139.pdf

BRIDGE Number One Hundred and Thirty-Nine

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

West North East South ?



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

West North East South 1♥ Pass ?



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

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

5. Dealer North. N/S Game. ♠ 5 4 ♥ A K 6 3 N W E ♦ 7 6 2 S ♣ A 10 5 4



West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass ?

3. Dealer West. N/S Game. ♠ K 2 N ♥ A K 4 3 2 W E ♦ A Q J 6 S ♣ 6 4



West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass ?

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ 2♦ Pass ?



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

Answers on page 9

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

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







Answers on page 6





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

10. Dealer West. N/S Game. ♠ A 8 3 N ♥ A 8 3 2 W E ♦ 4 S ♣ A Q 8 7 2

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Dbl Pass ?

11. Dealer North. N/S Game. ♠ 8 6 5 ♥ A 2 N ♦ A 9 8 7 6 5 W E S ♣ 7 3

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

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass ?

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

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

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

West North East South 2♥* 2NT Pass ? *weak, 6-10 HCP and 6 hearts



Answers on page 11



Answers on page 13

Join Mr & Mrs Bridge on an unforgettable voyage. Thailand Bangkok Angkor Wat Cambodia Vietnam Sihanoukville Ho Chi Minh City Ko Samui

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ARRIVE

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overnight

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Enjoy a daily duplicate on this wonderful cruise. Sail with Mr & Mrs Bridge to the jewels of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Enjoy daily duplicates, seminars and afternoon bridge when at sea. With sightseeing excursions in all ports visited, this promises to be another truly memorable voyage.

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Join Mr & Mrs Bridge on a visit to ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA Depart UK on the 13th and extend your Bangkok stay with a 3-day excursion by air to Siem Reap in Cambodia to visit the magnificent temple ruins at Angkor.

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†All prices shown are per person, based on double occupancy, available only on certain cabin grades, are subject to availability at the time of booking and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. *Single accommodation is available only in certain categories and is subject to availability.

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from £2,795 from £3,195 from £4,250

2 NIGHTS SIEM REAP/1 NIGHT BANGKOK Supplement including flights Twin sharing £589pp/Single £695pp

V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY

ABTA No.Y2206

BRIDGE

Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH ( 01483 489961 [email protected] www.mrbridge.co.uk shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/ mrbridge-shop Managing Editor Mr Bridge Bridge Consultant Bernard Magee [email protected] Cartoons & Illustrations Marguerite Lihou www.margueritelihou.co.uk Commissioning Editor David Huggett davidhuggett @mrbridge.co.uk Customer Services Catrina Shackleton [email protected] Technical Consultant Tony Gordon Typesetting & Design Ruth Edmondson [email protected] Proof Readers Tony & Jan Richards Richard Wheen Hugh Williams

FEATURES 1 Bidding Quiz

2 Bangkok to Singapore

4 Mr Bridge

3 Rubber/Chicago Bridge Events

by Bernard Magee

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

11 Bidding Quiz Answers (7-9) by Bernard Magee

7 Mail Order Form Names and Addresses

13 Bidding Quiz Answers (10-12) by Bernard Magee

8 Bridge Event Booking Form

14 Robin Hood’s Charitable Mission by David Bird

8 Bridge Events with Bernard Magee

16 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions

9 S R Designs Bridge Tables

20 The Scottish Senior Ski Team Tries its Hand at Bridge? by John Barr 21 Par Contests by Shireen Mohandes 23 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage 27 Why Should I Play Transfers? by Julian Pottage

Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

12 QPlus 11 12 We Are Survivors Teatowel 13 Bridge Events at Clifton Park Hotel 17 Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified

31 Mary’s Seventh Lesson by Liz Dale

19 2014 Festive Season with Mr Bridge

32 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage

24 Mediterranean Cruises

33 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett

26 Bernard Magee DVDs

38 July 2014 by Jeremy Dhondy

The Olde Barn

11 Tunisia with Mr Bridge

18 Tips for Better Bridge

Events & Cruises ( 01483 489961 Rosie Baker [email protected] Jessica Galt [email protected] Megan Riccio [email protected] Sophie Pierrepont [email protected]

BRIDGE July 2014

10 Bernard Magee’s Tutorial Software

28 Readers’ Letters

34 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions

RUBBER / CHICAGO 2014

5 Subscriptions to BRIDGE 6 Bridge Events at Elstead Hotel

33 Bridge and Travel Tips

Address Changes ( 01483 485342 Elizabeth Bryan [email protected]

with Voyages to Antiquity

9 Bidding Quiz Answers (4-6) by Bernard Magee

Office Manager Rachel Everett [email protected]

Clubs & Charities Maggie Axtell [email protected]

ADVERTISEMENTS

29-31 August Hosted by Diana Holland

with Voyages to Antiquity

28 Clive Goff ’s Stamps 30 Charity Events 30 S R Designs Leather Gifts 31 Better Hand Evaluation

39 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett

37 Bridge Events at The Olde Barn Hotel

40 An Accusation by Richard Wheen

39 Mr Bridge Playing Cards

42 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum

41 Bridge Events at Blunsdon House Hotel

43 Catching Up by Sally Brock

44 Mr Bridge Just Duplicate Bridge

45 Seven Days by Sally Brock

48 Denham Grove Filming Weekend 2015

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

£169 Full Board No Single Supplement

Booking Form on page 8.

Page 3

FEBRUARY VOYAGE

Now that Mrs Bridge has thankfully made a full recovery we feel able to make some plans. We thought of the comfort of Aegean Odyssey and the warmth of Thailand in February and were soon sold on the idea. We also decided to include the pre-cruise excursion to Angkor Watt as the extra cost seems good value. This means we can visit the Jewels of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, before sailing down the Malaysian Peninsula to Singapore. Make a provisional booking and I will hold a cabin for seven days while you look into insurance, kennels, cattery and other personal matters. I suggest you do this as previously many of you have been really disappointed. There is an advertisement on the inside front cover. ( 01483 489961.

MODERN MAN New computers, new operating software, new telephone system, new database management software, new postage machine. A lot of NEWS. To help me cope with all this, I have appointed Bernard Magee as Associate Editor with immediate effect. The future of my Page 4

monthly magazine, BRIDGE, will rest increasingly on his broad shoulders. In addition to visiting all the extant writers he will be pro-active in seeking out new material and fresh contributors. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I will quietly continue as managing editor. The role is largely devoid of technical bridge, but I will keep you up to speed with all my recent initiatives. Including apps, DVDs, interactive CDs and hotels and ships new to us.

inappropriate for bridge players as they wouldn’t want to drink too much and spoil their game However, all-inclusive now seems the norm in Tunisia. See page 11 for our November and March dates and prices.

GOFFIES STAMPS

Standard diaries are £6.95. They come in navy, red, green or maroon. The luxury version with soft kidrell cover and ballpoint pen is available in either ruby red or navy blue. £14.95. Those who have ordered will find their free diary included with their own.

QPLUS HANDS Last month all the strange and wonderful hands that I have drawn to reader’s attention in the last 3 years were listed. If you missed this, send me an email and I will forward you the list. [email protected]

TUNISIA ALL IN From this coming November, our policy is to have bed, board, beverages and bridge combined in an all-inclusive package. I had thought this would be

SUBSCRIPTIONS I have been collecting subscriptions for over a year now at the special £20 introductory rate. Readers whose subscriptions have expired may renew at the same special rate.

MY EXPERTS SAY

GET ONE FREE 2015 diaries are in stock and those who have taken advantage of my introductory subscription may order their 2015 diary from stock and receive one free. This offer is in place until the end of July.

hotel. It may sound obvious, but all too often, the first we hear of any problems is when it is too late to do anything about it.

Following the recent rise in postal charges, Clive Goff’s discounted stamp service is worth a try. Value supplied in two stamps, combined to make up the 53p, 2nd class rate 2nd class to you at 44p. 1st class 62p, still only 50p to you. Available in lots of 100. ( 0208 422 4906.

CROATIA Our first visit to Croatia was a great success and we are confidently preparing to offer a fortnight at the same venue at more or less the same price in 2015. Indeed, Bernard Magee’s report to my office made very good reading, so much so that I was planning to print it on the facing page but was dissuaded from so doing as it seemed really OTT. However, I would be only too pleased to send a copy either by email or post. Just ask.

REPEAT When you go on holiday, do try to resolve any difficulties at the time either with the airline or

Last month, Peter Green, of Barnet, Herts, wrote in with details of a hand the like of which had never before cropped-up in over the fifty years he has being playing bridge. See the diagram below:



♠ A K x x x x x ♥ Void ♦ K Q x x x x ♣ Void

He said he’d like to know what I would have done. I said I’d ask Julian Pottage, Bernard Magee and Sally Brock for their suggestions and promised to publish their replies in the July issue. Here’s what they have to say. Julian Pottage playing strong two’s (he can just about remember what they are) would open 2♠. Otherwise, he would open 1♠. The chance that the bidding would go 1♠-pass is extremely remote. Sally Brock says that Peter seemed to manage the hand perfectly without any help from her. She thinks he did just the right thing. The best way to get partner to volunteer support for your suit is to make a simple one-level opening. Then, BRIDGE July 2014

when he does support, bidding a slam is perfect. Well done. The only foolish person was his right-hand opponent. Did she think you didn’t know you had those two aces missing? Bernard Magee said 1♠.

JUNIOR TEACH-IN 22-24 August 2014 at Loughborough University run by English Bridge Education and Development. All levels will be catered for – from absolute beginners to junior experts. Come and enjoy a packed weekend of bridge coaching, play and social activities for all young people under the age of 21. Only £140 per student inclusive of all meals, two nights en suite accommodation and all the bridge tuition and play. For more information or to book please call Lisa on ( 01296 317217, email: [email protected] info at http://www.ebu.co.uk/ youth.Junior-Teach-In

LOOKING AHEAD

urge you to make your booking and keep yourself warmly comforted in the coming winter months with the prospect. See centre fold for dates and itineraries.

STOCK CLEARANCE The remainder of the May clearance is listed on the back of the carrier sheet. If you have binned yours, do ask what is left.

USED STAMPS I am still saving my used stamps in support of ‘Little Voice’ and I hope you are too. With Bernard travelling around the country, I will use him as a collector. More details of this next month or send them to: Mr M Finebaum, 8 Mountford House, Crescent Road, Enfield. EN2 7BL.

FRESH DATA Do keep sending in names and addresses of those who might like to see a printed copy of BRIDGE. After all they don’t know what they are missing. If they include an email address, I will, let them know as soon as I have put it up on our website. Telephone or use the form on page 7.

VOYAGER Bernard Magee will be hosting bridge on board three quite different Mediterranean cruises next year on lovely Aegean Odyssey. The supplement for single occupancy of a cabin has been kept to an absolute minimum and if you are one of the growing numbers who want a cabin to themselves, I strongly BRIDGE July 2014

I have heard talk of the possibility of a very good deal for the Black Sea cruise on Voyager in October, but at the time of going to press I have no details. Anyone interested ring Maggie ( 01483 489961 and she will give you the up-to date news and prices. The offer, when it comes, really looks attractive but I can’t say more at this stage.

WHAT LUCK

I have a quantity of the first set of Bernard Magee’ DVDs without cellophane wrappers and/or boxes. There are still some to clear at £30 including delivery, reduced from £100. The set of six is guaranteed. Order by phone or by post or online at www.mrbridge.co.uk/shop/

RETHINK

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

Acol Bidding Quiz & Answers Bernard Magee

l Ask Julian Pottage l Julian’s FAQs l Misleading Cases as reported by our court correspondent l Ask David Stevenson l David’s FAQs

SPECIAL OFFER PRICE

l Mary’s First Lesson

The clearance of the first series of DVDs has made me rethink the packaging and as you know I have been selling off the second series, all in sealed boxes, at £48 per box inclusive of postage and packing. I am now going to clear all the second series DVDs at £38 a set (of six), inclusive of postage and packing until they are sold out.

WHILE I’M AT IT To be completely consistent, I am clearing out the entire remaining stock of series 3 at £54 per set. Singles are not on offer. Strictly subject to availability but they must be cleared to make room for the new production run. What luck indeed, everyone’s a winner. All good wishes,

l Helpful Conventions and Related Quiz l Defence Quiz l Tales from Sherwood Forest by David Bird l Things You Should Know... l Catching up l Seven Days l Jeremy Dhondy l Sally Brock Tip l Travel Tip l Readers Letters

Special Introductory Subscription: £20 for twelve monthly issues. See mail order form on page 7.

Mr Bridge Page 5

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



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

West ?

North

East

South

Pass. What are the requirements for an opening bid? Usually 12 HCP or 13 points including length. Some players use the rule of 20: this rule requires you to add the number of cards in your two longest suits to your point count. If the total comes to 20 or more, then you have the potential for an opening bid. The key here is that you have the ‘potential’, not that you should open the bidding. Very often, the key to good light opening bids are strong suits. Hands like this one will always work out well if you find a fit, but if you do not have a fit your hand is going to be a long way short of an opening hand: you are unlikely to be able to use your two long suits to establish tricks because of their weakness, leaving you with only two useful cards. If ever you are borderline for an opening bid, consider the strength of your long suits. Here, if you open, the auction would start 1♠-2♥-2♠-? You are too high already.



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

West North ?

East South 1♥ Pass

1NT. You have 10 HCP, but your 4-3-3-

no ruffing potential and very little chance to establish a suit. I like to take a full point off with this shape: perhaps if there are mitigating factors (tens and nines or useful cards in partner’s suit), you could still treat it as worth 10 points, but with no such factors here, you should change the evaluation of your hand to 9 points and therefore you should respond 1NT. If you respond 2♣ or 2NT, you will take the auction too high: the hands have 25 HCP between them, but game is not within reach because of the lack of shape and potential in your hand.



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

West North East South 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass ?

2♦. Your natural rebid would be in diamonds, to show five hearts and four diamonds. When starting out in bridge, we divide our rebids between strong and weak opening hands: rebidding 2♦ with 12-15 points and rebidding 3♦ with 16-19. However, as you move on in the game, you will have noticed that a jump rebid at the 3-level takes the auction very high and more importantly, it is a forcing bid, which means you do need to be very strong. Your partner might have just 6 HCP, so to make a rebid at the 3-level, you would need at least 19 total points: enough to make game likely. You are not strong enough for 3♦ with this hand, but you do have one other option: 1NT. If you had cover in clubs and diamonds, then 1NT is a reasonable lie – showing your strength (15-17) and being semi-balanced. However, with your weak clubs, 2♦ is a better bid, knowing that only very rarely will your partner pass. East may well pass 2♦ on this hand, but you will be pleased to be in the best partscore with game beyond reach. ■

Elstead Hotel Bournemouth BH1 3QP

10-12 October £199 Just Duplicate Jo Walch 31 October – 2 November £199 Just Duplicate Val Passmore 14-16 November £199 Just Duplicate Mary Stebbing 21-23 November £245 Doubles Bernard Magee

Full Board – No Single Supplement Booking Form on page 8.

3 shape is the most undesirable – it offers

Page 6

BRIDGE July 2014

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Making the Most of High Cards .........

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TUTORIAL SOFTWARE Begin Bridge/Acol £66.00 .........

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Life’s a Game, but Bridge is Serious

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( 01483 489961 BRIDGE July 2014

Page 7

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BRIDGE  BREAKS

BRIDGE EVENTS with Bernard Magee 28-30 Blunsdon House £245 Distributional Hands

♦ Full-board

♦ Two seminars*

♦ All rooms with en-suite facilities

♦ Two supervised play sessions*

JANUARY 2015

♦ No single supplement

♦ Four bridge sessions**

23-25 Blunsdon House £245 Competitive NEW Bidding

Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person, Chatsworth Hotel Worthing BN11 3DU

Single .... Double .... Twin .... Name of Hotel/Centre.............................................................

SEPTEMBER

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26-28 Holiday Inn £245 Doubles

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OCTOBER

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3-5 Chatsworth Hotel £245 Game Tries

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Elstead Hotel Bournemouth BH1 3QP

30-1/2 Holiday Inn £245 Finding Slams

( ...........................................................................................

FEBRUARY 2015

Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, but we will do our best to oblige).

20-22 Inn on the Prom £245 Better Leads and Switches

................................................................................................ Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking.

APRIL 2015

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Holiday Inn Newport, S Wales NP18 2YG

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

10-12 Olde Barn Hotel £245 Endplay & Avoidance

17-19 Olde Barn Hotel £245 Better Finessing 24-26 Queensferry Hotel £245 Declarer Play

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21-23 Elstead Hotel £245 Doubles

( 01483 489961 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.holidaybridge.com Please note: Just Duplicate events contain no seminars and do not award prizes.

Page 8

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*on tutorial weekends only. **6 sessions on rubber/Chicago & Just Duplicate events.

The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

Full Board. No Single Supplement. See Adjacent Booking Form.

BRIDGE July 2014

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

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

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

2♥. Your partner has shown two suits and you have a very weak hand. With a weak hand, you have three options: pass, give preference to partner’s first suit, or rebid your own suit. You should rebid your own suit only if you are pretty sure that it will make the best partscore: this means you should have at least a sixcard spade suit because your partner will pass with a singleton. Here, as you can see, 2♠ would not be great. Instead, you choose one of your partner’s suits, giving preference to his first bid suit: 2♥.



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

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Pass ?

1NT. Responding to an overcall is not the same as responding to an opening bid. First of all, you do not have to respond with 6 points; very

BRIDGE July 2014

often, you will simply pass. Secondly, your partner can be quite a bit weaker than an opening hand, which means your no-trump responses should be quite a bit stronger. A 1NT response shows about 9-12 points, fewer than three spades and a club stop, which describes your hand beautifully. Overcalls come up frequently, so knowing how to respond accurately is very important.



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

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ 2♦ Pass ?

3♣. Unless you have a different agreement with your partner, his 2♦ response is natural and forcing, so you must not pass. You have a minimum opening hand: your six-card suit certainly making it worth opening: simply rebid your suit and await developments. Here, your partner’s next bid would be 3♠, the opponents’ suit, to ask if you had a stopper and you would gladly say yes by rebidding 3NT. If you ever decide to open light, do not try to slow down the auction later because you regret your action: above all, do not pass a forcing bid, just show your weakness by rebid■ ding your long suit.

Page 9

BERNARD MAGEE’S INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS ACOL BIDDING

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Play Technique

l Planning l Bidding

Card Play

Balanced

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to a Suit

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l

l Defence

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against No Trump Contracts against Suit Contracts

Overtricks in No-trumps Making Overtricks in Suit Contracts

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£81

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Slams & Strong Openings

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Pre-empting

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Defensive Plan

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Overcalls

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Competitive Auctions

£76

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Entries in No-trumps

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Signals

the Hand l

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l Count

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Twos

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£66

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ADVANCED ACOL BIDDING

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Auctions

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

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

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

Pass. You open 1♠, partner responds 1NT and then South interrupts rudely with 2♥. You would have had a simple rebid of 2♦ available, but now you are a little stuck. A lot of players would bid 2♠ with this hand, but don’t forget about your partner: if your partner has three spades in his hand, he can bid 2♠ himself and if he doesn’t, then do you really want to play in spades? 3♦ takes the auction rather high opposite a partner who might have just 6 HCP. Unfortunately, you are left with little choice but to pass. However, your partner is still there and he might be able to bid again if he has a long minor or he may prefer simply to defend 2♥, which is the case here. You may well get a ruff in each hand and end up taking 2♥ two down for +200 and a great score.



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

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

Pass. The first two calls of this auction

BRIDGE July 2014

are very important, or more pertinently your partner’s original pass. When you know your partner is limited, the whole framework of your bidding changes slightly: particularly the emphasis on having to make a rebid. In a normal auction, East’s 2♥ bid is unlimited: 10 or more points, but since East has passed, you know he has 9-11 points, which means that you know game is beyond reach. Your partner has shown five or more hearts and you have three, which means you have a fit and, given that game is beyond reach, you should leave the bidding where it is and pass. When your partner has passed as the dealer, you do not have to keep the auction open in the same way as usual because you know he has fewer than 12 points.



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

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

Pass. What has your partner got?

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Page 11

We Are Survivors (For those born Before 1940 . . .) We were born before television, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, videos and the pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ballpoint pens, before dish-washers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes . . . and before man walked on the moon. We got married first and then lived together (how quaint can you be?). We thought ‘fast food’ was what you ate in Lent, a ‘Big Mac’ was an oversized raincoat and ‘crumpet’ we had for tea. We existed before house husbands, computer dating and sheltered accommodation was where you waited for a bus. We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, artificial hearts, word processors, or young men wearing earrings. For us ‘time sharing’ meant togetherness, a ‘chip’ was a piece of wood or fried potato, ‘hard­ware’ meant nuts and bolts and ‘software’ wasn’t a word. Before 1940 ‘Made in Japan’ meant junk, the term ‘making out’ referred to how you did in your exams, ‘stud’ was something that fastened a collar to a shirt and ‘going all the way’ meant staying on a double-decker bus to the terminus. In our day, cigarette smoking was ‘fashionable’, ‘grass’ was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in the coalhouse, a ‘joint’ was a piece of meat you ate on Sundays and ‘pot’ was something you cooked in. ‘Rock Music’ was a fond mother’s lullaby, ‘Eldorado’ was an icecream, a ‘gay person’ was the life and soul of the party, while ‘aids’ just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble. We who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the way in which the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make. No wonder there is a generation gap today . . . BUT

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BRIDGE July 2014

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

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

West North East South 1♣ 1♠ Dbl Pass ?

3♥. Natural Acol tends to include takeout doubles of suit bids on the first round of bidding. Your partner’s double is for take-out and, when only one major has been bid, the double should promise support for the other major. Expecting your partner to hold four hearts, you should certainly reply in hearts, but you also have to assess at which level to bid. Your singleton should push you up: 14 HCP, a five-card suit and a singleton is enough to jump to 3♥ (six losers). Your partner would raise to game, which should make comfortably. East’s double is called a negative (or Sputnik) double: it is an important part of any bidder’s armoury, allowing you to cope with overcalls more easily. Generally, the double promises at least four cards in an unbid major.



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

West ?

North 1♣

East South 1♠ Pass

2♠. Your partner has overcalled in spades, promising a five-card suit,

BRIDGE July 2014

which means you have a fit. Once you have found a fit in a major, there is no reason to look any further. You might consider passing, but that would give your opponents an easy opportunity to compete for the deal. Spades are the most powerful suit because they win the auction at each level: by supporting to 2♠, you force North to bid to the 3-level if he wants to try to find a fit and compete for the deal. Your raise to 2♠ keeps North quiet and wins the auction. Had you passed or bid 2♦, your opponents might well have found their heart fit, which would allow them to compete for the deal.



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

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West North East South 2♥* 2NT Pass ? *weak, 6-10 points and 6 hearts.

3♣. North has opened 2♥, announced as ‘weak’, which shows 6-10 points and six hearts. Your partner overcalled 2NT, which is a natural overcall showing a strong balanced hand: about 16-19 points. Generally, if your side’s first natural call is in no-trumps (at the one or twolevel), then you should play all of your conventions in response to it. Here, you have enough strength for game, but should investigate to see if you have a spade fit first by using Stayman, 3♣. When partner shows four spades, you can raise to game. 4♠ is excellent, whilst 3NT has no chance on the obvious ■ heart lead.

Full Board No Single Supplement Booking Form on page 8.

Page 13

Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures by David Bird

Robin Hood’s Charitable Mission

I

t was more than two months before the main harvest would be gathered and food supplies were running low in the small villages surrounding Nottingham. In such circumstances, Robin Hood regarded it his public duty to gather funds by any possible means. Hood and Nazir entered the Weary Pilgrim, a staging post on the West side of Nottingham. They had abandoned their outlaw garb and wore the soiled clothing of typical workmen. Hood spotted two well-dressed merchants, sitting at a table in the rear of the establishment. ‘You looking for a game?’ he enquired. Rupert Locke surveyed the scruffy new arrivals disdainfully. ‘If you’re seeking some light entertainment at penny stakes, try the Ferret and Trouser down the road,’ he replied. ‘My colleague and I play for a crown a hundred.’ The outlaws took their seats at the table. ‘That’s no problem so far as we’re concerned,’ Hood replied. ‘As long as we win, of course!’ ‘If it’s not too much trouble, we’ll see the colour of your money first,’ declared Jeb Silver, whose smart jacket and breeches would have cost any normal man six months’ wages. ‘We don’t want to waste our time.’ Robin Hood produced a deerskin purse and loosened the string to permit the two men to view its contents. Reassured by the glint of silver and gold, they nodded their acquiescence. The game began and this was the first deal: Page 14

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

West Rupert

North Nazir

Locke

East

South

Jeb

Robin

Silver

Hood

1♣ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 4♥ Pass 6♥ All Pass

Rupert Locke was not amused to have a slam bid against him on the first deal. These clowns presumably had no idea how to play the game. That didn’t mean they couldn’t make a small slam when they happened to be dealt twelve or thirteen tricks on top. Still, their luck wouldn’t last all evening. If they thought they could have one lucky rubber and flee into the night with their winnings, they had another think coming. He led the ♠K and down went the dummy. ‘I was going to raise to 2♥,’ observed Nazir. ‘When he bid spades, I added 5 points for my singleton spade.’ Robin Hood managed to keep a straight face. It was their general

tactics in these money games to appear to be inexperienced players. Mind you, Nazir was overacting the role somewhat. Hood won the first trick with the ♠A and drew trumps with the king and queen. His spade loser could be ruffed in dummy. How could he give himself the best chance of setting up an extra club trick to discard a diamond loser from his hand? It would be child’s play if clubs broke no worse than 4-2. What if West had started with a singleton club and East held five clubs? In that case, it seemed that he might need to use his ♣9 later. Robin Hood led the ♣6 from his hand and raised an eyebrow when the ♣10 appeared from West. If that was part of ♣K10 or ♣J10, setting up the clubs would be straightforward. If, instead, it was a singleton, he must win with the ace to preserve the power of his ♣9. Robin Hood reached for dummy’s ace of clubs and returned a low club towards his nine. Jeb Silver realised that there was no future in playing the ♣J. Whether or not declarer held the missing ♣9, his ♣K would be caught subsequently with a lead from dummy’s ♣Q8 for a ruffing finesse. He chose to play low, hoping that West held the ♣9. Hood’s ♣9 won the trick and the slam was made. He conceded a diamond trick at the end. Robin Hood turned towards Jeb Silver. ‘I thought that might happen!’ he exclaimed. ‘It was difficult for you when the ten appeared from your partner. It could so easily have been BRIDGE July 2014

Robin Hood continued

from the 10-9.’ The two merchants could not believe what they were hearing. The declarer was so dim-witted, he hadn’t even appreciated the position. Once he had decided not to finesse the ♣Q, the slam was cold however East defended. Two or three hands later, Rupert Locke advanced the rubber to Game All with a straightforward 3NT. The players then picked up their cards for this deal:

or if West held the ♣A. Mind you, if West held four clubs to the ace, he would need to lead towards the clubs three times. Robin Hood won the heart lead with the king and immediately led the ♣3. West played low and the ♣K won the trick. Hood continued with dummy’s ♠K and then overtook the ♠Q with the ♠A. After drawing West’s last trump, he led a second club towards dummy. Once again Rupert Locke played low in the West seat, dummy’s queen winning the trick.

all the trumps and knock out the ♣A. I think that comes to twelve tricks.’ Jeb Silver extracted the ♦K from his hand and held it a couple of inches from Hood’s eyes. ‘Still think you’d have made it?’ At the prevailing crown-a-100 stake, the outlaws pocketed a substantial amount from the first rubber. Robin Hood then rose to his feet. ‘A very pleasant game, gentlemen,’ he declared. ‘First time we’ve won for over a month. Quit while you’re ahead is my motto.’

Hood returned to his hand with the ♥A and led a third round of clubs towards dummy. With a black expression, Rupert Locke took his ♣A and switched to a diamond. Hood won with dummy’s ♦A and discarded the ♦Q on the established ♣J. The slam had been made. ‘By the Saints, partner!’ thundered Jeb Silver. ‘Can you not find a diamond lead?’ ‘I think I might still make it,’ said Robin Hood. ‘Oh yeah?’ exclaimed Jeb Silver. It really was too much, losing an expensive rubber to these ill-bred dunderheads. ‘How’s that, then?’ ‘Well, you see, I would play a low diamond from dummy,’ Hood explained. ‘If I’m lucky and your friend holds the ♦K, I can win the trick in my hand with the ♦Q. Then I would draw

‘Take your seat!’ snarled Jeb Silver. ‘No gentleman would turn tail and flee into the night without giving his opponents a chance to recoup their losses.’ ‘But it’s already quite late,’ replied Robin Hood. ‘Did I not hear the nightwatchman call nine on the clock a short while ago?’ Rupert Locke beckoned for the game to resume. ‘You’ve hit a run of good fortune,’ he said. ‘It would be a shame to waste it.’ Feigning reluctance, Hood and Nazir resumed their seats. The winnings from the first rubber would feed a couple of villages up till harvest time. In a few hours, with any luck, they would have cleaned these two out. Now, what adventures would the next rubber hold? ■ (continued next month)

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

West Rupert

North Nazir

Locke

East

South

Jeb

Robin

Silver

Hood

Pass 2♦ Pass Pass 6♠ All Pass

1♠ 3♠

When playing high-stakes bridge, it was the custom of Hood and Nazir to prune their auctions to the minimum. Using the latest conventions, such as the Duke of Richmond’s 4NT ace-asking bid, would be a sure giveaway that they were expert players. For as long as possible, they would maintain the illusion that they were inexperienced clodpoles with more money than sense. Rupert Locke led the ♥Q against the spade slam and down went the dummy. Hood’s eyes narrowed as he inspected the cards that Nazir had lain down. As on the previous slam hand, he would need to establish a diamond discard on dummy’s club suit. That might be possible if clubs broke 3-3 BRIDGE July 2014

Page 15

David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

Can Declarer Change a Card called from Dummy?

Q

I was at a table with the director in opposition. I was declarer in 5♣. The lead was in dummy and I called mistakenly for the ♥5 and changed it immediately to a trump. No cards were touched, but the director said that I had to play the heart as I had nominated the lead verbally. Is this correct? If so, why is it that if declarer leads from the wrong hand and is corrected by the opposition, he can lead another suit from the right hand? I find it rather confusing as I feel both are the same mistake and yet the latter can be rectified and the first penalised. Name and address supplied.

A

I am somewhat surprised that you consider two totally different situations covered by different laws with different penalties similar in any way. The lead out of turn law allows the opponents to accept it, which can be to their advantage. When you call for a card from dummy, it must be played unless you have called for a card you did not intend and attempt to change it immediately.

Page 16

The opposition have no right to accept the card you called for if the director decides it was unintended. So, in the case you give, if you intended to play the trump but called for the wrong card then you may change it. If, however, you intended the heart to be played but realised it was a mistake, in other words you changed your mind, you are not allowed to change it. From the description you give, I cannot tell you which of these was the case so I cannot tell you whether your director ruled correctly, though his explanation seems dubious. Whether you have to play it is nothing to do with whether you have nominated it, but depends on whether it was unintended. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Playing duplicate pairs in an EBUaffiliated club, I was South and the bidding started as below:

West North East South   2NT Pass 2♥

I pointed out East’s insufficient bid and called the director. East, who had not realised his insufficient bid until I pointed

it out, told the director that he had made a ‘mechanical error’. East was allowed to correct his bid to 3♥ which was announced by West as a transfer to spades. West completed the transfer by bidding 3♠ and E/W went on to bid a game contract that made. A week later, I raised this incident with the director. I said that her ruling meant that, if in the future I made an insufficient bid, I just needed to say that it was a ‘mechanical error’ and I would be allowed to correct it: without penalty even if it was meant as a conventional bid. The director said she had to take East’s word for it and ‘wasn’t going to call him a liar’. Name and address supplied.

A

Whether a call is unintended or not is a matter of judgement for the director. It is not a question of calling someone a liar: players have learnt the words ‘mechanical error’ and say them for any mistake, mechanical or not. It is extremely unlikely that an insufficient bid of this sort was a mechanical error: at

the time he reached for the bidding box, he meant to bid 2♥ so it cannot be changed. Furthermore, you do not suggest that he tried to change it before the director arrived. It is thus out of time and cannot be changed, even if it was a mechanical error. However, this is different from deliberately saying it is a mechanical error when the player knows it is not: that would be cheating. But most players have no idea what the term means or how it applies, so when done out of ignorance it is not cheating. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Our bridge duplicate afternoons are usually played over 22 boards, with between 8 and 10 tables taking part. Arrow switching takes place always for two boards, sometimes for four. Is this correct? If not then what rule should be followed? I am at a loss to understand how a bridge session is considered to be fair when so few hands are arrow switched. Michael Beaumont by email.

BRIDGE July 2014

Ask David continued

A

It has been proved mathematically that it is correct to arrow-switch roughly oneeighth of the boards. So if you are playing four-board rounds, you arrow-switch one round: if two-board rounds then either one or two rounds is acceptable. You are wrong to consider ‘so few’ boards being arrowswitched: on every board you play there will be some arrow-switches, not always yourself of course, but whoever plays the board last. A full article on the subject appeared in BRIDGE 132, page 39. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Playing East with North declarer in 5♦, declarer called for a small club from dummy, West followed suit, North played the ♠10 and I won the trick with ♣A. North then declared she had meant to trump the club. Her partner called the director, who decided that as North was declarer she could change her card even though it was played. On the next hand, North did exactly the same thing, throwing away when she could have trumped. Her comment was, ‘I don’t suppose I can change it again, can I?’ My point is that if it is ethical to change the card, then every time this happens she could do so. Her comment indicated clearly to me that she thought she was lucky to have been allowed to replace the card on

BRIDGE July 2014

the previous hand. Is this ethical? My partner and I do not think so but would welcome your expert opinion. Elizabeth Glover by email.

A

To change a card played by declarer is not permitted. Perhaps it is time your director started reading rulings from the law book. Nevertheless, I would not use the term unethical, which refers to someone doing something seriously wrong when knowing it is wrong, and generally covers only situations concerning ethics. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Can declarer put a card face up on the table and then, before the next player has put a card down, replace it with a different card? David Salmon by email.

A

If your RHO takes the cards out of the box because it does not matter what your partner calls, then the following is true: First, she wouldn’t have made the same bid, whatever your partner opened. What if your partner opened 6♠? Second, she is passing information to her partner illegally. Third, while she has not called, playing this way is very likely to upset other players, which is illegal. I would have told her not to do it again or I should penalise her. Note that the same ruling applies in Canada where I would also rule against her. ♣♦♥♠

A

No, once declarer puts a card on the table, it counts as played; nobody can change a played card. ♣♦♥♠

Q

unauthorised information to her partner. East, who had done the same thing in Canada, was under the impression that she was not doing anything wrong. G M Brown by email.

My partner, North, was pondering her opening bid, when her LHO pulled out several bidding cards from her bidding box and placed them face down on the table. I pointed out that it was not her turn to make a bid, to which she replied that she would make the same bid, whatever my partner did. The director was unable to do anything as the bid was face down, though it seemed that East was giving

Q

The declarer, North, was in 4♥. He took the first trick and then played the ♥A. I followed with the ♥2, my partner, West, (having Q-J-10) played his ♥Q. The declarer then played

his ♥K; I played my ♥4 and my partner his ♥J. At this point, the declarer protested, stating that such a method of play was incorrect and muttered that he should call the director. My partner, for whatever reason, apologised; I refuted the apology, stating that no apology was necessary, as he can play cards in any order he chooses. What is your opinion? Anthony Rogers, Southend.

A

It is a sad fact that one thing that bridge teachers often do not explain fully is that bridge is a contest between two sides and there are different ways of playing. Some people come into the game thinking that opponents will do what they would do in any situation and many players do not try to put the opponents off. In fact, this is all part of the game: a false card is legal and completely normal. Even ignoring false cards, there is the matter of signalling: with equal cards, you might play a high one as a suit preference signal, for example. Tell your partner not to apologise for playing bridge in a normal and legal fashion.

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Page 17

Ask David continued

Q

East had just made six tricks playing in a heart contract. N/S were sure the contract had been 2♥ doubled. E/W were equally sure that the contract had been 2♥ undoubled. They began a heated exchange, but then called the director. South said the director would be unable to rule as there was a dispute about the facts. West said he would have bid differently had South doubled and wanted an adjusted score if there had been a double. The director instructed the players to stop talking to each other and to start by giving the agreed facts. North, when given the chance to speak, said that he had checked 2♥ doubled was the contract at the end of the auction period and the opponents had not said anything then. East and West said that neither of them had registered the double. The director believed he did not have enough evidence to deem the contract was 2♥ minus two. After all, if East thought that there had

been no double, he must have thought North’s pass was the third and therefore waited for an opening lead from South, that would not come unless East made the final pass. Was the ruling sensible? Alisdair McLeod by email.

A

The director cannot adjust to anything, certainly. One just has to make a decision as to the facts. It is nonsense to say that the director cannot rule because the facts are in dispute: it is the director’s job to decide the facts. The only real advice I can give in this situation is to stop the players talking to each other, which apparently the director did, and to find as much evidence as possible. I would have asked them about the final passes: sometimes you hear something that solves the problem for you. I would also have asked to look at all four score cards. ♣♦♥♠

Q

1. Can dummy choose the card for the declarer when it looks obvious? 2. Some players do not call the director because they think it is unpleasant and not friendly and find

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Page 18

it could embarrass the other player. What do you think? Ron Blake, Alton, Hampshire.

A

1. Dummy must not participate in the play. Choosing a card, whether it looks obvious or not, is participating in the play and is illegal. Perhaps a play looks obvious to dummy and not declarer: do we want dummy to coach declarer? Obviously not. 2. As to calling the director, the worst arguments in clubs always start with a failure to call the director. I strongly suggest players should call the director whenever there is or might be a problem as otherwise the club will become less friendly and less pleasant. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Recently, I watched two Italians playing bridge. Often, they passed, nonvulnerable, with 16+ points, balanced. They also passed, nonvulnerable, with 16+ points, balanced, in the overcalling position. Their partner then bid with 5+ points. Is this bidding style legal in England? Alex Mathers by email.

A

You cannot play opening passes as forcing or strong in England or Wales at Level 4 or below. They might be legal in one or two tournaments held at Level 5, though not the Schapiro Spring Fours, the major one. You can play them in the Camrose Trophy and trials. However, when overcalling, it has always been normal enough to pass with quite

strong hands when holding length in the opponent’s suit, partner being expected to balance when quite light. This used to be extremely common and is certainly legal, though these days most players play a simpler style whereby they will overcall 1NT with most unsuitable hands and allow their opponents to get out of trouble easily. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Playing with a new partner, my RHO opened 1NT and, after two passes my partner bid 2♣. Because we had not agreed on Landy, I assumed this was a natural bid and did not use my alert card; indeed, I raised to 3♣. My LHO asked about the 2♣, to which I replied that I thought it was natural. My partner went two down vulnerable and then stated that her 2♣ was Landy. What should be the ruling? Phil Holloway, Stockport.

A

You have no agreement it is Landy, so that is what you should have said. You are not required to tell opponents about agreements you do not have. Admittedly, you should probably not have told them it was natural: you should have said you have no agreement. I do not see any reason to adjust. ♣♦♥♠

Q

As declarer, playing rubber bridge, may I and should I draw attention to an obvious revoke by a defender? Peter Wiseman, North Walsham, Norfolk.

BRIDGE July 2014

Ask David continued

A

If you are declarer and a defender revokes you may point it out immediately, or you may wait until later in the play or at the end of the play. There is an advantage in waiting until it is established, which normally occurs when the revoker or his partner play to the next trick, since then you get penalty tricks. Waiting to get penalty tricks is perfectly ethical. Some players will think this is a little sharp and they would point out the revoke immediately, so as not to take advantage. That is a matter of personal ethics: if you want to follow them, feel free, but you do not have to. Note that this reply would be the same at duplicate bridge. ♣♦♥♠

Q

In a match played privately, West held:

Dealer North. N/S Vul. ♠ 10 7 4 3 ♥ K ♦ 10 9 5 4 ♣ 10 7 4 3

West North East South 1♥ 2NT1 4♥ 5♦ 5♥ Dbl2 Pass 6♣ Pass 6♦ Dbl End 1 alerted, both minors 2 after a considerable pause

N/S won the match anyway, but would have scored better in 5♥

doubled (making) than defending 6♦ doubled (down 100). What would the ruling be if there had been one? Jeff Stanford by email.

A

I would need to know the E/W agreements to rule. A double after a considerable pause shows doubt, which is unauthorised information to partner. So if pass with the West hand was considered a logical alternative to 6♣, I would rule it back to 5♥ doubled making. Whether pass is a logical alternative is not entirely clear. Many people play the 2NT bid as always showing a weak hand, in which case pass is far from obvious. Besides, many players play the double as a suggestion rather than a command, which also suggests bidding 6♣ rather than pass. Furthermore, West’s undisclosed club fit will reduce the defensive potential of the two hands. I would find out how they play 2NT: how they play double: then poll some other players, giving them the sequence, the meanings of the calls, but not the hesitation, and see what they do over the double. I would ask them which call they would choose and which other calls they would consider. So long as a significant number, say at least one in five, either choose or consider pass and so long as at least a couple actually would pass, then pass is a logical alternative: I would rule it back to 5♥ doubled making. My guess is that I would do so, but it could be ■ quite a close decision.

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

BRIDGE July 2014

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Page 19

Letters from Overseas

The Scottish Senior Ski Team Tries its Hand at Bridge? by John Barr

R

ecently I spent an enjoyable Saturday skiing with three fellow Scots in the local resort of Fieberbrunn. One I had met earlier in the ski season after he posted a message on a ski blog about the Kitzbühel Alps Ski Guide book that I had published recently. The other two were visiting him for a ski holiday, but had never previously met – despite living in the same Scottish town. It then transpired that we were all (to a greater or lesser extent) bridge players – so we decided to form two scratch partnerships and try our luck at Kitzbühel Bridge Club the following Tuesday. My partner and I played a ‘natural’ system – which meant no conventions at all (although I did convince him to play Stayman). I have seen many new partnerships losing heavily after agreeing to play a heap of conventions that neither partner fully understood, so I thought that what we might have gained on the swings of sophistication, we could have lost on the roundabouts of misunderstandings. Hand 22 was interesting. A combined 24 count for North-South, with two flat hands and a solid 8 tricks available looked to be a boring flat board.

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

Page 20

My partner and I bid to an optimistic 3NT and West led the queen of hearts. Winning with the king, my partner played on clubs and, when West won the ace, he switched to a diamond. Ducking two rounds of the suit set up the ninth trick, so a lucky 3NT was bid and made. The other Scottish pair defended 1NT and somehow held declarer to seven tricks. Board 6 showed that a small defensive slip can be very expensive. ♠ Q 8 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ A 10 8 2 ♣ J 10 9 2 ♠ 4 ♥ J 10 8 2 N W E ♦ J 6 4 3 S ♣ A 8 5 4 ♠ A J 10 7 5 2 ♥ K Q 9 3 ♦ 5 ♣ K 6

♠ K 9 6 3 ♥ 7 5 ♦ K Q 9 7 ♣ Q 7 3

4♠ is easier to play, but my partner and I reached a contract of four hearts.

West led the ♠4 (an obvious singleton after I had opened 1♠) that went to the queen, king and ace. I played three rounds of trumps ending in dummy and led the ♠8, which ran to West who trumped. With the aid of the club finesse and my trump entry to hand to cash the spades, I had 11 tricks and a top score on the hand. Now let’s see what happens if West declines to trump the spade. I would still be in dummy and would play a club (which West should duck unless I play the king, to keep me out of my hand). Let’s say the club trick goes jack, queen, king and ace. West can draw the last trump and he has only minor-suit cards to play so I can never get back to my hand to cash the four winning spade tricks. Winning the trump trick early allows declarer to make 11 tricks, but holding off limits him to just 8 tricks. With some more good luck, my partner and I finished second, just a few match points ahead of our friends. If you are a keen skier you can download the Kitzbühel Alps Ski Guide free at www.austriaskiguide. com, or find the printed version on Amazon. ■

♠ J 10 7 5 2 ♥ 10 9 3 ♦ K Q J ♣ 7 3

BRIDGE July 2014

A Blast From the Past by Shireen Mohandes

Par Contests I

n the 30s and 40s and with Ely Culbertson as a driving force, par contests were popular national and international events. In 1934, over 90,000 players from over 70 countries took part in a single contest – just imagine the administration and operational complexities of conducting such a tournament in that era. Significant cash prizes and grand trophies were awarded. Over the years, the popularity of this sort of event declined and by the mid 60s most of the regular national and international events dropped off the calendar. The most famous recent par contest, thought of as ‘a revival’, was in 1998, in Lille, where Michael Rosenberg won the Jean Besse Trophy and a $35,000 prize. Unlike the Culbertson era tournaments, only 34 invited expert players took part and they sat at computers which had special programs that tracked the time taken and cards played (that is, they were playing against ‘three other computers’ at the table). This allowed everyone to be compared fairly and equally, without any outside influences, errors or interruptions. The two deals in this article, originally prepared by Terence Reese and Harold Franklin, are from a par contest back in June 1956. The card fees were five shillings per player, over and above the club table money. The money raised was to BRIDGE July 2014

finance the BBL fund for international matches. Robert Sheehan, former correspondent for The Times and silver medallist at the Bermuda Bowl in 1987, told me that Reese said that it took as long to prepare a set of sixteen par contest hands as it did to write a bridge book. The deals are presented here as declarer play problems, although back then points were awarded for play, good bidding (or should we say good passing) and choosing the best opening lead. Although modern day bidding differs considerably from the 50s – especially aggressive opening bids, take-out doubles, contested auctions and conventions – on these two deals the recommended 1956 auction has stood the test of time.



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



♠ K J 4 ♥ A 8 5 3 2 ♦ A 6 ♣ K 7 6

Recommended Auction (1956) West North East South 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT1 Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT2 All Pass

Jean Besse Trophy, 1998. Bart Bramley (USA) – runner-up, Michael Rosenberg (USA) – winner, Eric Rodwell (USA) – third

Page 21

Par Contests continued

Playing a weak no-trump, South rebids 2NT to show 15 to 18 points. 2 Some players would prefer to bid 4♥ having found an eight-card major fit, but 3NT is a good bid as the hearts are poor and the ♦A opposite partner’s suit represents an alternative source of tricks. 1

Opening Lead: ♣5. East plays the ♣Q at trick one. Plan the play. Analysis: With the club trick on the opening lead, there are six top tricks. A further three can be developed in either hearts or diamonds – before the opponents can get their hands on enough defensive tricks in the black suits to defeat the contract. Which red suit should you try to develop first? And which card should you play at trick 2? The diamond suit presents the better chance of developing three extra tricks. Any time the suit divides threetwo, or four-one with a singleton jack, you are home. The heart suit needs a three-two break with the queen onside, which is less likely. To combine both possibilities, test the diamonds first, then fall back on the hearts. But some careful planning is needed. If the diamonds misbehave, declarer needs to take a first round heart finesse, otherwise the South hand won’t have a convenient entry to run the hearts. So the key point is that, if the diamonds misbehave, declarer needs to have one entry in the South hand to finesse the jack of hearts and one entry to enjoy the long heart suit. The only way to achieve this is to start with the ♦6 at trick two. After playing the ♦6 to the ♦K and then a diamond back to the ace, declarer will know enough about diamonds behaving or misbehaving. If they behave, then the correct play would be to cash the nine winners (and if the ♥Q happens to drop, then there’s an overtrick in the bag). But if the diamonds misbehave, then Page 22

declarer is well placed to try to develop the heart suit and enjoy it. This is a lovely simple hand that even some very experienced players might get wrong by playing too hastily at trick two. The full deal is: ♠ 10 3 ♥ K J 6 ♦ K Q 10 7 4 2 ♣ 9 2 ♠ A 8 6 2 ♠ Q 9 7 5 N ♥ Q 10 4 ♥ 9 7 W E ♦ 5 S ♦ J 9 8 3 ♣ A J 8 5 3 ♣ Q 10 4 ♠ K J 4 ♥ A 8 5 3 2 ♦ A 6 ♣ K 7 6

The key trick is in red. Reese and Franklin awarded points in this manner: N/S get 4 points for reaching 3NT and just 3 for 4♥. They have available 4 points for making the contract (so, they can earn at best 8 points). E/W can earn 1 point for passing and a further one point for leading a club (at best 2 points).

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

Recommended Auction (1956) West North East South Pass 1♥ Pass 2♣1 Pass 2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT Pass 4♥2 Pass 5♦3 Pass 6♥ All Pass

It was not commonplace then, nor is it now, to jump shift on a two-suited hand. The more room for constructive and informative bidding, the better. 2 This very delayed heart support doesn’t mean, ‘I give up, let’s play here.’ It shows a strong hand and partner is invited to continue to explore slam with good hearts and controls (a sort of delayed, delayed game raise). 3 What is a par contest? This is an excellent bid. Responder A par contest is a competition where, instead can infer that partner doesn’t have a of scoring matchpoints against the field, the spade control and yet is willing to risk competitors are awarded pre-determined points the 5 level. So he must have the ♦A for taking the best action. The points can be (rather than, say, shortage).

for bidding, opening lead, play or defence. Sometimes the board comes with instructions, prescribing the auction and a full instruction on the opening lead and maybe the first few tricks. How does it differ from a simultaneous duplicate event? In the modern day sims as they are sometimes called, the matchpointing is done by computer, across the whole field. With the use of computers and the internet, it is possible to achieve an overall winner fairly quickly. The players are free to choose their own bids and card play, just as in normal duplicates.

The second deal was considered a bit harder – the most points N/S could earn were 5 for reaching 6♥, and 5 for making the slam.

1

Contract: 6♥. Opening Lead: ♠K. Analysis: There are ten top tricks. By far the best way to find another two tricks is to establish the club suit. The impulsive player may win, draw trumps and then rely on establishing the clubs with just one ruff (that is, a 3-3 break, or Q-J doubleton in clubs). But is there a good line when neither the clubs nor the hearts are friendly? Yes, try to establish just two extra club tricks. The key play is to play ♣A, ♣K and a small club, discarding spades. What can the opponents do now? You can win and arrange to ruff the fourth BRIDGE July 2014

Par Contests continued

1956 was when … l

round of clubs high, draw trumps (not caring that they divide four-two) and then travel to dummy using a diamond to the ♦K. The two remaining clubs are winners. Slam made. This ‘duck the third round of clubs’ is an unusual safety play and easy to overlook. Did you notice what happens if you ruff the third club high instead of discarding? You can’t ruff the fourth round (because the trumps don’t break) and if you choose to discard on the fourth round, then West will discard his last diamond (the four) and East will give him a diamond ruff. This is the position after winning the lead and playing ♣A, ♣K and another club, ruffing high in hand. Then back to dummy’s ♥Q. ♠ ­— ♥ 6 ♦ K 9 8 3 ♣ 10 8 5 ♠ Q J 8 3 ♠ 7 6 N ♥ 8 7 5 W E ♥ 9 ♦ 4 S ♦ Q J 10 2 ­ ♣ — ♣ Q ♠ 10 9 ♥ A K J ♦ A 7 5 ♣ ­—

Curiously, declarer can get home by ruffing the third club low. If West overruffs, you have enough trumps to ruff the clubs good. If he refuses to overruff, throwing a diamond, you play ♦A and a diamond towards dummy’s king. He can’t afford to ruff that and beat air, so he has to let you win ♦K. Now you can crossruff twelve tricks. BRIDGE July 2014

l

l

l

l

Sir Anthony Eden was Prime Minister (but not in good health; and apparently he was prescribed ‘purple hearts’ which are a powerful combination of amphetamines and barbiturates) British spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean resurfaced in the Soviet Union after being missing for 5 years. Elvis Presley entered the USA music charts for the first time, with Heartbreak Hotel. The film Marty won the Oscar for best motion picture. Heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano retired without losing a professional boxing match.

l

Television broadcasting commenced in Australia.

l

Cecil B. DeMille’s epic film The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston as Moses, was released in the USA.

l

Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula and pushed Egyptian forces back toward the Suez Canal.

l

Soviet troops invaded Hungary to crush a revolt that started on October 23. Thousands were killed, more were wounded and nearly a quarter of a million left the ■ country.

DEFENCE QUIZ by Julian Pottage



(Answers on page 32)

Y

ou are East in the defensive positions below at matchpoint pairs. It is your turn to play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT and 2♣ Stayman.

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

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

86 732 KJ743 A84

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

West North East South 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass

Partner leads the ♣J and you win with the ♣A. What do you return?

Partner leads the ♣3; dummy plays low and you win with the ♣A. What do you return?

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

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

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

86 10 7 2 KJ73 A854

10 8 4 873 A973 A85

West North East South 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass

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

Partner leads the ♣2; you take the ♣10 with the ♣A. What do you return?

Partner leads the ♣Q. What is your plan?

Page 23

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7 Leads

13 Hand Evaluation

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PICK AND MIX. A BOX OF ANY 6. £105 Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 email: [email protected] Page 26

BRIDGE July 2014

Julian Pottage answers your Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should I Play Transfers?

A

transfer occurs when you bid one suit to show length in another suit, typically the suit ranking immediately above the suit you bid. The most common situation for playing transfers is when partner opens 1NT and you have five or more cards in a major. Playing transfers, you respond 2♦ to show hearts, 2♥ to show spades. Opener normally bids the next suit up, in other words, the suit you have shown. What are the advantages and disadvantages to playing transfers? The fact that if you play in a tournament 99% of the pairs will be playing transfers tells you that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Let us start with those advantages. The main advantage of a transfer is that it gives responder two chances to bid. A 1NT opening defines opener’s shape and strength within a narrow range, which means that responder needs time to catch up. Since the transfer guarantees responder the chance to bid again, you get the chance to show a second suit or extra strength, for example:

Hand A Hand B Hand C ♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♠ A Q 9 7 3 ♥ 9 6 5 ♥ 9 6 5 ♥ 9 ♦ 7 ♦ K 7 ♦ K 7 ♣ J 8 7 4 ♣ Q 10 4 ♣ K J 10 7 4

Playing transfers, with each of these hands, you respond 2♥, showing spades, if partner opens 1NT. With Hand A, you pass opener’s 2♠ completion, reaching the same contract you would have reached playing a weak take-out. With Hand B, you rebid 2NT (if the opening showed 12-14). This shows the values to invite game with only BRIDGE July 2014

five spades and a reasonably balanced hand. Partner can then choose whether to bid game (4♠ or 3NT) or whether to alight in a part-score (3♠ or 2NT). With Hand C, you rebid 3♣, which is forcing. This will enable you to find the best game, whether it is 3NT, 4♠ or 5♣. Without transfers, you would be unable to show the club suit below 3NT, making it hard for partner to judge what to do. The other chief benefit of playing transfers is that the opening hand becomes declarer. The opening lead will come up to what is often the stronger hand – and that stronger hand will remain concealed. This benefit is greater playing a strong notrump, which increases the chance that opener has a stronger hand than responder does.

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

♠ A K Q 9 ♥ 8 4 2 ♦ K 5 2 ♣ J 9 3

You Partner 1NT 2♦ 2♥ 4♥

Played from the East seat, with the ♦K protected, 4♥ will surely make. If West declared, a diamond lead would seriously endanger the heart game. What are the disadvantages? A minor one is that you cannot play in 2♦ using transfers. However, it is rare that you would get the chance to play in 2♦ anyway. If responder shows a weak hand with a long minor, the opponents will usually compete with their majors. The bigger disadvantage is that the

transfer gives the player in fourth seat (to the right of the 1NT opener) two chances to bid. For example, the player in fourth seat can pass first time with a hand that wishes to compete but is relatively weak and can bid immediately with a better hand. See auctions 1 and 2 below. Auction 1 West North East South 1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass Pass 2♠ Auction 2 West North East 1NT 2♦ 2♠

South Pass

The player in fourth seat also has the options to double the artificial transfer bid, perhaps to show that suit or maybe a hand that would have doubled 1NT, or to cue bid responder’s suit at the two level. In Auction 3, North shows a take-out of hearts. In Auction 4, depending upon partnership agreement, North shows either diamonds or a hand that would have doubled 1NT. Auction 3 West North East South 1NT Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass Pass Dbl Auction 4 West North East South 1NT Pass 2♦ Dbl

Since often the player in fourth seat will not be bidding anyway, the gain in giving responder two chances to bid far outweighs the loss in giving that opponent two chances to bid. ■ Page 27

READERS’ LETTERS COURT REPORTS These jocular articles are entertaining, but the author should be aware of what underlies the title Erehwon, which Samuel Butler used in his book over 140 years ago to describe a country – nowhere – in which the creed is distributed to the faithful on tablets as they entered church. When they left the church the tablets were left behind. Indeed, the precepts were observed only whilst in church. By turning around examples of social and political behaviour in Erehwon, Butler had a more subtle way of criticising British culture and practices than Jonathan Swift as his episodes in Gulliver’s Travels became a more and more outright vicious attack on British society. In Erehwon, the sick were to be put in prison, which the reader now reverses and realises Butler is suggesting that criminals perhaps need treatment and not prison. That the religious creed should be left behind in church is another example of how Butler tries to get his point across. It would appear that this would not

be the correct interpretation that your author wishes to have applied for his articles on best practice for bridge. You may say, ‘How many have read Butler?’ but I would hope that as a principle Victorian author and satirist, he should deserve a rating equal to that of Swift, Dickens or even Shakespeare and be found in any senior school curriculum. Perhaps an alternative to Erehwon would sit more comfortably with your readers. Roger Grimsdick by email.

REPORTER REPLIES I am duly mortified! I have to admit not having read Samuel Butler. I just used the name Erehwon so that nobody would get upset if I used their town name. Mr Grimsdick is clearly much more widely read than I (and I suspect than most of our readers) and I apologise if I have done the wrong thing. Richard Wheen, Buckland, Surrey.

CARD GAME BOOKS Once again I should like to promote my new catalogue of bridge books, magazines

and other interesting items. This is the third catalogue and is now available. Although there are many items, one may be of special interest. I have a set of Jannersten bridge wallets, numbered 1-64, complete with cards. Although they continue to be advertised by Jannersten, the events which require a full set of 64 must be few and far between. Gordon Bickley, Card Game Books, Stockport.

( 07530 553594 [email protected]

HEAR HEAR Let us refute the common perception that competitive bridge is unfriendly: see Christopher Dicker’s letter, page 24, in BRIDGE 138. It is perfectly possible to play strictly to the rules and simultaneously be sociable and relaxed. When I first attended a duplicate club, I wanted to play to the rules straight from the start. If I transgressed, I wanted to be told and from being told, learn. The rules are there to guarantee fairness and to protect players of all strengths. No one needs to be unpleasant. Sometimes I revoke and am told, ‘Oh, put that card back in your hand and follow suit – it’s only friendly bridge.’ I always decline, otherwise we would need a long discussion about which other rules we were going to ignore. I have illegally shown a card to my partner and

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Page 28

there is a correct procedure.  Friendly bridge can be a euphemism for sloppy bridge, often leading to unfairness. Inexperienced players sometimes correctly alert a bid but immediately explain it without being asked. They are, probably innocently, illegally giving information to their partner. If that’s too pedantic for some people, I have a favourite saying, ‘It’s friendly and fair to play to the rules.’ They have been honed over many years and every single one means exactly what it says. Hurrah for David Stevenson. Paul Habershon, Bedford.

ALL OF A DITHER My husband is unable to attend classes due to work commitments. He has, however, been able to pick up enough bridge by himself to play a reasonable game. We play social bridge at home whenever we can find another pair. This can be quite difficult on a regular playing schedule. We would like to improve our bridge by playing regularly but don’t think we are yet up to duplicate standard. Mrs Sabina de GastonCooper, Leigh, Surrey.

My advice is bite the bullet. Club secretaries should drop her an email with days and times. Her email address is [email protected]

WHAT OFFERS I am treasurer of Hitchin Bridge Club. We have recently updated our Bridgemate system and have about 30 Mark 1 handsets looking for a new home. The server has failed, but these handsets could be useful to a club looking for extras or spares. Indeed, a club might buy a new server and use these to get up and running for an affordable outlay. No

BRIDGE July 2014

READERS’ LETTERS continued

the years and have only very rarely encountered this problem. I think you may just have been unlucky.

reasonable offer refused. Robert Girvan, Hitchin, Herts. ( 01462 433750 [email protected]

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE You said in the last issue of BRIDGE that the party to Croatia was very small. I would have gone on that holiday, but I had already booked a cruise with First for Bridge. I would be interested in hearing the feedback from the trip this year, enjoyment factor, weather etc. as I would like to book next time. Margaret Johnson, Solihull, West Midlands.

Bernard Magee’s report is on its way to you.

BETTER FOCUS Just to say that I am finding the Bernard Magee DVDs I purchased very useful. However, I would be reluctant to buy any more if the camera work remains the same. I want to look at the hands or Bernard, not the audience. Other purchasers I have spoken to also feel irritated at the frequent views of the audience... one person’s comment was, ‘this should not be a comedy show.’ You probably never get to hear these comments, so I felt it was only fair to pass on our views. June Baguley by email.

PRESS COVERAGE

CONFUSED

There was a wonderful article on the etiquette of bridge in a recent issue of the popular national newspaper, Scotland on Sunday. This was headlined, Just the Trick when the Card Sharps cut up Ruff, written by Shan Ross. Behaviour has become so bad that the SBU has launched a ‘Better Behaviour at Bridge’ campaign.

I am afraid that the article about Revokes in the June issue of BRIDGE has left me confused. In the paragraph, ‘If the revoke is not established,’ it says, ‘subsequent cards played by the revoking side,’ but surely only one subsequent card may be played by the revoking side before the revoke is established? In the next paragraph but one, it says, ‘In some cases, the revoke makes no difference and any automatic tricks are to penalise the revoker.’ What does this mean? What are automatic tricks and how is the revoker to be penalised? In the next paragraph, it refers to a revoke, but does not say who the revoker is. Is it declarer? I suggest the article be rewritten, more precisely, less chattily, with a summary on the lines of, ‘If..., then...’

Fran Bennie, Camberley, Surrey.

Thank you for letting me know about this. It is not often we see Scotland follow the example of the English.

GOFFIE STAMPS Readers should beware when purchasing Clive Goff’s discounted stamps that the glue is not always effective. A number of recipients of my correspondence have now told me they have received letters from me without postage on them. Pat Fairs by email.

I have purchased thousands of stamps from Mr Goff over

BRIDGE July 2014

Peter Calviou by email.

I have sent this to David Stevenson for his comments. Watch this space.

‘Littlewood’s Law’ and the Coughing Doctors I have been reading some interesting non-bridge articles on the web recently and realised that they may be relevant to the German bridge champions who were stripped of their title for cheating. John Littlewood was a distinguished mathematician in the first half of the last century. His law states that an ordinary person is likely to encounter a ‘miracle’ about once a month. A miracle is defined as a one-in-a-million event (Wikipedia, Littlewood’s Law, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Littlewood%27s_law). He was saying that you will encounter highly unlikely events far more often than you expect. I learnt about this law in an interesting article on cheating in chess (KW Regan, Littlewood’s Law, Why it may take a ‘miracle’ to catch some cheaters, http://rjlipton. wordpress.com/2013/09/17/littlewoods-law/). The trouble is that a good computer can beat almost all chess players, so that if a player can link to a computer secretly for advice, they have a major advantage. One way of detecting cheating would be to look at the type of moves a player makes. Computers play chess with a different style to humans. You can test whether a chess player makes a computer-like series of moves (or a bridge player gives an unusual series of coughs). The trouble is that Littlewood’s Law suggests that you see the apparently unusual far more often than you expect. From time to time you should expect to find computer-like chess moves or a pattern of coughing that mirrors a perfectly innocent bridge player’s play. Another article is by David Colquhoun, the scourge of quack medicine, (D Colquhoun, On the hazards of significance testing. Part 1: the screening problem, DC’s improbable science, http://www.dcscience.net/?p=6473). If you screen everyone for a rare disease and your test has an error rate, most of the cases you detect will be people who do not have the disease. The low number of wrong results in the very large number of people who do not have the disease will be greater than the correct results for the small number of people who do have the disease. Similarly, a suspicious pattern of coughing should be more likely to have occurred by chance among the large number of players who are not cheating, than among the small number of players who are. I don’t know whether or not the German doctors cheated. But if cheating is rare in top level bridge, then my guess would be that they are most likely victims of a Littlewood coincidence. If, on the other hand cheating is rife, then I would guess they may well be guilty. I am sure that the bridge authorities know the odds of picking up a hand with a 5-3-3-2 distribution perfectly, but do they understand equally well the implications of Littlewood’s Law and just how hard it is to detect a real, but rare effect against a random background? Michael Green by email. PS. An example of Littlewood’s Law: my brother, who lives in Sydney, went on a cruise recently from the USA to Australia. When I sat down to bridge last week, I discovered that my ■ partner was just back from the same cruise.

Page 29

CHARITY EVENTS JULY

OCTOBER continued

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AUGUST 15 ST IVES DAY CARE CENTRE Hemingford Abbots Village Hall. 10 for 10.30am. £13.50. Don Moorman ( 01480 463444

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20 GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND Duplicate for the Dick Powell Trophy. 1.30pm in the South Wootton Village Hall, Kings Lynn. Tickets £5.00 each. Cream tea and raffle. Ivan Gerstel ( 01553 768236 [email protected]

SEPTEMBER 3 FARINGDON QUAKER AID (Supporting Gulu Youth Development Association, Northern Uganda). Corn Exchange, Faringdon. £15 per person. Steve Braithwaite ( 01367 240929 [email protected] 4 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLUB Outlane Golf Club. Lunch with afternoon tea. 12 for 12.30pm. £48.00 per table. Rtn Sam Smith ( 01924 492540 samuelsmith396 @btinternet.com 12 ST MARY’S CHURCH Eaton Socon, St Neots. 10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50. Malcolm Howarth ( 01480 212910

OCTOBER Exclusive to S R Designs. Despatched by first class post or DPD Courier service for just £4.99 per order.

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3 RNLI. Salwarpe Village Hall, Droitwich, WR9 0AH. 10.30 for 11am. £12 including buffet lunch. Pam Main ( 01905 381395

4 MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT Bridge drive at Horton & Chalbury Village Hall, Wimborne, Dorset 10.30am £15pp (table of 4 please) to include coffee on arrival, cooked lunch with wine and a final cuppa at 3.30pm. Stella Brake ( 01202 624224 [email protected] 22 THE FRIENDS OF ST WULFRAM’S CHURCH Sleaford Golf Club Willoughby Road, Sleaford NG34 8PL £17.00 including lunch. 10am. Jean Parker ( 01476 562204

31 WESSEX CANCER TRUST (Southampton) GROUP Rubber bridge. 7.15pm Highfield Church Centre, Highfield Lane, Southampton SO17 1RL. £8. Gwyneth Pearce ( 023 8083 6145

NOVEMBER 1 EYE CANCER. Reynolds Institute, Upwey, Weymouth. 1.30 for 2pm. £30 per table includes tea and cakes. Val Pierce ( 01305 833686 Gene Hill ( 01305 786509 13 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE ROTARY CLUB Outlane Golf Club. Lunch with afternoon tea. 12 for 12.30pm. £48.00 per table. Rtn Sam Smith ( 01924 492540 samuelsmith396 @btinternet.com 22 RNLI Cheltenham Bridge Club. 1-5pm. Includes tea & cakes. £10 per person. Margaret Beverley ( 01242 510193 [email protected]

or order online at

www.bridge-tables.co.uk Page 30

E-mail your charity events: [email protected]

BRIDGE July 2014

Beginners’ Bridge Corner

Mary’s Seventh Lesson by Liz Dale

T

he mentors had guided the North/ Souths on each of the four tables into bidding the same contract, ie 4♠. East (Mary) and West (Joan) were the defenders at their table. Mary was on lead. What had Alasdair said about leads? ‘Lead low for like, high for hate. Always lead a singleton but never a doubleton. Lead from top of a run, ie KQJ.’ Mary looked at her hand again. She had a doubleton but she didn’t have a singleton. She didn’t have a run. Ah, wait a minute she did have an honour in hearts, the ♥Q. Decision made. Play could commence. Mary led the ♥4 – low for like. Joan would know she had an honour in hearts.. Dummy’s hand went on the table. Declarer announced, ‘Thank you, partner,’ and was already counting top tricks. Ummm! More than a bit disappointing. Why on earth had partner accepted declarer’s invitation to game with not enough points? Declarer was trying hard not to scowl or to give anything away either with his facial or body language. But declarer was

not happy, he could see he was going to go two down. The play ended and yes, exactly as declarer thought, down two, -100, non vulnerable, -50 for each trick down. Alasdair waited for the last table to finish playing out the 4♠ contract. The illustrated hand was then shown highlighted on the smart board in large colourful numbers and lettering. Contract: 4♠. Three of the tables had gone down one trick, with Mary and Joan’s North/South opponents going down two tricks. The delights of ruffing were then spelt out to Mary and the group. The North/ South declarers were left in no doubt that in fact the 4♠ contract was makeable with skilful play using the ruffing technique. Alasdair explained how it works. ‘If you have a shortage, maybe a void, singleton or a doubleton in dummy, in a suit other than the trump suit, then, as long as you lead the short suit before you draw trumps, you could use dummy’s trumps to make an extra trick by trumping the now void suit. However, if you draw trumps straight away,

Bernard Magee Introduction

you have lost that chance.’ Alasdair played out the 4♠ contract on the smart board with declarer making the contract by using the trumps in dummy to ruff diamonds after the singleton diamond in dummy had been played. Mary found this quite exciting. She really liked this formula. Yes, she was definitely going to practise this one. Was it really as easy as this? Alasdair said, ‘The secret of its success was that declarer had to identify when counting his top tricks that his extra tricks were going to come from dummy’s ruffs and plan the play accordingly. If declarer didn’t work this out in the planning stage, then the contract would go down.’ Alasdair asked the group, ’How could the defenders, East and West, have sabotaged this technique?’ Quick as a flash, Mary heard herself saying out loud, ‘Lead trumps.’ Alasdair said, ‘Yes, that’s right. Well done, Mary.’ Mary beamed with embarrassment. She found it hard to believe she had been the first to give the right answer. Unbelievable! She couldn’t wait to tell Liam and ■ Anne.

In a suit contract, you can make extra tricks if the hand with the shorter trumps has a void, singleton or doubleton in another suit. Play the other suit first and then ruff the losers before drawing trumps. The defence should lead trumps at every opportunity if they see that declarer is trying to make tricks by ruffing losers.

BRIDGE July 2014

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

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

Page 31

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

West Pass All Pass

West North East South 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass ♠ 10 6 ♥ A J 7 2 ♦ 7 6 3 ♣ A 9 8 4

North East South 1♦ Pass 1♠ 2♠ Pass 4♠

Partner leads the ♣J and you win with the ♣A. What do you return? Do you play to beat the contract or do you try to stop declarer from making overtricks? If partner holds the ♠A and the ♥Q, a trump switch is best. Partner can win and switch to a heart. Of course, that layout is unlikely: declarer will often hold more than 11 points; partner might hold the wasted ♣K or ♦K. At matchpoints, you should cash the ♥A at trick two, ensuring a second defensive trick. Declarer cannot then make 12 tricks via five spades, five diamonds and two club ruffs.

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

Page 32

♠ 8 6 ♥ 10 7 2 ♦ K J 7 3 ♣ A 8 5 4

Partner leads the ♣2; you take the ♣10 with the ♣A. What do you return? You face a similar choice. Do you attack with a diamond switch, trying to beat the contract, or do you defend passively? For the diamond switch to work, partner needs the ♦Q and no more than two cards with it. Moreover, as the ♣Q with declarer would provide a discard for one of dummy’s diamonds, partner needs the ♣Q too. While this is possible, the odds are against it. Often, South will hold more than 12 points or hold a minor-suit queen. The busy diamond switch is more likely to give away an overtrick than to defeat the contract. Exit with the ♠6.

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

♠ 8 6 ♥ 7 3 2 ♦ K J 7 4 3 ♣ A 8 4

West North East South 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass

Partner leads the ♣3; dummy plays low and you win with the ♣A. What do you return? Once more, you face a matchpoint decision. This time, you can see a simple

way of beating the contract. If partner holds ♦A-x, a switch to the suit will give your side the first four tricks. Do you risk this? Unless you are desperate for a top, you should not return a diamond. Partner could hold any of the ♠A, ♥A and ♣K rather than the ♦A. Even if partner holds the ♦A, declarer may hold a doubleton. If you return a diamond and declarer has the ♦A, you have said goodbye to your ♦K. Just return the ♣8.

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

West Pass All Pass

♠ 10 8 4 ♥ 8 7 3 ♦ A 9 7 3 ♣ A 8 5

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

Partner leads the ♣Q. What is your plan? For a start, you take the ♣A. The big heart suit in dummy means you need to take tricks quickly. On this deal, it is clear which suit to return: diamonds. For beating the contract, leading low is best. Declarer might hold the K-J and misguess, letting partner’s queen score. There might also be a trump promotion if partner holds a doubleton diamond honour. The big risk is that declarer has no guess or guesses correctly, in which case you may well lose your ♦A. At matchpoints, this risk is too great. Start diamonds with the ♦A. ■

BRIDGE July 2014

Bridge and Travel Tips

DECLARER PLAY QUIZ

JUST GUESSING Bridge tip from Sally Brock: Just because you know that you are guessing is no reason to tell your opponents that you are guessing.

I

by David Huggett (Answers on page 39)

Y

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

1.

♠ A 8 6 4 ♥ K 9 7 ♦ A 7 6 ♣ J 9 7

3.

N

N

W E

W E

S



♠ K 2 ♥ A 6 5 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ A Q 10 8 2

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♦5. How do you plan the play?

2.

♠ Q 7 6 2 ♥ 8 3 ♦ A 9 3 ♣ A K 9 8

S



4.

N

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

BRIDGE July 2014

♠ A 7 4 ♥ J 9 2 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ K 9 7 2 N

W E

S

♠ J 10 9 8 3 ♥ K Q J ♦ K 7 6 ♣ 6 2

♠ A Q J 10 8 3 ♥ J 5 ♦ Q 10 ♣ A 9 3

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ♦8. How do you plan the play?

W E



♠ K 9 7 2 ♥ K 10 3 ♦ A 7 4 2 ♣ K 5

S



♠ 8 6 ♥ A K Q ♦ K 7 3 2 ♣ A J 6 4

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

f you play with confidence, you may get away with anything. Here is a deal from a pairs tournament:

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

Most pairs in the field played in a spade part-score. Generally, West led a trump to the queen and king. So you make your plan. You are going to draw trumps and play a heart to the queen. If it holds, you may make a lot of tricks, but suppose it loses and East plays back

T

a diamond. If you wait until then to do your thinking, you will probably think for a little and play one of your honours. Now it will be a simple matter for West to cash his remaining minorsuit tricks to hold you to nine tricks. What you should do is decide what you are going to play on the diamond after you win trick one. (And, generally, you should play the opening leader to hold the ace – because he might have led a diamond at trick one if he had the queen, but would never do so if he had the ace.) At one table, declarer decided that he was going to try to make as many tricks as possible. When the diamond came back, he played the king without a flicker. West assumed that there was no guess. Wanting to put his partner in to lead a club, West underled his queen of diamonds and declarer made eleven tricks for an outright top. ■

Travel tip from Emma Thomson:

here are two types of travellers: those who research a destination prior to leaving and those who prefer spontaneity. The latter can be fun, but it can also cause unnecessary delays, disappointments and expenses. So try to check the basics: 1 What’s the local currency and are you required to pay any airport taxes in that denomination? 2 What plug-socket format is in use and do you require an adapter? 3 Any essential etiquette rules, eg: tipping? 4 When are the public holidays? Sites of interest may be closed on these dates.

Page 33

Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

Is a Reverse Forcing? Q

Last night, my partner opened 1♣. With 6 points and 5 hearts, I responded 1♥. She then bid 2♦. Having 3 cards in each minor, I passed. My partner maintained that her change of suit was forcing. She had 6 clubs and 4 diamonds and 16 points. My clubs were better than my diamonds, I had K-Q4, but I had no way of knowing that she had extra strength. I did my sums and passed. Was I wrong? Jean Barclay, Lamlash, Isle of Arran.

A

When your partner reverses, bidding clubs before diamonds, she tells you two things. The first thing is that her first suit is longer. With equal length, you need to put her back to her first suit because that will give your side a better fit. The second thing is that she has extra values; with a minimum opening bid, partner simply repeats her first suit. Indeed, it is usual these days to play the reverse as forcing for one round.

Page 34

This means you cannot pass 2♦ even if your hand were such as to suggest that her second suit offers a better fit. If, for example, you had 4 diamonds and 2 clubs, you would raise to 3♦. ♣♦♥♠

Q

My partner and I play Benjaminised Acol with a 12-14 no-trump and an opening bid of 2NT showing a balanced 19-20 HCP. We also play that after two bids at the one level, opener’s rebids of 1NT and 2NT indicate 15-16 HCP and 17-18 HCP respectively, instead of the 15-17 and 18-19 ranges used in standard Acol, on the grounds that with 19 HCP, we would usually open 2NT. Would you advise us to change to the standard Acol ranges? Ken Brown, Edinburgh.

A

General opinion is that 3 point ranges are fine for 1NT openings – you have room to invite game over 1NT – but that a 2 point range is better for 2NT openings (or rebids after an artificial

2♣/2♦ opening). The 20-22 range is a bit of a weakness in the Acol system. Many Americans play a 20-21 point range for 2NT. When I play Benjamin, the usual ranges are as follows: 12-14 open 1NT 15-17 rebid 1NT 18-19 jump to 2NT 20-21 open 2♣, rebid 2NT 22-23 open 2NT 24+ open 2♦, rebid 2NT+ Some invert the 2NT and 2♣ sequences, 2021 for the former and 22-23 for the latter. ♣♦♥♠

Q

You mention that it is rare to use a 3♥ response over a 1♣ opening as a pre-empt. What would you advise me to say to a beginner group who has learnt that you always bid three with a weak hand and seven cards – regardless of partner’s bid? Bruce Paul by email

A

If your partner opens the bidding and at least one opponent has passed (both opponents

will have passed if partner’s opening was in second seat), there is far less need to strain to cut out the opponents than in other types of auction. To justify double jumping, your bid needs to give an accurate description of your hand, say 6-8 points and a good seven-card suit. This is assuming you are teaching your group Acol with a weak no-trump. If you are playing a strong no-trump and a prepared club, you have a little more latitude because a 1♣ opening will often be a weak no-trump hand. In this case, responder will have a better idea whether game is possible and might pre-empt with a weaker suit or weaker hand depending upon the vulnerability. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Two EBU books state that when responder is weak (6-9 points), he needs six cards in a suit to repeat it. Neither explains why you would not repeat a five-card suit. Please could you do so? Kevin Dawson, Church Minshull, Cheshire.

BRIDGE July 2014

Ask Julian continued

A

There are three possible scenarios here: (i) opener has opened and repeated a suit (eg 1♥-1♠-2♥) (ii) opener has opened one suit and rebid in another (eg 1♦-1♥-1♠) (iii) opener has opened one suit and rebid in notrumps (eg 1♥-1♠-1NT) In case (i), opener has promised five-cards and will often have six. To justify continuing the bidding with a weak hand, responder will need a better suit than opener has. Clearly, a five-card suit will not do the job because opener has already guaranteed five and will often have six. In case (ii), opener has promised five cards in one suit and four in another. This leaves only four cards between the remaining suits. The odds are that responder’s longest suit coincides with opener’s shortest suit. So repeating a five-card suit will often land you in a 5-1 non-fit or a 5-2 partial fit. Note that giving preference to opener’s first suit or rebidding 1NT does not preclude finding a 5-3 fit in responder’s suit. Opener may be planning to show three-card support for responder’s suit on the next round (eg 1♦-1♥-1♠-1NT-2♥). In case (iii), opener has indicated a balanced hand. If responder is balanced too (5332), no-trumps may play better, especially as a suit contract will involve raising the level. If responder has a second suit (so 5422 or 5431), it will often be in order for responder to bid again – but by introducing the second suit rather

BRIDGE July 2014

than repeating the first. Yes, once in a while, you will miss a 5-3 fit if you wait for a six-card suit to rebid. However, the majority of the time, the policy will be a winning one. ♣♦♥♠

Q

When opener bids 1NT then is doubled by the opposition, can the opener’s partner still use transfers or a weak take-out? I thought a weak take-out was better, but was told a transfer can still be used. Doreen Parrington, Lytham St Annes.

A

It is a matter of partnership agreement whether you play the same system after a double as without. The advantage with transfers is that the doubler will often end up on lead, though the transfer itself will give the other opponent an extra chance to enter the auction. If you do use transfers, you can use redouble as a transfer to clubs and 2♣ as a transfer to diamonds. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Is the weak take-out bid applicable over an opening bid of 2NT? Mairead Flanagan, Dublin.

A

The traditional meaning of a 3♥ or 3♠ response to 2NT is natural and forcing. To stop in a partscore you would need to use the Flint convention, whereby a response of 3♦ would demand 3♥ from opener; then you would pass with hearts or convert to 3♠ with spades.

These days transfers are a much more popular way to cover these hands. You can respond 3♦ to show hearts (or 3♥ to show spades) whatever your strength. If you want to offer a choice between 3NT and four of a major, you transfer into your major and rebid 3NT. If you have a very weak hand, you can transfer into your major and pass, thereby getting the best of both worlds. ♣♦♥♠

Q

My friend says that he learnt Gerber and would like to know why it is discouraged nowadays since it keeps the bidding at a lower level. Daphne Marks, Radlett, Herts.

A

A successful small slam contract requires a number of ingredients: (i) the playing strength to generate 12 tricks (ii) a suitable trump suit (or a lot of high cards for no-trumps) (iii) first or second round control in each suit (so that the opponents cannot cash the first two tricks in a single suit) (iv) either all four aces or three aces plus a no-loser trump suit An ace or key card enquiry addresses step (iv). You really want to check steps (i), (ii) and (iii) before you deal with (iv). You cannot usually identify all of (i), (ii) and (iii) before you get to 4♣, whereas often you can by 4NT. In addition, a 4♣ bid has numerous other possible uses. Some of the other possible uses, such as a cue bid or a splinter, are useful in identifying that the other ingredients are present.

Q

I have been playing negative doubles like this:

1♥-(1♠)-Dbl showing 4-4 minors 1♣-(1♦)-Dbl showing 4-4 majors 1♣-(1♥)-Dbl Showing 4 spades 1♣-(1♠)-Dbl showing 4 hearts Is this normal? If the bidding goes 1♣-(1♦)-1♥/1♠ is this OK if you have only a 4-card major? Bernard Coffey, Altrincham.

A

What you suggest looks very normal to me. In answer to your supplementary question, it is usual to play that after 1♣-(1♦), double shows both majors, so you can bid 1♥ or 1♠ with only four cards in the suit. ♣♦♥♠

Q

Is it common to use Stayman after a 1NT overcall as opposed to a 1NT opening? I am not familiar with the method. Paul Mathers by email.

A

Traditionally, Stayman did not apply after a 1NT overcall. If you wanted to look for a 4-4 fit in the unbid major(s), you would cue bid opener’s suit. However, that was in the days when most people used a weak take-out rather than transfers. Many players who use Stayman and transfers play the same after a 1NT overcall as after a 1NT opening. This keeps things simple and avoids a strain on the memory.

Page 35

Ask Julian continued

Q

I was South, playing duplicate and held this hand:



♠ K J 6 ♥ A ♦ A 8 6 3 ♣ A Q 7 5 2

When West opened 1♣, I did not know where to go next. A double would be inappropriate with short major holdings and 2♣ would not be a natural bid. I bid 1NT (seemed like the least incorrect of all evils). My partner bid 2♦, intended as a transfer to hearts. Not having as many hearts as partner would expect, I bid 2NT. We finished in 3♥. How would you have bid? Andy Robertshaw, Bridgend.

A

You have said that West opened 1♣ and that you were South but made no mention of bids in between. This is material. If, in fact, East opened 1♣, your 1NT overcall seems reasonable. 18 points is a fraction more than partner expects but your poor intermediates (no mention of a 9 or 10 in your diagram) mean you can treat the hand as 17. If West opened 1♣ and two passes followed, you are too good for a protective 1NT. When you are in the reopening position, your bids show about 3 points fewer than in the direct position. In this case, you are far too good for a 1NT overcall and must start with a double.

Page 36

If you overcall 1NT and partner makes a 2♦ transfer, whether it is sensible to bid 2NT depends upon how your partner is likely to understand the bid. If you have agreed that the bid shows an offshape 1NT overcall with a singleton in partner’s major, bidding 2NT is fine. Many players, however, play the same system after a 1NT overcall as they would after a 1NT opening, in which case bidding 2NT is unwise. Partner will take you for a maximum with four hearts or a maximum with three hearts, whatever transfer breaks normally show for you. ♣♦♥♠

Q

1 Our opponents were playing a system whereby with a weak hand 2♦ showed both majors, while 2♥ showed hearts and a minor, 2♠ spades and a minor. Does this have a name? 2 Our hands were:



♠ A K 4 ♥ A Q 6 N W E ♦ A J 8 4 S ♣ K 5 4

♠ 9 5 2 ♥ 10 7 3 ♦ 9 5 3 2 ♣ 9 6 3

West North East South 2♦* Dble Pass Pass 2♥ 2NT End *see above

I went two off for an average score. How should the bidding have gone? Alun Williams, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey.

A

1. 2♦ to mean a weak major two-suiter is a Norwegian 2♦. Using 2♥ and 2♠ as weak major/

minor two-suiters is Lucas. 2. You bid quite well I think. With 21 HCP, albeit a poor 21, you are too good to overcall 2NT the first time. You could perhaps double a second time if your partner would take that as penalty orientated. It was unlucky to find partner with so little. I imagine that at other tables South passed and West opened 2NT, which explains why your score was average. ♣♦♥♠

Q

I learnt to bid the higher ranking of two equal length suits. An article, by June Booty, in the EBU magazine supports this, yet ‘Bridge for Bright Beginners’ by Hugh Kelsey and Andrew Kambites say the opposite: bid the lower of touching 4-card suits in a balanced hand ie diamonds before hearts. Which is correct? Bill Hogan, St. Helens.

A

Different rules apply depending upon whether your suits of equal length are four cards or longer. With two four-card suits, you are going to have a balanced hand (unless you have a third four-card suit) so you will be thinking about no-trumps if you do not have a 4-4 fit – you do not intend to bid both suits. By keeping the bidding low, bidding the lower suit, you give your partner a chance to bid your other four-card suit. This is why, with 4-4 in the majors, you respond (or open) 1♥ rather than 1♠. With two five-card suits (or two six-card suits – you will not have those very often), you intend to bid both your suits. By bidding the

higher suit first, you keep the bidding lower. Suppose the bidding starts 1♥-1NT2♦. Partner has the option to let you play in 2♥ or 2♦. However, if the bidding started 1♦-1NT-2♥, playing in 2♦ would be impossible. With a four-card major and a four-card minor, (this must be the red suits if the suits are touching), opinions vary about which suit to bid first. Some say that opener should bid the major. Others say that opener should bid the lower suit and responder should try to bid the major. It does not matter too much whether the onus is on opener to bid the four-card major or whether it is on responder – the important thing is that one of you does. In Standard American and some versions of tournament Acol, opener does not open (or rarely opens) four-card majors, so responder has to bid them. In Standard English, as you quote and as Bernard teaches, opener bids the major, in which case responder does not need to strain to do so. ♣♦♥♠

Q

I have The Times software series. South (the computer) held:



♠ 10 8 7 6 ♥ Q 8 3 ♦ J 8 5 4 2 ♣ K

West North East South 1♥ Pass 1NT

I am at a loss to understand why South would respond 1NT. Can you clarify please? Brian Swallow by email.

BRIDGE July 2014

Ask Julian continued

A

Bridge software often relies on rigid rules. It could be that the programmer specified you have to have a picture card in a suit to make it biddable (ruling out 1♠) and that you have to have four-card support to raise (ruling out 2♥). Most experts would raise to 2♥, while many club players would bid 1♠. I agree that very few humans would bid 1NT. ♣♦♥♠

Q

A fellow player has advised that when playing a weak no-trump (1214) at rubber bridge, when vulnerable one should not open 1NT. If partner has a bust, one is likely to go down a bundle, especially if doubled. Is this correct? Brian Cooper, N W London.

A

The advice you have received makes no sense. What is the point of playing a 1NT opening that you are not going to use? A 1NT opening is a very useful bid: it describes both the shape and the strength of your hand to your partner, often making it easy to find the best contract. Moreover, since the opponents cannot overcall at the one level, it makes it difficult for the opponents to enter the auction and/or find their best contract. Besides, if you have a 1NT opening and fail to make it, you will often leave

yourself an impossible rebid. Originally, Acol featured a variable no-trump, weak non-vulnerable and strong vulnerable. If your partner does not like opening a weak no-trump when vulnerable, it would be much more productive to play a variable no-trump than to waste the 1NT opening, by not using it at all.

Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

♣♦♥♠

Q

I read, ‘eight ever – nine never,’ relating to a missing queen. I also read, ‘an even number of missing cards – the split will be odd most of the time; an odd number of missing cards – the split will be even most of the time.’ While I know these comments are only guides, they do seem to be contradictory. Which is correct? Jacqueline Darts by email.

A

You are quite right that with four cards missing, a 3-1 break is initially more likely than a 2-2 break (48% for the former, 40% for the latter). However, the reason why you play for the drop on the second round is that once the queen does not drop on the first round you can rule out a quarter of the 3-1 breaks (those in which the queen is singleton). So that reduces the chance of a 3-1 break to 36%, below the 40% chance of a 2-2 break. There is no contradiction – it is simply a matter of taking into account the new information that the queen is ■ not singleton.

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

BRIDGE July 2014

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Page 37

2014 with Jeremy Dhondy, Chairman of the EBU

July 2014: We are the Champions

N

ational Teams create controversy amongst the public. Who hasn’t selected a better cricket team than the selectors? Who couldn’t pick a better football team for the World Cup than Roy Hodgson? Despite them not picking our team, we will likely watch, especially if the team do well. Sometimes (and for football possibly not since 1966) we will have pride in what they do and how well they achieve. I was lucky enough to be in Australia in 2010/11 watching when England finally won a test series there. In other sports, we can feel a patriotic stir and become temporary curling fans when the GB teams do well. What is it like in bridge? Until relatively recently, our teams went off to far flung places and, perhaps, if you read the right newspaper, you would see some results and, after the event, some articles in bridge magazines, but today, anyone who wants can watch a European or World Championship from the comfort of their own armchair. When England were playing in Bali last year, our Women’s team played in the final against the USA and there were more than 3,000 people watching despite it being on at a particularly unattractive time of the day due to the time difference. Audiences for open games are higher and the final had over 7,000 people watching. As more people acquire the technology, the audience will grow. Some people may ask, ‘What has all that got to do with us?’ Well, when you write down what a national body in any game or sport ought to do, then organising and supporting international representation comes high on that list. And it has an effect on those who do no more than play in their club each week. To give an example, if you go to many clubs these days there is a change in the basic system played. Page 38

Twenty years ago nearly all players in clubs would play Acol or Benjaminised Acol. Today, a proportion have switched to a strong no trump and five-card majors and that proportion grows every year. At least, in part, this is due to the systems played by our top players. In the European Championship in Croatia, all of our open and women’s team are playing a five-card major system. The benefits of new systems (well, new to us) percolate downwards. The dreaded Multi comes originally from a desire by Terence Reese & Jeremy Flint to fight fire with fire in international events in the 1960s. Once it was established at that level, it became more common at club level also. At a championship, the game is not the only thing that goes on. It is common to have meetings to develop the laws of the game. Some may say why should they change? My 1935 law book says that an established revoke cost three tricks. That is typically quite draconian, but on occasion might be insufficient. Imagine a revoke, the effect of which cuts declarer off from a running suit in dummy. This could easily cost five tricks so a concept of equity in such situations has been in the law for some years. Some elements of bridge at the top level will stay there. I don’t see players in clubs playing behind screens any decade soon. However, the technology supporting scoring has certainly percolated to most clubs and any club sticking with its small bridge tables from 30 years ago might regret this with the advent not only of a scoring machine on the table, but also four bidding boxes. In championships, you need a badge in order to gain admittance to the playing area. The badge has a bar code on it and at the end of a session you can scan the bar code and get an immediate printout of your whole session with

scores. It won’t be long before that is also available at English tournaments. Even if that seems a step too far at the club, many of us are used to leaving at the end of a session and seeing the results on the internet by the time we get home. All of this technology stemmed initially from the world of international bridge. Occasionally, there are letters to bridge magazines talking about internationals, the participants and the cost. Most players I’ve met, however, are keen to know how our teams have done, whether they are in contention and they want the team to do well. In the last three years we have been lucky that we have had an excellent Women’s team. They won a European Title and a World Title in 2012 and a silver medal in the World Championships in 2013. By the time you read this I hope they will have won a further medal in the European championships in Croatia. I’d like to debunk one rumour I’ve heard a few times. Although sending teams to far flung parts of the world is an expensive business, the players are not paid a single penny for their time, they don’t travel first class and they don’t stay in the best hotel in town. All our players also give up time before each championship for training and preparation and have a coach to help them with this. If you find bridge at this level interesting to watch, whether it is to learn new things or to watch even our best players occasionally falling on their faces then BBO (Bridge Base online at www.bridgebase.com) is a marvellous and free service that covers all international championships. There is a free app for your tablet also. If you have constructive comment or feedback on these or other topics, I will be pleased to hear from you at [email protected]. ■ BRIDGE July 2014

Answers to David Huggett’s  Play Quiz on page 33 1. ♠ A 8 6 4 ♥ K 9 7 ♦ A 7 6 ♣ J 9 7 ♠ J 3 N ♥ Q 8 3 2 W E ♦ Q 10 8 5 2 S ♣ K 4 ♠ K 2 ♥ A 6 5 ♦ J 9 4 ♣ A Q 10 8 2

♠ Q 10 9 7 5 ♥ J 10 4 ♦ K 3 ♣ 6 5 3

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♦5. How do you plan the play? Clearly, if the club finesse works, you have more than enough tricks, although you need only four club tricks to make the contract. The danger, of course, is that West might win and cash enough diamonds to defeat you first. If that suit breaks 4-3, there is no problem, so you must address the situation when West has five diamonds and the king of clubs. It’s true he could have started with a five card suit headed by the king and the queen but it is twice as likely that he only has king to five or queen to five in which case East has either queen or king doubleton. So, win the first trick with the ace and hope to block the suit before taking a club finesse.

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

BRIDGE July 2014

♠ K ♥ A 7 6 4 ♦ 8 5 4 ♣ Q 10 7 5 4

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ♦Q. How do you plan the play? You have four potential losers; two trumps, a heart and a diamond. If you win the first trick and play on trumps, the opponents will play another diamond and you will be a tempo behind. You need to get rid of a potential diamond loser early, so, at trick two, you must aim to knock out the ace of hearts then the losing diamond from dummy can eventually be thrown on the third heart. But there is a danger. You have to win the opening lead in dummy to make sure you can return to hand to cash that third heart if they hold up the ace for a round. There is no guarantee that you would be able to return to hand with a third round club ruff.

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

You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads the ♦8. How do you plan the play? It might look tempting to duck the opening lead in dummy in case West has led away from the king but that would prove disastrous on the actual layout, where West has a singleton diamond and East has both the ace and queen of hearts. In fact, there are always ten tricks available via six spades, one diamond, two clubs and a club ruff, so play safe and win the opening lead, draw trumps and hope to make a heart trick for an overtrick. This won’t happen on the actual hand, but at least you have guaranteed your contract.

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

♠ 9 5 2 ♥ 7 6 5 4 ♦ J 10 9 5 ♣ 10 5

You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the ♠K. How do you plan the play? If you can make three club tricks, you will make your contract as long as you don’t lose too many tricks first. Presumably, it will be West who has the spade length if the suit breaks 5-3, so your first move must be to hold up the ace until the third round. But, of course, you must strive to keep West off lead now, so it cannot be right to take a club finesse into the West hand. Instead, play a club to the ace and then lead a low club, playing the nine if West plays low. Should West show out, you simply win the king and play back to the jack. As long as West does not hold at least three clubs with both the queen and the ten, you will make the ■ contract.

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Page 39

Misleading Cases Number Seven

An Accusation Salmon v. Tuna before Mr Justice Pons in the High Court of Justice in the Strand After the evidence and Counsels’ closing speeches, his Lordship gave judgment as follows:

“T

his case arises out of an allegation made by Mr Terence Tuna, a Tournament Director at the Erehwon Duplicate Bridge Club, that one of the players, Mr Aloysius Salmon, had cheated one evening at bridge. At the start of this hearing, I declared an interest in bridge, having played the game myself for many years. Both sides were, nevertheless, happy for me to hear this case. Now, my first thought when I heard about this allegation was that, if it were true, surely the Laws of Bridge had been infringed and the perpetrator should have been dealt with in accordance with those Laws. That was before I discovered that the Laws of Bridge have nothing to say about cheating – take a look and see for yourself. Isn’t that strange? So what is the director supposed to do if he (or somebody else) suspects someone of cheating? Even after hearing this case, I am not sure I have an answer to that question. There have been allegations of cheating in bridge ever since the game was invented, even (nay, especially) in expert bridge circles – the most notorious case being at the 1965 Bermuda Bowl in Buenos Aires. In that case, members of the US bridge team (off duty), having watched Terence Reese and Boris Shapiro, key members of the British team, playing a number of hands together, became convinced that the British pair were cheating by the use of hand signals indicating the length of their heart suits and reported the fact to the organisers of the event. The British captain then withdrew his team from Page 40

the competition. A later investigation by a senior barrister hired by the EBU cleared Reese and Shapiro (or rather found them not guilty beyond reasonable doubt, which is, of course, a rather different matter), but the position was never satisfactorily resolved. It is noteworthy that Reese and Shapiro did not go to court to prove their innocence, although Reese did write an account of the matter, Story of an Accusation – you can get it for £5 on eBay. There is, as far as I know, no Act of Parliament which defines cheating or sets a punishment for it. Cheating is what we lawyers call a ‘common law offence’, in other words judge-made law (as is murder, so don’t knock it on that account). Anyone convicted of cheating could be sent to prison or fined a large sum. Furthermore, to accuse anyone of such an offence is also a very serious matter. It constitutes defamation (described in one legal source as ‘lowering [the claimant] in the esteem of right-thinking people generally’) and a person who can be shown to have made a false accusation of cheating could be liable for very substantial damages. So perhaps it is not surprising that claims of cheating are not often made – it is too risky. After the alleged cheating episode, Mr Salmon was banned from the Erehwon Club (and from other bridge clubs nearby) and had to play his bridge online – better than nothing, but not such good company. In the end, he decided, on legal advice, to bring matters to a head by suing for libel (defamation in written form, as opposed to slander). That is how

a civil court such as this comes to be deciding what is essentially a matter of criminal law. The hand on which Mr Salmon was alleged to be cheating is shown below. Dealer South. Love All. ♠ K 5 2 ♥ J 6 5 ♦ A Q 10 5 ♣ A Q J ♠ Q 8 6 3 ♠ 10 7 4 ♥ Q 3 N ♥ 9 8 4 W E ♦ J 9 8 2 S ♦ K ♣ 10 8 2 ♣ K 9 7 6 4 3 ♠ A J 9 ♥ A K 10 7 2 ♦ 7 6 4 3 ♣ 5

West North East Pass 2♦ Pass Pass 4NT Pass Pass 6♥ All Pass

South 1♥ 3♦ 5♥

Contract: 6♥ by South. Lead: ♦2. The basic facts are not in dispute. Mr Salmon was South, declarer, in a contract of 6♥. West led ♦2, won with dummy’s ♦A, dropping East’s ♦K (which South seemed to have been expecting). Next came ♥J from dummy, but when East played low, declarer played ♥A to that trick followed by ♥K, (♥Q falling from West) and then ♥10, drawing the last trump. He then finessed ♦10 and led ♣A, followed by ♣Q for a ruffing finesse. It mattered not whether East covered with ♣K. At the table, he BRIDGE July 2014

Misleading Cases continued

did. South ruffed then led ♠J for a backward finesse, winning the trick with ♠K when West covered with ♠Q. Declarer now cashed dummy’s ♦Q and ♣J (discarding a diamond), then successfully finessed South’s ♠9 and cashed ♠A and ♥7 for the last two tricks. A backward finesse, a finesse of ♦10 on the second round of the suit, plus a refusal to take either the heart finesse or a finesse on the first round of diamonds gave him the contract, whilst the successful ruffing finesse made the overtrick. East and West were dumbfounded. The ‘c’ word was not actually used at that stage, but they called the director, Mr Tuna, and persuaded him that declarer must have seen their cards to have played the hand in such a way and that accusation was made again in Court. Mr Tuna is the defendant in this case because of a report he wrote on the incident which did use the ‘c’ word and which was leaked to Mr Salmon by a friend on the club committee. At the time the hand was played, Mr Salmon was so shocked (entirely understandably) by the reaction of his opponents that he said nothing in his defence except to protest his innocence, but in Court he gave his account of the matter, to the following effect. ‘I am a relative newcomer to bridge, but (as recommended by my bridge teacher) I regularly read books and magazines on the subject. When the opening lead of the ♦2 was made, there were several possible sceBRIDGE July 2014

narios, but by far the most likely were that it was a singleton or fourth highest. I had recently read an article by Andrew Robson on the subject of opening leads. He made it clear that one of the worst possible opening leads against a suit contract was from K-x-x-x, so West (who is a good player) would hardly have led from that holding. He might well, however, for want of a better lead, have tried the ♦2 from ♦ J-9-8-2. In which case the ♦K would be singleton on my right and would fall under the ♦A (which is what I expected). And if West’s lead had been a singleton, then playing the ♦A to the first trick was essential to stop East winning the trick and returning a diamond for West to ruff. So, playing the ♦A at trick one was, as the Americans say, a no-brainer. The later finesse of the ♦10 was, of course, marked. As for the play in the heart suit, when I led the ♥J from dummy East played low without a thought. I had read that, if a defender does not cover an honour with an honour (or at least stop to think about it for a while), he is unlikely to hold the honour you are looking for – the chances are that ‘if he don’t play it, he ain’t got it’. So I spurned the heart finesse with good reason. Another bridge book I have read recently propounds the theory that the queen in any given suit is very likely to be sitting over the jack in that suit – this is because the queen will often have covered the jack the previous time the hand was played and, because of poor shuffling, would continue to be in the hand to the left of the one with the jack. So the normal finesse against the queen is less than a 50%

shot and I had recently decided to take backward finesses whenever possible in future. (I might add that, when it works, this is much more impressive than taking a simple finesse against the queen, much more fun and it bemuses the opponents no end). And, of course, since East was likely to hold more clubs than West, the odds favoured the ruffing finesse in that suit for the overtrick.’ I was very impressed by Mr Salmon’s account of his card play, although in duplicate bridge generally, I think there is less truth in what he said about the location of queens than there may be in rubber bridge. Nothing said by Mr Tuna, his Counsel or his witnesses (East and West) in Court led me to believe that Mr Salmon had cheated. I am entirely convinced by the latter’s explanation, congratulate him on his expertise in playing the hand we have been considering and wish him well in his very promising bridge career. Judgment accordingly. The amount of damages I can award in libel cases is constrained by recent guidance by the appeal courts, so I am awarding Mr Salmon the maximum sum of £50,000 (and costs), at least £1,000 of which is to be spent on lessons and bridge books to further his bridge career. I dare say the Club’s insurance will pay. Let no-one be in doubt that calling a fellow bridge player a cheat can prove very expensive. Finally, I trust that the Erehwon Duplicate Bridge Club will reinstate Mr Salmon as a member forthwith (if not sooner).” Reporter: Richard Wheen, after A.P. Herbert ■

Blunsdon House Hotel Swindon SN26 7AS

BRIDGE EVENTS 18-20 July £199 Just Duplicate John Ronan 10-12 Oct £199 Just Duplicate Sheila Rogers 14-16 Nov £245 Bernard Magee Further into the Auction 28-30 Nov £245 Bernard Magee NEW Bidding TOPIC Distributional Hands 23-25 Jan 2015 £245 Bernard Magee Competitive Bidding

Full Board No Single Supplement Booking Form on page 8.

Page 41

The Diaries of Wendy Wensum Episode 27: A Dog’s Life

M

illie and I were sitting in the Riverside bar sipping glasses of wine. We looked up as Dawn arrived carrying her little dog. ‘What on earth are you doing with her?’ questioned Millie. We had never seen Dawn’s dog at the club before, or for that matter, any dog. ‘As you know I don’t normally bring. . .’ Dawn started to explain. ‘I was talking to the dog,’ interrupted Millie rudely. Dawn smiled and took no offence; she was used to Millie’s ways and continued, ‘He’s called Pixie by the way.’ ‘Did you say he?’ questioned Millie, ‘Pixie seems rather a girly name.’ ‘Well, he is Pixie,’ Dawn assured her, ‘That’s OK isn’t it?’ ‘Fine by me, but I’m not sure he approves,’ Millie declared without any evidence. As far as I could see, Pixie was perfectly content and couldn’t care less about his name. ‘My dog minder isn’t free tonight. I’d arranged to play with Dennis and didn’t want to let him down,’ Dawn added quite reasonably. She seated herself at a nearby table with Pixie settling quietly down on the floor beside her. The arrival of the dog seemed to unnerve Millie and make her unusually tense. However, bridge started well enough and when we arrived at Dawn’s table, Pixie was underneath fast asleep, apparently unaware of eight feet dangerously positioned in close proximity. A bizarre auction took place on the first and, as it turned out, the only board of that round. Dennis was dealer and opened 2♣, alerted by Dawn. Millie checked their system card and then overcalled 2♦. Dawn and I passed; double by Dennis ended the auction.

Millie’s hand was still in the board. She held red-backed cards, whereas Dennis, Dawn and I were holding blue-backed ones. Somehow, she had inadvertently picked up the hand from the next board; the evidence was a gap in the appropriate pocket. The director was called and, after lengthy discussions with others, he ruled that the contract stood. Millie was deemed to have misbid during the auction as a consequence of holding these cards from the wrong board:

♠ A 10 ♥ J 3 2 ♦ A K Q 10 5 3 ♣ 8 4

With some reluctance, Millie returned them to their rightful location and removed the correct hand from the current board. Now she had thirteen blue-backed cards like the rest of us. She was still declarer as South playing in two diamonds doubled, but now with an unexpected and rather different type of hand.

West North East South Dawn Wendy Dennis Millie 2♣1 2♦ Pass Pass Dbl End 1 Acol Game Force

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

Dawn led the ♥2 and I put down the dummy. It was then I noticed that

Prospects were not good. The lead

Page 42

was still the ♥2. Dennis won with the ace. The opposition removed Millie’s trumps and ran all their winners for eight down and a score of minus 2,000. Millie made no tricks at all. The director was recalled and announced the score would stand. The traveller revealed that most pairs in the EastWest seats had bid a game or a small slam in diamonds or spades. One East-West pair had even bid and made the grand in spades, giving zero match points to that unlucky NorthSouth. It was not a good score for us, of course, but at least it wasn’t quite a bottom. Hardly surprisingly in the circumstances, Dawn and I were in fits of hysterics. Millie, rather like Queen Victoria before her, was not amused. Dennis who is hard of hearing couldn’t quite make out what was happening. ‘He gets wax in his ears and won’t have treatment,’ Dawn informed me adding, ‘He’s afraid the prescribed drops may affect his brain.’ With all the mayhem, Pixie emerged from under the table. ‘It’s not often we play in a three-two trump fit when a sixfour heart fit is available,’ I observed unwisely. ‘I blame you,’ accused Millie looking straight at Pixie and pointing an index finger in his direction. ‘I’m allergic to canines and you’ve brought on my hay fever. No wonder I can’t concentrate.’ The dog ignored the indictment with a wide, bored yawn. The director returned to calm us down and fined Millie for making the next board unplayable. Millie and Pixie eyeballed each other unerringly until the move was called. In our usual hostelry later, with no dog in sight, Millie had cheered up considerably as she stroked the landlord’s cat, sitting contentedly beside her. Perhaps Millie is really allergic to dogs. A double brandy soon soothed her nerves. ‘Exactly how many tricks can we make in hearts?’ I mused. ‘Rather more than in diamonds,’ was Millie’s curt reply. ■ BRIDGE July 2014

Catching Up by Sally Brock

O

ne of the ongoing issues is that the house is still on the market. Very little interest. We have a new lot of agents who were full of enthusiasm and joie de vivre. They planned an open day for us at the end of April. They managed the grand total of zero viewers! It is hard to know what is wrong. Everyone who comes to the house – be they friends, tradesmen, estate agents, etc – says they like it. Everyone, that is, except potential buyers. Another ongoing issue is the ProBridge agency, which seems to be going well. We’ve all been working very hard to get as many pros as possible on the site and ended up with a total of 30 for the launch at the beginning of May. A good start I think. Now we need a similar campaign to get clients. If you’ve not had a chance to look at the site yet, go to www.pro-bridge.co.uk We’re also on Twitter (@ProBridgeUK) and Facebook (ProBridge). Just before Easter, we went to Eastbourne for the weekend. Richard (of Richard and Gerry fame) arranged a bridge weekend for the members of his 10CC Bridge Club at the Cavendish Hotel (though the actual hotel was full and we had to suffer being put up in a suite at The Grand instead!). Fish and chip supper on the Friday evening was followed by some informal bridge (cut for partners). On Saturday afternoon, we played some bridge against Richard and Simon, answering questions from the kibitzers. Then we played with assigned partners in a teams event – with a suitable break for dinner. We shared our two-bedroom suite with my old friend and bridge partner Sandra Landy. We left after breakfast on the Sunday, on a mission … My grandson Hayden is being brought up quite strictly in regard to eating sweets and we are visiting just before Easter. Briony came up with the brilliant idea of getting an ostrich egg. We had finally tracked one down to a farm in Lincoln which was having a stall in the farmers’ market at St Albans

BRIDGE July 2014

this Sunday. So our mission was to get to St Albans in time to collect it. It was all a bit of a rush but we did manage it. The following Thursday (after a Super League match in London with Nicola on the Wednesday), I got a train to Newport, near Saffron Walden and walked to Ben, Gemma and Hayden’s new house. I had lunch with them and then Toby and Briony drove over (Briony drove up to Bradford to collect Toby while I was in Eastbourne). We spent a good day with them and enjoyed the ostrich egg the following day. It took 50 minutes to soft boil but, of course, what we forgot was that it then took a while for everyone to photograph it, not to mention the time it took to break into it. It ended up a little overcooked, but fun nevertheless. We dipped in soldiers made from a small baguette split into vertical strips. To my mind it didn’t taste much different from a normal egg and the white wasn’t very nice, but it was good fun and something different for Hayden. On Easter Saturday, we had a Gold Cup match in High Wycombe which we won comfortably and then, on the Sunday, we met up with my parents and my brother and his family in a gastropub near Newbury for a family lunch. On the Monday, Barry and I played in the Swiss Pairs in London – without distinction. On the Tuesday after Easter, Toby went back to uni and Briony and I set off to France for a four-night break. We spent the first night in Saint-Omer before deciding that we would go to Bruges rather than stay in France. We took a cross-country route to get there and checked into our hotel just before lunch (I had an online session with Richard and Gerry at two o’clock). We spent a lovely couple of days in Bruges. It is so lovely there – would thoroughly recommend for a short break. There are so many chocolate shops. We must have visited at least 30 and there were plenty we didn’t visit. In the UK, we seem to try to make exactly as many Easter eggs as are

needed so it’s actually quite hard to find one if you leave it too late and any that are left are reduced drastically in price afterwards. However, in Bruges, they seemed much more relaxed about it and the shop windows were still full of them. We visited churches, we went on a boat trip on the canal, we went to a harp recital, we bought me an outfit for my niece’s wedding in July, we went to a Dali exhibition, we ate mussels and asparagus and we sat and watched the world go by. Home on the Saturday and Briony dropped me off at Barry’s. In the evening, we went to David’s 50th birthday celebrations at a vegetarian restaurant in Hammersmith. The food was so good, it even impressed the carnivores. Then, the following day was dinner with family friends in Beaconsfield. The big bridge event was the Spring Foursomes in Stratford-upon-Avon, held over the first May Bank Holiday weekend. Barry and I played in a team of four with Cameron and Phil. We started off against a Midlands team that we dispatched fairly easily despite a costly disaster that left us 20 IMPs or so down after the first eight boards. Although we made lots of mistakes over the weekend, we had a tremendous slam record, gaining ten slam swings and losing only one, in our five matches. Maybe we got a bit lucky as the good ones seemed fairly straightforward to us. This was the first: ♠ Void ♥ A K J 7 6 5 ♦ 10 5 4 ♣ Q J 10 9 ♠ 8 6 5 ♠ 10 9 4 N ♥ 10 2 W E ♥ Q 8 ♦ Q J 6 2 S ♦ K 9 3 ♣ A K 7 2 ♣ 8 6 5 4 3 ♠ A K Q J 7 3 2 ♥ 9 4 3 ♦ A 8 7 ♣ Void



Page 43

Catching Up continued

Barry opened one spade and rebid three spades over my two hearts. I guess I should have bid four hearts, but I didn’t like the lack of solidity in my suit, so I raised to four spades. Barry now bid five diamonds. I was worried about my void spade and my lack of controls, so signed off in five spades, but he bid the slam anyway. West led a top club and Barry played safely, losing a trick to the queen of hearts and making twelve tricks. Then it got tougher as we drew the Irish national team and we were trounced thoroughly. The Spring Fours is a knock-out event but you have to lose twice before you are eliminated, so we now had to join the once-defeated pool. It is an extremely tough field, with quite a lot of strong foreign teams this year, including the Lavazza team from Italy. We now had two fairly easy draws and won our matches easily. On Sunday evening, we drew Sinclair (the eventual winners). We had our moments but neither pair distinguished themselves and we lost badly. We consoled ourselves with an excellent meal out (as indeed we did on the Saturday too – Cameron had booked – I know it sounds ‘normal’ to think ahead when you are intending to have dinner in Stratford on a bank holiday weekend, but you’d be surprised at just how many bridge players find themselves walking the streets trying to find somewhere to serve them dinner). We decided not to play in the Swiss teams on the Monday but to wend our way back to High Wycombe. ■ Page 44

JUST DUPLICATE BRIDGE 4-6 July £199 Denham Grove

7-9 November £199 Denham Grove

11-13 July £169 The Olde Barn

14-16 November £199 Chatsworth Hotel

11-13 July £199 Clifton Park Hotel

14-16 November £199 Elstead Hotel

Chatsworth Hotel Worthing BN11 3DU

12-14 September £169 The Olde Barn 10-12 October £199 Blunsdon House Hotel 10-12 October £199 Elstead Hotel Elstead Hotel Bournemouth BH1 3QP

Denham Grove Denham, Bucks UB9 5DU

18-20 July £199 Blunsdon House Hotel

21-23 November £199 Chatsworth Hotel

1-3 August £169 The Olde Barn

28-30 November £199 Chatsworth Hotel

8-10 August £199 Clifton Park Hotel

Blunsdon House Hotel Blunsdon, Swindon SN26 7AS

28-30 November £169 The Olde Barn

17-19 October £169 The Olde Barn 24-26 October £199 Chatsworth Hotel 31 Oct – 2 Nov £169 The Olde Barn The Olde Barn Hotel Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

31 Oct – 2 Nov £199 Elstead Hotel

Clifton Park Hotel St Annes on Sea FY8 1HN

Full Board – No Single Supplement Booking Form on page 8. Please note there are no seminars, set hands or prizes at these events.

BRIDGE July 2014

Seven Days by Sally Brock Saturday We have a house viewing at 10.30am so need to be out of the house by then. Briony and I are having a short break in Lyme Regis. We whizz down the motorway to Bournemouth when I have the bright idea of stopping for lunch. Having played in the EBU tournament there, I know how to get to a place where I can park and then walk through the gardens to the beach where there is a good deli/café overlooking the sea. The weather is wet and windy, though not actually raining. We watch the mad surfers while I tuck into baked camembert and Briony has mussels. Then it’s back on increasingly rural roads until we get to Lyme Regis – stopping on the way at a supermarket to buy food for the few days we are away. I have not been to Lyme Regis before and it looks lovely. A bit of a disappointment to find no-one in when we arrive at our rental apartment, but it doesn’t matter. We walk into town and have a look around. Soon, I get a phone call from our rental people and it’s a bit of a disaster as they have never heard of us. It appears that when we booked through their website someone had hacked into their email account and the people we had an email correspondence with – and paid – wasn’t them at all. So that is £295 wasted, but more important, after a visit to the local tourist information office, who are extremely helpful and ring around for us, there is no self-catering accommodation to be had in the area for love nor money. BRIDGE July 2014

Of course, we have a carload of food so staying in a B&B is not a great idea. Eventually, we decide to book into a hotel for the night and have a rethink. We manage to change our restaurant booking from tomorrow to tonight. We dress up a bit and out we go to Hix Oyster and Fish Bar. This is a fabulous place. We walk through the gardens to get there and we are perched up above the town with a fantastic view of the harbour. Even though we don’t have a window seat, we have a good view. We eat fish and more fish. It is slightly embarrassing when I discover I have left my purse in my hotel room but they seem happy that they have my mobile number and are prepared to trust me rather than force me to do the washing up (did anyone ever force a customer who couldn’t pay to do the washing up?). We wander slowly back through the gardens, remember to ring up and pay the bill and settle down for the night – also with a great view.

Sunday Up for an excellent full English breakfast. Then back to my room to do a couple of hours’ work (Iceland is in its finishing stages). We check out and set off. We have decided to go home via my parents but are in no rush. Briony had researched some things to do in the area so we look at what is on our way home. First we take the coast road (which is lovely) to Little Bredy, a supposedly extremely pretty village. I’m not sure we really found it. There are a few houses and we walk down a

road where there are some more, but it doesn’t look as if there is anything much there. We ask someone if there is anywhere to get a cup of tea and he says, ‘only on Monday or Wednesday.’ So we move on. We stop for a pub snack in Puddletown – such a lovely name. Then to Sculptures by the Lake, for which we had bought tickets in advance. If you are ever in the area, I can’t recommend this place highly enough. And take a picnic if the weather’s good. There are two main lakes with several other small ponds and a running stream too and lots of beautiful sculptures. Although it is not in operation for us, apparently there is a rowing boat you can take out onto one of the lakes to visit an island where there are more sculptures. We spend a very pleasant hour exploring. I am driving but having difficulty keeping my eyes open. We see a big Tesco store on the outskirts of Shaftesbury and as we are going home now there are bits and pieces we need. Briony offers to go in and do a bit of shopping while I sleep in the car for an hour. Then it is up to Biddestone to pick up my parents and out to dinner at Jack’s, their local upmarket restaurant. We have an excellent evening with good food and extremely helpful staff – Briony has a lot of intolerances and allergies and it is important that she finds out exactly what is in anything she is going to eat. Then we drop my parents off and drive home – or rather Briony drives home. Page 45

Seven Days continued

Monday Every cloud has a silver lining and the lining to this one is that at least I can get some work done. I am not doing as much work for Bradt as I used to but there is a lot on just now. Two books to finish off for the printer: Iceland and North Korea and a new one, Mongolia. I get up at seven and work all day, breaking the back of it. Briony potters in the kitchen making delicious concoctions. Another ongoing thread that has been running through the last few days and is coming to a head is Killarney. Barry and I are supposed to be going to Killarney to play in the congress there at the weekend – and away for just over a week. My friend Kate from the US and her husband are coming to join us. He barely plays bridge but has family in Ireland and they are combining the bridge with a holiday. We have rented a house near the hotel where the bridge is to be played and are going to be joined by John Holland and play as a foursome, playing in various combinations. We have all been looking forward to this for a long time and everything is in place, but … Kate’s husband is not well and doesn’t feel up to the trip. She’s not sure whether or not she can leave him. Every morning, I’ve been getting up to find an updated email full of indecision … In the evening, I have an online practice match with Nicola against Catherine and Fee. Fee and Susan have been part of the English women’s team for several years now, but after the world championships in Bali last year, Susan decided to stop for a while, mostly for work reasons. Fee has formed a new partnership with Catherine Draper, who was on the team when we won in 2008. I have a good feeling about them and think it will work out well, but their partnership is very new, so they want to get in as much practice as they can before the European Championships at the end of June. Page 46

Tuesday Another email from Kate. She has decided she can’t leave her husband and is cancelling the trip. We are obviously disappointed but quite understand. I send off the odd email to see if I can find a substitute, but it doesn’t really matter. This was as much a holiday as bridge event and none of the other three of us mind not playing a session or two. We shall turn up as a threesome and see who is available to make up our numbers. This is the second day in a row I haven’t got out of my pyjamas. Nose to the grindstone all day. Briony cooks the most delicious slow-roasted lamb shoulder for dinner. In the evening, I have a coaching session with my Irish pair. They are keen to develop quite a complicated system – it’s hard to keep them grounded.

Wednesday Finished Mongolia by lunchtime. Get dressed finally and out we go. First to a hat shop to hire hats for the wedding in July – but it had closed down. Then to Waitrose for some bits and pieces. Barry was expecting to get to us in time for supper so we bought Dover sole, a small lobster and some mussels – Briony has a fairly new-found enthusiasm for seafood, especially mussels. A browse in the charity shops for jigsaws and then to the hairdressers. I usually go to a girl down the road who gives me a dry trim and charges very little; Briony hasn’t had hers trimmed professionally for eighteen months or so. So this is a treat. A proper salon where your hair is washed for you (while sitting on a seat with a raised footstool which massages your bottom and back at the same time) and they then cut and blow dry. We leave looking a million dollars (and an equivalent amount poorer). The only bad news is that while we are there Barry rings to say he’s been held up and won’t make supper. We try taking the fish back to Waitrose but, not unexpectedly, they won’t let us return fresh food. So there is no option but to stuff ourselves with a seafood feast.

Then it’s off to the annual Berks v Bucks match – teams of 48 face each other across the green baize. Each county has three teams of 16, A, B and C teams, who play amongst themselves. So there are three separate contests and whichever county wins two or more wins the shield. This was a swingy board in a lot of matches: Dealer South. E/W Vul. ♠ A 10 8 ♥ A 10 8 ♦ 7 ♣ A Q J 10 6 4 ♠ K J 7 5 ♠ Q 9 2 N ♥ 9 7 6 5 3 W E ♥ 4 ♦ K 10 S ♦ A Q J 6 3 2 ♣ 9 2 ♣ 8 7 3 ♠ 6 4 3 ♥ K Q J 2 ♦ 9 8 5 4 ♣ K 5

At our table the bidding is: West North East South Pass Pass 1♣ 2♦ 2♥ 3♦ 4♦ Pass 4♥ All Pass

Barry leads a trump which declarer wins in the dummy to lead a diamond. I hop up with the ace and switch to a spade and declarer has no chance, eventually going two down. But the Berks defenders do not do so well against Carole Mueller. Their bidding is: West North East South Pass Pass 1♣ 2♦ Dbl Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass

At her table, West leads the king of diamonds and switches to a trump. Carole draws two rounds of trumps, ruffs a diamond, plays a club to her king, draws two more rounds of trumps and plays clubs. West can take his trump tricks when he wants but dummy is good. Not for the first time, Bucks A BRIDGE July 2014

Seven Days continued

wins (no thanks to us this year), but both B and C teams lose. Still, it is quite a fun event. And it is great to see Barry. What with me being away with Briony and him having lots of work on, I’ve hardly seen him recently. Roll on Killarney.

Thursday Both Iceland and North Korea have gone to the printer now, so my main job is to write this article. I get up early and get on with it but, of course, I am sidetracked by lots of incoming emails and irritating estate agents. Briony and I cook chicken cacciatora for tomorrow’s bridge match – that means she cooks and I do the prep – skinning the chicken, grating garlic and skinning kilos of tomatoes. Still, good to do it together. Then she goes into town shopping while I have an online session with Richard and Gerry. Later, I get a train into London. I’ve wanted to get her a little surprise present for being so helpful recently and had the idea of getting her summer pyjamas. So first stop is Victoria’s Secret where I am completely overwhelmed at the choice of underwear, but eventually choose some nice pink stripey PJs. Then it’s a 20-minute walk or so to TGR’s for our Crockfords match. We struggle a bit. 15 up after the first set and then lose dribs and drabs to be only 9 up with eight to go. We expect to gain points on this: Dealer West. E/W Vul. ♠ A 8 5 ♥ 10 8 4 2 ♦ 6 3 ♣ Q J 9 8 ♠ J 9 3 ♠ K 10 7 6 4 N ♥ Q 3 W E ♥ 6 ♦ A 9 8 4 2 S ♦ J ♣ A 10 4 ♣ K 7 6 5 3 2 ♠ Q 2 ♥ A K J 9 7 5 ♦ K Q 10 7 5 ♣ Void

BRIDGE July 2014

West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1♥ Pass 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ 4♠ Pass Pass 5♥ Dbl All Pass

Exciting stuff. I can’t think of anything sensible to open in third seat so decide to pass for the time being. North-South are playing a strong club system so South can’t have a strong balanced hand, making it a little safer for me to bid so aggressively at unfavourable vulnerability on the second round. Barry is always optimistic and decides we have a shot at making four spades and that has the effect of pushing our opponents to five hearts. On a spade lead, declarer has to decide whether Barry might have led away from the king of spades. If hearts are 3-0 (quite likely on my bidding), then he needs this, so he ducks trick one and now I switch to a diamond and get a diamond ruff for one down and 11 IMPs. Other than that board, we’re not very happy with our last set. We let a vulnerable game through and fail to find a very cheap sacrifice, but our team-mates have a storming last session and we put on 18 to win by 27 overall.

Friday Off to another hat shop. This time it’s open and the woman who owns it is the mother of an old primary schoolfriend of Briony. We spend some time trying on various amazing items of headgear. I am persuaded to buy a navy fascinator. Briony can’t decide between a silvery white hat and a royal blue hair clip, but in the end decides to leave it. So I’m going to look like an idiot on my own. (I’m not really a hat person, but like to give it a whirl from time to time – the last time I hired a hat was for Ben’s wedding eight years ago). Then home to do some bits and pieces of work, pack for Killarney and tidy the house for the match this evening – and we have a viewing tomorrow morning. Briony goes off to spend some time with her friend Sam and everyone arrives for the NICKO

match. Opponents include my old friend Dave Armstrong and his wife, so it’s a pretty sociable affair. We start by having the chicken cacciatora with jacket potatoes and green beans. It seems to go down well. Then we play the match – 24 boards played in two halves. We rather trounce them and at halftime they decide they would rather have a cuppa and cake (Briony makes these delicious chocolate concoctions that are a hard dark chocolate shell with meringue and chocolate mousses inside) and go home early than play on. Just in case you think I’m getting a bit big for my boots and never do anything wrong, I will share with you one of the most ridiculous boards Barry and I have ever had. This was the club suit around the table:

♣ 9 4 N

♣ K 7 5 2 W E S



♣ Q 10 8 6 3

♣ A J

Our opponents miss their 4-4 spade fit and alight in three no-trumps. Barry leads the two of clubs to my queen and declarer’s ace. Declarer then cashes the king of spades and finesses a spade to my queen. We have an agreement in this sort of defensive position to play ‘Smith peters’. Using this method, when you (either defender) play highlow on the first suit played by declarer, it means you like the opening lead. Because I know I am going to win the first defensive trick (spade queen), I don’t bother to do this, so, when I get in with the queen of spades and return the ten of clubs (to pin dummy’s nine in case Barry has led from a threecard suit), Barry thinks I started with Q-10-x. So he ducks the jack of clubs. Declarer still needs to develop an extra trick and takes another finesse, this time into Barry’s hand, but nothing has happened to change Barry’s view of the hand, so he gets off lead passively and declarer has nine tricks. ■ Page 47

BERNARD MAGEE at Denham Grove near Uxbridge, Bucks, UB9 5DG.

9-12 January 2015 £399 Friday – Monday, £369 Friday – Sunday, full board Limited places for Thursday night available. £45pp single, £65 double/twin.

Defence as Partner of the Leader

Aggressive Bidding AT PAIRS

Defence is the hardest aspect of the game, but the one that I love to teach the most: it is where most players can make great progress. You are often taught about opening leads, but what about as the leader’s partner? How do you play to trick one and then what do you do later? Should you continue with your partner’s suit or switch? I will try to give you the answers to all of these questions and more.

Forty years ago, duplicate pairs was in its infancy and you needed 13 HCP to open the bidding and rarely competed for a partscore. Now the norm is to open with 11 HCP and compete for every hand. The reason is largely because of the scoring system. -50 and -100 can score very well, when your opponents can make a contract of their own. Since going off can score well, you should bid more.

Strong Opening Bids

Take-Out Doubles

Much focus is placed on weak opening bids in the modern game which means many strong hands are hard to bid. Managing your strong bids carefully can give you great joy, particularly when you have a neat bidding sequence to a lovely slam. I will talk about your strong opening options and show you how to make the most of them.

Take-out doubles are an increasingly important aspect of duplicate bridge. I will deal with basic take-out doubles and their responses and then progress to talk about competing for every partscore. Aiming to push your opponents higher or looking to get the magic -50, which scores so well when your opponents can make a contract of their own.

Suit Establishment

Landy / Defending Against 1NT

Five-card suits (and longer) are powerful things: I will try to get across my passion for them by showing you how to develop your extra tricks through establishment. Every five-card suit merits your attention, however weak. Once you have seen the opportunities for extra tricks, you will understand why it is important to add strength on for long suits during the auction.

Competing against a 1NT opening allows you to challenge for the partscore and also disrupts your opponents’ conventions. I will talk about competing over 1NT in general and then talk about the Landy Convention, which is a relatively simple method of competing over 1NT. The weak no-trump is a powerful pre-emptive opening, so you need to try hard to overcome it.

6 seminar sessions with Bernard1

6 sessions of supervised play2

Contact Mr Bridge to book your place or for further details: ( 01483 489961 Filmed

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Not with Bernard Magee

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