BRIDGE

Number Ninety-two Christmas 2008

I have a list of people, all of whom are entered in a database.

Every year, as Christmas approaches, I take a good look
And I realise that these names are a part
Not just of a database but of everything I do.
Each name stands for someone who has somehow crossed my
path.
Then the memory of an email or a memo,
A friendly face or strongly worded letter is conjured up before
me.
Still, when I send this magazine to you,
It is because you are in this database and one of the many
With whom I have had contact and don’t wish to forget.
Whether I have known you for many years or just a few
months
You have had a part in shaping the things I do.
So, as Christmas approaches, may its spirit, in whatever shape
it takes for you,
Leave its richest blessings in your heart.
 Q PLUS 9.1
Now
Ready

The very best Acol-playing Software available

FEATURES SYSTEM HANS LEBER

l The Usual Friendly Interface (see above) l 8mb RAM
l Hint and Help Buttons – always at hand l CD-ROM
l Easy Windows Installation l Pentium or
l Comprehensive Manual equivalent
l Rubber, Duplicate and Teams Scoring l Windows XP or Vista
l Instant results playing in teams mode
l 2,500 pre-played hands for teams
l 2,000 pre-played hands for match-pointed TRADE-IN
pairs including 1,000 new hands
Trade-in any previous version of
W Check your pairs percentage and ranking
NE Q Plus. Just post in the booklet and
W Systems include: several versions of Acol,
NE
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l £82 including postage
Make your cheque payable to and send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302

 FEATURES

BRIDGE 3 Bidding Quiz

4
by Bernard Magee
56 Dave Huggett says
Don’t Rush to
Take Finesses
BIDDING QUIZ
by Bernard Magee

Publisher and
Managing Editor
Mr Bridge
6 Double Dummy Quiz
by Richard Wheen
57 Andrew Kambites says
Look Before
You Leap to 4NT
Y ou are West in the auc-
tions below, playing
'Standard Acol' with a weak
7 Bidding Quiz Answers
Ryden Grange 58 Defence Quiz Answers no-trump (12-14 points) and
by Bernard Magee
Knaphill, Surrey by Julian Pottage four-card majors.
8 Cruise to the Riveria
GU21 2TH 59 Mike Wenble says (Answers on page 7)
by Bernard Magee
Count Your Losers
( 01483 489961 13 Defence Quiz
as Declarer 1. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
by Julian Pottage ♠ AK876432
e-mail: 14 Declarer Play Quiz ♥ 4
mrbridge@mrbridge.co.uk by Dave Huggett ADVERTISEMENTS ♦ 76
15 The Advantages 2 QPlus 9.1 ♣ 53
website:
of Transfers
www.mrbridge.co.uk 4 Charity Bridge Events West North East South
by Freddie North
Christmas 2009 ?
16 A Slam for Santa
Associate Editor by Michael Scarrott Tutorial Software &
Julian Pottage Mail Order Form 2. Dealer East. Game All.
19 Double Dummy Answer ♠ Void
by Richard Wheen 9 Better Hand Evaluation
♥ K987
Technical Consultant 20 David Stevenson 10 Tunisia 2009
♦ K7632
Tony Gordon Answers Your Questions 13 Marsham Court ♣ 10 4 3 2
26 Bubble Captions Bridge Weekends
West North East South
Bridge Consultant 28 A Walk at Christmas 14 Beach Hotel
Bridge Weekends 1♠ Pass
Bernard Magee by Countryman ?
32 Julian Pottage 15 2009 Diaries
Proof Readers Answers Your Questions 21 The New Yellow Book 3. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
Danny Roth 38 Benjaminised Acol and 21 Rubber/Chicago ♠ A Q J 10 5
Hugh Williams the Lion of the North Bridge Events ♥ KQ3
Freddie North by Ned Paul 22 Blunsdon House Hotel ♦ KQ2
40 The Baron Outwits Bridge Events ♣ 74
the Grand Duke 25 The Olde Barn Hotel
Software Support by Dick Atkinson
West North East South
Bridge Events
( 01483 485340 41 Declarer Play Answers
1♠ Pass 4♠ Pass
26 Wychwood Park ?
by David Huggett Bridge Events
Events & Cruises 44 Julian Pottage says 29 Staverton Park 4. Dealer West. Love All.
( 01483 489961 Signal Attitude on Bridge Weekends ♠ KQ9
Jessica Galt Partner’s Lead
30 2009 Summer Cruises ♥ KQ87
Holly Cobbett 45 Jeremy Dhondy says On Board Discovery ♦ A832
Rachel Everett Don’t Run from the
39 Denham Grove ♣ K2
Frying Pan into the Fire
Bridge Weekends West North East South
Club Directory 46 David Gold says Don’t
42 Holiday Diary 1♥ 2♣ Pass Pass
Underbid Small Hands
maggie@mrbridge.co.uk 47 Stamps ?
47 Readers’ Letters
50 Barony Castle
Address Changes 51 Readers’ Letters 5. Dealer West. Love All.
Bridge Weekends
on the EBU P2P
( 01483 485342 50 Single-Suited Pens
♠ Q3
53 Freddie North says ♥ 765
The Five Level Belongs 54 Global Travel Insurance ♦ A943
All correspondence should
to the Opponents Club Insurance Form ♣ AK87
be addressed to Mr Bridge.
Please make sure that all 55 Liz McGowan says 60 Voyage to Nice
West North East South
letters, e-mails and faxes Second Hand Plays Low on board Discovery
1NT Pass 2♣ Pass
carry full postal addresses 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
and telephone numbers. The views expressed in this publication are not ?
necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.

Page 3

CHARITY
BRIDGE EVENTS
NOVEMBER 2008
14 DISPLACED PEOPLE IN BOSNIA
Parish Centre, St John’s Road,
Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead.
9.30am-2.30pm. Includes lunch.
Pat Henry ( 01442 391087
21 AIR AMBULANCE. £13.00.
Village Hall, Hemingford Abbotts.
Sheila Poval ( 01480 395394
28 WATERAID & CHESTERFIELD
CHILDREN’S CHARITY
St John’s Church Hall,
Chesterfield. 12.30 pm. £12.
Wine on arrival & luxury tea.
Mrs P Bown ( 01246 200211
DECEMBER 2008
1 ST. TERESA’S HOSPICE
Christmas Bridge Party at
St. George’s Bridge Centre,
Darlington. 1.15pm £5.
Generous prizes & afternoon tea.
Mrs Bainbridge
( 01325 469785
JANUARY 2009
29 THE HARPENDEN FRIENDS OF
CANCER RESEARCH & THE LADY
TAVERNERS
Park Hall, Harpenden.
First session 10am – 1pm.
Second session 2pm – 5pm.
£40 per table inc. refreshments.
Tickets from the Town Hall.
FEBRUARY 2009
5 THAMES VALLEY ADVENTURE
PLAYGROUND
Eton College Rowing Centre,
Dorney. 10.30am – 4pm.
£17 per person to include
coffee on arrival and lunch.
Rosemary ( 01753 642515
Jane ( 01753 644490
17 RIDING FOR THE DISABLED
(COURT MEADOW GROUP)
Millennium Hall, Scaynes Hill,
Sussex. 11am – 3pm £50 per
table inc. good lunch.
Carolyn Hawkins
( 0845 2414346
Email:
manderly_hk@hotmail.com
MARCH 2009
26 FRIENDS OF FARLEIGH HOSPICE
Luncheon Bridge Drive.
Julie Renvoize ( 01245 258067
FUND RAISING
Last issue I invited readers
to send in postage stamps in
support of Little Voice, a
charity devoted to supporting
an orphanage and school in
Ethiopia. I have been
heartened by your response
and I have sent all I have
received to Mr Bamberger of
Trimley St Mary, Suffolk
who is handling their sale.
When sending me packages
please do not enclose any
correspondence as some may
remain unopened.
Please keep saving stamps,
especially over Christmas.
I will tell you what further
arrangements I will make
for their collection.
Little Voice is part of
L.U.C.I.A. Charity Number
1112674 registered with the
UK Charity Commissioners.
If you would like to send a
donation, as some of you
already have, please make it
payable to LUCIA and not
to me. It is just about the
poorest country in the world,
but every little helps.
CHARITY STRIP
Alongside is the current strip
of fund-raising bridge dates.
Fund-raisers should send in
details as far in advance as
possible and always ask for
some prizes. I never say no.
GLOBAL TRAVEL
I am pleased to find space to
promote Global Travel
insurance. The policy
advertised should suit those
who are ill but whose
symptoms are under control.
Global Travel understand
and cater for this segment
of a growing market.
Page 4
CLUB INSURANCE
I am glad to say that Moore
Stephens were so pleased
with the response to the little
mention I gave them in the
last issue that they have
prepared an annual policy
for £65 to cover clubs of up
to 100 members. See the cut-
out page opposite page 55.
These days, when legal
actions are part of everyday
life, committee members
should insist that the club
has public liability cover.
SECRET SANTA
If you are having a club
party, why not have some
fun with a Secret Santa. All
those due to attend put their
names on a piece of paper
and drop them into a hat.
These are then drawn and
everyone has to buy a gift
for the person they have
drawn. A modest price limit
should be set which should
be strictly adhered to and
completely spent.
Wrap it and put it into the
sack for distribution by
Santa at the party and
believe me, it should create
a lot of fun and laughs.
SIGNS OF THE
TIMES
Until further notice the
bubble caption and the prize
bidding competitions have
been discontinued. I need to
find new sponsors, which
believe me, are hard enough
to find let alone sign up. The
bubble caption competition,
in particular, attracted an
enormous number to take
part and I really have
enjoyed reading all the
entries. Thank you.
DEAD HORSE
I feel like I’m flogging a
dead horse compiling my
directory of bridge clubs and
teachers.
However, I intend to devote
the next four working weeks,
with two or three assistants,
to get on top of what is
turning into hard work.
Please make sure that your
club downloads and
completes the form found at
www.mrbridge.co.uk.
ANOTHER OLD
NAG
You will see that there is no
panel in this issue for the
details of your friends or
indeed registration. If you
would like any of your
friends to receive copies,
send in their full details
including postcode and
telephone number and if a
friend complains that they
haven’t received their copy
recently then they probably
haven’t reregistered.
POSTAGE SAVINGS
Clive Goff is a loyal
advertiser. He supports this
free publication by providing
an unusual service.
He supplies readers with a
discount of at least 10% off
British postage stamps. Ring
him on ( 0208 422 4906.
Do say you heard it from
Mr Bridge.
 VENUES 2009
The joy that bubbles out of
the “Ode to Oxford” makes
my job all worthwhile.
While I cannot promise
everyone the same level of
experience, we do try to
make it so.
The venues for 2009, some
old and some new, are listed
in this issue. Details of hosts
and seminar subjects will be
announced later.
DIRECTORS
COURSES
BACK COPIES
As I hate to throw anything
away, I can tell you that I do
have some back numbers
(from 83 onwards) for which
readers should send three
first class stamps each.
I also have some earlier
issues. 10 different for £5.
Only a few lots available.
OTHER
I have other magazines –
English Bridge, Bridge
Magazine and ACBL. Any
three different for £2. First
come, first served.
ODE TO OXFORD
by Carolyn Rayner
ERIC HILL
Eric Hill has a specialist
catalogue acting as a mail
order boutique offering the
best European Fashion
brands including Grazia,
Finnkarelia and Brandtex.
He offers £10 Off to readers,
FREE p&p, FREE
alterations and FREE
returns. This means that
readers can try his goods out
for FREE – at no risk. And
what’s more, can place their
order for FREE. It is a
pleasure to enclose his
booklet. Do say you heard of
his service from Mr Bridge.
CRIB SHEET
At last, as promised, Bernard
Magee’s crib sheet. It can be
found in my website library.
mrbridge/co.uk/library.php.
NORWAY AGAIN
I’m going up to the Fjords
twice this coming summer to
see the scenes and breathe
the air and rest. If you
haven’t yet tried a bridge
cruise on Discovery, you
really should try one of these
short breaks. I look forward
to meeting you on board.

We’ve just got back from Oxford, J UST DUPLICATE

Our resident bridge laws
expert, David Stevenson, is
to host a series of bridge
weekends which involve the
training of directors for
bridge clubs.
Four sessions of training and
two evening duplicates.
These are designed so that
the course student can bring
a companion who does not
share the same interest, but
would enjoy playing bridge
in the evening. Full board at
only £199 per person. This is
an important subsidised
initiative. Those interested
should register immediately
so that I can plan out the
venues and the number of
courses.
LAITHWAITES £50
One of the inserted OFF
advertisements is for a case
of 15 bottles of red wine for
only £39.95 if you use the
voucher. With delivery at
less than £7 per case, it is a
really reasonable price for
such a selection. Do please
mention Mr Bridge if you
take up the offer.
from a weekend filled with fun,
Following on from the
we’re not entirely truthful,
enormous success of Gentle
‘bout just how well we’ve done.
Duplicate Weekends, I am
We left our homes on Friday, introducing Just Duplicate
all packed in Patrick’s car, Weekends at several venues.
complete with crisps and wine and port, £150 for the weekend, full
we wouldn’t need the bar. board. Six sessions of social
duplicate. No prizes, no
We spent a happy weekend master points, no seminars,
learning signals and discards, no tuition. Payment in full at
when partner plays the eight of spades the time of booking, either
you must be on your guard. by debit card or by cheque.
We listened to the seminar, TUNISIA 2009
then played a few set hands,
As the party hosted by
I don’t think that we did them,
Bernard Magee at The Royal
quite as Bernard planned.
Kenz is now fully booked,
The afternoon was long and hard, I have added a further
opponents came and went, fortnight towards the end of
did I bid clubs or one no trump, the year.
it was three of hearts I meant. 15-29 November 2009.
£749 per person inclusive.
The hammer blow came quickly
Holidays outside the euro
there was no going back,
currency area are proving to
we saw that we’d been shuffled
be really good value, so I
to the bottom of the pack.
have added another bridge
We were a bit downhearted and golf fortnight hosted by
but with a bit of luck Tony and Jan Richards.
when we played again on Sunday 1-15 November, £699 pp.
there was only one way – up!
CHRISTMAS GIFT
And so it proved we all won through
Send in your friends’ names
and left for home on top
and addresses, so that they
weighed down with ties and diaries
can have their own copy of
we journeyed back non-stop. BRIDGE in 2009. Make sure
to include the postcode.

Page 5
 COMING SOON.
Several new series for 2009.
Here is a taster.
RECOVERY FOR BUBBLE CAPTIONS CHRISTMAS
DISCOVERY Our wonderful cartoonist
Marguerite Lihou has chosen
the following six captions as
winners in the bubble

DOUBLE
caption competition.

DUMMY Christmas this year is hosted

by Sandy Bell. She is
PROBLEM The good ship Discovery
had a number of engine
supported by the usual team.
Denham Grove, Uxbridge is
by Richard problems earlier this year. a comfortable conference
W heen All is now repaired and a centre set in 40 acres.
programme of refurbishment
(Answer on page 19) is in hand. These smaller All bedrooms are within the
ships really are so much main building and half are
more friendly than the so on the ground floor. There is
called giants of the sea. easy access to all the bridge
rooms, leisure pool and other
BERNARD’S CRUISE Don’t bother, you can’t facilities, making this an
outbid her. ideal Christmas venue.
George Wells, Olney.
Hosted rubber or Chicago
Waiting for the queen to bridge will be provided for
drop. all those who would like it.
Joy Furness, Epsom.
I can just afford a limit TWIXMAS
♠ A32 bid. Chris Barrable and Ann
♥ 2 Anne Thomas, Taunton. Pearson host 27-29
♦ 2 December. This will follow
Picture cards always have
♣ 2 the established pattern of a
value.
♠ 10 ♠ KQJ two night weekend event.
Alan Hobday, Solihull.
♥ Void W N E ♥ Void
♦ A S ♦ K Artful Bidding. See the adjacent programme.
♣ K Q J 10 ♣ 98 You will no doubt read all Mr W Huggan, Bromley.
♠ 654 about this year’s cruise from NEW YEAR
♥ 43 Harwich to Nice with Whatever he’s bid, I’ll
Chris and Ann also host 29
♦ Void Bernard Magee. (See page 8.) double it.
December to 1 January, see
♣ A He repeats the same itinerary Richard Thorne, Rochdale.
adjacent advert. As always,
for 2009. Fares from £499 Congratulations. Mrs Bridge and I will be
sharing. present to greet everyone at
Each winner has been sent a
ou are South, the Gala Reception on the
Y declarer, in a
heart contract. You
During the eight-day cruise
there are several days at sea,
with lots of time to attend
boxed set of four Single-
suited Ball Point Pens. evening of 31st.

seminars and play bridge. MATERNITY LEAVE DAY GUESTS

have arrived at the
There will be tutors on board
position shown above, to teach those wishing to
needing to make five learn to play bridge.
of the last six tricks,
with dummy on lead. THE RIGHT PATH
How do you avoid Freddie North first published
two spade losers? The Right Path in 1988.
He tells me he still has some
copies of this splendid primer
Q PLUS 7.5 and they are available from
him at £4.50 plus 50p for
Following recent trade-ins,
postage and packing.
I now have a small stock of
second hand QPlus 7.5 Write to him at: 14 Hammy
on sale at only £32. Please Way, Shoreham-by-Sea,
phone before ordering to West Sussex, BN43 6GG.
avoid disappointment. ( 01273 464204
Leanora Adds has started her
maternity leave and we are
all patiently awaiting word
of the new arrival.
QPLUS QUIZ
Solution and winners will
be published in full in the
next issue.
Do give the office a ring if
you would like to attend any
of our weekend events,
without bed and breakfast.
This can also be arranged for
any part of the Christmas
and New Year programme,
subject to availability.
SEASONS
GREETINGS
I wish you all I wish for
myself. Love, peace and
blessings.

Page 6
 CHRISTMAS AT DENHAM GRoVE
Tilehouse Lane, Denham, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire. UB9 5DU.

Eight executive rooms: £50 supplement

CHRISTMAS per event. Half the bedrooms are on
the ground floor. Please advise if you
24-27 DECEMBER 2008 require a ground-floor room.
£395 – Duplicate with Sandy Bell
Rubber is also an available option _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _
Example Programme

ChRiStMAS EVE Mr/Mrs/Miss ................................................

1500 Welcome Desk open.
Mulled wine and mince pies Address..........................................................
1745 Welcome Reception (Black Tie
optional) followed by DINNER then .......................................................................
BRIDGE (duplicate pairs)
NEW YEAR ......................................................................
ChRiStMAS DAY 29 DEC 2008 -1 JAN 2009
1030 SEMINAR or other games Postcode....................(................................
£355 – Duplicate with Chris Barrable
(Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble etc)
Please book me for ........... places,
1230 CHRISTMAS LUNCH Example Programme
1500 BRIDGE (duplicate pairs)
Single ..... Twin ..... Double .....
or Queen’s speech 29 DECEMBER
1830 Festive Buffet DINNER followed by 1500 Welcome Desk open.
Executive (twin or double) .....
BRIDGE (duplicate pairs) Mulled wine and mince pies
1745 Welcome Reception followed by 24-27 Dec ...... 27-29 Dec ......
BOXiNG DAY DINNER then BRIDGE (duplicate pairs)
1000 SEMINAR followed by
29 Dec-1 Jan ...... All ......
Supervised Play 30 DECEMBER
1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play Please give the name(s) of all those covered
or (“novelty” bridge, duplicate pairs) 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play by this booking
1830 DINNER then BRIDGE (duplicate pairs) or duplicate pairs
1830 DINNER then BRIDGE (duplicate pairs) .......................................................................
27 DECEMBER
SPECIAL REQUESTS
1000 Informal Prize-Giving NEW YEAR’S EVE These cannot be guaranteed,
for Duplicate Section 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play but we will do our best to oblige.
SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play
1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play
1230 Buffet LUNCH followed by or “novelty” bridge or duplicate pairs
BRIDGE (duplicate pairs)
.......................................................................
1745 GALA RECEPTION (Black Tie optional)
followed by a GALA DINNER then EXTRA NIGHT
27-29 DECEMBER 2008 BRIDGE (duplicate pairs) Dinner, bed & breakfast
£199 – Duplicate with Chris Barrable Single £55pp, Double £35pp,
2345 See in the New Year
payable to the hotel on departure.
Example Programme
NEW YEAR’S DAY
23 Dec ...... 1 Jan ......
27 DECEMBER 1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play
1500 Welcome Desk open. 1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50
Mulled wine and mince pies or duplicate pairs per person per event by cheque payable to
Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with your
1745 Welcome Reception followed by
booking confirmation. On receipt of your
DINNER then BRIDGE (duplicate pairs)
final payment, 28 days before the event, a pro-
gramme and full details will be sent together
28 DECEMBER with a map. Cancellations are not refundable.
1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play Should you require insurance, you should
1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play contact your own insurance broker.
or duplicate pairs
1830 DINNER then BRIDGE (duplicate pairs)
, Ryden Gr ange, Knaphill,
29 DECEMBER Sur r ey GU21 2TH
1000 SEMINAR followed by Supervised Play ( 01483 489961
1230 LUNCH then further Supervised Play Fax 01483 797302
or duplicate pairs
jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
 ( 01483 489961 TUTORIAL
PLAY SOFTWARE
QPlus 9.1 £82.00 .......
SOFTWARE
Trade-in any previous QPlus
Book & Disk and just send ONLY £32.00 .......
with Bernard Magee
QPlus 8.8 £52.00 .......
ACOL BIDDING DECLARER PLAY
TUTORIAL SOFTWARE
Acol Bidding £62.00 ....... l Opening Bids and l Suit Establishment
More Acol Bidding £92.00 ....... Responses in No-trumps
Declarer Play £70.00 .......
l Slams and Strong l Suit Establishment in
Advanced Declarer Play £75.00 .......
Openings Suits
BOOKS
l Support for Partner l Hold-ups
Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified
Hand Evaluation
£5.95 .......
£14.00 .......
£70
l Pre-empting l Ruffing for
2009 DIARIES Extra Tricks
l Overcalls
Standard £62 l Entries in No-trumps
Pillar Box Red ..... Navy Blue ..... Ivory ..... £5.95 ....... l No-trump
Maroon ..... Cambridge Blue ..... Openings l Delaying
Luxury with Kidrell Cover and Responses Drawing Trumps
& Ball-Point Pen
l Opener’s and l Using the Lead
Bottle Green ..... £12.95 .......
Responder’s Rebids
PENS l Trump Control
l Minors and Misfits
Boxed Set of Four Ball Point Pens £19.95 ....... l Endplays &
(Heart, Club, Diamond, Spade) l Doubles Avoidance
BONE CHINA MUG
l Competitive Auctions l Using the Bidding
Bidding Sequence £14.35 .......

TEA TOWELS MORE ACOL ADVANCED

Tea Towels – Any four for £17.00 ....... BIDDING DECLARER PLAY
We are Survivors £5.95 .......
Ten Commandments for Bridge Players £5.95 ....... l Basics l Making Overtricks
How to know you are growing older £5.95 ....... in No-trumps
l Advanced Basics
Ode to a Pill £5.95 ....... l Making Overtricks
Thoughts of an older person £5.95 ....... l Weak Twos in Suit Contracts
Bridge Traffic Signs £5.95 .......
l Strong hands l Endplays
Life’s a game, but bridge is serious £5.95 .......
Recipe for a happy marriage £5.95 ....... l Defence to Weak l Avoidance
£75
TIES Twos
l Wrong Contract
Bridge Players Ties. Red or Navy £11.95 ....... l Defence to 1NT
Bridge Players Novelty Tie (Big Cards) £11.95 ....... l Simple Squeezes
l Doubles
All prices are fully inclusive. I enclose a cheque for £.............
l Counting the Hand
l Two-suited
Mr/Mrs/Miss ................................................................................................ l Trump Reductions &
Overcalls
Address.........................................................................................................
£92 Coups
l Defences to
...................................................................................................................... Other Systems l Playing Doubled
Contracts
Postcode ..............................................( ............................................. l Misfits and
Distributional Hands l Safety Plays
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH.
www.mrbridge.co.uk
System Requirements: Windows XP or Vista, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM
 ANSWERS TO THE BIDDING QUIZ ON
PAGE 3 by BERNARD MAGEE

out of control. Bidding 1NT is a bit like a Double. You have a strong hand and the
1. Dealer West. N/S Vul. negative bid – with a weak hand (6 or 7 HCP) temptation is to bid your hand out by
♠ AK876432 ♠ 95 and a distribution you cannot show: respond rebidding 2NT. However, your partner might
♥ 4 N ♥ 762 1NT first and then, if partner shows a second be very weak, as here, and 2NT will make
W E
♦ 76 S
♦ KQ9432 suit, you can play there. only 5 or 6 tricks.
♣ 53 ♣ Q9
On this hand, if you respond 1NT, your partner In the early rounds of bidding, when just suits
will pass – his flat 16 points does not merit any have been bid and nobody has limited their
more action. Finishing at the 1-level is just hand, doubles are generally most useful as
West North East South
what you hoped for. 2♦ is a better contract, take-out bids, asking partner to show his best
?
but you cannot bid to it! If you respond 2♦, suit. This is a prime example illustrating when
your partner would rebid 2NT, taking you you can use such a double. Your double
4♠. The vulnerability is in your favour – North-
much too high. Note how much better 1NT is expresses to your partner that you are strong
South are vulnerable, you are not – and you
than 1♠ – passing would be cruel to your and want to bid on, but you must also be
are first to speak. You should certainly make a
partner – after all, would you want to play in short in the opponents’ suit and have some
pre-emptive bid, but at what level? It is a
1♠ with these two hands? support for the unbid suits.
choice between opening 3♠ and 4♠. When
your suit has good quality then the level of With four cards in diamonds and three in
your pre-empt should depend on the length spades you have enough support for
3. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
of the suit. With seven you should open 3♠, whatever he chooses, so this hand is ideal for
♠ A Q J 10 5 ♠ K9876
but with eight, as here, you should open 4♠, a take-out double. Your partner responds 2♦
♥ KQ3 N ♥ 2
putting the maximum pressure on the W E and now you should keep your peace – 2♦ is
♦ KQ2 S ♦ 54
opponents. A 4♠ opener is difficult to deal an excellent contract.
♣ 54 ♣ A7632
with because the opponents may be unsure
Note that, once one member of the
what a double means – is it penalties or take-
partnership has bid no-trumps, doubles will
out?
West North East South more often be for penalties.
On this particular hand, you would probably go 1♠ Pass 4♠ Pass
one off in 4♠, whilst your opponents can make ?
at least eleven tricks, if not twelve, in hearts or 5. Dealer West. Love All.
clubs. At this vulnerability, one off doubled Pass. A direct raise to 4♠ over a 1♠ opening is ♠ Q3 ♠ J 10 9 8 7
costs just 100 points, whilst a vulnerable game generally a pre-emptive bid, cutting out the ♥ 765 N ♥ KQ42
W E
is worth at least 600. When you are non- opponents. Bearing this in mind, you should ♦ A943 S ♦ 2
vulnerable, pre-empt to the maximum! be wary of going on past game. This hand ♣ AK87 ♣ 432
exhibits the need to differentiate between
pre-emptive raises to game and genuine
2. Dealer East. Game All. strong raises. For slam to be a good prospect West North East South
♠ Void ♠ K987 opposite your hand, you would require at 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass
♥ K987 N ♥ A42
W E
least two aces and the king of trumps, but 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
♦ K7632 S ♦ A85 with such a hand, your partner should take ?
♣ 10 4 3 2 ♣ KQ5 his time, by delaying his raise to game.
Pass. What does your partner have for this
East’s 4♠ response was excellent – had you
auction? Usually one would need 11 points or
had a weaker hand – your opponents might
West North East South more for Stayman, but, on a couple of hand
have been able to make something and it cut
1♠ Pass types, one can use it with weaker hands.
out their suit. Note that 10 tricks are all you
?
can make, so 5♠ is too high. Here is one of those types: 5-4 in the majors
and a weak hand. Rather than transferring (or
1NT. You have 6 HCP, so you must make a
making a weak take-out) the best option is to
response. How much strength do you need to
4. Dealer West. Love All. use Stayman to see whether opener has a fit
bid at the two-level? You need ten points
♠ KQ9 ♠ 432 in responder’s four-card major: the plan is to
including length and at least 9 HCP. You do N
♥ KQ87 W E ♥ 32 pass if opener shows a four-card major and
not have enough, so your choices are coming
♦ A832 S ♦ J7654 otherwise to rebid with two of the five-card
down! If you have to respond, but cannot bid
♣ K2 ♣ Q43 major, which opener should pass. Here East
at the two-level, you have Hobson’s choice
tried for a heart fit, but failing that, he ‘signed
and must bid 1NT.
off’ in 2♠. Although it does not look pretty
Although you do not have a balanced hand, West North East South from your side, once again trusting partner
sometimes when you are weak, you have to 1♥ 2♣ Pass Pass pays dividends because 2♠ is the best
tell little lies to stop the auction from getting ? contract. ■

Page 7

I
n 2007, the sea was calm and the sun
shone throughout. The 2008 cruise
was very different indeed! The cruise
ship was ailing with engine problems
and the winds were getting up.
Having had such a success in 2007
and with an aggressive pricing
structure, Mr Bridge decided to expand
the bridge group on board: taking over
two lounges, we took a party of 160
players and there were also 30-40 non-
players in the party.
I was excited about the cruise and was
determined to make sure everybody else
was too! The ship was late in, but I
made sure I persuaded everybody that
things would get better when we were
on board.
The sun was half out when we left
Harwich and the waves were visible but
not overly dismaying. However, if you
can see the waves when close to port,
beware the open seas!
With everybody on board, we had our
welcome meeting in the Carousel
Lounge, many still clutching their life
jackets – not because we thought the
ship was going down, but because the
boat drill had been fitted into a tight
timing schedule.
We have a beginners’ section, a
relaxed section and the main section, I
Cruise to
the Riviera
by Bernard Magee
explained. The beginners would be
looked after by Carol during the cruise
and would play on Deck 7 in the card
room, whilst the Showstoppers
(relaxed) section would play in the Palm
Court and the main section would play
in the Bridge Club. The Showstoppers
may sound a grand name, but it means
exactly what it says: it stops for the 2nd
sitting show. I introduced the Mr Bridge
Team, which included helpers from
across the country and also a troupe of
actors. My sister was on board: Yvie
Magee and with her fellow performers,
they were to put on two plays but more
of that later.
After dinner, a few players were
starting to sense the ship’s motion, but
most made it to the first evening, which
I promised would be a little shorter than
usual. 37 tables in play and what is
wonderful about bridge is that, once you
start playing, you do not notice the
motion of the ship at all. The standard
of play was a little variable due to
tiredness. Up and down was perhaps the
best description.
Dealer South. Love All.
♠ A75
♥ 64
♦ K9876
♣ A76
♠ 6 ♠ 9843
N
♥ K9832 W E
♥ Q J 10 7
♦ 10 5 3 S ♦ QJ4
♣ Q J 10 9 ♣ 83
♠ K Q J 10 2
♥ A5
♦ A2
♣ K542
Page 8
West North East South
1♠
Pass 2♦ Pass 3♣
Pass 4♠ End
The declarer on this hand really felt the
effects of the sea. In the bidding, once
North knew his partner had five spades
(because of his rebid of 3♣), he decided
to jump to 4♠.
Declarer won the ♣Q lead in dummy
and decided to play on diamonds before
trumps. He played the ♦A, ♦K and a
third diamond which was ruffed high at
the same time as the boat moved
upwards: all followed and it looked as
though overtricks were there: time to
draw trumps ending in dummy. The ♠K
and then the boat sunk down into the
waves, as West discarded on the second
round of trumps and now the diamonds
were stranded. A third round of trumps
could be won in dummy, but when a
winning diamond was played East
ruffed. Although declarer could overruff,
he had to settle for ten tricks. Declarer’s
fortunes fluctuated throughout the hand,
but he had a certain entry to dummy in
the ♣A and that is what he should have
conserved. Win the lead in hand with
the ♣K, then play on diamonds,
 Cruise to the Riviera
co nti nued
ruffing the third round, as before. Now
you can draw four rounds of trumps and
then cross to the ♣A to enjoy the two
diamond tricks: 12 tricks made for a top
score – plain sailing.
The next morning brought a very busy
day: seminar, welcome party, afternoon
bridge and evening bridge. I emphasized
that all the bridge was optional because,
as always on cruise ships, there are
plenty of other things going on.
The seminar went well, but in the
Carousel, we were at the very front of
the ship and the motion caught a few
out. However, the advantage of being in
the Carousel is that you are videoed for
the cabin television, so a number of
clients, who were stuck in bed, were
able to watch me from the comfort (or
discomfort) of their own cabins.
Next followed our welcome drinks
for which the turnout was about 50%,
which, considering there were free
drinks on offer, will tell you that it was
getting rough. The singles got together
for a meeting to arrange partners for a
few different bridge events: this gives
everybody the chance to try a few
different bridge partners before settling
down with one or other.
Surely, by the second day, the sea will
have quietened, the engines would be
roaring and all would be well – not
quite! The wind was roaring and the
engines were spluttering – I went out on
the starboard side at the stern of the ship
and could barely stand. The wind was
holding us back and at Force 9 with a
big swell, it was tossing us this way and
that. Undoubtedly an impressive sea,
but less so for those stuck in their beds
and the news that we were set for a third
Better Hand
day at sea did not cheer many up.
However, more sea means more
Evaluation
bridge and if you wanted to, you could
nearly have managed to do bridge, non-
stop. The second day brought our first
set of set hands and a chance to practise Bernard Magee
the subject of the morning’s seminar: 16
tables tried their hand, whilst 14 tables
Introduction
played a duplicate. Here is a deal from
the duplicate that could easily have Better Hand Evaluation is aimed at
featured in the set hands on overcalling. helping reader s to add greater accur acy
to their bidding. It deals with auctions
in which you and your par tner, against
silent opponents, can descr ibe your
hands to each other fully and, by
evaluating them accur ately, find the
best final contr act. The emphasis of all
good, accur ate bidding is on hand
evaluation.
There are two gener al 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 descr ibe the strength of your
hand as soon as possible, most often
using no-tr ump bids. This book begins
by discussing balanced-hand bidding in
Acol, as it is very important that both
members of a par tner ship have an
Dealer North. E/W Game. accur ate knowledge of how to show
♠ AQ7 hands of different strengths.
♥ 9 When a fit is found, there is much re-
♦ KQ8762 evaluation of the hand to be done; point
♣ 10 9 6 count, though still important, needs to
♠ J964 ♠ 32 be evaluated along with distribution.
N
♥ Q 10 W E
♥ J87654 The best way of reaching an accurate
♦ J3 S ♦ A5 assessment is to use the Losing Tr ick
♣ QJ432 ♣ K87 Count; this is an impor tant method of
♠ K 10 8 5 hand evaluation and takes up a number
♥ AK32 of chapter s.
♦ 10 9 4
Finally, we move on to different for ms
♣ A5
of evaluation, including game tries and
splinter bids. You can never know
enough methods of hand evaluation;
West North East South
the more you learn, the better you get at
1♦ 1♥ Dbl
judging your hand.
Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT
End Although the Losing Tr ick Count is
used more easily in tandem with your
West led the ♥Q against 3NT and partner, a large propor tion of the ideas
declarer made an easy eleven tricks. The in this book can be used by an
overcalling seminar focussed on the individual. For example, evaluating
reasons for overcalling. Why had East your hand to be worth an extra point is
overcalled this hand? His answer would going to help anyone you par tner – as
probably be because it was only at the long as you get it r ight!
one-level. Never forget that there are
two players in each partnership and you £14 including postage
are speaking to your partner. You are from , Ryden Grange,
vulnerable against not, so you are not Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
looking for a sacrifice. You are not ( 01483 489961
causing much disruption as 1♥ over
Page 9
AT THE ROYAL KENZ, TUNISIA

Two-week half-board duplicate holidays 2009

FULL 22 Feb – 8 March with Bernard Magee - £699*
8 March – 22 March with Ray Hutchinson - £699*
22 March – 5 April with Chris Barrable - £699*
1 November – 15 November with Tony Richards - £699*
15 November – 29 November with Bernard Magee - £749*
*per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive of bridge fees. Single supplement £5 per night. These prices are based on air travel
from Gatwick to Monastir. Flights from other UK airports are available at a supplement. All prices are firm until 31 October 2008. Prices for seven-
night stays are available on application.
Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facing room, tea & coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl of seasonal fruit.

These holidays have been organised for by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933, working in association with Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited, ATOL 1179.

DETAILS & BOOKINGS ( 01483 489961

 Cruise to the Riviera
con tinu ed
1♦ does not consume space. When it
turns out you can have only 7 or 8 points
(West hears the opponents bid to 3NT
and he holds 7 points which does not
leave you with much) it means you were
unlikely to be focussed on competing
the hand. So that leaves just one good
reason: you must have been overcalling
because you wanted the suit led!
I love to bid; I love to overcall on
weak hands, but I only bid on weak
hands if my suit is of high quality – I
want my partner to think,
‘He overcalled on a weak
hand so I must lead his
suit.’ If you want your
partner to think this, then
make sure you only bid
with strong suits if you
are weak. Had East
passed with this hand,
West would have led the
♣3 against 3NT and
declarer would have
been one down, losing
four clubs and the ♦A.
All I need to do is
change one card and the
1♥ overcall is fine: make
the ♣K the ♥K instead,
now the heart suit is
decent and the chances
are that a heart lead is
best. With the king
bolstering your suit, the
♥Q lead would be
perfect and would defeat
3NT. The only time I overcall with a
weak suit is when I have a strong all-
round hand that needs to compete (12+
points), but it must be at least five cards
long.
Learning 160 names was certainly
testing me, but for the men, there were
so many Johns that if I was in any doubt
I could always call them John – easier
for me perhaps, but it did cause some
problems for the singles. When they
said they were playing with John, it was
not always easy to partner them up –
quite often we were searching from
room to room to find the right partners
invariably partnering up helpers with
some of them – none of the helpers was
called John, thankfully!
Day four and the sun was out, the sea
was calm and the mood on board
lightened. After all, it was fine for us
bridge players, endlessly entertained,
but for many other passengers, it had
been rather glum! Another seminar and
more set hands and then, at 4.15pm, the
first play: Shakers.
I managed to get the play put on after
the bridge had finished, so the players
could watch it if they wished. I thought
I would fall asleep, having been doing
bridge non-stop, but I enjoyed every
moment: the four actresses were
extremely professional and the John
Godber Play was entertaining, if a little
risqué for some.
Everybody was emerging from
below: one player who had not yet
made the bridge room appeared and was
welcomed with open arms and a kiss!
The atmosphere on board was of relief
and excitement. With excess energy to
disperse after the evening’s bridge, it
was dance time. The young actresses
were up on the floor and I could not
resist joining them, and quite a few of
the bridge group joined in too – little
did they know that they would get a
prize for it – San, Hilary, Jean, Gwen
and Gaynor to name but a few.
The next morning brought dreams of
stepping on dry land, but there was still
time for a seminar and plenty of dolphin
watching. Great numbers of the
mammals were leaping out of the water
on both sides of the ship. Groups would
stay for a while, swim off and then
rejoin us later on – although they may
have been different ones; my dolphin
Page 11
recognition skills are none too good.
We also had time for a software
demonstration. We had two computers
available for clients to try out the
various pieces of software that could be
bought from the on-board boutique, tax-
free. There was plenty of interest,
especially in the Acol Bidding and the
Declarer Play. Jessica, from the office,
was on hand to take questions about Mr
Bridge’s activities on land and at sea. It
was a good chance for her to see how a
cruise really works and how bridge
sessions run – it was also a good chance
for her to have some fun!
Land ahoy! The welcome shape of the
Rock of Gibraltar
brought us our first
landfall of the cruise.
Lisbon was missed out
because of foul weather
and engine trouble, but
the Captain had done
well to get us to
Gibraltar. Most of the
clients swayed gently as
they walked off the ship
– trying to walk the sea
from their legs.
There were plenty of
stories to tell when back
on board, especially of
wonderful bargains in
the shops. Clearly a
number of players felt
the need of retail therapy
to recover from the sea’s
rocking. The first port of
call is always wonderful
because it gets people
talking about the things
they have done during the day. They
compare prices for taxis and talk about
their tours and walks. The atmosphere
at bridge that evening was heightened –
and we would have a full day in port the
next day.
Our main stop of the cruise was
Almeira and everybody enjoyed it
thoroughly: blazing sunshine and searing
heat in the middle of the day. Plenty of
people went off to the Alhambra Palace;
meanwhile I went off with Jo, one of
my helpers and we ventured round the
streets of Almeira to find a bar and have
a beer! ‘With olives,’ we said to the
barman and olives and sardines
appeared. It was a wonderful scene,
leaning back in the chair in the shade of
olive trees, eating fresh fish and drinking
cold beer. At the table next to us were
two Australians, who had as much
 Cruise to the Riviera
co nti nued
trouble as us ordering their drinks and
snacks. They ordered the same as us, but
then another lady came and although
they tried to say they had already
ordered, she misunderstood! They got
the same as us, but then two minutes
later a huge platter of seafood arrived.
Having just eaten a big lunch around the
corner, they had not been prepared for
this, but Jo and I were glad to come to
the rescue. We joined their table and
shared calamari, whitebait, sardines and
squid with more beer, of course.
Farewell drinks already, but with the
sea calm and the sun going slowly
down, the Carousel lounge was filled
and the atmosphere was excellent.
There were plenty of prizes to
distribute, from the best of the bridge
players in both sections (Tony & Jo,
Dave & Derek) to the best drinkers
(Jane & Judi) and the best dancers (the
actresses). Plenty of drinks were drunk
and with wine at dinner too, there was
some innovative bidding and play later
on that evening.
Of course, there was still a day at sea
to go: seminar, bridge, bridge, parties,
plays and dancing! The last seminar
was on the Bidding Quiz and included
some very difficult decisions, one of
which was:
Dealer North.
Love All.
♠ KQ643
♥ A75
♦ KQ65
♣ 2
West North East South
3♥ Dbl Pass
?
I will give you a little time to decide
what you bid, as West, with this hand.
The play on the last afternoon was
another by John Godber, Teechers.
Unfortunately, it was scheduled at the
same time as bridge, but many of the
group chose to see the play and they
were rewarded by another excellent
show. The feedback about the acting
was brilliant and congratulations are
due to their great efforts. After the first
two days, the actors were wondering
why they had come, but by the end of
the cruise, they were on their best form
– having enjoyed a wonderful ride.
Whilst all this bridge was being
played by the more experienced players,
Carol had four absolute beginners who
had had five days at sea to get their teeth
into the game and they made great
progress. By the end, they were playing
a game of Chicago in the bridge room
with the rest of us!
Captain’s cocktails arrived and
everybody was looking splendid, all
dressed up with plenty of places to go;
including the bridge room, of course.
The bridge games finished with no big
bangs and the dance floor was waiting.
More champagne for me as I shared a
bottle with Ethel and Tony as we looked
at some of his ideas on the relationships
between high-card points and ability, on
the performance in a duplicate. Mean-
while they got up on the dance floor for
a jive.
Page 12
Back to the hand above. Most players
bid 4♠, but you have a very strong hand:
your partner’s double is for take-out and
suggests an opening hand at least. Fully
evaluating your hand including shortage
and length, gives you 17 points (or five
losers), which opposite an opening hand
is enough to think about slam. Your
partner is quite likely to hold a singleton
heart for his double, so the hands may
well fit together beautifully. If he holds
two aces then 6♠ should have a good
chance of making, so you should ask
your partner how many aces he has: bid
4NT.
This was your partner’s hand:
♠ AJ95
♥ 2
♦ J932
♣ AQ84
It is the very minimum for a take-out
double at the three-level and yet when
he shows two aces, you can bid 6♠ and
expect to make it.
Finally we reached Marseilles, by
which time I was very tired. A coach
took me through the French countryside
to Nice airport in the morning. Along
with Liz, Rosemary, Stephanie and
Sandra we made our way back to
Northern Ireland.
What a cruise: the seas and the
engines added to the entertainment, but
the bridge group was buzzing and it was
a great pleasure to be involved. The
good news is that the engines are all
back working and the ship is cruising in
style again. I cannot wait until next
year, when the skies will be blue, the
sun bright and the sea calm and we will
all be wondering what the fuss was
about! ■
 DEFENCE AT MARSHAM COURT
East Cliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3AB

QUIZ Duplicate Bridge Breaks 2009

3-5 Feb (Tue-Thu) £199 1-3 Jun (Mon-Wed)
Slam Bidding - Chris Barrable £199
by Julian Pottage 1-3 Mar (Sun-Tue) £199 2-4 Jul (Thu-Sat) £150
Declarer Play Just Duplicate
(Answers on page 58)
Chris Barrable 17-19 Jul (Fri-Sun) £199
ou are West in the defensive positions below. It is your
Y turn to play.
3-5 Mar (Tue-Thu) £199
Further into the Auction
Chris Barrable
22-24 Jul (Wed-Fri) £199
23-25 Sep (Wed-Fri) £150
Just Duplicate
1. ♠ AQJ94 3. ♠ 10 2 26-28 Apr (Sun-Tue) £150 30 Oct-1 Nov (Fri-Sun) £235
♥ Q9 ♥ A9 Just Duplicate Bernard Magee
♦ A84 ♦ K Q J 10 8 4
♣ KJ3 ♣ Q62
♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with
♠ 10 5 2 ♠ K874
N N ♦ No single en-suite facilities
♥ A 10 6 4 2 W E
♥ 10 8 7 5 2 W E
♦ J72 S ♦ A75 S
supplement ♦ Venue non-smoking
♣ 10 8 ♣ 10 ♦ Tuition with Supervised Play, bidding quiz and two seminars
except on Just Duplicate events
West North East South West North East South
1♠ Pass 1NT 1NT _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT Pass 3NT End
End
You lead the ♥5. Partner Please book me for ..... places, Day Guests (£115pp) ......
You lead the ♥4, which wins with the ♥K and
goes to the ♥9, ♥K and returns the ♥6, as South Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... Sea View* .....
♥5. Partner returns the follows with the ♥3 and
♥8, to which South fol- ♥J. After the ♥A wins, at the Marsham Court date(s) of .......................................
lows with the ♥7. How do declarer calls for the ♦K
you defend? from dummy, on which Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................
partner plays the ♦6.
What do you play on this Address...............................................................................
2. ♠ 9 trick? What do you expect
♥ A9642 will determine your play to ............................................................................................
♦ Q J 10 8 4 the next trick?
♣ 63 Postcode ............................................................................
♠ Q 10 5 2
N
♥ 10 W E 4. ♠ J72 ( ......................................................................................
♦ A75 S ♥ A6
♣ Q 10 8 5 2 ♦ K Q J 10 8 4 Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,
♣ J9 but we will do our best to oblige)
♠ 10 8 3 N
West North East South ♥ 10 4 W E
..........................................................................................
1♠ ♦ A75
S
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per
Pass 1NT Pass 2♥ ♣ K 10 8 5 2 place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent
Pass 4♥ End
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay-
ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details
You lead the ♣5. Partner West North East South
will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund-
wins with the ♣A and 1♦ Pass 1♥
able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your
South drops the ♣K. Back Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT
own insurance broker. *£30 supplement per room.
comes the ♦9, covered by End
the ♦K. How do you
defend? You lead the ♣5. Partner , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
wins the ♣9 with the ♣A ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302
and returns the ♣7, as
South follows low once e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
more. Your defence? website: www.holidaybridge.com

Page 13
AT THE BEACH HOTEL DECLARER
Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3QJ
PLAY
Duplicate Weekends 2009
with Bernard Magee QUIZ
30 Jan-1 Feb (£209) Leads & Defence
6-8 Feb (£209) Declarer Play
by David Huggett
5-7 Jun (£235) Splinters & Cue Bids (Answers on page 41)

12-14 Jun (£235) Overcalls

2-4 Oct (£235) Stayman & Transfers ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.
with Improver section Y In each case, what is your play strategy?

16-18 Oct (£235) Hand Evaluation

4-6 Dec (£235) Signals & Discards 1. 3.
♠ K53 ♠ K984
♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with ♥ 762 ♥ A2
Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities ♦ J5 ♦ AK763
♣ AQJ62 ♣ J5
♦ No single supplement ♦ Venue non-smoking
N N
♦ Tuition with Supervised Play, bidding quiz and two seminars W E W E
S S

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ♠ AJ7 ♠ Q J 10 7 5 3

♥ AK5 ♥ 3
♦ A 10 8 3 2 ♦ 954
Please book me for ..... places,
♣ 53 ♣ K83
Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... Sea View* .....

at the Beach Hotel weekend(s) of ...................................... You are declarer in 3NT
and West leads the ♠6.
Mr/Mrs/Miss ..................................................................... East plays the ♠9. How
do you plan the play?
Address...............................................................................
You are declarer in 4♠ and
West, who bid hearts,
leads the ♥K. How do you
plan the play?

............................................................................................

Postcode ............................................................................ 2. 4.
♠ QJ98 ♠ J4
( ...................................................................................... ♥ A62 ♥ 7
♦ AK752 ♦ A875432
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed)
♣ 9 ♣ 843
.......................................................................................... N N
W E W E
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per S S

place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent

♠ A K 10 7 3 ♠ AQ62
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay-
♥ 843 ♥ A K Q J 10 8
ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details
will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund- ♦ 4 ♦ Void
able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your ♣ K Q J 10 ♣ A62
own insurance broker. *£30 supplement per room.

You are declarer in 6♠ and You are declarer in 4♥

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
West leads the ♥K. How and West leads the ♣K.
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 do you plan the play? How do you plan the
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk play?
website: www.holidaybridge.com

Page 14
 It Happened That Way by Freddie North
The Advantages
of Transfers
he advent of transfers
T has unquestionably
helped the bidding
machinery of ambitious
players, especially where
close contracts are con-
cerned. In pre-transfer days,
how would we have coped
with these two hands?
You might like to put
yourselves in South’s shoes
with this hand:
Dealer North.
E/W Vul.
Pairs.
♠ AJ743
♥ 10 4 2
♦ 32
♣ A 10 8
N
W E
S ♣ K4
♠ K 10 6 2
♥ AQ85
♦ Q 10 9
♣ K4
After two passes, South
would, no doubt, open 1NT,
giving North a small
problem. Perhaps North
would settle for 2♠ (usually
no need to push for thin
games at pairs), or maybe he
would bid 2♣ (Stayman) and
then, over 2♥, bid 2♠
(showing a hand a bit better
than a direct sign-off in 2♠).
There the bidding might end,
although, if South was having
a good day, he might raise to
3♠ and give North a further
decision. If North was also
having a good day, perhaps
they would reach game, but it
2009
Bridge
Players’
Diaries
all sounds very iffy. might endanger the plus
Now let us see how
transfers might help as we
look at the bidding from one
score and there is a smidgeon
of sense in this suggestion –
but only a smidgeon! A much
table in the weekly club more potent argument is that
duplicate. the 3♠ bid feeds partner with
enough information to try for
game on minimal values ♦ Acol Summary
Dealer North. whenever that is appropriate. by Ron Klinger.
E/W Vul. Furthermore, if partner is as ♦ Updated Laws and
Pairs. poor as the proverbial church Ethics by Mike
♠ AJ743 mouse, then the opposition Swanson.
♥ 10 4 2 will surely have a part-score
♦ Scoring Tables for
♦ 32 contract of their own, if not a Duplicate and Rubber.
♣ A 10 8 game.
♠ 985 ♠ Q Although understandable, ♦ Choice of red, navy,
♥ 3 N ♥ KJ976 East’s double was unfortun- ivory, pale blue or
W E
S maroon covers.
♦ A84 ♦ KJ765 ate as it further ensured that
♣ QJ7652 ♣ 93 the hand would play well ♦ All covers printed in
♠ K 10 6 2 when West led the three of gold-coloured ink.
♥ AQ85 hearts, an obvious singleton. ♦ Individual diaries
♦ Q 10 9 Declarer won the nine with £5.95 each inc p&p.
the queen and laid down the
♦ Special concession to
king of spades, dropping the bridge clubs. 10 or
singleton queen (with heart more copies £3.50
West North East South shortage in the West hand, each including p&p,
Pass Pass 1NT West was favourite to hold subject to availability.
Pass 2♥1 Dbl2 3♠3 length in trumps). Trumps
Pass 4♠4
End were drawn and then a small
diamond to the ten fetched
1
Showing five spades and asking the ace. Not liking the look of
partner to transfer, usually to 2♠. the club suit, West returned a
2
I have a heart suit. If you have a diamond and there was an
fit, maybe we can compete. easy parking place for
3
I have a maximum no-trump dummy’s losing heart on the
with four spades. queen of diamonds. Had West Luxury version with super-soft
4
Then let us try for game. not played a second diamond, kidrell cover, gilded page
edges and a ball-point
declarer could have reached
pen attached.
Probably because of lack of dummy and done so himself, Cover colour: bottle green.
teaching, South’s jump to 3♠ thus ensuring the handsome £12.95 each
(maximum with four trumps) score of +450 for making including postage
is not part of many players eleven tricks. n and packing.
equipment. On this particular
evening, only one pair reached Exclusively available
the spade game, which seems Freddie North is one of from
to confirm this observation. Britain’s most popular ( 01483 489961.
Of course, one could argue bridge writers. www.mrbridge.co.uk
that South’s enthusiasm
Page 15

‘I
bet Ted Branch would come as
the Marquis de Sade,’ chuckled
David. ‘Stop right now,’
interrupted David’s wife Velda. ‘Keep a
reign on that active imagination of
yours. I like the idea and fancy dress
would certainly be a change from our
usual Christmas Bridge Party. Let’s also
make a stipulation that members and
guests have to remain in their costume
persona for the duration of the evening.’
Yarborough and Blackwood
Readers of BRIDGE may be familiar
with David and Velda’s Park Drive
Bridge Club through the exploits of
their famous ghostly dog, Yarborough,
last year. Readers will further be
pleased to learn that his successor at the
club, Blackwood, is also proving a very
popular and intuitive dog!
‘We can’t leave Blackwood out,’ said
David while giving the little dog a
friendly scratch behind the ears.
‘Maybe something like a little green
waistcoat would look appropriate?’
Yarborough looked across at
Blackwood and gave a transparent
wink. ‘Maybe I could come as the
‘Hound of the Baskervilles,’ he thought.
Blackwood thumped his little tail with
delight as he sensed this idea.
Fancy Dress
Delighted to have his wife’s approval
for the concept, David continued in an
innocent tone, ‘perhaps someone will
come as Moll Flanders? I believe she
was an enthusiastic card player.’ Velda
gave an indulgent smile and asked what
costume he might favour? ‘Well, I was
thinking we should come as the King
and Queen of Hearts. You could make a
A Slam
for Santa
by Michael Scarrott
batch of heart-shaped tarts and hand This was the deal in question:
them round when guests arrive.’ ‘I’ll
think about it,’ answered Velda,
dismissing this suggestion instantly Sue
from her mind. ♠ AJ4
♥ K 10 9
Approval for Fancy Dress ♦ 652
♣ AQJ6
‘We should have a full house for this Don Pru
evening’s duplicate, so let’s put the idea ♠ 10 8 5 2 ♠ K93
N
up for approval.’ Members gave the ♥ 52 W E
♥ 743
suggestion a wholehearted thumbs-up ♦ A93 S ♦ Q J 10 8
and it became a conversation theme ♣ 10 8 5 3 ♣ 942
throughout the evening. ‘You two might Colin
as well dress up as Bonnie and Clyde,’ (Dealer)
said a disgruntled Delia Pain to Jack ♠ Q76
and Janet Brown. ‘You robbed us on ♥ AQJ86
that last contract when you led your ace ♦ K74
of clubs. You are not supposed to lead ♣ K7
out an unsupported ace. Everyone
knows that.’ ‘I can only apologise for
my error,’ replied Janet with just a hint Colin opened 1♥ and, when Sue
of pleasure. ‘It’s such a pity it took your responded 2♣, he decided to give a
singleton king!’ good impression of his all round
strength with a rebid of 2NT. Sue next
Maggie Thatcher bid 3♥, which offered Colin the choice
of game in 3NT or 4♥, depending on
‘I have just overheard a threat to come whether he held four hearts or five.
as Margaret Thatcher by Maggie Colin closed the auction with a bid of
Warner,’ said a bemused David. ‘Now 4♥ and Don led the two of spades.
that should create quite a stir. Poor old
John had better be on his metal or he’ll Careless Play
be out of the Cabinet and onto the back
benches in next to no time!’ Without stopping to think or to take
heed of Blackwood’s warning cry, Colin
The Joker called for the four of spades from
dummy with every expectation of
Colin Sims joined in the fun. ‘Don and winning the first trick with the queen.
Pru seem to win most weeks, so, When Pru played the king, he did his
perhaps, they should come as the best to mask his disappointment. Seeing
Dynamic Duo – Batman and Robin?’ ‘If no future in leading back into the spade
that’s the case, then you should come as strength, Pru returned the diamond
The Joker,’ said Colin’s long-suffering queen to the weakness on the table. This
wife, Sue. ‘The way you played that last proved the fatal blow. Colin’s king fell
contract was nothing but a joke!’ to Don’s ace and two more diamond
Page 16
A Slam for Santa
losers put the contract one down.
‘Bad luck old chap,’ said a delighted
Don anticipating a good board for them.
‘Yes,’ agreed Sue in her best sarcastic
tone. ‘You need to be particularly
careful if you’ve only 30 points split
evenly between the two hands, a solid
five-card trump suit, four club winners
and the spade ace.’ Even little
Blackwood had a despondent look on
his face at this unexpected outcome.
Yarborough floated over to have a look
at the devastation. Go up with the spade
ace at trick one and draw trumps in
three rounds. Take the club winners and
discard two diamond losers from hand.
Played that way, you lose only to the
spade king and the diamond ace. ‘It’s a
good job it’s not raining,’ thought
Yarborough, ‘Colin could well be in for
a long walk home if I’m not mistaken!’
Party Plans
The party would take place on the
Saturday before Christmas. Members
offered to bring a selection of
homemade goodies to go along with
David’s mulled wine and to make
Velda’s sumptuous seasonal buffet
complete with legendary mince pies.
The Identity Club
‘I suppose fancy dress is a bit like a
role-playing game,’ reflected David.
‘You become someone else for a short
period of time and can act completely
out of character without causing
offence.’ Velda raised her eyebrows at
this, but David continued, ‘if you really
do your research, you can say things
and blame it all on the person you’re
masquerading as. In fact, I read recently
about a group of people in New York
who have taken this to the extreme.
They call themselves ‘The Identity
Club’ with members adopting the dress
and mannerisms of long dead poets,
writers, musicians and artists. It really is
quite bizarre as most were chosen for
their extreme and ritualistic behaviour.’
‘That sort of thing might well suit
some of our members,’ answered Velda.
‘Have you noticed how Tom Wise
always wears the same tie, week after
week?’ ‘I should say so,’ chuckled
David. ‘Bright blue with big red dots –
continued
what a distraction – it’s the last thing
you want to look at when playing a
tricky hand. As a matter of fact, I’m
seriously thinking of banning it from
the club and having it put down
humanely!’
Velda chose to ignore David’s riposte
and continued, ‘Did you know that the
playing cards themselves are rife with
superstition? Some people refer to them
as the “devil’s picture book” due to their
connection with fortune telling. I’d be
willing to bet all manner of lucky
charms are worn or carried by
members.’
The King & Queen of Hearts
The big day arrived and following the
usual last minute panic, everything was
ready for the members and guests.
David looked splendid as the King of
Hearts and Velda appeared very regal as
The Queen. Blackwood came dressed in
a specially made waistcoat, while an
unseen Yarborough took in the
proceedings with his usual pleasure and
wagged his phantom tail for all it was
worth.
Santa and Rusty
Now it may come as quite a surprise for
some, but at this very time, Santa Claus
was passing over the Park Drive Bridge
Club along with Rusty, his trusted elf.
He was on one of his many
reconnaissance missions, checking out
the rooftops for any potential problems
well before his big day. He parked his
sleigh on a nearby roof and took a clear
look at what was going on inside the
club. ‘That looks like fun,’ he said in a
deep ho, ho, ho type of voice.
‘Everyone is dressed up in different
costumes and I can see a long table
filled with my favourite mouth-watering
goodies.’ Rusty took a small spyglass
out of his tunic and looked more
closely. ‘I think they might be about to
start playing cards. We had such a good
game last week when we beat the polar
bears. Maybe we could just go down,
knock on the door and join in.’ ‘Sounds
like a great idea,’ replied Santa. They
won’t have a clue who we really are and
no one will take much notice of your
pointed ears and nose after a glass or
Page 17
two of that strong-looking brew,
bubbling away on the stove.’
‘Answer the door, David,’ shouted
Velda, ‘I just knew someone would
make a late appearance.’ ‘It’s only Santa
Claus and a pixie friend,’ called David
from the front door. ‘Come on in and
get yourselves a glass of mulled wine;
play’s just about to start.’ David winked
at Santa and said in a not so sober tone:
‘parked your transport on the roof, I
suppose?’ ‘Yes we did, but we managed
to slide down without mishap. The
reindeers are happily munching the
grass in the next door garden.’ ‘Oh,
that’s a good one,’ replied David,
walking away to join Velda.
‘Everyone’s really getting into the spirit
of things.’
Santa and Rusty Play Doctor
Who and Cyberwoman
Fully fortified with a glass or two of
David’s potent wine, Santa and Rusty
found themselves facing Doctor Who
and a sinister looking Cyberman.
‘That’s a really splendid costume,’ said
a cultured voice from across the table.
You could easily get some part time
work in one of the local department
stores. I understand they are always on
the lookout for someone to play Santa at
this time of the year. You could even
take your little friend along with you.
He has the most marvellous rubber ears
I have every seen. You might even get
the prize for the best costume.’
Best Costume?
Santa looked up and gave a big smile
before speaking. ‘That’s very kind of
you. We really like to look the part
when we go out.’ Rusty looked across at
the Cyberman and waggled his pointed
ears. ‘How amazing,’ said a female
voice from behind the Cyberman’s tin-
foil helmet. ‘Now don’t you worry
about my partner,’ interrupted Doctor
Who, ‘I made a few adjustments with
my sonic screwdriver and now she’s no
trouble at all. In fact, she is the first ever
Cyberwoman!’
Final Board of the Round
Play progressed smoothly with both
sides making a couple of part-score
contracts. The final board of the round
involved some competitive bidding.
This was the deal in question:
A Slam for Santa
Santa
♠ J7
♥ Q5
♦ Q9842
♣ A 10 5 2
Doctor Who Cyberwoman
(Dealer)
♠ K98652 ♠ A3
♥ Void N ♥ A86
W E
♦ AK3 S ♦ J 10 7 6 5
♣ 8643 ♣ QJ9
Rusty
♠ Q 10 4
♥ K J 10 9 7 432
♦ Void
♣ K7
Doctor Who opened 1♠, Santa Claus
passed and Cyberwoman responded 2♦.
With his eight-card suit and diamond
void, Rusty bid stop 4♥. Doctor Who
looked dismissively at the stop card,
as time after all was his to control,
and passed. The auction finished with
an ominous double from the
Cyberwoman.
Doctor Who led the diamond ace;
Rusty trumped in hand and took time to
assess his chances. At first glance, there
appeared to be only three losers – two
spades and the trump ace. With his long,
pointed, green fingers ready to chase out
the heart ace, a movement next to his
chair distracted him briefly. Blackwood,
intrigued by the big jolly man in the red
costume and his rather strange looking
companion, had wandered over to see
what was going on.
Cutting Communications
Rusty took in the mournful expression
on the little dog’s face and decided to
give a little more thought to his line of
play. Cyberwoman was marked with the
ace of hearts. If she holds up until the
second round and then plays on spades,
she may well score a fourth trick for the
defence with a spade ruff. Rusty
decided the safest way to overcome this
threat was to lead spades, with the
intention of cutting communications
while still retaining the queen of trumps
in dummy to protect against an over-
ruff.
continu ed
With the danger now gone, the contract
came home to generous praise from
both opponents. ‘Where on earth does
an Elf learn to play such a clever
game?’ said an inquisitive Doctor Who,
looking closely at Rusty’s finely woven
tunic. ‘He’s my regular partner,’
announced Santa from across the table.
We play most weeks at a club up near
the Arctic Circle. Current club
champions are a couple of long-toothed
narwhals.’
‘I like that,’ joined in an amused
Cyberwoman. ‘Before I teamed up with
Doctor Who, I played at a rather select
club run by a couple of Daleks.
Behaviour at the club was nothing but
exemplary at all times. Yes, it’s quite
amazing how the word “exterminate”
can focus the mind!’
Successful Evening
‘What a successful evening!’ exclaimed
a delighted David. ‘Is that Keith West
over there in the very impressive Henry
VIII costume?’ asked Velda. ‘It most
definitely is,’ replied David, ‘he’s
usually such a quietly-spoken chap, so
it’s quite a surprise to everyone when he
shouts “off with her head” every time he
takes an opponent’s queen. ‘It’s such a
shame Yarborough can’t be here to join
in the fun,’ continued David with a hint
of sadness. Yarborough’s wraithlike
outline floated across the room and he
laid his big shaggy head on David’s lap.
‘I wish I could find some way of letting
him know I’m still here,’ thought
Yarborough. He raised his head and
looked about the room. His phantom
hairs stood on end when he spied Santa
Claus and Rusty. ‘Maybe there is a
way,’ he thought.
Velda’s
Mouth-Watering Banquet
‘Come on,’ said Velda in an effort
to cheer David up, ‘it’s time we all
stopped for something to eat. If we
break off now, we can have one final
round to end the evening.’ The sound of
merry chatter was soon heard as
members and guests tucked into Velda’s
mouth-watering banquet. Their good
friends, Nick and Joan, soon joined
them. ‘The name’s Bond, James Bond,
Page 18
said a well-dressed Nick trying his best
not to laugh. ‘This is my able assistant,
Miss Moneypenny.’ Joan giggled and
added for good measure, ‘we’ve parked
the Aston Martin outside the front
door!’
‘You’ll like this,’ said Nick. ‘We’ve
just played against young Tim Wilson.
You know whom I mean. He has only
been playing for a short time. Well,
apparently he was up against Alice
Sykes sometime last month and she
gave him quite a ticking off for slow
play, poor concentration and a heap
more. When Tim enquired politely how
long she had been playing bridge, she
seemed to take exception and told him
in no uncertain words that she had been
playing for 52 years. Tim pondered this
for a while and replied, in a hardly
audible tone, that he, in fact, had been
playing for only 52 weeks!’ Amazingly,
they seem to be getting on quite well
now. They are even considering playing
together at some time in the future.
‘Probably the distant future,’ added a
sceptical David.
Final Round
‘Looks like we’re up against Santa Claus
on the final round,’ interrupted Velda, ‘so
that should be a really cheerful end to
the evening.’ Friendly chatter and
laughter echoed round the room as
players waited for the last boards to
arrive. Velda looked across at Rusty and
congratulated him on his marvellous
outfit. Rusty gave a shy smile and
thanked Velda for such a lovely meal.
As Santa gazed across the room, the
movement of a shadowy outline across
the floor startled him for a moment. His
extra sensory perception soon made out
the shape as that of a disembodied dog.
‘Looks very much like the dog in the
photograph on the wall,’ he thought, ‘It
must be Yarborough. His spirit never
really left the place.’ He gave a
sympathetic sigh and wished there was
something he could do.
Yarborough Appears
Yarborough stared up into Santa’s large
friendly face and quivered his whole
body with celestial pleasure. Santa
looked across at an unaware David and
gave a warm smile before speaking in
an uncharacteristically soft tone, ‘he’s
always close by and knows just how
much you miss him.’ David looked
A Slam for Santa
up in alarm. ‘Yarborough,’ continued
Santa. ‘He wants you to know he is still
having a great time and keeps a special
watch over little Blackwood.’ David
gazed around the room as he took in the
implication of this rather unexpected
revelation. He glanced across at Santa,
who was nodding his head and peering
intently at a spot on the carpet just
alongside his chair. He looked down and
imagined the old dog keeping a
watchful eye on the evening’s play.
‘Well, I never!’ was all he could mutter.
Yarborough looked up at David and
gave a wolfish grin.
The Last Board
With honours just about even, the last
board saw a competitive auction:
Rusty
♠ AK75
♥ KQ62
♦ 74
♣ KJ4
David Velda
(Dealer)
♠ Void ♠ 94
♥ A 10 9 7 4 N ♥ 53
W E
♦ K 10 8 5 3 S ♦ J6
♣ Q86 ♣ A 10 9 7 5 3 2
Santa
♠ Q J 10 8 6 3 2
♥ J8
♦ AQ92
♣ Void
Velda opened a pre-emptive non-
vulnerable 3♣. Santa overcalled 3♠ and
David went straight to 5♣. With four-
card support and a strong hand, Rusty
raised Santa to 6♠. David led the six of
clubs and Santa took time to assess his
chances.
Santa Avoids
Too Many Losers
Santa knew that the lead marked Velda
with the ace of clubs, which meant that
both the ace of hearts and the king of
diamonds were most likely with David.
He scratched his luxurious white
whiskers as he tried to fathom a way of
avoiding one loser too many. His mind
continued
made up, he played the jack from
dummy and trumped Velda’s ace in
hand. His next move was to draw
trumps ending in hand and lead the
eight of hearts. When David played the
ace, this set up his own jack as well as
the king-queen in dummy. The two
heart winners in dummy, together with
the king of clubs, were sufficient to take
care of the losing diamonds.
Hold-up?
David gave Velda a crestfallen look.
‘Perhaps I should have held onto the
heart ace?’ Santa came to David’s
rescue. ‘If you hold up the ace, I simply
discard my remaining heart on the club
king. I would concede a diamond trick,
as the finesse fails, before claiming the
contract.’ ‘Maybe I should not have
played the club ace on the first round,’
said Velda, ‘I read somewhere about
doing the unexpected in an effort to
confuse declarer. You wouldn’t have
known what to discard, would you?’
‘Quite right,’ continued David with
newfound confidence in his voice,
‘Expert players occasionally come a
cropper against complete beginners
because they just play out their aces and
kings at the first opportunity! This often
ruins their careful subterfuge when
trying to slip a crafty trick through their
opponents’ defences.’
Memorable & Magical Party
Santa winked at Rusty and said, in a
jovial tone, ‘I know just what you mean.
It was only last week that we had a
couple of juvenile snowmen pop in for a
game. They confused our best players
and eventually had to be escorted from
the premises when they were threatened
with melt down by a couple of angry
polar bears!’ David gave a friendly
chuckle before speaking. ‘A Slam for
Santa – this was such an appropriate end
to such a memorable and magical
party!’ n and forced ruff-and-discard, a play
Michael Scarrot lives in Cromer,
Norfolk and teaches bridge
in nearby West Runton.
Page 19
DOUBLE
DUMMY
SOLUTION
by Richard Wheen
(Problem on page 6)
♠ A32
♥ 2
♦ 2
♣ 2
♠ 10 ♠ KQJ
♥ Void N
♥ Void
W E
♦ A S ♦ K
♣ K Q J 10 ♣ 98
♠ 654
♥ 43
♦ Void
♣ A
I was kibitzing one of my pupils playing
this hand in the South-East Surrey
Senior Novice qualifiers and saw that
declarer could easily make four tricks –
two aces and two trumps. He also had
two spade losers, and I whispered to
him that, to save time, he accept one off
(we are quite relaxed about protocol in
these events). Declarer gave me a look
of thunder and led a club promptly to
the ace and then a spade to the ace
(the cashing of aces, without first
considering where the other tricks were
to come from, is one of the hallmarks of
South-East Surrey Senior Novices). Now
he led a diamond from dummy and I
grimaced: I had surely taught him that
ruffing cards in the long trump hand
does not create extra tricks? However,
declarer did not ruff: instead, he threw
a spade. West, who won the trick
perforce, led a club. Dummy ruffed this,
while declarer discarded his last spade.
South’s two trumps won the remaining
tricks. Declarer had made his contract
with the aid of a loser-on-loser endplay
even I had not envisaged. Not only had
he not lost two spade tricks, he had not
lost even one! As I congratulated him
on his card play, I gained the distinct
impression that he would shortly be
looking for a new bridge teacher.

Q Q
I opened 1NT and
my partner took it
out into 2♠. In all
good faith, I explained,
‘weak take-out’, and
passed. The opposition re-
opened with 3♦ and my
partner competed to 3♠,
making four. She had five
spades (king high) in a
ten-point hand with a
singleton – too weak for a
jump to 3♠, and unsuited
to play in 1NT – so 2♠
seems an intelligent bid.
Did we do wrong?
Simon Loveday by e-mail.
A
The term ‘weak
take-out’ means the
response of 2♠
shows a hand that is too
weak to expect to make
game. This is what your
partner had, so there could
be no complaint if the
opponents had
misunderstood.
♣♦♥♠
Q
What is your
opinion on the
bidding below?
(a) E/W are playing non-
promissory Stayman and
transfers over 1NT.
West North East South
1NT1 Pass 2♣2 Pass
2♥ Pass 3♣3 End
1
12-14
2
Stayman
3
Actually, it is a weak take out in
DAVID STEVENSON answers questions on Bridge Laws
2♣ over 1NT by
Partner or
Opponent
clubs. Some say this is legal.
Others say it is not.
(b) N/S are playing Landy
over a 1NT opening.
West North East South
1NT* 2♣2 Pass 2♥
Pass 3♣3 End
1
12-14
2
Alerted by South as Landy
(both majors)
3
Wrong major partner – he had
six clubs and four spades
(i) With ‘Landy’ on the
convention card, was this
legal? (I was South and
thought partner had
forgotten we were playing
Landy).
(ii) If the convention card
had ‘Landy or natural’,
would that make it legal?
Some say the sequence,
with Landy on the
convention card, is illegal
and that South must not
pass 3♣. One director
says that ‘any defence
to 1NT is acceptable’ and
the sequence was
acceptable.
David Hughes,
Worthing, West Sussex.
A
You can play any
responses to 1NT,
so you can use a
Stayman 2♣ response with a
weak take-out in clubs. What
is more, when Jack Marx
invented the convention, now
called Stayman, just before
Page 20
the World War II, it included
this sequence. So playing
Stayman to include a weak
take-out in clubs has been
legal and in use in England
for the last seventy years!
Your second sequence,
with the 2♣ overcall, is
different. For many years,
there were restrictions on
defence to 1NT.
There still are restrictions
at Level 2, which is
generally holiday and
novice bridge. At Level 3
and above, i.e. club and
event bridge, there are no
restrictions so you can play
whatever defence you like.
In club play, it is thus legal
to play 2♣ as the majors or
clubs, or perhaps the majors,
or one major and clubs.
If you do play it that way,
you must still keep the
opponents fully informed, so
you must not call this
Landy. It is not Landy,
where 2♣ shows the majors.
‘Landy or natural’ will not
do; it is not Landy. You
should say ‘the majors or
clubs’.
It is not illegal to pass 3♣,
since it is legal to play it this
way. However, if you have
described it as Landy, either
in answer to a question or
on your convention card, it
is misinformation. The
opponents will get an
adjusted score if they can
show that they have suffered
damage.
Playing duplicate,
we had finished a
round, scored up
our boards and heard the
call to move.
Our opponents had been
discussing one board and
suggested that one of us
had revoked. After a short,
friendly, discussion, we
agreed that my partner
had indeed done so. We
drew the matter to the
attention of the director,
who deducted two tricks
from our result. Is this
right?
Jane Hickey,
Horsell, Surrey.
A
Especially with a
new Law book, it is
important that
directors read rulings from
the Law book – it sounds
like yours did not! If he had,
he might have read Law
64B5, which says that there
are no penalty tricks
deducted after the end of the
round.
Of course, if the revoke
has gained you tricks then
the director should make
sure these go back to your
opponents.
E-mail your questions
on bridge laws to:
davidstevenson@
mrbridge.co.uk.
 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued

RUBBER / CHICAGO 2009

Q
Playing with a
competent partner
for the first time,
we had only a brief system
discussion. On the fifth
board, North (my partner)
dealt and opened 1NT. I
announced 12-14. East
passed. I bid 2♥, which
North announced as a
transfer to spades. West
hesitated and then passed.
North bid 2♠. East passed
and I bid 2NT, which
made. West called the
director claiming that I
had received ‘unauthorised
information’. The director
Whenever you have
unauthorised information
Hosted by Diana Holland
from partner, you must do
your best to take no 1-3 April (Wed-Fri) Marsham Court £199
advantage; I am afraid that
bidding 2NT does not do 24-26 April (Fri-Sun) The Beach Hotel £199
this. You said yourself that
your 2NT was ‘an effort to
11-13 Sep (Fri-Sun) The Beach Hotel £199
correct the misunderstanding’, 30 Sep-2 Oct (Wed-Fri) Marsham Court £199
but you only knew of the
misunderstanding because of Full-board – No Single Supplement
the announcement, so you
should not have bid 2NT. Please note there are no seminars or set hands on these weekends
The director’s adjustment
seems fair to me.
♣♦♥♠

looked at the hands. I had
9 points including ♠K-x-x
and ♥Q-x-x-x-x.
He decided that we should
be one down (in 2♠). I
explained that we were a
new partnership and had
not agreed to play
transfers. I bid 2NT trying
to correct the misunder-
standing over my bid of
2♥.
A Newsome,
Bury St Edmunds.
Q
My partner, East,
opened 2♦, Multi,
when I, West, was
dealer. North noticed the
error. Marsham Court The Beach Hotel
East Cliff, Bournemouth, BH1 3AB Worthing, BN11 3QJ
South did not want to
accept the bid and called _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the director. The director
said that the 2♦ should
Please book me for .... places, Single .... Double .... Twin ....
remain on the table and
that I should pass for the Rubber/Chicago weekend(s) of
throughout. This left my
partner playing in the ............................................................................................
wrong contract and we got
a poor result. Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................

A
When your partner Name address supplied.
announced your 2♥ Address...............................................................................

bid as a transfer, you
knew that you and he were
not on the same wavelength.
His announcement thus gave
you unauthorised
information. Without it, you
might have thought he was
showing five spades and a
doubleton heart. With it, you
knew that your partner had
misunderstood your bid.
DUPLICAT EBRIDGE
RULESSIMPLIFIED
A
When the next
player does not
accept a call out of
turn, it is cancelled.
As the director ruled
correctly, you must pass
throughout if your partner’s
bid out of turn was at your
turn to call, but he should
have let your partner call
whatever he liked.
only
............................................................................................
Postcode ............................................................................
( ......................................................................................
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed)
...........................................................................................
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place
by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice 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.

(otherwiseknownastheYellowBook)
£5 95
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
by John Rumbelow and David Stevenson
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302
NewEdition.Includes2008LawRevisions. e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
from ( 01483 489961 website: www.holidaybridge.com

Page 21
 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued
Q
I read somewhere
that you do not
need to alert if
Duplicate Weekends 2009 partner replies 2NT to 1NT
as a transfer to diamonds.
with Bernard Magee (£235 per person)
Is this correct? I thought
all artificial bids up to 3NT
19-21 June require alerting.
Margaret Harris,
Suit Rochester.
Establishment
A
I am not sure what it
6-8 November is that you have
read. A 2NT
Game response to 1NT as a transfer
Tries to diamonds is alertable, as
is a 2♠ response as a transfer
to clubs.
♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with
Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities
♣♦♥♠
♦ No single supplement ♦ Nine hole golf course
♦ Tuition with Supervised Play, bidding quiz and two seminars
Q
On the first two
boards of a round,
our opponents
BOOKING FORM (two men we used to get on
well with) went eight down
Please book me for ..... places at Blunsdon House Hotel, doubled and then five down
The Ridge, Blunsdon, Swindon, SN26 7AS. doubled. On the third, my
partner played in 3NT.
weekend(s) ......................................................................... With about five cards left
to play, my RHO (the
Single ..... Double ..... Twin .....
unsuccessful declarer on
Mr/Mrs/Miss ..................................................................... the two previous boards)
announced ‘this is so slow,
Address............................................................................... so boring; it is always so
slow and boring.’ I said,
............................................................................................ ‘perhaps we had better not
come again’, to which he
Postcode ............................................................................ replied, ‘good – that should
speed things up a bit.’
( ...................................................................................... I felt so upset that I
wanted to go home. Our
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed) next opponents (our
Chairman and his wife)
..........................................................................................
persuaded us to stay.
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per During the evening, my
place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent partner asked the offender
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay- for an apology. Apparently,
ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details he was rude again and
will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund-
would not apologise. The
able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your
own insurance broker.
next day, I telephoned the
Chairman, saying I still
wanted an apology, and
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
asked what action the club
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 would take.
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk The following week (the
website: www.holidaybridge.com offender was not present),
the Chairman read out a
Page 22
notice. It ran: ‘If anyone
feels aggrieved at the
action or inaction of their
opponents, they should call
the director. As a
committee, we will not
tolerate outbursts, rude
behaviour or a lack of
normal courtesy towards
opponents.’ My partner
wants to continue
attending the club but I
feel very reluctant to do so
in the continuing absence
of an apology.
Margot Chapman,
Letchworth, Herts.
A
It would have been
better to call for
the director
immediately. The English
Bridge Union is trying to
provide a nicer environment,
especially by stopping
rudeness; they advise always
calling the director. He can
apply disciplinary penalties.
Players have no right to be
rude to each other.
Having not done so, your
next stage is a written
complaint to the club
committee. Do not try to
settle this by talking to the
Chairman.
Not having heard the other
side, I cannot say for sure
that the committee would
decide in your favour,
though it seems that they
should. I would abandon the
club only if they fail to deal
at all with a written
complaint: that is
unforgivable.
David Stevenson answers
all queries based on the
facts supplied by the
letter writer. Neither Mr
Bridge nor David
Stevenson has any way of
knowing whether those
facts are correct or
complete.
 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued
Q
At my local club, I
encountered a very
aggressive oppon-
ent. Firstly, she asked me
what my partner’s 4NT
meant, to which I replied
Keycard Blackwood asking
for aces and king of trumps.
She informed me that this
was Roman Keycard and I
should sort it out. Secondly,
my partner opened 1♦ and
she overcalled 1♥, after
which I went 2♥ as I had
11 points and three hearts.
She told me that this was
an unacceptable bid. I
came away feeling upset as
I felt sure that I had bid
correctly. I try to follow the
books that Bernard has
written (also Andrew
Robson) so could not
understand where I had
gone so wrong. What do
you think?
Heather Vale,
Street, Somerset.
A
Let me first consider
the behaviour issue.
Bad manners and
aggression that upsets others
is illegal at this game.
Whether you were in the
right or in the wrong does
not justify the opponent’s
rudeness in any way. If this
happens again, do not worry
whether you are right or
wrong; just call the director
and say ‘This opponent is
being aggressive and has
thoroughly upset me and
spoilt my game for me.’ The
director will issue
disciplinary penalties to your
opponent.
As to your actual bids, I
suspect your opponent
expected you to be playing
Roman Keycard Blackwood,
a very popular convention
amongst top club and
tournament players. Many
players will not have come
across the simpler and older
version of the convention,
Keycard Blackwood, hence
the confusion. Bernard
Magee advocates the use of
Keycard Blackwood because
it is simple and yet still a
step beyond normal Black-
wood. Both conventions are
legal, as is any other 4NT
slam convention.
As to your 2♥ bid – that
seems normal enough: even
if it was not, you can legally
play 2♥ any way you like.
So please try to put this in
the past: it is not your
opponent’s place to criticise
you and if done aggressively,
it is illegal.
♣♦♥♠
Q
North opened one
of a suit. East,
having 23 points,
doubled. West took out the
double and the final
contract was 3NT+4. What
came to light after the play
was that North had opened
with three points. East was
disgruntled because he
believed that his side had
missed a slam (6NT was
the top contract) because
of North’s opening. Could
you please give a ruling?
Mr L Borrett,
Middlecombe, Somerset.
A
Psyches are legal. I
presume the player
who opened on
three points did so
deliberately and that is a
psyche. While players
psyche quite rarely
nowadays, it is still part of
the game, adding some
interest because it is a
gamble. It gives a lot of
pleasure to opponents who
get a good score because of
or despite the psyche, and
pleasure to the psycher when
his bid succeeds in
deflecting opponents. There
is no reason to be any more
upset when a psyche
Page 23
succeeds than when an
opponent’s pre-empt
succeeds.
♣♦♥♠
Q
In a ‘friendly’ Acol
game, at love all,
partner opened
1NT; RHO passed; I had
one point and ♥9-x-x-x-x-x.
Knowing the opposition
had at least 25 HCP and
not wishing to tell them
anything, I passed only for
my LHO to do the same!
Partner went five down
and all turned on me
saying that I should have
bid 2♥. I argued that I had
saved at least 200 points
since they should have got
to game in a variety of
ways if I had bid. They
both had flat hands with
13 and 14 HCP and said
they could not bid. Sour
grapes . . . does anyone
agree with me?
Ken Russam,
Bracknell, Berks.
A
Hardly a friendly
atmosphere, I think!
Of course, 2♥ is the
book bid on your hand, but
you made a different call,
were lucky, and got a good
result. For the opponents to
complain is very rude and
against the laws of bridge.
♣♦♥♠
Q
East played in
3NT and made 10
tricks. At trick six,
he called for the ten of
diamonds from dummy
and discarded a spade
from hand. The ten of
diamonds won the trick.
Declarer then came to
hand and won the next two
tricks with two top
diamonds. At the end of
play, the director ruled
that only one trick should
transfer to our side now
that law 64A2 had
changed. Under the old
laws, two tricks would have
transferred. The offender
scored a joint top. What is
your view on the decision
and the change in ruling?
David Jones,
Ellesmere Port by e-mail.
A
Unless declarer
finished with more
tricks than he would
have made without the
revoke (in which case the
director restores equity), the
ruling seems to be correct.
Certainly, it has changed
from the last law book –
revokes are now less likely
to hand out tops but they
will make life harder for
directors, especially if there
are more revokes!
♣♦♥♠
Q
I claimed (by
cross-ruffing) the
rest of the tricks
playing in hearts holding
♥K-Q and two winning
clubs in dummy –
opponent on my right held
♥10-8-x and a spade – I,
declarer, held two hearts
and two good diamonds. I
miscounted trumps and my
RHO claimed two tricks,
which were impossible to
make. Was he correct?
Pat Watson,
Ottershaw, Surrey.
A
Was this rubber
bridge? At duplicate,
your opponent has
no right to claim anything: if
he disputes your claim, he
calls the director, who sorts
it out: similarly the club host
in a rubber bridge club.
In practice, it is not
entirely clear from your
description. If you just try to
crossruff and keep on
crossruffing, perhaps he will
get both the ten and eight of
trumps. All I can say is that,
if it is impossible for him to
get two tricks, he does not
get two tricks; but if the way
you have said you will play
might give him two tricks,
he will get two tricks.
 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued
Q
One of our
members is
registered blind
but still able to play. As a
help, the relevant player at
the previous table sorts the
hand for her before
passing on the board. Will
the new rule, for players to
shuffle their cards at the
end of play, preclude this?
John Josephs, Northampton.
A
An organisation can
make special rules
for players disabled
in any way and that includes
sorting cards for blind
players.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I have just found
out that alerting
Stayman with the
silent bidding boxes has
been abolished in favour of
speaking – another new
rule! Is the EBU breaking
the law?
I understand that the
Disability Discrimination
Act 2005 prohibits
discrimination against
deaf people.
Mrs Anne Coupe,
Felpham, Bognor Regis.
A
After discussions
with various deaf
organisations and a
number of deaf players, the
EBU decided that
announcements were an
improvement. Most of the
feedback they have received
supports this view.
Therefore, the introduction
of announcements is not
discriminatory.
It is unclear how an alert
of Stayman is any better for
a deaf player than an
announcement. If the player
needs to know what the 2♣
means, they have to make
some arrangement, whether
lip-reading, reading a
convention card, turning
their head (if deaf on one
side) or writing on a pad.
All this is unchanged.
Announcements apply only
in specific common auctions
and so players expect them;
most deaf players accept
that announcements are no
worse than alerts and are
often better.
I agree it can be hard for
deaf players to discover
their opponents’ methods,
but announcements do not
seem to have added to these
difficulties. My deaf friends
agree.
♣♦♥♠
Q
David Stevenson’s
assertion in
BRIDGE 88, that
the riffle shuffle is far
preferable to the overhand
shuffle, is only true when
done badly. Expertly done,
the opposite is the case.
You can easily
demonstrate this by
sorting a pack into suit
and rank order, dividing it
exactly in half and then
reassembling the pack by
taking one card from each
half in turn. It makes no
difference whether you
shuffle four, five, six seven
or eight times. In each
case, the result is a flat
4333 distribution. One or
three riffles produce two-
suited 7,600 distributions
and two riffles produce
four straight single-suit
hands. Even worse, eight
perfect riffle shuffles
restore the pack to its
original form – like no
shuffle at all.
In the days before
plastic-coated cards, and
when social rubber bridge
was the norm, players
frowned upon riffle
shuffles. This was mainly
because they shortened the
Page 24
life of the cards but also
because players knew that
they often gave rise to flat,
dull hands.
Jonathan Goodall,
Lyncombe Vale, Bath.
A
It all sounds very
persuasive.
However, every
authority without exception,
apart from you, agrees that
riffle shuffles are far fairer
than overhand shuffles. A
few riffle shuffles produce
quite a random pack: seven
or so produce as near to
complete randomness as
possible. Certainly, you may
get strange effects with
perfect riffles but, since you
do not get perfect riffles,
why worry?
In contrast, the overhand
shuffle does very little
shuffling and you need to
shuffle for ten to fifteen
minutes for decent
randomness. The two or
three shuffles common in
clubs do nothing for
randomness, but lead to
foreseeable and flat
distributions. Experience
shows the exact opposite of
what you say: hands with
riffle shuffles get more
interesting because they
follow expected statistical
distributions reasonably:
overhand shuffles lead to
flat hands.
♣♦♥♠
Q
A lady friend of
mine bid 2♦; her
LHO, who was
also the TD, asked her
partner its meaning.
Partner replied that she
was unsure. The director
then turned to the bidder
and asked the strength of
the bid. Bidder replied
that she thought he could
not ask her, only her
partner. The director
replied that he was entitled
to ask her. Bidder stuck to
her guns. The lady later
asked me, and I said he
could only ask the bidder’s
partner or consult the
convention card. When the
director learnt of this, he
said that she should read
the law book as he was
correct.
John Dawe, by e-mail.
A
Sometimes one can
ask a player the
meaning of a call
she has made if the partner
is unsure. The director
should send the partner
away from the table so that
she does not hear the
answer. Furthermore, the
director should warn the
player that she should reply
only as to their agreements:
if they have no agreement,
she should just say ‘no
partnership agreement’.
Your director’s attitude
worries me. I would never
insist on this for my benefit
if I were a playing director;
also, if a director wishes to
show that what he has said
is correct, he should read it
from the law book, not tell
someone to do so.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Could you please
clarify the
counting of
honours? In the Ron
Klinger flippers, it says
‘either side can score
honours’. What does
‘either side’ mean?
Mrs H Dirckze,
London, SW15.
A
If a player has, for
example, four
trump honours in
his hand, he scores a bonus
of a 100 for honours. Some
assume this only applies to
declarer and dummy, but
this is not so. While it is
rare for a defender to hold
four trump honours, it is
possible and he can get
honours. In this instance,
‘either side’ means either
declarer and dummy, or the
defenders.
 David Stevenson on Bridge Laws continued
Q
North opened 2♥,
weak. My partner
considered his
hand (allegedly) for some
10 seconds before passing.
South passed too. I was
West and had a nice 12
points. I bid 2NT, which
my partner raised to 3NT.
Although he thought I had
a bit more than I did, as he
had 14 points, I made the
contract. Our score of 3NT
was a top. Several pairs
had defeated 2♥ by two or
three tricks. The director
ruled that my partner’s
hesitation had influenced
my bid and adjusted the
score to 150 (2♥ down
three).
L Chandler, Surbiton.
A
If all is as you
describe, you had a
raw deal, but it does
sound a little strange. 2♥ is
a stop bid, so the stop card
must be on display, for 10
seconds not just for a
moment. Since your partner
may not call before the stop
card goes away, a pause for
10 seconds by him is not a
hesitation.
Of course, many people
put the stop card back in the
box too fast; in fact, some
do so immediately. No
matter when the stop card
goes back, partner should
wait for 10 seconds after the
bid. As long as he always
follows this rule, you cannot
tell whether he was thinking
or just waiting the required
time. Thus, you have no
unauthorised information
and can call whatever you
like.
I wonder why the director
ruled as he did. Did he
forget 2♥ was a stop bid –
or did he consider that your
partner hesitated for 10
seconds beyond the required
10 seconds? In the latter
case, you have unauthorised
information and it would be
normal to disallow your bid.
Bidding 2NT with 12 points
is not normal; most people
have a strong no-trump
when they bid 2NT over a
weak two: if you had
unauthorised information
that partner had values, you
may not bid 2NT with only
12 points.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Sometimes a table
does not play all
the boards in a
round. How do you score a
board not played? Which
of the scoring programs
best handle this?
Mr Geoff Bishop,
Fairford, Glos.
A
When pairs do not
play all their
scheduled boards,
the laws say to award
averages to them. If both
pairs are at fault, you could
give average minus (and
should do if these pairs are
slow repeatedly) but it is
normal to give average,
saying both pairs are partly
at fault. Of course, if they
are late because of someone
else’s interference, they
should get average plus
because neither is at fault. If
you judge only one pair is at
fault, they get average
minus, their opponents
average plus.
All good software allows
averages to be entered,
average, average plus and
average minus. If it does not,
get some different software.
Personally, I advise Jeff
Smith’s software: it is good.
If there is a problem, Jeff
deals with it, even re-writing
the program if need be, and
it is completely free. It
works with Bridgemates and
Anna Gudge’s Simultaneous
Pairs. n
Page 25
AT THE OLDE BARN
Toll Bar Road, Marston, Lincolnshire, NG32 2HT
Duplicate Weekends 2009
20-22 Feb (£199) 16-18 Oct (£199)
Slam Bidding - Ray Hutchinson Doubles
13-15 Mar (£199) Improvers* 30 Oct - 1 Nov (£199)
Stayman & Transfers Declarer Play
Ray Hutchinson
13-15 Nov (£199)
3-5 Apr (£199) Hand Evaluation
End Play & Avoidance Ray Hutchinson
9-11 Oct (£235) 27-29 Nov (£199)
Leads & Defence Signals & Discards
Bernard Magee Ray Hutchinson
*Improvers’ Weekends are aimed at the novice player
and/or those picking up the game after a long break.
♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with
♦ No single supplement en-suite facilities
♦ Use of swimming ♦ Room upgrades available
pool and fitness suite ♦ Bidding quiz & two seminars
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Please book me for ..... places,
Single ..... Double ..... Twin .....
at the Olde Barn weekends of ...........................................
Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................
Address...............................................................................
............................................................................................
Postcode ............................................................................
( ......................................................................................
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,
but we will do our best to oblige)
..........................................................................................
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per
place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay-
ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details
will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund-
able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your
own insurance broker.
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
website: www.holidaybridge.com
 BRIDGE COVER CAR
Trumped again! Diana Parish, Crieff. Is she bidding Roman Key Card?
AT WYCHWOOD PARK Vivien Greenow, Worcester. Any more bids? Miss J M Blankhard, Cheadle
Holme. Competitive auction ends with a Slam. Valerie Harrison,
Weston, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 5GP Burnham-on-Crouch. Is that a bid, Mrs Yarborough? Peter Ayres, Bedford.
Do I alert or announce this bid? Peter Harrington, Stockport. Surely you
can bid over one spade? Mr R J Groom, Kidderminster. Do you always
Duplicate Weekends 2009 overbid? Kenneth Paver, Northallerton. Uncontested auction. Mr M Hall,
Llandudno. I hope she passes one this one! Jill Smith, Brentwood.
Auctions are all about limit bids. Mr W Roberts, Thornton-Cleveleys.
3-5 Apr (£199) 23-25 Oct (£199) Insufficient bid. Mr R F Kitchener, Biggleswade. She is making a takeout
Leads & Defence bid! Mr P Skinner, Ipswich. Bid high and bid often. Dr & Mrs Whelan,
Signals & Discards
Woodstock. Is it my turn to bid. John Davies, Eastbourne. The final bid.
John Wootton John Wootton Mr A W Moore, Alva, Clackmannanshire. Singleton spade opens the
bidding. Dr V Navaratnam, Cambridge. Alert, shall we bid for the queen?
17-19 Apr (£215) 20-22 Nov (£199) Improvers* Jenifer Nixon, Ponteland. Sold to the highest bidder. Gayda Young,
Beaumaris. Never hang on to your queen. Mrs J Gwinnett-Sharp, Bury st.
Game Tries Stayman & Transfers Edmunds. Think carefully before you bid. Mrs E S Fuller, Kidderminster.
Bernard Magee John Wootton Don’t over bid your hand darling! Joseph Humber, Thornton-Cleveleys.
Partner bidding? Derek Notman, Moffat. Too many jokers. Denis Meadows,
Dawlish Warren. Bid double at auction. Patti Parker, Great Shelford. No,
16-18 Oct (£199) 27-29 Nov (£199) No! I said where’s the action! Joan Dudley, Hertford. Going! Going!
Hand Evaluation Doubles Gone! Mr & Mrs R F Pierrepont, Ludlow. Pre-empting the bidding
Madame. Mrs M E Muntus, Swaffham. Spades outbids clubs. Mike
Leonard, Northampton. Beware Overbidding. Mr & Mrs I Nunn, Romsey.
*Improvers’ Weekends are aimed at the novice player You won the frame, a great deal. Mrs L M Rule, Weymouth. Not bidding
and/or those picking up the game after a long break. but waving. Chris Peeler, Wendover. Opening bid. Miss Y Dingwall, Upton-
by-Chester. Any chance of a trial bid? Mr & Mrs R Salmon, Wilmslow. I
say, she’s bidding for her double! Ann Eastham, Bury St. Edmunds. It’s
♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with not that kind of auction! Mr K G Berry, Crawley Down. Finessing the
en-suite facilities queen. Mrs P A Wood, Beaminster. Either red queen for a small slam.
♦ No single supplement Mrs E Kasket, Hitchin. Double trouble. Frieda Simmons, Stanmore. It’s
♦ Venue non-smoking north. Another bid. Lydia Stanford, Hove. I won’t be outbid! Lydia
♦ Use of jacuzzi, sauna, Stanford, Hove. She’s been framed. Mr J J Wood, Torquay. Bidding over.
steam room and gym ♦ Bidding quiz & two seminars Spades are trumps. Peter Stonehouse, Burnley. Is that a double? Jean
Fagan, Hertford. Any more bids. Peter Brackfield, Haslemere. Opening bid.
Martyn Lewis, Masham. You should have bid higher. Mrs P S Inkley,
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Loughborough. It has to be an interference bid. Monica Davies, Sutton.
Are you bidding or passing? Roly Burn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Who
taught her to pre-empt? Mr d H Child, Guernsey. Interference bid! Mike
Please book me for ..... places, Brady, Sheffield. Auction over spades come up trumps. Zena Learner,
Ware. A transfer bid? Brian Isherwood, Chalfont St Peter. Going, going,
gone! Bought by Mrs Spades. Ms V A Peck, London N19. I shall open
Single ..... Double ..... Twin ..... the bidding. Dr S E Heath. What do you mean, my bid? Mr P Collins,
Selsey. Openers Rebid. Dorothy Dickinson, Cuddington. You always did
at the Wychwood Park weekends of ................................. overbid. Jennifer Broster, Deer Park, Henfield. One down doubles at 200.
Clive Hutchinson, Crewe. Rescue bid. V L Prowse, St Albans. Artful
Bidding. Mr W Huggan, Bromley. Picture cards always have value. Alan
Mr/Mrs/Miss ..................................................................... Hobday, Solihull. Over bidding my dear will cost double. Frank Conlan,
Mersyside. Wowee, a bid in spades! Graham Warren, Quorn. Whatever
he’s bid, I’ll double it. Richard Thorne, Rochdale. I overcall. Mrs B Curtis,
Address............................................................................... Kirkcaldy. Are you bidding or overbidding? Mrs H R Dirckze, London
SW15. What’s the value of the Jack? Mr & Mrs G E Burdett, South Anston.
Four Spades has won the auction. Mrs M V Coop, Emsworth. A Dutch
............................................................................................ auction, no hearts! Mr R M Stokes, Chester. Poised for Slam. Alan
Chalmers, Kirkintilloch. A major suit always has precedence. Mr P A Birch,
Postcode ............................................................................ Leamingotn Spa. Talk about sixes and sevens. Mr Ganks, Maidstone. I’ll
bid but I know it’s duplicate! Irene Diebelius, Romford. Bridge auction.
Going to the highest bidder. Mrs M Balen, Newton Mearns. Grossly
( ...................................................................................... Overbid! Ron Holton, Stoke on Trent. Six spades, all done? Slam. Mrs
M a Jackson, Stamford. Winning bid. Mrs R A Spottiswoode, Letchworth.
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, Does she think it’s a family relation? Ruby Green, Flax Bourton. The
queen has it, seven spades, gone! Della Nicholson, Brentwood. Bidding
but we will do our best to oblige) one spade! David Boobier, Plymouth. Any old queen will do. Mrs B Carlyle,
Shrewsbury. There’s that queen. Stephen Dixon, South Harrow. Going,
.......................................................................................... going, gone to the highest bidder. Mrs M Hunter, Overstrand. Best
auction bridge bid. Ronald Carlisle, West Ferry. High card signal
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per provokes diamond response. Dave Bryan, Chester. Her bidding deserves
to be hammered. Alan Chapman, Marlborough. She always overbids. Mr
place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent F Price, Swindon. Your play was a picture. Mr J Carew, Northampton. The
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay- art of bidding. Sheryl Prince, Batheaston. That’s her double. Mrs K R
ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details Street, Woking. Bid out of turn. Mr J M Burrell, Silchester. Learn from the
will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund- mistakes of others. Ian Dent, Desford. Silent bid. Dr A Paterson, East
Lothian. No more bids? Contract to you! Mrs H Connors, Shanklin. Too
able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your many faces, not enough aces. John Williams, Angus. I can just afford
own insurance broker. a limit bid. Anne Thomas, Taunton. Going, going, gone, 3 spades the
contract. Dr I Gwyn Evans, Llandeilo. Excellent but insufficient bid
Madame! John Wood, Largs. Did she just pre-empt us? Irene Pilbrough,
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH Newcastel-upon-Tyne, Home I bid out of turn? Mr J A Rutherford, Lenzie.
Damn spades; they always win the auction. Judy Benson, Sandwich.
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 Hope they don’t drop the bare queen. Ian Taylor, Stratford-upon-Avon.
What am I bid. Mr P B Picthall, Storrington. I’m not bidding on that.
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk Mr L Simpson, Macclesfield. Over bidding again! We’ll pay for it. Daphne
Lally, Amersham. Yes dear, it’s a ruff painting. Penny Bele, Stoke Bishop.
website: www.holidaybridge.com Good card player. Poor bidder. Jean Bowles, Brighton. Ban doubles.
Doreen Godfrey, Sunderland. Anyone for auction bridge? Andrew

Page 26
RTOON BUBBLE CAPTION COMPETITION
Fairclough, Mulberton. No, stay man! I prefer black wood! Richard
Turlington, Hook. Did I hear ‘double’? Elaine Vinten, Bury St. Edmunds. I
am the director! Michael Bickers, Letton. Sold to the highest bidder.
Linda Coombes, Chilworth. Looks like the queens off-side again. Mr M
Brennan, Rotherham. Not a real queen. It’s a dummy. Mrs B M Smith,
Bishop’s Stortford. Stop, I have another bid. Margaret Peck, Holywood. Oh
dear, she’s overbidding again. Alan Perry, Flackwell Heath. Well bid
partner. Mr & Mrs Methven, Deal. Forcing bid. Barry Henderson, Darwen.
The spade bid was not challenged. Mr M J Bell, Didcot. Trust her,
overbidding again. Mary Hopper, Chathill. The play’s the thing. David
Stirling, Westbury-on-Trym. Intervening bid. Mr P Cook, Leatherhead. Do I
hear seven spades? Mrs G Goldwater, Chathill. Is that jack a master?
Brian Sinfield, St Albans. This lot will drop the queen. Colin Thomas,
Newport. Surprisingly she’s not underbidding today. Morag Smith,
Edinburgh. Overbidding again, another 1100 given away. Mr I Hill, St
Ives. Over bid again. Robert Russell, Burgess Hill. Spades bid and two
passes. Your call? Geoffrey Fairhall, Folkstone. We are always outbid at
these auctions. Anon. Sorry, the jacks are not for sale. Mrs M E van
Rees, Grange-over-Sands. Insufficient bid. Mr J Rogers, Frodsham. Bridge
Post-mortem. Mrs D Azariah, Stockport. Competitive Bidding. Mr D J
Fishley, Chalfont St Giles. Another successful bid! Mrs P Tillett, Ashford.
Madame, that is a reverse bid! Mr D O Parker, Havant. Is that a spade
bid? Mr J Hall, Bolton. Careful before bidding! Could be a transfer! Mr
A J France, Birstall. Honours worth bidding for. Steven Hirst, Huddersfield.
She has just bid three diamonds! R R Davis, Upton-on-Severn. Don’t
compete dear, she always overbids. Alex Wiseman, Whitefield. Just one
face card between them. Mrs S Thomas, Littlebury. Splinter bid. Patrick
Dunham, Coleorton. Auction won by the spade raised bid. Mrs Y G
Horritt, Preston. That bidder certainly has it in spades! Mr D H Linton,
London SE9. Sold to spades. Dr J H Naysmith, Cynoed. Four spades has
it then. J Twyford, Brentwood. Are you bidding or just waving?
Christopher Sales, Totteridge. She never stops bidding. William Holden,
Sale. Insufficient bid. Paul Doe, Exeter. Is that a conventional bid? Eva
Adamson, Dumfries. Not quite Acol but very effective. Brian Rayment,
Ealing. Is that your final bid? Dr R Ehsanullah, Chalfont St Giles. A bid
too far? Sybil Cooper, Sutton. I’m told she has it in spades. Pauline
Bell, Alderley Edge. Is that your final bid? Mr D Siddall, Brighton. Is it
Duplicate or Auction bridge? Marie Bowers, Haslemere. My Goodness,
she has doubled their bid. Joyce Knight, Hatfield. Higher than a queen.
Christine Leader, Mountsorrel. I think she has stolen my bid. Mr M
Jennings, Reigate. A Spade bid. Peggy Thompson, Bracknell. The bids with
you Madame. Richard Barratt, Quorn. There! Told you so, overbidding
again! Mrs P Schurmann, Highgate. Should I declare my bidding system?
Maurice Phillips, Henfield. Waiting for the queen to drop. Joy Furness,
Epsom. Single queen. Betty Thorne, Vale of Glamorgan. Any questions
partner? Eileen Bushell, Sudbury. Queen high, bidding over, contract
agreed. Valerie Wallbank, Sunderland. Do I hear four no trumps? Joan
England, Radlett. Well! I declare! Mrs J Stockbridge, Abingdon. Looks like
Page 27
she’s over bid again. Michael Horton, Newton Longville. The double
prompts a spade bid. Eva Tucker, Portishead. Was your bid really
double Madame? Phillip Aelberry, King’s Lynn. She’s always overbidding.
Rosemary Wheeler, Shipston-on-Stour. I have a bid of five diamonds. Roy
Horsnell, Maldon. Would you bid for me. Sandra Dennison, Horsham.
Auction...bid...contract. Bert Howard, High Peak. Did I hear four spades
Madam? Miss K H McIntosh, Canterbury. Takeover bid in spades. Mr S J
Connor, Stevenage. Who is that upstart outbidding me? David Barrows,
Lymington. Sorry, you were outbid. Michael Percik, Bolton. Auction lot
sold to highest bidder. Mrs R L Legg, Caterham Valley. Don’t bother, you
can’t outbid her. George Wells, Olney. An overbid in spades wins the
contract! Margery Miles, Minehead. Did you double Madame? Effie
Robertson, Chorley. Someone’s got an ace up their sleeve! Colin Taylor,
Bollington. Do I hear 7 Diamonds? Dr D O Wilkes, Oxted. Sold to the
highest bidder. Mr G Drayton, Liphook. Dummy queen for auction. D J
Coltart, Castle Douglas. No hearts! Mrs J Croud, Sidmouth. Insufficient bid
Ma’am! Else Baker, Borehamwood. This will surely be a grand slam.
John Over, Oxshott. Making an overcall. Marina Palethorpe,
Verwood. Grand slam for my queen of hearts. Mr H Marsh,
Brighton. Defiantly no bid! Mrs B Barraclough, Bournemouth. No
Bid. Sylvia Lowther, Poynton. Highest bid. Mrs M D White, Godstone.
No Bid. Mrs B Braithwaite, Ruislip. Over bid in hearts. Anne Smith, Bristol.
Am I bid two spades? Miss S V Rothman, Sevenoaks. Any advance on
one no trump? Miss J Crossfield, Carnforth. Grand slam contract bid and
made! June Chaplin, Eastbourne. I intend to win this auction. Mr R M
Palmer, Sevenoaks. So you want a competitive auction? Doreen Elliott,
Malvern. No bid for this one. Hanna Goldsmith, Edgware. Forcing bid
over a weak two. Mr G F Day, Bideford. It’s a genuine Yarbrough! Tony
Mitchell, Shipston-on-Stour. Double the last bid for takeout. Brian
Holland, Camberley. Raise her bid and I’ll double him. Mrs V A Golding,
Faversham. Contract completed! Mrs A Steele, Ascot. Your bid is psyche.
Mrs M Taylor, Stockport. Her bidding was always outrageous. Jay
Sutherland, London NW7. That’s right! The higher of a doubleton. Joyce
Mitton, Chichester. Alert! Diana Sendall, Farnham. That’s another good
auction of royalty. Mr P Sheldon, Barnet. Bidding again more money
than sense. Janet Dineen, Eastbourne. I’ll bid one heart. Mr I C Wells,
Market Harborough. After bidding, she’ll get the picture. Ray Cornish,
Haddenham. Going, going, 6 spades! Lynda Mitchell, Sheffield. Are you
bidding this time? Mr B P Heal, Gillingham, Dorset. I have a very strong
opening bid. Pamela Gold, Bushey. Your bid. Mr O G Teller, London N21.
Insufficient bid. Christine Jack, Bridge of Weir. Auction cue bid. Marion
Smith, Beaconsfield. Double! Dr M Wood, Stapleford. Please use the
bidding box. George Conn, London NW3. That’s not the Mona Lisa. Mr
R F Campion, St Neots. What is your bid? Mrs P M Jackman, Newbury. It’s
a duplicate, not worth a bid. Mr J R Smith, South Petherton. Jack makes
his point. Margaret Morgan, Chichester. Going, going, gone. Spades have
it. Patricia Ollerton, Knutsford. Is that your final bid? Ann Best,
Northallerton. That’s an insufficient bid. Peter Gooch, Bath. Bidding is
fun, try a jump bid. Mr A G North, Glenfield. How much are you
bidding! Derek Wood, New Malden. Bidding a transfer to spades. Michael
Tudor-Craig, Petersfield. Have you forgotten your bidding box? Anthony
Wann, Nuneaton. Any advance on 7NT? Mrs Beagle, London SW2. Let’s
tell her to try contract bridge. Mrs S Rowan, London W14. Spade
overcall wins auction. Mr S Lawer, Ipswich. Queen of spades wins
competitive auction. Dawn Wheeler, St Albans. Is this what they call
auction bridge? Mrs A Roberts, Worcester. Is that you final bid? Mrs M
Kaye, Watford. Outbid by spades. Richard Tempest, Othery. The royals
usually control the bidding. Mr J Hempshall, Leeds. Going for a slam.
Andrew Heaver, Brixworth. Single queens are difficult to bid on. Mrs J
W Coalbran. She’s Bid too high again. Joy Rowe, Wroughton. That’s
never worth two clubs. Grahame Mabel, Oakmoor. Transfer to the
Antiques Roadshow. Ruth Evans, London. Apprentice. Stop! I have a
bid. Susan Pople, Enfield. Last bid for the heartless queen. Maggie
Beecher, Cardif. I knew all along where the queen was. Jean Cobral,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Under bid: Failed to make reserve. Ted Mattingley,
Littlehampton. I bid seven spades. Mr R Hill, Basildon. I knew she would
double your bid. Mrs Sims, Littlehampton. Bidding with an isolated
queen. Sue McFarlane, Tonbridge. Singleton queen is valueless in an
auction. David Maloney, Vale of Glamorgan. One of 52 from the
Waddington collection. Mary Butt, Reigate. It’s your bid, Madame.
You’ve been doubled! Mrs V M Rhind, Southbourne. That is an
insufficient bid. Mr A K Salvage, Canterbury. Everyone loves a last
minute bidder. Mrs M Dent, Uckfield. I think mine is the winning bid.
Mrs R Thorne, Uckfield. Auction or contract? Pamela Wright, Mowbray. Stop
Bidding. Mrs S Bloomsfield, Chelmondston. Spades over bidding again.
Joyce Bailey, Cheddleton. Not a lot for a jump bid. Joan Positive,
Churchdown. We’ve gone back to action bridge. John Kelly, Walsall.
Pulling rank. Luce Green, Reading. Call the Director. Derek Pratt,
Upminster. Suits you, Sir! Richard Welch, Denbigh. I have another bid
in this auction. Sue Hall, Southport. That must be a take-out bid. Mrs
T A Crossling, Poole. I’ll bid having noticed that picture. Mr R G
Robinson, Harpenden. That was some overcall. Mr H Small, Shoreham-by-
Sea. No bid, it’s a fake. Mrs D Martin, Portsmouth. Another pre-emptive
bid from spades, I see! Rev J Torr, Tewkesbury. But you should have
shown Alert. Ilkley. Double the last bid. Epsom.
 Seasonal Walks with Countryman
A Walk
at Christmas
T
his little piece of England
where the birds are singing, the
sun shining and the air
seriously intoxicating – it is all too easy
to fall under its magic spell and dream
on, contentedly…
It would be a lie if I claimed that the
sun was shining today. It is up there
somewhere, no doubt looking down on
us lovingly as, after all, it is Christmas;
for the moment, it is conspicuous by its
absence. No matter, Christmas is special,
regardless of the weather because there
always seems to be a kindly, friendly air
of goodwill to everyone. It may not last
but, for the time being, let us be happy
with that mystical glow of benevolence.
Even Cindy, my gorgeous golden
retriever, seems to know that there is
something rather special about this time
of year and is very happy to join in the
celebrations. She is impervious to the
weather. Walkies is her thing and the
national obsession with climatic
conditions is really beneath her sniff.
Gloria and Mitzi Join us
Today, Gloria, a keen member of the
local bridge club, and her black spaniel,
Mitzi, have joined us. Cindy and Mitzi
get on well together, but very much in
their own way. As we walk across the
fields, they hare around enthusiastically,
each enjoying the countryside to the full.
There has been quite a dry spell recently
so perhaps the scent is good. The
outlook this year is very different from
all those white, snowy scenes on so
many of my Christmas cards; the dogs
are certainly making the most of it.
Gung-ho Bridge somewhat nettled when another player
told her that one declarer in 4♠ had
Gloria, referred to irreverently in the made twelve tricks after the same lead.
club as ‘Jolly Hockey-sticks’, perhaps What did I think? We will come back to
because of her somewhat gung-ho this hand later.
approach to bridge, is a delightful
character who always has a bridge deal Christmas Wildlife
that she wants to talk about. Today,
Christmas notwithstanding, is no Even though there is little colour around
exception. This is it: at this time of year, Gloria is most
impressed with the bright scarlet of the
rose hips in the hedgerows. They reach
Dealer North. Game All. their peak in December and, although
they are favourite delicacies for some
♠ A94 species of wildlife, who have already
♥ AJ86 been dining out on them, there is plenty
♦ Q842 of colour remaining. Birds, especially
♣ KJ those of the thrush family, and wood
♠ J75 ♠ Q8 mice, who curiously do not hibernate
♥ 743 N ♥ 952 during the winter, are the main
W E
♦ J 10 9 7 S ♦ AK53 enthusiastic consumers.
♣ 974 ♣ Q 10 6 3 I notice a plentiful supply of mistletoe
♠ K 10 6 3 2 this year, another favourite with bird life
♥ K Q 10 when those luscious white berries
♦ 6 develop gradually. However, we should
♣ A852 not begrudge the birds their tasty snack
as they are themselves responsible for
6♠ by South. Lead: ♦J. spreading the seeds around as they
scrape sticky leftovers off their beaks
and onto branches of other trees.
Let us draw a veil over the bidding
because Gloria was alone amongst the Twelve Tricks Made
South players in arriving in 6♠. West led
the jack of diamonds, which won the Time to get back to Gloria’s hand and
first trick. Subsequently Gloria lost an see how one declarer made twelve
‘inevitable’ trump trick for one down. tricks. After winning with the jack of
diamonds, West continued with a
Impossible Slam? second diamond, ruffed by declarer who
continued like this: the king of clubs,
‘It was impossible to make the slam’, ace of clubs and a club ruff. Now a
complained Gloria, but she was second diamond ruff, followed by
Page 28
Christmas continued
three rounds of hearts,
finishing in dummy, and a
third diamond ruff leave the
following position:
♠ A9
♥ J
♦ Void
♣ Void
♠ J75 ♠ Q8
♥ Void N ♥
W E
♦ Void S ♦
♣ Void ♣ 10
♠ K 10
♥ Void
♦ Void
♣ 8
South is on lead and plays the
eight of clubs. If West ruffs
low, the nine of spades wins
and declarer must take the
last two tricks. If West tries
the jack of spades, the ace
wins and then a simple
finesse against East’s queen is
equally productive. The name
for this particular gambit – as
I explain to Gloria – is the
Devil’s Coup. To succeed, the
side suits always have to be
kindly distributed.
Devil’s Coup
When we get home, I inform
Cindy that Gloria could have
made her contract via the
Devil’s Coup. Maybe I am
imagining it, but I think
Cindy gives me a
disapproving look. Ah! The
Devil at Christmas, I see;
that is what Cindy thinks is
inappropriate. Maybe she is
right. ‘I’ll tell you what,’ I
say to her, ‘Let’s give it our
own name. How about
calling it the Paul Daniels
Coup in honour of that
famous magician? After all,
declarer did make that trump
trick disappear!’
Cindy wags her tail, which
settles it. n
2009
AT STAVERTON PARK
Staverton, Daventry, Northants, NN11 6JT
♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with
Friday to Sunday en-suite facilities
♦ No single supplement ♦ Venue non-smoking
♦ Use of swimming ♦ Bidding quiz and
pool and fitness suite two seminars
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Void
23-25 Jan (£209)
Void Please book me for ..... places,
Suit Establishment
Bernard Magee Single ..... Double ..... Twin .....
30 Jan - 1 Feb (£199)
Signals & Discards for the Staverton Park weekend(s) of.................................
27 Feb - 1 Mar (£199)
............................................................................................
Leads & Defence
13-15 Mar (£199) Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................
Slam Bidding
27-29 Mar (£209) Address...............................................................................
Sacrificing
Bernard Magee ............................................................................................
3-5 Apr (£199)
Postcode ..................................( ....................................
Further into the Auction
25-27 Sep (£199) Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,
but we will do our best to oblige)
Declarer Play
...........................................................................................
16-18 Oct (£199)
Take-out Doubles Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking
Improvers*
...........................................................................................
13-15 Nov (£199)
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place
Game Tries by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent with
27-29 Nov (£199) your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment,
Overcalls 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.
Expiry: ............................ CVV.................... Issue No. ...............
(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip)
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302
*Improvers’ Weekends are aimed e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
at the novice player and/or those
picking up the game after a long break. website: www.holidaybridge.com
Page 29

Q
On the following
hand, I was North
and, being baffled
and suspecting a misfit, I
left my partner in a
hopeless contract.
I suspect we were both
partly at fault. How would
you have bid the hands?
♠ 7
♥ K J 10 6 5
♦ A Q 10 7 2
♣ 75
N
W
S
E pass was wrong. Even if
♠ A 10 6 4
♥ Q7
♦ 843
♣ AQ63
West North East South
1♥ 1♠ 2♣
2♦ Dbl Pass 2♠
End
W E Kaye,
East Wickham, Kent.
A
For a start, I would
have responded 2NT
on the South hand
rather than 2♣. With one bid,
this shows the values (10-12
points), the shape (balanced)
and the spade stoppers. If the
correct contract is in clubs,
opener can bid 3♣ over 2NT.
In theory, North should pass
over 2NT, though I suspect I
would rebid 3♦ (forcing).
Bidding the
Opponents’
Suit
Lacking three-card support,
but with a maximum for the
10-12 range, South would
then bid 3NT.
On your actual sequence,
you had a misunderstanding
about what the double of 2♦
meant. You must have
meant it for penalties while
partner took it for take-out.
As both of you have bid, the
normal meaning of the
double is for penalties, in
which case South has an
easy pass.
As you suggest, your final
you thought partner had a
lot of black cards, you
could have given preference
to 3♣ or tried to say you
thought the deal was a
misfit by bidding 2NT.
Unless you have agreed to
the contrary, a bid in the
opponent’s suit is forcing.
♣♦♥♠
Q
If partner bids a
suit that an
opponent has bid
already, how do you know
if partner has the suit
also?
David and Janet Strange,
Ipswich.
A
Without partnership
agreement, a bid of
the opposing suit is
rarely natural (it usually
shows strength and forces
Page 32
Ask Julian Pottage
partner to bid). However, if
your partner has not bid and
you have previously turned
down the chance to double
the suit for take-out then the
bid is natural:
West North East South
1♣
Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT
2♣
2♣ is natural. If you did not
have clubs, you might have
doubled 1♣, bid one of the
red suits or an unusual 2NT.
West North East South
1♦ Pass 1♥
Pass 2♦ Pass Pass
2♥
2♥ is natural. If you did not
have hearts, you could have
doubled at either turn, bid
one of the black suits or
made an unusual 2NT.
A bid of the opposing suit
is also natural if the suit is
responder’s and partner has
doubled opener’s suit for
take-out:
West North East South
1♦ Dbl 1♠
2♠
East is likely to have spades
for the double, so you may
want to play in the suit even
if South has four (and 1♠
might be a psyche, of
course). If you want to
make a general force, you
bid opener’s suit, 2♦.
♣♦♥♠
Q
1. On page 47 of
BRIDGE 89 why
does West not
lead the ace of clubs (from
A-x-x-x) rather than a
diamond from Q-J-10-x-x?
2. On page 17 of
BRIDGE 89, when East
plays the ten from
K-10-x-x when dummy
has Q-x, is this not
finessing against partner?
Mrs P A Bailey, Guildford.
A
1. With some
opponents, it can
be a good idea to
bash out an ace against a
slam since they might be
missing the ace-king of the
suit. In general, however, it
works better to try to set up
a winner in some other suit
that you can cash when you
get in with your ace. Here
West hopes to set up a
diamond trick.
2. When the player in
third seat has K-10-x-x,
playing the ten is a finesse
against dummy if dummy
has the queen or jack (i.e. a
card ranking above the ten
but below the king) but a
‘finesse against partner’ if
dummy has only low cards
(or the ace but neither the
queen nor the jack).
 Ask Julian Pottage continued either opponent has four clubs, East could bash 6♠,
cards in the suit, then they expecting to ruff any club
are likely to be in a position losers in dummy and
to double. Therefore presuming that West will

Q
Playing rubber key cards (to bid 5♥) was if partner’s overcall suggests a have a high card to cover
bridge in an un- one was the king of strong six-card suit. You one of the red losers. It
familiar partner- diamonds: you had three would need a very good would be more scientific for
ship, my partner and I bid aces and both black kings. reason not to lead it. East to proceed with 4NT,
these hands to 7NT: Having shown the king of Secondly, knowing that since if West has an ace and
diamonds already by bidding dummy is very likely to have a king then 7♠ could be on.
5♥, I would expect partner four spades, a spade lead is It is debatable over 4NT
♠ AK753 to deny any kings in highly risky. Very often, whether West tries to show
♥ A response to 5NT – perhaps when the ten of spades is in the club void as well as the
♦ AQJ743 you had agreed that the way dummy, the lead is going to ace (by jumping to 6♠
♣ K to show no kings was to sign cost a trick. For example, the perhaps); simplest is just to
N
off in six of the agreed suit, opposing holding could be bid 5♦ to show one ace.
W
S
E in which case I agree with K-10-x-x facing A-x or Then East checks on kings
the 6♦ bid. A-10-x-x facing K-x-x. with 5NT and gives up on a
♠ Void Apart from the final bid, By the way, the opposing grand slam when West
♥ 9543 which should have been 7♦ bidding is unusual. In Acol, shows none.
♦ K852 rather than 7NT, you seem to the 2♣ Stayman enquiry
♣ AJ753 have had a very good auction. does not promise any values ♣♦♥♠
– opener cannot possibly
♣♦♥♠

Q
rebid 3NT! I was on lead after
North South the opponents bid
♣♦♥♠

Q
2♣1 3♣ This was my hand 1NT-2NT-3NT. I
3♦ 4♠2 (West) at a local had ♠8-7-5-3 and ♦J-5-4-2.

Q
4NT3 5♥4 club duplicate: At a duplicate I led a diamond, which was
5NT5 6♦6 session at a small, disastrous as declarer won
7NT End friendly bridge cheaply with the ten in
1
Acol 2
see below ♠ QJ987 club in Quainton, my hand, having ♦A-K-Q-x in
3
KCB 4
two key-cards ♥ 10 partner and I held: dummy. A spade lead
5
for kings 6
one king ♦ K872 would have worked better
♣ 10 7 5 because my partner had
Clearly, we should have West East ♠K-Q-J-x. What would
been in 7♦, which I would ♠ 9854 ♠ AKQJ72 you have led, and why?
have bid if partner had bid West North East South ♥ A753 ♥ 8 James Galmont, Leeds.
4♦ instead of 4♠ (though 1NT ♦ 10 9 6 5 3 ♦ A7

A
we had agreed to play Pass 2♣ 2♥ 3NT ♣ Void ♣ AJ73 I would have led a
splinters). How should we End spade (the seven).
have bid? Firstly, the bidding
Dr Segall, London. I led the queen of spades The bidding went 2♠ by suggests leading a major.
and declarer made the East, 4♠ by West. How This is because with a five-

A
It is marginal contract. Partner said I should we have reached card major, two four-card
whether you open should have led a heart. 6♠? majors, or a four-card major
2♦ or 2♣. If you The contract would still Beryl Williams, and a ruffing value,
count the singleton king as have made on a heart lead. Whitchurch, Bucks. responder would surely have
half a quick trick, you have Only a diamond lead investigated a possible fit in

A
the requisite five quick would have worked. What By tradition, the one of the majors.
tricks for 2♣. was the correct lead? jump raise of a Secondly, the bidding
If, as you say, you had Mike Rennolds, strong two shows suggests a passive lead, as
agreed to play splinters, East Wickham, Kent. positive values but no ace or the opponents clearly do not
partner’s 4♠ was an void. have values to spare.

excellent bid. It showed the
diamond support and the
spade shortage at one go –
4♦ would show the diamond
support, but is less helpful
overall. On the next round,
you could work out that 4♠
agreed diamonds: the only
way partner could have two
A
I would have led a
heart, the result
notwithstanding.
There are two main points
here.
Firstly, it is very
dangerous to bid a major
after an opponent has used
Stayman. This is because, if
With both an ace and a
void, I would not bid 4♠. A
jump to 4♣ used to show a
solid club suit, but nowadays
it is more common to play a
jump to 4♣ as a splinter bid,
agreeing spades and showing
a singleton or void in clubs.
Facing a singleton or void in
The lack of intermediates
in your diamond suit
provides a third reason for
not leading the suit. There is
a big difference between
J-5-4-2 and J-9-7-2 in terms
of what you need from
partner to set up tricks in the
suit.

Page 33

Ask Julian Pottage
Q
My RHO opened
1♣. I had 17
points with five
clubs and overcalled 2♣. Is
this correct in Acol?
Mrs C Cheney,
Emberton, Bucks.
A
I am afraid you
cannot make a
natural overcall in a
suit the opposition has bid.
The traditional meaning of a
bid in the opponent’s suit is
to show a very strong hand,
like an Acol 2♣ opener.
Nowadays, most tournament
and club players use the cue-
bid to show a two-suited
hand, the majors in this
instance. Depending upon
the actual hand and the
vulnerability, I would either
pass (what Culbertson called
a ‘trap pass’), in the hope
that the opponents go too
high, or overcall 1NT.
♣♦♥♠
Q
From Dave
Huggett’s play
quiz, I have the
impression that leading the
fourth-highest card of the
longest suit against NT
helps declarer more than
partner. What do the
experts think?
James Seddon, Kenilworth.
A
Fourth-highest leads
are common the
world over. If they
were so bad, they would be a
lot less popular! Most people
take the view that defending
is difficult and that it is
better to give some signals to
help partner even if it means
giving information to
declarer also.
In expert circles, it is quite
common to switch to third
and fifth leads if you are
leading a suit partner has bid
– this is because you will
often be leading from a
continued
three-card suit. Even then,
the lead gives information to
declarer as well as partner.
♣♦♥♠
Q
What are the
guidelines for the
number of points
and shape in a hand when
pre-empting. Is it correct
to say it should be between
7 to 11 points and at least 7
cards in the suit called?
Does it matter whether the
pre-emptor is the first to
bid or overcalling? Finally,
is it wrong to pre-empt if
one holds an outside ace?
D Cook, Holmfirth, Yorks.
A
The idea of a pre-
emptive bid is to
make life difficult
for the opponents because
you believe they can make a
contract and you do not
mind going down a few
tricks. You want to have as
many values in your suit as
possible and as little outside
as possible. The better and
longer your suit is, the
greater the chance that
playing in the suit will be a
good idea. A textbook three-
level pre-empt when non-
vulnerable is K-Q-J-x-x-x-x
in your suit and nothing of
value outside. Nobody will
argue if the suit is ‘only’
K-Q-x-x-x-x-x. Vulnerable
you would like to have some
chance of making seven
tricks, so A-Q-J-x-x-x-x
would be preferable.
On your ace question,
Q-J-10-x-x-x-x and an
outside ace would be fine to
open at the three level when
non-vulnerable. Vulnerable
you would again be looking
for some chance of making
seven tricks for such an
opening, so K-J-10-x-x-x-x
or better and a trick on the
side would be preferable.
Point count is not the main
Page 34
guide for pre-emptive
bidding, though if you have
enough points to open at the
one level (about 10 or 11
with a 7-card suit) you
would tend to do that. I
would put the range for pre-
empting at more like 5-10
than 7-11.
Similar rules apply if the
opponents open, though
many play a single jump
(e.g. they open 1♥ and you
overcall 3♦) as a strong bid.
If the overcall is a double
jump (e.g. they open 1♥ and
you overcall 3♠), or if you
play weak jump overcalls,
the rules are the same for a
pre-emptive overcall as for
an opening.
♣♦♥♠
Q
At my local club,
my partner (West)
opened a pre-
emptive 3♦; North
doubled for take out; I,
East, passed and South
jumped to 4♠, which was
passed out. My partner
had four spades,
which surprised our
opponents. 4♠ went two
off. At most other tables
North was in 5♣, making.
Was my partner wrong to
pre-empt with seven of the
suit and 10 points?
Maureen Crick by e-mail.
A
The idea of a pre-
emptive bid is to
make life difficult
for the opponents and to tell
partner that you are keen on
having your long suit as
trumps. If you have a four-
card major on the side, you
risk missing a contract in
the major. Of course, the
weaker your hand
(particularly in values
outside your long suit), the
less the chance that the deal
belongs to your side, in
which case it will not matter
if you miss a fit in a
major. In answer to your
question, a hand with 10
points in high cards and two
singletons (or a doubleton
and a void) is likely to be
too strong for a three-level
pre-empt (or to pass). For
instance with ♠K-J-x-x and
♦A-Q-x-x-x-x-x, you should
open 1♦, not 3♦. It would
be quite easy to construct a
hand for partner that would
pass a 3♦ opening but
would give good play for a
slam in spades.
♣♦♥♠
Q
At love all, rubber
bridge, I opened
4♣ on the North
hand below. Partner took
it as Gerber and we ended
in 6♣. East did not lead a
spade and we made all 13
tricks (West had ♣K-x).
Someone said I should
have opened 2♣ rather
than 4♣. Who was right?
♠ 83
♥ Q7
♦ 9
♣ A Q J 10 5 4 3 2
N
W
S
E
♠ Q 10 7 5
♥ AK854
♦ A84
♣ 9
Mrs M Schwartz, Ilford.
A
Non-vulnerable,
your 4♣ opening
seems fine to me.
You have an eight-card club
suit and seven playing tricks
(thereby obeying the rule of
two and three). A 4♣
opening is a pre-emptive
bid, like 3♣ but with more
playing strength, not Gerber.
I shudder at the suggestion
that you might open 2♣. In
Acol, a 2♣ opening shows a
very strong hand, 23 points
in high cards or a powerful
game-going hand. Had your
partner understood your bid
correctly, a raise to 5♣
would seem in order.

Ask Julian Pottage
Q
If you had fewer
than 23 points in
an unbalanced
hand and three or four
losers, would you open 2♣?
Mrs Freeman, Chigwell.
A Q
In general, a 4-loser
hand is more likely
to be an Acol Two
and a 3-loser hand a 2♣
opening. Having five quick
or defensive tricks are also
important – A-K is two, A-Q
is one and a half, A or K-Q
is one and K is a half. You
need five quick tricks in a
powerful game-going hand
to open 2♣. The losing trick
count tells you only whether
the hand is ‘game-going’.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I read with
interest your reply
to a query in
BRIDGE 90, as your
advice differs from what I
have seen elsewhere. The
advice to open the major
with four clubs and a four-
card major can cause rebid
problems.
John Martin, Dingwall.
A
Players divide into
three camps on the
question of what to
open when holding a four-
card major. Some always
open the major. Some
always open the minor.
Some vary, depending upon
the quality of suits or ease of
rebid. The three methods all
have their benefits and
drawbacks. In each case, you
will usually show a balanced
hand on the next round
rather than introducing the
second suit. The most
important thing is that you
and your partner know what
you do and that you do the
same thing to avoid the risk
of a misunderstanding. On a
Mr Bridge cruise or
continued
weekend, the teaching style
is to open the major, so other
players are likely to be doing
the same thing.
♣♦♥♠
With a balanced
4432 with two
4-card majors and
16 points, which of the
majors do I open, before
re-bidding no-trumps?
Eddy Kent by e-mail.
A
You should open
1♥. This way you
will not miss a 4-4
fit in either major because
you make it easy for partner
either to raise to 2♥ or to bid
1♠. If you open 1♠
mistakenly, you will often
miss a 4-4 heart fit. You may
even miss a 5-4 heart fit if
partner lacks the 9-10 points
required for a 2♥ response
to 1♠.
West East
♠ AK65 ♠ J7
♥ KJ63 ♥ Q 10 7 5 4
♦ A65 ♦ KQ4
♣ J5 ♣ 964
With these hands, I much
prefer the auction
1♥-3♥-4♥ to 1♠-1NT.
♣♦♥♠
Q
My partner
opened a weak no-
trump. It was
doubled and I, with a very
weak hand – one point and
no five-card suit, passed;
the opposition got a very
good score. I understand
there was a way out of the
situation.
Can you help?
J. F. Lambert by e-mail.
(Similar from Michael Rice,
Chichester and Carmen
Issacharoff, London NW4).
Page 35
A
There are a variety
of methods on
offer. In most, the
basic idea is that immediate
bids by responder show two
suits (including the suit bid)
and with a single-suited
hand responder redoubles.
The redouble asks opener to
bid 2♣ and responder then
passes (to show clubs) or
bids the suit held. If
responder bids a suit
directly (showing two suits),
what opener does depends
on how specific the
response is; if it just shows
the lower of two suits,
opener passes with tolerance
for the suit and otherwise
bids the next suit up. I like
to play that responder can
pass over 1NT doubled to
play there, but in some
methods, pass forces opener
to redouble. I regard it as
unsound to play the pass as
forcing. With something like
a flat 6 points you do not
mind playing in 1NT
doubled (rather than play in
a 4-3 fit at the two level,
possibly also doubled) but
you really do not want to
play in 1NT redoubled.
A ♠ 974
♥ J8643
♦ 963
♣ 72
B ♠ 95
♥ J864
♦ J 10 4 3
♣ 532
C ♠ 963
♥ 10 7 5
♦ J64
♣ J643
With hand A, you redouble,
planning to bid 2♥ over
opener’s forced 2♣. With
hand B, you bid 2♦,
planning to play in 2♦ or
2♥. With C, you have no
ideal action. If you play a
pass as non-forcing, you can
pass, ready to take the
medicine, but hoping that
LHO removes the double. If
you decide to run (the right
thing to do against
opponents too polite to
double anything other than
1NT), you either redouble
(planning to show just
clubs) or bid 2♣ (pretending
you have diamonds as well
as clubs).
SWINE, which you may
come across if you play on
the Internet, is slightly
different: a direct 2♥/2♠ is
single suited (and
constructive). You have to
use the pass as forcing to
redouble with SWINE, so I
would not recommend it.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I am confused
about when a bid
is forcing in a
competitive auction. If the
bidding round the table is
1♥, 2♦, 3♣, is 3♣ forcing,
and does it show support
for hearts?
Alan Hanson by e-mail.
A
In normal
circumstances, 3♣
is forcing but does
not indicate support for
hearts. In general, a new suit
at the three level after
partner has bid is forcing.
3♣ would only be non-
forcing if 3♣ gave you
game (for instance if you
were playing rubber bridge
and already had a part-score
of 40 or more) or perhaps if
the player who bids 3♣ had
passed previously.
Some people play that 3♣
by a passed hand would
show heart support (on the
basis that you had the
chance to open 3♣ and
chose not to), but this would
be a matter of partnership
agreement. If you were
doing this, 3♣ would be
forcing if it showed club
length and 4-card heart
support but non-forcing if it
showed club length and
3-card heart support.

Ask Julian Pottage
false preference to 2♠. The
continued
thinking is that if opener is
5-4 or 6-4 then the contract
is likely to play better in the
UK, and even many US
experts regard it as unsound.
If you search for ‘two-over-
one bidding’ on the internet,

Q
Below are the 7NT is better if you swap
hands that my North’s red suits (when a
partner and I held. 4-1 heart split would beat
How should we have bid? 7♥) and on the actual
layout.
At rubber bridge, scoring
♠ 10 7 3 150 for honours is another
♥ K Q J 10 9 reason for bidding 7NT.
first suit than the second.
Only if opener is 5-5 is the
second suit likely to play
better.
That said, I might well
have passed 2♥ on your
partner’s hand. With 6
points, there is no hope of
you can find further details.
Its lack of popularity in
the UK and its relative
complexity make it unlikely
we will do an article on it.
♣♦♥♠

Q
♦ KQ852 game, so responder does not At our club, some
♣ Void ♣♦♥♠ want to give opener the use a response of
chance to bid again. 2♠ to a 12-14 1NT
N

Q
W
S
E I picked up the as 11 points (balanced),
following hand: ♣♦♥♠ and a response of 2NT as
♠ AK 12 points. Others use 2♠

Q
♥ A64 I have heard of the as 11 or 12 points, and
♦ A7 system ‘2 over 2NT as a transfer to
♣ A K Q 10 8 4 ♠ KQJ54 1.’ Do you publish minors.
♥ K753 any articles on it?  I believe Michelle
♦ A63 Can you include Brunner recommends a
Mrs A Carter, Carlisle. ♣ 7 something on this in Mr variation: 2NT as natural
Bridge? Do you think it a and 2♠ for the minors.

A
If North deals, you good system? Which do you
can more or less bid I opened 1♠ and my Christine Townend, recommend?
1♥-7NT. It is hard partner replied 1NT. What Chalfont St Giles, Bucks. Tony Betts, Northallerton.
for South to envisage an would you have done (Similar from J F Lambert).

A
opening bid for North that next? I rebid 2♥ and my The ‘2 over 1’

A
does not offer at least partner passed with: system means that a It is wasteful to use
reasonable play for a grand change of suit both 2♠ and 2NT as
slam. It is tougher if South response at the two level, e.g. ways to invite 3NT.
opens: ♠ 10 9 1♠-2♦, creates a game force. With a good 12 points (e.g.
♥ Q84 The idea is that, by creating nice intermediates or a
North South ♦ 9752 a game force at a low level, decent five-card suit) just bid
2♣ ♣ KJ85 you leave the partnership 3NT. With a poor 12 points
2♥ 3♣ maximum room to explore (e.g. 4333 shape or
3♦ 3♥ the right strain and level. unsupported honours), treat
4♦ 5NT Hearts split 5-1 and we When you have the it as 11 points.
7♥ 7NT went one down. Most strength to make the two- However, rather than
End played in 2♠ and did over-one bid (i.e. an opening playing that 2♠ shows
better. bid yourself), the system specifically a game-
2♣ is Acol, forcing to game Simon Loveday, usually works well. The invitational hand, you can
unless followed by a 2NT Wells by e-mail. problem arises when use it to show either game
rebid over a 2♦ negative. responder has 6-11 or 6-12 interest or slam interest.

North gives a positive
response of 2♥ and then
shows the diamonds on the
next round. South gives
preference to 3♥ and North
shows more diamonds (the
ace or king) with a cue bid
of 4♦. South then bids 5NT,
the grand-slam force, asking
North to bid 7♥ if holding
two of the top three hearts.
Whether South converts
7♥ to 7NT is a moot point.
7♥ is better if the clubs are
not solid and North does not
have the queen of diamonds.
A
Your rebid of 2♥ is
correct. With the
singleton, a suit
contract should play better
than 1NT. Besides, if partner
really likes hearts, you might
make game. A 2♠ rebid
would be poor. By opening
1♠ and rebidding 2♥, you
promise at least five spades
and four hearts. It is much
better to show two features
than one.
I suspect that most of the
pairs who played in 2♠ got
there because responder gave
points, as then the range for
a 1NT response becomes
very wide.
Normal in the 2-over-1
system is to play that a 1NT
response is forcing. This
way, with 10-12 points
responder will be able to bid
again over opener’s rebid.
Another snag with 2-over-1
is that, in all but the most
experience partnerships, it
can be difficult to tell
whether partner is trying to
show extra values.
‘2 over 1’ is rare in the
Opener has to bid again over
2♠ (2NT with a minimum
and 3♣ with a maximum),
so responder will get another
chance.
If responder does anything
other than pass 2NT or
convert 3♣ to 3NT, it
shows a four-card suit
(usually a good one) and
slam interest.
The option to use 2♠ on
both game and slam hands
illustrates why it is better to
play it this way round rather
than Michelle’s.

Page 36

Ask Julian Pottage
Q A
What would you
open on this
hand?
♠ A K J 10 7
♥ Void
♦ A 10 8 7 5 3 2
♣ A
B Nothern,
Mobberley, Cheshire.
A
Playing standard
Acol, I open 2♦. An
Acol Two does not
have to be a single-suited
hand.
You have far more play-
ing strength than partner
would expect if you opened
1♦, but not enough quick
tricks to open an Acol 2♣.
Playing Benjamin, the
best opening is less clear. If
the bidding starts 2♣-2♦,
you cannot show your long
suit below the three level;
also, partner will get to play
the hand if you end up in
diamonds. I would probably
open 2♣ despite this. If the
bidding goes 2♣-2♦-3♦-3♥-
3♠-3NT-4♠ or 2♣-2♦-3♦-
3NT-4♠, partner will get the
idea of a big two-suited
hand with longer diamonds
than spades.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Have you ever
heard of a deal on
which one pair
had all 40 points between
them? This happened to
our opponents in the
penultimate deal during a
friendly bridge evening. Is
this as rare as I believe it
must be?
Gerald Sacks,
West Byfleet, Surrey.
E-mail your questions for Julian to:
julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk.
continued
By my reckoning
the chance that the
opponents have all
40 points between them is
1 in 1,951,000. This is 36
choose 10 divided by 52
choose 26. The 36 is the
number of non-picture cards,
of which the opponents must
have 10 if they have all 16
picture cards.
36 choose 10 means
36! / (10!x(36-10)!) and
36! (36 factorial) means
36x35x34 ... 3x2x1 and
likewise for 52 choose 26.
♣♦♥♠
Q
What should I
have opened on
the South hand
below and was a slam
makeable? None of our
foursome came up with the
same answer.
Dealer South. N/S Vul.
♠ J985
♥ J864
♦ AQ97
♣ K
♠ 63 ♠ 10 7 4 2
♥ A973 N ♥ 52
W E
♦ 854 S ♦ K J 10 6 3
♣ 9432 ♣ J 10
♠ AKQ
♥ K Q 10
♦ 2
♣ AQ8765
I cannot remember all the
calls. I, South, opened
2NT. We did not mention
any majors. North at some
point called 4♣ asking for
aces, then 5♣ asking for
kings and we ended up in
6♣ (played from the wrong
hand!) going down two.
Mrs G R Menzies,
Lyme Regis.
Page 37
A
First, I would like
to make a plea to all
readers. In card
diagrams, spades always
come at the top, then hearts,
then diamonds and finally
clubs. (I misread the
question originally as the
clubs were at the top.)
This is a very tricky hand
to bid in Acol. A possible
sequence is this:
North South
2♣1
2NT2 3♣
3♦3 3NT
6NT4
1 If South’s long suit were
anything other than clubs, an
Acol two would fit the bill.
With three losers and 20
HCP, South is too good to
open 1♣. 2NT is wrong with
the singleton and this much
playing strength, while 2♣
is a bit of a stretch with only
four and a half quick tricks.
Out of 1♣, 2NT and 2♣, I
rate 2NT least highly as it is
both an underbid and wrong
on shape. I prefer 2♣ to 1♣
as 2♣ is less of an overbid
than 1♣ is an underbid.
Moreover, with 3-card
support for both majors,
game chances seem very
good.
2 This shows positive
values and no five-card suit.
3 Since South could have
a second suit, North keeps
the bidding low.
4 North knows that South
might have had to open 2♣
a little light, but often the
singleton king of clubs will
be enough to make the suit
solid.
As the cards lie, you can
make 11 tricks playing in
any denomination other than
diamonds. I am not sure you
really want to be in a slam –
the blocked major suits
make life awkward. 6NT by
North would fail here even if
East kindly leads a diamond
into the ace-queen. I did a
computer simulation and 6♠
by North seems to be the
best (or least bad) slam,
making about 50% of the
time – though that assumes
double-dummy play.
If South opens 2NT, North
should bid 3♣, whether you
play it as Baron (asking
opener to bid four-card suits
up the line) or Stayman. 4♣,
Gerber, is not the right bid
(indeed, it rarely is). You
only check on aces when
you know what suit you
intend to play in. You say
that you played 6♣ the
wrong way up, but most
contracts play better by
North to protect the
diamond tenace.
♣♦♥♠
Q
My bridge partner
has posed me a
problem. He said
that it was in BRIDGE a
few issues ago.
The contract is 7NT by
South and West leads the
four of spades. I cannot
seem to see how I would
get back to my hand!
♠ 6
♥ AK
♦ AKQ
♣ A987432
N
W
S
E
♠ AKQ
♥ Q J 10
♦ J 10 9 8 7 6
♣ 6
Susan Lee,
Christchurch, Dorset.
A
There is a neat way
around the
blockages. Take
three rounds of spades,
discarding dummy’s hearts
on the second and third
rounds. Then take three
rounds of hearts, discarding
dummy’s three diamonds.
After that, run the
diamonds and take the last
trick with the ace of clubs. n

C
onsider your opening bid on
these hands:
a) ♠ A
♥ AKQ76
♦ AQJ5
♣ A 10 3
b) ♠ 8
♥ A K J 10 7 6 3
♦ AK2
♣ K6
c) ♠ 76
♥ KJ9832
♦ 642
♣ KJ
Hand a) is the classic game-going hand,
a 2♣ bid in standard Acol. Such a bid
compels partner to keep bidding until
you reach game. As you can see, as little
as three small hearts in partner’s hand
will make game playable; any useful
honour card would make it certain.
Hand b) is the classic Acol Two Bid.
The hand will play for in excess of eight
tricks, but partner does need something
to convert this hand to game. Pick what
you would like partner to have by way of
support: a few hearts; the queen of
diamonds; a black ace. Any one of those
will be enough for you to make game,
yet partner can hold an ace without
having the six points needed to scrape up
a response to a one-level bid.
Hand c) is a standard Weak Two Bid, a
hand too weak to open with a normal
1-of-a-suit bid, but at the same time, a
constructive limit bid. Rather like when
you open 1NT, a Weak Two bid describes
your hand within tight parameters at one
go and leaves further action to partner.
Weak Twos are an effective competitive
weapon.
Conventions and Conventioners with Ned Paul
Benjaminised Acol
and the Lion of
the North
Which of these treatments of Two Bids
came first? I am sure that most readers
would find the answer surprising. Weak
Twos appear in the literature as far back as
the 1920s. If Harold Vanderbilt, the
‘inventor’ of modern contract bridge, had
had his way, then we would all be playing
a strong club system. Indeed, in his book,
Contract Bridge, published in 1929, he
clearly sets out a form of Weak Two.
Vanderbilt’s ideas did not hold sway in the
golden era of bridge in the 1930s.
Americans en masse followed the ideas of
Ely Culbertson. Culbertson espoused the
‘Forcing Two’. Using the Forcing Two, all
opening two bids were strong, natural and
forcing to game. Thus Culbertson would
have recommended an opening bid of 2♥,
forcing to game, on Hand a) above.
The Acol group of players, led by Jack
Marx and SJ Simon, recognised that
Culbertson’s idea of having four separate
bids for forcing-to-game type hands was
inefficient use of precious bidding
resources – you have only 35 different
bids to describe all the hands you might
hold. They devised the Acol 2♣ bid for
hands such as a) above and invented the
strong Acol Two Bid for the ‘I have
nearly a game’ hands. Acol Two Bids are
forcing for at least one round, but the
bidding may stop below game if partner
is completely unsuitable. Acol Two Bids
became, and remain, the basis for
standard bidding in Britain.
In America, the Acol Two Bid never
caught on. In the 1950s, it was the new
American ‘Mr Contract Bridge’, Charles
Goren, who brought Standard American
up to date. The popularity of Weak Two
Bids began to rise at the same time and
eventually Culbertson’s Forcing Two
was consigned to history. Modern
Standard American has adopted the Acol
2♣ for forcing-to-game hands; it uses the
other bids as Weak Two Bids. Players at
your club, who say they use ‘Three Weak
Twos’, play in this style.
Page 38
The rise of the Weak Two gave European
bridge players a problem. Should they
start playing the clearly successful
‘American Weak Two Bids’ or stick with
the traditional strong two bids, on which
most European experience was based?
The Scottish bridge international, Albert
Benjamin, devised the solution.
Benjamin realised that if it was inefficient
to play the Forcing Two with separate
natural bids for all the rare forcing-to-
game hands, so it was just as inefficient to
have separate natural bids for the just as
rare ‘nearly-a-game’ hands. What was his
solution? Make 2♣ and 2♦ the big bids,
and free 2♥ and 2♠ to be Weak Twos. For
reasons I discuss below, 2♣ became the
hand for 8+ tricks, with 2♦ the outright
force to game.
The system, which Benjamin
described in a short published article,
some time in the 1960s, became known
in Britain as ‘Benjaminised Acol’ – or
‘Benji’ for short and is certainly one of
the more common systems you will
encounter in duplicate bridge clubs. This
system of two bids is also normal in
France, where, although not attributed to
Benjamin, it is included as part of the
modern French ‘Super Majeure
Cinquième’ as taught throughout France.
So much for the Benjamin bids, what
of Benjamin the man? Albert Benjamin
was one of the foremost figures of
Scottish Bridge. He became known as
‘the Lion of the North’. Born in 1909, he
discovered bridge at Glasgow University
and soon immersed himself in bridge
journalism, even launching Scottish
Bridge Weekly. After the war, he opened
the Ken Muir Bridge Club in Glasgow,
which quickly acquired the nickname
‘Benjamin’s’. He continued writing also,
contributing a daily hand to a Glasgow
newspaper as well as weekly and
monthly columns in other publications.
As a player, he represented Scotland in
the home internationals for the
 Conventions continued
2009
Camrose Trophy, mostly in partnership
AT DENHAM GROVE
with Victor Goldberg. Tilehouse Lane, Denham, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire UB9 5DU.
A Scot through and through,
Benjamin’s greatest moment came when Duplicate Weekends 2009
his beloved Scottish team bested
England and won the Camrose for the
first time in 1964. An amusing incident ♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with
happened during the late stages of the en-suite facilities
close-fought match against the ‘auld ♦ No single supplement
enemy’. Benjamin actually dozed off ♦ Room upgrades available
during a deal. A nudge from the table 30 Jan-1 Feb £150 ♦ Bidding quiz and two
recorder woke him up with a start. ‘No Just Duplicate
seminars except on ♦ Use of swimming
bid’ he said out of turn and without Just Duplicate events pool and fitness suite
looking at his hand. He now had to pass 13-15 Feb £150
despite holding a good take-out double Just Duplicate
Eight executive rooms: £50 supplement per event.
of 1♠, and his opponents then reached 17-19 Apr Half the bedrooms are on the ground floor.
4♠ unopposed. Albert fell asleep again £199 Please advise if you require a ground-floor room.
(metaphorically only this time) and
missed the killing defence. It looked like 15-17 May
a poor time to let chances slip. In £199 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _
the other room, the English pair did
19-21 Jun
double and reached a contract of 3♦
£199 Please book me for ..... places,
redoubled with a trump suit of jack to
four opposite four low. The contract 10-12 Jul
collapsed when Scotland’s Sam Leckie, £199 Single ..... Double ..... Twin .....
holding A-K-Q-10 was able to draw
trumps. The penalty was 2200 and 24-26 Jul at the Denham Grove weekend(s) of ..............................
Scotland won the match. £199
A word about the system – ‘Benji’, as 7-9 Aug £150 ..........................................................................................
devised, uses 2♣ for the 8+ trick ‘nearly- Just Duplicate
a-game’ hands. Usually partner makes a Mr/Mrs/Miss ...................................................................
2♦ relay response to enable opener to 21-23 Aug
specify the suit opener actually holds. An £199
Address.............................................................................
opening 2♦ is the ‘big’ bid, the equivalent
23-25 Oct
of 2♣ in traditional Acol. Some club
£199 ..........................................................................................
pairs play ‘Reverse Benji’, keeping the
2♣ bid unchanged and using 2♦ for the 30 Oct-1 Nov
8+ trick hands. In my opinion, this is un- £199 Postcode ..........................................................................
sound. The 2♦ bid tends to trigger a 2♥
relay and opener if holding hearts, one of 13-15 Nov ( ....................................................................................
the important major suits, now has to bid £199
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,
3♥ to show his suit naturally, a dread- 27-29 Nov but we will do our best to oblige)
fully high level at which to start bidding £199
a strong hand. Not only that, responder
4-6 Dec £150 ........................................................................................
has also ‘wrong-sided’ the contract with
the relay. No, Albert was right to publish Just Duplicate Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per
it how he did and we should all bow to place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be
his superior technical insight. sent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final
Benjamin was a great raconteur and payment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full
loved to jest. He loved also to mentor details will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not
younger players. He helped launch the refundable. Should you require insurance, you should contact
your own insurance broker.
bridge careers of Michael Rosenberg and
Barnet Shenkin, both of whom became
, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
USA-based bridge professionals. By all
accounts, he decried his own bidding ( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302
system and did not play it. Albert e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
Benjamin died in 2006, aged 96, but website: www.holidaybridge.com
Benjaminised Acol lives on. n

Page 39
 The Baron Outwits
the Grand Duke
by Dick Atkinson

E
veryone has his favourite partner. easy option of returning his top club.
Most of us, I suspect, also have a ♠ KQJ53 Having analysed the hand to his own
favourite opponent. My uncle. ♥ J3 satisfaction, the G.D. led a small club
Baron von Münchausen, is no ♦ J52 immediately towards the nine. My uncle
exception. Every year, he plays in a ♣ 963 followed low smoothly. Well now, could
discreet but prestigious event held in ♠ 642 ♠ 10 9 8 7 it be right to put up the nine? The G.D.
Luxembourg, the Almanach de Gotha ♥ Q7 N ♥ 986542 realised that would ruin his throw-in
W E
Tournament. There it used to be his ♦ 987643 S ♦ K line. The six lost to the seven, and back
pleasure, in the middle years of the ♣ 10 2 ♣ 87 came the eight! The G.D. hesitated only
century, to meet Grand Duke Vassily ♠ A a second before following low, losing to
Romanov at a green velvet battlefield. ♥ A K 10 the ten. One down. Even those timid
I get the impression that their enmity ♦ A Q 10 souls in 6♣ plus one outscored the
is not unconnected with the fair sex and ♣ AKQJ54 Grand Duke.
perhaps, with that mysterious duelling
scar. This, as you will remember, Two Tricks Lost in Easy Slam
disfigured the Grand Duke’s otherwise The Grand Duke’s Analysis
handsome features. ‘You seem a little agitated, Vassily
The deal below illustrates the Baron’s The lead was the ♠2 to the ♠A and the Vassilievitch. Perhaps you foresee some
ability to reject smoothly a play that an G.D. was horrified to find that the B.M. embarrassment in explaining to our
opponent tries to force on him. had virtually nothing outside his acquaintance how you managed to lose
On this particular occasion, from the advertised suit. He fingered the ♣A for a two tricks in a suit holding nine cards to
final session of the pairs, my uncle held moment, before absorbing the fact that the A-K-Q-J? Don’t give it a second
a particularly moderate hand as dealer 7♣, a likely contract, would presumably thought. Have no fear – it shall be my
at Game All: be rock solid if the ♣10 fell in two pleasure to explain – to everyone. It was
rounds. This made that line a poor one in just that unfortunate break. Two-two...
terms of profit and loss. 7♠ would be the You know, I thought I’d gone to bed
♠ 642 likely top score for anyone who with my ten for a moment there! I
♥ Q7 N stumbled into it. 6NT would be solid on would have had a hard time explaining
W E
♦ 987643 S a friendlier lead. that one away.’
♣ 10 2 The G.D. considered playing the ♦Q, ‘Sorry partner,’ piped up the B.M. at
but that would be rather obvious and last, anxious to justify his positive
whoever held the king would presum- response. ‘If I’d only stuck to my guns
He passed, as did North and East, the ably hold off. Then he conceived a and bid 7♠, we’d probably have a top!’
Marquis de Sade. The Grand Duke was simple plan to get back into the money. ‘Come, come, mein Herr, you insult
playing with an exiled Baltic Margrave, 6NT could be an excellent score, if the me,’ returned the Baron. ‘I am capable
and their auction was allegedly majors broke badly and one opponent of ruffing the third heart high in a good
Culbertson: held, say, ♣10-x-x and a doubleton in cause!’ His little ♠6 would promote a
one of the majors. Still, it couldn’t hurt trick in the Marquis’ hand. ‘No, it’s only
West North East South to take the ♣A first, could it? It certainly in no-trumps that you have 17 tricks on
Baron B.M. M.S. G.D. couldn’t gain in the scenario envisaged; top... and clubs, of course.’ n
Pass Pass Pass 2♣ but what if East held ♣l0-8-7, and also
Pass 2♠ Pass 4NT the red suit honours? He could be
Pass 5♣ Pass 5NT thrown in, with the lead of any of the Previously published in BRIDGE 39.
Pass 6♦ Pass 6NT four suits providing access to dummy. Reprinted to satisfy popular demand.
End Cashing the ♣A first would give him the

Page 40
 ANSWERS TO THE DECLARER PLAY QUIZ
ON PAGE 14 by DAVID HUGGETT
You are declarer in 6♠ and West leads the ♥K. diamond loser if he has the queen or any three
1. ♠ K53 How do you plan the play? diamonds, keeping East off lead. Fortunately,
♥ 762 there is a much better way that offers a good
Clearly, you cannot afford to duck the opening
♦ J5 chance of success. Just duck the first trick! Then
lead. With the ace of clubs to knock out at
♣ AQJ62 you can discard a diamond on the ace of
some stage and the player with that card very
♠ Q 10 8 6 2 ♠ 94 hearts later and ruff the third round of
likely to have a second heart to play, you have
♥ Q8 N ♥ J 10 9 4 3 diamonds. As long as West has the ace of
W E to rid yourself of the two losing hearts before
♦ K964 S ♦ Q7 trumps, you will find that East is effectively out
touching clubs. One will go on a top diamond
♣ 84 ♣ K 10 9 7 of the game and therefore unable to make a
and the other will go on dummy’s fifth
♠ AJ7 damaging club switch. In the meantime, you
diamond if you can establish the suit.
♥ AK5 will discard the two low clubs in hand on the
♦ A 10 8 3 2 So win the lead, play the two top diamonds two established diamonds in dummy.
♣ 53 and ruff a diamond high. Re-enter dummy
with a trump and ruff another diamond high,
establishing the fifth diamond in the process.
4. ♠ J4
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads the Then you can enter dummy once more with a
♥ 7
♠6. East plays the ♠9. How do you plan the trump and dispose of your losing heart on the
♦ A875432
play? long diamond. All that then remains is to
♣ 843
knock out the ace of clubs.
The lead has done you no harm and a quick ♠ 753 ♠ K 10 9 8
tally of the tricks shows that if you can make What do you need to make the plan work? Well, ♥ 632 N ♥ 954
W E
three club tricks you will make the contract. diamonds have to be 4-3 but trumps have to ♦ KJ9 S ♦ Q 10 6
That is true but you have to be careful how break 2-2 as well or the closed hand will run ♣ KQJ7 ♣ 10 9 5
you go about trying to achieve this aim. out of trumps before the clubs are good. Note ♠ AQ62
Suppose you win the first trick in hand and also that you cannot afford to draw trumps ♥ A K Q J 10 8
play a club to the jack, which wins the trick before playing on diamonds. Having a top ♦ Void
when East correctly holds up. What do you do diamond ruffed is not a worry here because ♣ A62
now? You might come back to hand with a you need the suit to break kindly anyway.
spade and repeat the finesse. Unfortunately,
if it now fails and it turns out that East started You are declarer in 4♥ and West leads the
with four clubs, you will never be able to 3. ♠ K984 ♣K. How do you plan the play?
establish the clubs and enjoy them because ♥ A2
This hand is frustrating because you can
you will be an entry short to dummy. ♦ AK763
count ten tricks via two spades, six hearts,
♣ J5
The key is to duck a club at trick two, making one diamond and one club. The trouble is that
♠ A ♠ 62
the opposition win the trick. Then, when you you are isolated from dummy and unable to
♥ KQJ974 N ♥ 10 8 6 5
regain the lead, you can take a club finesse, W E gain access to the ace of diamonds – or so it
♦ 10 2 S ♦ QJ8
not minding if it loses. As long as clubs break seems. One plan might be to win the club and
♣ A Q 10 2 ♣ 9764
no worse than 4-2, you will be able to make play a low spade in the hope that West holds
♠ Q J 10 7 5 3
three tricks in the suit. If dummy had started the king. Even if East holds this card, there is
♥ 3
with ♣A-K-x-x-x, the initial duck would the chance that he might not have the nous to
♦ 954
somehow seem much easier. return a trump, in which case you could ruff
♣ K83
the third round and reach dummy that way.
The opposition would have to be poor for that
second option to work and there is in fact a
2. ♠ QJ98 You are in 4♠ and West, who bid hearts, leads
neat solution. Win the club and play the
♥ A62 the ♥K. How do you plan the play?
queen of spades! If this loses to the king, you
♦ AK752
Apparently, you have an inescapable loser in can gain access to dummy with the jack later.
♣ 9
trumps and diamonds, so you have to hope If instead the queen holds, you can play the
♠ 64 ♠ 52
that you can restrict your club losers to just one. ace of spades and ruff one in dummy.
♥ KQJ7 N ♥ 10 9 5
W E East might hold the ace, though, with West in
♦ Q 10 8 3 S ♦ J96 It would take a very hostile break somewhere
the bidding, perhaps this is wishful thinking. Of
♣ 854 ♣ A7632 or a defender with only two spades and the
course, you could establish the diamond suit if
♠ A K 10 7 3 nine of hearts to thwart this plan.
they break 3-2, but then you have to lose one in
♥ 843
the process; if you lose that trick to East then a All the examples this time involve a long suit
♦ 4
club through your king could prove embarrass- in dummy that you need to utilise in the most
♣ K Q J 10
ing. You might manoeuvre to let West win the efficient manner. ■

Page 41
 Bridge H
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 Julian Pottage Says

Signal Attitude
on Partner’s Lead
ne thing that makes defending You play the two of spades – your This time, you cannot offer any help in

O hard is that you cannot see all of

your side’s assets. One way the
defenders make life easier for each other
lowest card in the suit. It says, ‘sorry
partner; I cannot help you in this suit.
Please try something else.’ On this hand,
spades and play the two on the first trick.
Partner, if holding ♠Q-J-9-x-x, may well
switch to a heart after getting in to put
is with a signal. Most signals involve the you hope for a diamond switch. you in for a lead through South’s
play of cards that cannot win a trick – On layout A, you held the king of remaining ♠K-10.
usually spot cards. The most basic signal spades – the highest card you could Attitude signals can apply after the
is of attitude – you encourage or possibly hold in the suit given the first trick and to either defender. The
discourage a suit that partner has led by dummy. You do not have to have a top rule is that, if your side leads the suit
playing high or low respectively. card to encourage partner to lead the suit before declarer does, a signal usually
again. indicates your liking or otherwise for the
On C and D below, South is in 3NT. suit.
Layout A Partner leads the queen of spades and
♠ A85 dummy’s ace wins.
♥ A852 Layout E
♦ K5 ♠ J8
♣ Q 10 7 3 Layout C ♥ 85
♠ K72 ♠ A8 ♦ K Q J 10 5
N ♥ K97 ♥ QJ5 ♣ K973
W E
S ♦ Q 10 7 2 ♦ Q J 10 5 ♠ K942
♣ J64 ♣ Q 10 7 3 ♥ J9762 N
W E
♠ 10 7 2 ♦ 87 S
N ♥ K97 ♣ 42
W E
South’s exact contract is not critical to S ♦ 9762
your play on layouts A and B. It might ♣ A64
be 3NT or 4♥. Partner leads the queen of South plays in 5♣. You lead the six of
spades and dummy’s ace wins. hearts to the five, king and ace. Declarer
On A, you should play the seven of Your ten of spades will help to set up the plays a trump. Partner wins with the ace
spades – this is the highest spot card you spades. If you get in with the ace of and switches to the ace of spades.
can afford to play. It says ‘I like spades, clubs, you intend to return the suit. You would very much like to see spades
please continue the suit.’ Perhaps declarer will play on diamonds continued and encourage with the highest
before clubs and partner will gain the card you can afford, the nine. If you do
lead first. In this case, you are still happy not encourage spades, partner may well
Layout B to see spades led again. To tell partner revert to hearts, playing you for the queen
♠ A85 this, you play the seven of spades on the of hearts rather than the king of spades.
♥ A852 first trick. Indeed, if you held J-9-4-2 of spades and
♦ K5 a queen-high heart suit, you would play
♣ Q 10 7 3 the two of spades to discourage spades.
♠ 742 Layout D Looking at dummy, partner would surely
N ♥ K97 ♠ A8 get the right message.
W E
S ♦ A Q 10 7 ♥ QJ5
♣ J64 ♦ Q J 10 5 Summary
♣ Q 10 7 3
♠ 742 To recap, usually you signal your liking
Again, partner leads the queen of spades N ♥ A97 (attitude) for a suit if partner leads it.
W E
and dummy’s ace wins. This time you S ♦ 9762 You play a high spot card to say that you
have no help in spades and so send a ♣ A64 like the suit (encourage) or your lowest
very different message on B. card to say that you do not. ■

Page 44
 Jeremy Dhondy Says
Don’t Run from
the Frying Pan
into the Fire
omething bad has happened. The b) What is everyone else playing? If
S opponents have sharpened their
doubling axes and are looking to
penalise you. What should you do? As a
nearly everyone in your club plays a
12-14 1NT, then you are likely to be
in good company and taking a big
rule, it is rarely right to try to escape: risk is not worthwhile. If many of the
you may make things even worse. pairs play strong no-trump, you are
Suppose you pick up this: more exposed and likely to get a poor
result in 1NT doubled.
♠ 432
♥ 9853 E/W Vul. ♠ K86
♦ J63 Pairs. ♥ A2
♣ 765 ♦ K Q 10 4
♣ Q 10 4 2
♠ Q 10 ♠ AJ975
Your partner opens 1NT (12-14) and the ♥ Q 10 7 6 4 N ♥ KJ
W E
next hand doubles. Do you run? It is ♦ 9872 S ♦ A5
likely that the opponents have game on, ♣ KJ ♣ A983
so a penalty of 500, if you are not ♠ 432
vulnerable against vulnerable, is not the ♥ 9853
end of the world; even 800 at teams ♦ J63
scoring will see you lose only a few ♣ 765
imps. If you decide to run away, then the
downside is that
-300 in 1NT doubled on a low spade
a) You may not find a fit lead was a joint top. Those who ran
b) Going to the two level will see you conceded a bigger penalty or a game.
having to make one more trick before Another common time when you have
you start – unlikely with a hand so flat. to decide whether to run arises when
partner has overcalled and someone has
Some of the time when it is right to doubled. You hold as South:
move from 1NT doubled, your partner
may do so anyway: he may have a five-
card minor, for example and bid it. ♠ 7532
The plus side of removing arises when ♥ Void
you believe your opponents do not know ♦ KJ742
what they are doing and may let you off ♣ Q 10 8 5
the hook.
Things to think about if you decide to
run are: Your left-hand opponent opens 1♠ at
Game All and the auction continues:
a) What are the conditions of contest? If
it is teams, then running away and West North East South
getting it wrong can be very 1♠ 2♥ Pass Pass
expensive. If it is pairs then, of Dbl Pass Pass ? l
course, a bottom is a bottom so you
may take a bit more of a risk. Now what do you do? You are vulnerable
Page 45
and you have no hearts. This is going to
be awful. Partner might hold a minor to
go with his hearts, but if he does not (and
that will be more often), you will be
turning a penalty into a very big penalty.
Partner knew he was vulnerable when he
bid. He should have a six-card suit of
decent quality. Take your medicine and
go quietly. By contrast, now suppose you
held this as South:
♠ KJ743
♥ 65
♦ Q 10 8 5 4 3
♣ Void
The auction goes like this:
West North East South
1♥ 2♣ Pass Pass
Dbl Pass Pass ?
Now you have such good length in the
other suits that the fire may well be more
attractive than the frying pan. In
addition, any escape will be at the same
level (i.e. still at the two level). On this
sort of hand, an SOS redouble (i.e.
asking partner to rescue you) is ideal –
but be aware that such hands are rare.
Finally, here are some points to
consider on whether to run when
someone doubles your partner.
l Are you playing teams or pairs? Be
much less willing to run at teams. The
upside is very much smaller.
l Are you playing with a sound
overcaller? Be more inclined to let
him have his way if you are.
Are you at least 5-5 and preferably 6-
5 in the other suits? Do not run unless
you have extreme distribution. ■
 David Gold Says

Don’t Underbid
Small Hands
ometimes you pick up a hand that Still in a money game, you pick up: South was in fact looking for a grand

S looks small but, as the auction

proceeds, it can grow. In a money
game as dealer at game all, you pick up: ♠ 3
slam with his 4♣ cue-bid. Once he
heard you show your spade shortage, he
knew that the small slam was a virtual
♥ QJ43 certainty.
♦ 65432 Now that you are getting the idea:
♠ Q 10 6 5 3 ♣ 752
♥ 6543
♦ 763 ♠ J7653
♣ 5 This is typical, another small hand! Your ♥ 10 9 2
gloom is short-lived when your partner ♦ 652
deals and opens 2♣ (your big bid). You ♣ Q2
West North East South respond 2♦ (negative/waiting) dutifully
Pass and partner surprises you again by re-
1♥ 2♣ 2♦ Pass bidding 2♥. Now it is time to re-evaluate. Partner opens 1♥ and RHO overcalls
2♥ 2♠ 4♥ 4♠ Partner has announced a game-forcing 1♠. You pass and LHO passes too.
5♥ Pass Pass ? hand with hearts as its primary suit. In Partner bids 3♣ and RHO passes. It
that context, your hand has become very looks natural to give preference to three
The hand is weak but you bid 4♠ last powerful as you have four-card trump hearts, but think! Re-evaluate your
time as your prospects seem to have support and a singleton. Do not hand. You have three-card support when
improved. It is your turn again after 5♥ underestimate the power of this hand. you might not have and you have a
from LHO and two passes. Best is 3♠, a ‘splinter bid’ showing a useful card in partner’s second suit so
Well, you have only a queen but spade shortage and good heart support. you should take the pressure off partner
partner has bid twice vulnerable and is Partner next bids 4♣ as a cuebid; now and bid 4♥. The full deal:
favourite to be 5-6 in the blacks. You try you have nothing more to say so should
5♠ bravely, which RHO doubles on the sign off in 4♥. To your surprise, partner
way out. This is the full deal: leaps to 6♥! Fear not, the full deal: ♠ J7653
♥ 10 9 2
♦ 652
♠ AJ974 ♠ 3 ♣ Q2
♥ Void ♥ QJ43 ♠ A K Q 10 9 ♠ 84
♦ 42 ♦ 65432 ♥ 76 N ♥ A85
W E
♣ A 10 8 7 4 3 ♣ 752 ♦ KJ98 S ♦ Q 10 4 3
♠ K ♠ 82 ♠ Q652 ♠ KJ874 ♣ 10 3 ♣ 7654
N
♥ A Q J 10 9 7 N ♥ K82 ♥ 5 W E
♥ 62 ♠ 2
W E
♦ KJ8 S ♦ A Q 10 9 5 ♦ KJ7 S ♦ Q 10 9 ♥ KQJ43
♣ J92 ♣ KQ6 ♣ J 10 9 8 6 ♣ Q43 ♦ A7
♠ Q 10 6 5 3 ♠ A 10 9 ♣ AKJ98
♥ 6543 ♥ A K 10 9 8 7
♦ 763 ♦ A8
♣ 5 ♣ AK As you can see, partner really does not
have anything special for his actions and
4♥ is a great contract, making easily
5♠ makes easily and 5♥ will make too if North South with the even heart break.
you miss your club ruff. Your hand grew 2♣ So remember; be prepared to re-
in value once you knew that partner had 2♦ 2♥ evaluate your hand as the auction
a black two-suiter, so do not underbid 3♠ (splinter) 4♣ progresses and ‘don’t underbid small
just because it is small! 4♥ 6♥ hands’! ■

Page 46

READERS’
LETTERS
CORRECTION
While it is good to see Mr
Atkinson's Uncle Leo
returning to your pages, it is
sad that he seems to be
losing his memory, though
fortunately not for the cards.
In his Elegy Thomas Gray
wrote: ‘Full many a flower
(not ‘Rose’) is born to blush
unseen....’. The good Baron
might find it helpful to
remember that ‘Full’ and
‘Flower’ are nicely alliterative.
John Field Evans, Cambridge.
NO RE-DEALS
I was surprised to read that
the prevention of re-dealing
of flat hands could generate
such objections.
When I used to direct, I did
not support such re-deals
because I thought it arrogant
to assume that everyone
would bid in the same way
as the first table. But from my
viewpoint, it also to helped to
speed up play. There was
usually one table persistently
behind in play and a blank
hand could bring the circuit
back into line without the
need to be dictatorial.
Brian Isherwood,
Chalfont St Peter, Bucks.
LET’S BE MORE
POSITIVE
Keep up the good work, we
always enjoy the magazine,
although perhaps getting a
little tired of all the bad
comments about the EBU
P2P proposal from ‘readers’,
but these comments are
perhaps preferable to those
about ‘dress in the club etc’.
It seems that in all things,
people are ready to go into
print with criticism, but rarely
praise… you may not be a
golfer, but the negatives
about the European team in
the recent Ryder Cup Match,
were rather sad: our team
played well, but the
Americans just played better.
It was a super week’s golf.
Mr Gordon Lawrence,
Wilmington, Kent.
BRIDGE OVERSEAS
Apologies if this isn't the
correct site for my comments.
A varying number of
international bridge 'Die
Hards' who are partially
resident on this Island get
together each Tuesday, in the
afternoon, to play bridge.
Two (at least) of us receive
BRIDGE every other month,
but only if we are lucky as
Thailand’s post is at best
unreliable. It tells us, when
reading the magazine, that
we are not alone, other
players have the same
problems and experience
the same difficulties as
ourselves. Mr Bridge,
especially your on-line
version, helps us to
understand the problems
and read the possible
solutions, as published by
your experts, of bridge
players throughout UK.
My part in our 'Club' is one
of administration. I suggest
movements and
competitions, depending on
how many members arrive
for a session, print out
relevant documents and
Page 47
calculate the scoring (which find a lot of it hard to grasp!
is done the next day and
transmitted via email to all
members. We don't have
Bridgemate or any equivalent
So your new bridge player
should hear how I got to
grips with bidding. A set of
blank postcards with all the
so everything is ‘Hands On’). calls listed, sheet by sheet,
We do not have a director as
such, but any problem
arising during play is quickly
discussed and a solution
arrived at which is binding.
starting with opening bids
and responding bids.
You can refer to these each
time, if other players have no
objection. It certainly helps to
So what am I trying to say fix the bids in your mind.
here? We are proud to say Hope this helps.
there is a bridge club on Koh Mrs M Christie, Chingford.
Samui, even though it is very
small. We are pleased to JUDICIAL
accept visitors and we will In response to Mr R Hill of
find a partner for single Fleet, BRIDGE 91, ‘Over the
visitors. We feel an affection Limit’ I expect good entries
with Mr Bridge even though are granted a bit of judges’
we are far from (UK) home. license.
We appreciate the advice, Mr John Crosher,
articles, comments, stories Royston, Herts.
and advertisements from Mr
Bridge. Long may you MORE CORRECTION
continue. The quotation from Gray’s
Martin Bagnall, Elegy on page 38 of the
Koh Samui, Thailand. current issue is incorrect.
It is:
ANY OLD IRON ‘Full many a flower is born to
I have today posted to you a blush unseen.
packet of used stamps – And waste its sweetness on
freepost. I would also like to the desert air’
know if you collect silver foil, If Baron Leopold von
such as milk bottle tops etc., Munchausen had any
or maybe you could tell me academic qualifications, they
who will accept such? certainly weren’t in English
P Ward, Nuneaton, Warwicks. literature!
Let me see what I can raise He has used the incorrect
with used stamps before quotation once before in your
starting into the salvage and publication and this is the
recycling business. second time I have written to
correct it.
AIDE MÉMOIRE Mind you, I think the
As a new reader I find your aristocratic gentleman is a
magazine very interesting. better player than I am!
But as an average player I Mr Peter Mohan, Bedford.
REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE
Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value,
all mint with full gum. Quotations for
commercial quantities available on request.
Values supplied in 100s, higher values
available as well as 1st and 2nd class
(eg 1st class: 100 x 35p + 100 x 1p)
(/Fax 020 8422 4906
e-mail: clive.goff@londonrugby.com

SHORTIES
Please delete my name from
your database, as I have
recovered from bridge.
Mr T. Johnson, Leicester.
Can we have a bridge poetry
competition?
Mr W F McCloskey, Belfast.
Details next year.
Do you know how many
players under the age of 30
are sent copies of BRIDGE?
Miss Cook, Macclesfield.
I look forward to receiving
your magazine and the first
thing I do is Bernard Magee’s
Bidding Quiz.
Mrs Johnson, Amersham.
Could David Stevenson give
a full description of the law
on revokes?
Mr W. J. Bartlett, Harrow.
Fewer bubble cartoons.
Mr George Thornton, Colne.
Any chance of including a
regular cryptic bridge-
themed crossword?
Mr A Davies, Brixham.
Starts in the next issue.
On your weekends it would
be appreciated if you
sometimes played
rubber/Chicago bridge.
Mrs Fromm, London, N14.
See the regular advert.
Please stop the silly stories.
They detract from the quality
of the magazine.
Mr Campbell, West Kilbride.
I would like a brief ‘Rules for
Rubber Bridge’. Is there such
a thing?
Mrs Cumming, Edinburgh.
Please accept a quiz entry
from a recycled teenager.
Mr Juggins, Strood, Kent.
I am delighted that Andrew
Kambites has joined the
magazine. His articles are a
joy to read.
Mrs A Buston, Banchory.
Glad ‘Bubble’ captions down
to one page. Sorry you plan
to put it back to two!
Mrs S Knapman, Dunblane.
Try to carry on your
magazine. If in trouble,
launch a plea to readers.
Mr Airey, Pangbourne.
List long established adages
often proven wrong. eg.
‘Declarer can do no wrong’.
Mr Taylor, East Grinstead.
Useful advice from pleasant
experts. Fair balanced
coverage of the EBU ‘Wars’.
Mr Ian Potts, Harrogate.
I miss the small adverts
listing items ‘For Sale’.
Mr Nightingale, Maidstone.
If there are financial
problems with free
distribution I, for one, would
willingly pay a regular sub.
Mr R. Knight, Harlow.
Do you ever hold bridge
weekends at Bournemouth?
Mrs Potter, Burgess Hill.
See Marsham Court Hotel
ads.
An article on ‘Leading from
weak suits when you have
dangerous suits’ please.
Mr Peel, Horsforth, Leeds.
An article on duplicate
scoring would be
appreciated.
Mr Delaney, Taunton.
How about asking Andrew
Robson to contribute? He
may not be the ‘cruising’ type
but he has so much to offer
the aspiring player. Mrs G
Yardley, Wirral.
Can you please make the
pictures of the contributors
less dark and glowering?
Mr A Low, Croydon, Surrey.
Freddie North to explain
more conventions used in
the modern game. The page
heading could be ‘The
Locksmiths Key’.
Mr Drummond, London NW1.
Adverts listing people
needing partners by club or
area.
Mrs Gunn, Gillingham, Kent.
BRIDGE has improved
recently and is full of
interesting and useful
material. Rather too many
letters, though.
Mr L Less, Suffolk.
Quite So.
I would like to buy eight
bidding boxes, any chance
of buying them through your
magazine?
Mrs J Parsey, Northwood.
Try 01689 891122.
99.9% of the caption
comments are a waste of
space. We suggest you only
print the best three.
Mr and Mrs Potter, Seaton.
Page 48
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
UNBIN THEM
I was a little surprised to read
‘Bin Them’ (Pamela Littlejohn’s
Letter, October 2008). Our
used cards are welcomed by
local whist drives, jumble
sales, old people’s homes
prisons and playgroups.
Mrs Anthea Carmichael,
Barnstable, Devon.
MORE PASS OUTS
With reference to Mr Hugh
Williams’ letter in BRIDGE 91
about re-dealing passed
hands, he writes ‘the re-deal
prevents anybody who plays
even small variations to
standard Acol from using
their bidding judgement. This
is obviously to their
disadvantage’. I fail to see
what possible disadvantage
there can be in not seeing a
hand which has been re-
dealt, but seeing a different
deal instead, on which
bidding judgement can be
exercised.
The other day, on two
successive boards where I
had passed with a flat hand
and 9 or 10 points, the deal
was thrown in (and I noticed
in the traveller that the deal
had been thrown in at most
tables). We got an above
average score on the first
deal and a below average
score on the second. It was
sheer chance what score we
got, and the only chance I
had to exercise my ‘bidding
judgement’ was in making a
routine pass. I feel I have
more reason to feel hard
done by than a person who
would have objected to
having the hand re-dealt
originally, despite being then
given a probably more
interesting hand in which
to exercise ‘bidding
judgement’.
Peter Calviou,
Amersham, Bucks.
DON’T BIN THEM
In answer to ‘Bin Them’ letter
from Patrick Littlejohns, may I
suggest that readers don’t
throw all their cards away
once they’ve got beyond a
few uses; instead, send them
off to some of our
servicemen fighting abroad,
with a friendly note attached.
Mrs Hilary Hefferman,
Welling, Kent.
LITTLE VOICE AID
Hope the enclosed used
postage stamps will be of
use for your new charity,
which I consider is a very
good one.
In the 1960’s, a friend of
mine spent several years in
Ethiopia working for the
WHO, building and
developing the new medical
facilities there, which
unfortunately were destroyed
subsequently in the troubles.
Heather Briggs, Portsmouth.
RE-REGISTRATION
Maybe you could put some
sort of code or date on the
address label to tell people
when they need to ‘renew’.
This would help those like me
who have no idea when they
last contacted you.
Mr J Jennings, Holt, Norfolk.
I have found the best
memory jolt is not sending it
– it is free after all.
YUK
Re Irritating Habits, BRIDGE
91. One of the worst habits
that I have come across is
the person who licks his
finger before taking out his
bidding card.
Name and address supplied.
CAREFUL NOW
I went for a restful read of
BRIDGE on my swing
hammock in the sunshine
(like one does) – when my
eyes rested on my name in
print I nearly fell off.
Mrs Julia Farmer,
Truro, Cornwall.
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
HAVING NONE
I would be grateful if any of
your educated readers could
tell me how one can possibly
have ‘none’. Should the
opposition be entitled to ask
players to produce ‘none’ as
proof that there is no revoke?
I wonder also whether any of
your readers might be
interested in my own
variation of Basic Acol?
BASIC ACOL
My Blackwood’s Roman Key
Card
And my diamond’s
multi-two
And my bidding might be
splintered
If it hasn’t got a cue
And if I’ve got two unbid suits
I use a Sputnik double
And I always blame my
partner
If I get myself in trouble
And I use this complex
bidding
‘Cos I like to win you see
So if we don’t get any tops
It can’t be due to me.
Jack Bignold, South Croydon.
STILL TRYING
I started playing in the Army
at 18. I am now 85 and still
no good. I particularly like the
easy to read bold print in
your magazine, such a boon
for the over 80’s’ with
macular degeneration.
Mrs M Norman, Kettering.
CARD RELEASE
Can nothing be done to stop
a player just displaying the
hand-held card towards the
table centre? Placing the card
down on the table is so
much more acceptable.
Mrs M D Jones, Hove.
SAME GAME
Many of us retired and older
players enjoy playing rubber
and Chicago bridge at a
friendly level. I wonder if we
could have a bit more about
rubber bridge.
Mrs Janet Johnson, Reading.
It really is the same game
and there is nothing much
different to say except when
it is played for money.
TEXT ENLARGEMENT
Thank you very much for your
kindness ringing me and
trying to help me with the
enlargement of your
magazine print. I really feel
so sorry that I was not able
to do the work on the
computer that you suggested
but did pass your information
on, which I was so grateful to
you for. Alas, I feel it wasn’t
possible without a great deal
of effort, I was told.
Since that time I have
contacted our local library
and joy, they told me that it
would be possible for them
to enlarge on the photo
copier from A4 – A3 size.
Mrs Gardiner, Bognor Regis.
LIKE A PHOTO
As I am not an e-mailer, may
I use you to thank John
Gardener most sincerely for
his reply to my query about
Lord Yarborough.
It was exactly what I recall,
and its origin comes as no
surprise to me, though the
detail is more specific. I came
to know it in Beverley, East
Yorkshire, in the 1950’s.
Tony Barrett, Ipswich, Suffolk.
A YEAR ON
We would like to go on one
of your holidays – maybe
abroad but we are
inexperienced players –
having only been learning 12
months. Any ideas?
Iain Kirkman,
Bovey Tracey, Devon.
Plan to go to Tunisia with
Bernard Magee next
November or even on the
Harwich to Nice cruise. There
will be a tutor on board
dedicated to beginners.
Page 49
SHORTIES
When will defence software
be available?
Mrs Cartwright, Balsall.
I so look forward to the
stamps from Mr Goff. It’s
then fun matching them to
the addressee!
Mrs Carmichael, Devon.
I like to follow the debate on
the revision of the rules.
Mr Derek Carter, Chester.
Entry for your forthcoming
Dictionary of Bridge Terms.
Endplay: v.intr. Knowing
when to stop.
Mr Holden, Ottery St. Mary.
It is refreshing to see bridge
players stand up against the
pomposity of decisions, often
made unilaterally by the EBU.
Mr Harris, Eastbourne.
I have a copy of Freddie
North’s’ book Learning Bridge
– The Right Path Vol. 1
Bidding. Are there any further
volumes and can you
provide them, please.
Mr H Heath, Reigate, Surrey.
Sorry, no others.
Thoroughly enjoyable
publication – I hope the
economic downturn won’t
affect you too much. Mrs J
Clark, Sawbridgeworth.
Looking forward to my first
Mr Bridge weekend at
Barony Castle.
Mrs Hosie, West Lothian.
You will never be able to
retire.
Mrs E Salter, Christchurch.
I do hope I can find some
social chatty afternoon
players as I have moved to
Botley, near Southampton.
Hilary Taylor
( 01489 786930.
How about setting up an
on-line service for
re-registration?
Mr Hamilton, Solihull.
No, please write in.
Have you stopped doing the
tea towels?
Mrs Nattrass, Pinner.
No. Some are still listed.
Do you sell duplicate bidding
boxes? Mrs Hoy, Cardiff.
No, try ( 01672 519219.
To whom do I send used
postage stamps?
Mrs Farmery, Stockport.
To me, c/o Ryden Grange.
I found a link to bridge
articles in newspapers (free).
http://bridgeindia.
homestead.com
/bridgecolumns.htm.
Mr Bastable, Portsmouth.
I love your coverage of the
P2P issue.
Mr Mullen, Basingstoke.
Could you please arrange
more holidays in Scotland?
Mrs M Miners, Glasgow.
Are you going to sell cards
and cloths again?
Mrs Ross, Leatherhead.
I will only sell my unique
products and services.
I have read all the letters on
P2P and the only comment I
have to make is that I shall
be paying at least four times
my present subscription.
Mrs P Davies, Sandbach.
I am very interested in
hearing about non-EBU club
director training.
Mr Barker, Bridport, Dorset.
Remember we are not all
interested in the EBU.
Mr Paterson, Perthshire.
Could you insert a permanent
appendix containing
definitions of such things as
rule of 15/20/11 etc. It would
be handy for quick reference.
Mr Garnett, Keighley.
I think the EBU changes
things too often.
Mr Thompson, Birmingham.
Is the EBU the Enron for the
card-playing world?
Mr Aris, Axbridge, Somerset.
I started to learn to play
bridge when I retired and I
wish I had not left it so late.
Mrs B Stamper, Wirral.
Is it possible to find a partner
in the Enfield area?
Margaret ( 0208 366 1518.
I am also a fan of Clive Goff’s
discounted stamps!
Mrs Kath Street, Woking.
Ring him on 0208 4224960
An article on Keycard
Blackwood please.
Mrs E N Lindley, Watford.
We enjoy your magazine and
also Mr Goffs stamps.
Mary Pickering, Haslemere.
Not so keen on all the letters
and EBU stuff.
Dr A Millar, Edinburgh.
 READERS’ LETTERS
continued
AT BARONY CASTLE MEMORABILIA
Eddleston by Peebles, Peebleshire, Scotland, EH45 8QWJ We have a set of score cards
manufactured by Printator,
Duplicate Weekends 2009 England. Two red, two blue
casings, they are in the style
£209 per person full-board
of the old-fashioned
schoolroom slates with
6-8 Feb Slam Bidding - Ray Hutchinson
individual markers, all
6-8 Mar Doubles unused. Do they have any
value? We do not want the
23-25 Oct Suit Establishment
money for ourselves, but
6-8 Nov Stayman & Transfers would donate any payment
to a local hospice.
Improvers* - Ray Hutchinson
Ken Day by email.
20-22 Nov Hand Evaluation Bridge players like to play
bridge – and are not
*Improvers’ Weekends are aimed at the novice player
and/or those picking up the game after a long break.
generally collectors.
serve as the receipt.
Ken Griffiths by email.
DON’T WORRY
I play rubber and Chicago. I
find when I go to charity
drives or other events where
rubber is played, people say
‘Stop’. I do not play duplicate
and do not approve of this!
Mrs Eileen Barber, Moulton.
COMPENDIUM
Not all your articles are on
the website. I would be
interested in the explanations
behind bridge sayings like
‘eight ever, nine never’, ‘one
up, shut up’ being collected
together.
Mrs Ann O’Reilly, Bath.

♦ Full-board ♦ All rooms with WHY ALERT? RE-USE THEM

♦ No single supplement en-suite facilities When and how should one
♦ Venue non-smoking alert? Surely, if everyone is
♦ Use of swimming
pool and fitness suite ♦ Bidding quiz & two seminars listening carefully, there is
no need to alert. Or, am I
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _ missing something?
Mrs C J Brooke, West Yorks.
Please book me for ..... places,
USEFUL DRAW
Single ..... Double ..... Twin .....
The McMillan Nurses came
at the Barony Castle weekend(s) of .................................. up with an idea to make use
of old playing cards. Use
Mr/Mrs/Miss ..................................................................... them as raffle tickets (which
cost money), and tear each
Address............................................................................... card in half as and when it is
sold, pop one half into the
............................................................................................
hat and the other half can
Postcode ............................................................................
Sorry to disagree with your
editor but please don’t throw
away your old packs of cards
– put them to use.
Your local infant school will
probably take them for use in
their junior classes – they
help children enormously
with number appreciation.
Alternatively your local
HMP will almost certainly
jump at the chance to
provide its inmates with an
alternative pastime to
watching TV.
Mr Brian Welch by email. ■

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

Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,

but we will do our best to oblige) Single-Suited Design Pens
..........................................................................................
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per
place by cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice will be sent
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final pay-
ment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full details
will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refund-
able. Should you require insurance, you should contact your
own insurance broker.

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH Boxed Set of Four £19.95
( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 Available from Ryden Grange,
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk Knaphill GU21 2TH ( 01483 489961
website: www.holidaybridge.com www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop

Page 50
READERS’
LETTERS ON
THE EBU P2P
SUSSEX SHAME
I couldn’t agree more with
Sandra Landy’s article on P2P
in your August issue. As she
comes from Sussex I hope
she will put some pressure
on the county to think again.
Mrs Glynn, Shoreham,
West Sussex.
WHAT DEMOCRACY?
Would the Chairman of the
EBU enlighten us with a few
details to support his claim
that ‘a truly democratic
process has taken place’?
Who comprised those who
produced the 2-1 majority? If
it was counties – it is
worthless and irrelevant, and
reminds me of the big union
‘block votes’ at Labour Party
conferences.
If it is 2-1 in terms of club
committees, it is no better. If
it is club committees, may we
see a comprehensive list of
clubs so that their individual
members, who will pick up
the tab, can see how their
committees voted?
Neither counties nor club
committees will pay for
members to play; it is
individual members who
would pay. A vote in favour
by a county or club
committee representing a
smaller than average
number of members cannot
be deemed equal to a vote
against by similar bodies
representing a higher than
average number of
members. A similar disparity
occurs when a vote in favour
is carried in one club by a
narrow margin, whilst
another club whose
members had voted
overwhelmingly against, is
also counted as one vote.
The only true democratic
vote is by all individual
members.
I am a club member, with
no aspiration to play at
county levels (much less
anything higher), so am not
elite. The status quo, if that is
what he means by the ‘old
EBU’ suits me very well, and,
I believe, many club
members. Indeed, in the
absence of comprehensive
proof to the contrary, I believe
that we non-elitist, status-
quo preferring club members
are the majority.
Edward Gibbins,
Alsager, Staffs.
SHAME
It was kind of you to print
such a flattering portrait of
Mr Stocken to accompany his
self-congratulatory reply to
Sandra Landy. What is truly
astonishing is that by calling
the process truly democratic
he seems to think that makes
it so.
Thank you for providing a
forum, which English Bridge
failed to do – shame on you,
Elena.
Lesley Colligan,
Godalming, Surrey.
MORE DEMOCRACY
Two letters in the October
issue seemed to imply that
the Essex Committee did not
consult its members
Page 51
democratically as to regards
P2P. Actually the committee
decided that this was not a
county committee one, and
that it was up to the clubs to
consider the proposals and
reply accordingly.
All affiliated clubs were
sent a letter inviting
representatives to a meeting
last September to discuss
and give their opinion as to
what they thought their club
would do. Twenty-one clubs
attended and a straw vote
taken. A brief report and the
result of the vote were put
on the Essex website
immediately and a copy sent
to each club.
The EBU questionnaire
was sent to all clubs with a
covering letter, and when
returned their replies
analysed. Fifty-one out of
sixty clubs replied.
A further meeting was
held after the AGM in May,
to which all members were
invited, and again those
clubs represented were
invited to confirm or
otherwise their possible
decision as to affiliate from
2010 or not. Those not
present were sent a further
letter asking if they were still
of the same opinion as to
that given in the
questionnaire. This was
stated in the latest
Newsletter sent to all Essex
members personally. The
last sentence reads ‘It is very
important to get the most
up-to-date information from
clubs, before the Essex
shareholders vote at the
EGM in June’.
A final figure for Clubs’
opinions, who surely
consulted their members,
was arrived at by two
different methods – firstly a
straight vote per club, and
secondly a method of votes
by size of club membership.
By both methods the answer
was a large percentage in
favour of the new proposals.
Clubs still have a chance to
change their final vote, when
contracts are sent out to
them in 2009. They alone
choose whether to re-
affiliate.
At no time have the
personal opinions of the
Essex Committee members
been taken into account,
except through their clubs.
Right from the start, from the
first letter sent to the clubs in
July 2007, the views of the
clubs have been paramount.
The letter stated ‘Naturally,
the Essex Committee is
anxious to have the views of
all its members and in
particular those of its
affiliated clubs...’ ‘We do
need your involvement in
this. It is vital to know your
views’.
Mrs M Curtis,
General Secretary, Essex
Contract Bridge Association.
SADLY LEAVING
Oh, that there were more
Sandra Landy’s...page 5 of
BRIDGE for August.
The club of which I am
secretary (and generally
does everything) will
definitely be disaffiliating if
P2P is introduced. This will
result in the EBU losing out
on one club affiliation fee, 15
(or so) membership fees and
the sale of circa 4 books of
local master points annually.
Ok, so that’s only about
£400 to £450 per annum
and this will, in part, be
mitigated by the P2P fees
that some of our EBU
members will pay when they
play at another club (which
would be affiliated) of which
they are also members.
However, I can assure the
EBU that P2P income from
our club and its members
would, under the proposed
new regime, be nowhere
near what they are getting
at the moment.
Mr Peter Travers,
Oddby, Leicester.
EBU LETTERS
continued
MINORITY VOICE
Re the EBU P2P proposals, it
seems to me we have a
similar situation here as we
have nowadays whenever
any new proposal is made,
whether it is for forty two
days detention for terrorist
suspects, the MMR vaccine,
GM crops, a coal-burning
power station or a new by-
pass somewhere. A number
of people will be actively
promoting the project, a
large number, probably the
majority, will be more less in
favour but not strongly so,
and a number will be ‘don’t
know’ or ‘couldn’t care less’.
Then there will be a minority
who are so vehement and
vociferous in their opposition,
so determined to impose
their views on the majority
that they will go to almost
any lengths to stop the
project even, as in the case
of Lord Melchett and GM
crops, committing acts of
illegal vandalism.
I don’t think any opponents
of P2P have gone that far but
they do seem to me to be
completely OTT. Ignoring all
the arguments as to whether
a proper democratic process
was followed by the EBU, it
seems to me that a system
which says ‘the more times
you play the more you pay
for membership’ is fairer than
the present system, where
someone who plays just
once a week pays the same
amount in subscription as
someone who plays five
times. I just cannot see why
Sandra Landy and so many
or perhaps so few others
have got their knickers in
such a twist over such a
simple proposal. I allowed
my membership of the EBU
to lapse as I don’t play very
often, didn’t like the amount
of the annual subscription
combined with the county
one and have long since
stopped registering my local
points, but I will rejoin
willingly if my club approves
P2P as I hope they will.
Mr A J Glasgow, Birmingham.
DOING THE SUMS
So the secret is out, the EBU
wishes us to pay 29p per
player, per session. So the
club that I play at, will now
have to find some extra
hundreds of pounds per year
depending on how many
tables are in play for that
particular night. Our club
does not issue master points,
nor are they worried about
getting a magazine every
two months, or even a diary.
So as we average
approximately twelve tables
per evening of play, we will
have the dubious honour
now of giving the EBU
monies that our club can use
in a more social way. We
have a Christmas lunch plus
two wine-and-eats evenings
and I know that the
members of this club prefer
this to having master points
and this is why we are one of
the successful clubs in
Somerset.
12 tables (48 Players) * 50
weeks *29p =£696.00
This is not a bad little
earner for doing so little; I
wonder now that the cat is
out of the bag whether, when
other affiliated clubs do their
sums, as we have, will they
stay with the EBU? I believe
that answer will be a
resounding ‘no’.
Les Borrett,
Bawdrip, Somerset.
NOT A PERSONAL
ISSUE
Peter Stocken criticises
Sandra Landy because she
points out that players whose
club disaffiliates can join an
affiliated club and play there
once a year, thus becoming
an EBU member. Sandra is
Page 52
clearly not anti the EBU but
concerned for its survival.
She is against the ‘Pay to
THe Book
Play’ proposals and she oF T RUTH
makes her case by Victor Savage
persuasively.
Peter was wrong to And it came to pass that
introduce an unwarranted in the land where the
personal comment in his granary stores were
nearly empty and life was
response to her article. And
constrained by ASBOs
so to my tale; one of biblical
and ebays there lived a
proportions.
sect called EBU. The
Mr Victor Savage, leader of the sect was a
Hazlemere. Stocken from the Shire of
See adjacent column. York whose command
was that all members
LAST WORD should pay a tax called
On September 22nd the P2P. Many members of
slate of nominations for the the sect were troubled by
EBU Board and Officers was this. Many were
posted on the EBU website. saddened, many could
There had been no previous not pay the tax. Many
announcements to the were old, fragile in health
and weak.
members at large of the
elections and certainly no But one member, young
canvassing the membership in mind and active in
at large for nominations – it spirit resolved to protest
would take detailed studying against the edict. She was
of the company articles and Sandra, wife of Landy.
the board procedures for an
Her testament was that as
outsider to intervene. Why
the chariot of the EBU
should the Officers bother to
grew in size, its wheels
tell the members anyway? would fall off, and it
Ordinary members have no would no longer bridge
votes and they seem only to the gap between High
want us for our money, or as Peter and his congress
statistics to show what a big table and lowly
midden they crow over. conference pairs who
Using this morally would be banished to the
bankrupt method of wilderness.
nomination, Sally Bugden,
And yet, it may be – is
who is driving perhaps the
the fancy fond –
most potentially damaging Pure play awaits them in
and divisive changes in EBU the great beyond
membership policy that And they’ll be found
could be thought up, is to be when that bright morning
returned unopposed to breaks,
become chairman. Outbidding seraphs for
Not in my name, Sally. celestial stakes.
Ned Paul, Twickenham. ■
Write to Mr Bridge at:
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
or e-mail letters@mrbridge.co.uk.
E-mail correspondents are asked to include their
name, full postal address and telephone number,
and to send no attachments.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
 Freddie North Says

The Five Level

Belongs to the
opponents
here are good reasons for leaving My next deal, from a teams’ match, gave My last deal raises several key points.

T the five level to the opponents –

unless they make exactly eleven
tricks, you should do OK. If they make
scope for shrewd judgement.

♠ 2
twelve tricks, they have missed a slam; Dealer East. Game All. ♥ 4
if they make ten, they are going down. ♠ AQ853 ♦ A K Q 10 9 6
Rarely do you want to bid one more. ♥ 75 ♣ J 10 6 4 3
We are going to concentrate here on ♦ 3 ♠ AQ85 ♠ J 10 9 4 3
the norm rather than the exceptions. A ♣ Q J 10 8 4 ♥ A Q 10 8 6 2 N ♥ J53
W E
common scenario is the battle of the ♠ 742 ♠ Void ♦ J2 S
♦ 753
majors. Here is a typical example. ♥ 62 N ♥ KQ943 ♣ A ♣ 87
W E
♦ AKQ642 S ♦ 10 9 8 7 ♠ K76
♣ K5 ♣ 9762 ♥ K97
Dealer South. Love All. ♠ K J 10 9 6 ♦ 84
♠ 52 ♥ A J 10 8 ♣ KQ952
♥ KQJ ♦ J5
♦ K Q J 10 6 ♣ A3
♣ 832 West North East South
♠ AKJ984 ♠ Q 10 7 1♥ 2NT1 Pass 4♣
♥ 3 N ♥ 62 West North East South Dbl2 Pass 4♠ 5♣3
W E
♦ 94 S ♦ A8732 Pass 1♠ Dbl End
♣ Q964 ♣ J 10 5 2♦ 4♠ 5♦ Pass
♠ 63 Pass 5♠ End 1
This shows at least 5-5 in the minors.
♥ A 10 9 8 7 5 4 2
West has a good hand with both majors
♦ 5 At the first table, West led the ace of and doubles for take-out.
♣ AK7 diamonds and everything hinged on his 3
Since the major-suit kings may be no use
next play. After some thought, he found defensively, South bids one more.
the heart switch. Declarer had to go
West North East South down when the club finesse failed. With no void in dummy, declarer had to
1♥ lose three aces to go one down in 5♣.
1♠ 2♦ 2♠ 3♥ West North East South This raises the question ‘was the bid a
4♠ 5♥ End Pass 1♠ good save or was it a phantom?’
2♦ 4♠ 5♦ Dbl Suppose the defenders lead three
After a routine first round of bidding, End rounds of diamonds against 4♠. Best is
West embarks on an advance sacrifice as to ruff with the queen and knock out the
he thinks that 4♥ will succeed. This At the second table, South took the view king of spades. This creates a trump
makes life difficult for North, who has that his two outside aces and lack of entry for leading the jack of hearts.
not yet shown the heart support. extra shape augured against the five Can declarer recover if dummy ruffs
Seeing all four hands, West was right. level. He doubled in advance of his the diamond low? Yes, but he must time
4♥ does succeed, declarer’s losers being partner to express such thoughts. things differently. Dummy leads the
two spades and a diamond. The spotlight was now on North, who queen of spades, which holds. Next
On another layout, 5♥ would make, found the only killing lead – a trump. comes the queen of hearts, which also
though it might still be right to defend. South ducked and declarer overtook to holds. South must then capture the ten of
Trade the black threes and 5♥ is cold, lead a heart to the king. South ducked hearts. Now declarer has an entry to
with just one spade and one diamond to again, won the first club with the ace and finesse in trumps and can win the third
lose. 5♠ doubled would then go down returned a trump. Unable to ruff three round in dummy to reach the hearts.
three (because North can ruff a club) – spades in dummy or to set up the hearts, We may not know whether 5♣ was on
too expensive at equal vulnerability. declarer finished one down. target but the final double was spot on.■

Page 53
 GLOBAL TRAVEL INSURANCE
Amelia House, Crescent Road, Worthing West Sussex, BN11 1RL. ( 01903 203933 Fax 01903 211106
Email enquiries@globaltravelinsurance.co.uk Website www.globaltravelinsurance.co.uk
SUMMARY OF COVER
The following represent the Significant and Key Features of the policy
including Exclusions and Limitations that apply per person.
A full copy of the policy document is available on request.
CANCELLATION & CURTAILMENT up to £1,500
If you have to cancel or cut short your trip due to illness, injury, redundancy, jury service, the police
requiring you to remain at or return to your home due to serious damage to your home, you are
covered against loss of travel and accommodation costs.
Policy Excess
Standard Policy Excess £50.
For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £100.
For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £150.
See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increased excesses
applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions.
PERSONAL ACCIDENT up to £15,000
A cash sum for accidental injury resulting in death, loss of sight, loss of limb or permanent total
disablement. No Policy Excess.
MEDICAL AND OTHER EXPENSES up to £5,000,000
Including LIFELINE 24 HOUR WORLDWIDE MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICE
(a) The cost of hospital and other emergency medical expenses incurred abroad, including
additional accommodation and repatriation expenses. Limit £250 for emergency dental treatment
and £5,000 burial/cremation/transfer of remains. Limit £1,000 for transfer of remains to your home if
you die in the UK.
Policy Excess £75 unless travelling within North or Central America or the Caribbean when
increased to £150.
For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £150 unless travelling within
North or Central America or the Caribbean when increased to £500.
For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £300 unless travelling within
North or Central America or the Caribbean when increased to £1,000.
See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increased excesses
applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions.
(b) HOSPITAL BENEFIT up to £300
An additional benefit of £15 per day for each day you spend in hospital abroad as an in-patient.
No Policy Excess.
PERSONAL LUGGAGE, MONEY & VALUABLES up to £2,000
Covers accidental loss, theft or damage to your personal luggage subject to a limit of £200 for any
one article, pair or set and an overall limit of £200 for valuables such as cameras, Jewellery, furs,
etc. Luggage and valuables limited to £1500. Delayed luggage, up to £75. Policy Excess £50.
Money, travel tickets and travellers cheques are covered up to £500 against accidental loss or theft
(cash limit £250). Policy Excess £50.
No cover is provided for loss or theft of unattended property, valuables or money or for loss or theft
not reported to the Police within 24 hours of discovery.
PASSPORT EXPENSES up to £200
If you lose your passport or it is stolen whilst abroad, you are covered for additional travel and
accommodation costs incurred in obtaining a replacement. No Policy Excess.
DELAYED DEPARTURE up to £1,500
If your outward or return trip is delayed for more than 12 hours at the final departure point to/from
UK due to adverse weather conditions, mechanical breakdown or industrial action, you are entitled
to either (a) £20 for the first 12 hours and £10 for each further 12 hours delay up to a maximum of
£60, or (b) the cost of the trip (up to £1,500) if you elect to cancel after 12 hours delay on the outward
trip from the UK. Policy Excess £50 (b) only.
MISSED DEPARTURE up to £500
Additional travel and accommodation expenses incurred to enable you to reach your overseas
destination if you arrive too late at your final UK outward departure point due to failure of the vehicle
in which you are travelling to deliver you to the departure point caused by adverse weather, strike,
industrial action, mechanical breakdown or accident to the vehicle. No Policy Excess.
PERSONAL LIABILITY up to £2,000,000
Covers your legal liability for injury or damage to other people or their property, including legal
expenses (subject to the laws of England and Wales). Policy Excess £250.
LEGAL EXPENSES up to £25,000
To enable you to pursue your rights against a third party following injury. No Policy Excess.
MEMBER OF THE
MAIN EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS
The following represents only the main exclusions. The policy document sets out
all of the conditions and exclusions. A copy of the full policy wording is available
on request in writing prior to application.
MAIN HEALTH EXCLUSIONS:
Insurers will not pay for claims arising
1. Where you or any person upon whose health the trip depends are undergoing tests for the
presence of a medical condition receiving or on a waiting list for or have knowledge of the need
for treatment at a hospital or nursing home.
2. From any terminal illness suffered by you or any person upon whose health the trip depends.
3. From any reoccurrence of any psychiatric disorder, anxiety state and/or depression suffered by
you or any person upon whose health the trip depends.
4. From pregnancy or childbirth.
5. If you are travelling against the advice of a medical practitioner or for the purpose of obtaining
medical treatment abroad.
6. From any medical condition for which you or any person upon whose health the Trip
depends has within 12 months prior to the date of booking of each Trip (for Cancellation)
or the date of departure of each Trip (other sections) been diagnosed with a medical
condition or have received treatment in a hospital.
OTHER GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
Claims arising from
1. Winter sports, any hazardous pursuits, any work of a non sedentary nature.
2. Self-inflicted injury or illness, suicide, alcoholism or drug abuse, sexual disease.
3. War, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities or warlike operations, civil war, rebellion,
Terrorism, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion, military or usurped power but this
exclusion shall not apply to losses under Section 3 – Medical Expenses unless such losses
are caused by nuclear, chemical or biological attack, or the disturbances were already taking
place at the beginning of any Trip.
4. Failure or fear of failure or inability of any equipment or any computer program.
5. Consequential loss of any kind.
6. Bankruptcy / liquidation of any tour operator, travel agent, airline, transportation company or
accommodation supplier.
7. Travelling to countries or regions where the FCO or WHO has advised against travel.
8. Your failure to contact the Medical Screening Line if travelling in North or Central America or the
Caribbean.
POLICY EXCESSES:
The amount of each claim for which insurers will not pay and for which you are responsible. The
excess as noted in the policy summary applies to each and every claim per insured person under
each section where an excess applies.
Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions
If you are traveling to North or Central America or the Caribbean you must first contact
the Medical Screening Line in order to establish whether we can provide cover for your
trip. If you are accepted then the following levels of excess will apply and you will receive
written confirmation that you are covered for the trip. The number to call is:
0870 9063142
Unless you are traveling to North or Central America or the Caribbean, there is no need
to advise us of your pre existing medical conditions.
Provision for the acceptance of pre existing medical conditions has been made by the
application of increased excesses in the event of claims arising.
For claims arising from the any of your pre-existing medical conditions, other than those that are
specifically excluded, the excess is further increased as follows:
Under the Cancellation & Curtailment section – double the normal excess.
Under the Medical & Other Expenses section –
For persons aged 60 years or less the excess is increased to £500 unless travelling within
North or Central America or the Caribbean when increased to £1,000.
For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £1,000 unless travelling within
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 Liz McGowan Says

Second Hand
Plays Low
econd hand plays low’ means Removing the ten, as on E and F, alters

‘S that the second player to a trick

plays a small card. This lets
partner, who plays last to the trick, make Lead: ♣3
♣ Q65

W
N

S
E
the picture. This time, you hop up with
dummy’s honour. You hope that West
has led from K-Q-x-x on E or, on F,
the best use of his high cards, while you from K-x-x-x. If the honour does not
keep yours for later use. Take this layout: ♣ K 10 4 score at trick one, it never will. If, on F,
East has the king, he will not play it on
a low card but will finesse instead.
♣ A 10 6 2 Playing low from dummy ensures two This deal shows both sides of the coin:
N tricks. Playing the queen will yield just
W E
♣ K84 S
♣ J93 one if West holds the jack or ace-jack.
Second hand low is also wise here: . ♠ AJ75
♣ Q75 ♥ J4
♦ J96
A B ♣ J843
If South leads the five and West plays ♣ J5 ♣ K5 ♠ K 10 3 ♠ Q986
the king ‘to force out the ace’, declarer N N
♥ 10 8 6 5 3 N ♥ Q97
W E
makes three club tricks instead of two. W E W E ♦ Q42 S ♦ K 10
S S
Declarer probably plans to play the ace ♣ 10 5 ♣ Q972
and back towards his queen. If so, West ♣ Q62 ♣ J84 ♠ 42
makes his king and East makes his jack ♥ AK2
later. If, instead, declarer intends to ♦ A8753
finesse the ten, East makes the jack and Playing low on West’s three ensures you ♣ AK6
the defenders still make another trick. one trick – dummy only plays high if
Playing second hand low ensures that you are desperate for an entry or, on B,
partner’s cards pull their weight. If East if you are very keen to gain the lead. West North East South
cannot beat dummy’s ten, declarer has 1♦
♣Q-J-5, his finesse will succeed which- Pass 1♠ Pass 2NT
ever card West plays. Another example: C D Pass 3NT End
♣ J5 ♣ Q5
N N
West leads the heart five and declarer
♣ Q 10 W E W E tries dummy’s jack – his only chance to
S S
N score a trick with it is that West has led
W E
♣ K943 S
♣J76 ♣ A 10 4 ♣ A 10 6 away from the queen. This time, East
covers with the queen, so declarer wins
♣ A852 with the ace and leads a low diamond
On C and D, low from dummy on West’s towards dummy. West must remember
three lead ensures a second trick because the maxim and play low nonchalantly: if
If South, playing in 4♠, leads the two of of the power of the ten. he grabs his queen, the defenders make
clubs, West may be tempted to grab his only one diamond trick – and declarer
king before the rats get at it. That is not makes his contract.
the optimum play. Most likely East has E F Of course, West may not make a trick
the jack – with A-J-x-x, declarer would ♣ J5 ♣ Q5 at all if South has led from ♦A-K-8-3.
surely finesse. If West plays second hand N N
Even in that case, all is not lost. So long
low smoothly, dummy plays the ten and W E W E as West plays low smoothly, declarer
S S
East scores his jack – declarer makes may conclude that West cannot have the
only one club trick with his ace. ♣ A42 ♣ A62 queen and insert dummy’s nine, losing
Declarer plays second hand low also. to East’s ten. ■

Page 55
 Dave Huggett Says

Don’t Rush to
Take Finesses
t takes a new player ages to gain the You take this finesse early because it

I confidence to take a finesse for the

first time but, once the habit kicks in,
it can become an obsession. Look at the
♠
♥
♦
KQ6
764
AK65
dictates how you should play the hearts.
With now only two losers outside of
trumps, you can afford a trump loser.
following deal, playing teams or rubber: ♣ 763 The safety play is to lay down the ace
♠ 83 ♠ J 10 7 4 2 first, not to take the finesse. The
♥ A Q 10 5 2 N ♥ 93 singleton king offside means you hold
W E
♠ A73 ♦ 832 S ♦ Q7 your trump losers to one, while taking
♥ J76 ♣ J 10 5 ♣ Q982 the unnecessary finesse would cause you
♦ Q64 ♠ A95 to have two.
♣ AJ75 ♥ KJ8 Of course, if the play of the trump ace
♠ KJ92 ♠ Q 10 8 ♦ J 10 9 4 draws small cards, you would cross to
♥ Q3 N ♥ K 10 9 5 2 ♣ AK4 dummy with a spade and lead towards
W E
♦ 985 S ♦ J 10 2 the queen of hearts. If the spade finesse
♣ 10 9 6 2 ♣ Q3 failed, you would need East to hold king
♠ 654 You are in 3NT. The lead is the five of doubleton in trumps.
♥ A84 hearts, which goes to the nine and your
♦ AK73 jack. It looks like West has all the top
♣ K84 hearts, making it your priority to keep ♠ A Q 10 6
East off lead. Again, if you count your ♥ 875
winners, you can see that you need only ♦ A75
3NT looks obvious. West leads the two of three diamond tricks, not four. This ♣ K64
spades, bringing good news and bad means it must be better to play off the ♠ 92 ♠ 83
news. The bad news is that they have two top diamonds in case the queen is ♥ KJ42 N ♥ 963
W E
found your weakest suit; the good news is doubleton offside. You do not mind ♦ Q982 S ♦ J 10 6 3
that you expect the suit to break 4-3 as losing a trick if West has Q-x-x. ♣ J75 ♣ 9832
they are playing fourth-highest leads. ♠ KJ754
There can be little point in holding up, so ♥ A Q 10
you win and play three rounds of ♠ AQ53 ♦ K4
diamonds, happy to see the diamond suit ♥ 8642 ♣ A Q 10
break evenly. A count of top tricks reveals ♦ Q7
that you need only three clubs for your ♣ 653
contract. The correct way to do this is to ♠ K 10 7 2 ♠ J96 You arrive in 6♠ and get a trump lead.
play off the ace and the king; after that, ♥ K N ♥ J 10 9 With eleven tricks on top, it ought to be
W E
lead low towards the jack if the queen ♦ 9843 S ♦ A65 clear that the extra trick can come only
hasn’t appeared. This means that you can ♣ Q J 10 2 ♣ K974 from hearts. However, if you take two
cater for queen doubleton offside as in the ♠ 84 heart finesses early on, you will find the
diagram. If the diamonds had not broken ♥ AQ753 outcome disappointing. You have to take
evenly, you would have needed clubs to ♦ K J 10 2 a finesse in hearts it is true – but only at
break 3-3 with the finesse working. ♣ A8 the right time. So draw trumps, play the
The above example was a matter of two top diamonds and ruff a diamond in
playing with the odds, but sometimes hand; then play three clubs ending in
there are other factors to consider. You are in 4♥ and win the club lead with dummy. Only now, lead a heart to the
It may well be that you are anxious to your ace. You have two losers in the ten. West wins cheaply but has no safe
keep one particular hand off lead. This minors and maybe a spade loser. If you exit: a heart lead is into your tenace,
objective might cause you to think twice have to lose a spade, you cannot afford while anything else gives you a ruff and
about finessing. Assume rubber or teams to lose a trump. So test the spade suit by discard. Either way, you will have
scoring on our next deal. playing a spade to the queen. ensured your contract. ■

Page 56
 Andrew Kambites Says

Look Before You

Leap to 4NT
uctions that start 1♠-Pass-4NT In the absence of any special methods,

A (Blackwood) make me cringe.

This is not the usual preaching
on the faults of using Blackwood
North should have responded with a
quiet 2♦. South would then have rebid
2♠, showing a minimum opening bid.
♠
♥
♦
2
KQ43
AKQJ
without a control in every suit. North should then bid just 4♠. ♣ AKQ3
Most good bridge auctions take place To see just how bad this use of 4NT is, N
when one player makes a limit bid, the layout could have been as below and W E
S
telling partner his strength. His partner, the bidding would be identical.
knowing the combined assets, becomes ♠ AQJ65
the boss. Blackwood takes control of the ♥ A J 10 2
auction. If you use Blackwood, you ♠ K865 ♦ 42
reduce partner to the role of answering ♥ A76 ♣ 84
your questions and accepting your ♦ K654
decisions. How can you do this when ♣ AQ
you have no idea whether he has a bare N
minimum or a strong opening hand, one W E West North East South
S
almost worth an Acol two-bid? 1♠
The upcoming layouts show how ♠ A Q 10 4 3 2 Pass 4NT Pass 5♥
players misuse Blackwood regularly. ♥ 2 Pass 5NT Pass 6♣
♦ AQ3 Pass 6NT End
♣ KJ2
♠ K865 North is guessing when he bids 6NT. No
♥ A76 doubt he congratulates himself when he
♦ K654 Although 7♠ is cold, what could South takes the spade finesse for thirteen tricks
♣ AQ do but pass his partner’s sign off in 5♠? and it fails.
N
I am not suggesting North should bid the Of course, once South has opened the
W E grand slam over 5♠. Indeed, my general bidding, North knows there are ample
S
stance is to stress the desirability of points for a slam. However, not only did
♠ AJ432 avoiding grand slams unless you are North not wait for South to show his
♥ QJ4 100% sure. However, a sensible start to strength; he committed the cardinal sin
♦ A32 the auction should get you to at least 6♠. of taking control of the auction with
♣ 43 Blackwood before trumps were settled.
West North East South Now see what happens if North bides his
1♠ time.
West North East South Pass 2♦ Pass 3♠
1♠ Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ West North East South
Pass 4NT Pass 5♥ Pass 5NT … 1♠
Pass 5♠ End Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥
Do you see the difference? This time, Pass 4NT Pass 5♥
Presumably, North thinks he is too South has had a chance to show that he Pass 5NT Pass 6♣
strong just to insist on game. However, has better than a minimum opening bid Pass 7♥ End
to ask for aces and then sign off in 5♠ with a six-card spade suit. Now North
when the response confirms they are all has every reason to believe his side is in It might not have turned out so well for
present, means that the partnership will slam territory and can rebid 4NT North. If South had rebid 2♠ then North
always play in 5♠ whatever partner sensibly. Even if an ace was missing, he would have bid to 6NT as he did in our
holds! As it happens, 5♠ is too high. should later bid 6♠ on general values. first auction. In practice, when South
Indeed, it is easy to envisage how Here is our last premature leap to rebids hearts, North can envisage a
declarer could lose a trick in each suit. 4NT: thirteenth trick if hearts are trumps. ■

Page 57
 ANSWERS TO THE DEFENCE QUIZ ON
PAGE 13 by JULIAN POTTAGE
You lead the ♣5. Partner wins with the ♣A To shut out the diamond suit you want to play
1. ♠ AQJ94 and South drops the ♣K. Back comes the ♦9, your ace on the same trick as declarer runs
♥ Q9 covered by the ♦K. out of the suit. The 1NT opening tells you that
♦ A84 this is not the current trick. If anyone has a
Do you want to grab the ace of diamonds in
♣ KJ3 singleton diamond, it is East. Having ducked
case the king is bare? This is not a good idea.
♠ 10 5 2 ♠ K76 the first diamond, you expect to see a second
N For one thing, partner would most likely return
♥ A 10 6 4 2 W E ♥ K83 round of the suit. To know what to play you
the six from 9-6-3-2. For another, it is not very
♦ J72 S ♦ Q63 simply watch to see whether all follow. When
likely that South has two singletons. Taking
♣ 10 8 ♣ Q954 they do, you take your ace. It would be wrong
the ace in case partner is the one with the
♠ 83 to hold up twice as then declarer might switch
singleton is not a good idea either. South,
♥ J75 to clubs, making four tricks in clubs, two
who has shown five spades and four hearts
♦ K 10 9 5 hearts and a spade. Only if East shows out on
in the bidding and has already played a club,
♣ A762 the second diamond do you hold up your ace
cannot have four diamonds.
until the third round.
The thing to do is to play for the nine to be top
West North East South of a doubleton diamond. Duck the trick, play-
1♠ Pass 1NT ing the seven to encourage. This way, partner 4. ♠ J72
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT can come in with the king of hearts, play a dia- ♥ A6
End mond to your ace and score a diamond ruff. ♦ K Q J 10 8 4
♣ J9
You lead the ♥4 to the ♥9, ♥K and ♥5. ♠ 10 8 3 ♠ Q964
N
Partner returns the ♥8, to which South follows 3. ♠ 10 2 ♥ 10 4 W E ♥ J8732
with the ♥7. ♥ A9 ♦ A75 S ♦ 93
♦ K Q J 10 8 4 ♣ K 10 8 5 2 ♣ A7
Firstly, who do you think holds the jack of
♣ Q62 ♠ AK5
hearts? This is easy. With the king-jack,
♠ K874 ♠ Q963 ♥ KQ95
partner would win the first trick with the jack, N
♥ 10 8 7 5 2 ♥ K64 ♦ 62
not the king. You cannot, therefore, run the W E
♦ A75 S ♦ 63 ♣ Q643
first five tricks. You can hope, though, to find
♣ 10 ♣ A874
partner with the three of hearts. The return of
♠ AJ5
the eight is consistent with K-8-3. Of course, if
♥ QJ3 West North East South
you take your ace and clear the suit, you will
♦ 92 1♦ Pass 1♥
never get in to make your long hearts.
♣ KJ953 Pass 2♦ Pass 3NT
The solution is to duck. This way, when End
partner gets in with the spade king or (on
another layout) the club ace, you will make West North East South You lead the ♣5. Partner wins the ♣9 with the
three more heart tricks to beat the contract. 1NT ♣A and returns the ♣7, as South follows low
Pass 3NT End once more.

On each of the first three deals, you held up

2. ♠ 9 You lead the ♥5. Partner wins with the ♥K and
(ducked) an ace. On the first two, you did so
♥ A9642 returns the ♥6, as South follows with the ♥3
to maintain a link to partner’s hand. On the
♦ Q J 10 8 4 and ♥J. After the ♥A wins, declarer calls for
third, you did so to cut declarer off from
♣ 63 the ♦K from dummy, on which partner plays
dummy. Do you want to duck again? A glance
♠ Q 10 5 2 ♠ J86 the ♦6.
N at the diagram should tell you the outcome if
♥ 10 ♥ K73
W E Have you worked out the heart position? With you duck. Partner does not have the hoped-
♦ A75 S ♦ 93
the king-queen, partner would have played for third club. After the jack wins the second
♣ Q 10 8 5 2 ♣ AJ974
the queen at trick one (lowest from touching trick, declarer still has a stopper with Q-x and
♠ AK743
honours in third seat). Clearly, you cannot makes the contract.
♥ QJ85
take the ace of diamonds and run the hearts.
♦ K62 Here your good club spots (the ten and eight
Since you are going to have to part with your
♣ K are equals with the nine gone) and your sure
ace of diamonds before South’s second heart
entry in the ace of diamonds mean you need
stopper has gone, you must accept that the
not worry about trying to give partner a way to
heart suit is not going to run.
West North East South reach your hand. You should win the club
1♠ Perhaps you can arrange for a similar fate to return with the king and continue with the eight
Pass 1NT Pass 2♥ befall dummy’s diamonds. If partner has the (or ten). When you come in with your ace of
Pass 4♥ End king or ace of clubs, declarer has no way of diamonds, you can play clubs from the top and
getting to dummy except in diamonds. run enough tricks to beat the contract. ■

Page 58

n some deals, it is better to count
O losers than winners. This is not
simply because there are fewer
of them; counting losers can often be the
prelude to devising a plan for disposing
of them. Take this deal:
Dealer South. Love All. Teams.
♠ AQ
♥ A K 10
♦ K763
♣ 9872
♠ J 10 9 8 3 2 ♠ K765
♥ 32 N ♥ J8754
W E
♦ A S ♦ 9
♣ KQJ5 ♣ 10 6 4
♠ 4
♥ Q96
♦ Q J 10 8 5 4 2
♣ A3
The bidding was fast and furious. South
opened 3♦, West bid 3♠, North bid 3NT
and East 4♠. This went round to North,
who bid 5♦. All passed and West led the
king of clubs.
South counted his losers. One in clubs
(the three), one in diamonds (the suit is
solid apart from the ace) and none in the
majors (the hearts are solid and the ace
of spades faces a singleton) gave a total
of two. In 5♦ at teams or rubber bridge,
having two losers was fine. Declarer
simply won the first club and knocked
out the ace of trumps. West won and
cashed a club, but declarer could ruff the
third round of clubs and claim the rest of
the tricks.
Now suppose that the contract was 6♦
or that, at matchpoint pairs, declarer took
the view that 400 for 5♦ just made would
not be enough for a good score. In this
case, two losers would be too many.
Declarer would need to aim to dispose of
one of his club losers by discarding a club
Mike Wenble Says
Count Your Losers
as Declarer
on a spade. For this plan to work, declarer
would need to play on spades before
losing the lead. He would need to win the
club and play a spade to the queen. If
West held the king of spades, the finesse
would win – he could then discard his
losing club on the spade ace. When, in
fact, East has the spade king, he would be
out of luck and lose three tricks.
In a no-trump contract, it can be harder
to count losers. However, this does not
mean that you should make no effort. On
the next deal, declarer’s failure to count
losers led to immediate disaster.
Dealer South. Love All.
♠ K9
♥ J84
♦ KJ3
♣ A J 10 9 5
♠ Q 10 8 7 3 2 ♠ A6
♥ A 10 7 N ♥ K952
W E
♦ 84 S ♦ 9752
♣ 86 ♣ 742
♠ J54
♥ Q63
♦ A Q 10 6
♣ KQ3
South opened 1NT and North raised to
3NT. West led his fourth-highest spade.
South counted nine top winners: five in
clubs and four in diamonds. Perhaps
distracted by this good news, he
neglected to count his losers.
In an attempt to gain the lead to cash all
his winners, he hopped up erroneously
with dummy’s king of spades at trick one.
East won and returned a spade. When
West captured the jack with the queen
and the suit broke 6-2, declarer finished
with six losers and hence seven winners.
Declarer should have counted that he had
no losers in the minors; he could thus
afford four losers in the majors.
Page 59
No matter what the heart layout, the
defenders could cash no more than two
tricks by attacking the suit. This meant
that declarer could afford two spade
losers. A moment’s thought would tell
him that, by playing the nine from
dummy at trick one, he could limit his
spade losers to a maximum of two.
The following deal shows how
determining the number of losers in one
suit can dictate the play in another.
♠ A9765
♥ A875
♦ J 10
♣ AQ
N
W E
S
♠ QJ32
♥ Q J 10 9 6
♦ AQ
♣ K4
South declared the fine contract of 6♥,
and West led the club jack. Declarer
could see a possible loser in trumps, and
a possible loser in spades. He did not
count a possible diamond loser, as he
knew he could throw a diamond on the
fifth spade.
To find out whether he could afford to
lose a spade, his correct line of play is to
win the lead in hand and run the queen of
hearts. If West turns up with the king, the
contract is 100% secure. Declarer can
draw trumps ending in dummy and make
the safety play of a low spade away from
the ace to cater for K-10-8-x on either
side. If, instead, the heart finesse loses
then declarer cannot afford the luxury of
a safety play in spades. In this case, he
must finish drawing trumps and run the
queen of spades, hoping to find West
with the doubleton king or K-8-4. ■