133

BRIDGE Number One Hundred and Thirty-Three

January 2014

Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz You are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and 4-card majors.



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

West North East South ?

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

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

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

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

West North East South 2♠1 Dbl Pass ? 1 Weak two: 6-10 HCP.





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









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

West North East South 1♠ Pass ?



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

West North East South 1♥ ? Answers on page 9



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

West North East South 3♠ Dbl Pass ?



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

West North East South 1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass ? Answers on page 11



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

West North East South Pass Pass 1♠ Pass ?



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

West North East South 1NT Pass 2NT Pass ? Answers on page 13



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

West North East South 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT Pass ?

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

West North East South 1NT Pass ? Answers on page 15

BERNARD MAGEE Boxed Sets of six DVDs Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks

7 Leads

13 Hand Evaluation

This seminar deals with declarer’s use of ruffing to make extra tricks and then looks at how the defenders might counteract this. (74 mins.)

Bernard takes you through all the basic leads and the importance of your choice of lead. If you start to think not just about your hand, but about your partner’s too, then you will get much better results. (95 mins.)

Going beyond just the point-count is important if you want to improve. Reaching & making 3NT on 24 HCP; and avoiding 3NT on 26 HCP when there are only 7 or 8 tricks. (110 mins.)

8 Losing Trick Count

The art of pre-empting is so important in the modern game. Understanding the right types of hand to bid up on and realising the importance of position and vulnerability. (96 mins.)

2 Competitive Tricks This seminar focuses on competitive auctions from the perspective of the overcalling side and then from the perspective of the opening side in the second part. (86 mins.)

3 Making the Most of High Cards This seminar helps declarer to use his high cards more carefully and then looks at how defenders should care for their high cards. (83 mins.)

4 Identifying & Bidding Slams The first half of this seminar is about identifying when a slam might be on – one of the hardest topics to teach. The second half covers some slambidding techniques. (96 mins.)

5 Play & Defence of 1NT Contracts This seminar looks at the most common and yet most feared of contracts: 1NT. The first half looks at declaring the contract and

the second part puts us in the defenders’ seats. (88 mins.)

6 Doubling & Defence against Doubled Contracts The first half of this seminar explores penalty doubles and the second half discusses the defence against doubled contracts. (88 mins.)

Individual DVDs. £25 each. Boxed Set of 6. £100.

A way of hand evaluation for when you find a fit. Bernard deals with the basics of the losing trick count then looks at advanced methods to hone your bidding. (92 mins.)

9 Making a Plan as Declarer Bernard explains how to make a plan then expands on how to make the most of your long suits. The first half deals with no-trumps, the second with suit contracts. (87 mins.)

10 Responding to 1NT This seminar deals with Transfers and Stayman in detail. The 1NT opening comes up frequently, so having a good, accurate system of responses is paramount. (93 mins.)

14 Pre-Empting

15 Splinter & Cue-Bids Take your slam bidding to another level. Splinter bids are a vital tool to add to your armoury & try your hand at Italian style cue-bidding. (116 mins.)

16 Avoidance As declarer, an important tactic is to be in control of the defenders: avoiding a particular defender getting the lead. As a defender, you can try to make sure the right player gets the lead at the right time. (88 mins.)

17 Pairs Play & Defence

This seminar deals with Count, Attitude and Suit-preference signals: aiming to get you working as a partnership in defence. (92 mins.)

Duplicate Pairs is the game most of us play and getting used to the tactics will make a lot of difference to your performance. Making more overtricks and making sure you do not give away tricks as a defender. (90 mins.)

12 Endplays

18 Thinking Defence

Bernard takes you through the basics of the technique before showing some magical hands where you take extra tricks from defenders. In the second half, Bernard looks at how to avoid being endplayed. (80 mins.)

By far the hardest aspect of bridge, but if you can improve your defence your results will quickly improve. Learn how to think through the defence and get your mind in gear for the decisions that await you. (87 mins.)

Individual DVDs. £25 each. Boxed Set of 6. £100.

Individual DVDs. £25 each. Boxed Set of 6. £100.

11 Signals & Discards

Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961

www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

BRIDGE

Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

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

Publisher and Managing Editor Mr Bridge Bridge Consultant Bernard Magee Technical Consultant Tony Gordon Typesetting & Design Ruth Edmondson Proof Readers Tony & Jan Richards Catrina Shackleton Richard Wheen Hugh Williams Office Manager Rachel Everett Events & Cruises ( 01483 489961 Rosie Baker Jessica Galt Megan Riccio Sophie Pierrepont Clubs & Charities Maggie Axtell

[email protected]

Address Changes ( 01483 485342 Elizabeth Bryan

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

BRIDGE January 2014

FEATURES 1 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee 5 Mr Bridge 9 Bidding Quiz Answers (1-3) by Bernard Magee 11 Bidding Quiz Answers (4-6) by Bernard Magee 12 Christmas in Austria by John Barr 13 Bidding Quiz Answers (7-9) by Bernard Magee 14 January 2014 by Jeremy Dhondy 15 Bidding Quiz Answers (10-12) by Bernard Magee 16 What are the Features of Playing Five-Card Majors? by Julian Pottage 17 Fisticuffs at the Club by Richard Wheen 19 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions 21 Mary’s First Lesson by Liz Dale 22 Mr Bridge Club Quiz 23 Bridge and Travel Tips 23 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage 24 New Year’s Day in Sherwood by David Bird 26 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions 28 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett 30 David Gold Says Assume You Can Beat the Contract 31 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett 32 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage 33 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum 34 Key Card Blackwood by Andrew Kambites 36 Key Card Blackwood Quiz by Andrew Kambites 37 Readers’ Letters 42 Catching Up by Sally Brock 44 Seven Days by Sally Brock 46 Answers to Mr Bridge Club Quiz 2013

47 Key Card Blackwood Answers by Andrew Kambites

ADVERTISEMENTS 2 Bernard Magee DVDs 3 Mr Bridge 2014 Diaries 4 Cruises with Voyages to Antiquity 5 Bridge Events at The Olde Barn Hotel 7 Mail Order Form Cut-out Form 8 Bridge Event Booking Form 8 Bridge Events with Bernard Magee 9 A Journey to Jerusalem with Voyages to Antiquity 10 Bernard Magee’s Tutorial Software 11 Treasures of the Aegean with Voyages to Antiquity 13 Classical Greece and Turkey with Voyages to Antiquity 15 Sail Around the Black Sea with Voyages to Antiquity 18 Mr Bridge Just Duplicate Bridge 20 Rubber / Chicago Bridge Events 20 Bridge Events at: Denham Grove 20 Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified 22 Tips for Better Bridge 29 Bridge Events at: Elstead Hotel Blunsdon House Hotel Chatsworth House Ardington Hotel 31 Mr Bridge Playing Cards 36 Bridge Tie 36 Better Hand Evaluation 37 Stamps 39 Charity Events 40 Global Travel Insurance 46 S R Designs Bridge Tables 48 Christmas 2014 with Voyages to Antiquity

Mr Bridge 2014 Bridge Players’ Diaries

Contents include ♦ Acol Summary by Bernard Magee. ♦ Guide to the Laws. ♦ Scoring Tables for duplicate and rubber bridge. ♦ Distributional odds. ♦ Hand patterns and fascinating figures. ♦ Cover colours remaining: Red and Navy. ♦ All covers printed in gold-coloured ink. ♦ Individual diaries £6.95 each including p&p. ♦ Special concession to clubs and teachers. 10 for £35, thereafter £3.50 each including p&p. ♦ Luxury version with supersoft kidrell cover, gilded page edges and a ball-point pen attached, in ruby red, navy blue or bottle green. £14.95 each including p&p.

See Mail Order Form on page 7.

Page 3

V OYAGES A NTIQUITY TO

bridge cruises to

ancient civilisations

Combine a daily duplicate with the best of cultural travel and the comfort of small-ship cruising The philosophy of our bridge cruises is simple – to relax

and play bridge with like-minded people in comfortable surroundings while sampling the culture and the history of each daily destination. With the experience gained from several seasons of working with Voyages to Antiquity, each new itinerary offers the chance to indulge your passion for bridge in comfortable and welcoming surroundings while exploring many of the great classical sites and fascinating cultures of the world.

Classically elegant, but far from formal, Aegean Odyssey provides gracious public rooms, a choice of two restaurants with open-seating dining, generously-sized suites and cabins, and outstanding, friendly service. Her size means she has the ability to visit ports that are too small for larger vessels – from the classical sites of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea to the great cities of Asia. Accommodating around 350 guests, with a casual and relaxed atmosphere on board, Aegean Odyssey offers the bridge player every comfort at sea.

Cruising with Mr Bridge: Exclusive Benefits Special Mr Bridge fares across all cabin categories – Daily bridge on board and bridge fees included in the fare. Each voyage accompanied by bridge team – Exclusive Mr Bridge cocktail party on board ship. Friendly fares for single travellers (a bridge partner will always be found) – Extra discounts for previous passengers

Also included in your fare:

10093

• SCHEDULED FLIGHTS FROM UK & REGIONAL CONNECTIONS •TRANSFERS AND BAGGAGE HANDLING ABROAD • SHORE EXCURSIONS IN MOST PORTS • EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS • OPEN-SEATING DINING • WINE INCLUDED WITH DINNER ON BOARD • ON-BOARD TIPS & GRATUITIES INCLUDED ABTA No.Y2206

For reservations call

on 01483 489961 or visit www.mrbridge.co.uk

WORK IN PROGRESS

I answer. Why? Because all my spare love, care and enthusiasm must be channelled into securing the future of BRIDGE; it is a formidable commitment.

OLDE BARN

Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

JUST IN TIME

In some ways it would have been good to have started the New Year with a great big bang and launched an entirely new magazine. However, lots of the regular content of BRIDGE is so loved by its readers, I feel obliged to keep change to a minimum and very carefully broaden its content in order to attract new subscribers. This New Year issue was supposed to be posted exclusively to subscribers, but Voyages to Antiquity wanted to reach a wider audience. If you are not already a subscriber, it is them you should thank. Going forward, this publication has to be a subscription magazine if it is to enjoy a future, although it may currently still be viewed free on my webpage along with back issues in my library: www.mrbridge.co.uk/library The special rate of £20 per year does not fully cover costs but I am keeping the offer going as support gathers momentum. Indeed, it is most heartening how many of you have responded.

THE END The end of what you might ask? My subsidised Just Duplicate weekend events, BRIDGE January 2014

This new venue has been added to our listing of Just Duplicate events. 31 January – 2 February Clifton Park Hotel, Lytham St Anne’s, Lancs. Readers from the northwest, here is your chance.

JUST DUPLICATE Nothing in the 2014 programme has been cancelled, but if you had thought of booking one or two of these dates, you do need to do it right away. I keep extending the final date of the £50 off offer, but it must stop sometime. Once the first tranche of places are filled, later bookers are expected to pay the regular price. This is still great value and just to remind you, the price includes full board and six sessions of bridge. And full board includes a roast on Sunday. The £50 off makes below cost which is why, after five years, these events must start to thrive without subsidy.

LEFT OUT One hotel that does understand is the Ardington in Worthing. They are feeling quite neglected at the moment with all this promotion of Just Duplicate. They have asked me to promote their tutorial events which are priced at £215, no single supplement and offer twin occupancy for only £35 more to include full board for both occupants. Almost too good to be true.

The Olde Barn Hotel

Adjacent to this column is the 2014 programme of events at the Olde Barn at Marsden, near Grantham. They understand the weekend bridge events and how they work. The hotel provides comfortable accommodation for bridge and bridge players. It has become a trusted venue.

ANTIQUITY

On the facing page, Voyages to Antiquity give the what, how and why you should cruise with them and Mr Bridge. A small enough ship to be considered intimate, it really has lots going for it. On the back cover of this issue, I am promoting the 2014 Christmas Cruise. I am not able to offer a zero single supplement as the costs of overnight accommodation in Nairobi and while out on safari are outside the cruise company’s control. This cruise is something to book now and enjoy looking forward to. A must do if you can afford it.

BLACK SEA 2014 Mrs Bridge and I are circumnavigating the Black Sea in October. The ship is almost fully booked, but I still have a few cabins, held for my party, but only for twin occupancy.

17-19 January 2014 £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 21-23 February £179 Michael Haytack Stayman & Transfers 14-16 March £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 25-27 April £179 Will Parsons Further into the Auction 9-11 May £179 Gwen Beattie – Overcalls 16-18 May £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 6-8 June £245 NEW Bernard Magee TOPIC Bidding Distributional Hands 13-15 June £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 20-22 June £245 Bernard Magee Finding Slams 27-29 June £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 11-13 July £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 1-3 August £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 29-31 August £169 Diana Holland Rubber / Chicago 12-14 September £169 Just Duplicate Bridge 26-28 September £179 Stan Powell Declarer Play 10-12 October £245 Bernard Magee Endplay & Avoidance 14-16 November £179 Will Parsons – Doubles

Full Board No Single Supplement Booking Form on page 8.

Page 5

BRIDGE Make sure you don’t miss your favourite monthly articles by taking out an annual subscription.

SPECIAL OFFER PRICE

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Acol Bidding Quiz & Answers Bernard Magee

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Misleading Cases as reported by R Wheen

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Mary’s First Lesson

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Helpful Conventions and Related Quiz

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Defence Quiz

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Tales from Sherwood Forest by David Bird

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Things You Should Know...

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Catching up

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Seven Days

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Jeremy Dhondy

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Sally Brock Tip

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Travel Tip

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Readers Letters

Special Introductory Subscription: £20 for twelve monthly issues. See page 7.

Page 6

ROBIN HOOD

GOFFIES STAMPS

2014 DIARIES There are a few bridge players’ diaries still in stock. Standard or luxury versions as per mail order form on page 7.

EVEN BETTER Last year’s Christmas present was to provide readers who sent 4 second class stamps with copies of either Robin Hood’s Bridge Memoirs or Bridge Adventures of Robin Hood. Both previously written and published by David Bird back in the 1990’s. These have been revised and reset as a way of promoting the further adventures of Robin Hood. New stories will be recounted every month within the pages of BRIDGE. Indeed, the first can be found on pages 24 and 25 of this issue. Those not wishing to send postage stamps may use our shop to take up this offer paying by PayPal, adding a 20p service charge making each book £2.20. Hot off the press.

PICK ‘N’ MIX All the three series of DVDs are listed on page 2 of this issue, with thumbnail descriptions. Playing time is an average 90 minutes per disc. The wonderful thing about a tutorial DVD is that viewers have a permanent record which they can re-visit over and over again. These are the very best available in their field, but as the proud producer, you would expect me to say that, wouldn’t you? Individual DVDs £25 each. Boxed sets of six £100. Pick and mix any six for only £100. Including p&p.

With ever-increasing postal costs, Clive Goff’s discounted stamp service will save you some money while brightening up your envelopes. Value supplied in two stamps, combined to make up the 50p 2nd class rate, 2nd class to you at 41p. 1st class 60p, only 50p to you. Available in lots of 100. ( 0208 422 4906.

FIRTH OF FORTH Bernard Magee goes to The Queensferry Hotel on 14-16 March. This venue overlooks the magnificent Firth of Forth and is now well and truly under new management. So you may book with confidence and you should book early to avoid disappointment.

SURPRISED Expecting the twin packs of my lovely premium quality playing cards to be sold out very quickly, I did not see the point of including them on my sales list, so I have missed the seasonal sales and still have stock in hand. That will learn me. While stocks last, £7 per box. 2 boxes for £12.

BARON FOR MAC Bridge Baron 24 was published at the beginning of December. See the mail order form for details and trade-in terms.

QPlus 11 has been really well received. Its graphics are even better and there are more hands from tournaments, both pairs and teams of four. The new initial activation procedure has now been made a once only action. This will please users of earlier versions of QPlus, who regarded the monthly need to enter a password as a real negative. The playing strength of QPlus has improved by an average of 1 IMP per deal on QPlus 10.

BRIDGE TABLES

Those looking for a good quality bridge table should turn to page 46 where you will find a choice of three qualities to choose from.

I’LL BE THERE As usual I am going to the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at Denham Grove. As last year, I will be staying on for a game afterwards and look forward to meeting as many of the guests as possible. See you there. Happy New Year,

Mr Bridge BRIDGE January 2014

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28-30 Blunsdon House £245 Bidding NEW Distributional Hands

BRIDGE January 2014

Answers to Bernard Magee’s  Bidding Quizzes 1-3 on the Cover



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

West ?

North

East

South

Pass.

2♣ and now you can bid 2♦ and if he bids again, bid 3♦. This shows a weak hand with very long diamonds. The problem with responding 2♦ immediately is that your partner will want to finish in a game contract: with 15 HCP opposite a 2♦ response (10+), he will push the bidding on. By responding 1NT first, you show your weakness and slow the auction down.

You were planning to open 1NT, but your right-hand opponent opens 1♥. The important thing to note, now, is that you do not have to bid. Too many people feel the need to tell their partner that they have an opening hand, but that is not what a double is used for. A first round double of a suit bid is for take-out, suggesting shortage in the first bid suit and a hand that wants to play in a suit contract. Your hand definitely does not want to play in a suit contract – it is horribly flat. So how about overcalling 1NT? The 1NT overcall shows a stronger hand: once one opponent has shown strength by opening, it is dangerous to start bidding no-trumps unless you are stronger because you are likely to find yourself doubled. That is exactly what would happen here: 1NT doubled would ■ not be fun to play.

2NT. A 1NT opening is used for balanced hands of 12-14 points. However, the 2NT opening is used for balanced and semi-balanced hands of 20-22 points. This addition of ‘semi-balanced’ to the definition is important. Often there will be no satisfactory opening available for 20 point hands with poor five-card suits, so you will generally do best to open 2NT on them. Note also, that your weak hearts are nothing to worry about either – on a bad day, your opponents will run a long heart suit, but bidding no-trumps will generally give you the best results.



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

West North ?

East South 1♠ Pass

1NT. With 6 HCP, it makes sense to keep the bidding open. However, you need 10 points to respond at the 2-level, so that means you have only one choice: 1NT. The 1NT response is sometimes called the rubbish-bin bid because you have to throw all your weak hands into it. On this hand, your partner will rebid

BRIDGE January 2014



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

West North East ?

South 1♥

1662 Mr Bridge quarter page ads 121x113_Layout 1 21/11/2013 18:51 Page 1

VOYAGES ANTIQUITY TO

BRIDGE CRUISES

M R

AC CO M & M BY PAN RS IE D B

A Journey to Jerusalem

RI DG E

See some of the world’s greatest sites and enjoy daily bridge on this magnificent voyage. March 23, 2014 ~ 25 days from Athens to Istanbul

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CAT M Standard Inside £3,295pp CAT J Standard Outside £4,295pp CAT D Deluxe Balcony £6,450pp SINGLE SUPPLEMENT 15% Full details of inclusions on page 4. All fares subject to availability.

Call for great deals on 2 shorter voyages: Athens-Jerusalem & Jerusalem-Istanbul

For reservations call

on 01483 489961 or visit www.mrbridge.co.uk

Page 9

BERNARD MAGEE’S INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS ACOL BIDDING

BEGIN BRIDGE ACOL VERSION l Card

Play Technique

l Planning l Bidding

Card Play

Balanced

Hands l Bidding

Suits

l Responding l Supporting

to a Suit

Partner

l Responding

to 1NT

l Stayman

l Opening

Bids and Responses

l

Slams and Strong Openings

l

Support for Partner

l Pre-empting

l No-trump

Openings and Responses

Two Opening and Response

l Overcalls

£66

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l

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l Pre-empting

l

l Defence

l Doubles

against No Trump Contracts

l Defence

against Suit Contracts

ADVANCED DECLARER PLAY l Making

Overtricks in No-trumps

l

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Contract

£81

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l

l l

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l

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l

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l

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l

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l

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l Counting

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£76

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£76

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FIVE-CARD MAJORS &

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£96

Overcalls

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l Suit

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DEFENCE

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l

Auctions

Squeezes l Counting

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l Competitive

l Avoidance l Wrong

£66

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l Strong

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Doubling and Defence Against £69 Doubled Contracts

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£89

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Answers to Bernard Magee’s  Bidding Quizzes 4-6 on the Cover

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

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

Pass. What does the auction mean so far? North has shown a strong balanced hand and your partner has made a bid at the 2-level, so surely he must be strong too. Bridge is a difficult game. Rules can change after each bid in the auction: once your opponents have shown strength, the definition of your bids changes. If your partner is strong in this auction, he doubles the 1NT bid, expecting to defeat the contract comfortably. Any suit bid is a weak bid: an effort to compete for the part-score. It should show a six-card suit and a weak hand: generally, you are expected to pass. As you can see, 2♠ is an excellent contract, but any other contract will struggle, since you will be unable to reach the spades in the East hand.



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

There is no chance for game: you have 13 HCP and your partner has shown 6-9. You do have a six-card suit but that is what should be leading you down another path. When you have a big fit, you should be aware that your opponents might also have a big fit. They have not found a fit as yet, but if you give them the chance they may well find it. Since you cannot make game, there is a temptation to pass, but then North will double, which allows your opponents to find their diamond fit. They can make 3♦ or even 4♦ comfortably. However, if you bid on to 3♥, North may well be kept quiet and you win the 6. Dealer West. Love All. contract. ♠ 3 2 ♠ 9 8 7 6 You have plenty of bids available to ♥ A J 9 6 5 3 N ♥ K Q 4 show a good/strong hand where game W E ♦ A 7 2 S ♦ 4 3 might be on: in fact, any bid other than ♣ A 9 ♣ J 7 6 5 3♥. It is important to understand that 3♥ is not invitational – it is a competitive bid. Note East’s response of 2♥ over the 1♠ West North East South overcall – trying hard to show support in 1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass a competitive auction is so important: ? here, it allows you to bid on to 3♥. 140 points for 3♥ is much better than -130 for 3♥. ■ making 18:40 4♦. 1662 Mr Bridge quarter page ads 121x91_Layout 1N/S 21/11/2013 Page 1 contract, but it is the best of a bad lot. Do not be tempted to pass – your partner has not promised four tricks, so they may well make their contract and score game. 3NT is no good either – you cannot rely on partner having 20 points. Your partner makes the normal call with his hand, but, unfortunately you have a pretty awful hand – we cannot always fit perfectly together. However, it is important to trust each other and respond in the normal way. 4♣ going one or two off will be an OK score. -100 is better than -140 for 3♠ making.

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North East South 3♠ Dbl Pass

4♣. Your partner has made a take-out double. You should take him out to your best suit: clubs. Bid 4♣ – it is not a great

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Page 11

Letters from Overseas

Christmas in Austria by John Barr

B

efore moving to Austria, I thought Christmas was Christmas – a mix of religious ceremony and commercial exploitation. But it’s all different here. The first difference is the lack of wall-to-wall TV adverts for children’s toys, perfume and fancily wrapped chocolates starting in September. The second difference is the 5th of December – and I’ll come back to that later. The third difference is that many Austrian towns and villages have Christmas markets where you can buy local arts and crafts as presents, and (of course) drink wine, beer and glühwein to keep the cold weather at bay. Christmas Eve is a family celebration, when the Christmas tree is dressed and the Christkindl (Austria’s version of Father Christmas) brings presents for the children. The traditional Austrian Christmas meal is eaten on

Christmas Eve and is usually baked carp or sausages. The 5th of December is Krampusnacht (Krampus night) when villages are visited by St Nicholas (this is good) and Krampuses (part man, part goat, part monster and not good at all). St Nicholas and his angels bring

presents for children who have been well behaved, while the Krampuses try to capture children who have behaved badly, to take them away and eat them. I defended this hand during a recent teams evening at the Kitzbühel club:

♠ A 8 ♥ K 9 7 3 ♦ 9 4 ♣ K Q J 10 9 N

W E S



Page 12

♠ K J 6 3 ♥ A J 8 6 ♦ A K 7 6 ♣ 3

North South 1♣ 1♥ 3♥ 4NT 5♦ 5♥* *after a long think.

Declarer won the diamond lead, played a heart to the king and a second heart from table. When East showed out, declarer turned to me (West) and looked at me as if I was wearing a Krampus costume. A few minutes later, she had to lose two hearts and the ace of clubs, going one off, an early Christmas present for my partner and me. Had declarer been in slam, her play would have been absolutely right. Even playing in 4♥ or 5♥ at pairs, it is probably the correct play. But at teams (or rubber bridge), the onus is on making your contract. With only one loser outside the trump suit, the key to the hand is to avoid two trump losers. The correct safety play for the contract of 5♥ at teams is to cash the heart ace and play low to the 9. If it loses then the suit has split 3-2 and you are home and dry. If West shows out on the second round, you go up with the king and play back through the queen towards your jack, guaranteeing only one loser in the suit. I like to think I’d have got this right if I had been declarer, but I usually spot these lines of play seconds after I’ve taken the wrong line and gone off. ■ BRIDGE January 2014

Answers to Bernard Magee’s  Bidding Quizzes 7-9 on the Cover

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

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

Pass. Your partner bids a new suit at the 2-level: this promises at least five cards in his first bid suit and four cards in the second suit. The key issue here is whether you have to make a bid: is 2♦ forcing? The answer depends on the level of your original response: if you had responded at the two level, then you will have promised 10 points and can be expected to make another bid. However, here, you have responded at the one level, promising just 6 points. Your partner has rebid below his barrier (two of the suit he opened), which promises just 12 points. With the partnership unsure of a majority of points, you certainly do not want to be forced to bid again. Hence, you can pass if you want to. With two more diamonds than hearts, it is exactly what you should do here, keeping the auction at a manageable level and playing in a reasonable fit. Of course, your best fit is in clubs, but you cannot always locate your best fit. 2♦ will score well – many pairs will bid one level too high with these cards.



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

West Pass ?

North Pass

BRIDGE January 2014

East South 1♠ Pass

3♣. You passed at your first turn, which means you have a maximum of 11 points. It also means that jump responses are available to be used for different meanings. They cannot show the usual strong responding hands (16+) because you cannot be that strong. The jump responses are generally reserved for hands with support for opener’s suit but with a long and strong side suit, with all the high cards in the two long suits. The idea being that, if there is a double fit, then there is the potential for a slam. 3♣ is a beautiful descriptive bid which allows East to dream of slam – he can envisage 12 tricks in a black suit contract and should therefore bid to the excellent 6♠. You might have tried a splinter response of 4♦, but it is hard for East to envisage a slam opposite a passed hand unless there is a double fit. The splinter might work, but 3♣ is a much better descriptive bid.

West 1NT ?

North Pass

East 2NT

South Pass

3♠. When I have a five-card major in

a 12-14 point balanced hand, I assess its quality. If I am happy to bid it twice, then I open 1-of-the-major, but if the suit is too weak, I open 1NT. Hence, with this hand, you chose to open 1NT. Your partner has raised to 2NT, inviting game and suggesting about 11 points. Should you accept his invitation? You have 13 HCP with a five-card suit and your high cards are working together in the red suits. Generally with 13 points, you have to decide whether it is a good 13 or a bad 13 and this is certainly a good 13, which should push you towards bidding game. However, there is one more thing to consider, rather than simply bidding 3NT, try the effect of bidding 3♠. By bidding 3♠, you are accepting your partner’s invitation, but showing your fivecard spade suit just in case it influences 9. Dealer West. Love All. your partner’s choice of game. ♠ J 9 8 5 4 ♠ K Q 2 It must promise five cards because ♥ K Q 2 N ♥ 8 7 your partner would have used Stayman W E ♦ A K 7 S ♦ Q 9 8 4 3 if he was interested in four-card majors. ♣ 6 2 ♣ A 5 3 Here, your partner will raise to 4♠ and ■ the right game is reached. 1662 Mr Bridge quarter page ads 121x77.5_Layout 1 21/11/2013 18:34 Page 1 A

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Page 13

2014 with Jeremy Dhondy, Chairman of the EBU

January 2014 I

n October, I was elected Chairman of the English Bridge Union. It’s a big responsibility with the organisation having some 54,000 members and growing. I’m allowed to be chairman for a maximum of six years and before that time is up I hope to have made the organisation stronger, to have more people playing more bridge and enjoying it more. I’d like to share with you some of my ideas for both of these tasks and I know I’ll be talking both to people playing under the auspices of the EBU and also those who play in clubs that are not affiliated. The first question is, ‘why join the English Bridge Union?’ It’s been asked and answered many times before, but it is key to the progress needed to ensure that the organisation is a strong and successful one. If you play bridge in the comfort of your living room or tennis in the local park, you don’t need to join any organisation but play tennis in any club at any level and you will become a member of the LTA. If you play bridge in any affiliated club you will become an EBU member. Is that bad or good? I think you get good value for the 35p or so you pay to the EBU each time you play and will look to improve services that you get as a member. One benefit is a members’ magazine given to all who play a dozen times per year or more at any affiliated club, county or national event. This magazine is now available online with additional content and there are plans to make it even easier to read on the tablets which you may have received as presents. You can now also read past magazines, including some of the really early ones from just after World War II. In 1946 the magazine couldn’t be published for all 12 months because, Page 14

after ten issues, the printers ran out of their paper allowance imposed by post-war rationing. In my view, the history of our game is very important and is a theme to which I will return in a future article because a national organisation has a big responsibility in this area and one I want to develop. Although modern technology is not an immediate pleasure for everyone, it is going to play an increasing part in the life of a bridge player. Many clubs already use Bridgemates or some other form of computerised scorer and many of us are used to being able to see the scores by the time we get home. And not only the scores, but the hands and, ‘yes I did have a doubleton club on Board 9 and yes partner could have given me a ruff to beat 4♠.’ There is even a little box to tell you which contracts can be made, although the software that does it is double-dummy perfect and always drops the singleton king offside, but it still offers surprises even to experienced players. Training is offered by the EBU to those in clubs who direct and score. The training is cheap (even without two for the price of one which is on offer to all affiliated clubs) and means that club volunteers provide a better service to other members at the club. In the past few years, people have started to play and watch online. The EBU is involved in two experiments. The first is a recently started online game. Via Bridge Base Online (BBO), you can play an EBU game six times per week and earn master points. You don’t have to be an EBU member to play if you want to give it a try. The other experiment is a small online knock-out tournament started this year to see what problems there might be in bringing this idea to one of our

established tournaments (if we do, it will be voluntary). The attraction of being able to play in your own home instead of travelling to a match on a cold winter evening may be seen as one plus. The early signs are promising. The very same BBO attracts a larger audience each year to watch anything from a World Championship to a Home International or trial and it is all free. Not perhaps something for everyone, but attracted audiences of 5,000+ for the latter stages of the last world championship in Bali. You don’t have to be a top player to watch or compete, some players use online services to have lessons and to practice. I remember watching TV as a young child. The TV did not have a channel selector as there was no choice when it was manufactured, but it did have a box next to it with a 1 and 9 on it so you could switch from BBC to ITV. It doesn’t take much to see how that aspect of life has changed and bridge will also not stand still. Some decry it (500 channels and still nothing worth watching), but generally we can watch what we want in tremendous clarity and quality. One job of the EBU is to manage the technological changes that affect our game whilst still allowing players to have a good time. So dig out your £2.50 and pop off to have a game at the local club including tea and biscuits and reflect that you are getting about the best value pastime imaginable. Be grateful to the volunteers in your club who help make it cheap and enjoyable. Reflect that no-one has to take the travelling score sheets home and work on them by hand the next day and if you have constructive comment or feedback on these or other topics, I’ll be pleased to hear from you at [email protected]. ■ BRIDGE January 2014

Answers to Bernard Magee’s  Bidding Quizzes 10-12 on the Cover

spade, which will make up for a lack of points. Adding your hand to his should suggest a game contract and 4♥ is surely the right place. When responding to a take-out double remember to show your strength as well as your best suit.

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

West North East South 2♠1 Dbl Pass ? 1 Weak two: 6-10 HCP.

4♥. North opens a weak two: showing 6-10 points and a six-card spade suit. Your partner doubles: this is a take-out double asking you to bid your best suit. 3♥ looks like the obvious bid, but remember that you are forced to respond, so a 3♥ bid can show zero points. You have 11 HCP and your partner should have a good opening hand, or if he is borderline he should have a singleton



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

West North East South 2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT Pass ?

4NT. Strong

hand

bidding

is

all

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describing your hand and understanding your partner’s description. East opened 2♣ and rebid 3NT: this means he does not have 23-24 (he would have rebid 2NT), so he must have 25+ points. You have six points and a reasonable 5-card suit. Surely, there is a reasonable chance for slam and you should express this by inviting slam with a 4NT bid. A 4NT bid directly after a no-trump bid is quantitative – asking partner to assess his strength and bid 6NT if he is stronger than promised. With 26 points, East will accept your invitation and raise to 6NT. Your club suit helps bring the slam home.



12. Dealer East. Game All. ♠ A 4 2 ♠ K 8 7 3 N ♥ 4 2 ♥ A83 W E ♦ 8 3 S ♦ Q 9 7 6 ♣ A Q J 6 5 3 ♣ K 2

West North ?

East 1NT

South Pass

3NT. You have a hand of great potential, but clubs do not score well – you are going to score so much more in no-trumps. How high should you bid? 11 HCP with a strong six-card suit makes 13 total points, which suggests going for game. The theory is simple: if the club suit makes, you are likely to make nine tricks, if it doesn’t make, then you might not make 1NT. In a sense you are gambling, but it often pays off when you gamble 3NT with long minors. Here, your partner has as bad a hand as he can hold: but you still make a comfortable 9 tricks. With long minors, if you are thinking of game, then go for it – especially if the suit ■ is strong.

Page 15

Julian Pottage answers your Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Features of Playing Five-Card Majors?

P

laying five-card majors means that an opening bid of 1♥ or 1♠ promises five cards in the suit bid. This enables you to find 5-3 fits quickly because responder knows that three-card support is adequate for a known five-card suit.



♠ K 8 4 ♥ A K J 8 2 ♦ Q 5 ♣ 10 4 3

N W E S

♠ A Q 6 ♥ Q 7 3 ♦ 9 6 3 2 ♣ J 7 5

Playing five-card majors, West opens 1♥ and East raises to 2♥, which is an easy make. Playing four-card majors, you might well play in 1NT, often failing. Early knowledge of a 5-3 fit helps, particularly on competitive auctions.

♠ 7 3 ♥ Q 8 4 ♦ A 8 4 ♣ K J 9 4 2

Suppose partner opens 1♥ and the next hand overcalls 3♦. Playing fivecard majors, you have an easy raise to 3♥. Playing four-card majors, you would have a problem. Of course, you can still find 4-4 fits when playing five-card majors. While opener does not bid a four-card major initially, responder certainly can. Indeed, responding in a four-card major is more important than ever when playing five-card majors.

♠ J 4 ♥ A Q 10 3 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ A K Q 2

Page 16

N W E S

♠ 10 5 2 ♥ K J 5 2 ♦ Q 7 4 ♣ J 7 5

Playing five-card majors, West opens 1♣ and East responds 1♥, at which point West knows of the 4-4 fit (and can raise to 4♥). This time, there is no gain compared with playing fourcard majors. What happens with those hands if North overcalls 1♠? Can you still find the 4-4 heart fit after the 1♣ opening? Yes, you still find the 4-4 fit since East makes a negative (Sputnik/ take-out) double. This double suggests four cards in the unbid major. What are the downsides to playing five-card majors? The main one is that when you lack a five-card major and are out of range for 1NT, you have to open something else. This applies even when your only four-card suit is a major. You must make a prepared opening in one of the minors. By opening in a short minor, you make it easier for the opponents to intervene while making it harder for partner to judge what to do. If you are opening 1♣ on balanced hands and hands with clubs, partner must guess and will sometimes guess incorrectly.

♠ 10 6 2 ♥ A 3 ♦ Q 8 5 4 ♣ K J 9 3

Suppose (using five-card majors) partner opens 1♣ and the next hand overcalls 2♠. If partner has clubs, you want to bid 3♣. If partner has short clubs, however, you do not want to play at the three level with two flat hands. You have a guess, with no good answer. In the UK and France, it is usual to play a prepared 1♣, which may be as short as two cards (a doubleton); a 1♦ opening stays as natural (4+ cards). In North America and much of the world, it is usual to play ‘better minor’.

The better minor title is a slight misnomer (suit quality is irrelevant) but seems to have stuck. With ‘better minor’, you open the longer minor with 4-3 or 3-2 in the minors; with 3-3, you open 1♣; with 4-4 you open 1♦. This means that a 1♦ opening playing better minor will be a four-card suit unless you have four cards in each major and a doubleton club.

♠ 9 5 3 ♥ K J 6 ♦ A Q 3 2 ♣ K 6 3

Playing a prepared club, you open 1♣. Playing better minor, you open 1♦. (I have assumed that this hand would be out of range for a 1NT opening – most people playing five-card majors also play a strong no-trump.) The rarer downside to five-card majors is that the partnership can find itself locked into a 5-3 major-suit fit even when a more productive fit is available. This is most likely to be an issue at the slam level.

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

♠ K 8 3 ♥ A K J 3 ♦ K 2 ♣ Q J 10 3

After West opens 1♠, East might think ‘whoopee, we have a spade fit’. Even if it is just psychological, it is harder to reach 6♣ on these hands playing fivecard majors than it would be playing four-card majors. In summary, playing five-card majors works well when you have one to open. Most of the world favours five-card majors. ■ BRIDGE January 2014

Misleading Cases: Number One

Fisticuffs at the Club Regina v. North and others before Mr Justice Ebu, at the Old Bailey After the evidence and Counsels’ closing speeches, Mr Justice Ebu summed up to the jury as follows:

“T

his case involves a well known bridge club whose name, to protect the innocent, I shall not disclose. The case concerns the conduct of the players at a particular table in that club one evening a few months ago. All four players have since been charged with affray during the play of hand 17 and you, the jury, now have to determine their guilt or innocence. This is, I believe, the first time in this country that a jury has consisted entirely of bridge players, that being necessary so that you can knowledgeably consider the ramifications of the bidding and card play. You have a copy of the hand in question, and the bidding, but I will repeat them for posterity: Dealer North. Love All. ♠ 4 3 2 ♥ A Q 2 ♦ 5 4 3 2 ♣ A Q 10 ♠ K Q 10 7 6 ♠ A 8 ♥ 5 4 N ♥ K J 9 7 6 W E ♦ Q 6 S ♦ 10 9 8 ♣ K J 9 2 ♣ 8 5 4 ♠ J 9 5 ♥ 10 8 3 ♦ A K J 7 ♣ 7 6 3

West North East South 1♦* Pass 1NT *Playing 12-14 1NT opening All Pass

You will recall the bidding: it was BRIDGE January 2014

very simple. North, as dealer, opened 1♦, East passed and South bid 1NT. And there the matter rested. In your deliberations, you may wish to take into account the fact that neither East nor West made an overcall in their respective major suit. If either had, then probably none of what followed would have happened. You may feel (I do not wish to influence you in either direction) that that fact alone may (or of course may not) affect the culpability of one or more of the defendants. West made the obvious opening lead of ♠K and dummy’s hand went down. South thanked his partner but went on to suggest that he should have opened 1NT. North said he had read that 4333 hands should be downgraded by one point, so he decided not to open 1NT, but queried later why his partner did not respond 2♦ to the 1♦ opener (to which question he received no reply). Dummy played low to the opening trick and so too did East and South. Seeing East’s ♠8, West continued with ♠6, won by East with ♠A. East looked through his hand two or three times for another spade to lead, but, finding none, he led ♥7 (fourth highest of his longest suit) to ♥3, ♥4 and ♥Q. Declarer now led ♦2 from dummy to ♦A and led back ♣3. West contributed ♣2 and declarer finessed ♣Q successfully. He then led back ♦3 to ♦9, ♦J and West’s winning ♦Q. Now West cashed his three winning spades and when East failed to follow to the first of these, West enquired whether (and I am omitting the adjectives and bad language which this Court had to endure at this juncture) it

might not have been a touch better for his partner to overtake the ♠K opening lead with ♠A and return a spade. You will recall East’s reply (with almost as many adjectives) that that might have promoted a spade trick for South, but West would have none of it. He said, rightly in my view, that his spade suit must have been K Q 10 (x ..) for such a lead, in which case, after East takes trick 1 with ♠A, West wins the spade return as cheaply as possible and reels off his remaining spade winners, thereby making (in the event) the first five tricks, with no doubt a couple more later after West switches to a heart. And talking of hearts, West added, why did his partner switch to that suit? He must have seen that it would give away a trick. At this point, South asked the others to leave the post mortem till the end of the hand, but was then told by East and West to shut up. By this stage, North wanted to get into the blame game and asked why his partner had not won trick 3 with ♥10 (or indeed ♥8), having regard to the Rule of 11? And why he took the diamond finesse but not the deep club finesse? That was when the trouble really started. You have heard the evidence on that and I do not need to go through it again. It was never decided whether South made his contract because, by the time the police arrived to separate the combatants, the table had been knocked over and the cards and all four bidding boxes were on the floor, their contents scattered far and wide. I might add, however, that from where they had got to before Page 17

Misleading Cases continued

the fracas, it looks to me as if North/South were heading to make 1NT for an above average score. Hardly worth fighting about, methinks, and in any case the director awarded both pairs a bottom for their sins. For some reason, none of the players called for the director until things got physical. In this respect, they all accept that they made a mistake but claim (and I agree) that they did not thereby commit an offence. It is up to you, members of the jury, to determine on these facts which, if any, of the players is guilty of the charge of affray. Each player believed that he had bid or played correctly but that his partner had not and each thought someone other than himself had started the fracas. Self-defence is, of course, a complete defence, but so too can be a justifiable defence of one’s own cause. You should ignore the fact that all four players ended up in hospital overnight. That is one of the hazards of playing a potentially dangerous game such as bridge.” His Lordship then read out to the jurors the normal language as regards the burden and standard of proof and what their duties were once they retired to the jury room. He went on to inform them that if they reached a unanimous decision quickly, a three-table duplicate session in his Lordship’s rooms would follow (four tables if all four defendants were found not guilty). His Lordship would gladly be the tournament director. Reporter: Richard Wheen, after A.P. Herbert ■ Page 18

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BRIDGE January 2014

David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

Can Declarer Change His Card?

Q

I was declarer in 3NT and had reached a four card ending. On the table were ♦Q-J and ♣K-Q – all winners. In my hand I had the ♠3-2, the ♥7 and the ♣9. I played the ♠2 and immediately said, ‘Oh, I have played the wrong card.’ I lost two tricks because of my mistake, but could it have been a mechanical error? Kit Gow by email.

A

It does not sound like a mechanical error: at the time you led the ♠2 you meant to lead the ♠2 so it is not a mechanical error. In fact, it makes no difference: once declarer has played a legal card it may not be changed, whether it was intended or not. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Playing South at the club recently, I opened 1♦, West passed, my partner bid 1♠ and East bid 2♥. I meant to bid 3♦, but pulled out 3♣ by mistake. I apologised immediately, ‘wrong suit.’ I was then told by our opposition that I could not change my bid to 3♦. Were our

BRIDGE January 2014

opponents right? Maria Leathers by email.

A

No, they were not right and I am surprised you are letting opponents give rulings. They are likely to take advantage. If you pull out the wrong card and change it, or try to change it, immediately, it may be changed, as the director would have told you.

had overcalled a natural 2♣, not alerted, and partner had bid a natural 2♦. So 3♣ is reasonable with:



♠ x ♥ Q x x ♦ K ♣ K J 10 x x x x x

but with:

♣♦♥♠

Q

My partner and I play Landy. My RHO opened 1NT and I, having a long club suit (and forgetting our system) bid 2♣, which my partner alerted and, on being asked, told the opponents that it showed both majors. My partner then bid 2♦, asking me to choose a major. Aware now that I was playing Landy, what should I do? Can I rebid clubs?

A

You must make every effort not to gain from the unauthorised information, which in this case is the alert and answer which have reminded you. So you may bid 3♣ if and only if you are sure that it is what you would bid if you



♠ x ♥ Q J x x ♦ Q x ♣ A J x x x x

3♣ is not allowed since you would bid 2♥ and with:



♠ x ♥ Q J x ♦ Q x x ♣ A J x x x x

3♣ is not allowed since you would bid 3♦ (or pass). ♣♦♥♠

Q

My RHO (East), opened 1NT and his partner announced 12-14. I held 10 HCP with six good hearts

so I overcalled 2♥, which was doubled by my LHO and then passed out. I went down two for -500. At the end of play, I noticed that my RHO had 19 points. At other tables, the contract was 3NT making by East. As a result, we had a bottom. I did not call the director, but I would like to know what the ruling would have been had I called the director. Iraj Darvish by email.

A

The first thing a director does is to try to find out what happened. If, for example, he decided that East had miscounted his points and opened 1NT by accident, or intended to open 1♠ and opened 1NT by accident, then nothing illegal has happened and the result stands. He could even have decided to open 1NT as a psyche. Again there is nothing wrong. If they do not play a 12-14 1NT opening and you were told the wrong thing, or if they have changed to 16-19 but West has forgotten and misinformed you, then the director might adjust depending on what he thinks might have happened without the misinformation.

Page 19

Denham Grove Denham, Bucks, UB9 5DG

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Ask David continued

Q

At the clubs I attend in Surrey, several players pull out the card slightly from the bidding box when the contract has been agreed. They then have a personal reminder of the contract throughout the play. I’m not sure if there is any wrongdoing with this but can you clear it up for me please? Carol Holloway by email.

A

It is illegal unless the regulating authority deem otherwise, so a club could require it, ban it or even mandate it. In practice clubs do not bother and it is a very minor abuse which is generally tolerated. ♣♦♥♠

RUBBER / CHICAGO EVENTS Chatsworth Hotel Worthing BN11 3DU

7-9 February 2014 with Sheila Rogers

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Page 20

Q

I would like to ask you if this was a correct decision? I was West, playing in 5♦, doubled by South. I was playing the tenth trick and about to make my contract when South noticed that he had only two cards left. The director found the missing card to be the ♠7 and replaced it from another pack. We were told an average score would be given. I was disappointed. Surely South (a very good player) should have counted his cards before we started the hand. Pauline Wilkinson by email.

A

No, it was not a correct decision and it was most remiss of the director not to read the

correct ruling from his law book. The card is assumed to have belonged to the deficient hand throughout and, if at any time that hand has failed to follow suit to a spade, revoke penalties will follow. The result stands.

sible doubles’ (Law 36) and read it out to the table. Putting it simply, the doubler replaces the double with any legal call and his partner must pass for the rest of the auction. If they finish up defending, there will also be lead penalties.

♣♦♥♠

Q

Recently, we had a very odd situation. North and East passed, then South doubled. West called the director who was rather flummoxed. As there was nothing to double, could this be construed as unauthorised information? Should the director have allowed the bidding and play to continue unhindered and returned at the end of the hand to see if any score adjustment was needed? Or is there some other rule to deal with this unusual bidding? Lynda Moore, Suffolk.

A

I am always a little surprised that directors are flummoxed by matters which are covered perfectly clearly in the Law book. He should open the Law book, find ‘Inadmis-

♣♦♥♠

Q

I was playing in a team event at the club and our team finished with 55 IMPs. Another team, who had also apparently scored 55 points, had one hand thrown in – they said the opposition should have opened. They claimed they had been denied the opportunity to score points. The tournament director gave them 2 IMPs, so they now had 57 and they were declared the winners. I have never heard of this rule and do not understand the logic of it. Is it correct? Colin Shaw, Goring-by-Sea, East Sussex.

A

Certainly not. You cannot say a team should have bid anything: they can judge to bid how they like. I am afraid you were harshly treated there.

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BRIDGE January 2014

Ask David continued

Q

1. Recently, declarer (North), on lead, claimed the last three tricks of a hand holding three trumps J-x-x. At this juncture, West showed her hand saying she still held the 10 of trumps. Only then did declarer say he would have played the jack first. West was deemed to have won a trick. Was that the correct decision? 2. What should be the correct procedure once a player claims the last several tricks of a hand? N Scott, Crook, Co Durham.

A

There always have been and probably always will be disagreements over claims like this, since a large majority of players will always cash their trumps from the top. But a large majority does not mean everyone and some players might play a small one when they think they are all winners. In my view, the decision was correct since playing a small trump when believing them all to be good is careless, not irrational. It is very much a matter of judgement: for example, I would probably give a player all the tricks with A-K-2 and an outstanding forgotten 6. Certainly, the director was not wrong to make the judgement he did. The procedure after a claim is simple: the opposition either accept it or call the director. The director gets the claimer to

repeat (but not embellish) his statement at the time of the claim (if any) and decides how many tricks, giving the benefit of any doubt to the non-claimers. One unfortunate happening, that is sadly far from rare, is that some strong-minded and offensive players interrupt the claimer and start telling him he is wrong and arguing before he has had any chance to make or complete his statement of how he is playing it. If the director judges this has happened, he silences the other side and invites the claimer to make a full statement now. ♣♦♥♠

Q

I have some queries on Law 27, Insufficient Bid. 1. If the insufficient bid is changed to a pass then the partner is required to pass throughout, but can the insufficient bidder re-enter the auction later? 2. If 1♥ is followed by 1♣ condoned, would a following bid of 1♦ be insufficient? 3. If 1♥ is followed by 1♣, condoned, can opener repeat 1♥? Lionel Avery, Amersham, Bucks.

A

The player who made the insufficient bid can call whatever he likes later, knowing that his partner must pass throughout. If 1♣ is condoned, then calls of 1♦ and 1♥ are legal and ■ sufficient.

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

BRIDGE January 2014

Beginners’ Bridge Corner

Mary’s First Lesson by Liz Dale

M

ary took one last look in the mirror. Why on earth was she so nervous about attending the first session of Beginners’ Bridge, which was being introduced at the local bridge club through the U3A? Was it because she didn’t want to look silly? Was it because she really didn’t want people to ‘find her out’? Oh how she wished Peter was here to say, ‘Go on – you’ll be fine.’ Mary was impressed with the welcome. Tea, coffee and biscuits, together with a first name identification label for everyone’s lapel. Within minutes, introductions had been made and all new learners were sitting at tables for four with an identified host ‘mentor’ from the club at each table. The place was buzzing. Hands were dealt, honour cards identified, and minibridge commenced. Partnership point counts were identified and Mary was told how many tricks should be made on a particular contract. Nothing too daunting for the first lesson. Lots of new words to remember: dealer, opener, responder, partner, dummy, contracts, declarer,

defender, suits, trumps, no trumps, tricks and ruffs. Partnership points was identified as the most important principle, linked to the number of tricks that were able to be made (see Table 1). Having a host ‘mentor’ at each table certainly was reassuring and meant that Mary really could play a lot of hands in the first three hours. Problems and misunderstandings were sorted out immediately. Homework handout sheets were being distributed. Mary had not only to learn the Partnership Points Table (see below) linked to makeable tricks, but also the meaning of all the new words. The three hours had passed swiftly. Already Mary had made some new friends. She really liked the people on her table. Everyone seemed so nice. Perhaps, like her, they were a little nervous about coming, but it didn’t show. She was really glad she had plucked up the courage to come. Yes, she was going to come back and yes, she was going to learn her homework. Already, she was looking forward to the second ses■ sion next week.

Table 1. Partnership Points. 21/22 high card points The partnership should be in a contract to make 7 tricks. 23/24 high card points The partnership should be in a contract to make 8 tricks. 25/26 high card points The partnership should be in a contract making 9 tricks in no trumps or 10 tricks in hearts/spades

Page 21

MR BRIDGE CLUB QUIZ 2013

Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge 65 invaluable tips in 160 pages Bidding Tips 1 Always consider bidding spades if you can 2 Bid more aggressively when non-vulnerable 3 Always double when the opponents steal your deal 4 A takeout double shows shortage in the suit doubled 5 ‘Borrow’ a king to keep the auction open 6 After a penalty double, don’t let the opponents escape 7 Halve the value of a singleton honour when opening 8 Only add length-points for a suit that might be useful 9 Isolated honours are bad except in partner’s suit 10 Use the jump shift sparingly 11 Consider passing and letting partner decide 12 You need two top honours for a second-seat pre-empt 13 Put the brakes on if you have a misfit 14 Strong and long minors work well in no-trumps 15 One stop in the opponents’ suit can be enough for no-trumps 16 Keep your two-level responses up to strength 17 Use your normal methods in response to a 1NT overcall 18 Don’t overcall just because you have opening points 19 Overcalls can be quite weak, so be prudent when responding 20 Weak overcalls must be based on strong suits 21 6NT requires 33 points not 4 aces and 4 kings 22 Raise immediately, if weak with four-card support 23 In a competitive auction, show support immediately 24 Bid to the level of your fit quickly with weak hands 25 With strength and support, use the opponents’ bid suit Declarer Play Tips 26 When your contract depends on a finesse, think ‘endplay’ 27 Consider what a defender might be thinking about 28 Always take your time at trick one 29 Establish extra tricks before cashing your winners 30 Use your opponents’ bidding to your advantage 31 Avoid the ‘baddie’ gaining the lead 32 Use the Rule of Seven when holding up in no-trumps

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

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Page 22

CARDS

1 Which card is the title of a short story by Agatha Christie? 2 Which card appears to be holding a leaf? 3 Counting the values of the tiles, which card would be worth the most at Scrabble? 4 Which card was the ‘highest’ of the gardeners for the Ace of Hearts?

SCORES

5 Making 13 tricks in a particular vulnerable small slam gives a score which matches the year in which a particular English king came back to the throne. Which king? 6 How much are spades worth (for each odd trick won) in Auction Bridge? 7 2♣ doubled, 2♦ doubled, 1NT + 3, 2NT + 2: all these score the same. Which other result can get this score? 8 What do the scores 230, 520 & 560 have in common?

DIRECTING

9 The opening leader leads the ♥A and wins the first trick. However, at trick two at the same time as he leads the ♥K, declarer leads the ♣A from his hand. What is the ruling? 10 The bidding progresses: 1♥, Pass, Double and you are called to the table. What is the ruling?

CARD GAMES 11 What poker hand (2 cards) is sometimes called ‘the gay waiter’. 12 In Happy Families, what is the Baker’s son’s name? 13 How many cards are dealt to each player in Gin Rummy? 14 In what year did Edmund Hoyle write his ‘Short Treatise on the Game of Whist’?

ODD ONE OUT (Which is the odd one out in each case?) 15 TRANSFER, RELAY, INVERTED MINOR, WEAK TWO, STRONG TWO, BALANCED INVITE. 16 1♣-3♣; 1♥-4♥; 1NT-2NT; 2♣-2♦-2♠; 2♣-2♦-2NT; 1♠-2♠. 17 FRENCH, EXCLUSION, ROLLING, BYZANTINE, ROMAN. 18 Belote, Skat, Piquet, Briscola, Ecarté.

ANAGRAMS on a ‘BRIDGE’ theme. 19 RAFT FOR HOUSE. 20 BLUE ROSES DO. Answers on page 46.

BRIDGE January 2014

Bridge and Travel Tips

DEFENCE QUIZ

LENGTH IS STRENGTH Bridge tip from Sally Brock: When you have four trumps, lead from your longest suit not from shortage.

W

hat would you lead from the following hand?

Dealer West. Game All. ♠ K 3 2 ♥ 10 7 6 4 ♦ K Q 10 5 4 ♣ 9

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

Your singleton club is an obvious possibility, but it could easily pick up cards in partner’s hand. A better choice is your longest suit, a diamond, hoping to force declarer to ruff. Then, when you get in with the ♠K, you can hope to force him again, ultimately promoting a trick for your long hearts. (See full deal below.) On a club lead, declarer simply wins, draws trumps and gives up a trick to your ♠K. Ten tricks made.

I

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

On a diamond lead, declarer is sunk. He ruffs the second (best play is to discard a club here, but on this layout it doesn’t make any difference), plays the ♥A and a heart to the queen and runs the ♠9. You win your king and play another diamond. Now, you have one more trump than declarer and the contract eventually drifts two off. When you’re considering whether or not to lead a singleton, choose your long suit instead when you have four ■ trumps.

Travel tip from Emma Thomson:

f you’re planning a big trip, taking in several countries, buy a round-the-world ticket (RTW). By purchasing all your tickets in advance and in bulk, you’ll save money on the total price of the ticket. Routes flying west to east taking in the major cities, for example, London–Bangkok– Singapore–Sydney–LA, are cheaper than choosing more unusual destinations and you can save even more by booking through third-party agents, instead of with the airline alliances direct. A few rules apply: you have to follow one global direction (no backtracking), start and finish in the same country and the minimum trip duration is ten days.

BRIDGE January 2014

by Julian Pottage

(Answers on page 32)

Y

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

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

54 962 QJ6 J 10 4 3 2

West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass

Partner leads the ♦2. What do you do?

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

West North East South 1♦ 1♠ 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

Partner leads the ♠9 and dummy plays low. What do you do?

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

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

West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass

West North East South 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass

Partner leads the ♦10. What do you do?

J74 10 8 6 5 3 AK 542

Partner leads the ♦J. What is your plan?

Page 23

Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures by David Bird

New Year’s Day in Sherwood I

t was early morning in a small glade deep in Sherwood Forest. Those outlaws still asleep were aroused gradually from their dreams by the wonderful smell of bread cooking over the open fires. ‘Any idea what day it is, Tuck?’ asked Robin Hood, who was stoking one of the fires. Friar Tuck was never at his best before mid-day. ‘I believe it may be the day celebrated for Saint Almachius the Martyr,’ he replied. ‘I wouldn’t wager my life on it, though.’ Hood laughed. ‘The answer I was looking for is New Year’s Day,’ he said. ‘You know, the day when we’re all expected to give up some undesirable habit, like… well, like gluttony, for example.’ ‘No need to look at me as you say that,’ Friar Tuck replied. ‘It’s common knowledge that a large man requires more food than a small man.’ ‘He’s right,’ added Much the Miller’s son. ‘My father has two horses, one twice as big as the other. The big one eats at least twice as much.’ ‘Not a convincing proof,’ an amused Robin Hood replied. ‘You might as well say that a drunkard needs twice as much beer as someone who drinks modestly.’ He sprang to his feet. ‘Anyway, Nazir and I need to hone our bridge skills before we play in the big money game at Nottingham Market tonight. Who among you are willing Page 24

to take us on?’ Young Much was inexperienced at ‘Count me in,’ said Friar Tuck. ‘Are the game and out of his depth in this you with us, John?’ exalted company. They would forgive Little John wiped the sleep from his him if he made a silly mistake or two, eyes. ‘Not until I’ve ’ad me breakfast,’ yes, but how much better it would he replied. ‘Let Much ’ave a go.’ be to gain their respect with a sound Much’s eyes lit up. He had never performance. Now, what should he before been allowed to play against lead against 4♥? His spade honours Robin Hood. Perhaps he would teach were nearly in sequence. Perhaps the him some of the game’s secrets. ♠K would be a good lead? Yes, let’s try A coarse-woven blanket was laid out that. on the ground and the four players sat Nazir looked into Robin Hood’s eyes down cross-legged. This was an early as he displayed his dummy. ‘Good deal: hand,’ he declared. ‘Perhaps in future times, if Allah wishes it, there will be some special bid to show such power. Then we could bid more slams when Dealer South. Love All. your hand is also good.’ ♠ 6 4 2 Hood nodded. ‘Perhaps that should ♥ A 6 5 3 be our New Year’s resolution,’ he ♦ K Q 4 suggested. ‘To improve our slam ♣ A Q 10 bidding!’ ♠ K Q 10 8 ♠ 9 7 3 ‘It would make more sense than any ♥ 10 8 4 N ♥ 2 W E silly ideas about eating less,’ declared ♦ 8 7 5 3 S ♦ A 10 9 6 Friar Tuck. ‘Why would the bountiful ♣ 6 2 ♣ K 9 7 5 3 Lord provide us with the means to ♠ A J 5 cook joints of meat and make fruit ♥ K Q J 9 7 pies if he did not intend us to enjoy ♦ J 2 them to the full?’ ♣ J 8 4 Friar Tuck played the ♠3 on the first trick and Robin Hood contributed the ♠5. Much was pleased with the success West North East South of his opening lead. What a great start Much Nazir Friar Robin he had made in this high-level game! Tuck Hood He was about to play another spade 1♥ when Hood leaned towards him. Pass 4♥ All Pass BRIDGE January 2014

Robin Hood continued

‘You saw Tuck’s ♠3?’ he said. ‘It was a signal to tell you he has nothing good in the suit. You should play something different now.’ Much could not believe what he was hearing. The defenders could signal to each other? If only he could learn such secrets from these great players, he would become an expert himself. As instructed, Much looked for a different suit to play. His father, the miller in Gorsthorpe Village, had often mentioned how well it worked to ‘lead through dummy’s strength’. Maybe a club would be a good idea. Robin Hood paused for thought when the ♣6 appeared. If he took the club finesse and it lost, Tuck would be able to return a spade through his ♠A-J. This would set up a fourth trick for the defence before he could establish a discard on the diamonds. Hood reached forward to play the ♣A. After drawing trumps with the king, queen and jack, he led the ♦J. When Friar Tuck allowed this to win, he continued with a second diamond to the queen and ace. Robin Hood won the spade return with the ace. He then crossed to the carefully preserved ♥A to discard his spade loser on the established ♦K. The game had been made. ‘You defended well, young Much!’ Robin Hood exclaimed. ‘That club switch made it awkward for me.’ Much looked modestly downwards. His defence had been praised by none other than Robin Hood himself! It was a moment to savour. How proud his father would be. The winter sun was soon in evidence and several other outlaws had gathered round to observe the play. Robin Hood reached another game contract on this deal: BRIDGE January 2014

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

West Much

North Nazir



East

South

Friar

Robin

Tuck

Hood

1♥ 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass

This time, Much had little to think about when choosing his opening lead. It was more than his life was worth not to lead the suit that Friar Tuck had bid. Imagine how the onlookers

would laugh if he chose instead to lead diamonds, his own suit! The ♥9 appeared on the coarselywoven, grey blanket and Hood studied the dummy that Nazir put down. It seemed natural to play one of dummy’s honours on this trick, but that would waste the power of his ♥10. He leaned forward and played the ♥3

from dummy. Several of the onlookers exchanged glances. What a strange play to make! Still, Robin must know what he was doing. Friar Tuck won the trick with the ♥J and switched to the ♣K. After a few moments, Hood played a low card from his hand. A puzzled Little John, who had joined the group of outlaws watching the game, nudged Will Scarlet. Why on earth had Robin not won with the ♣A? Robin Hood won the second round of clubs with the ace and drew trumps with the king, ace and jack. He then played dummy’s ♥K. Friar Tuck covered with the ♥A and Hood ruffed with his penultimate trump. He then gave up a club trick, won by Friar Tuck in the East seat. ‘I guess I’m too late to play this card,’ said Friar Tuck, switching to the ♦K. ‘Afraid so,’ Robin Hood replied. He won with the ♦A and ruffed his last club to reach the dummy. Away went his two diamond losers on the established ♥Q-8 and the game was made. Nazir flashed his perfect white teeth by way of congratulation. ‘Nice move, ducking first club,’ he said. Few of the onlookers had understood the play. Maybe someone would explain it. ‘Yes,’ agreed Friar Tuck. ‘If he takes the ace immediately, I can set up a diamond winner to go with two club tricks.’ Little John nudged Will Scarlet again. ‘You see it now?’ he asked. ‘I was going to tell you before but I thought they’d hear.’ Will Scarlet had not been paying attention. ‘Yeah, clever,’ he replied. ‘It was difficult for our young friend here,’ Friar Tuck continued. ‘If Much happens to lead a diamond, the contract can’t be made.’ ‘That’s really unlucky,’ Much replied. ‘Just this morning, I made my New Year’s resolution. Always lead partner’s suit!’ ■ Page 25

Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

How Should We Reach the Best Contract? Q

How should we bid the following hands, playing Benji Acol?



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

♠ A K J 8 6 ♥ 8 4 ♦ 10 9 3 2 ♣ Q 8

West East Pass 1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♦1 2NT 3NT All Pass 1 Fourth suit forcing

East disagreed with 2♣ by West and thought 2♥ was a better rebid. Huw Jones, Swansea.

A

While you ask about West’s actions, East seems to be the one out of line. East has overbid, using fourth suit forcing and then raising to game. A simple 2NT rebid would have sufficed; even that would be on the aggressive side if East had not passed originally: some would just give preference to 2♥. West had a tricky choice

Page 26

of rebid. 2♦ shows where the values lie, whereas 2♣ shows the length. Bearing in mind that you do not really want to be ruffing with the high diamonds, 2♣ seems OK. 2♥ would be only my third choice. By opening one suit and rebidding in another, you suggest a 5-4 shape. A 2♥ rebid would both overstate the hearts and understate the minors. ♣♦♥♠

Q

On this deal, most pairs at our club bid a part score in clubs, making at most 10 tricks with the club king offside.



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

in 1♥ when South decided to pass North’s rebid of a phoney heart to try to keep the bidding open. It was not a great success. How would you bid? Nicholas Beswick, Blaenau, Gwent.

A

Bidding a major with a doubleton is not sensible, especially as it is a non-forcing bid. South should have raised 1♥ to 2♥ on this deal. Partnering myself, I am sure I would bid 1♣-1♦-3NT. This would not be a success on a spade lead but makes on any other lead. With 8 sure tricks, a rebid of 3♣, even though it is a jump, does not do justice to the North hand. It surprises me to hear that so many people played in a club partial. You must have some cautious bidders in your club. ♣♦♥♠



♠ 7 ♥ 10 7 4 2 ♦ A Q 7 6 5 2 ♣ 8 2

My partner and I ended

Q

Please can you help me with this ticklish opening lead decision? Playing matchpoints, I was dealer:



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

West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT1 1 All Pass 15-17

What would you lead and why? Keith Hawkins, Chippenham, Wiltshire.

A

The ♥6 would be my choice. The spade spots are not good enough to lead the suit when you know dummy has four. A diamond, though probably safe, is going to help set up declarer’s suit. As for the unbid suits, I do not like leading from J-x-x. An added reason for preferring a heart to a club is that North is unlikely to have four hearts but could have four or even five clubs: with 4-4 in the majors, it is customary to respond 1♥; with 5-4 in the majors, North would probably have removed 1NT to 2♥.

BRIDGE January 2014

Ask Julian continued

Q

With EastWest silent, North opens 1♥, South responds 1♠ and North rebids 2♥. South holds:



♠ J 8 7 6 4 ♥ 5 4 ♦ Q 7 5 ♣ K Q J

Should South rebid his spades and, if so, what point count would he show? Name and address supplied.

A

Partner is quite likely to have six hearts to open 1♥ and rebid 2♥ over a 1♠ response. You would need six goodish spades to rebid 2♠. Here you have five poor spades. The decision is therefore not close. You should pass. While nine points would be consistent with 2♠, this spade suit is not.

She felt that without a singleton or void in hearts she was not qualified to double. Which of us, if either, should have doubled? Vicky Fisher by email.

A

With opening values, four spades and 0-2 hearts, it would be clear to double 1♥ rather than pass. With three hearts, it is less clear. While the textbooks say you should pass, some players successfully adopt a policy of doubling on such hands – the Italian Blue team was famous for it. Had you been a passed hand, you could have doubled 2♥ yourself with 10 points, four spades and two hearts. I agree that it would be rather aggressive to do that on the actual auction. Perhaps your partner should have doubled the second time around. Assuming the opponents know what they are doing, if they have bid and raised a suit but not attempted to look for game, they have a fit but limited values. This being the case, you were likely to be short in hearts and have a few values.

♣♦♥♠

Q

The dealer opened 1♥; my partner in second seat passed with 14 HCP, four spades and three hearts. Responder raised to 2♥. I had 10 HCPs, four spades and two hearts but said nothing, fearing that partner might have very little. Most people played in 2♠ and made three. We had 24 HCP between us. If my partner had doubled, I would have taken her to be asking me for a spade fit.

BRIDGE January 2014

♣♦♥♠

Q

I am giving a lecture on notrump bidding to an audience of duplicate players. How many points does a partnership need to have a better than 50% chance of making 3NT, assuming that both hands are balanced? My view is that 24 HCP is likely to fail, while 26 HCP is likely to succeed, with a big question mark over 25 HCP. Alan Mansell, Milford-on-Sea.

A

This evening I ran a quick simulation using Dealmaster Pro with 1,000 deals each time. With 24 HCP, 3NT made 36% and went down 64%. With 25 HCP, 3NT made 55% and went down 45%. With 26 HCP, 3NT made 71% and went down 29%. This simulator assumes double-dummy play. That tends to help the defenders with the opening lead, but thereafter works more to declarer’s advantage. You seem to be right that 25 is the critical number. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Please could you help me with a bidding issue?



♠ A Q 9 6 2 ♥ K 5 ♦ K 8 6 ♣ K 10 3

I opened 1♠ and my partner responded 2♠. I added my 6 losers to partner’s 9 losers, which told me to bid to the 3 level. As there was nothing to gain by bidding to the 3 level, I passed – and made 10 tricks. Other pairs bid and made 4♠. Was I right to pass my partner’s 2♠ bid? My partner had 9 HCPs and a 9-loser hand. Anthony Shaw by email.

A

Your bidding and reasoning seem fine to me. If you bid on over 2♠, it is because you can see a realistic prospect of 10 tricks facing the right hand, not because you are hopeful of making 9. Sometimes,

both players are maximum for their bidding. If you aim to reach every single makeable game, you will bid a lot that are not there. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Vulnerable, my partner opened 1NT (12-14). RHO then overcalled 2♦. I was holding a balanced 13 points with four hearts, four spades, two diamonds and three clubs – a textbook case for Stayman. However, we play that an intervening bid switches conventions off, leaving me with a quandary. In the event, I decided not to bid 3NT directly because of my diamond weakness. Instead, I doubled hoping that partner might realise that my 2♣ bid had been ‘stolen’. In the event, she understandably passed. It turned out that we had an excellent heart fit and 4♥ would have made comfortably. The result was 300 points for 2♦ two down doubled, instead of 620 points for 4♥ made. Is there a way of dealing with such a situation after a no-trump opening? Chris Brown, Woking.

A

The customary way to handle this sort of intervention with the hand you held is to cue bid the opponent’s suit, 3♦. Opener can then show a 4-card major or bid 3NT without one. You certainly can play double of 2♦ as take-out, though traditionally doubles after a no-trump opening are for penalties, so you would need to have discussed the situation with partner before trying a take-out double.

Page 27

Ask Julian continued

Q

Playing standard Acol, what is the best response to 1♥ with the following hands?



Hand 1 ♠ A Q 9 8 ♥ 3 2 ♦ K 4 ♣ Q J 9 3 2



Hand 2 ♠ A 9 4 3 ♥ 3 2 ♦ 4 3 ♣ Q J 4 3 2

Lindsey Barnes, Knutsford, Cheshire.

A

With Hand 1, you are worth two bids and should start by bidding your longest suit. Respond 2♣. With Hand 2, you are worth only one bid and should respond in your major. In any case, with only 7 HCP, you are too weak to respond 2♣ whether you have four spades or not. Respond 1♠. ♣♦♥♠

Q

I held the following South hand:



♠ Q 10 7 4 ♥ 8 5 ♦ K 9 7 5 3 ♣ 8 5

West North East South 1♣ Dbl Pass 1♦ 2♣ 2♦ All Pass

My first instinct was to bid 1♠ but then I thought, ‘Why conceal a 5-card suit?’ On reflection, I may have been wrong. I had 5 HCP, not entirely a bust. Should I have overlooked the 5-card diamond suit and bid 1♠? Partner’s hand was:







♠ K J 8 2 ♥ A J 10 7 ♦ A Q J ♣ A 9

We missed 4♠ as did several other pairs. We play Michaels cue bids. Is the North hand too strong for Michaels? Alternatively, might partner have doubled 2♣ for take-out? Margaret Bleakley by email.

A

With your hand, you might have anticipated that there would be further bidding. If you bid 1♠ first time, you can plan to compete with 2♦ on the next round. That is better than bidding 1♦ and then 2♠ or doing what you did, which was not to show the spades at all. Yes, partner could and should have doubled 2♣ as a second take-out double (or maybe cue bid 3♣) to show the significant extra values. A Michaels cue bid shows 5-5 in the majors, not 4-4, so would not have been a good idea, whatever the strength of ■ her hand.

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

Page 28

DECLARER PLAY QUIZ by David Huggett (Answers on page 31)

Y

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

1.

♠ 7 3 ♥ A 8 5 ♦ A Q 5 ♣ K 6 5 4 3

3.

N

N

W E

W E

S



♠ K 4 ♥ K Q 6 ♦ J 10 9 6 2 ♣ A 8 2

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

2.

♠ A 7 5 3 ♥ 8 5 ♦ K 10 8 6 4 ♣ 7 4

S



4.

N

You are declarer in 5♦ and West leads the ♥K. How do you plan the play?

♠ 6 3 ♥ K Q 5 4 ♦ J 10 5 ♣ 8 7 6 4 N

W E

S

♠ 6 4 ♥ A 7 3 ♦ Q J 9 7 3 ♣ A K J

♠ A Q J 10 7 2 ♥ 3 ♦ A 9 2 ♣ A 5 3

You are declarer in 4♠ after West dealt and opened 4♥. West leads the ♥K. How do you plan the play?

W E



♠ K 8 4 ♥ A 7 6 4 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ 7 6 4

S



♠ A K Q ♥ A 9 8 7 6 ♦ K Q 9 2 ♣ A

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

BRIDGE January 2014

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BRIDGE January 2014

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Page 29

David Gold Says

Assume You Can Beat the Contract

T

his maxim applies mainly when playing teams or rubber, when it is essential to defeat contracts.

♠ Q 3 ♥ A Q 10 5 ♦ 5 2 ♣ A 10 9 8 3

♠ A K J 10 ♥ J 6 4 ♦ A K Q ♣ 7 6 4

♠ A 10 8 3 ♥ K 6 4 ♦ J 10 9 8 ♣ 3 2

N

W E S

You open 1♣ and LHO doubles. RHO bids 1NT and LHO raises to 3NT. You lead the ten of clubs. On the first trick partner plays the five and declarer wins with the jack. Next declarer plays the queen of clubs. You had better not duck that as you can see declarer can simply run for home with four spade tricks, three diamond tricks and two club tricks. Having taken the ace you can see that declarer has nine tricks ready to run. There is only one chance to beat the contract, which is to cash four heart tricks. This dictates putting partner with the king of hearts; you should ‘assume you can beat the contract’ and lead the heart five. The full deal: ♠ A K J 10 ♥ J 6 4 ♦ A K Q ♣ 7 6 4 ♠ Q 3 ♥ A Q 10 5 N W E ♦ 5 2 S ♣ A 10 9 8 3 ♠ 9 8 4 ♥ 9 8 2 ♦ J 7 6 3 ♣ K Q J

You risk giving an overtrick but, at teams, it is a small price to pay for the chance of defeating the contract.

♠ 7 6 5 2 ♥ K 7 3 ♦ 10 9 8 4 ♣ 5 2

♠ J 6 5 2 ♥ J 10 ♦ K 6 3 ♣ A K Q J N

W E S

RHO LHO 1♥ 1♠ 1NT (15-17) 3NT

You lead the jack of diamonds. Declarer wins with the king in dummy and, at trick two, runs the jack of hearts to your king, partner following with the two. Declarer surely has plenty of tricks for his contract so desperate measures are called for. If you ‘assume you can beat the contract’, there is only one chance and it may seem unlikely. You can play declarer for a bare king of spades and lay down the spade ace hoping to take four spade tricks. The full deal: ♠ J 6 5 2 ♥ J 10 ♦ K 6 3 ♣ A K Q J ♠ A 10 8 3 N ♥ K 6 4 W E ♦ J 10 9 8 S ♣ 3 2 ♠ K ♥ A Q 9 8 3 ♦ A Q 2 ♣ 10 7 6 5

♠ Q 9 7 4 ♥ 7 5 2 ♦ 7 5 4 ♣ 9 8 4

Now you are playing rubber bridge: Page 30

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

Your LHO opens 1NT (12-14) and RHO raises to 3NT. Partner leads the spade nine (top of nothing). Declarer wins the first trick with the king. At trick two, you are in with the diamond ace. Desperate measures are in order. Declarer again has plenty of tricks so you must take at least four now if you are to beat the contract. You must try a club hoping partner holds the ace but does it matter which? If partner has fewer than three clubs, it is hopeless and, if partner has four clubs, it does not matter which one you lead. So focus on three clubs with partner. It is vital to switch to the club jack – a ‘surrounding’ play. The full deal: ♠ A J ♥ A 4 ♦ K Q J 10 9 4 ♣ 10 4 3 ♠ 9 6 4 3 N ♠ 8 7 5 2 ♥ J 8 7 W E ♥ 6 5 3 2 ♦ 8 7 3 S ♦ A ♣ A 6 5 ♣ K J 9 2 ♠ K Q 10 ♥ K Q 10 9 ♦ 6 5 2 ♣ Q 8 7

On the jack of clubs switch, you cash four clubs to defeat the contract. So (playing rubber bridge or teams): ‘assume you can beat the contract!’ ■ BRIDGE January 2014

Answers to David Huggett’s  Play Quiz on page 28 1. ♠ 7 3 ♥ A 8 5 ♦ A Q 5 ♣ K 6 5 4 3 ♠ A 8 2 N ♥ J 10 9 4 W E ♦ 8 7 4 3 S ♣ 9 7 ♠ K 4 ♥ K Q 6 ♦ J 10 9 6 2 ♣ A 8 2

♠ Q J 10 9 6 5 ♥ 7 3 2 ♦ K ♣ Q J 10

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♥J. How do you plan the play? At first glance, it might seem a good idea to play on the club suit, but that line is flawed for two reasons. First, even if the suit breaks 3-2, you will still have to find another trick either from spades or diamonds but, more pertinently, if you ever lost the lead to East, he might be able to find a lethal switch to spades. However, a quick tally of the number of tricks available outside diamonds comes to five, meaning you have to make only four diamond tricks to fulfil your contract. However, there is the danger of East gaining the lead and switching to a spade, so eschew the diamond finesse and play the ace first. This gives you the extra chance of finding East with a singleton king.

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

BRIDGE January 2014

♠ Q 10 9 8 ♥ 10 9 6 ♦ A ♣ Q 10 9 3 2

You are declarer in 5♦ and West leads the ♥K. How do you plan the play? 3NT is likely to fail, so if you can make your 5♦ you are sure for a good swing. With so many trumps, it looks instinctive to play on that suit immediately, but just think what will happen if you do. Someone will win and cash a heart no doubt and, with an inescapable spade loser, the contract will flounder eventually. So, although it might lead to an eventual second undertrick, you have to be brave. Win the opening lead and play a spade to dummy in order to finesse the clubs. If the jack wins, you aim then to cash the ace and king, throwing the heart loser from dummy. Only then is it safe to play on trumps.

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

You are declarer in 4♠ after West dealt and opened 4♥. West leads the ♥K. How do you plan the play? With ten top tricks, there doesn’t seem to be a problem and the reality is that there isn’t – as long as you don’t play the ace of hearts from dummy at trick one. West is likely to hold all the missing hearts for his four-level preempt, in which case the ace will be ruffed by East. So, play low from dummy and do the same on the heart continuation, but ruff in hand instead. Now draw trumps, enter dummy with the king of diamonds and finally cash the

ace of hearts throwing a minor suit loser from hand.

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

♠ J 10 9 4 2 ♥ Void ♦ A 7 3 ♣ J 9 5 3 2

You are declarer in 6♥ and West leads the ♣K. How do you plan the play? It looks as though there is only one loser – in diamonds – but it is at times like these that you have to be most vigilant. If East has all four missing trumps, you are bound to lose a trick in that suit, but if West holds them all, you are safe as long as you cash the ace from hand first. Now, you can pick up West’s holding by taking two finesses against the jack, ten combination. Somehow, our instincts tell us to play the top card from the shorter holding first and in this case it would prove ■ fatal.

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Page 31

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

West Pass All Pass

West Pass

North East South 1♠ Pass 2♥ 4♥ All Pass

Partner leads the ♦10. What do you do? ♠ 5 4 ♥ 9 6 2 ♦ Q J 6 ♣ J 10 4 3 2

North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ 3♠ Pass 4♠

The situation is similar and the solution the same. You need to play an honour to stop South from scoring a cheap trick (here with the ♦J). You need to play the lower honour, the ♦Q rather than ♦K, to help partner judge the location of the diamond honours. Partner will soon gain the lead with the ♥A and should work out to play you for the ♦K rather than the ♣K. This is because with the ♦A-K-J, declarer would probably play to get rid of one of dummy’s clubs on a diamond.

Partner leads the ♦2. What do you do? In third seat, you usually play high – you want to do that here. When your highest cards are of equal rank, you should play the lower or lowest of them, here the ♦J. Once this forces out the ♦A, it will be obvious that you have the ♦Q as well since declarer would not waste the ♦A from A-Q. If you played the ♦Q, partner would place declarer with the ♦J and might think that the best chance of defeating the contract is to underlead the ♣A when in with the ♠A, hoping for the ♣Q in your hand and a misguess by declarer.

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

♠ A K 8 7 4 ♥ 6 3 2 ♦ K 7 ♣ J 9 4

ducking the first round of spades? If you duck the first spade, playing the eight to encourage, you will force out the stopper at once. Then, assuming partner has a second spade and an entry, you will get to run the spade suit later. Taking the first two spades and then giving up the third round will not work so well because partner will be unable to continue spades. While your ♦K might be an entry if partner happens to hold the ♦A, you do not need to take that chance.

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

♠ J 7 4 ♥ 10 8 6 5 3 ♦ A K ♣ 5 4 2

West North East South 1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass

Partner leads the ♦J. What is your plan?

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

Page 32

West Pass

♠ 8 5 4 ♥ 6 3 2 ♦ K Q 7 6 ♣ J 8 4

North East South 1♦ 1♠ 1NT 3NT All Pass

Partner leads the ♠9 and dummy plays low. What do you do? Although the usual rule is to play high in third seat, this is not a command. You need to think about the play in the context of the hand as a whole. South has shown a spade stopper and is going to make a spade trick at some point whatever you do. Can you see the benefit in

There is a time when you should play the higher of touching honours. This is to alert your partner to the fact that you have a doubleton. By playing the ♦A and then cashing the ♦K, you are drawing attention to your unusual holding. Then, when you play a club, your partner knows to switch back to diamonds to give you a ruff. If you played the diamonds in the usual fashion, king before ace, your partner will probably play you for a club honour (whichever of the ♣K and ♣Q declarer ■ does not play).

BRIDGE January 2014

The Diaries of Wendy Wensum Episode 21: Engaging Celebrations

I

t was a last-minute decision to take a bridge mini-break to celebrate the New Year in the Peak District with Millie and Justin. Under overcast skies, Spouse and I set off early on our drive from Norfolk, picking up Millie en route. Riding in state in the back seat with the maps, her navigating skills proved less than adequate. The maps were transferred to me in the passenger seat, but following an unintentional diversion, surprise, surprise, my ability was also found to be wanting. I have suggested we buy a SatNav but to no avail. Most males seem to love electronic gadgets, but not Spouse. Anyway, without any democratic authority, he took on the navigational role in addition to that of driver. ‘That load looks top-heavy,’ he observed as we were overtaken by a car with two bicycles strapped precariously to its roof. I remarked on the positive environmental impact of cycling. Millie was less sure. ‘I would be more impressed if the bikes were towing the car,’ she quipped sagely. On our arrival at the hotel for lunch, it began to snow. Justin was making his own way to the venue and by the time he appeared in the afternoon, the clouds had parted and the surrounding moor glowed in unison with the setting sun in cold anticipation of the passing of another year. During pre-dinner drinks, we mingled with our fellow guests and from the bar, proceeded to the elegant dining room. The white countryside was now a picture worthy of a painting as a bright winter moon rose over distant hills. After an excellent meal, everyone was in holiday mood. Most guests took to the ballroom, but some of us settled for duplicate bridge in the card room. As chance would have it, Spouse and I played the last set against BRIDGE January 2014

Millie and Justin. Nearing midnight, this was the final board: Dealer South. N/S Vul. Spouse ♠ 10 7 6 5 ♥ Void ♦ Q 7 3 ♣ A 9 8 4 3 2 Millie Justin ♠ A J 9 8 N ♠ K Q 4 3 2 ♥ A K Q 7 3 W E ♥ J 9 8 5 4 2 S ♦ K ♦ Void ♣ Q 10 5 ♣ K 7 Wendy ♠ Void ♥ 10 6 ♦ A J 10 9 8 6 5 4 2 ♣ J 6

Wine and spirits were flowing freely, but, as dealer, I was still taken by surprise when I found I had shown a green pass card. On my left, with a brandy glass at the ready, Millie opened 1♥. Spouse passed and Justin made a pragmatic bid of 4♥, simultaneously taking a sip of claret. I took a deep breath and overcalled 5♦. Millie seemed surprised and took a large swig of brandy, but was sufficiently composed to bid 5♥. Spouse, who had been increasing both his alcohol and merriment levels steadily during the day, took account of his void in our opponents’ suit and joined the fray with a bid of 6♦. After a further two passes, Millie doubled. Spouse, still with a silly party hat perched precariously on his head, entered the spirit of the occasion with a redouble. At this point, much laughter engulfed the table in anticipation of a good result for one pair at least, almost certainly in contravention of rule 74. The complete sequence was:

West North East South Millie Spouse Justin Wendy Pass 1♥ Pass 4♥ 5♦ 5♥ 6♦ Pass Pass Dbl Rdbl All Pass

Millie led the ♥A and Spouse tabled dummy. I ruffed. Being able still to count to thirteen, I led a trump felling the singleton king. I ruffed another heart and conceded a club making twelve tricks in all. More hilarity ensued as the other three players congratulated me. Of course East-West will make 6♥ only on a favourable lead, as the ♣A and a spade ruff will defeat the contract. The TD came over to our table, but his comments were rendered inaudible by the chimes of Big Ben striking midnight. Spouse paused only to thank the director for his tolerance of our exuberant behaviour and to order a bottle of champagne from a passing waiter. Smiling cheerfully, Spouse removed his party hat, took my arm gallantly and led me to the dance floor in the adjoining ballroom. Balloons and streamers were cascading down from the hotel ceiling. ‘Happy New Year, darling,’ he whispered in my ear as we waltzed romantically from the Old Year to the New. As the celebrations subsided, Millie and Justin came over to wish us the season’s greetings and Spouse and I reciprocated. ‘Wendy,’ said Millie excitedly, ‘You two must be the first to know; Justin has just asked me to marry him and I said yes.’ A sumptuous engagement ring on Millie’s finger confirmed the happy outcome of the proposal. Much hugging, kissing and a few tears followed and Spouse gladly ordered another bottle of bubbly as we celebrated into the small hours. ■ Page 33

Things You Should Know by Andrew Kambites

About Key Card Blackwood A

fter the partnership has agreed a suit, a bid of 4NT asks about key cards. There are 5 key cards: the 4 aces and the king of trumps. The responses are as follows: 5♣ shows 0 or 4 key cards. If you cannot tell whether partner has 0 or 4, you shouldn’t be using Blackwood. 5♦ shows 1 or 5 key cards. 5♥ shows 2 key cards. 5♠ shows 3 key cards.

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

♠ 6 4 3 2 ♥ 10 9 6 ♦ Q J 2 ♣ K 3 2

West East 2♣1 2♦2 2♠ 3♠3 4NT4 5♣5 5♠6 Pass

Game forcing. 2Negative: 0-7 points. No need to hurry. 2♣ was game forcing. 2NT would have been a second negative: 0-3 points 4 Key card Blackwood. 5 6 No key cards High enough 1

3

Generally speaking, you are happy to be in a small slam if the chances of making it are higher than 50%. Conversely, you would prefer to stay out of a slam if the prospects are less Page 34

than 50%. If it is genuinely 50%, you probably don’t mind whether or not you bid it, however, in practice a slam that seems to be 50% is usually worse than that. West can certainly argue that if East has either the ♠K or ♥A the slam will be excellent. Superficially, it seems that if both of these cards are missing, it is on the spade finesse, but in practice, 6♠ is most unlikely to make even if the spade finesse is right. First, there are no entries to dummy to take the finesse. Second, it is quite possible that North will lead a singleton heart and find a ruff. As usual, if two key cards are missing, give up on the slam. In the next hand, East gives a more helpful response to key card Blackwood.



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

♠ K 4 3 ♥ A 6 3 ♦ J 8 3 2 ♣ 10 3 2

West East 2♣ 2NT9 3♠ 4♠ 4NT 5♥10 7NT 11

2NT shows a balanced positive, 8 or more points. 10 5♥ shows two key cards, the ♠K and ♥A. 11 West can count thirteen tricks. 9

♣♦♥♠

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

♠ K 4 3 ♥ 9 6 3 ♦ J 4 3 2 ♣ 9 3 2

West East 2♣ 2♦ 2♠ 3♠ 4NT 5♦7 8 6♠ Pass

One key card, the ♠K. West does not know whether East has the ♥A or ♠K, but either way, 6♠ will be excellent. 7 8

If East had the ♠K and ♥A, then it would have been easy to reach a grand slam.

I

f you use key card Blackwood, it is essential that both partners know the trump suit. Key card Blackwood really concentrates the mind. Using ordinary Blackwood, you can get away with not knowing, but now the king of trumps is a key card there will be chaos unless trumps are known. I can readily sympathise with partnerships that take a practical view that 4NT is always Blackwood. It may not be the best practice but it avoids ambiguity, a huge advantage. However, without more sophistication, you cannot effectively play key card Blackwood. I would suggest you might BRIDGE January 2014

About Key Card Blackwood continued

Game forcing. Positive. 8+ points. At least 5 spades. 3 Key card Blackwood. Spades are agreed as trumps. 4 1 or 5 key cards (here one, the ♠K). 5 Asking for kings, but also guaranteeing all the key cards are present. 6 This doesn’t answer the Blackwood question but it does show initiative. If partner has the 4 aces, East can count 13 tricks. 1

2

like the following simple guidelines. (i) If a suit has been agreed by both players bidding it, 4NT is key card Blackwood with that suit agreed. (ii) If no suit has been agreed, then the last bid suit is the agreed trump suit. (iii) If the last bid was no-trumps, then 4NT is not Blackwood. Auction A Auction B West East West East 1♠ 2♣ 1♠ 2♣ 2♦ 4NT 2NT 4NT

In Auction A, the agreed suit is diamonds. The ♦K is a key card. In Auction B, 4NT is quantitative. West passes if minimum for 2NT or bids 6NT if maximum. ♣♦♥♠

A

fter the response to 4NT, a continuation of 5NT asks how many of the remaining kings partner holds (ie. excluding the king of trumps).

♣♦♥♠

Y

ou should normally not use Blackwood without having some idea of how strong partner is. The reason is that, when you use Blackwood, you are taking complete control of the auction. Partner will answer your questions, showing his key cards and maybe outside kings. He will never have a chance to show if he has extra points, or extra shape. The next hand illustrates some all too common horrible bidding.

Common sense dictates that such a 5NT continuation must be a try for a grand slam because, whatever the response, you can never stop below a small slam. Therefore, it guarantees that all of the key cards are present.

♠ A Q J 6 N ♥ A Q 2 W E ♦ A K Q 3 S ♣ A 2

♠ K 10 7 5 4 3 2 ♥ 8 ♦ 7 ♣ K Q J 10

West East 2♣1 2♠2 4NT3 5♦4 5NT5 7NT6

BRIDGE January 2014

Just to make sure you understand: 4NT was a truly awful bid. East virtually admitted it when he hesitated after the reply before bidding 5♠. If you use Blackwood properly, you should know what to do after all possible responses. I can give you very specific advice: If you use Blackwood, you should have worked out what to do next without needing to hesitate. If your partner uses Blackwood, hears your answer and then hesitates before signing off at the 5 level, you should almost certainly pass. A far better auction would have been Auction D. 5 Far too early for Blackwood. If all partner can do is rebid 2♠, I have no reason to venture beyond game. 6 Partner is now known to have a strong hand with 6 spades. We certainly have the values for slam, I will make sure 2 key cards are not missing. 7 2 key cards, the ♠K and ♣A. 8 Obvious. ♣♦♥♠



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

♠ A J 3 2 ♥ K 7 ♦ A 8 7 6 ♣ K J 2

The responses are as follows: 6♣ shows 0 kings. 6♦ shows 1 king. 6♥ shows 2 kings. 6♠ shows 3 kings.

unauthorised information so West was ethically obliged to pass.

Auction C Auction D West East West East 1♠ 4NT1 1♠ 2♦5 5♥2 5♠3 3♠ 4NT6 Pass4 5♥7 6♠8

At the table, Auction C was chosen. 1 East argued: I am an ace stronger than I might be to bid game, so I must use key card Blackwood to try for slam. 2 Two key cards, the ♠K and ♣A. 3 Oh dear, a key card is missing. I must think what to do now. Long hesitation, then sign off in 5♠. 4 With considerable frustration. West had 18 points when he might have had 12. He had six excellent spades when he might have had only four. It is incredibly annoying to have a strong hand and be deprived of the opportunity to tell partner. The long hesitation had made West aware that two aces were not missing. This is

Y

ou should normally not use Blackwood without having given the partnership every opportunity to find a fit. Below, you see two possible auctions for the layout shown. I think you will agree that Auction F is far superior.

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

♠ 3 ♥ A K Q 2 ♦ K Q J 4 ♣ A K Q J

Auction E Auction F West East West East 1♠ 4NT1 1♠ 2♣4 5♥2 6NT3 2♦5 4NT6 5♥7 7♦8

Auction E: 1 Key card Blackwood with spades as the trump suit. Certainly, a slam is inevitable with 25 points opposite an opening bid. However, to use Blackwood now makes it certain that Page 35

About KCB continued

the correct contract of 7♦ can never be reached. 2 2 key cards 3 Stuck. A key card is missing. For one thing, East has no idea whether it is an ace or the ♠K. Auction F: Wait to see what partner does. If the best he can do is 2♠, I will know more (ie partner is minimum without a second suit) and can always bid Blackwood then. 5 4 diamonds as well as 5 spades. Just what East wanted to hear. 6 Key card Blackwood with diamonds (the last bid suit) as the trump suit. 7 2 key cards. 8 East can count 13 tricks. That includes a ruff in dummy. 4

♣♦♥♠

Y

ou should normally not use Blackwood if you have 2 top losers in an unbid suit or a side suit void. In these situations, it is important to know not how many aces partner has, but which aces. Cue bidding is more helpful and we cover this in the next edition of BRIDGE. ■

Things You Should Know About Key Card Blackwood Quiz by Andrew Kambites (Answers on page 47)

£15 inc p&p

See mail order form on page 7

Page 36

Bernard Magee Introduction

1 What would you bid with Hands A,B,C and D if your partner opens 1♠? If you use key card Blackwood consider your continuations after all possible replies.



Hand A Hand B ♠ A 6 5 ♠ K J 5 2 ♥ A K 9 6 5 ♥ A 6 ♦ A K 8 ♦ K 7 6 3 ♣ K 8 ♣ A Q 2

Hand C Hand D ♠ A Q 10 3 2 ♠ A Q 10 3 ♥ 7 ♥ Q J ♦ A K Q J 10 9 ♦ A K Q J 10 ♣ 9 ♣ A K

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.

2 You are East. The bidding starts as shown. West East 1♠ 2♣ 2♦ 4NT ?

(i) What is your next bid with Hands E, F, G and H? (ii) If your partner hears your answer and continues with 5NT, how do you respond to that?

Hand E Hand F ♠ A 8 6 5 4 ♠ A K 8 6 4 ♥ 8 7 ♥ 8 7 ♦ K J 7 6 ♦ K J 7 6 ♣ K 6 ♣ K 6

Hand G Hand H ♠ A 8 6 5 4 ♠ A K 6 5 4 ♥ K 8 ♥ K 8 ♦ J 10 7 6 ♦ J 10 7 6 ♣ K 6 ♣ K 6

3 You are South. You have Hand J.



Hand J ♠ A J 7 6 5 ♥ 8 ♦ K Q J 10 3 ♣ K Q



Bridge Tie

Better Hand Evaluation

The bidding starts as shown below. West North East South 3♥ 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass ?

How should you continue if partner responds: (i) 5♣? (ii) 5♦? (iii) 5♥? (iv) 5♠?

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.

£14 including postage See Mail Order Form on page 7.

BRIDGE January 2014

READERS’ LETTERS In BRIDGE 132, I included the following letter in my page 5 editorial. It arrived too late to be included with Reader’s Letters, but I seized upon it for inclusion in my editorial and I print the letter and comments below. Now, please read on.

DESPERATE We are a very small club with an ageing membership and we are in dire need of new members. Could you give us a plug and tell your readers of our predicament, giving them our website address. www.bridgewebs.com/ orpington Bill Seymour, Secretary, Orpington BC.

Sorry to have to tell you this Bill, but until your club becomes new-membership friendly, it will continue its downhill spiral. I could find no means of making quick human contact to discuss your predicament. A dedicated membership

secretary and an oddbod service will help, but the most important thing is a telephone number. If this comes across as being rude, it is because I truly care. A beautiful website is boring when it doesn’t provide the information you need quickly and easily. Other bridge clubs in the same predicament please note.

BILL’S QUICK RESPONSE Many thanks for your two communications. I would say that your comments were forthright rather than rude. I will discuss the question of telephone contact with the committee. As you are well aware, we live in an age where digital contact rules and our website reflects that. I look forward with great interest to reading your advice on ‘Buildup and revitalisation’. Bill Seymour, Secretary, Orpington BC.

REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE 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 2nd class: 100x37p+100x13p)

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

BRIDGE January 2014

Readers, Bill Seymour and his club deserve your helpful comments and ideas, so let’s be hearing from you.

GREAT NEWS

I have been advised that, with immediate effect, the bridge room on m.v. Voyager will be relocated to the Lookout Lounge. I do not have any more information yet regarding the ins and outs – I will source this when our directors return from the ship. Needless to say, the ship will provide full co-operation, but I wanted you to be among the first to know about the decision that has been made. I am sure you will agree that this is a good move and one you have been looking forward to for quite a while. Glen Thomas, Group Sales Manager, m.v. Voyager.

BAD MANNERS I have returned recently from a bridge holiday, where once again, I am appalled by the bad manners of married couples. It is usually the man who behaves in such a terrible way towards his wife. One such comment was, ‘you silly cow.’ I objected to his bad manners and told the director. He said he would have a word with him but the next night, he was just as terrible, so I told him that this was no way to talk to his wife. The next morning he did apologise, giving me an explanation regarding his manners, but really there can be no excuse for such language. The point I am making is, why is this allowed to

happen? Why are they not banned from the bridge table, at least for a couple of days, as a punishment? I am fed up with sitting at a table where such bickering occurs. I realise that married couples do not always play bridge together at their club, but I should like them to realise how uncomfortable they make others at the table feel. Name & address supplied.

IMPROVEMENTS I just wanted to give you some feedback on your Ruffing for Extra Tricks DVD. It is, of course, excellent but it would help if you were able to put more ‘stops’ onto the disc, so that I could watch one hand at a time. As it is, I have to fast forward at the beginning of each viewing which is time consuming and irritating.... possibly something you could build into future discs? Whilst writing, I would like to extend my thanks to you, as without your software, I should never have learned to play this wonderful game. Pat Colledge, Burgess Hill, Sussex.

YOU SHOULD KNOW I am just writing to say how much I enjoy BRIDGE. I am not an experienced bridge player, but I do love playing and go regularly to the U3A class. In BRIDGE 132, I particularly appreciated the article, Things you should know about by Andrew Kambites. There are so many things I need to learn and the pages on Red Suit Transfers were really helpful. I hope that the Losing Trick Count can be explained in due course as there seem to be a couple of ways of using it. Mrs V Galvin, Peterborough.

Page 37

READERS’ LETTERS continued

MISLEADING In the Tunisia holiday advert on page 3 of BRIDGE 131, it states that prices for sevennight stays are available on application. Last year, a friend went for the seven nights and we would both very much like to do this from 2-9 March 2014. Tunisia First have told me that a sevennight stay is not on offer. I would be most grateful for your comment on this. Mrs Elizabeth Marr, London.

Sorry, the advert was wrong. Bernard Magee plans the holidays he hosts based on a two-week stay and asks my office to refuse shorter stay bookings. We can, however, cater for seven nights in April and November.

Malcolm Finebaum.

Send your used stamps and collections in support of Little Voice to: Mr M Finebaum, 8 Mountford House, Crescent Road, Enfield, EN2 7BL.

GREAT IDEA We have all sat in the waiting rooms of doctors, dentists and hospitals with tables full of a variety of magazines. As many of us are concerned with the falling numbers in our bridge clubs, why not deposit, when read, our copy of BRIDGE in these rooms? It might encourage some to return to this wonderful game or even stimulate the curiosity of potential beginners. Much better than putting them in the dustbin and certainly less boring for readers. Brian Meadows, Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Surplus copies of the EBUs English Bridge could likewise be recycled.

CRYSTAL BALL I have your Begin Bridge, which I have found extremely helpful. Do you have a CD that will help me with what comes next? Barbara Lumsden, Aberdeen.

Just follow on with Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding. Simple.

LITTLE VOICE Further to our chat yesterday, I would like to assure you that I am continuing with my efforts to raise money for Little Voice. Indeed, I would confess to enjoying what I do, though it takes a lot of time. Sadly, donations of used stamps have dropped off over the summer months and I feel that we could benefit from a little reminder in your magazine in the next issue especially as the Christmas season sees every home receiving lots of post.

Page 38

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW You asked Andrew Kambites to write a new series entitled, Things You Should Know About... The article on Stayman was excellent, but he wrote it only in the context of a weak no-trump. It would be helpful, in future articles, if he could write an extra paragraph or two on how the system varies when playing a strong no-trump, five-card majors and a short club, a variation which I am sure a large number of your readers play nowadays. Wg Cdr P D Cliff, OBE. Uckfield, East Sussex.

Andrew Kambites replies: A bidding system based on a strong no-trump is not just a variation of a weak no-trump, it is an entirely different system. In many countries, the strong no-

trump is common, but it is no coincidence that 5-card majors and opening a minor suit with fewer than four tend to go hand-in-hand with the strong no-trump. The idea is certainly worthy of consideration, but it is not as easy as it sounds. With some topics, one extra paragraph might be fairly easy. The articles on Stayman and Red Suit Transfers can be adapted to the strong no-trump, just by arguing that if his notrump opening is four points stronger (16-18 rather than 12-14) he requires four fewer points in response to make a game try or bid game. However, with other topics that will follow in the series, the whole article would need rewriting because some of the conclusions reached simply do not apply if you play the strong no-trump . . . And even that wouldn’t totally solve the problem. My All You Need To Know About articles are necessarily long. However, if they get too long, the main points are diluted. I have already had to make judgements about how much to include. For example, before writing my article on Red Suit Transfers, I gave careful consideration as to whether to include black suit transfers as well and call it All You Need To Know About Transfers. Bridge students in England are taught the weak no-trump. The vast majority of readers of BRIDGE play the weak no-trump and I must stick to the brief given to me by Mr Bridge at the outset.

GREAT PLUG Please, please don’t stop producing the Bernard Magee interactive CDs. They are by far the best way of improving one’s game that I’ve come across,

as Mr Magee explains everything really clearly. One can practice with the hands over and over. I have six of them and have saved the money for two more, but you haven’t brought out a new one for such a long time. The Better Bridge No. 1 CD is marvellous. It is the logical follow-on from his Defence, Acol Bidding and Declarer Play interactive CDs, taking one’s skills a stage further. For example, after using it, I have a much clearer understanding of when a slam is likely and my declarer and defensive play in 1NT is much, much stronger than it was. It is particularly valuable for those who, like myself, are unable to join your cruises and courses. Mrs Carol Moore, Hereford.

AND ANOTHER... I have just spent a very enjoyable ‘Just Bridge’ weekend at the Elstead Hotel, Bournemouth. May I congratulate you on finding such an excellent hotel. It is the best hotel we have stayed at with you. The food was brilliant, the rooms luxurious and hotel staff so helpful and welcoming. Even the bridge was good and Mary Stebbing’s direction was just right. Friendly and encouraging to the slower players so the bridge went smoothly. We certainly hope to go again. Mrs Pamela Child, Weymouth, Dorset.

GIVE HER A RING I live in Highgate, London N6 and would like to hear from other ladies with a view to playing rubber bridge at home. Mrs Trixie Sadler, Highgate, London. ( 0208 444 6775.

BRIDGE January 2014

READERS’ LETTERS continued

REAL RESULTS My wife and I have just received BRIDGE 132 and I managed to gain the first look. I was really interested in Hugh Tarrans article, ‘Real Results at our Club’ and, in particular, his concluding remarks. These must be music to the ear’s of so many players, particularly those who have just started or not been playing for very long. Making or not making a contract depends on a number of factors, which actually makes bridge the fascinating game that it is. So often players blame themselves for not making a contract barely realising that but for a different opening lead or the distribution of the cards, they would have made it. Michael Bassett by email.

DIFFERENT COLOURS I and three friends have had a friendly bridge afternoon for a few years. We have all passed our 70th birthdays and bridge has become a wonderful pastime for us all. Unfortunately one of our four has developed a severe sight problem (macula degeneration) which is not operable and is not now responding to treatment. She can still see but is having great difficulty distinguishing the four suits. Having been a competent player she is disheartened that she has dropped out of bridge afternoons – despite our pleadings to continue – we can still have tea together, but the bridge made it fun. The purpose of this letter is to see if you or your colleagues know if any

BRIDGE January 2014

enterprising card maker has produced a deck of cards with each suit in a different colour. It would be so much easier for her to sort her cards and then play the hand. It might be a boon to many other older players with failing eye sight. ( I frequently have to check my red suits). If you can help us with this dilemma we would all be very grateful. We already use the large print cards. Mrs Hilary Chaplin, Chelford, Cheshire.

EBU MEMBER? I had been a member of the EBU for more than 20 years and had not envisaged being a non-member. However, I discovered that last year I had played once short of some new standard they have and was no longer a member. I received no communication about this from the EBU, not even a note to say why I have lost my membership or to thank me for my many years of support. What a way to run a national organisation. It’s time we had an alternative, one that allows us to play as much or as little as we like, but still remain a member, and which takes the trouble to notify me to explain why I had suddenly lost my membership. Peter Mohan, Bedford.

Jeremy Dhondy, EBU Chairman replies:

become a member of the EBU you join any affiliated club in England and as long as you remain a member, you are a member of the EBU. Thus the EBU could not have told Mr Mohan he was no longer a member because he still is. l To receive benefits such as the magazine and diary, you must earn magazine points which you do by playing in any affiliated club or EBU or county event. If you fail to do so then you will remain a member but not receive the magazine or diary. You will retain such things as your access to the members’ area of the EBU and masterpoint record. l Mr Mohan can play as frequently or infrequently as he wishes. It is his choice. If he has not played very often recently and starts to play more, then his magazine will be delivered again. If he plays once per month or more, none of this will be an issue (nor even if he plays twice in one month and none the next). l If he does not play very often but would still like to retain benefits, he can become a direct member for one single payment per year. l To send magazines and diaries to those who did not play and did not contribute would not be a sustainable ■ economic model.

CHARITY EVENTS

l To

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.

FEBRUARY 2014



14 CROSSROADS, South Ayrshire, Caring for Carers. Bridge Drive 2pm, St Ninian’s Church, Bentinck Drive, Troon. Sue Williams ( 01292 317534 Lois Martin ( 01292 267530 27 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLUB Bridge Lunch with tea and biscuits £48 per table. 12.00 for 12.30. Outlane Golf Club, Huddersfield. Rtn Sam Smith ( 01924 492540 samuelsmith396 @btinternet.com

MARCH 2014 11 ST NEOTS’ BOWLING CLUB St Neots, Cambs. 10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00. John Shaw ( 01480 475454 12 WIMBORNE ROTARY CLUB Allendale Community Centre, Wimborne, Dorset. 2p.m. £28 per table, including tea and good prizes. Don Phillips ( 01202 972211 12 RICHMOND SUPPORT GROUP FOR ST TEREAS’S HOSPICE ‘Bridge the Gap’, Hudswell Village Hall, Richmond, North Yorks. 2-4pm followed by afternoon tea. Tickets £10. Mary Lovell ( 01748 850208

APRIL 2014 4 Conservative Association Gt Stukeley Village Hall. Tickets £13.50. Sheila Stephenson ( 01480 457338 Kay Brownlow ( 01480 880663 25 CHILDREN’S CHARITIES Doddington Village Hall, March. 10.00 for 10.30am. Tickets £14.00. Val Topliss ( 01354 653696

E-mail your charity events: [email protected]

Page 39

G L O B A L 

T R A V E L  I N S U R A N C E

T h e T u r r e t , 2 5 F a r n c o m b e R o a d , W o r t h i n g , BN 1 1 2 A Y . ( 01903 235042 Fax 01903 229389 Email [email protected] Website www.globaltravelinsurance.co.uk SINGLE TRIP SUMMARY OF COVER The following represent the Significant and Key Features of the policy including Exclusions and Limitations that apply per person. A full copy of the policy document is available on request. CANCELLATION OR CURTAILMENT up to

£1,500

If you have to cancel or cut short your trip due to illness, injury, redundancy, jury service, the police requiring you to remain at or return to your home due to serious damage to your home, you are covered against loss of travel and accommodation costs. Policy Excess £75. For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £100. For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £150. See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increased excesses applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions. PERSONAL ACCIDENT up to

£15,000

A cash sum for accidental injury resulting in death, loss of sight, loss of limb or permanent total disablement. No Policy Excess. MEDICAL AND OTHER EXPENSES up to

£10,000,000

Including a 24 HOUR WORLDWIDE MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICE The cost of hospital and other emergency medical expenses incurred abroad, including additional accommodation and repatriation expenses. Limit £250 for emergency dental treatment and £5,000 burial/cremation/transfer of remains. Limit £2,500 for transfer of remains to your home if you die in the UK. Policy Excess £75 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £150 Area 4 or on a Cruise. For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £150 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £500 Area 4 or on a Cruise. For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £300 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £1,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise. See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increased excesses applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions. HOSPITAL BENEFIT up to

£300

An additional benefit of £15 per day for each day you spend in hospital abroad as an in-patient. No Policy Excess.

MAIN EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS The following represents only the main exclusions. The policy document sets out all of the conditions and exclusions. A copy of the full policy wording is available on request in writing prior to application. MAIN HEALTH EXCLUSIONS Insurers will not pay for claims arising 1. Where You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends) have or have had symptoms which are awaiting or receiving investigation, tests, treatment, referral or the results of any of the foregoing, unless We have agreed in writing to cover You. 2. From any terminal illness suffered by You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends). 3. From any medical condition for which You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends) have within 12 months prior to the date of issue of this insurance been diagnosed with a medical condition or have been admitted or undergone a procedure/ intervention. 4. Medical conditions existing prior to the payment of the insurance premium or any consequence thereof in respect of which a Medical Practitioner would advise against travel or that treatment may be required during the duration of the Trip. OTHER GENERAL EXCLUSIONS Claims arising from 1. Winter sports, any hazardous pursuits, any work of a non sedentary nature. 2. Self inflicted injury or illness, suicide, alcoholism or drug abuse, sexual disease. 3. War, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities or warlike operations, civil war, rebellion, Terrorism, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion, military or usurped power but this exclusion shall not apply to losses under Section 3 – Medical Expenses unless such losses are caused by nuclear, chemical or biological attack, or the disturbances were already taking place at the beginning of any Trip. 4. Failure or fear of failure or inability of any equipment or any computer program. 5. Bankruptcy/liquidation of any tour operator, travel agent, airline, transportation company or accommodation supplier. 6. Travelling to countries or regions where the FCO or WHO has advised against travel. 7. Your failure to contact the Medical Screening Line where required. POLICY EXCESSES: The amount of each claim for which insurers will not pay and for which you are responsible. The excess as noted in the policy summary applies to each and every claim per insured person under each section where an excess applies.

PERSONAL LUGGAGE, MONEY & VALUABLES up to

£2,000

Covers accidental loss, theft or damage to your personal luggage subject to a limit of £200 for any one article, pair or set and an overall limit of £200 for valuables such as cameras, Jewellery, furs, etc. Luggage and valuables limited to £1500. Delayed luggage, up to £75. Policy Excess £50. Money, travel tickets and travellers cheques are covered up to £500 against accidental loss or theft (cash limit £250). Policy Excess £50. No cover is provided for loss or theft of unattended property, valuables or money or for loss or theft not reported to the Police within 24 hours of discovery. PASSPORT EXPENSES up to

£200

If you lose your passport or it is stolen whilst abroad, you are covered for additional travel and accommodation costs incurred in obtaining a replacement. No Policy Excess. DELAYED DEPARTURE up to

£1,500

If your outward or return trip is delayed for more than 12 hours at the final departure point to/from UK due to adverse weather conditions, mechanical breakdown or industrial action, you are entitled to either (a) £20 for the first 12 hours and £10 for each further 12 hours delay up to a maximum of £60, or (b) the cost of the trip (up to £1,500) if you elect to cancel after 12 hours delay on the outward trip from the UK. Policy Excess £50 (b) only. MISSED DEPARTURE up to

£500

Additional travel and accommodation expenses incurred to enable you to reach your overseas destination if you arrive too late at your final UK outward departure point due to failure of the vehicle in which you are travelling to deliver you to the departure point caused by adverse weather, strike, industrial action, mechanical breakdown or accident to the vehicle. No Policy Excess. PERSONAL LIABILITY up to

£2,000,000

Covers your legal liability for injury or damage to other people or their property, including legal expenses (subject to the laws of England and Wales). Policy Excess £250. LEGAL EXPENSES up to

£25,000

To enable you to pursue your rights against a third party following injury. No Policy Excess.

Pre Existing Medical Conditions You only need to undergo medical screening if You are travelling to Area 4, on a Cruise, or for a period in excess of 31 days. For all other Trips there is no need to advise us of your pre existing medical conditions. If you have a history of any medical condition and are travelling within Area 4 or on a Cruise, you must first contact Towergate Medical Screening Line to establish whether we can provide cover for your trip.

The number to call is: 0844 892 1698 If you are accepted, the level of excess stated below will apply. You will receive written confirmation that you are covered for the trip. In the event that you are not accepted for cover having been screened, we may be able to offer you cover under our Single Trip “PLUS” product. Please ask us for further details or go to our website.

INCREASED EXCESS FOR Pre Existing Medical Conditions Acceptance of pre existing medical conditions is made by the application of increased excesses in the event of claims arising from the pre existing condition. If You already suffer from or have a history of any medical condition, the following excess will apply (other than in respect of claims that are specifically excluded) : Under the Cancellation or Curtailment section – double the normal excess. Under the Medical & Other Expenses section – For persons aged 60 years or less the excess is increased to £500 Areas 1&2, £750 Area 3, £1,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise. For persons aged 61 to 90 years the excess is increased to £1,000 Areas 1&2, £1,500 Area 3, £2,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise. Please note that we consider a Cruise to be a Trip by sea in a liner calling at a number of ports.

✄

This insurance is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and our status can be checked on the FCA Register by visiting www.fca.org.uk or by contacting the FCA on 0845 606 9966. This Insurance is underwritten by ETI – International Travel Protection, the United Kingdom branch of Europäische Reiseversicherung (ERV) A.G.. ERV is authorised by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BAFIN – www.bafin.de) and the Prudential Regulation Authority and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.

Single Trip Travel Insurance Suitable for a single round trip starting and finishing in the UK and Channel Islands, is of no more than 94 days duration, for persons whose age is 90 years or less.

Global Travel Insurance The Turret, 25 Farncombe Road, Worthing, BN11 2AY. ( 01903 235042 Fax 01903 229389 SINGLE TRIP APPLICATION FORM

SINGLE TRIP INSURANCE PRODUCT SUITABILITY

Please FULLY complete the following in BLOCK CAPITALS. Once complete, return the application panel direct to Global Travel Insurance at the address above, with a cheque or with card details entered. Insurance is not effective until a Policy has been issued.

As this description contains the Key Features of the cover provided it constitutes provision of a statement of demands and needs. This insurance is suitable for a single round trip starting and finishing in the UK and Channel Islands, is of no more than 94 days duration, for persons whose age is 90 years or less.

Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss)

This insurance is only available to persons who are permanently resident and domiciled in the UK and Channel Islands.

Initials

Surname Telephone No.

Single Trip PREMIUM RATING SCHEDULE

House Number/Name

GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS 1. United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, including all islands comprising the British Isles (except the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland). Any British Isles or UK Cruises are rated as Area 2. 2. Europe – Continental Europe west of the Ural mountain range, all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (except, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya & Syria), the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Madeira, The Canaries and The Azores. (Persons residing in the Channel Islands need to pay Area 2 rates for UK trips). 3. Worldwide – All countries outside of the above (except those within Area 4). 4. North America, Central America & The Caribbean – Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Greenland, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, The Caribbean Islands, United States of America.

Street Name Town Name Postcode Date of leaving Home Date of arrival Home Screening Ref Introducer

Geographical Area – See Premium Panel (1,2,3 or 4)

SCHEDULE OF PREMIUMS The following Premiums are valid for policies issued up to 31/3/2014 and for travel completed by 31/12/2014. Maximum age is 90 years. For periods in excess of 31 days please call for a quotation. Maximum period of insurance is 94 days. All premiums include the Government Insurance Premium Tax (IPT).

Area 1

Geographical Areas

Area 2

Area 3

Area 4

Persons Aged up to 80 Years 1 – 3 days £16.10 £24.70 £51.80 4 & 5 days £19.40 £31.10 £65.10 6 -10 days £22.60 £41.90 £88.20 11-17 days £25.80 £45.90 £98.10 18-24 days £29.00 £52.70 £110.40 25-31 days £32.30 £60.00 £125.70

£74.50 £93.80 £126.30 £141.30 £159.10 £181.00

Persons Aged 81 to 90 Years 1 – 3 days £24.15 £37.05 £103.60 4 & 5 days £29.10 £46.65 £130.20 6 -10 days £33.90 £62.85 £176.40 11-17 days £38.70 £68.85 £196.20 18-24 days £43.50 £79.05 £220.80 25-31 days £48.45 £90.00 £251.40

£149.00 £187.60 £252.60 £282.60 £318.20 £362.00



Names of all persons to be insured

1



£

2



£

3



£

4



£

5



£

6



£

Credit/Debit Card Details

Age

TOTAL PREMIUM

Premium

£

Card No Start Date

End Date

Issue No

Security Code DECLARATION On behalf of all persons listed in this application, I agree that this application shall be the basis of the Contract of Insurance. I agree that Insurers may exchange information with other Insurers or their agents. I have read and understood the terms and conditions of the insurance, with which all persons above are in agreement and for whom I am authorised to sign.

PREMIUM ADJUSTMENTS

All age adjustments apply to the age on the date of return to the UK

Signed........................................................... Date...................................

Infants up to 2 years inclusive are FREE subject to being included with an adult paying a full premium.

The form MUST be signed by one of the persons to be insured on behalf of all persons to be insured.

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Children 3 to 16 years inclusive are HALF PRICE subject to being included with an adult paying a full premium. Unaccompanied children pay the adult rate.

Mr Bridge

Mr Bridge is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. 429STI13

Catching Up by Sally Brock

J

ust because the world championships had finished didn’t mean there was time to relax. It seemed that, almost as soon as I was home I was off again. This year, we have joined a team in the Premier League for the first time. There are two divisions of the League each year and the prize for winning the first division is to play in a Camrose weekend (the Camrose is the competition between the home unions: England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales). At the end of the season, the top two of Division Two go up and the bottom two of Division One go down. Because we are a new team, we start automatically in Division Two. When we agreed to play, the team was Barry, me, Heather and Binkie (Brian Callaghan). But … Heather had a prior commitment for the first weekend, so Binkie played with Heather’s husband, Jeremy. And this weekend was in Manchester. Barry went up on the train, while I drove up via Bradford to take Toby his stuff for university (I was in Bali when term started so he had to go on public transport with only what he could carry). We (that is Barry and I) played just about acceptably (I was still pretty tired – my body clock was still in Bali) while Jeremy and Binkie had a good weekend and we were lying above average, well placed for a change. The following Monday, I went into London for a session with a new client, Jenny, then Briony came home for a few days as she was not very well. As we talked about this and that it became apparent that she was not happy with her course: too much maths, too much theoretical stuff. I tried to persuade her to persevere with it a little longer but … On the Friday she dropped me Page 42

at Heathrow as the England women’s team was going to Beijing for six days to play in the Hua Yuan Cup. There were eight teams in total: us, USA, Sweden, Poland, Netherlands, Indonesia, China and Beijing. There was a total round robin over two and a half days, then one and a half days of pairs (the Capital Cup Pairs). In the teams, we did well and were leading with one match to go, against the Dutch. We did OK, scoring 12.55 VPs (out of 20), but the Americans had a terrible time against China so China overtook us and we had to settle for second. We particularly like this Chinese tournament because it is held in the centre of town and we can easily get the underground to wherever we like (this is unlike the Sport Accord event later in the year which is out near the Olympic Village and a 45-minute traffic jam in a taxi – at least – before you can get anywhere). The relaxation of choice when not playing bridge was, of course, shopping. This time, Nicola has upgraded herself to Premier Economy which seemed to give her a virtually unlimited baggage allowance. So I could bring back a new suitcase filled with goodies. While I was in China, Barry started what is expected to be quite a long trial in Manchester. And, after discussion with her tutors, Briony decided that she definitely wanted to leave university. There was also another Premier League weekend, this time in London. I missed out on this one, Barry playing with Frank To instead of me. The team played very well and at the end of the weekend we were lying second. Heather and Nevena meanwhile did play in the Premier League but then left immediately for

the airport, arriving in Beijing to play on the second day. Briony picked me up from Heathrow on the Friday afternoon and took me to Barry’s. Then went on to her university to spend her last night and load up all her stuff. Meanwhile, we went home on the Saturday in preparation for a Hubert Phillips match (that is a national mixed pivot teams knockout). Robert (Sheehan) and Gunnar (Hallberg) came to pick us up and we went to a pub for lunch and a reminder of the team system before going to Carole Mueller’s house for this match. I have a lot of respect for our opponents – after me, Carole was Raymond’s partner of choice when playing locally – she is a good player, as are the rest of her team. But this just wasn’t their day. We did everything right and they did everything wrong and in the end we won by over 7,000 aggregate points. However, they were still gracious enough to entertain us to an excellent dinner. This was an interesting deal. I’ll start off by presenting it as a simple cardplay problem:



Dealer East. Game All. ♠ A 2 ♥ A Q 10 4 ♦ A K Q 10 2 ♣ Q 10 N

W E S



♠ 9 8 4 3 ♥ K J 7 ♦ 9 6 4 ♣ 8 4 2

BRIDGE January 2014

Catching Up continued

West North East South 1♠ Pass Pass Dbl Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass

You have done rather well in the bidding to bid to game in your 4-3 fit. How would you play on the lead of the ten of spades? The first thing to do is to win quickly, as three rounds of clubs might scupper you. It looks now as if you are favourite because all you need is to make four heart tricks and five diamonds. All will be well if both suits break favourably, but can you think of anything to do to cater for bad breaks? The best line is to win the lead and cash two top hearts. Now try two top diamonds. If diamonds break, you draw the remaining trumps and claim. But if the layout is as it is here … ♠ A 2 ♥ A Q 10 4 ♦ A K Q 10 2 ♣ Q 10 ♠ 10 7 ♥ 9 6 5 3 N W E ♦ J 7 5 3 S ♣ K J 7 ♠ 9 8 4 3 ♥ K J 7 ♦ 9 6 4 ♣ 8 4 2

♠ K Q J 6 5 ♥ 8 2 ♦ 8 ♣ A 9 6 5 3

… and East shows out on the second diamond, you can cross to hand with a trump and take the sure finesse before drawing West’s last trump. The following day was another tough match, this time a Gold Cup quarterfinal against Richard Butland, John Reardon and Norman and Kay Selway. This was a 64-board match and both teams were playing four-handed. I don’t know about anyone else but at the end of it, I was nearly dead. At the halfway stage, we were 15 IMPs up and happy that things were more or less going our way. But the BRIDGE January 2014

beginning of the fifth set went very badly for us. On the first board, at Love All, Barry had to decide what to do with neither side vulnerable holding:

♠ A K ♥ 8 6 5 3 ♦ A K J 8 7 ♣ Q 5

His left-hand opponent (LHO) opened a weak no-trump, I passed and his RHO bid two clubs, Stayman. For us, a double would show clubs, so he passed, thinking that he might get the chance to double two spades on the next round, but, in fact, his LHO bid two hearts which was passed round to him. He tried three diamonds but I had no idea he had such a good hand and we missed game. That was a paltry loss compared with the next deal: Dealer East. N/S Vul. ♠ A K J 10 9 6 2 ♥ Q 5 4 ♦ A J 10 ♣ Void ♠ 8 5 4 3 ♠ 7 N ♥ 8 7 W E ♥ K 3 ♦ Q 6 4 S ♦ 7 5 3 ♣ Q J 5 2 ♣ A K 9 8 6 4 3 ♠ Q ♥ A J 10 9 6 2 ♦ K 9 8 2 ♣ 10 7

West North East South 1♣ 2♥ Pass 5NT Pass 6♥ Pass 7♥ All Pass

North meant his five no-trump as a ‘grand slam force’, asking partner about trump honours. However, the response of six hearts showed no honours in their system and North did not think that possible for a vulnerable weak jump overcall. He knew there had been some misunderstanding, so guessed to bid the grand slam. As our other pair missed the slam altogether, that was 17 IMPs out.

There was more to come. North held:

♠ K 10 4 ♥ Void ♦ A K 10 9 7 3 ♣ A K 9 5

And heard his partner open four clubs, showing, in their system, either solid hearts, or a hand with the ace of hearts missing but with an ace outside. What could be better? He went straight to six hearts, making comfortably when his partner had a solid eight-card suit. Our team-mates play different methods (as do I) and the slam was missed. We had lost 34 IMPs in three boards. Luckily, things improved thereafter. We bid a slam missed in the other room and had a delicate auction to a making five diamonds when three notrumps went down in the other room. At the end of the set, we were just 1 IMP down. The rest was a bit up and down and we entered the final set with a lead of 23 IMPs. As it happened, there were a couple of swings out that we had not anticipated in our room, so it actually came down to the wire. On the last board, their declarer went down in a game that our pair didn’t bid. We gained 5 IMPs on the board to win by 7 IMPs. Phew! It is nice to have played the match early so we can sit back and watch everyone else fight for their semi-final place. Briony has always been very interested in cooking and her intention, when leaving university, was to concentrate on that. While she is waiting to do some sort of training, she has decided that she will have a market stall. So we went and looked at various markets, found out what was needed, made lists of what she had to do and she experimented with making various types of small cakes. That kept her very busy for most of the week and I helped out as much as I could while frantically finishing off Iran, Sri Lanka and Uruguay. Barry was back from Manchester on Thursday night this week so I went over there to join him for dinner. On the Friday, I met Margaret for lunch and then we spent the evening in. ■ Page 43

Seven Days by Sally Brock Saturday I get up reasonably early and go to meet Briony in Ealing to go to an Open Day at the University of West London where they have a couple of degree courses in culinary arts. It looks good to me, but she will have to decide for herself. It was probably my intervention that contributed to her doing a course that she was unsuited to previously. The weekend bridge competition is the Lederer. This is an invitation teams event and always excellent. Pretty much all the top players in the country are there and a few international stars as well. In the past, this has been held at the Young Chelsea, but their new premises are not big enough so this year we play in the rather splendid RAC Club in Pall Mall. We are there as England Women, but there are other constraints. Heather can’t play on the Saturday and Nicola can’t play on the Sunday. However, a few days before the event, Nicola rings me to tell me of the trouble she is having with her eyes. I don’t understand fully but she has had a lot of problems over the years and certainly needs an operation. There were times in Bali/China when she called for a card from dummy that she didn’t have or didn’t realise that her hand had come to her mis-sorted. Anyway, the upshot is that she needs to put drops in her eyes at regular intervals and they make it even harder for her to see. By now Nevena has made other plans, so we agree that Barry will substitute. His shoulders are wide enough to take all the jokes he will get when people see he is playing for the English Women! We start off with a terrible match against the European Aces. It’s not that we do anything particularly stupid, but everything we do is wrong and everything they do is right. Though, curiously, one of our few good boards is when I make 2NT with an overtrick and Gunnar Hallberg goes down in 3NT. You may find it hard to believe, but this hand earns him the BestPage 44

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

In our room, I open the South hand with 2NT. I know I am maximum and have excellent controls, but I don’t like 4333 distributions and I am allowed to be maximum occasionally. Barry also takes a conservative position with his 3 HCP, not wanting to push for a non-vulnerable game, especially at this form of scoring. The Lederer is scored on point-a-board scoring: as well as the normal IMP scale, there is a matchpoint element – two points available for every board, on a straightforward win, draw or lose basis. At my table, West leads the ten of spades to East’s ace and a spade is returned and finessed. This effectively gives me nine tricks on top and nobody goes wrong in the endgame so that is all I make. In the other room, Gunnar’s 2NT opening is a point lighter so he opens two clubs and soon finds himself in game and Susan Stockdale finds the good lead of the ten of diamonds. Declarer wins with the king and ducks a club. Another diamond comes back and declarer wins in hand and cashes his minor-suit winners, pitching a club from his hand. By now, he is fairly confident about East’s distribution, so he plays a heart to his eight. Susan wins the queen and plays another heart to the jack and ace and another heart gives West the lead again. If West, who had two spades and a low heart

left, had held the ♠A-x, declarer would have been home, but in practice, East wins the ace of spades and cashes the long club for one down. Anyway, after this match things begin to improve. We have a good win against the Premier League team and then three very narrow losses. At the end of the day we are just a little below average. In the evening, Fiona and Susan have to dash off and we stay at the RAC Club where we have been invited to dinner with Richard (of Richard and Gerry) who has been watching for most of the day.

Sunday Now the cavalry (in the form of Heather and Nevena) arrive and we start to race up through the field: a narrow win against Norway, followed by a large win against the Young Chelsea team. Strictly speaking, I don’t really need to play today at all, but Susan and Fiona have both said that they would like to play a set with me, so I turn up for Match 8 to play with Fiona against the strong de Botton team. Nothing terribly exciting seems to happen at our table, but there is a lot going on at the other and we win that heavily too. Our last match is against the President’s team (the President is Bernard Teltscher, without whose generous sponsorship each year the event would not take place). They have a large lead (it might have been even larger had they not played in the same direction at both tables in the previous round). If we can win very heavily, then we have an outside shot at winning the event; on the other hand, we do not have a very big lead over third so a loss could easily send us sliding down the table. The boards seem rather flat to me, but in practice, there are large swings in and large swings out, resulting in a very narrow loss for us. That keeps everyone happy. The President’s team wins and we retain our second place. After a glass of wine and the BRIDGE January 2014

Seven Days continued

presentation, when we each receive a bottle of champagne, we drive back to Barry’s. He is off to Manchester and we were intending to go straight to Euston but he has forgotten a vital bit of kit. Then I drive him to Euston and then back to High Wycombe for my weekly dose of Downton Abbey.

Monday The weather forecast was one of fearful storms, but nothing too terrible seems to have happened here. I wake up before seven and suddenly remember that this is the first day of our new recycling waste collection. I should have put the bins out last night but forgot. So there I am in my pyjamas and slippers rushing to put out the bins: this week a green one for garden rubbish, a brown one for food rubbish, a blue one for cans and bottles and another green one for paper. Briony gets up at about nine and we have a couple of hours of cooking before we leave to meet my parents for lunch at The Crab at Chieveley (an excellent fish restaurant I thoroughly recommend), a favourite midway venue. We arrive at one o’clock as arranged but then worry for an hour as my parents get stuck in accident traffic and don’t arrive until two. Still, it’s good to catch up and we spend an enjoyable couple of hours before heading back for more cooking and general preparations for tomorrow’s market stall. We have no idea what to expect. Will anyone buy Briony’s cakes?

Tuesday Up at 6.30am to get ourselves ready and out of the house by 7.30am. Minor glitch in that we can’t find Briony’s car keys, so in the end we have to move everything from her car into mine which makes us a bit later than we would have liked. We put up our gazebo and display our wares without too many problems. The weather is good, mostly sunny without too much wind. Business is slow to start with, but soon we realise we should cut BRIDGE January 2014

up some of the cakes and offer free tasting. This stimulates much more interest and, although there is room for improvement, we are quite happy with our first outing. We will make improvements next time but feel there is definite potential. Everything seems to shut down at about two and we get home by three – both of us exhausted. After a short sleep, we spend the next few hours trying to find Briony’s car keys – to no avail. There is a second set which used to be in my possession, but we have no idea where those are either. This might prove to be a serious problem. Looking online, we can expect to spend in excess of £500 to get another set.

Wednesday Up early to the gym. As I collect my hoodie from the back of the chair in the kitchen, an apron falls to the floor and with it is the clatter of keys. Thank heavens for that. I’ve been a bit too busy to go to the gym as much as I would like recently, so I need to get back into the habit. Then I try to sort through some of my emails before a snack lunch and then a teaching session with Richard and Gerry. Because Barry is in Manchester, I have to play with a robot which isn’t as much fun, but honour is satisfied all round as we finish with an exact tie. Any readers interested in online bridge teaching are welcome to contact me on [email protected]. I then drive into London in Barry’s car. I have supper with Nicola and then move on to the Young Chelsea for a duplicate with Jenny. She is a pretty decent player who would like to improve her game a bit so we are going to play on a roughly once-a-month basis. I psyched on one hand. In the fifties and sixties, psyching was very common and considered a normal part of the game, some of the very best players having strong reputations for ‘tricky’ bidding. Then things went full circle: there were two camps: those who still thought it was part of the game and those who thought it was tantamount to cheating. We went through a phase where all psyches had to be recorded so that it could be seen that a partnership did not build up a pattern of

psyching often in a particular situation. These days, real psyching is rare, but occasionally a situation occurs when it is hard to resist. My partner opens a weak two hearts at favourable vulnerability, the next hand passes and I hold:

♠ 3 ♥ A J 10 6 5 2 ♦ 10 7 5 ♣ A Q 8

What should I bid? Surely, the opponents can make more in spades than we can in hearts and any bid I make in hearts will only goad them into action. Accordingly, I decide to bid a natural two spades myself. This is how the bidding continues: West North East South 2♥ Pass 2♠ Dbl 3♠ Pass Pass Dbl Pass Pass 4♥ All Pass

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

♠ A J 8 7 6 ♥ 3 ♦ 8 2 ♣ K 10 7 6 3

I’m not sure I entirely understand the opponent’s bidding but am pleased with our score of -50 in four hearts when, in practical terms, East-West are going to make ten or eleven tricks in spades. This evening, Jenny plays well and we have a good lead on the field going into the last round – which is just as well as we barely score any matchpoints at the end. The Young Chelsea is no longer licensed to serve alcohol so we can’t get a drink there and can’t find a pub locally either (perhaps we looked in the wrong direction). Page 45

Seven Days continued

Anyway, we get the tube back to Hammersmith and have a drink there to round off the evening. Then I go back to Barry’s, although he is in Manchester.

Thursday I sleep well and it’s nearly 9.30am before I get up. I settle down to going through the hands of some recent events to pick out some of the more interesting for my articles here and in the Sunday Times. That keeps me busy for a couple of hours and then I go to Westfield to meet Debbie for lunch. It’s a while since we met and there’s a lot of catching up to do. Then it’s home by train (it will be easier for Barry to come out to me at the weekend if I leave him his car). Briony picks me up from the station and then there’s a bit of excitement as we show a viewer around the house. She seems to like it so we are in optimistic moods.

Friday Up and out to the gym for my second session of the week. Then back for some more writing of bridge articles. Actually, I have a very productive day, transferring lots of hands and information from various scattered bits of paper into some sort of order on my computer. In the evening, Briony goes out to see some fireworks while Barry, who is in London after his week in Manchester, bids a few hands on BBO. Later, we watch TV and write letters on the bunting we bought for Briony’s stall. ■ Page 46

Answers to Mr Bridge Club Quiz 2013 on page 22 1 ♣K. 2 ♥J. 3 Jack (17) of (5) Diamonds (12): 34. 4 ♠7 (the ♠2 and ♠5 were also there). 5 Henry VI. 1,470 for 6NT + 1. 6 9. 7 1NT doubled, making. 8 They are the scores for making one-level redoubled contracts non-vulnerable. 9 Declarer replaces the ♣A and there is no penalty. Declarer does not have penalty cards. 10 The double is inadmissible, so must be cancelled. The offender can call anything he wishes, but the offender’s partner (the opening bidder) must pass for the rest of the auction. 11 Q-3. A ‘queen with a tray’. 12 Master Bun. 13 10. 14 1742. 15 BALANCED INVITE. The rest are all possible descriptions of 2♦ bids. 16 2♣-2♦-2♠ is the only forcing sequence (the partner should bid again). 17 FRENCH. The rest are forms of Blackwood. 18 BRISCOLA is an Italian card game which uses 40 cards, the other games use 32 card packs. 19 FOUR OF HEARTS. 20 SOS REDOUBLE.

BRIDGE January 2014

Answers to Key Card Blackwood on page 36 1 What would you bid with Hands A,B,C and D if your partner opens 1♠? If you use key card Blackwood, consider your continuations after all possible replies.



Hand A ♠ A 6 5 ♥ A K 9 6 5 ♦ A K 8 ♣ K 8

Hand B ♠ K J 5 2 ♥ A 6 ♦ K 7 6 3 ♣ A Q 2



Hand C ♠ A Q 10 3 2 ♥ 7 ♦ A K Q J 10 9 ♣ 9

Hand D ♠ A Q 10 3 ♥ Q J ♦ A K Q J 10 ♣ A K

Hand A: You are almost certainly going to play in a slam but you don’t yet know the denomination. Start with 2♥ and see what partner rebids. If he rebids 2♠, showing a minimum opening bid with at least five spades, you can jump to 4NT, key card Blackwood, and try 6♠ unless two key cards are missing. Hand B: You are hopeful of slam, but it is too early to jump to 4NT because you don’t know how strong partner is. Your correct call is the waiting bid of 2♦. If partner rebids 2♠, showing a minimum opening bid, you should settle for 4♠. Hand C: 4NT, key card Blackwood. Of course you don’t know how strong partner is, but it hardly matters because you know what to do whatever his answer. The five key cards are the four aces and the ♠K. In the unlikely event that he answers 5♣, which shows 0 or 4 key cards, you will know he has none (because you have two). You will then just have to sign off in 5♠ and hope the spade finesse is right. If he answers 5♦, showing one key card, you will sign off in 5♠. Note that, if the partnership is missing an ace and the ♠K, a slam is at best 50%. If he answers 5♥, showing two key cards, then jump to 6♠. If he answers 5♠, showing three key cards, you can count 13 tricks so you can bid 7NT confidently. Hand D: 4NT, key card Blackwood. Yes,

BRIDGE January 2014

I know you have two losing hearts, but you have 26 points. If partner was missing the ♥A-K, he would have opened the bidding on seven points, hardly likely. It is inconceivable that partner will show no key cards with 5♣. If he answers 5♦, showing one key card, you will jump to 6♠. If he answers 5♥, showing two key cards, you should make 7♠ or 7NT easily. Note that partner cannot have a balanced hand too strong to open 1NT, so he will have five spades, enabling you to count 13 tricks: 5 spades, the ♥A, 5 diamonds and the ♣A K.

2 You are East. The bidding starts as shown. West East 1♠ 2♣ 2♦ 4NT ?

(i) What is your next bid with Hands E, F, G and H? (ii) If your partner hears your answer and continues with 5NT, how do you respond to that?





Hand E Hand F ♠ A 8 6 5 4 ♠ A K 8 6 4 ♥ 8 7 ♥ 8 7 ♦ K J 7 6 ♦ K J 7 6 ♣ K 6 ♣ K 6

Hand G Hand H ♠ A 8 6 5 4 ♠ A K 6 5 4 ♥ K 8 ♥ K 8 ♦ J 10 7 6 ♦ J 10 7 6 ♣ K 6 ♣ K 6

Before answering to partner’s key card Blackwood, you must know the agreed trump suit. You and your partner have not agreed a suit by both of you bidding it, but in that case the last suit bid is assumed to be the agreed trump suit. Diamonds are trumps so the five key cards are the four aces and the ♦K. Partner’s follow up bid of 5NT asks

how many kings you have, excluding the king of trumps. Hand E: (i) 5♥, showing two key cards, the ♠A and ♦K. Hand E: (ii) 6♦, showing one additional king, the ♣K. Hand F: (i) 5♥, showing two key cards, the ♠A and ♦K. Hand F: (ii) 6♥, showing two additional kings, the ♠K and ♣K. Hand G: (i) 5♦, showing one key card, the ♠A. Hand G: (ii) 6♥, showing two additional kings, the ♥K and ♣K. Hand H: (i) 5♦, showing one key card, the ♠A. Hand H: (ii) 6♠, showing three additional kings, the ♠K, ♥K and ♣K.

3 You are South. You have Hand J.



Hand J ♠ A J 7 6 5 ♥ 8 ♦ K Q J 10 3 ♣ K Q

West North East South 3♥ 4♠ Pass 4NT Pass ?

ow should you continue if partner reH sponds: (i) 5♣? (ii) 5♦? (iii) 5♥? (iv) 5♠? It is not 100% safe to commit your partnership to the 5-level, but you would be very unlucky to fail, so using key card Blackwood is justifiable. The five key cards are the four aces and the ♠K. (i) 5♣ shows 0 or 4 key cards. It is inconceivable that partner has no key cards for his jump to 4♠, so he has the ♠K and all the side suit aces. You can bid 7NT confidently. (ii) 5♦ shows 1 or 5 key cards. He cannot have five because you have one, so he must have just one. You will just have to hope you can make 5♠. (iii) 5♠. Partner has two key cards so two are missing. (iv) 6♠. Partner has three key cards so ■ only one is missing.

Page 47

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