responded 2♦, our transfer mechanism showing at least five hearts. I announced, ‘Hearts’ and Millie slumped in her chair. I bid 3♥, breaking the transfer to show a good heart

fit and maximum values. Millie slumped further in her chair and bid 3NT. I converted to 4♥ and Millie fell off her chair. West led the eight of diamonds: North Millie ♠ A 9 5 ♥ 6 2 ♦ Q J 7 6 3 ♣ A 9 6 West East ♠ K J 7 4 ♠ Q 8 6 3 ♥ Q 8 5 N ♥ K 9 4 3 W E ♦ 8 4 S ♦ 10 9 ♣ K 7 4 2 ♣ J 5 3 South Wendy ♠ 10 2 ♥ A J 10 7 ♦ A K 5 2 ♣ Q 10 8

West North East South Millie Wendy 1NT Pass 2♦1 Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT Pass 4♥ End 1 transfer to hearts

Although Millie claimed she was drinking tomato juice, I now suspected it was fortified with a generous dose of local brandy of sufficient strength for her to forget our agreement regarding major-suit transfers. I won the opening diamond lead in dummy and led a heart, losing the jack to the queen. The diamond return was won in dummy

Page 14

again and I led the remaining heart, finessing the ten, which held the trick. Then I laid down the ace of trumps, leaving East with the last trump. East ruffed the ace of diamonds and returned a club on which I played low ensuring the contract. The traveller revealed that all other pairs were playing in no trumps making 8 or 9 tricks. The flukey 4♥ contract was a welcome, but undeserved, top. In her delight at what she now regarded as a brilliant strategic bidding sequence, Millie toasted Spanish hospitality and spilled her tomato juice down her beige dress. Simultaneously, a loud bang from a slamming door amplified the dramatic impact. The spreading stain on Millie’s clothing resembled a gunshot wound and as she stumbled from the room, some of the assembled company were seen to pale. A handsome stranger standing by the exit remarked that such drastic action was unnecessary over such a trivial system misunderstanding. The following morning was spent drying and ironing the paper money that Millie had forgotten to remove from her pocket before putting her dress to soak overnight. ‘I knew this travel iron would come in handy,’ she said cheerfully. ‘Is this laundered money?’

Derek Rimington Says

Don’t Bid Again After Pre-Empting

P

laying rubber bridge (or indeed any form of scoring), an opening bid of three or more indicates a hand with a long suit that is too weak to open at the one level. A three-level opening tends to show a seven-card suit. With eight cards, a bid at the four level is normal. Vulnerability is also a factor. You don’t want to lose 500 facing a bust. A player who pre-empts should not bid again unless his partner asks him to do so. Beware of this type of deal:

N/S Vul. ♠ A 10 ♥ A 9 5 2 ♦ A Q 8 5 ♣ K J 2 ♠ K J 9 7 5 4 2 N ♥ Void W E ♦ J 9 3 S ♣ 10 8 3 ♠ Q 8 6 3 ♥ K Q 4 3 ♦ 10 7 ♣ 9 5 4

♠ Void ♥ J 10 8 7 6 ♦ K 6 4 2 ♣ A Q 7 6

West North East South 3♠ Dbl Pass 4♥ 4♠ Dbl End

Position at the table is important and, for that reason, I do not agree with a pre-emptive bid of 3♠ on such barren values, except at this vulnerability or in third position after two passes. The rebid of 4♠ is stupid and insulting to partner. Surely he will know what to do. A preemptive bid indicates a lack of defensive values. Surprisingly, after the probable lead of the ace of hearts, declarer may escape for two down. The initial lead is ruffed and then there are three further entries to dummy for ruffing hearts. With the ♠K-J-9 remaining, West should concede merely 300.

The downside, however, is that by not passing throughout, or by refraining from rebidding, West has robbed East of a lucrative penalty double. 4♥ would fail by several tricks. The responder to a pre-emptive bid is, of course, not barred from raising. He has to visualise the hand opposite, which might have no defensive tricks. Retaining the West hand from the previous example, but varying North’s slightly, let me redistribute the South and East cards as follows: N/S Vul. ♠ A 10 ♥ A 9 5 2 ♦ K Q 8 5 ♣ A J 2 ♠ K J 9 7 5 4 2 ♠ Q 6 N ♥ Void ♥ Q7 W E ♦ J 9 3 S ♦ A 10 6 4 2 ♣ 10 8 3 ♣ K 9 6 5 ♠ 8 3 ♥ K J 10 8 6 4 3 ♦ 7 ♣ Q 7 4

West North East South 3♠ Dbl Pass 4♥ Pass Pass 4♠ 5♥ End

On the first round, East does not bid over North’s double. On the second round, at favourable vulnerability, he bids 4♠ correctly as a sacrifice. Then South takes a view with his seven-card suit and bids 5♥, ending the auction. Clearly, West has no other choice but to lead a spade. Now South has no chance of eleven tricks because the spade loser cannot be discarded in time on a winning diamond. North would probably have doubled 4♠, if given the chance, but it might have cost only 100 – far better than conceding Page 15

620 for the adverse game. Double dummy, the king of diamonds lead would achieve 300 against 4♠ doubled. We finish with a deal supplied by a friend from a match: Love All. ♠ A 9 6 5 2 ♥ A K 10 5 4 ♦ 4 ♣ 9 5 ♠ 10 3 N ♥ J 8 6 W E ♦ K Q J 8 5 3 2 S ♣ 6 ♠ K Q 8 ♥ Q 9 2 ♦ 9 ♣ Q J 10 8 4 2

♠ J 7 4 ♥ 7 3 ♦ A 10 7 6 ♣ A K 7 3

West North East South 3♦ Dbl 5♦ 6♣ End

My friend opened with a routine 3♦. North, not wanting to choose a suit himself, doubled. East, realising that North would have the majors, added to the pre-empt by jumping to 5♦. He reckoned that North-South would bid to 4♥ or 4♠ and so made an advance sacrifice. South was in an unenviable position and chose unwisely – a slam was unlikely with his aceless hand. Some West players would, with no defence and their suit raised, bid 6♦ over 6♣. This is wrong. 6♦ could work only if North-South would make exactly 12 tricks in 6♣. Likewise, East didn’t double 6♣. He feared one of 6♥ or 6♠ might make if South held a void diamond and North a singleton club (swap the minor-suit nines to see what I mean). +100 yielded 11 IMPs when the other North-South made 4♠. I said it before. I say it again, ‘Don’t bid again after pre-empting.’ ■

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Harold Schogger Says

When Holding Up, Use the Rule of Seven

T cards.

his rule helps if you are in 3NT and they hit your weak suit – maybe you have the ace plus low

Example 1

♥ 8 6

♥ K Q J 9 3

N W E S

♥ 10 7 2

♥ A 5 4

West leads the heart king. You want to cut defensive communications. If you wait to take your ace until the third round, this exhausts East of hearts. Example 2

♠ J 10 8 5 2 ♥ 8 6 ♦ J 10 3 ♣ K Q J ♠ Q 7 6 4 N ♥ K Q J 9 3 W E ♦ 7 2 S ♣ 9 6 ♠ A 9 ♥ A 5 4 ♦ K Q 9 5 4 ♣ A 10 2

♠ K 3 ♥ 10 7 2 ♦ A 8 6 ♣ 8 7 5 4 3

There are five hearts between your two hands, so taking five from seven says hold up for two rounds. It works!

♥ 10 8 6 N

♥ K Q J 9 3 W E S



first to exhaust East’s hearts.

♥ 7 2

♥ A 5 4

This time you need to hold up for only one round as East has only two hearts. How do you know whether to hold up for one round or two or not at all? You could go back to first principles each time. The rule of seven speeds up the thought processes. How does it work? Declarer counts how many cards his side has in the suit led and deducts this from seven. The answer is the number of times to hold up. Robert Berthe of France and Gerald Fox of USA devised the Rule of Seven independently. Note that the rule assumes two things: a) The contract is 3NT. b) You expect to lose the lead the same number of times as you have stoppers in the suit led. Let’s see examples 1 and 2 in full deals. On both, you need to knock out the ace of diamonds to make 3NT – you want

♠ J 8 5 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ J 10 3 ♣ K Q J ♠ Q 7 6 4 ♥ K Q J 9 3 N W E ♦ 7 2 S ♣ 9 6 ♠ A 9 ♥ A 5 4 ♦ K Q 9 5 4 ♣ A 10 2

♠ K 10 3 ♥ 7 2 ♦ A 8 6 ♣ 8 7 5 4 3

With six hearts between your hands, taking six from seven tells you to hold up for one round. Again, it works. If you duck twice, a spade shift beats you. It is time now for the exceptions. a) With good lower honours, do not hold up at the cost of a second stopper. For example, if you have 10-x facing A-J-x, or J-x-x facing A-10-x, you ensure two tricks if you take the king or queen with the ace. If you hold up, you make only one. Page 17

b) If a switch would be unwelcome, you win at once and hope for a kind layout of the suit led: ♠ K Q J 3 2 ♥ J 8 ♦ 9 6 ♣ K J 4 2 ♠ 10 8 6 5 N ♥ K Q 10 9 W E ♦ J 10 2 S ♣ 5 3 ♠ A 4 ♥ A 5 4 2 ♦ A 5 3 ♣ Q 10 9 7

♠ 9 7 ♥ 7 6 3 ♦ K Q 8 7 4 ♣ A 8 6



West starts with the king of hearts against your 3NT. You cannot afford a diamond switch, so you grab your ace and hope that the hearts break 4-3. c) At matchpoints, you may need to win quickly to safeguard overtricks: ♠ K Q 5 3 ♥ 8 6 ♦ A 6 4 3 ♣ A K 6 ♠ J 8 6 N ♥ K Q J 9 W E ♦ K 2 S ♣ J 10 5 3 ♠ A 4 ♥ A 5 4 ♦ Q J 10 9 5 ♣ Q 8 2

♠ 10 9 7 2 ♥ 10 7 3 2 ♦♦ 8 7 ♣ 9 7 4

West leads a heart to 3NT. If you hold up twice, you make at most 11 tricks. Best is to hold up only once. This gives you 12 tricks when the diamond king is onside and chances for 9 tricks even if it is offside. ■

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Alison Nicolson

£1,099pp

Stan Powell

£899pp

Tony & Jan Richards

£1,749pp

Crombie & Helen McNeil

£1,649pp

NORDIC NATURAL WONDERS

July 12, 2012 ~ 14 days Harwich ~ Bergen ~ Flåm ~ Akureyri ~ Ísafjördjur ~ Grundarfjördur ~ Reykjavik ~ Tórshavn ~ Harwich

Alex Davoud

£1,499pp

A NORDIC and WHITE SEA ADVENTURE

July 25, 2012 ~ 20 days Harwich ~ Bergen ~ Bodø ~ Murmansk ~ Solovetsky Islands (overnight) ~ Archangel ~ Kirkenes ~ Hammerfest ~ Trondheim ~ Ørsta ~ Florø ~ Harwich

Gary Conrad

£2,199pp

AROUND BRITAIN and EDINBURGH TATTOO

August 13, 2012 ~ 13 days Harwich ~ St Peter Port ~ Fowey ~ Cobh ~ Galway ~ Killybegs ~ Oban ~ Portree ~ Scrabster ~ Kirkwall ~ Rosyth (for Edinburgh) ~ Harwich

Alex Davoud

£1,199pp

OSLO and the MAGIC of NORWAY August 25, 2012 ~ 10 days Harwich ~ Oslo ~ Kristiansand ~ Stavanger ~ Flåm and Gudvangen ~ Ålesund ~ Bergen ~ Harwich

Alison Nicolson

£1,049pp

Tony & Jan Richards

£1,599pp

Sandy Bell

£699pp

September 24, 2012 ~ 12 days Barcelona ~ Sète ~ Rapallo ~ Livorno (for Pisa) ~ Civitavecchia (for Rome) ~ Castellammare di Stabia ~ Messina ~ Brindisi ~ Dubrovnik (overnight)

Tony & Jan Richards

£1,449pp

ADRIATIC and AEGEAN ODYSSEY^ October 5, 2012 ~ 15 days Dubrovnik ~ Pula ~ Venice ~ Koper ~ Hvar ~ Kotor ~ Durres ~ Itea ~ Katakolon ~ Piraeus (for Athens) ~ Canakkale ~ Istanbul (overnight)

Crombie & Helen McNeil

£1,849pp

BLACK SEA EXPLORER^ October 19, 2012 ~ 12 days Istanbul ~ Trabzon ~ Sochi ~ Novorossiysk ~ Yalta ~ Sevastopol ~ Odessa ~ Nesebur ~ Istanbul

Sandy Bell

£1,649pp

COLOURS of the EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN^

Alex Davoud

£1,699pp

HERITAGE of the BRITISH ISLES

May 26, 2012 ~ 11 days Portsmouth ~ Isles of Scilly ~ Douglas ~ Belfast ~ Oban ~ Port of Tyne ~ Greenwich ~ Dover ~ Portsmouth

cabins selling fast

D-DAY, NORMANDY, DUNKIRK and BEYOND June 5, 2012 ~ 9 days Portsmouth ~ Cherbourg ~ St Peter Port ~ Rouen (overnight) ~ Dunkirk ~ Heligoland ~ IJmuiden (for Amsterdam) ~ Harwich SPITSBERGEN and the NORTH CAPE

June 13, 2012 ~ 16 days Harwich ~ Trondheim ~ Leknes ~ Honningsvåg ~ Magdalenafjord ~ Ny-Ålesund ~ Longyearbyen ~ Barentsburg ~ Tromsø ~ Bergen ~ Harwich

BALTIC TREASURES

June 28, 2012 ~ 15 days Harwich ~ Kristiansand ~ Copenhagen ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (three days) ~ Gdynia ~ Szczecin (for Berlin) Sassnitz ~ Kiel Canal transit ~ Harwich

TIMELESS BALTIC September 3, 2012 ~ 15 days Harwich ~ Copenhagen ~ Saaremaa ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (three days) ~ Gdynia ~ Szczecin (for Berlin)~ Sassnitz ~ Kiel Canal transit ~ Harwich

Fly cruises VOYAGE to the MEDITERRANEAN^ September 17, 2012 ~ 8 days Harwich ~ Leixoes (for Porto) ~ Gibraltar ~ Cartagena ~ Barcelona A PORTRAIT of the MEDITERRANEAN^

October 30, 2012 ~ 13 days Istanbul ~ Canakkale ~ Dikili ~ Kusadasi ~ Tartous ~ Beirut ~ Alexandria ~ Piraeus (for Athens)

For passengers interested in a higher grade or Sole Occupancy, please contact our friendly team who will gladly assist with current availability and fares.

Further combinations and grand voyages available ~ please call for details

www.bridgecruises.co.uk Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available, are subject to availability and include all applicable discounts, for new bookings only. Savings shown apply to guarantee fare, where a cabin number may not be allocated at time of booking. Fares shown include current fuel supplements correct at time of printing, but subject to change. All offers are subject to availability, cannot be combined with any other offer or loyalty offer, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. ^On fly cruises, flights from Manchester incur a £20pp supplement (£10pp each way). See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. *Those wishing to play evening bridge, please note that there is a bridge supplement of £30 per bridge player to be confirmed at the time of booking. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.

PROGRAMME This is the format for all Bernard Magee hosted events.

2011/12 BRIDGE WEEKEN

FRIDAY 1500 Mr Bridge Welcome Desk open Afternoon Tea 1745 to 1830 Welcome drinks reception

September 2011 NEW

30 - 2/10 The Olde Barn SEMINAR £235 Finding Slams

1830 to 2000 DINNER 2015 BRIDGE 1 DUPLICATE PAIRS

Denham Grove Near Uxbridge UB9 5DU

SATURDAY November 2011

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

The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

October 2011 Blunsdon House Stayman & T ransfers Improver Section

4 - 6 £235

Inn on the Prom Hand Evaluation

11 - 13 £245

Blunsdon House Suit Establishment

18 - 20 £245

Chatsworth Hotel NEW SEMINAR Finding Slams Denham Grove NEW SEMINAR Squeezes

1230 to 1330 COLD BUFFET LUNCH

7 - 9 £245

1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 2 TEAMS of FOUR or FURTHER SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS

14 - 16 Chatsworth Hotel NEW £245 Playing Suit SEMINAR Combinations

25 - 27 £245

1815 to 2000 DINNER

21 - 23 £245

JANUARY 2012

Denham Grove Game Tries

2015 BRIDGE 3 DUPLICATE PAIRS

6 - 8 £245

Chatsworth Hotel Leads and Defence

SUNDAY 0800 to 0930 BREAKFAST

MARCH 2012

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

23 - 25 £245

NEW Chatsworth Hotel SEMINAR Squeezes

30 - 1/4 £245

Blunsdon House Finding Slams

Blunsdon House Hotel Swindon SN26 7AS

1230 to 1400 CARVERY LUNCH 1400 to 1645 BRIDGE 4 FURTHER SUPERVISED PLAY of SET HANDS or DUPLICATE PAIRS

NEW SEMINAR

Full Board - No Single Supplemen Page 20

Bernard Magee’s Bidding Quiz

NDS with Bernard Magee

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

October 2012

Inn on the Prom St Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU

5 - 7 £245

Denham Grove Splinters & Cue-bids

12 - 14 £245

Blunsdon House Landy Defence to 1NT

19 - 21 £245

Chatsworth Hotel Signals and Discards

The Olde Barn Hotel NEW SEMINAR Squeezes

27 - 29 £245

Inn on the Prom Losing Trick Count

The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

June 2012 8 - 10 Blunsdon House NEW £245 Playing Suit SEMINAR Combinations 15 - 17 £245

Chatsworth Hotel Doubles

2. Dealer East. Game All. ♠ Void N ♥ K 8 7 6 5 W E ♦ J 3 2 S ♣ K 9 8 3 2

West North East South 1♠ Pass ?

November 2012 NEW

2 - 4 £245

Blunsdon HouseSEMINAR Squeezes

9 - 11 £245

Inn on the Prom Declarer Play

16 - 18 £245



3. Dealer East. Love All. ♠ 10 6 3 2 N ♥ 3 2 W E ♦ 7 6 5 S ♣ 9 8 7 4

NEW SEMINAR

Chatsworth Hotel Finding Slams NEW

23 - 25 Denham GroveSEMINAR £245 Playing Suit Combinations Chatsworth Hotel Worthing BN11 3DU



1. Dealer West. Game All. ♠ 7 6 ♥ A K Q J 9 7 3 2 N W E ♦ 8 2 S ♣ 2

West North East South ?

APRIL 2012 20 - 22 £245



30 - 2/12 Chatsworth Hotel £245 Endplay & Avoidance

nt - See booking form on page 11 Page 21

West North East South 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass ?

4. Dealer North. Love All. ♠ K Q 7 6 5 N ♥ 4 3 W E ♦ 3 S ♣ J 8 6 4 2

West North East South 1♦ 1♠ Pass ?

Answers to Bernard Magee’s  Bidding Quiz on page 21

1. Dealer West. Game All. ♠ 7 6 ♠ J 10 9 3 N ♥ A K Q J 9 7 3 2 ♥ 8 4 W E ♦ 8 2 ♦ A 7 6 3 S ♣ 2 ♣ 9 8 7

West ?

North

East

South

4♥. Although you have eight-playing tricks in hearts, this does not mean you should open with a strong bid. By tradition, Acol Twos show ‘Hands of strength & quality that can take eight playing tricks in the selected trump suit’. As a partnership, you should set a minimum for the point strength for your strong two bids; I suggest that 16 HCP should be the minimum. If you open this hand at any level lower than 4♥, you are likely to allow the opponents in to the auction. This would be a disaster, for your opponents can make 5♣ on this deal, or a slam if one of them has a heart void. Over a 4♥ opening, it is difficult for them to bid accurately. When you have a hand that will make many tricks playing in your suit but very few playing in any other, it is a pre-emptive type of hand – you should consider opening it at the three- or four-level.



2. Dealer East. Game All. ♠ Void ♠ A K 7 4 3 ♥ K 8 7 6 5 N ♥ 4 W E ♦ J 3 2 ♦ 9 6 5 4 S ♣ K 9 8 3 2 ♣ A Q 4

West North ?

East South 1♠ Pass

1NT. In modern Acol, the general guidelines are that a 2-level response shows more strength than a 1NT response (6-9). Therefore, the requirement for a 2-level bid is ten points: this can include points for length but not for shortage (especially when it is in partner’s suit). Your suits are of such poor quality that I would add only one point on for the two of them, which leaves you a long way short of the requirement, so you should settle for 1NT. 1NT wins the contract and should make. Had you responded 2♥, you would have to decide what to do over 2♠. The 1NT response acts as a rubbish bin for all hands that cannot show a suit at the 1-level and lack the strength to bid any higher.



3. Dealer East. Love All. ♠ 10 6 3 2 ♠ A K Q J 5 ♥ 3 2 N ♥ A 10 9 W E ♦ 7 6 5 ♦ A Q J S ♣ 9 8 7 4 ♣ K Q

West North East South 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass ?

2NT. You have shown fewer than seven points with the 2♦ negative response; what does your partner’s bidding mean? East has said, ‘No matter how weak you are, I want to play in game; I also have five or more spades.’ You must not

pass. You have four spades, so spades are the right denomination. However, you want to slow your partner down. Start by making the double negative: 2NT at your second turn; then rebid 4♠ over your partner’s next bid. Having started with the 2♦ negative, 2NT shows 0-2 points and this means your partner will settle for a game contract. Therefore, the full auction is: 2♣-2♦-2♠-2NT-3NT-4♠.



4. Dealer North. Love All. ♠ K Q 7 6 5 ♠ A J 10 8 4 ♥ 4 3 N ♥ 7 6 5 W E ♦ 3 S ♦ 10 6 2 ♣ J 8 6 4 2 ♣ A 5

West ?

North East South 1♦ 1♠ Pass

4♠. When partner has overcalled, if you have good distribution and good support, you should be prepared to raise to the level of your fit. This means bidding to make the number of tricks equal to the number of cards in your fit. Your partner’s overcall shows 5+ spades and you have five spades too: at least a 10-card fit so bid to make ten tricks: 4♠. If you follow this rule most of the time, you will tend to get very good results. Here, while there is no chance of making 4♠, with two distributional hands you can make a surprising number of tricks: nine. You will lose two hearts, one club and one diamond only. How many tricks might you make against 4♥? You would make just one spade and one club. ■

BEGIN BRIDGE – ACOL VERSION

An Interactive Tutorial with Bernard Magee



Learn to play bridge from the very beginning with Britain’s best-known teacher

£66

See Mail Order form on page 7.

System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM

Page 22

DEFENCE QUIZ

Mr Bridge

RUBBER / CHICAGO

by Julian Pottage



(Answers overleaf)

Y

ou are West in the defensive positions below. It is your turn to play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT.

1. ♠ 10 8 5 ♥ K Q 6 4 ♦ Q 10 8 5 ♣ A 5 ♠ K 7 4 N ♥ 10 9 5 W E S ♦ K 7 ♣ 10 8 6 4 2

West North East South 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♥10, on which go the king, eight and two. The ♦Q runs to your king. What do you do next? 2. ♠ A K 5 ♥ Q ♦ Q 8 7 5 3 ♣ 8 6 4 2 ♠ 6 4 N ♥ A J 10 6 W E ♦ 9 6 S ♣ K 10 9 7 5

3. ♠ A K 8 ♥ K Q 10 9 ♦ Q J 8 4 ♣ A 9 ♠ 10 7 N ♥ A 7 4 W E S ♦ A 9 7 ♣ J 10 7 4 2

The Olde Barn Hotel, Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

The Olde Barn Hotel 12-14 August 2011

West North East South 1♥ Pass 1NT Pass 3NT End

hosted by Diana Holland

Ardington Hotel 30 Sept-2 Oct 2011

You lead the ♣4: ♣9, ♣Q, ♣3. Partner returns the ♣8, which runs to the ace. Declarer plays a low diamond to the two and king. What do you do?

hosted by Diana Holland

20-22 April 2012

hosted by Shelia Rogers Please note there are no seminars or set hands at these events

4. ♠ J 10 5 ♥ K 4 ♦ A K Q 9 4 ♣ 8 7 2 ♠ A 7 4 2 N ♥ 9 5 3 2 W E ♦ 7 S ♣ A K 10 9

£199 Full-board No Single Supplement

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ End

You lead the ♠4. Declarer wins in dummy and leads the ♥Q to your ace. How do you continue?

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♠ End

You lead the ♣A, ♣K and a third club. Declarer drops the ♣Q on the second round and ruffs the third. A low trump goes to the jack, which wins. Back comes another low one to the king, on which East throws a diamond. What now?

Ardington Hotel, Worthing BN11 3DZ

Please see booking form on page 11.

Page 23

Answers to Julian Pottage’s  Defence Quiz on page 23 1. ♠ 10 8 5 ♥ K Q 6 4 ♦ Q 10 8 5 ♣ A 5 ♠ K 7 4 N ♥ 10 9 5 W E ♦ K 7 S ♣ 10 8 6 4 2 ♠ A J 6 ♥ 2 ♦ A J 9 3 2 ♣ K Q 9 3

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ End ♠ Q 9 3 2 ♥ A J 8 7 3 ♦ 6 4 ♣ J 7

West North East South 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT End

You lead the ♥10, on which go the king, eight and two. The ♦Q runs to your king. What do you do next? You led a heart because declarer, who bid both minors and then showed a spade stopper, was likely to be weak in hearts. Nothing has happened to change that view. On the first trick, your partner played the eight of hearts. This was a good play on two counts. Firstly, withholding the ace has kept communication between the defensive hands. Secondly, the play of the eight, a high spot card, was an encouraging signal. You should continue with the nine of hearts. This way, your side scores four hearts and a diamond.

2. ♠ A K 5 ♥ Q ♦ Q 8 7 5 3 ♣ 8 6 4 2 ♠ 6 4 N ♥ A J 10 6 W E ♦ 9 6 S ♣ K 10 9 7 5 ♠ Q J 10 9 3 ♥ K 9 7 4 ♦ A 4 ♣ A 3

♠ 8 7 2 ♥ 8 5 3 2 ♦ K J 10 2 ♣ Q J

You lead the ♠4. Declarer wins in dummy and leads the ♥Q to your ace. How do you continue? As on the previous deal, you chose your lead carefully in the light of the bidding. With your good four-card heart suit, you foresaw the possibility of heart ruffs in dummy. You have now seen the singleton heart in dummy and seen declarer lead it. All this means you were on the right lines. You should keep up the good work by playing a second trump. Unable to take two heart ruffs in dummy, declarer may try to set up the diamond suit but will find that East has the suit well covered. A better plan for declarer might have been to win the first trick in hand and set about the diamonds. As the cards lie, the contract would still have failed.

3. ♠ A K 8 ♥ K Q 10 9 ♦ Q J 8 4 ♣ A 9 ♠ 10 7 N ♥ A 7 4 W E ♦ A 9 7 S ♣ J 10 7 4 2 ♠ Q 6 3 ♥ J 5 2 ♦ K 5 3 ♣ K 6 5 3

West Pass

4. ♠ J 10 5 ♥ K 4 ♦ A K Q 9 4 ♣ 8 7 2 ♠ A 7 4 2 N ♥ 9 5 3 2 W E ♦ 7 S ♣ A K 10 9 ♠ K Q 9 6 3 ♥ A Q 8 6 ♦ 6 3 ♣ Q 3

♠ 8 ♥ J 10 7 ♦ J 10 8 5 2 ♣ J 6 5 4

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♠ End ♠ J 9 5 4 2 ♥ 8 6 3 ♦ 10 6 2 ♣ Q 8

North East South 1♥ Pass 1NT 3NT End

You lead the ♣4: ♣9, ♣Q, ♣3. Partner returns the ♣8, which runs to the ace. Declarer plays a low diamond to the two and king. What do you do? Once more, you have found a lead about which you should be happy. With

Page 24

the queen and ace of clubs gone, your jack-ten are equals against the king. When you take your first ace, you can set up the suit. When you take your second ace, you can run it. What is more, there is no time to lose. If you duck the diamond, declarer may switch to hearts and make game with three spades, three hearts, one diamond and two clubs. You should take the diamond, drive out the king of clubs, take the first heart and cash the rest of your clubs.

You lead the ♣A, ♣K and a third club. Declarer drops the ♣Q on the second round and ruffs the third. A low trump goes to the jack, which wins. Back comes another low one to the king, on which East throws a diamond. What do you do? With four trumps, you decided correctly to play a forcing game. Declarer, who started with five spades, has had to ruff once and so has the same number left as you. How do you make declarer ruff again? If you win the trump and play another club, dummy will ruff rather than declarer. This is not what you want. You need to hold up your ace of trumps until the third round. Only then do you play a fourth round of clubs. You will end up with a second trump winner for the set ■ ting trick.

Mr Bridge Christmas & New Year 2011

DECLARER PLAY QUIZ by David Huggett (Answers overleaf)

Y

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

1.

♠ 9 4 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ 8 6 5 ♣ A Q 8 6 4

3.

N

N

W E

♠ K J 2 ♥ K 7 5 3 ♦ A K 9 ♣ K 10 3

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♠5. East plays the ♠Q. How do you plan the play?

2.

♠ A 10 7 5 3 ♥ A 9 6 5 ♦ 7 3 2 ♣ 6

S



4.

N

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

24-27 December £355 Just Bridge & Any Questions Jo Walch 27-29 December £199 Suit Establishment Alex Davoud

♠ A 8 5 3 2 ♥ A J 8 3 ♦ A 6 ♣ K 3

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

N

W E

S

♠ K ♥ Q J 10 8 3 ♦ A 6 5 ♣ K Q J 3

Near Uxbridge, UB9 5DU

♠ K Q 3 ♥ 3 2 ♦ A J 6 3 2 ♣ A K 4

You are declarer in 6NT and West leads the ♠10. How do you plan the play?

W E



Denham Grove

W E

S



♠ A J 5 2 ♥ A K 7 ♦ K 9 5 ♣ 8 6 5

S



♠ K Q J 7 6 ♥ K 5 4 2 ♦ 8 ♣ A 9 2

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

You are declarer in 6♠ and West leads the ♣Q. How do you plan the play?

Please call if you would like a sample copy of the programme

Page 25

Answers to David Huggett’s  Play Quiz on page 25 1. ♠ 9 4 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ 8 6 5 ♣ A Q 8 6 4 ♠ A 10 8 5 3 N ♥ Q 10 8 2 W E ♦ J 7 4 S ♣ 2 ♠ K J 2 ♥ K 7 5 3 ♦ A K 9 ♣ K 10 3

♠ Q 7 6 ♥ J 9 ♦ Q 10 3 2 ♣ J 9 7 5

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♠5. East plays the ♠Q. How do you plan the play? You know from the lead that West started with either a four or a five-card spade suit, presumably headed by the ace. It would do you no good to duck the queen because West would refuse to win the next spade lead and so still have communication with East. A count of the top tricks indicates that you need only four club tricks to guarantee the contract and it might look safe just to play that suit from the top. Look what happens if you do. East will win the fourth round, lead a spade through your fragile holding and West will collect four spade tricks. So just take the king of spades, cross to dummy with the ace of clubs and then lead a club to the ten. Even if it loses, you have guaranteed your contract.

2. ♠ A 10 7 5 3 ♥ A 9 6 5 ♦ 7 3 2 ♣ 6 ♠ J 9 4 2 N ♥ 7 4 W E ♦ Q J 10 8 S ♣ A 10 4 ♠ K ♥ Q J 10 8 3 ♦ A 6 5 ♣ K Q J 3

♠ Q 8 6 ♥ K 2 ♦ K 9 4 ♣ 9 8 7 5 2

You are declarer in 4♥ and West leads the ♦Q. How do you plan the play? The defence have started out on the right foot; at first glance, it might seem that you will succeed only if the heart finesse is right. However, you can discard one of your losing diamonds on the ace of spades as long as you can be sure of getting to dummy before losing the lead. So take the ace of diamonds and cash the spade king. Next, enter dummy with the ace of hearts – eschewing the finesse – and discard a low diamond on the ace of spades. Only then continue trumps; you will find that the tricks you lose are just one heart, one diamond and the ace of clubs.

3. ♠ A J 5 2 ♥ A K 7 ♦ K 9 5 ♣ 8 6 5 ♠ 10 9 8 4 N ♥ Q 8 5 W E ♦ Q 10 7 4 S ♣ J 7 ♠ K Q 3 ♥ 3 2 ♦ A J 6 3 2 ♣ A K 4

♠ 7 6 ♥ J 10 9 6 4 ♦ 8 ♣ Q 10 9 3 2

You are declarer in 6NT and West leads the ♠10. How do you plan the play? The slam is an excellent proposition; a quick count of the available tricks shows that the contract will make as long as you can be sure of coming to at least four diamond tricks. It might seem as though you can just play a diamond to the king and finesse on the way back. If you do that, you will be in difficulties if West started with an original holding of four to the queen-ten. As it happens, you can guarantee making four diamond tricks even if they break 4-1 by playing off the ace first and then leading low, intending to play the nine from dummy if West plays a low card.

Page 26

Either the nine will win or the suit will have broken 3-2. Of course, if West discards on the second diamond, you play the king from dummy and then lead low towards the jack. Note that, as a matter of general technique, you should win the first spade in hand, though on this occasion it would not be serious if you blocked the suit by winning it in dummy.

4. ♠ A 8 5 3 2 ♥ A J 8 3 ♦ A 6 ♣ K 3 ♠ 9 4 ♥ 6 N W E ♦ Q 10 7 3 2 S ♣ Q J 10 8 5 ♠ K Q J 7 6 ♥ K 5 4 2 ♦ 8 ♣ A 9 2

♠ 10 ♥ Q 10 9 7 ♦ K J 9 5 4 ♣ 7 6 4

You are declarer in 6♠ and West leads the ♣Q. How do you plan the play? If you can make at least three heart tricks, the contract will be secure because you can ruff a club in dummy. A far better plan than just hoping that something nice happens in the heart suit is to aim for an elimination play. Win the lead in dummy and draw trumps. If you play correctly, the contract is a certainty because you can eliminate both the minor suits before tackling the hearts. Cash the ace of clubs, ruff a club, cash the ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond. Then play the king and another heart; you intend to finesse against the queen unless West shows out, in which case you just play low from dummy, forcing East to win. What can he do then? Since you have no minorsuit cards left in either hand, but trumps in both hands, a minor suit will give a ruff and discard; a heart will be into the tenace – you make twelve tricks either ■ way.

Andrew Kambites’

Tutorial Bridge Breaks

Lead Quiz You are West in the auctions below. It is your lead. (Answers overleaf.)

DECEMBER 2011

Ardington Hotel Worthing BN11 3DZ

2-4 The Ardington £215 Game Tries Ned Paul

1 ♠ A 10 9 8

January 2012

♦ K Q 4 2

N

W E

♥ 7 4 3 S ♣ 8 5

13-15 The Ardington £245 Declarer Play Sandy Bell

Staverton Park Nr Daventry NN11 6JT

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥

OCTOBER 2011

MARCH 2012

14-16 The Ardington £215 Losing Trick Count Sandy Bell

9-11 The Ardington £245 Hand Evaluation Crombie McNeil

14-16 The Olde Barn £199 Sacrificing Gary Conrad

9-11 Blunsdon House Hotel £245 Signals and Discards Alison Nicolson

28-30 Staverton Park £199 Better Defence Alex Davoud

NOVEMBER 2011 18-20 The Olde Barn £199 Endplay & Avoidance Crombie McNeil

The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

20-22 £245

The Ardington Further into the Auction Alex Davoud

The Ardington Take-out Doubles Improvers Crombie McNeil

30-1/4 The Ardington £245 Stayman & Transfers Ned Paul

APRIL 2012

18-20 Staverton Park £199 Stayman & Transfers Improvers Stan Powell 25-27 £215

23-25 The Ardington £245 Sacrificing Ned Paul

27-29 Blunsdon House Hotel £245 Game Tries Alison Nicolson

NOVEMBER 2012

Blunsdon House Hotel Swindon SN26 7AS

9-11 Blunsdon House Hotel £245 Suit Establishment Ned Paul

Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ End

2 ♠ 6 4 3 2

N

♥ 7 4 3 W E S

♦ K Q 4 2 ♣ 8 2

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ End

3 ♠ 4 3 ♥ K Q 7 5 4 ♦ Q 4

N

W E S

♣ K Q 4 2 West North East South 1♥ Pass 3♦ 4♠ Pass Pass 6♥ Pass Pass 6♠ Dbl End

FEBRUARY 2012

The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

10-12 £245

The Ardington Take-out Doubles Improvers Alex Davoud

24-26 £245

The Ardington Suit Establishment Gary Conrad

4 ♠ A 6 ♥ J 10 8 7 ♦ K 10 5

N

W E S

♣ A Q 5 3 Blunsdon House Hotel Swindon SN26 7AS

West North East South 1NT 2♣1 Pass 2♠

See booking form on page 11.

Page 27

End 2♣ Landy showing majors

1

Answers to Andrew Kambites’  Lead Quiz on page 27 1. ♠ 7 ♥ 8 6 5 ♦ A 9 5 3 ♣ A Q 9 3 2 ♠ A 10 9 8 N ♥ 7 4 3 W E ♦ K Q 4 2 S ♣ 8 5 ♠ K Q J 5 4 ♥ K Q J 10 9 ♦ 7 6 ♣ 4

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ End ♠ 6 3 2 ♥ A 2 ♦ J 10 8 ♣ K J 10 7 6

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ End

South has shown five hearts (he bid hearts twice) and so at least five spades. North may be very short in spades and your spade holding suggests trying to prevent spade ruffs in dummy. The best lead is the ♥3. East wins with the ♥A and returns a trump. Declarer plays a top spade but West takes the ace and perseveres with a third trump. Declarer cannot avoid losing two spade tricks, the ♥A and a minor suit trick. If you lead the ♦K unwisely, it is too late to prevent one spade ruff in dummy. Hint: With a strong holding in declarer’s side suit, a trump lead may stop declarer from ruffing losers in dummy.

2. ♠ K 5 ♥ Q 10 9 ♦ 10 8 3 ♣ A K 9 5 4 ♠ 6 4 3 2 N ♥ 7 4 3 W E ♦ K Q 4 2 S ♣ 8 2 ♠ Q J 10 9 7 ♥ A K J 8 6 ♦ J 6 5 ♣ Void

This time, your wretched spade holding will hold no terrors for declarer, so there is no point in trying to stop spade ruffs in dummy. Declarer has shown at least ten cards in the major suits. Dummy has bid clubs. There is a serious danger that declarer will throw his losing diamonds on dummy’s top clubs, so you should aim to take what you can in diamonds before it is too late. Lead the ♦K. The defenders will take the first three diamond tricks and the ♠A. On a trump lead, declarer can discard two diamonds in his hand on dummy’s ♣A and ♣K, making eleven tricks.

3. ♠ A 8 7 ♥ 3 ♦ 9 8 6 5 3 2 ♣ J 10 9 ♠ 4 3 ♠ 2 N ♥ K Q 7 5 4 ♥ A J 10 9 W E ♦ Q 4 S ♦ A K J 10 7 ♣ K Q 4 2 ♣ A 8 3 ♠ K Q J 10 9 6 5 ♥ 8 6 2 ♦ Void ♣ 7 6 5

West North East South 1♥ Pass 3♦ 4♠ Pass Pass 6♥ Pass Pass 6♠ Dbl End ♠ A 8 ♥ 5 2 ♦ A 9 7 ♣ Q J 10 7 6 3

No doubt you instantly had a king on the table, but this is wrong. Your side has the vast majority of high cards. Your opponents are sacrificing: the question is not whether you will beat them: it is by how much. You must aim for the juiciest penalty possible. Ask yourself where declarer’s tricks are likely to come from.

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Not much outside the trump suit, so you should concentrate on cutting down his ability to make his trumps separately. Lead the three of trumps. If you lead a trump and persevere with another trump when you regain the lead, declarer can ruff only one heart in dummy and is four down. Hint: Consider leading a trump if your opponents are clearly sacrificing against your high-level contract.

4. ♠ K Q J 4 3 ♥ K Q 6 5 2 ♦ Q 4 ♣ 2 ♠ A 6 N ♥ J 10 8 7 W E ♦ K 10 5 S ♣ A Q 5 3 ♠ 10 9 7 ♥ 3 ♦ J 8 7 3 2 ♣ K J 7 6

♠ 8 5 2 ♥ A 9 4 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ 10 9 8 4

West North East South 1NT 2♣1 Pass 2♠ End 1 2♣ Landy, showing the majors.

North has shown both majors. South has picked spades. Declarer may have a sound holding in the major chosen, and shortage in the other one. West should lead a trump, trying to prevent declarer from ruffing hearts. West starts with the ♠A and follows up with the ♠6. Declarer wins trick two in hand and leads the ♥3 but partner takes the ♥A and switches to his last trump. Unable to trump any of his heart losers, declarer is very short of tricks and is likely to go down two tricks. Failure to lead a trump allows declarer at least one heart ruff in his hand. Hint: Consider leading a trump if one of your opponents has shown a twosuiter and the other opponent has picked ■ one of these suits.

David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

Must the Meaning of Any Bid be Explained to the Opponents if Asked?

Q

South ends in 4♠ having bid 3♥ earlier. With West’s opening lead face down on the table, East asks about the 3♥ bid. North replies that he does not have to give an answer as there was nothing about the bid on his convention card. Is this right? Roger Grimsdick, Salisbury.

A

The player was talking absolute rubbish. All agreements between players, explicit or implicit, must be fully and freely available to their opponents. He had a duty to answer the question as a matter of law. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Our opponents were investigating a slam in spades. After a call of 4NT, one of them responded 5♠. When asked, the 4NT bidder said, ‘We are playing Roman key card so my partner has said that she has two of the five key cards together with the queen of spades.’ The final contract was 6♠ but when dummy went down it did not hold the queen

of trumps. Dummy apologised for getting her bid wrong. In fact, declarer held the trump queen. How does one explain a bid when you know from your own hand that partner cannot have what the bid shows without either misleading the opponents or revealing information about your hand? J T Bunch, West Yorkshire.

A

Your opponent’s answer to the question was correct, ethical and legal. He has a duty to describe his partnership’s agreements, nothing more or less. He should continue to do so even if he knows the explanation cannot be what partner has in his hand. ♣♦♥♠

Q

As South, with 13 points and ♦A-K-x-x-x, I opened 1NT. West doubled. Partner bid 2♦ (Jacoby transfer). East doubled. With no support for hearts, I passed. West also passed. Partner bid 2♥ and East jumped straight to 3NT. I led the fourth highest of my diamond suit. When

dummy went down he had ♦Q-x-x. East said, ‘I’ve been set up’ and let it run to my partner’s J-x. The jack won and a diamond return meant I won the next four tricks: one off. They called the director, who gave a ruling against us. I do not know why. Jean Lawrence by email.

A

As the explanation was correct, I have no idea why the ruling went against you. If the director did not explain his ruling to you, he did not do his job properly. Your opponent’s comment is the sort of bad behaviour the English Bridge Union is trying to stamp out. The director should have given him a warning at least about behaviour. Sorry, I think you were unfortunate both in your director and opponents. ♣♦♥♠

Q

While playing in 4♣ with 10 tricks played, declarer noticed that one of the defenders had five cards left in her hand. He called the director, who concluded that she must

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have picked up two cards after playing them. The director could not establish which two cards the defender had withdrawn from played tricks, so he allowed play to continue leaving the offender with two cards in her hand. At the end of the play, the contract was three down; he adjusted this to one down, i.e. penalising the offending side two tricks. As it turned out, the only other pair in 4♣ also went one down. Anthony Bluett, Swindon.

A

The laws do not really allow for a director to fail to find out what happened. He should find the two tricks that are short, get one card put in each (which does not change ownership) and apply two one-trick revoke penalties. The actual ruling was a practical effort that probably came to the correct answer.

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

If we use the Banzai 5-4-32-1 method of valuation, whereby a hand with four tens, four jacks and two queens would suffice for an opening bid, should we announce it as 8 to 14? Geoffrey Fairhall, Lyminge, Folkestone, similar from Peter Belanny.

A

You can play any form of hand evaluation you like so long as it is easily explainable. However, that does not mean you should be unhelpful: saying 8 to 14 suggests you open most hands (if not all) within that range. I think you want to find out what it usually comes to in Milton Work points, and indicate that. For example, saying, ‘Roughly 11 to 14: note we use a different form of evaluation’ and explain in full if asked. Note that if a hand contains only 8 HCP, then it is illegal to open it as part of your 1NT opening: it requires a minimum of 9 points (or 10 at Level 2). ♣♦♥♠

Q

If declarer leads out of the wrong hand, can he correct this if the next hand has not played? Can the defenders insist that the lead from the wrong hand stays? Phil Hickman by email.

A

The other side may accept any lead out of turn. Therefore, if declarer leads from his own hand or dummy while the lead is in the other hand, either defender may accept

the lead out of turn. If declarer calls for a card from dummy it becomes a played card, so once he has called for it, the defenders may accept it if they wish. Furthermore, once he has led from the wrong hand, dummy may not point it out and should keep quiet. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Playing rubber bridge, an opponent asked to look at the last trick and insisted that it is permissible to look even after they have been collected and placed face down on the table. Is this correct? Anne Sandercock by email.

A

Yes, it is correct. Basic rubber rules are that you play cards by throwing them into the middle of the table; the winner of the trick (or his partner) collects the four cards and places them face down in front of them. Until the start of the next trick, any player has the right to ask to see them. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Please can you tell me if you should ever alert a double above 3NT? Margaret Stagg by email.

A

Although you don’t alert doubles of higher contracts, doubles of 3NT are alertable in the normal way. Someone recently got confused and thought a double ‘of 3NT’ was ‘above 3NT’. The only doubles above this that are alertable are where someone bids a suit and their opponent doubles, and this double tells partner to lead some other suit. The most common

example of this is a Lightner Double: suppose a pair reach 6♠ after dummy has bid clubs, their opponent doubles and this asks for a club lead: that is alertable.

A

Since the bidding is so simple, I can answer this one easily: the hesitation does not suggest pre-empting, so 4♦ is legal and the result stands.

♣♦♥♠ ♣♦♥♠

Q

We bid 3♥ and made it doubled. Our opponents claimed that we should not get the 500 bonus for a vulnerable game. If they are right, how do we have the expression ‘doubling into game’? Teresa Barnard by email.

Y

our opponents are wrong. Trick points count towards game. If you are in 3♥ doubled and make it, this is 3 times 30 times 2 trick points, i.e. 180. Game is 100, so this is game. The answer is the same whether you were playing duplicate or rubber bridge. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Would you allow 5♦ doubled to stand or change the final contract to 4♠?

♠ 8 6 4 ♥ Void ♦ K 10 9 8 7 4 2 ♣ 9 8 7 ♠ A 10 9 7 2 ♠ K Q 5 3 ♥ K 10 5 2 ♥ A 9 7 6 4 3 N ♦ J ♦ 6 W E S ♣ 6 5 2 ♣ A 10 ♠ J ♥ Q J 8 ♦ A Q 5 3 ♣ K Q J 4 3

West North East South 1♥ Pass* 1♠ 4♦ 4♠ 5♦ Dbl End *After 30 seconds hesitation

David Oglesby by email.

Page 30

Q

I was declarer in 3NT – a slightly tricky contract – and my RHO, who was on lead, suddenly paused for about 3 or 4 minutes at about trick 4. I made 3NT but I could easily have forgotten what cards had gone in the previous tricks due to the huge pause. Was the pause fair or reasonable? John Collins by email.

A

It is reasonable to stop to think when you have a problem. Even a long think is reasonable so long as a player does not do it too often and delay the round unnecessarily. If you do not remember the cards, I am afraid that is unfortunate but nothing more. Most experienced players play some tricks faster than do less experienced players but stop to think when they need to work out something. That is permissible. There is only an advantage to pausing if their partners use the information that they have a problem. Players convey unauthorised information to their partners all the time at bridge, through hesitations, bidding quickly after a stop card, or even grimaces or body language. In fact, there is a slight disadvantage: ethical partners will do their best to take no advantage, sometimes going a little too far the other way to make sure they are ethical.

Ask David continued

Q

Declarer led a small diamond, my partner followed and dummy played another small diamond from the suit headed by queen and king. When I played the jack, declarer realised that dummy had preempted his call and said I should put my jack back into my hand and then he played one of the high diamonds on the table. Declarer said that as dummy plays no part in the game, he (declarer) had the right to do this. This meant that the other players knew I had the jack. What are the implications? Valerie Taylor, Beckenham, Kent.

A

If dummy puts in the played position a card declarer did not name, declarer may correct it and a defender may take back any card played thereafter. However, this does not mean everyone knows the whereabouts of the jack. Your jack is unauthorised information to declarer, ie. information he must not use, though it is authorised to partner, so he may use it.

ever does) and passes them to his right. That player cuts the pack towards the dealer, after which the dealer completes the cut and deals. ♣♦♥♠

Q

After RHO opened 1♦, I overcalled 4♠. I had ♠A-K-Q-x-x-x-x-x and a bust. RHO asked my partner whether this was a strong bid or a preempt. She said she took it as strong. Should I have corrected this, and, if so, at what stage? Mrs I M Penning, Bratton Clovelly, Okehampton.

A

If your side buys the contract, you should correct an incorrect explanation when you become declarer or dummy; if you become a defender, you correct it at the end of the play.

♣♦♥♠

Q

We have a bell after which no table can start a board. Do we score any missed boards as not played or as average? Mrs I M Penning, Bratton Clovelly, Okehampton.

♣♦♥♠

Q

When the dealer’s RHO has cut the cards, can the dealer cut them again? Patricia Hutton, Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire.

My partner, East, opened 1♣. South who held 5-5 in the red suits, overcalled 3♣, duly alerted. I had 8 points with six spades to the ace. I asked North, who explained that it was Ghestem, showing five spades and five diamonds (a correct explanation). I wanted to bid my spades but, thinking that South had five spades, I passed. We ended in 5♣ going down with 4♠ an easy make. Was the director right to rule that the result stood? Stewart Everitt by email.

A

You have a right to know the system the opponents are playing, even if they do

♣♦♥♠

Q

No: dealer gets the cards from his left, gives them a final shuffle if he wants (nobody

A

not know it. In this case, you had a correct explanation of their methods. Players make mistakes all the time, fortunately, otherwise the game would be a lot harder. Unfortunately, there is no rule that when an opponent makes a mistake you will always gain. When a player makes a wrong bid, like a wrong lead or play, that is unfortunate – but that is all that it is. On balance, if opponents make a hundred mistakes, about sixty will not matter, and you will gain from about thirty-five of them. The remaining five may be annoying – I am afraid that is life.

A

Certainly, you should not score it as ‘not played’. This term is for boards that a table is not due to play under the movement. You have a duty to give averages (plus, minus or plain average) to any board that a table is due to play but does not do so for any reason. Normally, the director should find out who is at fault, giving them average minus and their opponents average plus. If neither pair claims that their opponents were at fault, it is reasonable to give average to both pairs. It is very easy to score averages by computer. The software, for example Jeff Smith’s excellent free program, will work averages out perfectly using a complicated formula called Neuberg.

Page 31

Q

We were playing a Hesitation Mitchell. One table played a board the wrong way round. The pair who played N/S bid and made 3NT for a top. Their opponents felt aggrieved, thinking they might have made 3NT had they held the N/S cards as per the movement card. The director said they had to score it as played, with the pair who played N/S entered as N/S in the Bridgemate. Is this right? Jean Lewis, Altrincham.

A

From your description, I think the director got it right. No matter how the movement card said that they should have played it, they must score it as played. If bidding and making 3NT gives N/S a top, this is the correct score. ♣♦♥♠

Q

I understand that an opening Weak Two bid requires an announcement while a Weak Jump Overcall requires neither an announcement nor an alert. What is the position for a Weak Jump Shift Response (e.g. 1♦ (Pass) 2♥)? If it requires an alert, why is this so when the Weak Jump Overcall does not? David Pollard by email.

A

A weak jump response requires an alert. With no alert, an opponent would expect a strong-game forcing hand. I do not see the connection with a jump overcall, which is a different position with different expectations. Nobody expects a jump overcall to be both strong and forcing.

Ask David continued

Q

You were discussing an auction in which South opened 1♠, West overcalled 3♣ and North doubled, intending it for takeout. Surely, once partner has bid, any double should be for penalties. I would not ask my partner to name his best suit when he had already announced it. This was what I learnt sixty years ago. Valentine Ramsey, Sherborne, Dorset.

A

It is true that the meaning of many calls has changed over time, none more so that doubles of overcalls, which used to be for penalties with few exceptions, but nowadays are for takeout with few exceptions. Please note that my articles are not trying to teach you how to play bridge, but what the rules are. Because people found it too difficult to follow the previous alerting rules for doubles, a new simpler version was introduced, namely that when a player bids a suit below the four level, a double by his opponent is assumed to be for takeout if not alerted. What could be simpler? Now, in some cases, you alert doubles even when you think the meaning is obvious, but the most important thing was to produce a rule that players can follow easily. If you want to play a double of an overcall for penalties, as you learnt originally, feel free to do so – but you must alert it.

Q

After my partner overcalled 1♦ with 1♠ holding only four spades, he admonished me for not alerting. Should I alert a natural bid like this? Peter Rollin, Tamworth, Staffs.

A

No, you do not need to alert possible fourcard overcalls. They should be on your system card (formerly convention card). I am afraid people are very fond of inventing rules then telling opponents they should follow them. ♣♦♥♠

Q

East opens 1NT and North, after two passes, bids 2♥. South alerts and explains that this shows hearts and diamonds. When 2♥ becomes the final contract, North explains that his partner has made a mistake: their agreement is that 2♥ shows hearts and clubs. When East plays on clubs expecting West to be short, North ruffs the second round. This sets up dummy’s clubs, giving declarer extra tricks. Mike Brumby, Dore, Sheffield.

A

I would ask North why he bid 2♥ and to see a system card. It is a very rare, though legal, way to play 2♥. If N/S can convince me that they play it as hearts and clubs and North has either psyched or misbid, there is no reason to adjust. I must say it all seems very fishy. ■

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

Page 32

Klinger’s Flippers Acol Bridge Flipper, Duplicate Bridge Flipper, Opening Leads Flipper (with Mike Lawrence), Memory Aids and Useful Rules

all by Ron Klinger, reviewed by Sandra Landy. Available from the London Bridge Centre ( 0207 486 8222

D

espite being Australian, Ron Klinger is one of the best writers on the Acol system in the world. His books cover Acol agreements on bidding, play and defence and even I can learn from them. He also produces a range of flippers, which my students love. Go to any bridge event for new players and you will see people clutching their Acol Bridge Flipper as though it were their Bible. It is an excellent summary of the Acol system. I must give a word of warning – when you are playing in a duplicate, you may not consult the flipper in the middle of the auction, wait until the hand is over. At least you will get it right next time. The Acol Bridge Flipper is not the only flipper you might find useful. The Opening Leads Flipper is full of hints on choosing the opening lead in 14 different situations. In the Leading against Slams Flipper, Klinger gives the useful hint, ‘Do not lead a singleton if you hold an ace,’ obvious really as partner will not have a second ace and you could destroy your partner’s holding in the suit if you lead it. He could have added, ‘Never underlead an ace against a slam,’ as one student in my class insisted on leading the 2 from A-K-4-2, saying, ‘I thought you lead your fourth highest.’ The Duplicate Bridge Flipper covers common conventions and a defence to them. For example, against an opponent’s weak two, a 2NT overcall shows 16-18, 3NT shows 21-22, but with 19-20 double first and bid no trumps next if a major suit fit isn’t found – of course a stopper in the suit is needed as well! Memory-aids and Useful Rules is full of helpful hints, such as, ‘when should you make a takeout double of an opening bid with a weaker hand?’ He suggests: three or more cards in every unbid suit with opponent’s suit being the shortest. Work out your shortage points – a doubleton is 2 points, a singleton 4 points and a ♠ Q J 7 3 void is 6 points. If shortage points ♥ Void plus high card points is 15 or more, ♦ A 7 6 4 ♣ Q 10 9 5 2 you can make a takeout double. This hand starts with only 9 HCP. Add six for shortage points giving 15. Klinger’s Rule of 15 says make a takeout double. For many years, I have been looking for a justification for my overbidding – at last, I have found it!

READERS’ LETTERS strictly private I received my copy of BRIDGE already, for which I thank you. Today, I received a separate brochure from HPB. However, I don’t know who else would have given them my name but you (I could, of course, be wrong), but kindly ensure that my details are not given to any other organisation in future.

treats the insured within the reciprocal agreements by accepting the EHIC card to pay for most of the costs. In the event that an insured is not happy with a decision, they have the right to complain to the insurer. As far as we are aware, no such complaint has been made.

June Posey by email.

Philip Bacon, Managing Director, Global Travel Insurance.

We do not give out members’ details to any organisations or individuals.

This letter has reminded me to obtain new EHIC cards for Mrs Bridge and myself.

GLOBAL REPLY

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

In BRIDGE 107, I saw the letter from Mr E Johnson under the heading ‘buyer beware’. I would like to reply. The claim from Mr Johnson was indeed declined. It was declined due to the fact that he, the insured, had failed to comply with the conditions of the insurance. These require that any person admitted to a hospital as an inpatient must contact our medical emergency service. The insured failed to do this. There are many reasons for having this condition, the principal one being to protect the insured. We need to be able to make sure that the insured is well enough to travel after their admission and, in many cases, we assist in arranging repatriation. We also need to control costs, making sure that there is no unnecessary treatment and, in particular, that within the EU countries, Spain in this case, the local facility

I am an elderly lady whose association with bridge is antediluvian – well at least from before the Second World War. As a small child, I would peep through the banisters and watch my mother’s bridge friends arriving in evening dress for a bridge party. I was playing bridge myself at 12 years old and yes, of course, we played Culbertson (open on 2½ tricks). We have all moved on a bit since those days. In fact, I taught basic Acol for beginners and obtained my bridge teaching qualifications from EBUTA way back in 1987. Once a teacher, always a teacher. I am not only puzzled but quite concerned. I play at a little club where there are often several beginners and I have encountered a truly amazing difference of opinion on the subject of overcalls and take out doubles.

When the opposition have opened the bidding and you are next in hand – I would teach that you should overcall when you have a good 5-card suit (wide point range depending on suit quality, level at which overcall is made ....I won’t go into details) and that this overcall neither promised nor denied an opening bid. You might have 12 or more points and be trying seriously to buy the contract (sacrificing if necessary), or you may just be trying to disrupt the enemy bidding space, or even just suggesting a lead. In fact, a one spade bid over one club is worth its weight in gold and can be made, nonvulnerable, on as little as 8 points. But, I repeat, an overcall does not deny an opening bid, it is an important tool in any form of bridge. On the other hand, you may have 12 or more points and no biddable suit with which to overcall. With 16 or more points and stoppers in the enemy suit, you may overcall 1NT. But if you have a shortage in the enemy suit and modest support in the other three, you should make a takeout double. You are forcing your partner to bid and to choose the suit. You are promising, at the very least, an opening hand and preferably more points than this. But, and this is the essence of this letter, I have been told that if you have 12 or more points you should

not overcall. You should always double. Is this really the latest thing in bidding? Is this modern bridge – or is it a misunderstanding that has crept in? This old dinosaur would like to know. Mrs D Gill-Carey, St Agnes, Cornwall.

EYE OPENER As a rubber bridge player, I have often wondered why I cannot take to duplicate. After reading David Stevenson in your April issue, with his reference to the differences between Permitted Agreement 11N7 and Permitted Agreements 11P and 11P3C, I believe I can see why. Michael Zaidner by email.

GREAT FUNDRAISING The Exeter Golf & Country Club Bridge Section’s Annual Charity Swiss Teams in aid of Hospiscare was again a great success. Since the inception of this event, £52,824 has been raised for the local hospice. Mr Oliver Amor, Chairman Bridge Section, Charity Committee.

GREAT IDEA It might help resolve some of the problems people face with their lapsing registrations if you were able to put information about their current status on the address panel. Paul Oates, Shirley, Surrey. Coming soon.

REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE

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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

CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTS 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 24 RNLI. Duplicate bridge competition for the Dick Powell Trophy. 1.45pm. Tickets £5. South Wootton Village Hall, Kings Lynn. Cream Tea, raffle. Ivan Gerstel ( 01553 768236

SEPTEMBER 2011 7 GYDA (Gulu Youth Development Association, Northern Uganda) Corn Exchange, Faringdon. £15. Steve Braithwaite ( 01367 240929 16 ST MARY’S CHURCH Eaton Socon, St Neots. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.00. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480 212910 22 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLUB. Outlane Golf Club 12 for 12.30pm. £44 per table including lunch. Brian Noble ( 01484 427536 23 RIDING FOR THE DISABLED Village Hall, Hemingford Abbots. 10.00 for 10.30. Cost: £14.00. Sue O’Donovan ( 01487 822701 27 St Teresa’s HOSPICE Richmond Support Group ‘Bridge the Gap’. 2pm. Hudswell Village Hall. Play will be directed by Mike Baker. Tickets £10. ( 01748 850208 28 PRINCESS ALICE HOSPICE Putney Leisure Centre. 10 for 11am. £68 per table includes lunch and prizes. Pam Turner ( 0208 995 2270

OCTOBER 2011

SIGNALLING

7 ST ANDREW’S CHURCH The Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton. 10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00. Mavis Campion ( 01480 860477 15 RNLI. Cheltenham Bridge Club. 10.30am-4pm. Lunch & glass of wine. £15pp. Margaret Beverley ( 01242 510193 21 CHESHIRE HOMES. Village Hall, Hartford, Hunts, Cambs. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480 212910 21 VICTORIA SCHOOL’S SPARKLE APPEAL Lytchett Matravers’ Village Hall, Dorset. 2pm. £24 per table, includes prizes, raffle and afternoon tea. Stella Brake ( 01202 624224 [email protected] 28 OUR KINDERGARTEN IN BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA Our Lady Queen of All Creation RC Church, Rant Meadow, Hemel Hempstead. 9am tea/coffee. 9.45am bridge starts. Hot lunch. £15pp. Pat Henry ( 01442 391087

NOVEMBER 2011 11 HEMINGFORD VILLAGE HALL & ADDENBROOKES HOSPITAL CANCER UNIT. Village Hall, Hemingford Abbots. 10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00. Ann Tooher ( 01480 352789 24 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLUB. Outlane Golf Club. 12 for 12.30pm. £44 per table including lunch. Brian Noble ( 01484 427536

Ken Brookes, Ledbury.

ONLY A LITTLE LIE

DECEMBER 2011 6 St Teresa’s HOSPICE, DARLINGTON. Christmas party at St George’s Bridge Centre, Darlington. 1.15pm. Only £5 to include festive tea and luxury prizes. ( 01325 469785

E-mail your charity events: [email protected]

Further to your response to the letter in the June issue of BRIDGE regarding a discard signalling system, my partner and I play a version of HELD (High Encouraging, Low Discouraging) that we call HELOSSC (High Encourages, Low Other Suit Same Colour). This has the advantage over HELD that the low card not only discourages, but suggests a specific suit. There are usually two ways of suggesting a lead – a high card is more noticeable when one can afford it, but, when one can’t, a low card is equally suggestive although less noticeable. To give an example: if I want to suggest a heart lead I would discard either a high heart (7 plus) or a low diamond (6 minus). One can also use the system to show either lack of help to partner or to guide him away from opening up a new suit. If I am discarding on spades, say, I discard a low club which asks for a spade, showing that I can’t help with a new suit. I think it a particularly simple system for the ordinary club player, being based on HELD with which they are already familiar.

On Alan Solomon’s quiz hand, BRIDGE 107 p6, I am surprised that none of your experts have suggested the unusual 2NT saying, ‘I have two five-card minors, please bid your better one.’ It is true that there are only four clubs but they are such good ones that such a minor fib is surely acceptable.

Page 34

 On quite another matter, the layout with quiz answers on the page following the questions is so much better than having to search all over the magazine for them. Elizabeth Lonkhurst by email.

APPRECIATION The location of quiz answers on the page following the questions is a great help. Humphrey Miller by email.

I’m so glad you’ve noticed.

HELP PLEASE Please provide some articles on tactics for playing teams and the difference between teams and duplicate pairs. Mr Chasmer by telephone.

No need for help. At our level, don’t worry about it. Just make your contract.

EXPLANATION I have just received an EBU booklet intended as a gesture of goodwill in recompense for the long delay. Your covering note left me a little confused and I would welcome clarification. Mr S Hanslip, Normanton, West Yorkshire.

The proposed contents of Bridge Club Direction Simplified is to be published in a forthcoming issue of BRIDGE. The EBU booklet is the best currently available.

WAY FORWARD At its forthcoming AGM, my club is to consider whether to buy a computerised dealing system. The general opinion is no, but I feel this is because the members have had no experience with them. I would like to have your opinion. Would you advise using them or not? I have played with them elsewhere and find they make for an improved night’s bridge.  E Clark by email.

READERS’ LETTERS continued

P2P At the last AGM, our club withdrew from the EBU because of the introduction of P2P. This withdrawal was to be reconsidered at this year’s AGM (June). As Chair, I would like to give the club the best advice possible, hence the following question. Do you know of any source of information as to the success, or otherwise, of P2P during this year? Any comment or advice from you on this subject would be greatly appreciated. Mr John Pettet by email.

Ned Paul replies: As you may know, I wrote a few articles reviewing the introduction of P2P unfavourably and did not and have not affiliated any of my playing groups via P2P. As a result, two clubs that I operate left the EBU and the possibility of affiliating other groups was lost. It is just over a year now and attendance at my clubs has not been affected greatly. There is admittedly a wide selection of games local to me (SW London), some affiliated and some not, so people do have a choice. But what comes across is that people choose the game because of the standard of bridge offered or the social ambience of the game, not on whether it is affiliated or not. Take Mondays for example. The biggest game in my area is one where only a fairly heavily restricted bidding system is allowed, discouraging better or more ambitious players (quite a lot of what Bernard Magee recommends is not allowed). This is affiliated and awards masterpoints. Those who

play in it seem to enjoy both the exclusion of players who play differently from them and the masterpoints. Another affiliated game locally on the same night is known as an ‘expert’ game but that discourages ordinary players, whether ambitious or not. Again on Mondays, in a venue between these two games, I run an unaffiliated game in a nice venue with a bar and try and maintain a good social atmosphere while allowing any normal bidding system. I find that if you introduce yourself at the table and are pleasant in describing any conventions you play, other players will be interested intellectually in how your bidding works rather than hostile to it which is the normal reaction at many clubs. In this way, people stay more open to good bidding ideas and good practice spreads faster. Weak twos, transfers, splinter bids, unassuming cue bids are all regarded as pretty normal and even strong club systems are tolerated. I think I have the nicest players and 15 tables each Monday tells me I am doing something right. So, with regard to your club, what would affiliating and paying P2P bring to your club? There are a number of benefits none of which are compelling or unique, except that masterpoints will be awarded. These have no value except to accumulate to gain various ranks of long service award in the EBU, but, like any other collection habit, certain people do get keen on them. These players then tend to vote as a block at club AGMs because, like any other group, they like the idea of other people’s money subsidising their own spending. The club has to pay

for everyone but only the masterpoint collectors get anything they value. If you are that keen on masterpoints then there should be a ‘beacon’ club, as the EBU call it, in your area where they can go and play with like minded players, and the other clubs should just concentrate on being nice places to play bridge where bridge is played ‘properly’ but people value each other’s company just as much as caring about the results. Of course, it would be great if we had a national federation which was inclusive but, under the present bridge regime, that is not on offer. And it is the club that faces unremitting monthly bills for P2P, not the individual, and for the size of bill the club management should ask what value the club is getting. In London, none of the bigger proprietorial clubs – Andrew Robson, Acol, my clubs, Putney BC, Ruff Club, etc – are affiliated and a lot of nice-cup-of-tea-and-a-biscuit little clubs are not either. I don’t think anyone plans to change any time soon. Those that are in have got used to the bills. Those that are out? Well, people still come.

LIFE-SAVER Last year, due to family issues, illness etc., I lost all my confidence and gave up playing bridge. I really missed it. When I was starting to feel a little better I began taking advanced lessons and hope to soon return to competitive bridge.

THE FOLLOWING ARE AMONG THOSE WHO SENT IN USED STAMPS U3A members, Hampstead, London. Mrs S Robertson, NSW, Australia. Mrs B Marks, London N2. Mrs A Bell, Middlesex. Mrs K Adamson, Oxton. Mrs M Maxwell, Newton Stewart. Mr & Mrs R Wallis, Hampshire. Mr & Mrs V Cochrane, Eastleigh, Hants. Miss A Fitzpatrick, County Down. Mrs J Staples, Pulborough. Mrs Cook, Lightwater. Mrs L Kirkpatrick, Fife. Mrs J Papworth, Cambridge. Mr M Rennolds, Kent. Mrs M Sells, Enfield. Mr & Mrs Milton, Kent. Mr & Mrs R Harriman, Solihull. Mrs J Shackell, Middx. Mrs B Quinton, Sutton Coldfield. Mrs M Robinson, Heswall. Mrs Ellis, Cheam. Mrs A Reid, Banchory. Mr A Connel, Great Dunmow. Mrs B Blacklin, Hayling Island. Mrs Allgood, Bath. Mr & Mrs M Barron, Halifax. Mrs P Holman, Oundle. Mrs M McKinnon, Glasgow. Mrs Wylie, Sutton Coldfield. Mrs Adamson, Prenton. Mrs Thompson, Durham. The Association of Wrens, London. Mrs P Wood, Nelson, Lancs. Mr B Leonard, Hazel Grove. Mr P Smith, Isles of Scilly. Mrs J McCartney, Falkirk. Please keep saving your used stamps for Little Voice and send them to:

Colin Bamberger, 179 High Road, Trimley St Mary, IP11 0TN

WHAT’S BEST David Stevenson says that ‘there is no requirement for any player to point out an established revoke by himself or partner. Neither the laws nor the general ethics of the game require it,’ see page 18 in BRIDGE 107. I cannot see that this can be described as being ‘Best Behaviour at Bridge’. In golf, it is normal and expected and indeed part of the game that you call a penalty on yourself. Other sports have the same code. The calling of a penalty on partner or self should be made without question.  Mr E Noble, Bognor Regis, West Sussex.

OVER THE POND

Are there any plans to publish the A-Z of bridge as a separate reference book?

Please continue to include me in your mailing. I feel that BRIDGE is so much better than the ACBL Bridge Bulletin that we have here in the U.S. which includes 18 pages of who won what, where and when.

Andrew Ellis, Christchurch, Dorset.

Mr J Rebello, Deerield Beach, Florida.

Mrs W M McKeever, Knutsford, Cheshire.

GREAT READ

Page 35

READERS’ LETTERS continued

SIGNALS Regarding the Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage in BRIDGE 107, we use McKenney Discards, which would have solved every question with ease. Why not publish an article on McKenney Discards? Chris Plant, Skircoat Green, Halifax.

Look forward to it in October.

ALSO COMING SOON Just thought I would send you an email to say how good Bernard’s Bidding Quiz was in BRIDGE 107. Normally, I get most of the auctions right, but this time I got only one right. Please can we have more problems like these? The answers were so obvious afterwards. Mrs J Davies, Romsey, Hampshire.

NOT ME You have a big mark-up on duplicate flippers. Mr L Simpson, Solihull.

Unless your purchase is clearly branded QPlus or Mr Bridge, it is not, repeat not, from Mr Bridge.

HOSTESS REPLIES In reply to Mr Brooks of Doncaster, see Readers’ Letters BRIDGE 107, I have been running Mr Bridge Chicago weekends for many years and would be happy to supply some ideas if he would like to email me; [email protected] Better still, book for one of the rubber/Chicago events and get ideas first hand. Diana Holland by email.

PRODIGAL’S RETURN Like Mr Wallace, letters BRIDGE 107, I returned recently to the game after a

long absence to discover the delights of bidding boxes, alerts and announcements. Assuming that, like me, he plays duplicate bridge at a local club, I think his attitude to these recent innovations is somewhat dismissive (‘they do no harm’ is surely damning with faint praise). Bidding boxes have a number of obvious advantages. They help minimise unauthorised information (eg the double with the voice of thunder, obviously for penalties). They prevent bidding errors due to mishearing (‘Hearts’ vs. ‘Pass’). They remove the need for time-consuming requests to repeat the bidding and they allow the person considering the opening lead to review the bidding easily. I have yet to meet a player who thinks that bidding boxes are not a good idea. As for the alert and announcement procedure, I think it’s obvious why there has to be an alert procedure for certain bids. The announcement (eg, ‘1214’ for 1NT, ‘Spades’ for a 2♥ transfer bid) is simply a recognition that some bids are used so widely, and requests for information so likely, that the EBU have decided that it is simpler and quicker for partner to make an immediate announcement rather than issue an alert and wait for the inevitable question. The justification is, it saves time. Information about alerting and announcing is available via the EBU website and other sources, but I agree that a brief article covering announcing and bidding box usage could well be useful. In my experience, some club players do seem to be unaware of all the details. Dave Simmons, Buntingford, Herts.

WORTHY PLUG Anyone for Afternoon Bridge in Norfolk? We are a duplicate bridge club which meets at Bawburgh Village Hall (just off the southern bypass) every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon at 1.30pm. All hands are pre-dealt and scoring is done using Bridgemates. We are a friendly club welcoming all abilities. Bridge events in our calendar include Sim Pairs, Teams and Pairs’ Championships. Four ‘All Day Bridge Events’ are held in the course of the year, which are happy social events with lunch provided by outside caterers. Come and give us a try, preferably with a partner, but we do have a ‘find a partner’ scheme. See our website at www.bawburghbc.com Felicity Leigh by email.

LETTER IN TWO PARTS Just to tell you that my wife and I are enjoying version 10 of QPlus. We find the bidding more accurate and the layout very clear indeed.

We have enjoyed some wonderful home baked cakes, cookies and biscuits. I have asked the ladies to provide me with copies of their recipes. Would your readers be interested? Bernice Bailey, Dorking, Surrey.

BIDDING BOX HISTORY In response to Mr Allan Mitchell Wallace, see Readers’ Letters, BRIDGE 107, I wish to point out that bidding boxes were originally designed for deaf people, like myself. A few years ago, my lip-reading class was terminated due to lack of funding and I was in desperate need of another brain-storming occupation. Fortunately, I plucked up the courage to attend a local beginner’s bridge class. I am now hooked on duplicate bridge and once again use bidding boxes. Mrs C Turley, Gerrards Cross, Bucks.

NEED A COACH?

LET THEM EAT CAKE

As an enthusiastic bridge player of many years, I am sadly no longer able to play due to failing eyesight. I would however like to share my lifetime’s experience of the game to encourage other players. I have coached a fellow player for several years and am keen to offer free tuition to others in the district. ( 01243 262092.

I attend an afternoon bridge club, where we take turns to provide the tea each week.

Mr R Gardiner, Aldwick, Bognor Regis, ■ West Sussex.

John Newbold by email.

PS. I also want to say that I am really pleased that you have the answers to the various quizzes over the page. It means that I can cut out just one page if I want to and keep that quiz for future reference.

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 36

A to Z of Bridge compiled by Julian Pottage

D DANGER HAND

During the play of a contract, it can be dangerous to lose the lead to one opponent but safe to lose it to the other. The hand that declarer needs to keep off lead is the ‘danger hand’. Sometimes you can organize life accordingly: ♠ Q 2 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ 10 7 ♣ A Q 10 9 3 2 ♠ A J 10 9 3 ♠ 7 6 5 N ♥ J 4 2 ♥ 10 9 6 5 W E ♦ K 6 4 S ♦ 9 8 5 ♣ 8 4 ♣ K 7 5 ♠ K 8 4 ♥ K 8 3 ♦ A Q J 3 2 ♣ J 6

West leads the ♠J against 3NT. The contract is at risk if the defenders make four spade tricks and one of the minor-suit kings. You have a choice of finesses to take. At this stage, it is unclear which defender will be the danger hand, the hand to whom you do not want to lose the lead. Dummy covers with the ♠Q, which holds the trick. Since the ♠K is vulnerable to a lead through it, East becomes the danger hand. Accordingly, you take the diamond finesse into the West hand. If East held the ♠A, the ♠Q would not hold (swap the ♠A and ♠7). You would duck the second spade and win the third round with the ♠K. West,

with the long spades, would be the danger hand and you would instead finesse clubs into East. DATUM

The average of the scores obtained on a board (i.e. add up all the scores and divide by the total number of scores). In most sizes of field, the calculation ignores one or more of the top and bottom scores to give a more representative score. The purpose of calculating the datum is so that you can compare an individual pair’s score with the datum and convert it to IMPs. As an example, suppose the scores on a board are +1100, +620, +620, +620, +140 and -100. Ignoring the top score (+1100) and the bottom score (-100), the total score is 2000. Dividing this by 4 gives 500, which is the datum. DEAD

A hand is ‘dead’ if there is no entry to it.

as the dealer does not deal the cards physically. DEALMASTER

Software for organizing, analyzing and creating deals that is popular with bridge teachers and journalists. DEALING MACHINE

An electronic device for dealing cards. It usually requires cards to have special markings (similar to bar codes). Dealing machines are very useful for large tournaments (where there are a large number of boards to deal), for simultaneous pairs’ events (where each club will play the same deals) and for clubs that wish to provide players with hand records at the end of a session. DECEPTIVE PLAY

The play of a card, or a line of play, with the express intention of deceiving opponents about the true lie of the cards.

DEAL

1 To distribute the 52 cards, one card to each player in turn starting with the player on the left of the dealer. 2 The set of four hands dealt.



N

♠ 8 7 6 W E S



Dealing precedes the bidding and play. At duplicate, most dealing occurs at the start of a session and (unless a relay table means some boards are not in play) players do not deal in later rounds. In some types of competition, the players do not deal at all: the director presents the boards with the cards already dealt. DEALER

The person who deals (at rubber bridge or Chicago) and makes the first call. At rubber bridge, the dealer rotates after each deal. At duplicate, the board stipulates the dealer and the term ‘dealer’ means ‘first bidder’ Page 37

♠ A J 9 4 ♠ K Q 10

♠ 5 3 2

If South, the declarer leads a spade from hand and finesses dummy’s nine, East might win deceptively with the king (or queen). Declarer may then waste an entry returning to hand to take a further finesse. If East won the first round of spades with the ten, declarer would know at once that the suit would not run for one loser. DECK

A pack of playing cards. DECLARATION

The final contract.

A to Z of Bridge continued

DECLARER

The member of the partnership who first bid the denomination of the final contract. West North East South 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♠ End West North East South 1NT Pass 2♣ 3♣ End

In the first auction, West, who bids spades before East, becomes declarer. In the second auction, West again becomes declarer. South is an opponent and so his 2♣ bid has no significance in determining the eventual declarer. DEEP FINESSE

1 A finesse when three or more cards higher than the card finessed are missing.

DEFECTIVE TRICK

A trick that contains fewer than or more than four legally played cards. Assuming the players pay attention to the game, defective tricks are extremely rare.

432

Needing two tricks in this suit and with plenty of entries, South plays a low card from hand planning to play the nine if West follows low. If the nine loses to the king or queen, South can later take a simple finesse of the jack. 2 A computer program that analyses, on a double-dummy basis, lines of play on a deal; it shows which result in success and which in defeat. Printouts of computer deals often show makeable contracts as computed by Deep Finesse. DEFEAT THE CONTRACT

To win, in defence, enough tricks so that declarer cannot make his contract even if he wins all the remaining tricks. If the contract is 3NT, the defenders need to score at least five tricks to

In fourth seat, a simple method is to treat the auction 2♦(Multi) – pass – 2♥ the same as 2♥(weak) – pass – pass and 2♦(Multi) – pass – 2♠ the same as 2♠(weak) – pass – pass. DEFENCE TO OPENING THREE-BID

1 The two defenders – these are East-West if North-South buy the contract and vice versa. 2 Term also refers to the line of play or defensive strategy that the defending side adopts.

Term given to a partnership agreement about entering the bidding after an opponent’s pre-emptive three-level opening. At one time, it was common to play 3NT as for takeout and the next development was a variety of conventional takeout bids. It has now become almost universal to play double for takeout whether you are over or under the bid.

DEFENCE TO 1NT

DEFENDERS

DEFENCE, THE

Term given to a partnership agreement about entering the bidding after an opponent’s 1NT opening bid. There are a number of conventions in use because nothing is entirely effective in overcoming the pre-emptive effect of a 1NT opening. More and more players are using a simple defence called Landy, whereby a 2♣ overcall shows both majors and all other suit overcalls are natural.

AJ9 N W E S



defeat the contract. In a grand slam, the defenders need only a single trick to defeat the contract.

DEFENCE TO ARTIFICIAL STRONG CLUB

Term given to a partnership agreement about entering the bidding after an opponent’s strong artificial 1♣ opening bid. Since game for the nonopening side is unlikely, it is usual to bid on weak distributional hands with the aim of disrupting the opposing bidding. DEFENCE TO MULTI

Term given to partnership agreement about entering the bidding after an opponent’s Multicoloured Two Diamond opener. In second seat, you expect to get two chances to bid, which increases your options. You can bid directly 2♥, 2♠, 3♣ or 3♦ as natural, 2NT to show a strong notrump. Double is usually two-way, showing either a balanced hand too weak to bid 2NT or any strong hand. In sixth seat (i.e. when you are in second seat but pass first time), double of 2♥/2♠ is for takeout. Page 38

During the play, the non-declaring side. During the auction, the defenders are the non-opening side, though it is rarer to find the term used this way. DEFENSIVE BIDDING

Bidding by the non-opening side, sometimes with an obstructive intent. DEFENSIVE TRICK

During the bidding, a holding that you expect to win a trick even if the opponents buy the contract; during the play, a card combination that wins a trick for the defending side. Aces and kings are quite likely to win tricks whatever the contract. By contrast, a holding like J-10-x-x is unlikely to win a defensive trick unless it is in the opposing trump suit. DELAYED GAME RAISE

When partner opens one of a major suit and the responder has the values for game, it is valuable to distinguish between hands with distributional values and hands with both trump support and all round strength (usually 13 to 15 points). In the first case, a direct raise to game, which has the additional value of having a pre-emptive effect, is in order. In the second case, bidding a second suit and then bidding game in partner’s opening suit at the next opportunity may better describe the hand – a delayed game raise. For example:

DIRECTION

A to Z of Bridge continued

North, South, East or West.

A 5 N



♠ K J 6 3 ♥ 8 2 ♦ A 5 3 ♣ A Q 7 5

With this hand, after partner opens 1♠, you respond 2♣ knowing you can bid 4♠ next time. The use of splinters and 2NT as a game-forcing raise of partner’s major has made the delayed game raise less common than it once was. DELAYED SUPPORT

An invitational raise in partner’s first bid suit on the second round of bidding, usually showing three-card support, as in this sequence: West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass 3♥

DENIAL BID

A bid that indicates lack of support for partner’s suit (e.g. 1♠-Pass-1NT), or general weakness such as the 2♦ response to an Acol 2♣ opening. DENOMINATION

A general term meaning clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, or notrumps. During the auction, the denominations follow that rank, with clubs as the lowest and no-trumps as the highest. DEPO

Convention handling intervention after a Blackwood 4NT bid. The name is a mnemonic for ‘Double Even Pass Odd’. A double after intervention shows zero, two or four aces, a pass shows one or three. Due to the ambiguity, most pairs do not use this method, preferring DOPE or DOPI. DESCHAPELLES’ COUP

Defensive play involving the sacrifice of a high card in order to gain entry to partner’s hand. For example:

W E Q 6 4 K873 S J 10 9 2

When requiring an entry into partner’s hand, East makes the Deschapelles’ coup by leading the king. If dummy’s ace wins, the queen becomes an entry; if declarer allows the king to hold, East leads another card to the now bare ace, establishing the queen as an entry. DEUCE

A colloquial name sometimes used in reference to the two. Derivative from deux (French) and duo (Latin). DEVIL’S COUP

A rare coup whereby a seemingly certain trump loser vanishes. For example: ♠ 9 ♥ K 10 ♦ Void ♣ Void ♠ 8 ♥ Q 7 N W E ♦ Void S ♣ Void ♠ Void ♥ A 9 ♦ Q ♣ Void

♠ Void ♥ J 8 4 ♦ Void ♣ Void

Hearts are trumps, and South, declarer, leads the ♠9 from dummy. East ruffs and South will overruff. If East ruffs with the ♥J, South ruffs with the ♥A and finesses the ♥10. If East trumps with a lower card, South ruffs with the ♥9 and takes the top two trumps for the final two tricks. DIRECT KING CONVENTION

If, during the auction, a member of the partnership reveals how many aces he has, a subsequent Blackwood 4NT enquiry will ask him about kings. As the associated conventions that disclose aces early in the auction have gone out of popular use, this convention is now quite rare. Page 39

DIRECTIONAL ASKING BID (DAB)

After an overcall, a cue bid of the opponent’s suit by either member of the opening side asks partner to bid no-trumps if he holds a partial stopper (or better) in the opposing suit. To make such a bid it would be usual to hold a partial stopper oneself. For example:

♠ J 6 3 ♥ A Q 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ A Q 8 5 3

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ 2♦ Pass 2♠

DIRECTOR

This person organises the movement of pairs and boards as well as dealing with any irregularities that arise. Most clubs have a playing director as it is hard to find volunteers to give up an evening to serve as director. In a tournament, there would be a non-playing director. DISCARD

A card played to a trick that is neither of the suit led nor of the trump suit.

♠ Void ♥ J 7 5 3 ♦ 10 7 5 4 3 ♣ Q 7 4 2

On a spade lead, if spades are trumps or there are no-trumps, any card you play will be a discard. On any other lead, you will be following suit rather than making a discard. The term ‘discard’ is also a verb, meaning to make a discard. DISCOURAGING CARD

A card signalling the fact that a defender does not wish to have the suit led or continued. In standard methods, you discourage by playing low (the lowest card you hold in the suit).

On the preceding deal, South’s distribution is 3-4-3-3, North’s is 2-33-5 and East’s is 2-3-4-4. The spade distribution is 6322, the heart and diamond distributions are 4333 and the club distribution is 5431.

A to Z of Bridge continued



♠ Void ♥ 7 5 2 ♦ Q 10 7 5 4 ♣ K J 9 4 2

DISTRIBUTIONAL POINT COUNT

If partner leads a heart or you discard a heart on a spade, you would be likely to want to discourage hearts by playing the two. DISCOVERY PLAY

A declarer who tests the distribution of the outstanding cards in the unseen hands before committing himself to one line of play is making a ‘discovery play’. For example: ♠ 6 4 ♥ A J 5 ♦ A Q 9 ♣ K 10 7 3 2 ♠ J 10 7 5 3 2 ♥ 9 8 6 N W E ♦ 5 4 3 S ♣ 6 ♠ A K Q ♥ K Q 7 4 ♦ K 8 6 ♣ A J 4

♠ 9 8 ♥ 10 3 2 ♦ J 10 7 2 ♣ Q 9 8 5

West leads the ♠J against South’s 7NT. You have twelve top tricks and the thirteenth will come from a successful finesse against the ♣Q. By playing off the winners in spades, hearts and diamonds, you find that West started with a 6-3-3-1 distribution. You can cash the ♣K and finesse against East on the second round of clubs confidently. DISTRIBUTION

Distribution assesses the number of cards in a suit as dispersed around the table or in an individual player’s hand. For example: 5-4-3-1 ‘distribution’. This is also the hand’s ‘pattern’ or ‘shape’. A hand or deal with a lot of distribution will have more than the average number of singletons or voids.

Points based on distribution that you add to the High Card Points’ value of a hand to estimate its playing strength more accurately. A number of methods are in use, some based on shortages, others on length. For example: The standard Goren Count (or 3-2-1 count) adds three points for a void, two for a singleton and one for a doubleton. When the partnership has a good fit, Goren recommends adding five points for a void, three for a singleton and one for a doubleton. The Karpin Count adds points not for shortages, but for extra length in the bid suit, one extra point for each card over four in the longest suit; so a five-card suit gains one point, a six-card suit gains two extra points, etc. Opener uses the Karpin count in evaluating his hand. In responding, with primary trump support, the 5-3-1 count is more accurate while the 3-2-1 count is more accurate with only secondary support. While the shortage and length points’ methods produce similar results, it is a good idea to make the following adjustments: With a singleton king, queen or jack, deduct one point. With five trumps in the responding hand, add one point.

♠ K 9 6 5 4 ♥ 8 ♦ 8 5 3 ♣ A 8 5 2

With this hand, it would be usual to count three points for the singleton heart if partner bids one of the black suits because then you have primary trump support. If partner bids diamonds, the singleton is worth only two points. If partner bids hearts or no-trumps, the singleton is not worth any distributional points. Page 40

DISTRIBUTIONAL VALUE

A holding of worth, due to shortage or length in suits. DIXON CONVENTION

First recognized defence to the Multi, based on the principle that a double of 2♦ shows a fairly balanced hand of about 13-16 points, immediate overcalls of 2♥ and 2♠ show the equivalent of a takeout double of the other major and all other bids are natural. DODD DISCARDS

A system of discards in which the face value (odd/even) of the discard may signal attitude or suit preference. Even cards Encourage the suit discarded while Odd cards are Off-putting (discouraging) and ask for the other suit of the same colour. For instance, when discarding on a spade lead, the ♥2 asks for a heart, the ♥3 asks for a diamond and the ♣5 is neutral (as it asks theoretically for a spade). DOPE/ROPE

Conventions used after intervention following a Blackwood 4NT, allowing responder to show an odd or even number of aces. After an intervening bid, Double shows an Odd number of aces, Pass an Even number. After an intervening double, Redouble shows an Odd number of aces and Pass an Even number. Due to the ambiguity, most pairs do not use this method. DOPI/ROPI

Conventions used after intervention following a Blackwood 4NT. Following an intervening bid, Double shows zero (O) aces, Pass one (I) and other responses on a step principle, the first bid (e.g. 5♥ after a 5♦ overcall) showing two aces etc. After an intervening double, Redouble shows zero (O) aces, Pass one (I) ace etc. If you are playing Keycard Blackwood or Roman Keycard Blackwood, it is usual to play that you double (or redouble) to show the first step response or pass to make the second step response. The cheapest actual bid shows the third step response and so on.

A to Z of Bridge continued

DOUBLE FINESSE

A finesse against two outstanding honours. For example: West 1 ♠ K 9 5 3 ♥ A Q J 8 3 ♦ 7 5 ♣ A 2

West 2 ♠ Q 9 5 3 ♥ A Q J 8 3 ♦ 7 5 ♣ A 2

A Q 10 N

W E K J 8 9762 S

5 4 3

Declarer must first finesse dummy’s ten and later the queen to take all three tricks. If East held one honour, the double finesse would gain only one trick. DOUBLE JUMP OVERCALL

West North East South 1♥ 2♦ 2♠ 3♦ 4♠ Pass 4NT 5♦ ?

On the first hand, playing Keycard Blackwood, you want to show three key cards. That is a fourth step response. Thus, as double and pass deal with the first and second steps, you bid 5♠. On the second hand, you have two key cards and so bid 5♥. With Roman Keycard Blackwood you have (zero or) three key cards on the first hand (first step response) and so double. With the second hand, you have two key cards and the trump queen, which is a fourth step response, and so bid 5♠. DOUBLE

A call that (if it ends the auction) increases the value of tricks bid and made, the penalty for undertricks, the bonuses for overtricks and will lead to an additional bonus of 50 points if the doubled contract is successful. The call is in use for several conventional purposes. At low levels, most doubles are for takeout.

An overcall skipping two levels of bidding (e.g. 1♥-3♠). Facing an unpassed partner, a double jump overcall is pre-emptive, trying to obstruct the opponents. It shows a similar hand to a pre-emptive opening bid. DOUBLE JUMP RAISE

A raise missing out two levels of bidding. It is usually pre-emptive in nature, e.g. 1♥-4♥. DOUBLE OF THREE NO TRUMP BIDS

When the opponents bid to 3NT, a double by the defender who will not be on lead usually acts as lead-directing double, asking for a particular lead, often dummy’s first bid suit. If both defenders have bid a different suit, the double asks partner to lead his own suit rather than that of the doubler. If nobody has bid a suit, a double shows a long solid suit and asks partner to lead his shortest suit. West North East South 1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass 2NT Pass 3NT Dbl

DOUBLE DUMMY

A play in a particular situation that the players could not possibly better even if they could see all four hands. To examine a deal, double dummy, is to look at all four hands simultaneously. A double dummy problem is one in which all four hands are on display.

West North East South 1♣ 1♥ 1♠ 2♦ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT Pass Pass Dbl

On both auctions, West’s double asks Page 41

for a club lead. On the first auction, East would be likely to lead a spade or a diamond without the double. On the second auction, East would be likely to lead a spade without the double. DOUBLE RAISE

A raise of partner’s suit by two levels (e.g. 1♥-Pass-3♥). In Acol, this is a limit raise, usually showing fourcard support and eight losers or 10-12 points. Opener can also make a double raise (e.g. 1♣-Pass-1♥-Pass-3♥). This would show four-card support and better than a minimum opening (six losers or 15-17 points). DOUBLE SQUEEZE

This is a squeeze against both opponents. In one suit, you have a threat against one opponent. In another suit, you have a threat against his partner. In a third suit, you have a threat that the opponents share the burden of protecting. For example: ♠ A J ♥ K ♦ Void ♣ Void ♠ K 5 ♥ A N W E ♦ Void S ♣ Void ♠ 7 ♥ Void ♦ K ♣ A

♠ Q 6 ♥ Void ♦ A ♣ Void

As South, declarer, you lead the ♣A. To keep the ♥A West throws a spade. After dummy throws the ♥K, East is in a similar position to his partner. To keep the ♦A, East too throws a spade, leaving the ♠A-J to win the last two tricks. Key requirements for a double squeeze are that at least one of the single guarded menaces lies over the stopper (they both do in the example) and that, prior to playing the squeeze card, declarer has lost any losers that the defenders are due to take.

A to Z of Bridge continued

DOUBLED INTO GAME

A player is said to have been doubled into game if an opponent has doubled his contract and the score for the tricks made, if the contract is successful, will exceed 100, while this score would have been less than 100 had the contract not been doubled. For example, to double a contract of 2♠ would be to double into game but to double a contract of 2♦ would not. DOUBLER

The person who doubles. DOUBLETON

A holding of only two cards in a suit. DOWN

Failing to make the contracted number of tricks. DRAWING TRUMPS

The act of playing successive rounds of trumps in order to remove the opponents’ trumps. The objective is to stop the opponents from ruffing your winners. Popular folklore says that players who fail to draw trumps end up walking barefoot along the Embankment. The truth is that there are almost as many hands on which you need to do something else before drawing trumps, such as taking ruffs in dummy or setting up a long suit. You are South, playing in spades, and receive a heart lead to your ace.

♠ Q 10 2 ♥ 9 4 ♦ A Q J 3 ♣ 9 5 3 2 N W E S

♠ A K J 7 4 ♥ A 2 ♦ K 9 6 ♣ 10 7 4

someone from ruffing one of your diamond winners.

♠ Q 10 2 ♥ 9 ♦ A 10 8 5 4 ♣ 9 6 5 3

Dealt to the son of George IV at whist. Clubs were trumps and the Duke held:

♠ A K J 7 4 ♥ A 4 2 ♦ K 6 ♣ 10 7 4



On this layout, you should not draw trumps. Instead, you start by ruffing a heart, returning to the ♦K and ruffing a second heart. You cannot afford to draw trumps because you need two of dummy’s trumps for ruffing.

♠ A K Q ♥ A K Q J ♦ A K ♣ K J 9 7

His opponents bet that he would not make a single trick in his hand. According to the story, he accepted the bet and lost all thirteen tricks. The complete deal was:

DRIVE OUT

To force out an opponent’s high card by leading a sufficiently high card in the same suit and continuing the suit until the high card has gone. DROP

To play a high card and cause an opponent to follow with a lower missing high card, as in the expression: ‘to drop the singleton king offside’. DRURY CONVENTION

A conventional 2♣ response to a thirdor fourth-hand opening asking if the opener has a sound or sub-minimum opener. This convention is not in general use in the UK. DUCK

To decline to take a trick that one could have won. Ducking is often a good idea to avoid playing a high card on a low one, to leave the opponents with a guess or to disrupt the opposing communications. Ducking can also maintain your side’s communications:



♦ A 9 5 3 2 N

♦ K J 10 W E

On the layout above, you should draw trumps and run the diamonds. Drawing trumps is essential to stop

DUKE OF CUMBERLAND’S HAND

N W E S



If you are trying to set up the diamond suit when North has no side entry, you need to duck the first two rounds of the suit, conserving the ♦A as an entry to the long cards.

S



♦ 7 6 4

Page 42

♦ Q 8

♠ Void ♥ Void ♦ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♣ A Q 10 8 ♠ A K Q ♠ J 10 9 8 7 6 ♥ A K Q J N ♥ 10 9 8 7 6 ♦ A K W E ♦ Q J S ♣ K J 9 7 ♣ Void ♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ 5 4 3 2 ♦ Void ♣ 6 5 4 3 2

Following whist principles of the time, the Duke led the ♣7. North won with the ♣8 and after two diamond ruffs and two further club leads through the Duke, North could draw the last trump and cash the seven remaining diamonds. DUMB BIDDER (SILENT BIDDER)

Device to permit silent bidding. It is a board placed in the centre of the table, subdivided into labelled regions, 1♣, 1♦, 1 ♥, 1♠, 1 NT, 2♣ etc. (up to 7NT), Dbl, Redbl, Alert, Stop and Pass. A player makes his call by touching the appropriate region of the board with a pen or pencil, or moving a small counter placed on the dumb bidder. Bidding boxes have rendered dumb bidders almost obsolete.

A to Z of Bridge continued

DUMMY

1 This is the partner of the declarer, who takes no part in the play, except at duplicate, in playing the cards as instructed. 2 This is also the hand of declarer’s partner, as laid out on the table so that the other three players can see it. DUMMY REVERSAL

A method of play by which the hand with longer trumps (declarer) ruffs losers. Dummy’s trumps then draw the remaining trumps. For example: ♠ J 10 9 ♥ A K 5 ♦ A 7 5 4 ♣ Q 7 2 ♠ 6 4 3 ♠ 8 2 N ♥ Q J 10 ♥ 8 7 4 3 W E ♦ K J 10 9 S ♦ Q 6 3 2 ♣ 6 5 3 ♣ 10 9 8 ♠ A K Q 7 5 ♥ 9 6 2 ♦ 8 ♣ A K J 4

You are South in a contract of 7♠ and have twelve top tricks. You can get home however, when the suits break evenly, by means of a dummy reversal. By ruffing dummy’s three losing diamonds with top trumps, you end up with three trump tricks, four club tricks, three tricks from the red-suit winners and three tricks by trumping diamonds in hand. DUPLICATE BRIDGE

A form of bridge in which different players play the same deal. This eliminates

the luck of the deal since players’ scores compare with the other results on each board. The first application of the duplicate principle was in Duplicate Whist by John T. Mitchell, inventor of the first pairs’ movement. Duplicate Auction Bridge began in 1914 under the auspices of the American Whist League. Most bridge clubs and almost all tournaments play duplicate bridge. DUPLICATION OF DISTRIBUTION

A duplication of distribution occurs when both players have exactly the same length in one or more suits. ‘Mirror Distribution’ is a similar term, suggesting the duplication is in several suits.

♠ A Q ♥ K Q 6 ♦ 7 6 4 2 ♣ K J 5 4 N W E S



♠ K J 3 ♥ A J ♦ Q 8 5 3 ♣ 7 6 3 2

Whilst the combined point count for North-South is 26, they can take only six certain tricks and are unlikely to make game. A Swedish designed carddealing machine that can deal any pack of cards but works best with those that have barcodes. It also prints hand records. DUSTBIN BID

♠ A J 9 8 3 ♥ 9 ♦ 10 4 2 ♣ K J 9 4

Due to the duplication of distribution in the red suits, the likely North-South contract of 4♠ is doomed to failure. If one player held three hearts and a singleton diamond, however, there would be only two losers and eleven tricks. DUPLICATION OF VALUES



DUPLIMATE

♠ K Q 10 7 5 ♥ Q ♦ J 8 5 ♣ A Q 10 2 N W E S



facing a singleton) or when both players have a strong holding in a particular suit with the result that, whilst the combined honour point strength is high, the tricktaking potential is limited.

A duplication of values occurs either when one player is short in the other’s strong suit (e.g. K-Q-x

Colloquial name for a 1NT response to 1♥ or 1♠. If you lack the values for a twoover-one response, you may have to respond 1NT on a variety of hands, including those that are far from balanced.

♠ Void ♥ J 9 5 4 3 2 ♦ 9 7 ♣ A J 8 7 4

If partner opens 1♠, you should respond 1NT. ■

Page 43

To be continued

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 assess­ ment 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.

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Seven Days by Sally Brock Two months ago, I began my article with the sentence, ‘February was rather quiet.’ That is going to be the only quiet time I shall see all year. March and early April were not too bad; the fun really started on April 15th when I flew to Belfast for the Lady Milne (women’s home international). You may recall that Susannah Gross and I finished second in the trials for that event back in January. My first problem was that I had not written the Lady Milne dates in my diary and it clashed with a booked holiday to Egypt with my daughter, Briony. Luckily, the holiday had been for ten days, so it was not too disastrous to shorten it to a week. Belfast went OK. We started badly but recovered and ended up sharing the trophy with Scotland (if it was like the Ashes, we should have retained it). I arrive home mid-afternoon, spend a few frantic hours washing, packing, answering emails etc and we set off for Gatwick where we are to spend the night prior to an early flight the following day. We had a fabulous time – three nights by the Red Sea and then four in Luxor – and certainly benefited from the shortage of other tourists due to the political troubles. We arrived home very late Tuesday night and had a couple of days of normality before the Royal Wedding. Barry and I decided we would rather be as far away from it all as possible (especially as Briony was sure to be glued to the TV all weekend), so we went to France. We took a late morning crossing via Eurotunnel, lunch in Sangatte and posh dinner plus overnight stay just outside Boulogne. We then had lunch picnicking on Le Touquet beach, afternoon tea by the lake in Ardres, cheese and wine shopping in Calais before dinner there and the journey home – lovely.

Monday

Dentist first thing – two fillings, plus a scale and polish: £150 – a good start to the week. Home to work: I finish off Israel before moving on to Lapland. In the afternoon, I have an online bridge session with Richard and Gerry. Later, both children have exams soon and I have promised an hour a day in helping Briony with revision: testing her French vocabulary today.

Tuesday

Nicola this evening. I mean to read the system on the train but do not quite get round to it. I will just have to wing it. The first half is OK (when I forget the system I get away with it) but IMPs drift away in the second, so we lose 15-5 eventually. Last season we were in the second division and won every match (well, that might not quite be true; we won so many early on that it did not matter whether we lost some at the end). This year, in the first division, we have yet to win a match at all. Here is a defensive problem for you:

I just about have time to get to the gym and home again in time to take Briony to the orthodontist. She is getting almost desperate to have her braces taken off but they are still not quite ready. Later Su, my bookkeeper, comes to try to sort out my complicated affairs at the end of the financial year. I am meeting Briony in town after school – she wants a second piercing in her ears and I have to give consent.

Dealer West. Love All. ♠ 6 ♥ 9 3 ♦ A J 10 9 6 5 4 ♣ J 4 2 ♠ 8 7 4 2 N ♥ J 10 6 4 W E S ♦ Q 7 2 ♣ K 9

Wednesday

West Pass All Pass

I have a London League match with

North East South 3♦ Pass 3NT

Page 46

Your partner leads the ten of spades, which runs round to declarer’s jack. At trick two, he plays the three of diamonds, partner plays the eight and he plays the jack from dummy. What is going on and what do you do? At the table, East won the diamond and shifted to the jack of hearts. While this finds partner with A-Q-x, three heart tricks and the queen of diamonds are all you take because declarer started with K-3 of diamonds and has three black-suit winners. The winning defence is to duck the diamond, effectively killing the suit. When you think about it, even if partner started with K-8, the worst that can happen if you duck is that you give declarer a quick second diamond trick. Here, if you duck the diamond, declarer has no chance.

Thursday

This afternoon, we have a Crockford’s match. It is the last round before the final and a 48-board affair (which is why we are starting so early). The first half is a nightmare and we are 37 IMPs down (against Nick Irens, David Bakhshi, Tom Townsend, Espen Erichsen

and Norman Selway). The second half is better and we nearly win, losing by just 5 IMPs. This includes a flat grand slam, bid missing the ace of trumps. At the other table, they had some sort of excuse because heavy pre-emption meant they could not use Blackwood; we, however, managed this feat despite managing to bid 4NT. (If you have agreed spades and bid 4NT and an opponent bids five clubs, how many aces does a five diamond response show?) Afterwards, we have dinner and drown our sorrows; we have enjoyed the season. Our teammates Richard Palmer and Ed Scerri have played well and been excellent teammates.

Friday

I stay at Barry’s and work on my laptop all day. I am so glad I have managed to get my home computer and laptop (and phone for that matter) synchronized so that I can work on my laptop anywhere. Given how much I seem to be away, this is essential. In the last few weeks, we (that is the English women’s team) have received (and accepted) two trips to Beijing later in the year to play in tournaments with very generous prize money. I have holidays booked in Malta and Crete; I have also arranged to spend the whole week in Brighton for the summer congress. In the evening, I play at the Young Chelsea with Margaret (Nygren – ex James/Courtney). After a couple of rounds, we are minus 36 IMPs, due mainly to bad luck, so we are pleased to end up plus 21 or so, having correctly bid three 7♦ contracts! Two made and one was a 500 sacri-

fice over a making vulnerable 6♥ (lucky though that they did not press on to the making grand). Déjà vu all over again. When I was at university, there was a special reward for bidding and making 7♦. (I think you got bought a pint of whatever you wanted from the union bar – Purple Poison, a mixture of blackcurrant, rum, vodka, crème de menthe and lemonade was a favourite!) The very first time I played in a national competition – a Swiss teams heat – 7♦ was makeable on three of the first six boards. We bid all three, winning the match by the maximum. However, this run did not last and our final total for the day was less than after the first match.

Weekend

A peaceful weekend is in prospect. We leave London and head homewards late Saturday morning, doing nothing much for the rest of the day. Briony and I go to Waitrose to get some food. In the evening, we watch TV (especially Match of the Day) and generally relax. On Sunday, we lie in and have brunch. Briony and Barry watch the Grand Prix, then we go kite flying. A month or so ago, we had a fabulous day out at Streatham Kite Day, where – in perfect weather – there were all manner of exotic kite demonstrations. We had great fun, flying quite a modest contraption that we bought there (having managed to leave the kite we already possessed at home). Today, we get both kites flying well – until one lands in someone’s garden. Then it’s home for a roast chicken dinner and the end of another week. ■ Page 47

Answer to Richard Wheen’s Double Dummy Quiz on page 5 ♠ Void ♥ Void ♦ 4 3 2 ♣ A K 2 ♠ Void ♠ Void ♥ 9 N ♥ Q J 10 W E ♦ K Q S ♦ Void ♣ 9 8 7 ♣ Q J 10 ♠ Void ♥ A K 3 2 ♦ A ♣ 3

S

o there we were, in the last match of the autumn South-East Surrey Senior Novice teams-of-four competition. Beforehand, our team captain had given us all a pep talk (very pompous, but don’t tell him I said so). He stressed that, to win the competition, we needed not only to bid to the best of our (as he said, somewhat limited) ability, but also to play out of our skins. In particular, we should look for opportunities to make contracts on which our opposite numbers might give up. He also highlighted the need to count our tricks and, when we had one too few, to think squeeze – something thus far beyond my capability. I was sitting South and this hand came up early on. I was declarer in a no-trump contract and, with six tricks remaining, I counted my winners. Try as I might, I could be sure of only five – though

six if the hearts or diamonds broke evenly, which should be a good chance. I came to hand with the diamond ace (East discarding a club – there went one of my chances) and played out two rounds of hearts, on the second of which West threw a club – there went my second chance. Still, West’s discard set me thinking. East alone was guarding the hearts now and West the diamonds. Perhaps neither of them could also guard clubs. So I threw dummy’s last diamond on my second heart trick, crossed to dummy with a club and cashed the other club honour; lo and behold the lowly club two won the last trick. My opponents then confirmed that I had in fact executed a squeeze – not a plain vanilla squeeze, a double squeeze – and they could do nothing about it. They clearly assumed that I regularly brought off two double squeezes before breakfast and I did not disabuse them. Actually, I was quite proud of myself, as I had indeed achieved a squeeze by thinking it through – for the first time ever. Of course, pride comes before a fall. I totally misdefended the following hand and our team lost the match by 1 victory point, but at least I have now achieved a squeeze intentionally. ■

DUPLICATE BRIDGE  RULES SIMPLIFIED (otherwise known as the Yellow Book)

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DEPARTS NOVEMBER 19, 2011

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Join this exciting voyage to the ancient wonders of Jordan, Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean BOOK NOW FOR SPECIAL FARES A 2-night stay in Amman, the bustling capital of Jordan, contrasts with visits to the ancient city of Jerash and the hidden treasure of Petra. Join Aegean Odyssey in the Red Sea port of Aqaba and sail to Safaga, gateway to ancient Egypt and the city of Thebes. From here visit the magnificent sites of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Then sail through the Suez Canal on your way to the ancient city of Baalbek in Lebanon before reaching the final port of call in Cyprus and the end of this remarkable 2-week journey. Cruise in comfort, relax in style Aegean Odyssey is a premium carrying just 350 passengers. The atmosphere on board is relaxed with plenty of passenger space, a choice of restaurants (with open-seating dining) and generouslysized accommodations, plus the comfort and attentive service of boutique-style cruising. There is a supplement of £30 for those wishing to participate in the duplicate bridge programme or learn to play bridge. Singles are made especially welcome and a playing partner will always be found.

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ABTA No.Y2206

BRIDGE

If undelivered or unwanted kindly return to Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey, GU21 2TH

Q PLUS 10 l

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Minibridge option

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Updated comprehensive manual

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