BRIDGE

Number One Hundred and Eleven November 2011

Better Bridge with Bernard Magee

DVDs filmed at The Haslemere Festival 2011. £25 each.
 No Single
Supplements
on selected
I & G cabins**

European Icons
Departing April 27th 2012 – 15 days
Incredible cruise offers: Inside from only £999pp, Outside from only £1,499pp
Mesmerising Istanbul – a showcase of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, enthralling Athens – ‘cradle of
western civilisation’ and romantic Rome – heart of the mighty Roman Empire. Three of Europe’s most
notable cities, whose glorious histories live on through some of the world’s most remarkable edifices. Nasrid
princes left opulent footprints in the remarkable Alhambra. Legendary Santiago de Compostela marks the
end of the ‘Way of St James’. Brooding Mount Etna watches over Messina, whilst Napoleonic echoes resonate
around Ajaccio. Guarding the strait between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, the unmistakable profile of
‘The Rock’.

All passengers* will be eligible for seminars, drinks parties, quiz competitions, daily
evening bridge after first and second dinner sitting and occasional afternoon bridge sessions. The bridge
programme is fully optional and you may participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridge actively
encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.
YOUR
VOYAGE
INCLUDES:
portsmouth • Evening bridge available for
first and second diners
• Afternoon duplicate bridge
when at sea and in port
• Bridge seminars when at sea
and in port
la coruÑa
• Exclusive Mr Bridge drinks
civitavecchia
istanbul parties
ajaccio
• All meals, entertainment and
onboard gratuities
messina piraeus • Comprehensive lecture and
guest speaker programme
almeria
gibraltar
• Captain’s cocktail parties and
gala dinners

01483 489961 for brochures and bookings

www.bridgecruises.co.uk

Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest inside twin-bedded cabin category and include all applicable discounts for new bookings only. All offers are subject to availability, cannot be combined with any other offer or loyalty
offer, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Fares shown include current fuel supplements correct at time of printing, but subject to change. Fares shown are based on a guarantee fare, where a cabin number may not be allocated
at time of booking. See brochure for full terms and conditions. *Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. **No single supplement applies to selected I and G cabins and is subject to availability.
Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.
 FEATURES 46 David Gold says

BRIDGE
Double 1NT
4 Mr Bridge
10 David Stevenson
With 15 Points Better Hand
47 Heather Dhondy says
Answers Your Questions
Lead Trumps Against Evaluation
Publisher and 14 Julian Pottage a Grand Slam
Managing Editor Answers Your Questions
Bernard Magee
Mr Bridge 15 Prize Crossword 2
ADVERTISEMENTS Introduction
Ryden Grange by Sputnik 2 Voyages of Discovery Better Hand Evaluation is
Knaphill, Surrey European Icons aimed at helping readers to
18 When Holding Up, Use
GU21 2TH ‘The Rule of Seven’, but 3 Bernard Magee’s add greater accuracy to their
bidding. It deals with auctions
only if you think that Better Hand Evaluation
( 01483 489961 in which you and your partner,
the lead is from a five- 4 Table and against silent opponents, can
e-mail: card suit Tablecloths Offer describe your hands fully to

bridge@mrbridge.co.uk by Robert Baker each other and, by evaluating

5 Egypt 2012 them accurately, find the best
21 Bidding Quiz final contract. The emphasis of
website: 5 Tunisia 2012
by Bernard Magee all good, accurate bidding is on
www.mrbridge.co.uk 6 Haslemere 2011 DVDs hand evaluation.
22 Bidding Quiz Answers
by Bernard Magee 7 Mail Order Form There are two general types of
Associate Editor 8 Voyages of Discovery auction: a) a fit is found and b)
23 Defence Quiz
Julian Pottage by Julian Pottage 2012 Summer Cruises
no fit is found.
When you do not have a fit,
24 Defence Quiz Answers 11 Bridge Event
Technical Consultant you are aiming to describe the
by Julian Pottage Booking Form strength of your hand as soon
Andrew Kambites as possible, most often using
25 Declarer Play Quiz 12 Haslemere 2012
no-trump bids. This book be-
Bridge Consultant by Dave Huggett 13 Duplicate Bridge gins by discussing balanced
Bernard Magee 26 Declarer Play Answers Rules Simplified hand bidding in Acol, as it
is very important that both
by David Huggett 16 Bernard Magee’s members of a partnership
Proof Readers 27 Lead Quiz Tips for Better Bridge have an accurate knowledge of
Tony Richards by Andrew Kambites 19 Bernard Magee’s how to show hands of different
Danny Roth 28 Lead Quiz Answers Interactive Software
strengths.

Hugh Williams by Andrew Kambites 20 Bridge Weekends When a fit is found, there is
much re-evaluation of the
Richard Wheen 29 Swansea Charity with Bernard Magee hand to be done; point count,
by Gwynn Davis 22 Mr Bridge though still important, needs
Office Manager 31 Bernard Magee says Playing Cards to be evaluated together with
distribution. The best way of
Catrina Shackleton Bid No-Trump Early 22 Stamps reaching an accurate assess­
if you are Balanced ment is to use the Losing Trick
Events & Cruises 23 Mr Bridge Rubber/
Count; this is an important
33 Stephen Cashmore says Chicago Events
( 01483 489961 Stay Low on a Misfit
method of hand evaluation and

Jessica Galt 25 Mr Bridge Christmas takes up a number of chapters.

34 David Huggett says and New Year Finally, we move on to different
Rachel Everett Give False Preference forms of evaluation including
27 Mr Bridge Tutorial
Sophie Pierrepont 35 The Poor Man’s Ace Bridge Breaks
game tries and splinter bids.
Megan Riccio by Dick Atkinson
You can never know enough
30 Voyages to Antiquity methods of hand evaluation;
40 Catching Up Cruise to Croatia the more you learn, the better
Clubs & Charities you get at judging your hand.
by Sally Brock 37 Mr Bridge 2012 Diaries
Maggie Axtell Although the Losing Trick
41 Seven Days 38 Global
maggie@mrbridge.co.uk by Sally Brock
Count is used more easily in
Travel Insurance tandem with your partner, a
Address Changes 44 Liz McGowan says 43 Pot Boiler Tea Towel
large proportion of the ideas

Elizabeth Bryan Defend Passively Solution

in this book can be used by an
individual. For example, eval-
if Dummy is Lifeless
( 01483 485342 43 Charity Bridge Events uating your hand to be worth
45 Justin Corfield says an extra point is going to help
Love All is the Best 48 Bernard Magee’s anyone you partner – as long
All correspondence should Five-Card Majors CD as you get it right.
Time to Compete the
be addressed to Mr Bridge.
Partscore 48 QPlus 10
Please make sure that all £14 including postage
letters, e-mails and faxes
carry full postal addresses See Mail Order Form
and telephone numbers. The views expressed in this publication are not on page 7
necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.

Page 3
 ANNIVERSARY and port lectures, there TABLE OFFER
will be bridge seminars
and supervised play My black vinyl covered
every morning, both metal tables are ideal
when in port or when at for club use, as they can
sea. Likewise, afternoon serve the needs of several
duplicate sessions. Best different groups at the
of all, a daily duplicate same venue, especially
for those on first and as most clubs use green
second-sitting dinner. table cloths these days.
For those that feel the
There will also be cut-in
need for a green playing
rubber/Chicago sessions
surface, I draw the special
for those who prefer that
It is very nearly twenty- table and cloth offer to
form of the game. Indeed,
five years since I first set the attention of clubs At last, Bernard Magee
something bridgewise
out on my journey as and individuals alike. has completed his sequel
to suit everyone, even
Mr Bridge and to mark to Acol Bidding, for those
those wanting to start to The cloths are made in
this anniversary, I have who want to play five-
learn this great game. the north of England of
decided to promote several card majors with a strong
locally spun cotton velvet.
events in 2012. The first I am confident this Festival no-trump, just like almost
of these will be a Festival will be well supported, so everyone else in the world.
FLASHING
Of Bridge on board m.v. I do hope you will sign
Only us here in the home
Discovery, sailing from up for the cruise and be I have a surplus of
countries together with
Istanbul on 27 April back part of my celebrations. promotional ball point
parts of New Zealand,
home to Portsmouth (see pens. In addition to having
Western Australia,
the advert on page 2). SINGLES NOT a good weight and a solid
Denmark and Holland
feel they also have an
I have negotiated a really FORGOTTEN play the Acol system.
attractive to some, flashing
special lead-in fare of
And singles, I’ve multi-colour light and, The advert on the back
£999 per person sharing.
remembered you. Indeed, as such, make excellent cover of this magazine gives
This includes all bridge
how could I forget as club prizes or stocking the full list of contents,
fees. And it won’t all be
there are so many of fillers for grandchildren. which is supported by
bridge... only if that’s
you writing regularly to A mind-boggling bargain a user-friendly manual.
what you want it to be.
remind me. Inside cabins not to be missed, 5 for £5 Bernard Magee has
In addition to the usual for single occupancy start while stocks last. Please completed yet another
onboard entertainment from only £1234 each. telephone to order. labour of love.

BRIDGE TABLE AND TABLECLOTH OFFER

Black vinyl-covered table surface with
strong, stable metal legs. Matching padded
black vinyl-covered folding chairs especially
designed for comfort while playing cards.
Mr Bridge tablecloths are a generous
48 inches square. They are made in England
from British spun cotton velvet. They are
available in bottle green (shown) as well as
in dark blue or burgundy.

Table £63.50
SPECIAL 4 Chairs £199.00
OFFER Tablecloth £29.95
Table+Cloth £75 prices include VAT and UK mainland delivery
saving £18.45
See Mail Order Form on page 7.

Page 4
 OLD POT BOILER CLUB INSURANCE
Mr Bridge By popular request, the With the new season just Mr Bridge
double dummy problems started, club insurance
AT THE 5* previously printed on tea is coming up for renewal
AT THE
KIROSEIZ towels are being repeated and if it isn’t, it should be. ROYAL KENZ
THREE for your interest and Cover for the average club TUNISIA
amusement. You will find is still less than £63 per
CORNERS, the solution on page 43. annum from 1 November.
NA’AMA BAY Two-week
If your club wants to
EGYPT 2012 start right away, a pro half-board
♠ A Q 7
♥ A K Q J
rata payment for the duplicate
A 5* spacious resort hotel weeks up to the annual
complex with a friendly
♦ Q J 10 9 8 7
commencement will holiday
♣ Void
atmosphere situated 3km ensure you are covered.
£769*
♠ K J 10 8 6 ♠ 9 5 4 3 2
from the resort centre of N
♥ 5 4 3 2 W E ♥ Void Over 400 bridge clubs use
Na’ama Bay and a 15 min-
ute courtesy bus ride from ♦ Void S ♦ 6 5 4 3 2 this Mr Bridge service. To
the hotel’s private beach. ♣ K Q J 10 ♣ 4 3 2 learn more, please ring
♠ Void Simon at the brokers,
♥ 10 9 8 7 6 Moore Stephens.
♦ A K ( 020 7515 5270
♣ A 9 8 7 6 5
Contract 7♥ by South. WINTER SUN
West leads the ♣K.
Bernard Magee will
once again go to Na’ama
For a full range of bridge Bay, Sharm-el-Sheik, in
tea towels, ring Art Screen January where the lovely
Print on ( 01287 637527. penetrating dry heat helps
www.artscreen.co.uk/ revive the spirit. Last year,
customizeArea/shop.html several in the party enjoyed
a game of tennis every day,
Duplicate Bridge GOFF STAMPS so pack your racquet.
Bernard Magee In February, Bernard
15-29 January 2012 Magee goes to Tunisia
19 Feb – 4 March 2012
with his team, (see the
from £1099* left hand advertisement)
Golf available
Bernard Magee
All inclusive board and bring your golf- and his team
includes: buffet-style break- playing friends with you.
fast, lunch, dinner, snacks
*per person half-board sharing
served at selected times
between meals, ice cream Conventional postage GOLDEN TWIN BOX a twin-bedded room and is
inclusive of bridge fees. Single
served in the afternoon and will never get cheaper, so A pair of red/blue backed supplement £6 per night. These
afternoon tea. An unlim- prices are based on air travel
buying valid British stamps Mr Bridge Premium from Gatwick to Enfidha. Flights
ited amount of hot, soft and
below face value must be Quality Cards, in a gold- from other UK airports are
alcoholic drinks (excluding available at a supplement. All
international brands and
a bargain. It also helps coloured drop-lid box, prices are firm until the end of
cocktails) served 10am to support this publication. makes an ideal Christmas October 2011. Prices for seven-
night stays (November only) are
midnight. For Clive Goff’s unique gift. £10.95 per box. available on application.
*per person full-board sharing a service, telephone him on: Pay £70 per fortnight per person
twin-bedded room and is inclusive
of bridge fees. Single supplement ( 020 8422 4906. TRADE INS extra and have a pool-facing
room, tea & coffee making
£220 per fortnight. These prices are Clive.goff@londonrugby.com facilities, bath robe and a bowl of
based on air travel from Gatwick. You may still trade-in any seasonal fruit.
Flights from Manchester, Newcastle old QPlus for the very
and East Midlands are available at a
supplement. THANKS latest version for only £35. These holidays have been organised
for Mr Bridge by Tunisia First Limited,
Please send in your old ATOL 5933, working in association
This holiday is arranged in conjunction Altogether, over three with Thomas Cook Tour
with Thomas Cook Holidays version, booklet and disc Operations Limited, ATOL 1179.
thousand shop-soiled
ATOL1179. together with your cheque.
books and booklets were
DETAILS & BOOKINGS cleared in my first e-sale. Those wanting Bridge DETAILS & BOOKINGS
Well done everybody, you Baron may similarly
( 01483 489961 deserve your bargains. upgrade. £36. ( 01483 489961

Page 5
 SCOTLAND 2012 QPLUS 10 BETTER BRIDGE
For those who already
Bernard
have QPlus, here are a Magee
few more hands that I
think you might enjoy. at
5290/05 5290/54 Haslemere
By popular demand,
5290/100 5290/169 Hall 2011
Bernard Magee will be I should explain for those DVDs
returning to the Brook without QPlus that every
Queensferry Hotel for the possible deal of 52 cards Six DVDs record the
has a reference number. seminars from Haslemere.
weekend 9-11 March 2012
Each seminar is divided
when the subject matter Put that number into the
into two halves: designed
of the tutorials will cover program and hey presto, to look at subjects from
the ever popular subject the hand comes up on two different perspectives.
of doubles and doubling. your screen at the touch
of a button. Magic. 1. Ruffing for
£25
This date has been The Bernard Magee
extra tricks
This seminar deals with declar-
squeezed into his already bridge seminars, staged er’s use of ruffing to generate ex-
crowded programme and TUTORIALS tra tricks and then looks at how
in Haslemere Hall as
Scottish enthusiasts are Some of the first editions part of 2011 Haslemere
the defenders might counteract
this. 74 mins.
advised to book his only of these wonderful Festival, proved to be even
visit to Scotland in the products were made just more successful than I 2. COMPETITIVE
£25
year as soon as possible to before 2000, so they are had hoped for, even in
AUCTIONS
This seminar focuses on
avoid disappointment. almost antique, at least as my wildest dreams. competitive auctions from the
far as modern IT goes. perspective of the overcalling
All the happenings have side to start with and then from
DIARIES 2012 Until now, I have supported been faithfully filmed and the perspective of the opening
There are two types. every title with each new made into a series of six side in the second part. 86 mins.
Standard, with Black, Navy, version of Windows, but DVDs by an experienced 3. MAKING THE MOST
Light Blue, Red, Maroon from now I am supporting television film crew led OF HIGH CARDS £25
or Tan covers. £6.95 each. only Windows XP, Vista by Hugh Dehn, the well This seminar helps declarer to
use his high cards more carefully
and 7. Nor can I provide know television director.
The Luxury version has a replacements for discs that
and then looks at how defenders
should care for their precious
built-in ball point pen and been stolen, scratched, Take a hall filled with high cards. 83 minutes.
soft kindrell cover. Choice cracked or misused. In enthusiasts, eager and
of Ruby Red, Bottle Green future the charge for a willing to learn; mix in 4. Identifying
& BIDDING SLAMS
£25
or Navy Blue. £14.95 each. replacement pack is £35. the technical support of The first half of this seminar is
Return the old disc and the theatre and then add about identifying when a slam
Bernard Magee on top might be on – one of the hardest
CALENDAR 2012 booklet with your cheque. topics to teach, because as soon
form and you have the as you announce the topic
An A4 size cartoon perfect ingredients for six everybody is looking for slams.
calendar, produced by MAC FOR BRIDGE highly entertaining DVDs. The second half covers some of
Hitchin Bridge Club, has If you’ve a Mac and want a Buy with confidence. the techniques used to bid slams.
been sent to me and I 96 minutes.
play program, then Bridge
am happy to draw this to
the attention of readers.
Baron is for you. £63. HASLEMERE 2012 5. PLAY & DEFENCE
OF 1NT CONTRACTS
£25
The committee are to be This seminar looks at the most
Book early – book now.
congratulated on their MINERVA NEWS For subject matter, see the
common and yet most feared of
contracts: 1NT. The first half
enterprise, as they have advertisement on page looks at declaring the contract
achieved charity status 19. All six seminars will and the second part puts us in
the defenders’ seats. 88 minutes.
and are busy raising funds again be filmed in full.
to acquire a site and build 6. DOUBLING & DEFENCE
their own club house. AGAINST DOUBLED£25
SUPPORT CONTRACTS
These calendars, £6 each Do support our advertisers
The first half of this seminar
This well-loved ship is explores penalty doubles and the
plus £1 postage and where you can. It is they
being taken into dry dock second half discusses the defence
packing may be ordered who help me pay the bills. against doubled contracts.
at the end of November
from the treasurer 01462 88 minutes.
for a three month refit. All good wishes.
433750 or the chairman All 6 for £100
01462 623447. This project Brochures are now available See Mail Order Form on page 7.
is worthy of your support. for the 2012/2013 sailings. Mr Bridge

Page 6
✄

Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER
PLAY SOFTWARE TUTORIAL DVDs
QPlus 10 £86.00....... Ruffing for Extra Tricks £25.00.......
QPlus 9.1 (second hand) £62.00....... Competitive Auctions £25.00.......
Bridge Baron 21 – Mac compatible £63.00....... Making the Most of High Cards £25.00.......
Identifying & Bidding Slams £25.00.......
TUTORIAL SOFTWARE
Play & Defence of 1NT Contracts £25.00.......
Begin Bridge – Acol Version £66.00.......
Doubling & Defence
Acol Bidding £66.00....... to Doubled Contracts £25.00.......
More Acol Bidding £96.00....... All 6 DVDs as a boxed set £100.00.......
Declarer Play £76.00.......
Advanced Declarer Play £81.00....... 2012 Bridge Players’ Diaries
Defence £76.00....... Standard:
Five-Card Majors with Strong No-Trump £89.00....... Navy Blue ...... Light Blue ......
Ivory ...... Red ...... Tan ...... Green ......
SOFTWARE BUNDLE OFFER Burgundy ...... Black ...... £6.95.......
10 or more each £3.50.......
Any two software pieces £120.00.......
Luxury cover with ball point pen:
BOOKS Ruby Red ...... Navy Blue...... Green ...... £14.95.......
Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified £5.95.......
LUXURY PLAYING CARDS
Better Hand Evaluation – Bernard Magee £14.00.......
One red back / one blue back
Bernard Magee’s Bridge Quiz Book £14.00....... in a gold-coloured drop-lid box £10.95.......
Bernard Magee’s Quiz and Puzzle Book £14.00....... 2 boxed pairs of luxury cards £20.00.......
Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge £14.00....... 10 refill packs (5 red / 5 blue) £20.00.......
TABLES, CHAIRS and tablecloths PENS
Mr Bridge exclusive design black metal
chairs, padded back and seat Multi-suited
covered in black vinyl Set of four £199.00....... Ball-point Pens
Mr Bridge exclusive black metal tables £63.50.......
Boxed set of four
Mr Bridge tablecloth
£19.95.......
green ...... dark blue ...... burgundy ...... £63.50.......
Table and tablecloth Offer both for £75.00....... Refills set of four £2.99.......

Prices are inclusive of VAT and postage to UK mainland. I enclose a cheque for £..........

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

Address...................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

Postcode................................................................................................. ( ...........................................................................................................

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

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

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

✄

Page 7
Inspiring Summer Cruises
Experience Voyages of Discovery’s Summer 2012 programme,
encompassing 15 captivating cruises around Northern Europe,
The Baltic, The Mediterranean & The Black Sea.
Next Summer, Discovery’s exciting cruise itinerary includes a National Trust cruise
around the British Isles, a three day stay in glorious St Petersburg, with the unique
opportunity of spending a day in Moscow and, on the anniversary of D-Day, an
inspirational journey of remembrance and discovery to the landing beaches of
Normandy, little-visited Heligoland in Germany and beautiful Amsterdam.

All passengers are eligible to attend the exclusive drinks parties. When
Discovery is at sea there are morning seminars and afternoon bridge sessions. Those Mr
Bridge passengers choosing to pay the £30** per bridge player supplement will be eligible YOUR
for the evening duplicate after the first dinner sitting. The bridge programme is fully
optional and you may participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridge actively
VOYAGE
encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game. INCLUDES:
• Evening bridge
• Afternoon bridge when at sea
• Bridge seminars when at sea
• Exclusive Mr Bridge drinks
parties
• All meals, entertainment and
onboard gratuities
• Comprehensive lecture and
guest speaker programme
• Captain’s cocktail parties and
gala dinners

01483 489961 for brochures and bookings

 UP
TO
£ 20 0
ONBO
AR
CREDI D
when b T
ooked
15th O by
ctober*

Discovery club members save an extra 5%

Summer 2012 No~fly cruises Bridge Hosts Fares From

BALTIC ICONS May 11, 2012 ~ 16 days

Portsmouth ~ IJmuiden (Amsterdam) ~ Copenhagen ~ Stockholm ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (2 nights) ~ Helsinki Gary GTY £1,549pp
Warnemünde (Berlin) ~ Kiel Canal transit ~ Portsmouth Conrad
cabins
HERITAGE of the BRITISH ISLES May 26, 2012 ~ 11 days Alison
Portsmouth ~ Isles of Scilly ~ Douglas ~ Belfast ~ Oban ~ Port of Tyne ~ Greenwich ~ Dover ~ Portsmouth
selling
fast Nicolson GTY £1,199pp

D-DAY, NORMANDY, DUNKIRK and BEYOND June 5, 2012 ~ 9 days Stan

GTY £899pp
Portsmouth ~ Cherbourg ~ St Peter Port ~ Rouen (overnight) ~ Dunkirk ~ Heligoland ~ IJmuiden (Amsterdam) ~ Harwich Powell
SPITSBERGEN and the NORTH CAPE June 13, 2012 ~ 16 days Tony & Jan
GTY £1,749pp
Harwich ~ Trondheim ~ Leknes ~ Honningsvåg ~ Magdalenafjord ~ Ny-Ålesund ~ Longyearbyen ~ Barentsburg ~ Tromsø ~ Bergen ~ Harwich Richards
BALTIC TREASURES June 28, 2012 ~ 15 days
Harwich ~ Kristiansand ~ Copenhagen ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (2 nights) ~ Gdynia ~ Szczecin (Berlin) Crombie & Helen GTY £1,649pp
Sassnitz ~ Kiel Canal transit ~ Harwich McNeil
NORDIC NATURAL WONDERS July 12, 2012 ~ 14 days Alex
GTY £1,499pp
Harwich ~ Bergen ~ Flåm ~ Akureyri ~ Ísafjördjur ~ Grundarfjördur ~ Reykjavik ~ Tórshavn ~ Harwich Davoud
A NORDIC and WHITE SEA ADVENTURE July 25, 2012 ~ 20 days Gary
GTY £2,199pp
Harwich ~ Bergen ~ Bodø ~ Murmansk ~ Solovetsky Islands (overnight) ~ Archangel ~ Kirkenes ~ Hammerfest ~ Trondheim ~ Ørsta ~ Florø ~ Harwich Conrad
AROUND BRITAIN and EDINBURGH TATTOO August 13, 2012 ~ 13 days Alex £1,399pp
Harwich ~ St Peter Port ~ Fowey ~ Cobh ~ Galway ~ Killybegs ~ Oban ~ Portree ~ Scrabster ~ Kirkwall ~ Rosyth (Edinburgh) ~ Harwich Davoud cat n

OSLO and the MAGIC of NORWAY August 25, 2012 ~ 10 days Alison
GTY £1,049pp
Harwich ~ Oslo ~ Kristiansand ~ Stavanger ~ Flåm and Gudvangen ~ Ålesund ~ Bergen ~ Harwich Nicolson
TIMELESS BALTIC September 3, 2012 ~ 15 days Tony & Jan
GTY £1,599pp
Harwich ~ Copenhagen ~ Saaremaa ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (2 nights) ~ Gdynia ~ Szczecin (Berlin)~ Sassnitz ~ Kiel Canal transit ~ Harwich Richards

Summer 2012 Fly cruises

VOYAGE to the MEDITERRANEAN^ September 17, 2012 ~ 8 days Sandy
£699pp
Harwich ~ Leixoes (Porto) ~ Gibraltar ~ Cartagena ~ Barcelona Bell
A PORTRAIT of the MEDITERRANEAN^ September 24, 2012 ~ 12 days Tony & Jan
£1,449pp
Barcelona ~ Sète ~ Rapallo ~ Livorno (Florence/Pisa) ~ Civitavecchia (Rome) ~ Castellammare di Stabia ~ Messina ~ Brindisi ~ Dubrovnik (overnight) Richards
ADRIATIC and AEGEAN ODYSSEY^ October 5, 2012 ~ 15 days Crombie & Helen
£1,849pp
Dubrovnik ~ Pula ~ Venice ~ Koper ~ Hvar ~ Kotor ~ Durres ~ Itea ~ Katakolon ~ Piraeus (Athens) ~ Canakkale ~ Istanbul (overnight) McNeil
BLACK SEA EXPLORER^ October 19, 2012 ~ 12 days Sandy
£1,649pp
Istanbul ~ Trabzon ~ Sochi ~ Novorossiysk ~ Yalta ~ Sevastopol ~ Odessa ~ Nesebur ~ Istanbul Bell
EAST to the HOLY LAND and RED SEA October 30, 2012 ~ 16 days
Istanbul ~ Canakkale ~ Antalya ~ Haifa ~ Ashdod (Jerusalem) ~ Port Said ~ Suez Canal transit ~ Safaga (overnight) ~ Aqaba (overnight) Alex £1,999pp
Sharm el-Sheikh (overnight) Davoud

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

Further combinations and grand voyages available ~ please call for details

www.bridgecruises.co.uk
Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available, are subject to availability and include all applicable discounts, for new bookings only. Savings shown apply to guarantee fare, where a cabin number may not be allocated at time of
booking. Fares shown include current fuel supplements correct at time of printing, but subject to change. *Onboard credit offer applies per outside cabin on Summer 2012 cruises departing 11th May 2012 to 30th October 2012, for new bookings made by 15th October 2011. £200 onboard
credit applies when booking a category A to F cabin; or £100 onboard credit when booking a category G to K cabin. Onboard credit offer is non-transferable and non-refundable and not available on Heritage of the British Isles. All offers are subject to availability, cannot be combined with any
other offer or loyalty offer, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Mr Bridge Group. **Those wishing to play evening bridge, please note that there is a bridge
supplement of £30 per bridge player to be confirmed at the time of booking. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.
 David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

How Should I Adjust

the Score After
a Wrong Explanation?

Q
A player had Secondly, since you have different. Scotland has the
given an inac- ♠ A Q 8 6 an agreement your double most different regulations.
curate expla- ♥ 8 shows 15+, it is not alert- Consider Announcements:
nation of his partner’s ♦ A 8 4 able and nothing special after some initial grumbles,
overcall, which had ♣ A 9 8 5 4 needs to be on your system people in England find them
caused his opponent to card. A small deviation does helpful, useful and easy to
abandon the auction. not alter your agreement. use and the only problem
When the overcaller I thought my hand was Since your double was is some people announce
became declarer, he good, with a five-card legal and your opponents too much. Wales followed
made no mention of the suit to lead, control in had correct information, England’s lead on an-
mistaken explanation three suits and probably the ruling was wrong; the nouncements, after which
by his partner. Declarer the ace-queen of result should have stood. the Republic of Ireland de-
got an outright top. spades over the king. I cided to adopt them, though
Later, looking at the thought I could defeat ♣♦♥♠ slightly different from the
results, I noticed that 1NT almost on my own; English ones. Now Northern

Q
the contract could have declarer duly went Are all the Ireland has adopted them,
gone to either side. three down doubled. rules the same the same as the Republic’s,
Could I opt for a rem- Declarer asked me how in Scotland but Scotland do not have
edy of 50%/50%? many points I had and, as elsewhere in the announcements. Once you
Janny Snell, Godalming DBC. on hearing 14, called UK and Ireland? are used to them, it feels
  the director saying that Patricia Hearns, very wrong not to have them

A
When there is I had made an illegal Bieldside, Aberdeen. and comes as a shock to a
misinformation bid as I should have had visitor playing in Scotland.

A
and an opponent 15 HCP to double her Not everything is I always look at the address
suffers damage, you must 1NT. Director agreed the same. The Law when answering queries and
adjust the score using Law and said we would have book is the same tailor my reply to the country
12C to an assigned score. to take an average. in Scotland, so rules about concerned. Unfortunately,
A score such as 50%/50% Lynne Roberts, Llandeilo, revokes, calls out of turn, email queries do not always
is not legal. In essence, you Carmarthen (similar claims and so forth are the show where the questioner is
need to decide what would from Geoffrey Tremlett, same. However, regulations from: please will queries by
or might have happened Brynamman). deal with alerting and the email always say from where
without the infraction and systems you can play; these they are sent.

A
give that score, or more The ruling against are very different in Scotland
usually, two or three scores you appears com- from the rest of the British
and a percentage of each. pletely wrong. Firstly, Isles. Regulations in Wales David Stevenson answers all
queries based on the facts
you are allowed to play are nearly all the same as
supplied by the letter writer.
♣♦♥♠ any defence unless you are in England: regulations in
Neither Mr Bridge nor
playing novice bridge, so Northern Ireland are slightly

Q
David Stevenson has any way
Dealer opened you could play a double as different from England; of knowing whether those
1NT, I doubled 10+ if you wanted, so your those in the Republic of facts are correct or complete.
with this hand: double is certainly not illegal. Ireland are somewhat more

Page 10
 Ask David continued for takeout. It is really a lack

BRIDGE 
of self-control – but there
is no law against that.

Q BREAKS
The North-South ♣♦♥♠
agreement

Q
was that they A number of
play any suit double players appear
up to and including 2♠ to be opening ♦ Full-board ♦ Two seminars*
for takeout. Does East 1NT with a singleton in ♦ All rooms with ♦ Two supervised
have any redress on a minor. I understand en-suite facilities play sessions*
the deal below since that at one time the ♦ No single supplement ♦ Four duplicate sessions**
North decided to pass? EBU banned this. Can
you now open 1NT Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person,
with a singleton, so
Dealer East. E/W Game. long as it is a minor? Single .... Double .... Twin ....
♠ Void John Glasgow,
♥ Q 10 7 5 3 Erdington, Birmingham. Name of Hotel/Centre.............................................................
♦ 9 8 6

A
♣ A K 9 8 4 The rules to allow Date(s) ....................................................................................
♠ 7 6 4 N ♠ K Q 9 8 2 singletons in 1NT
♥ A 9 W E ♥ K 4 2 openings were Mr/Mrs/Miss .........................................................................
S
♦ K J 10 4 3 ♦ Q 2 relaxed initially about 15 to
Address...................................................................................
♣ 10 6 3 ♣ Q 7 2 20 years ago, then relaxed
♠ A J 10 5 3 completely about 8 to 10
................................................................................................
♥ J 8 6 years ago. Any singleton
♦ A 7 5 is permissible. When Postcode .................................................................................
♣ J 5 announcing the 1NT range,
partner must add ‘may ( ...........................................................................................
contain a singleton.’ If there
West North East South are any rules, such as only Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,
1♠ Pass in a minor, you must show but we will do our best to oblige).
2♦ Dble 2♠ Dble these on the system card
End (formerly the convention ................................................................................................
card) and disclose them in
Result: East made 6 answer to any question. Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking.
tricks for 2 down In fact, the EBU is happy
................................................................................................
(N/S +500) with a slight extension of
Mervyn Tudor, the announcement, for
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by
Glastonbury. example saying, ‘may contain cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will be sent
a singleton in a minor.’ with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment,

A
If the agreement 28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent
is that the second ♣♦♥♠ together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. Should you
double is takeout, require insurance, you should contact your own insurance broker.

Q
North is correct not to alert If I have 10
and should explain it as points and a
takeout. However, I would very long suit, is
be highly suspicious. This it legal to open 2♣ and
may be just bad bridge by then check on aces when
South, but I would ask them I rebid, trying to induce
several searching ques- the opponents to double? Expiry: ................................. CVV......................... Issue No....................
(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip)
tions, starting with asking David John, Harrogate.
South why he doubled and Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH.

A
what the double meant. No. When you open
It is a fact that some with a strong bid, you ( 01483 489961
players, especially poorer are showing a strong e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
players, always double hand, the definition of which website: www.holidaybridge.com
with long trumps even in we have published recently in *on tutorial weekends. **6 sessions on rubber & Just Bridge events.
positions where it is clearly this column.

Page 11
 Ask David continued card, I asked if I could

Bernard Magee have a look again at

the cards played.
Both opponents said
at Haslemere Hall
Q
Playing Acol I could not do this
Strong Twos, because all four of us
Haslemere, Surrey can I play that had placed our cards
2♣ shows either 23+ face down on the table.
points or any hand with Were they right?
8 - 10 May 2012 8 playing tricks in clubs? John Olrog by email.
Anne Smith, Stafford.

A
You may not look

A
No: to be strong, at the cards played

Tuesday 8 May a bid must show a

strong hand, which
to the last trick at
duplicate once your card is
some 8 playing-trick hands face down. While players
Morning Session: 11.00 – 12.30 are not. Recently, there has often abuse this rule, your
Leads been a trend towards open- opponents were within
ing pre-emptive hands with their rights. A good habit to
a strong bid, which succeeds get into is not to turn your
Afternoon Session: 15.00 – 16.30
by fooling the opposition. card face down until you
Losing Trick Count are sure you will not need
♣♦♥♠ to see the trick again.

Q
In an answer to ♣♦♥♠
a query about
Wednesday 9 May
Q
alerting doubles, The bidding
you said, ‘When a player started as
Morning Session: 11.00 – 12.30 bids a suit below the follows:
four level, a double by
Making a Plan as Declarer his opponent is assumed West North East South
to be for takeout if not 1♣ 1♦ 1NT
Afternoon Session: 15.00 – 16.30 alerted. What could be
Responding to 1NT simpler?’ My answer West assumed South’s
is to announce or alert 1NT response was the
all conventional calls. standard 6-9 points.
Dennis Chambers, During the play, it
Harare, Zimbabwe. became apparent that
Thursday 10 May South’s hand was in fact

A
The problem here is stronger. It appeared
Morning Session: 11.00 – 12.30 that people do not that North/South had
always agree which an agreement that
Signals and Discards doubles are conventional. 1NT was stronger
If you ask people to alert when there was an
Afternoon Session: 15.00 – 16.30 all the calls that they intervening bid. Should
think are conventional, North have alerted?
Endplays your rule will upset and Brian Davis by email.
confuse people, especially

A
newcomers to bridge. Unless forcing, no-
A simpler rule, such trump ranges are
£10 per ticket as the one we have now, rarely alertable and
For advanced booking, please call will cause less upset. many people show extra
values for a free bid. Even
Haslemere Hall Box Office ♣♦♥♠ without an intervening bid,
many people play a 1NT
( 01428 642161
Q
I was declarer response to 1♣ as 8 to 10. I
Please note that all sessions will be filmed. and had just am afraid you are going to
won a trick; have to ask more questions
before playing the next when you think it relevant.

Page 12
 A
Ask David continued players without mentioning When a doubled deal with what is legal, and
the hesitation, give them contract makes in how you go about disclosing
the sequence up to East’s duplicate, the score it. It applies to people who do
pass on the second round includes a bonus of 50. not follow the majority view

Q
Can a defender and ask them what they Similarly, there is a bonus of as well as those who do.
claim for would call. I would also 100 for making a redoubled If you and your partner
honours? ask them what alternatives contract. These bonuses agree to play four-card
Marta Bodilly, Ascot. they would consider. are the same at rubber. overcalls, it is legal but
Since I believe North must not be a secret. You

A
Certainly: nothing would remove a double or ♣♦♥♠ must tell the opponents
in the rules says that 4NT to 5♣, I would treat all in some way and the two

Q
only declarer can the positive actions as the In the bidding ways are to write it on your
claim honours: anyone can. same; 5♣, double and my quiz in BRIDGE system card and disclose it
choice of 4NT. There are 104, Bernard in answer to a question.
♣♦♥♠ two questions. How many Magee discusses a
would consider pass? How possible overcall and ♣♦♥♠

Q
In the Bill Hughes many would actually pass? says ‘you need a five-

Q
simultaneous So long as a significant card suit to overcall My partner
pairs, South proportion, say at least one so you cannot do opened 1NT
held this hand, second in five, would consider pass, that’. Is it or is it not and we were
in hand, vulnerable and so long as one or two legal to overcall with playing transfers.
against not: of the group who would a four-card suit?
consider a pass actually Mr A Jones,
would pass, pass is a logical Knowsley, Prescot. ♠ Q 7 6 4 2
♠ J 9 alternative. In that case, I ♥ A K Q

A
♥ Void would adjust the score to While it would ♦ K Q 10
♦ A K J 9 8 4♥-2, NS +100. Of course, be helpful if all ♣ 3 2
♣ A Q J 6 4 3 to adjust, I have to believe bridge teachers
that the hesitation suggests used the technically correct
action over passing, but terminology and made it I was unhappy with my
West North East South that seems clear to me. clear that what they teach club holding and did not
2♥ 3♣ If fewer than one in is not the only way to play, want to bid 3NT directly.
4♥ Pass1 Pass 5♣ five would pass, pass is this simply does not happen. Nor did I wish to bid 3♠
5♥ Pass Pass Dble not a logical alternative, Bridge teachers who say you with such a poor spade
End and the result stands. cannot make a bid usually holding. I bid 2♥, a
1
After an agreed hesitation mean that the bid would not transfer, and rebid 3NT
♣♦♥♠ be good bridge rather than over partner’s 2♠ to offer
The result was 5♥*-3, it is illegal. It is the same as a choice of games, 3NT

Q
500 to North-South. What are when a mother says to her or 4♠. An opponent said I
How would you rule? the bonuses son that he cannot go to a should not use a transfer
Huw Jones, Swansea. for making football match: she does not on a hand this strong as
a doubled contract? mean that it is illegal for the they are a replacement

A
It is very close. I Are they the same at boy to go; rather she judges for weak takeouts. Did
would probably duplicate and rubber? it impractical or inadvisable. I do something wrong?
rely on a poll: give L Poole, Bernard Magee teaches Pat Arpino, Great Yarmouth.
the South hand to a few Middleton, Kings Lynn. what he believes is the best

A
approach and it is certainly I think you bid
by far the majority approach, excellently. I

DUPLICATE BRIDGE  to play overcalls as at least

five cards in length. Much of
am afraid your
opponents are just poor
RULES SIMPLIFIED this magazine addresses the
best way to play the game,
players who do not
understand transfers: your
(otherwise known as the Yellow Book) and experts give their views. use of transfers was perfect
My column is different: I and normal. ■
by John Rumbelow and only
revised by David Stevenson £5 95
E-mail your questions on bridge laws to:
Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.uk

Page 13
 Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

When Should I
Lead an Ace
Against a Slam?

Q
I never know the safer the lead. If you lead meaning of a jump bid short suit. For a cue bid, you
whether to lead the ace from A-6-5-4-3-2, it often differs from the mean- would generally have an ace
an ace against is unlikely to cost a trick even ing of a non-jump bid. (sometimes a king) or a void
a small slam. While I if declarer does have the Many duplicate players (sometimes a singleton) in the
hate doing so in case king. By contrast, a lead from use a convention called suit in which you make the
the king is on my right, A-Q-x is often going to cost Lebensohl, which allows you cue bid. For a splinter, you
I am aware that I might when declarer has the king. to show both strong and would have either a single-
lose the ace alto- The best time for leading weak (competitive) hands. ton or a void in the suit.
gether if I do not cash an ace arises when you To show the weaker hand,
it. What should I do? have a trump trick or you bid an artificial 2NT, ♣♦♥♠
Michael Read, London N6. reason to suppose that which asks your partner to

Q
your partner does. bid 3♣. You then pass if Can you still

A
I am not a big fan There is no absolute you wish to play in 3♣. You play trans-
of leading out aces rule I am afraid. can use the 2NT Lebensohl fers in the two
against slams, bid on other hands too sequences below?
though there are hands on ♣♦♥♠ – the principle is that, if
which it is right. Sometimes, you bid a suit directly, it 1 West North East South

Q
the opponents have bid a We play a weak shows a better hand than 1♥ 1NT
slam with two fast losers in a 12-14 no-trump. if you bid 2NT before Pass ?
suit. Competent opponents I have always showing your suit.
will not do this very often, of understood that a re- Playing Lebensohl, 2 West North East South
course, unless pre-emptive sponse at the three level your direct 3♣ would be 1♠ 2NT
bidding by your side has is forcing to game. My unequivocally forcing. Pass ?
forced them to guess. partner opened 1NT,
If your ace is in a suit on RHO overcalled 2♦. I had ♣♦♥♠ Trudie Daly,
which you expect declarer a very strong hand and Pinner, Middlesex.

Q
to play (the trump suit or seven clubs and so bid When making a

A
dummy’s main suit), it is 3♣. My partner passed slam try, please 1. If you play trans-
rarely right to lead the ace. and we played in 3♣, tell me the dif- fers in response to
It is usually better to try to making 12 tricks. Should ference between cue a 1NT opening, it
set up a winner in some I have bid differently? bids and splinter bids. is common to play them
other suit that you can cash Shirley Rose by email. Doreen Brewer, also when partner’s 1NT
when you get in with your   Pinner, Middlesex. bid is an overcall – some

A
ace. If the opposing hands Some play the 3♣ refer to this as ‘system on’.

A
are balanced, again an ace bid in this sequence The difference is 2. If you play a natural 2NT
lead is unlikely to be right. as forcing, some as that a cue bid shows overcall, you could play them
In terms of whether the ace non-forcing. The 2♦ over- a control, which in that situation too. Many
is a safe lead, what you have call means your 3♣ is no might be either a high card people do not play a natural
with the ace is important. The longer a jump, hence the or a short suit, whereas 2NT, in which case the issue
longer and weaker the suit, possible difference. The a splinter always shows a of transfers does not arise.

Page 14
 Ask Julian continued Even with a strong hand
looking for your best suit,
your partner does not
PRIZE CROSSWORD 2
need to start with a cue set by Sputnik

Q
West opened bid – a takeout double and
1♦. My partner, then bidding again caters
North, over- for such hands. 1 2 3 4 5 6

called 2♦ with this: In a tournament, 95%+

7
of pairs use the cue bid as
a two-suited overcall. North 8 9
♠ K Q 7 should just pass over 1♦.
♥ K 8 5
♦ A Q J 8 5 3 ♣♦♥♠ 10 11
♣ K

Q
If partner opens
1NT (12-14), how 12 13 14 15
East passed and I bid many points do
2♥ holding this: I need to respond 4NT, 16

5NT, 6NT, and 7NT? 17 18

Niranjan Doshi.
♠ J 10 8 3  

A
♥ A Q J 7 4 3 Working on the
19 20
♦ 7 2 basis that you need
♣ 9 33-34 points for 21

6NT and 37 points for 7NT,

22 23
the answers are as follows:
I was unsure what
partner meant by his 4NT shows 19-20
ACROSS 23 Ache I’ve suffered to attain
2♦ overcall or how 6NT shows 21-22 green points (7)
1 Hit the bottle to have a good
strong he was. 5NT shows 23-24
relationship with partner (7)
I presumed he was 7NT shows 25+
4 Open _____; perhaps you DOWN
asking for my best had 11 points (5)
suit. How should I 5NT invites partner to bid 1 Made safer one hopes, and
7 Miserable start of West or sort of secured (7)
have read it? 7NT (or sign off in 6NT), East (3)
2 A turn at teams (5)
Joan Butfield by email. which is why you need 8 Severe loss of direction leads
more for 5NT than 6NT. 3 The way every last valid
to cut communication (5)

A
estimate leads to tricks in a
A bid of the op- 9 An aristocratic system? (5) small slam (6)
posing suit is rarely ♣♦♥♠ 10 A two-suited overcall in the 4 Out East Helen Sobel
a natural bid. country (3) changed to this convention

Q
Although your part- When we play 11 To have more trumps than (9)
ner happened to have a Directional Ask- your opponents is 5 Description of a Yarborough?
hand on which he wanted ing Bids (DABs) generally an _________ (9) (7)
to make a natural bid in are they forcing to game 12 At the end of a money game 6 One may feel thus in a rotten
diamonds, he will not hold or is it up to partner- you may have to ask, ‘What’s series of hands (5)
such a hand very often. ship agreement? the ______ ?’ (6)
11 Scoring system in teams
 The traditional meaning Shirley Durrant by email. 14 No tricks with these cards (6) before conversion to IMPs (9)
of the 2♦ overcall is a 17 Lacing one cocktail makes 13 The norm set then adjusted to

A
one’s bridge partner friendly display a very powerful hand
very powerful hand, like In most sequences,
(9) (7)
a 2♣ opening, nothing it tends to be a
18 Organisation in Aylesbury 15 He is there with 20ac. in a
to do with diamonds. matter of part-
(3) regular mix-up (7)
Nowadays, it is perhaps nership agreement.
19 A trick in the Essex tradition 16 A capital coup to unblock a
more common to play If the DAB (bid of the op- (5) menace (6)
the immediate cue bid of ponents’ suit to ask for a
20 Cast off a loser (5) 17 A deceiver, but first could he
opener’s suit as a two-suited stopper) is at the three level,
21 An honour but only just (3) escape at table (5)
hand. Playing Michaels, it is more likely to be game
22 _____ no-trumps is often 18 Escape from a muddled duel
which is probably the forcing than if it is at the two with East (5)
the game to aim for (5)
most widely played type level. Some pairs allow the
of two-suited overcall, auction to end in four of a Send your solution to Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange,
Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH before the end of October 2011.
2♦ shows both majors. minor after a 3-level DAB.

Page 15
 Ask Julian continued to 3♦, you are worth a further
Bernard Magee’s Tips move. Whether you then bid
3♥ or 3♠, partner might bid
for Better Bridge 3NT to show her stopper

Q
What should or jump to 5♦: you cannot
65 invaluable tips in 160 pages South bid after have four spades or you
Bidding Tips 33 A low lead usually promises East opens 1♣? would have raised earlier.
1 Always consider bidding length and an honour
spades if you can 34 When declaring 1NT,
2 Bid more aggressively try to be patient ♣♦♥♠
when non-vulnerable 35 Duck an early round when ♠ A 10 2

Q
3 Always double when the you are short of entries ♥ A J 10 4 Playing Benjamin
opponents steal your deal 36 Lead up to your
4 A takeout double shows two-honour holding ♦ A Q J 8 4 with no-trump
shortage in the suit doubled 37 Do not always assume ♣ A ranges of 2NT
5 ‘Borrow’ a king a suit will break well = 20-22, 2♣-2♦-2NT =
to keep the auction open 38 Drop a high card
6 After a penalty double, to put off the defence 23-24 and 2♦-2♥-2NT
don’t let the opponents escape 39 Play your highest card to tempt Playing Michaels as 25+, my partner
7 Halve the value of a singleton a defender to cover cue bids, I started by and I bid as follows:
honour when opening 40 Draw trumps first unless you
8 Only add length-points for a have a good reason not to doubling. When partner
suit that might be useful 41 Do not waste your trumps bid 1♠, I considered
9 Isolated honours are bad 42 Consider leaving a lone defen- 3♠ and 3NT. Since my ♠ 2
except in partner’s suit sive trump winner out
10 Use the jump shift sparingly partner could have ♥ K 10 7 6 4 3
11 Consider passing and letting Defence Tips nothing, in the end I ♦ J 9 2
partner decide 43 Keep four-card suits intact
whenever possible bid 2♦, playing there ♣ A 8 6
12 You need two top honours
for a second-seat pre-empt 44 Give count on declarer’s leads and making eleven
N
13 Put the brakes on if you have a 45 Keep the right cards tricks. Partner held: W E
misfit rather than signal S

14 Strong and long minors work 46 Take your time

well in no-trumps when dummy is put down ♠ A K J 9
15 One stop in the opponents’ suit 47 High cards are for killing ♠ K 6 4 3 ♥ A J 8
can be enough for no-trumps other high cards
48 Do not waste ♥ 3 ♦ A K Q
16 Keep your two-level
responses up to strength intermediate cards ♦ 9 5 3 ♣ K 10 9
17 Use your normal methods in 49 Pick two key suits to concen- ♣ J 9 6 5 4
response to a 1NT overcall trate on during the play
18 Don’t overcall just because 50 If in doubt, cover an honour
you have opening points with an honour North South
19 Overcalls can be quite weak, 51 If a lead is from two honours, it Game was on in 2♦
so be prudent when responding is best not to cover
20 Weak overcalls must be based 52 Keep your honour to kill diamonds, spades or 3♥ 3NT
on strong suits dummy’s honour no-trump. How do End
21 6NT requires 33 points 53 Try to show partner
we get to game?
not 4 aces and 4 kings your solid honour sequences
22 Raise immediately, if weak 54 Lead the normal card when Kate Howland by email. Name and address supplied.
with four-card support leading partner’s suit

A A
23 In a competitive auction, 55 Never underlead an ace at trick
Doubling first is Even if you were
show support immediately one in a suit contract
24 Bid to the level of your fit 56 Be wary of leading from clearly correct. It is playing a more
quickly with weak hands four cards to only one honour a close decision on standard system,
25 With strength and support, 57 Lead a higher card from
a suit without an honour
the next round whether you when opener might have only
use the opponents’ bid suit
58 Lead through ‘beatable’ should bid 2♣ (opener’s suit) 23 points, North should have
strength and up to weakness to force partner to bid again bid again over 3NT. Indeed,
Declarer-play Tips 59 Cash your winners before try-
26 When your contract depends ing for a trump promotion or show your diamonds. I it is quite common to play
on a finesse, think ‘endplay’ 60 Be patient when defending like 2♦ as it shows your best that a positive response is
27 Consider what a defender 1NT
might be thinking about
suit and makes life easier forcing to 4NT. With a sixth
61 Trump leads can be safe
28 Always take your time throughout the play for partner. You cannot bid heart, the natural rebid is
at trick one 3♠ with only three spades. 4♥. South could have cue
29 Establish extra tricks before General Tips
cashing your winners 62 Do not put important cards
Your partner should bid 4♠ over that and then
30 Use your opponents’ at either end of your hand definitely not have passed bid 5NT over a return cue
bidding to your advantage 63 Avoid being declarer when 2♦. She had shown noth- bid of 5♣, settling for a
31 Avoid the ‘baddie’ you are dummy
gaining the lead 64 Before you lead ask for a ing and yet had a king, a small slam when one of the
32 Use the Rule of Seven when review of the auction singleton and three-card top three hearts is missing.
holding up in no-trumps 65 Enjoy the Game! trump support. In the context Alternatively, if South is sure
£14 including postage and packing from Mr Bridge, of what she might have had, that 4NT was asking rather
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961 her hand was enormous. than a sign off, he can bid
After your partner raises 2♦ that over 4♥.

Page 16
 Q
Ask Julian continued values for 6NT are unlikely My husband and than 4♠. Dummy was:
to be present. Indeed, I play Benjamin,
partner has an unusually whereby with
good hand for the 3♣ raise, 23+ points we open ♠ K 9 6 3 2

Q
Playing pairs, with good shape and club 2♦. When my husband ♥ A 10 5
how should I spots, yet 6NT is still dicey.  opened 2♦, I had only ♦ K 10 6 2
play the clubs? In 6NT, you might play 3 points with no 5-card ♣ 7
one round of clubs from major and responded
dummy – your RHO could 2NT as a negative. He
♠ A J 2 have K-Q-x or even K-Q-x-x. assumed I had a strong I made 3NT+3. Many
♥ 3 It is a close decision what hand and we ended up others finished in either
♦ A J 7 4 to do next if you do that. If in 5NT, going down by 6NT or 6♠ making.
♣ J 10 9 3 2 you overtake the diamond, two tricks. What should Partner criticised me,
N to maximise your chance of my response have been? saying that I should
W E
S
losing only one club trick, Sue Green, have bid 4♠ to show
you are giving up one of Sherborne, Dorset. 3-card spade support
♠ K 10 8 4 your sure winners. You will and that then he would

A
♥ A K 2 need either a squeeze or The negative reply to have gone on to a
♦ K Q the spade finesse to make a game forcing 2♦ slam. I said he should
♣ A 8 7 6 up for the trick sacrificed. I opening is 2♥. This is have bid 4♦, not 3NT.
have some sympathy with the next suit up; it follows the Who is correct here?
just laying down the ace. same principle that 2♦ is the David France by email.
West North East South negative response to an Acol  

A
1♣1 ♣♦♥♠ or Benjamin 2♣ opening. As I am afraid I think
Pass 3♣ Pass 4NT responder, you want to leave you were both wrong.

Q
Pass 5♥2 Dble 6NT My partner the strong hand as much Apart from the
End opened 2NT space as possible, hence the spread of points, there is
1
5-card majors 2Two aces with 21 points, use of the most economical a difference between the
a 5-card major and a bid as the negative response. sequence 1NT-2♥ (transfer)-
West led a diamond, singleton. I raised to 2♠-3NT and 2NT-3♥
ignoring East’s double. 3NT with 6 points. She ♣♦♥♠ (transfer)-3♠-3NT. In the first
When my partner’s hand jumped to 4♠. I said she sequence, you know partner

Q
went down, I realised should have opened 2♠: Playing Benji will have a reasonably
that there was work to we play strong twos. Acol with a  balanced hand because he
do. I played a spade Christine Barnes. 21-22 no-trump, could have bid a second suit
to the ace and ran the   I had this North hand: if he had one, below 3NT. In

A
jack of clubs. This lost Please can I deal the second sequence, if he
to the singleton king. with a minor has only five spades, he will
I was unable to get point first? If your ♠ A Q J be loath to go beyond 3NT
back to dummy without partner bid 4♠ over 3NT, ♥ Q J 2 even if he has a singleton
overtaking my diamond that is not a jump. ♦ A Q outside. This means you
king (and then losing If you play strong twos, ♣ A J 9 6 5 do not want to be passing
a diamond) to finesse it sounds as if your partner 3NT when you hold three
again. If I had bid 6♣, should have opened one of spades very often. So I think
I could have trumped those. With 21 points, 1♠ is a I opened 2NT. Partner you should have removed
the second heart to bit of an underbid and 2♣ a bid 3♥ (transfer, at least 3NT to 4♠ or possibly
get into dummy and bit of an overbid. I do not like 5 spades). I rebid 3♠ and made a cue bid of 4♣.
played the clubs again. opening 2NT with a 5-card partner bid 3NT, showing  Partner, meanwhile, was
Should I have played major and a singleton. Last exactly five spades and, indeed too good to think a
the ace of clubs first? time my partner did it, we in my opinion, sufficient slam was only possible if you
Audrey Trangmar, went down in 3NT when we points only for game. I had spade support. ♠A-x in
Alicante, Spain. could have made a slam decided to pass, thinking your hand could be a magical
in one of his long suits. that with my relatively holding for a diamond slam

A
As you have spotted, However, without seeing the flat hand, 3NT would for instance. He should have
you were in the exact hand, I cannot say for prove a better score rebid 4♦ as you suggest. ■
wrong contract. Even sure. Whatever her hand,
at pairs, it is generally right she must not open 2NT and
E-mail your questions for Julian to:
to play in the safest slam. rebid 4♠, which gives you
julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk
With 19 HCP facing 11, the no choice in the matter.

Page 17
 When Holding Up, Use ‘The Rule of
Seven’, but only if you think that the
lead is from a five-card suit
by Robert Baker

I
n a recent article, Harold Schogger the correct answer: six from seven West North East South
explained the Rule of Seven clearly. gives the answer as one, so you hold 1♦ 1NT
The flaw with the ‘Rule’ is that it up the ace just once. Pass 3NT End
applies only in limited situations. You may have noticed that in each
The purpose of a hold-up play is of these examples West has led from To trick one, East played the ♠Q, which
to exhaust one of the opponents of a five-card suit. That is the only time South ducked. When East continued
cards in the suit. We saw the following that the Rule of Seven works (unless with the ♠K, South, following the Rule
examples: West leads from a short suit and East of Seven, won the trick (with six cards
has five cards in the suit). between his hand and dummy, you
Suppose the lead is from a four-card hold up the ace only once).
Example 1 ♥ 8 6 suit instead: When declarer turned his attention
N
to diamonds, East won and returned
♥ K Q J 9 3 W E ♥ 10 7 2 his third spade, so the defenders won
S

♥ 10 8 6 three spade tricks and two diamonds
♥ A 5 4 N
– one down.
♥ K Q J 9 W E ♥ 7 3 2 Declarer should have ducked the
S
second round of spades as well. The
When West leads the ♥K, in order to ♥ A 5 4 lead (♠2) appears to be fourth highest,
cut the defensive communications, which means that East started with
you wait to take your ace until the three cards in the suit. To exhaust him
third round. This exhausts East of When West leads the ♥K here, it would of spades, you need to duck the first
hearts, so that if he gains the lead later be necessary to hold up the ace twice two rounds of spades, in defiance of
in another suit, then he has no further in order to exhaust East of hearts (the the Rule. This way, you lose only two
heart to play. whole purpose of a hold up). spades and two diamonds.
This is, of course, perfectly correct. Of course, once again, the Rule of When the opening lead is from
The Rule of Seven indicates that, with Seven tells us that you need just one a four-card suit, the ‘Rule of Eight’
five cards in hearts between his hand hold up. The Rule lets us down because works.
and dummy, declarer should subtract the lead is not from a five-card suit. Similarly, if the lead were from
five from seven. This gives the answer Here is a full deal to illustrate the a known six-card suit (perhaps
of two – the number of times that point: following a weak two-bid by the
declarer should hold up his ace. opening leader), the Rule of Seven
would lead us astray:
Dealer East. E/W Game.
Example 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♠ 10 8 6
N
♥ A Q 4 Dealer West. E/W Game.
♥ K Q J 9 3 W E ♥ 7 2 ♦ 9 8 4 3 ♠ 9 5
S
♣ K 10 5 ♥ 7 5 4
♥ A 5 4 ♠ J 9 3 2 ♠ K Q 7 ♦ A Q 10 8
♥ 9 8 7 5 N ♥ J 10 2 ♣ J 10 6 5
W E
♦ 6 ♦ A K 7 5 ♠ 4 3 2 ♠ A 8 7 6
S
This time, in order to cut ♣ 9 7 6 3 ♣ J 8 2 ♥ K Q J 10 9 8 N ♥ 2
W E
communications, declarer needs to ♠ A 5 4 ♦ 5 4 S ♦ K J 7 6
hold up his ace only once. When he ♥ K 6 3 ♣ 9 7 ♣ A 4 3 2
wins the second round of hearts, East ♦ Q J 10 2 ♠ K Q J 10
has no more; if East were to gain the ♣ A Q 4 ♥ A 6 3
lead, he would be unable to continue ♦ 9 3 2
the suit. Opening lead: ♠2 ♣ K Q 8
Once again, the Rule of Seven gives

Page 18
 Rule of Seven continued
BERNARD MAGEE’S
INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS
West North East South
2♥1 Pass Pass 2NT2
Pass 3NT End ACOL MORE DECLARER
BIDDING (ADVANCED) PLAY
1
weak, 5-9 points, 6-card suit
ACOL BIDDING
2
15-18 balanced l Opening Bids and l Suit Establishment
Responses l Basics in No-trumps
Although North has been optimistic l Slams and Strong l Advanced £96 l Suit Establishment
in the bidding, as the cards lie Openings Basics in Suits
declarer could succeed in his contract. l Support for Partner l Hold-ups
l Weak Twos
Unfortunately, the Rule of Seven lets
l Pre-empting l Strong Hands l Ruffing for Extra
him down. Tricks
With six hearts between his hand l Overcalls
£66 l Defence
and dummy, the Rule of Seven says l No-trump to Weak Twos l Entries in £76
Openings No-trumps
to hold up the ♥A once, so declarer l Defence
and Responses l Delaying
ducked the opening lead and won the to 1NT
Drawing Trumps
heart continuation (East discarding a l Opener’s and l Doubles
low spade). Responder’s Rebids l Using the Lead
l Two-suited Overcalls
Declarer proceeded to take a deep l Minors and Misfits l Defences to l Trump Control
diamond finesse, won by East with the l Doubles Other Systems l Endplays &
♦J. East then led a low club. l Competitive l Misfits and Avoidance
Declarer needed a second diamond Auctions Distributional Hands l Using the Bidding
trick to bring his total to nine (three
spades, once the ♠A had gone, one
heart, two diamonds and three clubs, ADVANCED DEFENCE BEGIN BRIDGE
again once the ♣A had gone), so he DECLARER ACOL VERSION
won the club switch in hand and took PLAY l Lead vs No-trump l Basics of Bridge
a second diamond finesse. If West Contracts
had started with either of the missing l Making Overtricks l Card Play Technique
in No-trumps l Lead vs Suit Contracts
diamond honours, the contract would l Bidding
have made. Declarer’s luck was out: l Making Overtricks l Partner of Leader Balanced Hands
vs No-trump
East took his ♦K and made his two in Suit Contracts l Bidding Suits
Contracts
black aces to take the contract one l Endplays l Supporting Partner
down. l Partner of
l Avoidance Leader vs l Responding to 1NT
With the hearts 6-1, the defenders
l Wrong £81 Suit Contracts l Stayman Convention
are helpless if declarer wins the first Contract l Count
heart (in defiance of the Rule) and l Strong Two Open-
plays on diamonds. l Simple
Squeezes
Signals
£76 ings and Response
Declarer will come to three spades, l Attitude l Overcalls
one heart, two diamonds and three l Counting the Hand Signals
l Doubles £66
clubs, just losing two aces and two l Trump Reductions l Discarding
l Pre-empting
diamond tricks. & Coups l Defensive Plan
Since the hearts were 6-1 and West l Defence against
l Playing Doubled l Stopping Declarer No-trump Contracts
had led from a 6-card suit, the ‘Rule Contracts
l Counting l Defence against
of Six’ would have given the right l Safety Plays the Hand
answer (N.B. the number in the ‘Rule’ Suit Contracts
added to the number of cards that the Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to:
opening leader has in his suit always Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
adds up to 12).
So please beware – the Rule of Seven ( 01483 489961
(like many ‘Rules’ in bridge) is not a
substitute for thinking. It provides www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop
a useful shortcut to doing the right System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM
thing if and only if a defender has five
cards in the suit led. ■

Page 19
PROGRAMME

2011/12 BRIDGE EVENT

This is the format for
all Bernard Magee
hosted events.

FRIDAY
1500 Mr Bridge November 2011 MARCH 2012 continued
Welcome Desk open
Afternoon Tea
4 - 6 Inn on the Prom 23 - 25 Chatsworth Hotel NEW
SEMINAR
1745 to 1830 £235 Hand Evaluation £245 Squeezes
Welcome drinks
reception
11 - 13 Blunsdon House 30 - 1/4 Blunsdon House
1830 to 2000 £245 Suit Establishment £245 Finding NEW
SEMINAR
DINNER
Slams
2015 BRIDGE 1 18 - 20 Chatsworth Hotel
FU
LL
DUPLICATE PAIRS £245 Finding Slams

SATURDAY 25 - 27 Denham Grove NEW

SEMINAR

0800 to 0930
£245 Squeezes
BREAKFAST

1000 to 1230
SEMINAR &
SUPERVISED PLAY
of SET HANDS
(tea & coffee at 1100) Denham Grove
Near Uxbridge UB9 5DU
1230 to 1330
COLD BUFFET
LUNCH
1400 to 1645 Brook Queensferry Hotel APRIL 2012
BRIDGE 2 Fife KY11 1HP
TEAMS of FOUR
20 - 22 The Olde Barn Hotel
or FURTHER NEW

SUPERVISED PLAY £245 Squeezes SEMINAR

of SET HANDS DECember 2011

27 - 29 Inn on the Prom
1815 to 2000
2 - 4 Brook FU £245 Losing
DINNER LL
2015 BRIDGE 3
Queensferry Hotel Trick Count
DUPLICATE PAIRS £245 Signals and Discards

SUNDAY JANUARY 2012

0800 to 0930 6 - 8 Chatsworth Hotel
BREAKFAST
£245 Leads and Defence
1000 to 1230
SEMINAR & MARCH 2012
SUPERVISED PLAY
of SET HANDS
(tea & coffee at 1100)
9 - 11 Brook
Queensferry Hotel The Olde Barn Hotel
1230 to 1400
CARVERY LUNCH £245 Doubles Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

1400 to 1645
BRIDGE 4
FURTHER
SUPERVISED PLAY
of SET HANDS or
Full Board - No Single Supplemen
DUPLICATE PAIRS

Page 20
 Bernard Magee’s

S with Bernard Magee Bidding Quiz

You are West in the
auctions below, playing
‘Standard Acol’ with a
weak no-trump (12-14
MAY 2012 points) and four-card
majors.
8 morning Haslemere Hall (Answers overleaf)
£10 Leads
8 afternoon Haslemere Hall 1. Dealer West. Love All.
£10 Losing ♠ K 8 6 5
Trick Count ♥ A 7 3 2 N
W E
♦ A 7 6 5
S
9 morning Haslemere Hall Inn on the Prom ♣ J
St Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU
£10 Making a Plan
as Declarer
West North East South
9 afternoon Haslemere Hall October 2012 ?

£10 Responding to 1NT 5 - 7 Denham Grove

10 morning Haslemere Hall £245 Splinters and Cue bids 2. Dealer East. Game All.
♠ K Q 3 2
£10 Signals and Discards 12 - 14 Blunsdon House ♥ 3 2 N
W E
10 afternoon Haslemere Hall £245 Landy Defence to 1NT ♦ A Q J 6 4 3 S
♣ 3
£10 Endplays 19 - 21 Chatsworth Hotel
£245 Signals and Discards
West North East South
1♠ Pass
November 2012 ?

2 - 4 Blunsdon House
£245 Squeezes 3. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 6 5
9 - 11 Inn on the Prom SEMINAR
NEW
♥ A 2 N

£245 Declarer Play ♦ K Q 10 5 4

W E
S

Chatsworth Hotel ♣ 8 4 3 2
Worthing BN11 3DU

West North East South

June 2012 2♣ Pass
?
8 - 10 Blunsdon House
£245 Playing Suit SEMINAR
NEW

4. Dealer North. Love All.

Combinations
♠ 4
♥ A 10 7 N
15 - 17 Chatsworth Hotel Blunsdon House W E
Swindon SN26 7AS ♦ A J 7 6
£245 Doubles S
♣ Q 8 6 3 2

nt - See booking form on page 11

West North East South
1♥ 1♠ Pass
?

Page 21
 Answers to Bernard Magee’s 
Bidding Quiz on page 21
West North East South 3♦. With 9 HCP and a five-card suit, you
1. Dealer West. Love All. 1♠ Pass have a very powerful hand facing a strong
♠ K 8 6 5 ♠ Q 9 7 3♦ Pass 3♥ Pass 2♣ opener; you need to tell your partner
N
♥ A 7 3 2
W E
♥ J 5 3♠ this. While 2NT is one option, this would
♦ A 7 6 5 S ♦ K Q 9 3 2 suggest a balanced hand with a spread
♣ J ♣ 9 8 7 3♦. In Acol, few hands justify a jump- of honours. Better is to show your long
shift response to a suit opening. Nor- suit because this will help the partnership
mally, you need either 16+ points and a evaluate whether your strength lies in the
West North East South good strong and long suit or 12+ HCP, right places. 2♦ is a negative response, so
Pass Pass Pass 1♣ four-card support for partner and a good you need to jump to 3♦.
Dbl 2♣ 2♦ strong suit outside.
Both types of hand show slam potential
Pass. When opening the bidding, you and the descriptive nature of the bidding 4. Dealer North. E/W Game.
count only high-card points and length makes it worth wasting one level of the ♠ 4 ♠ K Q J 10 5
points – count shortage points only when auction. This hand fits the second descrip- ♥ A 10 7 N ♥ 6 4 3
W E
you have found a fit. You have 12 high tion: you should jump to 3♦ and support ♦ A J 7 6 S ♦ K 9 2
card points but should not count a single- spades next time; this shows primary ♣ Q 8 6 3 2 ♣ 7 4
ton honour at its full value (except the ace) spade support and a source of tricks in
because it might be worthless (as your ♣J the diamond suit.
turns out to be). I cut the value of a sin- The only way for the hands to realise West North East South
gleton honour in half and then reassess; their potential is for East to know how 1♥ 1♠ Pass
doing so yields a total of 11½ points. valuable his ♦K is. A possible auction is ?
You have the least expressible shape 1♠-3♦-3♥-3♠-4♦*-4NT-5♥-6♠. 4♦ is a
in the Acol system. Not only is it 4-4-4-1 cue bid (for partner to show a king in your 1NT. When you are bidding after your
but, with the singleton club, you are usu- suit is good idea whatever your cue-bid- partner’s overcall, it is important to re-
ally obliged to open one of your majors, ding style) and 4NT is Keycard (Five Ace) member that an overcall can be a lot
which can lead to bad results. You should Blackwood. There are twelve tricks on the weaker than an opening bid, so you
pass – if the opponents bid your short suit, top in 6♠, yet the two hands contain just should tailor your actions accordingly.
you can re-enter the auction later with a 25 high card points. With support, you can raise on some very
takeout double, describing your hand weak hands; without support, more care
neatly. 4-4-4-1 hands do not work well in is necessary.
Acol, so consider passing as opener un- 3. Dealer East. Love All. Without support and with nine points
less you have a ‘good’ 12 points. ♠ 6 5 ♠ A K J or fewer, you should generally pass;
♥ A 2 N ♥ K 9 8 4 with 10-12 points, you can bid 1NT. This
W E
♦ K Q 10 5 4 ♦ A J 7 2 keeps the auction at a low level and po-
S
2. Dealer East. Game All. ♣ 8 4 3 2 ♣ A K tentially starts a conversation – your part-
♠ K Q 3 2 ♠ A J 10 6 4 ner could bid a second suit, try for game,
♥ 3 2 N ♥ A 10 5 4 or rebid spades. On this occasion your
W E
♦ A Q J 6 4 3 S ♦ K 2 West North East South partner should simply pass – 1NT is high
♣ 3 ♣ 9 2 2♣ Pass enough. Do not overbid in reply to an
? overcall – partner can be quite weak. ■

REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE

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Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value,
Standard Faces, with or without all mint with full gum.
bar codes. Unboxed. Quotations for commercial quantities
6 red / 6 blue £19.95 available on request.
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as 1st and 2nd class (eg 1st class: 100x37p+100x9p)
Available from The London Bridge Centre. ( 020 7486 8222
www.bridgeshop.com (/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: clive.goff@londonrugby.com

Page 22
 Mr Bridge
DEFENCE RUBBER / CHICAGO
QUIZ
by Julian Pottage
(Answers overleaf)

Y ou are East in the defensive positions below. It is your turn

to play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT.

1. ♠ Q 8 2 3. ♠ Q 8 2
♥ 10 9 5 ♥ 10 9 5
♦ K Q J 5 3 ♦ K Q J 5 3 Brook Waterloo, Crowthorne RG45 6DW
♣ A 2 ♣ A 2
♠ 4 ♠ 4
hosted by Diana Holland
N N
W E ♥ AKJ8432 W E
♥ AKJ8432
S ♦ 10 8 S ♦ A 10 8 2 17-19 February 2012
♣ 6 5 4 ♣ 6

West North East South West North East South

3♥ 3♠ 1♥ 1♠
Pass 4♠ End Pass 2♥* 3♥ 4♠
End * value raise
West leads the ♥6. You
win with the ♥K and West leads the ♥6. You
cash the ♥A, on which win with the ♥K and cash
West throws the ♣9. the ♥A, on which West
How do you proceed? throws the ♣3. How
do you proceed?

Ardington Hotel, Worthing BN11 3DZ

2. ♠ Q 8 2 4. ♠ Q 8 2 hosted by Sheila Rogers
♥ 10 9 5 ♥ 10 9 5
♦ K Q J 5 3 ♦ K Q J 5 3
♣ A 2 ♣ A 2 20-22 April 2012
♠ 4 ♠ 4
N


N
W E
♥ A K J 8 4 3 2
♦ 10 8


W E
S
♥ AKJ8432
♦ A 10 8 2
3-5 August 2012
S


♣ 6 5 4 ♣ 6
23-25 November 2012
West North East South West North East South Please note there are no seminars
3♥ 3♠ 1♥ 1♠ or set hands at these events.
Pass 4♠ End Pass 2♥* 3♥ 4♠
End *value raise
West leads the ♥6. You
win with the ♥K and cash West leads the ♥6. You
£199 Full-board
the ♥A, on which West
throws the ♣3. How do
win with the ♥K and cash
the ♥A, on which West No Single Supplement
you proceed? throws the ♦9. How do
you proceed?
Please see booking form on page 11.

Page 23
 Answers to Julian Pottage’s 
Defence Quiz on page 23
and cash the ♥A, on which West throws slightly.
1. ♠ Q 8 2 the ♣3. How do you proceed? It is easy to think, ‘I shall play a third
♥ 10 9 5 This time, partner has discarded a low round of hearts to try for a trump promo-
♦ K Q J 5 3 club, which suggests that you turn your tion.’ Indeed, if declarer ruffs high or low,
♣ A 2 attention elsewhere. Given the strong di- partner will make a trump trick of some
♠ 7 6 5 ♠ 4 amonds in dummy and that partner has description. However, an astute declarer
♥ 6 N ♥ A K J 8 4 3 2 shown out of hearts, the logical alterna- will not ruff at all, preferring instead to
W E
♦ A 9 4 2 S ♦ 10 8 tive is to continue hearts. While it is true discard the singleton diamond. If this
♣ K J 9 8 3 ♣ 6 5 4 that declarer must also be out of hearts, happens, your ace of diamonds does
♠ A K J 10 9 3 partner will be playing after declarer. not make – having become void in the
♥ Q 7 This state of affairs is often to your side’s suit, declarer will take a ruffing finesse
♦ 7 6 advantage. against it.
♣ Q 10 7 If declarer ruffs the third round of hearts To avoid this scenario, you cash the
with the ace or king, partner will discard ace of diamonds before playing the third
and make the jack later. If declarer ruffs round of hearts. This way, declarer has
West North East South with the ten, partner will overruff and make no loser to discard and the trump promo-
3♥ 3♠ the jack at once. Either way, you promote tion works.
Pass 4♠ End your partner’s trump holding into a trick.
That trick, with the ace of diamonds and
West leads the ♥6. You win with the ♥K the two hearts you have already made, 4. ♠ Q 8 2
and cash the ♥A, on which West throws means you beat the contract. ♥ 10 9 5
the ♣9. How do you proceed? Playing a third round of hearts also ♦ K Q J 5 3
Your partner has suggested a club achieves a trump promotion on other ♣ A 2
switch by discarding a high club. You layouts, for example if partner held four ♠ 9 6 5 ♠ 4
N
have no reason to veto this suggestion. spades to the ten. ♥ 6 W E
♥ AKJ8432
You lead a club (say the five). Whether ♦ 9 6 S ♦ A 10 8 2
declarer plays the ten or the queen, part- ♣ Q 10 9 8 5 4 3 ♣ 6
ner will cover and will then have a club 3. ♠ Q 8 2 ♠ A K J 10 7 3
trick to cash after getting in with the ace ♥ 10 9 5 ♥ Q 7
of diamonds. ♦ K Q J 5 3 ♦ 7 4
♣ A 2 ♣ K J 7
♠ J 9 5 ♠ 4
N
2. ♠ Q 8 2 ♥ 6 W E ♥ A K J 8 4 3 2
♥ 10 9 5 ♦ 9 6 4 S ♦ A 10 8 2 West North East South
♦ K Q J 5 3 ♣ Q 9 8 5 4 3 ♣ 6 1♥ 1♠
♣ A 2 ♠ A K 10 7 6 3 Pass 2♥* 3♥ 4♠
♠ J 9 5 ♠ 4 ♥ Q 7 End *value raise
♥ 6 N ♥ A K J 8 4 3 2 ♦ 7
W E
♦ A 9 4 2 S ♦ 10 8 ♣ K J 10 7 West leads the ♥6. You win with the ♥K
♣ Q 10 9 8 3 ♣ 6 5 4 and cash the ♥A, on which West throws
♠ A K 10 7 6 3 the ♦9. How do you proceed?
♥ Q 7 West North East South Partner clearly holds a fistful of clubs,
♦ 7 6 1♥ 1♠ yet has chosen to discard a diamond.
♣ K J 7 Pass 2♥* 3♥ 4♠ There must be some reason for this unu-
End *value raise sual choice.
You can see nine diamonds between
West North East South West leads the ♥6. You win with the ♥K your hand and dummy. Partner may
3♥ 3♠ and cash the ♥A, on which West throws have started with a doubleton diamond.
Pass 4♠ End the ♣3. How do you proceed? You should play the ace followed by an-
Dummy is the same as on the two pre- other diamond. The diamond ruff is the
West leads the ♥6. You win with the ♥K vious problems. Your hand has changed setting trick. ■

Page 24
 DECLARER Mr Bridge
PLAY
Christmas &
QUIZ
by David Huggett
New Year 2011
(Answers overleaf)

Y ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.

In each case, what is your play strategy?

1. ♠ Q 10 3. ♠ 7 6 5 3
♥ A Q 6 ♥ 9 8 5
♦ A 8 7 6 3 2 ♦ 7 2
♣ A 2 ♣ J 10 7 2

N N
W E W E
S S

♠ A K 7 3 ♠ A 9 8 2 Denham Grove
♥ J 5 ♥ 7 Near Uxbridge, UB9 5DU
♦ Q J 10 9 4 ♦ A K Q 8 6
♣ K 8 ♣ A K Q

24-27 December £355

You are declarer in 6♦ and
West leads the ♣Q. How
You are declarer in 4♠.
West leads the ♥K and
Just Bridge & Any Questions
do you plan the play? follows up with the ♥Q. Jo Walch
How do you plan the play?

2. ♠ 8 4 3
27-29 December £199
♥ K 9 5 4. ♠ A 10 6 Suit Establishment
♦ A Q J 9 2 ♥ 8 3
♣ 7 4 ♦ A 7 5 4 2 Crombie McNeil
♣ 7 5 4
N
W E
N
S
W E 29 Dec – 1 Jan £355
S
♠ A 6 Develop at Duplicate Pairs
♥ A 7 6 ♠ 3 2
♦ 10 8 3 ♥ A K 7 Crombie McNeil
♣ A K J 10 3 ♦ K Q 9 8
♣ A J 3 2

You are declarer in 3NT

( 01483 489961
and West leads the ♠5. You are declarer in 3NT e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
East plays the ♠Q. How do and West leads the ♠K.
you plan the play? How do you plan the play? website: www.holidaybridge.com
Please call if you would like a sample copy of the programme

Page 25
 Answers to David Huggett’s 
Play Quiz on page 25
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads swer is to duck a round of trumps com-
1. ♠ Q 10 the ♠5. East plays the ♠Q. How do you pletely at trick three. If the opposition
♥ A Q 6 plan the play? persist in leading hearts, you still have
♦ A 8 7 6 3 2 a trump in hand to use – while any other
♣ A 2 You know from the Rule of Eleven that switch you can win in hand. Only then,
♠ 9 5 2 ♠ J 8 6 4 East has at least three spades so there cash the ace of trumps and play on the
N
♥ 8 7 2 ♥ K 10 9 4 3 might not seem much point in holding minors. Someone will ruff with a master
W E
♦ K 5 S ♦ Void up. One benefit if you do duck is that trump at some stage but that is the last
♣ Q J 10 5 4 ♣ 9 7 6 3 East will return the ♠10 and West will trick you will lose.
♠ A K 7 3 follow with the ♠2 so you will know for
♥ J 5 sure that West started with a five-card
♦ Q J 10 9 4 suit. Suppose you then take the diamond
♣ K 8 finesse: there will be ten top tricks if it 4. ♠ A 10 6
works – but you will go down if you take ♥ 8 3
a losing finesse. Fortunately, you can im- ♦ A 7 5 4 2
You are declarer in 6♦ and West leads prove your chances by cashing the ace ♣ 7 5 4
the ♣Q. How do you plan the play? and king of clubs first, just in case either ♠ K Q J 9 4 ♠ 8 7 5
N
opponent holds the queen doubleton. In ♥ J 2 W E ♥ Q 10 9 6 5 4
While the contract is clearly a good one, such an eventuality, you do not need the ♦ J 10 3 S ♦ 6
at first sight it might appear that you could diamond finesse at all. ♣ Q 9 6 ♣ K 10 8
lose both a diamond and a heart. In fact, ♠ 3 2
the contract is more or less unbeatable! ♥ A K 7
Win the first club in dummy and then play ♦ K Q 9 8
to the king of clubs in hand before lead- 3. ♠ 7 6 5 3 ♣ A J 3 2
ing the diamond queen. If West follows ♥ 9 8 5
with the five, just duck in dummy. Even ♦ 7 2
if East started with the singleton king, ♣ J 10 7 2 You are declarer in 3NT and West leads
he will be hopelessly endplayed, for any ♠ Q J ♠ K 10 4 the ♠K. How do you plan the play?
N
return will be to declarer’s advantage. A ♥ K Q J 6 2 ♥ A 10 4 3
W E
spade return yields four spade tricks, a ♦ J 5 S ♦ 10 9 4 3 If you can make five diamond tricks, there
heart return ensures no heart losers and ♣ 8 5 4 3 ♣ 9 6 will be no problem because then you will
a club return gives a ruff and discard. If ♠ A 9 8 2 have nine tricks on top. Although, in the-
West shows out on the first diamond, just ♥ 7 ory, you can cope with finding East with
play the ace and another and East will be ♦ A K Q 8 6 all the missing diamonds, in practice,
in trouble just the same. ♣ A K Q you do not have the necessary entries
to dummy. There is another and much
more likely danger.
You are declarer in 4♠. West leads the If either opponent holds three dia-
2. ♠ 8 4 3 ♥K and follows up with the ♥Q. How do monds, the suit is blocked (you will have
♥ K 9 5 you plan the play? to win the fourth round in hand) and there
♦ A Q J 9 2 are only eight tricks available. You need
♣ 7 4 Clearly, you have to hope that the miss- to discard one of those diamonds in your
♠ K J 9 5 2 ♠ Q 10 7 ing trumps divide 3-2 or you are sure to hand, so duck the first spade and the
N
♥ J 8 3 ♥ Q 10 4 2 go down. Moreover, you wish to remove second but win the third round perforce,
W E
♦ 7 6 4 S ♦ K 5 as many outstanding trumps as possible throwing a diamond from hand. This way,
♣ Q 5 ♣ 9 8 6 2 without losing control – but just see what the suit is unblocked and five tricks are
♠ A 6 happens if you ruff the second heart and available and the contract with it.
♥ A 7 6 play the ace of trumps followed by a low Should West change his attack at trick
♦ 10 8 3 one. An unkind opponent might play a two (unlikely), dummy’s entry will remain
♣ A K J 10 3 third round thus denuding you of trumps intact – or you can duck a second round
and cash a second heart trick. The an- of spades yourself if you so wish. ■

Page 26
 Andrew Kambites’
Tutorial Bridge Breaks Lead Quiz
You are West in the
auctions below. It is your
January 2012 lead. (Answers overleaf.)
13-15 The Ardington
£245 Declarer Play
Sandy Bell 1 ♠ 3 2
♥ 9 7 5 3 2 N
20-22 The Ardington ♦ J 10 9 8 7 S
W E

£245 Further
♣ 2
into the Auction
Ned Paul

Ardington Hotel FEBRUARY 2012 Staverton Park West North East South
Worthing BN11 3DZ Nr Daventry NN11 6JT 1♠
10-12 The Ardington Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT
£245 Takeout Doubles
Pass 5♦ Pass 6♠
OCTOBER 2011 Improvers APRIL 2012
End
28-30 Staverton Park Ned Paul 27-29 Blunsdon House Hotel
£199 Better Defence 24-26 The Ardington £245 Game Tries
Alex Davoud £245 Suit Alison Nicolson
2 ♠ A 3
Establishment
NOVEMBER 2011 Gary Conrad JUNE 2012 ♥ 9 7 5 3 2 N
W E
♦ J 10 9 8 7
18-20 The Olde Barn 8-10 The Ardington S
♣ 2
£199 Endplay & £245 Endplay & Avoidance
Avoidance Gary Conrad
Crombie McNeil
SEPTEMBER 2012 West North East South
18-20 Staverton Park 1♠
£199 Stayman & Transfers 28-30 The Ardington
Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT
Improvers £245 Leads & Defence
Pass 5♦ Pass 6♠
Stan Powell Crombie McNeil
End
25-27 The Ardington OCTOBER 2012
£215 Takeout Doubles
12-14 The Ardington
Improvers The Olde Barn Hotel 3 ♠ K Q J N
Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT £245 Losing Trick Count
Crombie McNeil W E
Sandy Bell ♥ A 8 7 3 2
S
♦ J 9 7 3
DECEMBER 2011 November 2012 ♣ 2
MARCH 2012
2-4 The Ardington 9-11 Blunsdon House Hotel
£215 Game Tries 9-11 The Ardington £245 Suit Establishment
Alison Nicolson £245 Hand Evaluation Ned Paul West North East South

Crombie McNeil 1♠
9-11 Blunsdon House Hotel Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠
£245 Signals and Discards End
Alison Nicolson
23-25 The Ardington
£245 Sacrificing 4 ♠ A 9 8 7
Ned Paul ♥ K Q 8 7 2
N
♦ 9 4 2
W E
30-1/4 The Ardington S
♣ 2
£245 Landy
Defence to 1NT
The Olde Barn Hotel Blunsdon House Hotel
Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT Ned Paul
Swindon SN26 7AS West North East South
1♠
Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
See booking form on page 11.
End

Page 27
 Answers to Andrew Kambites’ 
Lead Quiz on page 27
getting a ruff. Less well known is that, if partner’s club holding. Additionally, this
1. ♠ K 9 5 4 you do not get the ruff, it can do a great time you do not want a ruff because you
♥ A Q 6 deal of damage. You need to follow the will be ruffing with a natural trump trick.
♦ 6 4 play through. If West leads the ♣2, East’s The best lead is the ♠K: a passive lead,
♣ Q 10 4 3 ♣Q forces declarer’s ♣A. Having forced which may sometimes cut down ruffs in
♠ 3 2 ♠ 10 out West’s ♠A and drawn trumps, de- dummy.
N
♥ 9 7 5 3 2 ♥ K J 10 8 clarer crosses to dummy’s ♣K and notes
W E
♦ J 10 9 8 7 S ♦ Q 5 3 2 that West has no more clubs. A finesse of
♣ 2 ♣ A 7 6 5 declarer’s ♣9 becomes marked, so de- 4. ♠ 5 3 2
♠ A Q J 8 7 6 clarer avoids a club loser. ♥ 10 9 4 3
♥ 4 If West finds the better lead of the ♦J, ♦ Q J
♦ A K declarer is likely to tackle clubs by cash- ♣ Q J 7 6
♣ K J 9 8 ing the ♣K and finessing his ♣J. While ♠ A 9 8 7 ♠ 6
N
this is successful, he has an inescapable ♥ K Q 8 7 2 ♥ A J 6 5
W E
club loser. ♦ 9 4 2 S ♦ 10 8 7 5 3
West North East South The point is that West is defending ♣ 2 ♣ A 8 5
1♠ against a slam and he has the ace of ♠ K Q J 10 4
Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT trumps. Partner is unlikely to have an en- ♥ Void
Pass 5♦ Pass 6♠ try; if he does gain the lead, the contract ♦ A K 6
End is down anyway. Aiming for a ruff is irrel- ♣ K 10 9 4 3
evant to beating the contract. In the last
Given East’s failure to double 5♦, there issue, we saw that having lots of entries
is no need to look beyond the obvious makes it attractive to set up your long suit West North East South
lead of the ♣2. Here, East wins the ♣A against no-trumps. Paradoxically, if you 1♠
and gives West a ruff at trick 2 to beat are aiming for a ruff against a suit con- Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
the contract at once. This looks so easy tract, the fewer high cards you have, the End
that you might wonder why I included it, better. You need partner to have entries.
so now consider hand 2. Study this deal carefully. If you lead the
singleton ♣2, you do no damage to part-
3. ♠ 10 6 4 2 ner’s club holding; indeed, you get your
2. ♠ 10 9 5 4 ♥ K 10 club ruff at trick two. Unfortunately, the ♠A
♥ A Q 6 ♦ A 8 2 is the only other trick the defenders take.
♦ Q 4 ♣ K 8 6 3 Now examine the play if West leads the
♣ K 5 4 3 ♠ K Q J ♠ Void ♥K. Declarer ruffs and starts on trumps.
N
♠ A 3 ♠ 2 ♥ A 8 7 3 2 ♥ 9 6 5 4 West takes his ♠A and continues hearts,
W E
N
♥ 9 7 5 3 2 ♥ K J 10 8 ♦ J 9 7 3 S ♦ K 10 6 5 4 making declarer ruff again. Since West
W E
♦ J 10 9 8 7 S ♦ 6 5 3 2 ♣ 2 ♣ J 10 5 4 has more trumps than declarer or dum-
♣ 2 ♣ Q 10 7 6 ♠ A 9 8 7 5 3 my, declarer cannot draw trumps. He
♠ K Q J 8 7 6 ♥ Q J plays on clubs. Now West gets his ruff
♥ 4 ♦ Q and perseveres with hearts. Declarer
♦ A K ♣ A Q 9 7 cannot prevent a second club ruff.
♣ A J 9 8 This is a real Gilbert and Sullivan para-
dox. If West does not aim for a club ruff,
West North East South he ends up with two club ruffs. The reason
West North East South 1♠ is that the heart lead wrests trump con-
1♠ Pass 3♠ Pass 4♠ trol from declarer. The principle here is
Pass 3♠ Pass 4NT End that, if you are on lead with four trumps, it
Pass 5♦ Pass 6♠ pays to consider leading your longest suit,
End As is the case in hand 2, West is too aiming to force declarer to ruff. Inexperi-
strong to make a singleton lead. As in enced defenders see little point in leading
A singleton lead against a suit contract hand 2, a lead of the ♣2 is unlikely to a suit if declarer is going to ruff. It can be
can be very effective if you succeed in lead to a ruff and severely damages a truly deadly defence! ■

Page 28
 SWANSEA CHARITY
by Gwynn Davis

E
ach year, in June, Diana Not a distinguished effort – and beaten It is always tricky when partner pre-
Panniers of Swansea Bridge by all those pairs who bid 6NT. As you empts and you have a strong hand with
Club organises a charity bridge can see, 7♦ is an excellent contract, but a good suit of your own. Here, Sue In-
weekend (Pairs and Teams) in support how do you get there? gham started with 3♦ as South, as you
of some worthy cause. Wisely, Diana At the time, I felt that I would have would. What do you do as North? To
chooses a charity that resonates with made the same 2NT response as my my mind, there is only one practical
her target audience – so this year’s good partner with the South hand, but the solution, which is to bid 3NT. So, for-
cause was the Osteoporosis Society. I key to bidding the grand is the solid tified by the knowledge that Sue’s pre-
am afraid Alzheimer’s research cannot club suit. This provides a spade discard empts tend to be a trick or two stronger
be far behind – or maybe that was last and hence a spade ruff in the short than my own, this is what I did.
year, I cannot remember. trump hand, this being the reason why East led a small spade to the queen
Perhaps, on a slightly different tack, playing the hand in diamonds delivers and king and to see partner’s ♣K
the WBU could take a leaf out of an extra trick. nestling in the dummy was extremely
Diana’s book, but reverse the process, Employing traditional methods, the gratifying. With East left to guard both
seeking sponsorship from companies only route that I can see to bidding 7♦ major suits, it was not difficult for de-
that you might expect to take a is for partner to bid a forcing 3♣ at her clarer then to engineer eleven tricks via
close interest in the bridge-playing first go, before reverting to diamonds. a spade endplay. I crossed to the ♣K,
population, such as undertakers, or Only then can North feel reasonably cashed the ♦A, throwing a heart and
funeral expenses insurers. After all, confident that dummy will take care ran the rest of the clubs. For his last four
why not put the age profile of our of his losers. cards, East had to keep two spades and
membership to good use before we all two hearts, allowing me to exit with a
kick the bucket? At Swansea, however, spade and score two hearts at the end.
they have decided that it is better to It is a lot more fun to be declarer than
give than to receive – which is typical defender in these situations.
of one of the most welcoming clubs Here, to finish, is a hand from the
and the friendliest bunch of people teams. It should have been a triumph
one could ever wish to meet. but, sadly, it defeated me.
This was a challenging hand from
the pairs:
Dealer North. E/W Game.
♠ A 2
Dealer North. E/W Game. ♥ 8
♠ A K 8 Gwynn Davis & Susan Ingham, ♦ A K 9 7 5
♥ A 8 7 Mixed Pairs Winners. ♣ Q 10 8 7 2
♦ Q 10 7 6 ♠ 10 5 ♠ K J 8 7 3
♣ K 9 6 We did a bit better on this next one. ♥ A K Q J 10 4 N ♥ 9 5 3 2
W E
♠ Q J 10 ♠ 9 7 6 4 ♦ J 8 3 2 S ♦ Q
♥ K J 6 5 3 N ♥ 10 9 4 2 ♣ 9 ♣ J 6 5
W E
♦ 5 2 S ♦ J 3 Dealer South. Love All. ♠ Q 9 6 4
♣ 7 4 3 ♣ 10 8 2 ♠ K 9 8 ♥ 7 6
♠ 5 3 2 ♥ A Q 9 ♦ 10 6 4
♥ Q ♦ Void ♣ A K 4 3
♦ A K 9 8 4 ♣ A Q J 10 9 8 2
♣ A Q J 5 ♠ Q 6 5 2 ♠ A J 7 4 3
♥ J 10 6 N ♥ K 8 4 2 When I showed my minor two-suiter,
W E
♦ K 9 5 2 S ♦ Q 3 Sue, sitting South, was happy to com-
I opened 1♦ with the North hand ♣ 7 5 ♣ 4 3 pete to 5♣ over the opponents’ 4♥.
and my partner responded 2NT (fit ♠ 10 East/West respectfully declined to
and slam interest). After confirming ♥ 7 5 3 double and I found myself trying to
the suit with 4♦, followed by a couple ♦ A J 10 8 7 6 4 make eleven tricks. When the oppo-
of cue bids and a Roman Keycard ♣ K 6 nents began with the king and ace of
enquiry, I settled for a conservative 6♦. hearts, it seemed to me that so long

Page 29
0921 Mr Bridge Italy ads_Layout 1 16/08/2011 17:34 Page 1

Swansea Charity continued

CRUISES TO CLASSICAL CIVILISATIONS

HISTORIC ITALY as the minor suits broke rea-

sonably, with diamonds 3-2,

& THE BEAUTY OF CROATIA I might be able to achieve

an endplay with the third
diamond. The opponents
would have no choice as to
who would win that trick; if
whoever won it also held the
king of spades my spade los-
er would vanish, either via
a spade led away from the
king, or a ruff and discard.
That, I am sorry to say, is
as far as my thinking went.
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It just goes to prove that old
and the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum
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of the Mediterranean. Board the ship in
Rome’s port of Civitavecchia and cruise to Sorrento Pompeii ace; back to the queen in
Tyrrhenian
Sorrento to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. Sea my hand) and embarked on
Visit the monumental temples of Sicily and Palermo
enjoy the natural beauty and historic cities
Taormina Ionian
Sea
diamonds. My ace drew the
SICILY
of the Dalmatian Coast on our way to Valle�a MALTA queen from East, and I ex-
Venice on this remarkable cruise.
13-DAY FLY-CRUISE FROM ROME TO VENICE
perienced that familiar sink-
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mately twice as likely that
the atmosphere on board is relaxed with temples of Segesta; Graeco-Roman Theatre in Taormina;
plenty of passenger space, a choice of Dubrovnik, Split and island cruising in Croatia; tour of East’s honour card is single-
restaurants (with open-seating dining) and Venice and exclusive evening visit to St Mark’s Cathedral. ton rather than from queen-
generously-sized accommodations, plus the MR BRIDGE FARES* jack doubleton. If I were in
comfort and attentive service of boutique- Standard Inside £1,750pp Superior Outside from £2,350pp dummy, I could play now
style cruising. Superior Inside from £1,950pp Deluxe Outside from £2,695pp
Standard Outside from £2,250pp Deluxe Balcony from £3,395pp to pick up West’s diamonds
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT for no loser. Unfortunately, I
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no entry there.
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The bridge programme is completely optional and Mr Bridge passengers can participate as much, or as little
as they wish. This offer is subject to availability, is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. – well done Swansea. ■

Page 30
 Bernard Magee Says

Bid No-Trumps
Early if You Are
Balanced
I
n the auction, a partnership wants to You need to differentiate between hands As you can see, the distinction is key
find the right denomination and the A and B. Hand A is unbalanced and to finding the right contract. After the
right level. To do this, you describe would prefer playing in a suit, so it opens 2♦ rebid from Hand A, Hand C knows
the shape of your hand and its strength. 1♥ and plans to rebid 2♦ – this is a good opener has five hearts and thus that
Early no-trump bids are vital because description of shape: five hearts and there is a good heart fit – he jumps to
they define your hand closely. Most four or more diamonds, but the strength 3♥, which invites the opener to bid 4♥.
systems have their own no-trump table. is still largely undefined: 11-17 points. After the 1NT rebid, Hand C is balanced
In Acol with a weak no-trump, the table Hand B, meanwhile, is able to describe too, so is thinking about no-trumps as
is shown below: itself so much more neatly: you open the likely contract. However, with 3-card
1♥ and, over a 1♠ response, you rebid support for hearts there might still be an
0-11 Pass 1NT showing a balanced hand with eight-card fit, so he bids 3♥ (forcing).
12-14 1NT 15-17 points. Hand B does not have five hearts, but
15-17 Open 1-of-a-suit and rebid What is important is that the onus he does have three spades, so he bids 3♠
no-trumps at lowest level. of the system is upon showing a hand’s and finally with all contracts explored
18-19 Open 1-of-a-suit and jump shape and strength rather than having Hand C settles for 3NT. Two balanced
rebid in no-trumps. a stopper in every suit. Hand B has a hands with no eight-card major fit should
20-22 2NT club weakness, but you overlook this finish in no-trumps – the auction needed
23+ Open 2♣ in favour of the accurate description of Hand B to show its balanced nature to
strength and shape. make sure the partnership reaches 3NT.
You use this table if you are balanced: no Let us see how these two hands Using the no-trump table, you should
singleton or void and no more than one combine with the responding Hand C: know how to bid any balanced hand:
doubleton.

Balanced Hand Rule Hand A Hand C (partner) Hand D

♠ K 7 6 ♠ A Q J 3 ♠ 4 3
With a balanced opening hand, you ♥ A K 8 3 2 ♥ Q 7 4 ♥ A K 6 5
must bid no-trumps on your first or ♦ A J 9 2 ♦ 10 4 ♦ A Q 9 8
second bid except when: ♣ 4 ♣ Q 9 8 2 ♣ 7 6 3
(1) you find a fit in a major suit – you
support the major, the level you bid Hand E
defining your strength. Hand A Hand C ♠ 4 3
(2) you have a strong five-card major 1♥ 1♠ ♥ A K 6 5
and 12-14 points (5-3-3-2 shape) – you 2♦ 3♥ ♦ A Q 9 8
can choose to open in your long suit and 4♥ End ♣ A K 3
rebid the suit.
What follows is equally important:

if the opener does not bid no-trumps Hand B Hand C (partner) Both these hands are easy to open – do
in the first two bids, he is unbalanced: ♠ K 7 6 ♠ A Q J 3 not worry about your weak suits – show
when he bids two suits, you can expect ♥ A K 3 2 ♥ Q 7 4 your balanced hand. Hand D opens
his first suit to have five cards. ♦ A J 9 2 ♦ 10 4 1NT and Hand E opens 2NT.
♣ 4 3 ♣ Q 9 8 2

Hand A Hand B Hand F Hand G

♠ K 7 6 ♠ K 7 6 Hand B Hand C ♠ 4 3 ♠ 4 3
♥ A K 8 3 2 ♥ A K 3 2 1♥ 1♠ ♥ A K 6 5 3 ♥ A Q 9
♦ A J 9 2 ♦ A J 9 2 1NT 3♥ ♦ A Q 9 ♦ A K 6 5 3
♣ 4 ♣ 4 3 3♠ 3NT ♣ 7 6 3 ♣ 7 6 3
End

Page 31
 Bid No-Trumps Early continued Overcalls

If the opponents enter the bidding, it is

Hand F is an exception to the rule: finish in a dodgy 3NT, but they will be important to adjust: the balanced hand
with a strong five-card major, you can rare. Even then, they may not end in rule does not operate quite the same any
open 1♥ and rebid 2♥; suggesting a disaster – if clubs are 4-4 or the opponents more – suddenly, the onus is very much
weak single-suited hand. Some choose do not lead a club, 3NT makes. on having a stopper in the opponents’
to open 1NT with hands such as this – I suit.
do not, but it is a matter of style. Changing Your Plan Furthermore, remember that the
Hand G is not an exception – you rebids in the table assume partner
should often overlook a five-card minor There are two main reasons to change responds to your opening: if partner has
and just focus on no-trumps – open 1NT. plan and not bid no-trumps: passed, he might have no points at all,
(1) Your partner has made a limit bid so you have to drop your level of rebid
(he has supported your suit or bid accordingly.
Hand J no-trumps)
♠ A 4 3 2 (2) Your opponents enter the auction.
♥ A K J 8 Hand X Hand Y
♦ K 9 8 Rebidding After ♠ 4 3 ♠ A 4 3
♣ 4 2 a Limit Bid ♥ A K 6 5 ♥ A K 6 5
♦ A K 3 ♦ A K 9 3
Hand K (partner) When your partner makes a limit bid in ♣ A 9 6 3 ♣ 6 3
♠ K Q J 6 5 response to your opening (supporting
♥ 5 3 your suit or responding in no-trumps),
♦ A Q 2 you have to assess your chances for West North East South
♣ 7 6 5 game. Instead of making a descriptive 1♥ 1♠ Pass Pass
bid and leaving things up to your ?
partner – he has described his hand –
Hand J Hand K you usually need to make the decision. Hands X and Y are two different West
1♥ 1♠ hands – they both opened 1♥ and heard
2♠ 4♠ North overcall 1♠. Your partner’s pass is
End Hand P significant – he might have no points at
♠ A 4 2 all.
Your plan with Hand J is to open 1♥ and ♥ A K J 8 Hand X has no stopper in spades so
rebid no-trumps, but when your partner ♦ K 9 8 7 should not rebid no-trumps, the best
responds 1♠, a fit in a major takes ♣ 4 3 call is to double – early in auctions when
precedence. You raise to 2♠ – your flat people have bid only suits, doubles are
hand means that you have many losers; Hand Q (partner) for takeout, forcing partner to bid again.
seven. Hand K is able to bid game. ♠ 7 6 Hand Y does have a spade stopper
♥ Q 9 5 3 so can bid no-trumps, but do not bid
Going Wrong ♦ A 6 5 2 the planned 2NT: partner might have
♣ J 6 5 nothing – for this reason a rebid of 1NT
over an overcall (partner having passed)
 Hand L shows a strong hand: 17-19 points.
♠ A 4 2 Hand P Hand Q
♥ A K Q 8 1♥ 2♥ Conclusion
♦ K 9 8 7 End
♣ 4 3 At some point in an auction, it is
With Hand P, you planned to open 1♥ important for one hand to show its
Hand M (partner) then rebid 1NT, but your partner’s 2♥ strength: this you can do by making a
♠ K 8 7 6 response changes things: you should be limit bid – a bid that closely defines a
♥ 5 3 happy playing in the major suit and you hand’s potential.
♦ A Q J 2 cannot possibly have enough strength Limit bids come in two types: no-
♣ 7 6 5 for game. Had your partner responded trump bids or same suit bids. With a
1♠, he could have had any strength, balanced hand, you should aim to make
but his 2♥ response shows 6-9 points: a limit bid on one of your first two bids:
Hand L Hand M adding this to your 15 gives a maximum use the balanced hand table to help you.
1♥ 1♠ of 24, suggesting there is no chance for If you get into the habit of describing
1NT 3NT game. your hand accurately, then your
End A 2NT rebid over a weak limit partnership should get to better
response should show 17-18 points: it is contracts, as long as, of course, you trust
There will be hands like this when you a balanced game-try. your partner. ■

Page 32
 Stephen Cashmore Says

Stay Low
on a Misfit
‘S
tay low on a misfit’ probably There are usually warning signs during What is poor partner to do now?
dates from the earliest years the auction to indicate that the two hands 2NT will play poorly. You will need the
of contract bridge. It is a most are a misfit. For example: diamond finesse and probably a club
useful maxim. a Partner bids a suit in which you have trick to get close. That is even ignoring
By definition, you and your partner a void or singleton. the problems of whether or not to cash
do not have a trump fit, so playing in b Partner refuses to support your suit the second top spade the one and only
a suit contract is probably not a good even after you have bid it twice. time you are in dummy. Partner could
idea. The trouble is, you might arrive c An opponent makes a bid (or a take- put you into 3♦ or try a desperate 3♠ but
at an uncomfortably high level before out double) that shows your suits these may fare almost as badly.
you can figure this out. For example: – you deduce that partner must be The root cause of all these problems
short. – both in the bidding and in the play –
As soon as you diagnose that the hands is that the hands are a misfit. Your best

♠ A Q 7 6 5 2 ♠ Void do not fit well, my advice is to drop course of action is to stay low and pass
♥ 5 2 N ♥ K J 7 6 3 the bidding as soon as possible. The 2♠.
W E
♦ A S ♦ Q 10 6 5 2 correct auction with these two hands is: When you hold Hand 2, LHO opens
♣ A J 8 5 ♣ K 7 3 1♠-1NT-2♣-End. 1♥, partner overcalls 1♠, and RHO
Here are two more examples: passes. What do you do now?
Many players would think, ‘oops, I’d
West North East South better get us out of this mess,’ and bid
1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
Hand 1 Hand 2 2♣. However, in the modern style, when
3♣ Pass ? ♠ 2 ♠ Void a new suit after partner’s overcall is
♥ A K Q 8 ♥ A 9 6 5 encouraging or forcing, partner is likely
East-West have lurched up to the three ♦ A Q 9 6 2 ♦ Q 6 2 to continue with 2♠. This just takes you
level, are still in a forcing situation and ♣ Q 7 3 ♣ Q 9 8 6 5 2 out of the frying pan into the fire. The
have failed to find a trump fit. As you hands for your side could be like this:
can see, no game contract looks very
appetising on these cards. With Hand 1, you open the bidding with
Unfortunately, the chances are that 1♦. Partner responds 1♠, which is not ♠ Void ♠ A K 9 8 5 3
East-West, having failed to find a fit, will very promising. Still, you have a solid ♥ A 9 6 5 N ♥ 8 7
W E
end up in 3NT. Of course, that has its 17 points, so your next move is to make ♦ Q 6 2 S ♦ K 9 8
own problems. Suppose the defence lead a reverse bid of 2♥, which shows both ♣ Q 9 8 6 5 2 ♣ 10 3
a club. Where are nine tricks coming your strength and longer diamonds than
from? There are only four tricks on top. hearts. Partner bids 2♠ (non-forcing).
You will need a lot of luck to bring the What do you do now? It is easy to think, The best way to ‘get out of this mess’
total up to nine. With the void in spades, ‘my partner has responded, so game is to pass. Partner is unlikely to come
East might have foreseen the misfit and cannot be far away. Even if he has only to much harm in 1♠. The opponents
responded 1NT. 6 or 7 points, it must be safe to issue an might come back into the bidding
Why does 3NT fare poorly on this sort invitation. Let’s try 2NT.’ anyway. If they double 1♠, then you
of deal? There are two reasons. Firstly, no might run to 2♣ and partner can be
suit is able to act as a source of tricks – sure that you are making a rescue bid.
not surprising, given the misfit. Secondly, ♠ 2 ♠ A K 9 8 5 3 To sum up, if your hands appear to
transport between the two hands is often ♥ A K Q 8 N ♥ 5 2 be a misfit, you may not be able to find
W E
difficult. With misfitting hands, there ♦ A Q 9 6 2 S ♦ 8 5 a great contract. Instead of thrashing
tend to be few entries from hand to ♣ Q 7 3 ♣ 9 8 6 about trying to find one, while the
hand. Even if you seem to have plenty of bidding escalates ever higher, do the
tricks, it may be hard to reach them. If sensible thing and drop out of the
you set up one hand, the defenders put Here, you see a typical hand for partner bidding as quickly as possible. As the
you in the other. – indeed, it could be worse. maxim says: stay low on a misfit. ■

Page 33
 David Huggett Says

Give False
Preference

R
eturning to partner’s first suit In 2♥, three rounds of diamonds are Note that, by continuing with 2♠ over
when you have slightly more nasty: if declarer ruffs, he will be down 2♥, opener is showing a good hand. If he
cards in his second is ‘giving false to three trumps – one fewer than West. had an ace less, his correct rebid would
preference.’ On all but the weakest of The upshot is he loses control and fails have been 2♠ and not 2♦.
hands, it is usually correct. Take this deal: in his contract. Instead, if South gives Even if responder gives false preference
preference to 2♠, North will pass and to opener’s first suit, the second suit may
diamond forces will do declarer no great not be lost forever:
Love All. Dealer North. harm. He will lose at most two spades,
♠ A J 10 9 6 two diamonds and a heart.
♥ A Q J 10 There is another important reason for Love All. Dealer North.
♦ 8 5 going back to partner’s first suit – and ♠ A K 8 6 5
♣ J 3 that is partner might have a good hand ♥ K J 10 5 3
♠ Q 3 N ♠ K 7 5 2 and want the auction to continue. ♦ 5
♥ 9 7 4 3 W E ♥ K 2 ♣ A 2
♦ A 10 7 6 S ♦ K Q 3 ♠ 10 4 3 ♠ Q J 7
N
♣ Q 7 6 ♣ 9 8 5 4 Love All. Dealer North. ♥ A 7 6 W E ♥ 8 4
♠ 8 4 ♠ K Q 3 ♦ A 10 7 3 S ♦ Q 9 8 2
♥ 8 6 5 ♥ A K 7 6 4 ♣ Q 10 5 ♣ J 9 7 4
♦ J 9 4 2 ♦ A J 8 5 ♠ 9 2
♣ A K 10 2 ♣ 4 ♥ Q 9 2
♠ 7 6 5 ♠ 9 2 ♦ K J 6 4
N
♥ J 8 ♥ Q 9 5 3 ♣ K 8 6 3
W E
West North East South ♦ Q 10 7 4 S ♦ 6 3
1♠ Pass 1NT ♣ A Q 8 3 ♣ K J 9 6 2
Pass 2♥ Pass ? ♠ A J 10 8 4 West North East South
♥ 10 2 1♠ Pass 1NT
With a hand so limited, it might appear ♦ K 9 2 Pass 2♥ Pass 2♠
that the best option would be to pass – in ♣ 10 7 5 Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥
fact, you should go back to partner’s first End
suit and bid 2♠. Why is this? Well the
likeliest distribution that partner has in West North East South If South passed 2♥ because he had
the majors is 5-4, if only because hands 1♥ Pass 1♠ lost interest, he would no doubt have
that contain a five-card suit and a four- Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ felt guilty when his partner racked up
card suit are much more common than Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ eleven tricks. As 4♥ is a great contract
ones containing two five-card suits. End and North’s first two bids are correct,
If that is the case, then the opposition it becomes clear that South has to bid
hold six trumps in both the majors and Again, it might look tempting to pass again over 2♥ and the only forward
the most likely distribution of those six 2♦ or even to bid 2♠, but correct is to going move is 2♠. (As an aside, the hand
cards is 4-2 and not 3-3. This means of give false preference and bid 2♥. See is not good enough to rebid 2NT as some
course that, if you play with hearts as what happens if you do. North then would – it cannot be worth 1NT one
trumps, then one of the opponents is paints a delicate picture by giving minute and 2NT the next.) Thus, once
likely to have as many trumps as declarer delayed support to responder’s suit, opener repeats his hearts, showing 5-5 in
and this is never a good thing. What surely showing three cards and hence, the majors at least, the responding hand
often happens in those circumstances by inference, a singleton club at most. is worth a shot at game. Declarer will
is that the defence will play a forcing Responder is charmed and, knowing make eleven tricks by ruffing a spade and
game, making declarer ruff in the long that all his points are working, should finding the suit breaks evenly, but that is
trump hand and that is what would have no hesitation in bidding game. 4♠ just a bonus. You reach the good game by
happen here. makes easily via a club ruff in dummy. giving ‘false preference’ to start with. ■

Page 34
 From the Baron’s Archives by Dick Atkinson

The Poor
Man’s Ace
M
y uncle, Baron Leopold von I shoved the page under his nose and
Münchausen, sat dozing ♠ Q 8 6 stabbed a shaky finger at the hand in
by the fire. He is physically ♥ Void question.
very frail these days, shrunken and ♦ A Q 5 3 ‘Hmph! Have you never heard of
wrinkled like an Egyptian mummy. ♣ Q 9 7 6 4 2 ‘The Poor Man’s Ace’?’ he barked.
When those wickedly intelligent eyes I had. ‘I have heard that description
are veiled, it is hard to remind oneself applied to the void suit – fine. Fine.
that inside this decrepit shell lurks the I wasn’t so happy with this. For me, it And when partner insists, as he almost
intellect of an Einstein, the ambition would be a toss-up between pass and certainly will, on 3NT, your wonderful
of an Alexander and the warmth and 3♣. No major suit, no alternative to void suit will mean they have a couple
generosity of an Attila. re-bidding the opened suit (since you of extra hearts to cash, a couple of
I was quietly re-reading one of my can’t possibly reverse into 2♦) and you extra undertricks. A void is useless in
favourite golden oldies, Bridge is an are short of control cards . . . no-trumps. Worse than useless.’
Easy Game by Iain Macleod, one of I hadn’t realised it, but I must have ‘Pen!’
the original Acol team and a probable been talking to myself. That happens I have become so quick on the draw
World Champion if only politics had more and more these days . . . The over the years that I had passed him
not curtailed his bridge career. He Baron’s eyes flicked open malevolently, the antique Onoto from his davenport
was also, of course, a probable Prime exactly like the exhumed corpse in all while he still held my precious first edi-
Minister if only premature death had the best vampire movies. tion in his claw-like grasp. With a prac-
not curtailed his political career. ‘Rubbish!’ tised flip, he opened the volume at the
In time honoured tradition, after He is always hypercritical of my back end-paper and began to scrawl.
an introductory chapter, Macleod’s opinions, but this was the outside of ‘Teams of four. A select little invi­ta­
Chapter 2 was entitled ‘The Opening enough. ‘For heaven’s sake, Uncle Leo, tional event for blue-blooded Grand
Suit Bid of One’. Examples were given you haven’t even seen the damned Masters, many years ago now. Every­one
of the Acol Light Opener. Kenneth hand!’ who is anyone was there – de Nexon,
Konstam, an English international, von Zedtwitz . . . I was playing with
had opened 1♠ on this hand: Battle is joined Monsieur le Chevalier de Malvoisin,
well known as a tricky bridgeur.’
Battle was joined, and the The Baron paused to fortify himself
♠ K 9 7 6 4 2 moustachioed­Münchausen sneer from a huge schooner of dry sherry
♥ A 10 5 3 curled cruelly like a Venus fly-trap. ‘I – he has allowed himself nothing
♦ Void don’t need to see it. Gray was a fine stronger before lunch since his
♣ Q 8 6 player – good, intuitive, natural bidder. hundredth birthday – and continued,
It makes my blood boil when I hear a ‘Fourth in hand against a couple of
real player being bad-mouthed by a Hapsburg younger sons, I held these
That seemed a little extreme to me. palooka who isn’t fit to . . . to . . . count cards at favourable vulnerability.’
Still, I suppose the six-card spade suit his points for him!’ he concluded in He showed me the vandalised page:
and the natural 2♥ rebid in the fair triumphant irony.
side-suit make it very unlikely that Bad-mouthed? Has he been watching
partner will insist on no-trumps. Also, day-time television or something? ‘I ♠ Void
you have your fair share of control know your opinion of the point count. ♥ A
cards: an ace and a king. OK. That wasn’t the issue. It’s about high- ♦ A Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Maurice Harrison-Gray had opened card structure. One ace, no kings . . . ♣ Void
1♣ with: see for yourself.’

Page 35
 The Poor Man’s Ace continued fatuous double, as, of course, I did not, left to play, and 7♠, of course, has an
and that your partner doubles instead. inevitable problem in the trump suit,
Your right-hand opponent thinks long so East-West are bound to record a
and hard, then redoubles. What now?’ minus and the Baron had pulled off
‘Seven—’ ‘I see – it’s a lead problem. Partner yet another surreal killing.
‘My partner opened 1♥. Don’t can ruff something. But it would be
interrupt! As you were about to over-ruffed, unless it’s a cl—’
observe, the opening is out of turn—’ ‘It can’t be a club. That would give the ♠ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
‘So you were barred from the—’ declarer’s partner six of them, which ♥ Void
His glare would have char-grilled means he could not have sufficient ♦ Void
a T-bone steak. ‘Almost before my length for that very snappy 7♥ bid.’ ♣ 7 6 5 4 3 2
partner had finished speaking, East Six, or at most seven hearts, lacking ♠ Void ♠ A K Q J 10 9
– visibly twitching with excitement – the ace – he was no doubt right. ‘Then ♥ K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ Void
confidently leapt all the way to 7♣, thus maybe partner has a trump trick,’ I ♦ K W E N
♦ Void
condoning the opening and therefore offered. ♣ Void S ♣ A K Q J 10 9 8
restoring my bidding rights. He must ‘And yet declarer redoubled, ♠ Void
obviously have believed he was going which sug­ges­ts his trumps are solid. ♥ A
to make the contract. Looking at my Quite a conundrum . . . But I let my ♦ A Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
red aces that meant he had all thirteen Münchausen radar reach out and ♣ Void
clubs, or a hand consisting entirely detect the subtle influences. Why on
of top clubs and top spades. I had no earth did my partner psyche? He has a
choice but to—’ long weak spade suit – his escape suit The aftermath
‘Seven dia—’ when hearts are doubled for penalties.
‘Stop doing that! I had no choice but That is a huge risk, if I should raise to ‘So you won a swing of, what, 1,300?’
to call 7♦, which would in any event four or five or more hearts, even at the ‘Not so fast. In the other room my
have been my destination. Already it score. His hand must be an appalling nieces Mitzi and Fritzi were East-West.
was anybody’s guess who was serious dummy, a Yarborough no doubt. Then Fritzi opened 4NT – very English,
and who was sacrificing. West, it all clicked – the assurance of my but they do love their conventions,
however, joined the party with 7♥, opponents’ bidding, the despera­tion of these young girls. They both attended
almost without a flicker. My partner my partner’s psyche, the trump trick Roedean when your Great-uncle Max
passed—’ against a solid suit. I called 7NT.’ was Ambas­sador to the Court of St
‘But that’s inconceivable! He must His stories are more outrageous James, you know. But I diverge. Mitzi
have a double of 7♥!’ every time! ‘Preposterous! You are went straight to 7♣, and the auction
‘The sheer immensity of the number wide open in two suits.’ then proceeded much as in the other—’
of things of which you cannot conceive ‘Not at all. I have first-round control ‘You mean the board was tied? I find
never ceases to amaze me. Partner has in all four suits.’ it hard to believe that another South
psyched. This is clearly exposed by ‘In diamonds, yes, but what are your was capable of finding that 7NT bid.’
the 7♥ call, by the mysterious failure black suit controls in no-trumps?’ ‘We shall never know. Much as in
to double that contract and by the ‘The two voids.’ the other room, I was going to say –
demons­trable power of the other three He had finally gone over the edge. before I was so rudely interrupted – as
hands. Now, East produces a bid of 7♠. Even the great Baron could not escape far as North’s double of 7♠. Mitzi’s
Over to you.’ senility forever. Münch­ausen radar was in good form,
Could the double be right? I couldn’t ‘How can your voids control suits too, it seems. She called 7NT before
see it. I puzzled on. I remember a hand in no-trumps?’ I asked gently, as to a South got the chance.’
he showed me once when it was essen­ confused child. ‘But . . . Oh.’ After that opening bid,
tial for the opening leader to double to ‘Not my voids, you patronising fool – North was on lead of course. ‘7NT bid
pre­vent his partner from making a re­ West’s! This was my tentative analysis, and made, with no defence, in both
vea­ling Lightner double. Could that be which turned out to be correct in all rooms.’ The poor man’s ace . . .
the point? ‘All right. Double.’ essential details. ‘East actually had the ‘Did I not mention the doubles and
‘What is East’s hand at this stage?’ deuce of clubs and North the eight. redoubles?’ He chortled, glorying as
‘Well, as you said, top clubs and top Since West was on lead, his two black usual in having the last word.
spades.’ suit voids provided first round control ‘I’m surprised you didn’t try to claim
He threw up his hands wearily. ‘Yes, for my 7NT.’ 150 for aces in both rooms!’
yes. How many?’ I looked at the full layout he had He smiled witheringly. But for once,
‘Oh, I suppose he must have five or been scribbling in the back of my I had actually got the last word.
six spades, and seven or eight clubs. book. South’s two red aces and West’s Some­ how that didn’t seem right
Seven clubs and six spades, I guess.’ two black voids gave the Baron all and so I kindly offered him the
‘Quite right and it’s no guess. Let the controls he needed for 7NT – on opportunity to revel in his triumph, as
us suppose that you do not make this just 11 points. 7♣ would never be is his wont:

Page 36
The Poor Man’s Ace continued It was unlike the Baron added by Peter Donovan.
to forego the opportunity
to blackguard his partner.
And then it dawned on me.
At least this preserved
Mac­ leod’s text leaving it
relatively unscathed.
Mr Bridge
‘Redoubled in
rooms? That must have been
both ‘I am reminded of ‘the
curious incident of the dog
Personally, I rate the
original as the best ever
2012
about a 5,000-point board?’
‘Aah . . . More, if the result
in the night’,’ I said archly.
‘You know. Watson replies
book on the Acol system,
but it is more than a bidding Bridge
had stood. The Director was
called and it was pointed
that the dog did not bark,
and Holmes says, ‘That was
text-book. There is the early
History of Acol and half of Players’
out that we had profited the curious incident’.’ the book is about the play of
from a similar Psychic
Shut-out bid earlier in the
The Baron shifted
uncomfortably in his chair.
the cards.
There are tables of
Diaries
competition.’ Ha! odds, twenty-five deals
‘Ps—’ ‘Caught you, you devious from actual play, a system
‘If you have an absolute old psycher. You should summary for reference,
Yarborough and psyche out have barked, Uncle Leo. a chapter on duplicate
of turn, you can enjoy the ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’.’ bridge technique, a chapter
best of both worlds – disrupt ‘I believe you will find the on becoming an expert.
the opponents’ bidding, and story was ‘Silver Blaze’,’ he Perhaps the only bits which
prevent your partner from retorted with what dignity have seriously dated relate
getting involved.’ he could muster, and my to slam bidding – cue
‘Surely East condoned the small victory was turned to bidding surely works better
bid out of turn . . .’ ashes. than high-level trial bids.
‘True. But once I had (Macleod had in­vented Trial Contents include
deciphered the auction, Author’s note Bids and, like Pygmalion, ♦ Acol Summary
there was the question of was overly enamoured of by Bernard Magee.
Unauthorised Information. There have been occasions, his creation.) And yet it is ♦ Guide to the Laws.
Would he have called that reportedly authentic, when all entirely readable, stylish
way without a Yarbo­ a player with three aces has without being pompous, ♦ Scoring Tables for
rough – if he had held, for erudite without being duplicate and
overcalled 7NT against an
rubber bridge.
instance, the singleton king opening bid at the seven level schoolmasterish and witty
of diamonds? That card is by the right-hand opponent without being trivial. I’ve ♦ Distributional odds.
crucial in my analysis.’ – who was presumably read it maybe half a dozen ♦ Hand patterns and
‘What was the revea­ling a thirteen-card times. fascinating figures.
adjusted score?’ I asked suit and therefore a void in There is even one of the ♦ Eight cover colours:
sympathetically. his partner’s hand. Some funniest hands ever played, red, navy blue, light
He shook his head. ‘No have ended happily, others as bizarre as anything the blue, ivory, tan, green,
adjustment. This was a not. Baron has encountered – burgundy and black.
match. The result was The Baron’s logic is a little but that is Macleod’s true
♦ All covers printed in
void, and we had to play a more contorted than that. story of the Lithuanian
gold-coloured ink.
substitute board.’ In keeping with his usual Timber Merchant and I
‘Phew! You must have style, the hand establishes shall not spoil it by telling ♦ Individual diaries £6.95
been furious with your an unbeatable record. you any more. each including p&p.
partner. The dishonest Unless there are penalty This really is a case for the ♦ Special concession
intent, of course, but also cards or other constraints, old cliché: ‘If you only buy to bridge clubs. 10 or
the stupidity of trying to 11 points is the absolute one bridge book, make it more diaries £3.50
get away with the same minimum for a solid 7NT this one.’ each including p&p.
ploy twice.’ De Malvoisin contract. Except that you should ♦ Luxury version with
was obviously one of those Bridge Is An Easy Game is buy two – one for your super-soft kidrell cover,
arrogant cheats you come over fifty years old, now. It partner. Macleod will really gilded page edges
across from time to time. was published origin­a lly by show you what Acol is all and a ball-point pen
‘Who did he psyche Frederick Muller, London, about and what bridge is all attached, in ruby red,
against the first time?’ 1952 and ran into several about. ■ navy blue or green.
‘That is enough on that editions. More recently, £14.95 each
subject. Yours, I believe?’ there was a paperback including p&p.
he asked unnec­ essarily, edition, and more recently Previously published in See Mail Order Form
passing back my violated still an ‘updated’ version BRIDGE 68 on page 7.
book. with a couple of chapters

Page 37
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239STI11
 Catching Up
by Sally Brock

T
he main bridge event since I last arrive by train on Saturday (Briony not lead a club. This is the full deal:
wrote was the EBU Summer now has a Saturday job – waitressing
Congress in Brighton. The last in the café in the shopping centre –
time I was down there for the week which she did not want to miss). ♠ A K 9 4 3 2
was in 1973 – before I was married for The Swiss Pairs goes passably. We ♥ A K Q J
the first time. Indeed, the midweek achieve a reasonable place at the end ♦ Void
Mixed Pairs’ trophy is the only one I of Saturday – lying 11th – but things ♣ K 5 3
won under my maiden name. do not go so well on the Sunday and ♠ Q J 7 5 ♠ 8
This year, we have booked an we drop down to finish 40th or so. ♥ 4 N ♥ 10
apartment in The Lanes; Briony and This was my favourite moment: ♦ Q 10 8 7 6 3 W E ♦ K 9 5 4 2
S
her friend Amy are coming with us. At Love All, in fourth seat, I hold: ♣ 8 7 ♣ A 10 9 6 4 2
The idea is that they more or less do ♠ 10 6
their own thing just slightly supervised ♥ 9 8 7 6 5 3 2
by us. I am more than slightly worried ♠ A K 9 4 3 2 ♦ A J
that this might prove troublesome. ♥ A K Q J ♣ Q J
The first weekend does not start ♦ Void
well. Barry is working in Brighton on ♣ K 5 3
the Friday, so we agree that I will drive West duly interprets his partner’s
down to join him in the afternoon. The double as Lightner and leads a spade,
night before, he drove over to our house Pass on my left, pass from Barry, 3♦ so Barry is able to set up a couple of
to leave his suitcase with me so he did on my right. Double is easy for now. tricks in that suit on which to discard
not have to take it on the train. I get 3♥ on my left, double from Barry. his losing clubs.
as far as the top of the M23, crawling This situation is easy for us to handle. As luck would have it, one of Barry’s
fairly slowly around the M25 in Friday When we started playing this game, old university friends and earliest
afternoon traffic, before I remember I that 3♥ was a common psyche, so I bridge partners, Rodney, and his
have left his suitcase in the boot of his know that the double is for penalties, wife Lorraine had arranged a week’s
car. So I have to go back for it. In all, and I am happy to pass for now. 5♦ holiday in the South Downs that
what should be a one-and-a-half hour on my left, 5♥ from Barry. Wow! He coincided with the Brighton week. On
drive takes me over six hours. is doing a lot of bidding for a passed the Tuesday, we had a splendid day out
The flat is fine, over an Indian hand. Surely, he has one top card; it with them walking on Beachy Head.
restaurant, but in a pretty lively area. seems very likely that he holds the ace The weather was glorious and we did
There are three all-night off-licences in of clubs, so 7♥ from me. Double on my not even mind Lorraine’s map reading
view from our small balcony. The girls right – whoops! Oh well, they might too much when the five-mile

FOR NEW READERS AND ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN…

Sally Brock lives in High Wycombe with her teenage children Toby (17) and Briony (15), her husband
Raymond having died in early 2008. She now has a new partner, both at and away from the bridge
table, Barry Myers, a barrister who lives in Shepherd’s Bush. She works partly as a bridge professional,
occasionally playing for pay but more often writing (she is the bridge columnist for The Sunday Times)
and teaching online; the rest of the time she works on the production of travel guides – hence the
occasional reference to rather obscure countries. Sally has been a member of the British/English
women’s team on and off since 1979. These days, she partners Nicola Smith in these events.

Page 40
 Seven
Catching Up continued Lorraine counted her tricks several
times before making a claim. She had
never before made a grand slam.

Days
walk turned into at least ten (I might
be exaggerating a little). ♣♦♥♠
On the Wednesday evening, they
came into Brighton and we all visited
the Royal Pavilion. If you have not Apart from all the events in Brighton
tried that, I would recommend it – there were two very significant events by Sally Brock
always a fan of glitz and glitter, I have going on in High Wycombe.
never seen more over-the-top décor. The first was Toby’s driving test,
Then, after fish and chips on the pier, which he unfortunately and rather
we played with them in the Mixed
Pivot Teams. Lorraine is very much
unluckily failed. Approaching a
roundabout, he assumed that the driver Thursday
an occasional bridge player, using signalling right was going to turn right Briony has been staying with my par-
very simple methods – Acol Twos, when, in fact, he was going all the ents in Wiltshire for a couple of days.
no transfers, or Sputnik doubles – way around and back on himself. The I start the day in Barry’s flat and meet
and had practised hard for this event tester had to apply emergency brakes her at Maidenhead station in order
(getting worse each time, according and that was an automatic fail. Still, he to go to school to pick up her GCSE
to Rodney). She did not have to worry recommended that Toby should apply results. She has become increasingly
about letting us down – Barry and I again immediately. nervous about these over the last week
managed that all on our own. In the The second significant event was or so; she gets into the car and hands
first stanza, we managed the worst set Toby’s AS results. He got ABCD (at me the envelope, which we barely dare
we have ever had together (and that is his grammar school they all do four to open. We are very pleased with her
saying something). A levels). I was reasonably happy with 6 As and 4 Bs (to go with the A in
Fortunately, when we pivoted, things this, even more so when I discovered maths last year). Especially pleasing
improved. When Barry played with that, out of his eight or nine close is her history result: she did poorly in
Lorraine, he held the following hand: friends, four did not get the three Ds her course work, getting a D, although
required to stay on at school. it is one of her favourite subjects. She
On the Friday, the girls went home ends up with an overall A (almost
♠ A 8 7 5 on the train and we moved from our mathematically impossible), by scor-
♥ A 3 apartment into a delightful B&B. In ing 86%, 86% and 98% on her three
♦ A Q J 10 9 3 2 the Swiss Teams, I played with Nicola written papers.
♣ Void while my Barry and Frank To formed Afterwards, we go to John Lewis,
the rest of our team. first for a celebratory coffee and cake,
We were generally playing at the top then to buy all the goodies we have
He saw his left-hand opponent open few tables, eventually finishing 10th to promised her as a reward (as well as
4♥ and Lorraine overcall 4♠. How qualify for the B final. getting some vacuum cleaner bags for
could he possibly investigate with an Like in the Pairs, the run-up to the Barry).
inexperienced partner? Mindful of my final did not go too well. In the evening, we have a roast
success with leaping to a grand slam Thinking that it started at 12.30, we chicken dinner. Tom and Taylor, a
earlier, he settled for just that: 7♠. This were finishing our breakfast just after couple of Toby’s friends, join us. They
was the full deal: 11 when we got a phone call asking have come to stay the night because …
where we were. We did have some

♠ A 8 7 5
justification from our view about the
starting time. Some of the scoring Friday
♥ A 3 booklets had been misprinted; the …Toby and his friends are going to a
♦ A Q J 10 9 3 2 ones Nicola and I were using had the computer-games playing conference
♣ Void cover for the teams but the inside for in Telford. Because he has to take
♠ J 6 3 ♠ 2 the pairs where the Sunday starting camping gear and his computer with
♥ 9 4 N ♥ K J 10 8 7 6 5 2 time had been 12.30 – but not enough him, it is impractical for him to go on
W E
♦ 8 7 6 4 S ♦ 5 to avoid the 9 IMP fine imposed for the train, so I have volunteered to take
♣ Q 8 6 2 ♣ A 4 3 missing three boards. them on the condition that someone
♠ K Q 10 9 4 This was not the best of starts and else brings them back. We are up early,
♥ Q things went downhill from there; we leaving the house at 07.30. The jour-
♦ K had to settle for being antepenultimate. ney is uneventful, though tedious. We
♣ K J 10 9 7 5 In any case, we did enjoy the week and stop for breakfast on the way and I get
may well do it again. ■ home around 12.30.

Page 41
 Seven Days continued Debbie’s hand is: then off we go to the Notting Hill Car-
nival. This is something I have always
wanted to go to and I am not disap-
♠ A K Q pointed. I thought it would be much
Besides squeezing in a bit of work ♥ A K Q J more crowded than it actually is.
(USA by Rail and Kyrgyzstan are on ♦ A 3 Apart from in a couple of places where
the go as I write), I have an online ♣ 9 8 6 2 there is a street rave going on with ex-
bridge session with Richard and Gerry tremely loud music and people danc-
in the afternoon. ing in the street, I am never uncom-
In the evening, Briony and I have a There is no problem in the play and fortable; it is easy to get a good view
girlie night in with TV and savoury she clocks up her first ever slam. of the procession and all the amazing
pancakes made from the remains of Although the afternoon has been costumes. I enjoy my lunch of curried
last night’s chicken. showery, the evening is pleasant goat.
enough and we manage to eat outside. We arrive home early evening and
Saturday Toby gets home shortly thereafter, still

I take Briony to work in the morning Sunday with a sore and swollen eye, sure that
there is a piece of the lens still there.
before going on into London. Barry Sunday is a lazy day with nothing much He is due to go to Cornwall with his
just has time to vacuum the flat before to do. We vaguely consider getting out friend Tom on the 09.30 train from
we rush off to meet up with some and doing something constructive but Reading in the morning, so we ring
northern friends who are visiting then think better of it. I spend most the local A&E to see if they think we
London. of the day reading my book, doing should bring him in. They pass us from
When we leave, the weather is various puzzles from Saturday’s Times pillar to post but nobody seems keen
glorious but, as we come out of the tube and watching the athletics. Barry is to see him on a bank holiday evening,
station, the heavens open. The plan had a great athletics fan (he has been to so we decide to wait until morning.
been to take their dog for a walk but it several past world championships
is too wet for us so we take him back
to the house where they are staying. Of
– when they were in rather more
accessible places than Daegu in South Tuesday
course, as soon as we do that, the rain Korea) and I am gradually beginning We have discovered that Specsavers
stops and the sun comes out, so we to get the hang of it. I forgot to mention opens at eight o’clock so we are there
go for a dogless walk in Highgate and in Catching Up that, at the end of July, when they open but the opticians do
then have lunch in a Greek restaurant. we (Barry, Briony, Margaret, Martin not get in until nine. That scuppers To-
We leave them at three or so, and go and I) went to an athletics meeting at by’s train. Their advice is to take him
to Heather and Jeremy’s in Hendon Crystal Palace. In the evening, we go to High Wycombe A&E which we do
where they have invited us to a bridge to dinner at Margaret and Martin’s. (incidentally, we are in and out in an
individual tournament and barbecue. We spend a fair part of the evening impressive half an hour – thus still al-
It is a fun afternoon/evening. Barry’s consoling Margaret who is distraught lowing me to take Briony for her den-
success in the slam zone continues about Usain Bolt’s false start. tal appointment at 10.30.). They refer
when he plays with the most Around midnight, I get a phone call us to the eye clinic at Stoke Mandev-
inexperienced player, Debbie, who has from Toby in Telford to say he is in ille, where we go for an appointment
been playing only a year. A&E at Telford hospital. He managed in the afternoon. The doctor there
He holds: to tear a soft contact lens while trying says Toby has an ulcerated cornea and
to take it out and he thinks he left a bit prescribes antibiotic drops that he has
of it in his eye. After many attempts to to use hourly (and some cream to use
♠ 6 5 3 get it out, he went to the hospital but when he sleeps). We will have to go
♥ 10 8 7 6 3 2 they cannot see it; they tell him they back on Thursday.
♦ K 7 6 do not think there is anything there In the evening, a friend, Alan, is
♣ 5 and he may have just scratched his eye. staying with Barry while he is in
London on business. The deal with

Debbie opens 2♣; he gives a 2♦ Monday his company is that they pay the cost
of dinner for us instead of for a hotel
negative and she rebids 2♥. He starts Briony and her friend Sam come into for Alan, so I drive into London to join
with a simple raise to 3♥, over which London on the train (actually it is a them, and we go for an excellent meal
she bids 4♥. Knowing that there is no bus replacement service as the much at a local Spanish tapas bar.
room for delicacy, he tries 4NT and vaunted improvements in the rail-
bids 6♥ when he hears of three (real)
aces opposite. He knows he has done
way line between High Wycombe and
Marylebone which were due to finish Wednesday
the right thing: the lead is the queen over the bank holiday weekend are We all leave the flat at nine: Alan and
of clubs, overtaken with the king. still ongoing). We meet at the flat and Barry to go to work and I to go

Page 42
 Seven Days continued

CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTS POT BOILER

TEA TOWEL
home because the parking OCTOBER 2011 NOVEMBER continued
charges start at nine. 28 CHESHIRE HOMES 16 NORFOLK HOSPICE
I have a 10.30 date with Village Hall, Hartford, Hunts, Bridge drive at South Wootton ♠ A Q 7
Nicola and Simon, our Cambs. 10 for 10.30am. £13.50. Village Hall. 2pm. ♥ A K Q J
Malcolm Howarth £7.50 per player including
coach, to practise online. ♦ Q J 10 9 8 7
( 01480 212910 sumptuous tea.
We have recently decided to The Fundraising Team ♣ Void
play that an opening 3NT 28 OUR KINDERGARTEN IN BOSNIA ♠ K J 10 8 6 ♠ 9 5 4 3 2
( 01485 542891
HERZEGOVINA
shows a strong four-level Our Lady Queen of All Creation
or ( 01553 671575 ♥ 5 4 3 2 W E N
♥ Void
opening in a major. Simon RC Church, Rant Meadow, 18 BALSCOTE VILLAGE HALL ♦ Void S ♦ 6 5 4 3 2
sets up some hands for us Hemel Hempstead. & RED CROSS BANBURY. ♣ K Q J 10 ♣ 4 3 2
and we practise this area of 9am tea/coffee. 9.45am bridge In the Brand New Village Hall. ♠ Void
starts. Hot lunch. £15pp. 2.15pm start  £9 inc. teas.
the system. Pat Henry ( 01442 391087
♥ 10 9 8 7 6
David Stead ( 01295 730230
Then we just play some friendlybridge@gmail.com ♦ A K
28 WESSEX CANCER TRUST
random deals. Simon gives SOUTHAMPTON GROUP
♣ A 9 8 7 6 5
18 THE NATIONAL TRUST
us a combined 22-count or Rubber bridge at Highfield Bridge drive at Little
so, and sets about making Church Centre, Highfield Lane, Hallingbury Village Hall. Contract 7♥ by South.
our lives as miserable as Southampton. 7pm for 7:15pm. 1.15 for 1.30 start. West leads the ♣K.
£6pp . Light refreshments.
possible. Gwen Pearce ( 02380 236145
Tickets £7.50.
Brenda Hope ( 01279 758414
A hand comes up that maggiesheils@hotmail.co.uk
29 CHRISTIAN AID
involves a jump 2NT rebid. Church Rooms, Church Road, The key element is for
19 Ocular oncology equipment
I am very uncertain about Preston, Weymouth. (eye cancer). Reynolds Institute, South to discard his ace
this area of the system; 1.45 for 2.00pm Dorchester Road, Weymouth and king of diamonds.
when it comes up it turns Julia Moore ( 01305 776138 Dorset. Bridge starting at 2pm. One can go on the ♠A, but
juliamoore1@btinternet.com
out that we disagree about £30 per table including
what to do with the other?
afternoon tea.
the system that we actually 31 RNLI. Bridge at Crowborough The answer is, strange
Beacon Golf Club. £26 per table. Gene Hill ( 01305786509
play. Simon acts as referee as it seems, on the last
Penny Eliot ( 01825 830006
for the ensuing discussion 24 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
trump from dummy, as
ROTARY CLUB.
and then sets up some 31 FRIENDS OF EAST SUSSEX
Outlane Golf Club. after South has ruffed two
HOSPICE. Glyndebourne Opera
hands to practise this. House, The Mildmay Hall. 12 for 12.30pm. spades, his trumps will be
Before we know it, the time 5.15pm Bridge Supper with £44 per table including lunch. shorter than North’s.
is one o’clock. champagne reception. Brian Noble ( 01484 427536
After a bite to eat, I have Dianne Steele ( 01435 813630
26 VILLAGE HALL
1. Win ♣A (discarding 7♦).
a two-hour teaching session Hemingford Abbots.
NOVEMBER 2011 2. Play a trump to ♥A.
with Richard and Gerry. 10 for 10.30am. £14.00.
Carol Ombler ( 01480 819307
Although I had a session 7 St Teresa’s HOSPICE
3. Ruff ♠7.
Bridge at St George’s Bridge
booked with them when I
Centre, Darlington. 1.15pm. £5 DECEMBER 2011
was in Brighton (I can do to include bridge, tea and prizes.
4. Play a trump to ♥K.
everything away from home Christine Bainbridge 5 St Teresa’s HOSPICE,
5. Ruff ♠Q.
on my laptop), the internet ( 01325 469785 DARLINGTON.
Christmas party at St George’s
connection at the flat was 11 HEMINGFORD VILLAGE HALL & Bridge Centre, Darlington. 6. Play a trump to ♥Q.
terrible; after losing the ADDENBROOKES HOSPITAL 1.15pm. Only £5 to include
connection several times, CANCER UNIT.
festive tea and luxury prizes. 7. Play ♥J, drawing West’s
Village Hall, Hemingford Abbots.
we eventually abandoned 10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00.
( 01325 469785 last trump, discarding
the effort. This means it is Ann Tooher ( 01480 352789 ♦K.
a while since we have had a FEBRUARY 2012
12 FRIENDS OF WELCARE IN 8. Play ♠A, throwing ♦A
proper session. BROMLEY. Bridge afternoon. 15 ROTARY CLUB OF WIMBORNE
and North’s hand is
There is also a bit of a St George’s Church Hall, Bickley DORSET.
high.
rush to get some work done, Park Road, Bickley. 2 to 5.30pm Allendale Community Centre,
£6 per person, including tea/ Wimborne. 2 pm.
both travel guide work coffee with light refreshments. Teams of Four - £28 per table
and bridge writing – this For a full range of bridge
Gillian Scales including high tea & prizes.
column and my Sunday ( 020 8663 3173 Don Phillips ( 01202 891801 tea towels, ring Art Screen
Times article – because we Print on ( 01287 637527.
are going to Beijing for a w w w. a r t s c r e e n . c o . u k /
week on Saturday. More of E-mail your charity events: maggie@mrbridge.co.uk customizeArea/shop.html
that next time. ■

Page 43
 Liz McGowan Says

Defend Passively
if Dummy is Lifeless

T
his theme has been around a long If West gets busy, looking for tricks in Here is another lifeless dummy. East
time. In Why You Lose at Bridge, the minors (or at trick four in hearts), he must defend passively to beat game:
S J Simon highlighted the error presents declarer with a ninth trick.
of getting busy at the wrong time. He When declarer and dummy are flat,
posed the question: ‘Can the declarer, there are often ‘frozen’ suits like these: 3 ♠ A 6 3
if left in peace, develop enough tricks ♥ A Q 9 4
to make his contract?’ If dummy was ♦ Q 5 3
lifeless (having no obvious source of A B C ♣ A 9 5
tricks), he advised the defenders to stay Q 4 2 A 10 5 A 9 4 ♠ 9 7 5 4 N ♠ K Q 8
passive (not to lead from broken suits). N N N ♥ 8 6 3 2 W E ♥ 5
W E
S
W E W E
♦ 8 7 S ♦ A 10 6 4 2
S S
♣ Q 7 4 ♣ 10 8 3 2
1 ♠ K 10 9 8 J 7 3 J 6 2 K 10 8 ♠ J 10 2
♥ K 9 8 4 ♥ K J 10 7
♦ J 7 5 ♦ K J 9
♣ A 8 If the defenders open up such suits, ♣ K J 6
♠ A 7 6 3 ♠ 4 2 they give declarer an undeserved trick.
N
♥ Q 10 3 ♥ 6 5 2
W E
♦ Q 8 3 S ♦ K 9 2 West North East South
♣ K J 7 ♣ 10 9 6 4 3 2 ♠ Q J 7 4 1NT
♠ Q J 5 ♥ Q 7 3 Pass 2♣ Pass 2♥
♥ A J 7 ♦ A K Pass 4♥ End
♦ A 10 6 4 ♣ K 9 4 3
♣ Q 5 2 ♠ A 8 ♠ 5 2 With such a flat hand, North does better
N
♥ K 10 6 4 W E ♥ A 9 5 not to look for the 4-4 heart fit, but old
♦ Q J 10 8 2 S ♦ 9 6 4 3 habits die hard.
West North East South ♣ 8 6 ♣ J 10 7 2 Against 4♥, West led the seven of
1NT ♠ K 10 9 6 3 spades, second highest from a poor
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ ♥ J 8 2 suit, to East’s queen. If East goes
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT ♦ 7 5 looking for tricks, he may concede the
End ♣ A Q 5 contract. A spade return gives declarer
an undeserved trick and a club switch
West led the three of spades. Declarer allows him to play low from hand,
won in hand and continued the suit. West South plays in 4♠ after North opened 1♣ forcing West to play the queen. A
ducked the second round and won the (1♣-1♠-2♠-3♠-4♠). West leads the queen diamond also looks dangerous, so East
third, as East threw a club. The bidding of diamonds. Declarer wins in dummy got off lead with his heart. Declarer
marked East with about three points, and runs the queen of spades to West’s drew all the trumps, East discarding
so any switch looked risky. West got off ace. He can see no future in diamonds, a club and two diamonds. After this
lead safely with his last spade, declarer so should West attack hearts? With came a diamond to the queen and ace
discarding a diamond. Next, declarer three small clubs, West might get busy. and East returned a diamond. Declarer
tried the heart finesse – and, when he That would be the right thing if partner ended up taking the club finesse, losing
took the queen, West continued his had ♥A-J-x and declarer could discard a a trick there and a second spade trick.
policy of passivity with a heart return. heart on the fourth club. As West has a Passive defence can be very satisfying,
Declarer could make eight tricks easily: doubleton club, that danger is not very as you watch declarer toil. Leave him to
three spades, three hearts and the aces likely, so he should get off lead passively guess which suits to tackle and which
of clubs and diamonds. When he played with a trump or a second diamond. In way to finesse. If you do so, he is bound
in normal fashion, those were the eight the end, South will have to open up the to guess wrong at least as often as you
tricks he made and he went one down. heart suit and lose three tricks there. habitually do. ■

Page 44
 Justin Corfield Says

Love All is the Best

Time to Compete the
Partscore
I
t might seem ideal to have the The right way to reason is this: to Change the vulnerability so that the
opponents vulnerable, whilst one’s survive in two of a major, partner will opponents are vulnerable and that we
own side is not. That way, we go off need to have a couple of useful cards in are not; now things are different.
in fifties whilst they go off in hundreds, the major suits. Now hang on a minute – Suppose we bid 3♠ and make it for plus
and that is if nobody doubles... if partner has that, we do not want to be 140. Did we do the right thing? We did
However, not everything is as it in 2♥; we want to be defending against only if they could also make 3♦, because
appears. The problem is that if your their vulnerable 1NT and collecting a if they were going off, double would
opponents are vulnerable, then any few hundred on defence. have collected 200 or more. No, a 3♠ bid
penalty you can get by defending may Things are different if North-South is only right now if their side had nine
be larger than any score you can get by are non-vulnerable. Now, East-West get tricks. When the other side is vulner-
declaring. Take this deal: only 100 from defending and do better able, we need to be confident that they
(at pairs) to compete to 2♥. Whether are making their contract before bid-
it is right to bid here depends on the ding over it. This hand might do better
♠ J 9 7 2 vulnerability, but what matters as much to double and go for the magic plus 200
♥ 8 7 as East-West’s is North-South’s. (‘magic’, as plus 200 rates to be a top at
♦ K J 3 Playing matchpoints, you hold: pairs unless someone has bid and made
♣ A 9 4 2 game). If just our side is vulnerable, bid-
♠ A 10 4 3 ♠ K Q 6 ding 3♠ is only right when our side has
♥ A J 9 6 5 N ♥ K 4 2 ♠ A Q 9 8 6 nine tricks. If we have only eight, they
W E
♦ 8 7 S ♦ 10 9 6 5 ♥ Q 5 might double 3♠ and collect 200, and we
♣ 10 6 ♣ J 5 3 ♦ Q 2 will wish we had left them in 3♦.
♠ 8 5 ♣ K Q J 8 In practice, 3♠ is on but 3♦ is not:
♥ Q 10 3
♦ A Q 4 2
♣ K Q 8 7 You open 1♠, the next hand overcalls 2♦, ♠ K 4 3 2
partner raises to 2♠, and RHO competes ♥ K 7 6 4 2
with 3♦. Your go. ♦ 6 4
Consider things from the point of view There are two things to consider: how ♣ 6 5
of West. South, who is vulnerable, opens many tricks we make in spades, and ♠ 10 5 ♠ J 7
a weak no-trump. West can choose how many they make in diamonds. ♥ 8 3 N ♥ A J 10 9
W E
between getting involved with 2♣ to As to the first, we might make nine ♦ A K 10 8 5 3 S ♦ J 9 7
show the majors, or pass. What should tricks in spades, but we may make only ♣ A 10 9 ♣ 7 4 3 2
he do? eight. The ♦Q, in particular, is likely to ♠ A Q 9 8 6
Say West guesses to bid 2♣. East bids be worthless. As to their likely number ♥ Q 5
2♦ (asking West to choose) and West of tricks in diamonds, we have good ♦ Q 2
bids 2♥. Evidently, West will collect defensive values, and it is more likely ♣ K Q J 8
eight tricks, for plus 110. So, did West that they have eight than nine.
guess correctly to overcall? So what does this mean? Well, let us
No. The problem is that the same eight say nobody is vulnerable. In that case, If we are vulnerable, we need to make
tricks were available to East-West when bidding 3♠ has many ways to be right. 3♠ if we bid it. If they are, we need 3♦
defending against 1NT, when cashing It is plainly right if we can manage nine to make for 3♠ to be a good save. By
them would have netted plus 200. West tricks for plus 140. It is also right, though, contrast, at love all, bidding 3♠ is right
has chanced his arm to bid 2♣. He was if they can make 3♦, because going off if either 3♦ or 3♠ makes.
lucky to find such a useful hand opposite one in 3♠ gives up only 50, which is Do not look only at your vulnerability,
and yet is about to get a rotten score for preferable to letting them chalk up 110 but notice also the vulnerability of your
his efforts. East-West’s plus 110 will look in diamonds. In short, bidding 3♠ wins opponents. The best time to compete is
rather poor amid a sea of plus 200s. when either side can make nine tricks. when neither side is vulnerable. ■

Page 45
 David Gold Says

Double 1NT
With 15 Points

I
f one of your opponents opens a You may have noticed another factor Here is an example of that:
weak 1NT, it is essential to double in your favour: your king of spades was
whenever you have 15 or more over the ace. This is what you would
points. Do not worry about what you expect when the 1NT opening is on your ♠ Q 7 3
will lead. Passing will allow the weak right. ♥ 10 9 4
1NT to steal too many hands from you. Here is another example: ♦ 3 2
You pick up vulnerable against not: ♣ 10 9 8 7 4
♠ 10 9 4 ♠ A 8 5 2
N
♠ A 9 7 ♥ K 8 5 3 W E ♥ A 7 6
♠ K 6 3 ♥ K 7 6 5 ♦ K Q J 5 S ♦ 9 6 4
♥ A 9 7 2 ♦ K Q 4 2 ♣ Q 5 ♣ A 6 2
♦ Q J 2 ♣ K 3 ♠ K J 6
♣ K Q 5 ♥ Q J 2
♦ A 10 8 7
RHO opens 1NT at game all. You have ♣ K J 3
RHO (East) opens 1NT. You must 15 points so you double. LHO bids 3♣
double, especially vulnerable since your (pre-emptive) and partner bids 4♠.
side may have a vulnerable game on Let us have a look at the full deal: Playing teams, you hold the South
with opponents going down only in 50s. hand and RHO opens 1NT at game
The full deal: all. Holding 15 points, you double. You
♠ Q J 10 6 5 4 2 are not pleased when LHO redoubles.
♥ Q 3 However, partner ‘runs’ to 2♣. If the
♠ 4 2 ♦ J 6 5 opponents double, it will go one off for
♥ Q 6 3 ♣ J -200 – no great disaster at this method
♦ K 10 6 5 ♠ 8 ♠ K 3 of scoring (or rubber bridge) but why
♣ J 9 7 2 ♥ 8 4 2 N ♥ A J 10 9 should anyone double? Neither of the
W E
♠ Q 9 8 7 ♠ A J 10 5 ♦ 9 7 S ♦ A 10 8 3 opponents has much of a trump holding.
♥ K J 10 N ♥ 8 5 4 ♣ A 9 8 6 5 4 2 ♣ Q 10 7 -100 would be a good score even at pairs
W E
♦ 9 8 7 3 S ♦ A 4 ♠ A 9 7 with 120 on their way.
♣ 10 8 ♣ A 6 4 3 ♥ K 7 6 5 One word of warning. If playing
♠ K 6 3 ♦ K Q 4 2 teams, I suggest you always double 1NT
♥ A 9 7 2 ♣ K 3 with 15 points. However, playing pairs,
♦ Q J 2 with a very poor 15 (e.g. a 4333 shape)
♣ K Q 5 and your side vulnerable you might
On the bidding, 4♠ is an excellent decide to pass occasionally since you
contract, in essence needing the spade want to avoid losing 200 when partner
If you lead your longest suit, hearts, and finesse through the opening bidder. runs with nothing.
partner wins with the queen to switch If you pass 1NT, West will rescue into
to either minor, you will collect an easy clubs and your partner may decide it is Summary
300. too dangerous to come in; then you are
Note that East has 13 points (average in danger of missing 4♠. A weak 1NT opening will keep you out
for 1NT) while both West and your What happens when you double with of the auction on many hands because
partner have 6 points (the odds are 15 points and partner has nothing? any overcall would have to be at the two
that the remaining points are divided This can happen occasionally and level. To make up for the times when
evenly). Yet, you collect a useful penalty your side may be in trouble. However, this happens, you need to take full
because you have more points than the even with only a few points partner may advantage when you have a better hand
1NT opener and because your side is on have a long suit (five cards or better) into than the 1NT opener. So get out there
lead, giving you a vital tempo. which to escape. and double 1NT with 15 points. ■

Page 46
 Heather Dhondy Says

Lead Trumps
Against a
Grand Slam

T
radition is to lead a trump against West North East
South
a grand slam. With this in mind, ♠ A 2 2NT
consider the lead problem as ♥ A 8 7 6 4 3 Pass 3♥ Pass 3♠
West on the following deal at favourable ♦ A K Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠
vulnerability: ♣ A Q 2 Pass 4NT Pass 5♣
♠ 9 7 ♠ 5 3 Pass 5NT Pass 6♥
♥ K Q J 10 9 ♥ 5 2 Pass 7♠ End
N
♠ 9 7 ♦ Q J 10 3 W E ♦ 9 8 5
N
♥ K Q J 10 9 W E ♣ J 10 S ♣ K 8 7 6 5 3 3♥ was a transfer and 4♦ a second suit.
S
♦ Q J 10 3 ♠ K Q J 10 8 6 4 4NT was RKCB for spades, 5♣ showed
♣ J 10 ♥ Void three keycards and 6♥ showed two
♦ 7 6 4 2 additional kings.
♣ 9 4 On this hand, you should lead a trump
West North East South since all other leads are potentially
Pass 3♠ dangerous. You have no lead that you
Pass 4♣1 Pass 4♥1 You will see that only a trump lead defeats know to be safe and, as you will see
Pass 4NT2 Pass 5♦3 7♠. Without a trump lead, declarer will from the full deal, all other leads are
Pass 5♥4 Pass 6♥5 be able to use both dummy’s trumps to catastrophic. Here is the full deal:
Pass 7♠ Pass ruff diamonds and the second club will
1
cue bids go away under the ace of hearts. On a
2
Roman Keycard Blackwood trump lead, declarer cannot ruff two ♠ A Q J 6 2
3
one keycard diamonds and has insufficient entries to ♥ 2
4
asking for the queen of trumps ruff the long heart good. The contract is ♦ A K 6 3
5
confirms the ♠Q and additional heart control a little unlucky since a 4-3 heart break ♣ J 6 2
or a squeeze or the club finesse would ♠ 10 8 3 ♠ 5 4
N
You have a number of ‘safe’ options. be sufficient. However, none of these ♥ Q 10 9 6 W E
♥ 8 7 5 4 3
However, North has opted for 7♠, so options work here on the all-important ♦ 10 2 S ♦ J 8 5 4
presumably cannot count 13 top tricks trump lead. ♣ Q 10 4 3 ♣ 8 7
since, otherwise, he would have opted On the hand above, a trump lead ♠ K 9 7
for the safer 7NT. Instead, he must is necessary to defeat the contract. ♥ A K J
figure that either a ruff or two in his However, often we lead trumps against ♦ Q 9 7
hand, or a suit ruffed good, will produce a grand slam in order to give nothing ♣ A K 9 5
the extra trick(s). This takes us surely to away. When the opponents have used
the conclusion that, whatever the plan, Roman Keycard Blackwood, it is rare to
the best way to attempt to foil it is by find that a trump lead removes a guess in Thirteen tricks are still possible on a
leading trumps. the suit. However, I would avoid leading trump lead, but declarer has to guess
If the key to making the contract a trump if you suspect the opponents to go for a simple squeeze against you.
lies with ruffing in the hand with short are in an eight-card fit and you hold only Make your opponent do the work.
trumps, it is easy to envisage how a a singleton.
trump lead could break this. Consider the following deal as West: Summary
If it is a question of establishing
dummy’s long suit, a trump lead could A trump lead is often best against a

cut down the entries prematurely. At ♠ 10 8 3 grand slam so long as you can be sure
least if you lead a trump, you will not ♥ Q 10 9 6 N
W E
that partner cannot have a possible
have led dummy’s long suit and begun ♦ 10 2 S trick in the suit. This is either because
declarer’s work for him. ♣ Q 10 4 3 it is necessary to cut down the ruffs, or
This was the full deal: simply to give nothing away. ■

Page 47
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