BRIDGE

Number One Hundred and Twenty-Six

Cruise to
June 2013

AnCient GreeCe &

the MAGiC of itAly
on board Aegean Odyssey this June
with exclusive fares
and No Single Supplements
See over for further detailS
 ON SA HU
SU V
M I
GE
M N
Livorno Florence

ER G
V S
Corsica Civitavecchia
Bonifacio Rome Italy

CRUISE TOANCIENT Sorrento

Tyrrhenian
OY
AG

GREECE
Sea E
Sicily Palermo Greece S
& THE Trapani
Syracuse
Mediterranean Sea
Athens
Nauplia

ITALY
MAGIC OF
DATE
JUN 24
13-day fly-cruise departing

PORT
June 24, 2013

Fly to ATHENS Greece

Transfer to Aegean Odyssey in Piraeus
ARRIVE DEPART

overnight
JUN 25 PIRAEUS (Athens) Greece 7.00pm
JUN 26 NAUPLIA (Mycenae) Greece 7.00am 10.00pm
JUN 27 At Sea
JUN 28 SYRACUSE Sicily 1.00pm midnight
JUN 29 TRAPANI (Segesta) Sicily 1.00pm midnight
JUN 30 PALERMO Sicily 7.00am overnight
JUL 1 PALERMO (Monreale) Sicily 1.00pm
Cruising past Stromboli
JUL 2 SORRENTO Italy
(Pompeii & Herculaneum) 8.00am overnight
JUL 3 SORRENTO Italy 6.00pm
JUL 4 Cruising the Maddalena Archipelago
BONIFACIO Corsica 1.00pm 7.00pm
JUL 5 LIVORNO (Florence) Italy 7.00am 7.00pm
JUL 6 CIVITAVECCHIA/ROME Italy 7.00am
Transfer to Rome Airport for flight home

MR BRIDGE SPECIAL FARES

BEST AVAILABLE CABIN FLY-CRUISE FARE SAVE
INSIDE CABINS (CAT: M/L/K) £1,995 £1,610
PREMIUM OUTSIDE CABINS (CAT: I/H/G) £2,350 £2,610
DELUXE BALCONY CABINS (CAT: D/C) £2,695 £4,410

Why not extend your trip with a

2-night stay in Rome?
NO SINGLE Prices from £328pp (twin) or £460pp (single)
SUPPLEMENTS CALL FOR MORE DETAILS

fares from just £1,995pp include:

Book now to benefit from these unbeatable fares •FULL BRIDGE PROGRAMME •SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
and secure the best cabin available. •EXPERTLY PLANNED ITINERARIES
Visit some of the greatest sites of antiquity. From the treasures •SHORE EXCURSIONS IN ALL PORTS OF CALL
of classical Greece to the grandeur of Renaissance Florence, •EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS
enjoy daily duplicate bridge and these special fares. •WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD
•OPEN-SEATING DINING
• GRATUITIES ON BOARD
•EXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE COCKTAIL PARTY

Mr Bridge Passengers The bridge programme is

exclusive to Mr Bridge bookings and is completely
optional. Mr Bridge passengers can participate
as much, or as little as they wish. There will
QUIZ solution: 1NT

be a duplicate session every evening and

bridge every afternoon the ship is at sea.
Call Mr Bridge to reserve your cabin - but hurry, Singles are made especially welcome –
a playing partner will always be found.
you don’t want to miss the boat at these prices.
All prices, savings and offers shown are subject to availability at the time of booking. Prices are per
CALL ON 01483 489961 person, based on double occupancy and available only on certain cabin grades and the sailings shown,
and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Single accommodation is available only in certain
categories, and subject to availability.

10093
V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY
www.mrbridge.co.uk ABTA No.Y2206

BRIDGE
4 Mr Bridge
Ryden Grange, Knaphill,
Surrey GU21 2TH
( 01483 489961
e-mail:
bridge@mrbridge.co.uk
website:
www.mrbridge.co.uk
13 David Stevenson
Publisher and
Managing Editor
Mr Bridge
Bridge Consultant
Bernard Magee
Technical Consultant
Tony Gordon
Typesetting & Design
Ruth Edmondson
Proof Readers
Tony & Jan Richards
Catrina Shackleton
Richard Wheen
Hugh Williams
Office Manager
Rachel Everett
Events & Cruises 39 Julian Pottage
( 01483 489961
Rosie Baker
Jessica Galt
Megan Riccio
Sophie Pierrepont
Clubs & Charities ADVERTISEMENTS
Maggie Axtell
maggie@mrbridge.co.uk
Address Changes
Elizabeth Bryan
( 01483 485342
elizabeth@mrbridge.co.uk
All correspondence should
be addressed to Mr Bridge.
Please make sure that all
letters, e-mails and faxes
carry full postal addresses
and telephone numbers.
FEATURES 8 Italy, Sicily and
Classical Aegean with Bernard Magee’s
3 Bidding Quiz
Voyages to Antiquity
by Bernard Magee
10 Bernard Magee
Bidding Quiz
Haslemere DVDs You are West in the
7 Bidding Quiz Answers auctions below, playing
12 Tunisia 2013/2014
by Bernard Magee ‘Standard Acol’ with a
9 David Huggett Says 14 Mr Bridge Christmas weak no-trump (12-14
Support Partner & New Year 2013/2014 points) and 4-card majors.
11 The Diaries of 15 Duplicate Bridge (Answers on page 7.)
Wendy Wensum Rules Simplified
12 Bridge and Travel Tip 23 Mr Bridge
Just Duplicate Bridge 1. Dealer West. Love All.
24 Global Travel Insurance ♠ 9 4
Answers Your Questions
26 Eric Hill – Joanna ♥ A 7 4 3
N
W E
17 Defence Quiz
♦ K Q 7 6 2 S
by Julian Pottage 28 Bridge Events at: ♣ A 3
18 Defence Quiz Answers Cheltenham
by Julian Pottage Regency Hotel
Elstead Hotel West North East South
19 The A to Z of
Queensferry Hotel ?
Bridge: U to Z Blunsdon House Hotel
by Julian Pottage
29 Charity Events
23 Used Stamps Received 2. Dealer East. Love All.
29 Stamps
27 Readers’ Letters ♠ Q 7
30 Voyages of Discovery ♥ K 5 3 2 N
31 The Green Thing
Mediterranean Medley ♦ 7 4 3 W E
S
33 Back to Nature on board Voyager ♣ A 8 3 2
with the Baron
32 Rubber / Chicago
by Dick Atkinson
Bridge Events
35 Catching Up West North East South
32 Bridge Events at 1♥ Pass
by Sally Brock
Denham Grove
36 Seven Days
2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
37 Bridge Events at ?
by Sally Brock
The Olde Barn Hotel
38 Bridge Events at:
Answers Your Questions 3. Dealer East. Love All.
Ardington Hotel
43 Declarer Play Quiz ♠ 5
Chatsworth House
♥ 9 8 7 2
by David Huggett
38 QPlus 10 ♦ Q 8 4 3 2
N
W E
44 Declarer Play Answers ♣ 8 7 6 S
by David Huggett 38 S R Designs
Bridge Tables
42 Eric Hill – Kalinda West North East South
2 Ancient Greece and 44 Begin Bridge 2♣ Pass
the Magic of Italy with with Bernard Magee 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
Voyages to Antiquity 45 Tutorial Software
?
5 Mail Order Form and QPlus
6 Bridge Event 46 Voyages to Antiquity 4. Dealer North. Love All.
Booking Form Terms & Conditions ♠ J 9 8
6 Bridge Events with 47 Voyages to Antiquity ♥ A 8 7 6
N
Bernard Magee Booking Form ♦ J 6 5 4 3 W E
7 Bridge Events at 48 Venice to Rome with ♣ 8 S
The Inn on the Prom Voyages to Antiquity
West North East South
1♣ 1♥ 1♠
The views expressed in this publication are not ?
necessarily those of the publisher.
Page 3
 SAME MESSAGE
I have endeavoured to send
BRIDGE to thousands of
households within the UK
peaking several years ago at
around 143,000 copies. This
service was sustained with
the help of advertisers and
sponsors.
Indeed, demand for my
promotional magazine has
now grown to such an
extent that I have to rely on
some of you reading these
pages online using the
marvellous developments
of modern technology.
However, my personal
preference is to receive a
copy by post and to be able
to feel it and pick it up and
put it down, as and when....
The recent rise in postal
charges is the last straw – a
further 8% on top of last
year’s draconian rise. So
you may find yourself
receiving one real copy
every three or four months
in future. Do look at a
virtual copy online and
print off the pages that you
want to read.
Alternatively, you may take
up a subscription as those
wanting to be sure of
receiving continuous hard
copies already have. £20 for
12 issues or £35 for 24.
I am not trying to sell
subscriptions and indeed
know that many of you will
be quite satisfied with your
occasional copy. BRIDGE
can also be read on tablets
and mobile phones – now
there’s a thought and a half
for some of you.
QPLUS 11
2796-11, 5929-05, 5060-07
9680-05, 9680-06, 3515-04
A few more interesting
hands for you to try.
Johannes Leber is currently
fine-tuning his QPlus
software ahead of this
summer’s World Bridge
Computer Championships.
At the end of July, when all
is done and dusted he will
be able to incorporate any
extra features that may
arise from this annual
experience and by the end
of the summer deliver
QPlus 11 as promised.
Those readers who would
like to buy QPlus should
send £92 NOW and receive
the current version (QPlus
10). I promise to send you
QPlus 11 as soon as it is
ready. As both versions are
self-contained, you will be
able to give QPlus 10 to a
friend once you receive
your QPlus 11.
If you are looking to
upgrade from an earlier
version of QPlus, just
return the disc and the
instruction booklet, with a
cheque for £43.
BARON FOR MAC
As QPlus is for Windows
only, to use the software on
your Mac, you will need to
install Windows for Mac
converter software. I know
that many of you are
reluctant to do this, so I
now stock the latest version
of Bridge Baron (23) as the
best Mac compatible Acol
playing program. See order
form on facing page.
BARON UPGRADE
As a special treat for those
with earlier versions of
Bridge Baron, I will accept
an old version and a cheque
for £25. You will receive
Baron 23 by return.
Page 4
COVER STORY
Two cruises on lovely
Aegean Odyssey at short
notice with special prices.
For those sharing a double
or twin-bedded cabin,
allocation at the special
prices will be on a first
come, first served basis. For
singles, there is no
supplement, subject only to
availability.
Greece & Italy
June 24 – July 6
See page 2.
Rome to Istanbul
July 6 – July 18
See page 8.
If you haven’t heard about
Aegean Odyssey before, she
is pleasantly spacious and
usually sails with around
320 passengers.
Have a look at the layout of
the ship on page 46 and
then get on and use the
booking form on the inside
of the back cover. Just for
the record, included in your
price are scheduled flights
in and out of Heathrow, all
shore excursions, wine with
dinner when on board,
open-seating dining, on
board gratuities and most
importantly, your bridge.
However, you don’t need to
be a bridge player to join
our party and take
advantage of a good deal.
WEB PAGE FORUM
www.mrbridge.co.uk
Ned Paul answers questions
on my behalf. Do make use
of this useful service.
CLUB INSURANCE
I am still scare mongering,
trying to drum up even
more business for Moore
Stephens. Their insurance
package, for bridge clubs of
up to 100 members, at a
premium of around £60 per
annum certainly seems
good value. Why every club
isn’t covered in this
litigious age I just do not
know. Club secretaries need
to protect their committee
members and can do so by
ringing Moore Stephens on
( 0207 515 5270
GOFFIES STAMPS
If you want to save on
postage you should try
Clive Goff’s discounted
stamp service.
Value supplied in two
stamps, combined to make
up the 50p 2nd class rate,
2nd class to you 41p. 1st
class 60p, only 50p to you.
Available in lots of 100.
( 0208 422 4906
clive.goff@londonrugby.com
PLAYING CARDS
My wonderful premium
quality playing cards are
back in stock. I confirm
that they are available from
the London Bridge Centre
at £60 for 60 packs unboxed,
with or without barcodes.
( 0207 288 1305
All good wishes
Mr Bridge
 ✄
We Are Survivors
(For those born Before 1940 . . .)
We were born before television,
before penicillin, polio shots,
frozen foods, Xerox, contact
lenses, videos and the pill. We
were before radar, credit cards,
split atoms, laser beams and
ballpoint pens, before dish-
washers, tumble driers, electric
blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry
clothes . . . and before man walked
on the moon.
We got married first and then
lived together (how quaint can
you be?). We thought ‘fast food’
was what you ate in Lent, a ‘Big
Mac’ was an oversized raincoat
and ‘crumpet’ we had for tea. We
existed before house husbands,
computer dating and sheltered
accommodation was where you
waited for a bus.
We were before day care centres,
group homes and disposable
nappies. We never heard of FM
radio, tape decks, artificial hearts,
word processors, or young men
wearing earrings. For us ‘time
sharing’ meant togetherness, a
‘chip’ was a piece of wood or fried
potato, ‘hard­ware’ meant nuts
and bolts and ‘software’ wasn’t
a word.
Before 1940 ‘Made in Japan’
meant junk, the term ‘making
out’ referred to how you did in
your exams, ‘stud’ was something
that fastened a collar to a shirt
and ‘going all the way’ meant
staying on a double-decker bus to
the terminus. In our day, cigarette
smoking was ‘fashionable’, ‘grass’
was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in the
coalhouse, a ‘joint’ was a piece of
meat you ate on Sundays and ‘pot’
was something you cooked in.
‘Rock Music’ was a fond mother’s
lullaby, ‘Eldorado’ was an ice-
cream, a ‘gay person’ was the life
and soul of the party, while ‘aids’
just meant beauty treatment or
help for someone in trouble.
We who were born before 1940
must be a hardy bunch when
you think of the way in which
the world has changed and the
adjustments we have had to make.
No wonder there is a generation
gap today . . . BUT
By the grace of God . . .
we have survived!
Printed in the UK on a
100% cotton tea-towel
£7 from Art Screen Prints
( 01287 637527
✄
Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER
PLAY SOFTWARE TEA TOWELS BOOK
QPlus 10 / QPlus 11 10 Commandments for Duplicate Bridge Rules
when ready £92.00 ......... Duplicate Players £7.00 ......... Simplified £5.95 .........
QPlus 10 25 Road Traffic Signs for
Trade-in £43.00 ......... Bridge Players £7.00 ......... BRIDGE PLAYERS’
QPlus 9, clean, Back In Our Day £7.00 ......... DIARIES
second-hand £49.00 ......... Standard:
Bridge Baron £63.00 ......... TUTORIAL DVDs Red £6.95 .........
2011 Series – £25 each Navy £6.95 .........
TUTORIAL SOFTWARE Ruffing for Extra Tricks ......... Tan £6.95 .........
Begin Bridge
Competitive Auctions ......... Black £6.95 .........
Acol Version £66.00 .........
Making the
Acol Bidding £66.00 ......... Ivory £6.95 .........
Most of High Cards .........
Advanced Green £6.95 .........
Identifying &
Acol Bidding £96.00 ......... Burgundy £6.95 .........
Bidding Slams .........
Declarer Play £76.00 Cambridge Blue £6.95 .........
Play & Defence of
Advanced 1NT Contracts ......... Club Prices
Declarer Play £81.00 10 for £35 .........
Doubling & Defence
to Doubled Contracts ......... and pro rata
Defence £76.00 .........
Five-Card Majors All 6 DVDs Luxury Kidrell Covers
with Strong as a boxed set £100.00 ......... & ball-point pen:
No-Trump £89.00 ......... Ruby Red £14.95 .........
2012 Series – £25 each
Better Bridge with
Leads ......... Navy Blue £14.95 .........
Bernard Magee
Haslemere 2011 £69.00 ......... Losing Trick Count ......... Bottle Green £14.95 .........
Bundleware Offer Making a Plan as Declarer........ Club Prices
Any two CDs £140.00 ......... 10 for £90 .........
Responding to 1NT ......... and pro rata
Signals & Discards .........
TEA TOWELS
Endplays ......... SUBSCRIPTION
Life’s a Game, but
Bridge is Serious £7.00 ......... All 6 DVDs Introductory Rate
as a boxed set £100.00 .........
The Pot Boiler. A Double
12 Months £20.00 .........
Dummy Problem £7.00 .........
24 Months £35.00 .........
10 Commandments for MR BRIDGE TIE
Bridge Players £7.00 ......... £15.00 ......... 36 Months £50.00 .........
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
Page 5
 ✄
BRIDGE  BRIDGE EVENTS
with Bernard Magee
BREAKS
NOVEMber 2013
♦ Full-board ♦ Two seminars*
8-10 Olde Barn Hotel
♦ All rooms with ♦ Two supervised
£245 Better Leads
en-suite facilities play sessions*
& Switches
♦ No single supplement ♦ Four bridge sessions**
15-17 Chatsworth Hotel
Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person, £245 Bidding
Distributional
Single .... Double .... Twin .... Hands
Chatsworth Hotel
Name of Hotel/Centre............................................................. Worthing BN11 3DU
22-24 Blunsdon
House Hotel
Date(s) .................................................................................... £245 Better Defence
JULY 2013
Mr/Mrs/Miss ......................................................................... 5-7 Blunsdon
House Hotel
Address................................................................................... £245 Signals & Discards

................................................................................................ 12-14 Cheltenham

Regency
Postcode ................................................................................. £245 Thinking Defence

( ...........................................................................................
October 2013
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, 11-13 Blunsdon Queensferry Hotel
but we will do our best to oblige). House Hotel North Queensferry KY11 1HP
£245 Splinters
................................................................................................ and Cue Bids
JANUARY 2014
Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking. 18-20 Chatsworth Hotel
£245 Playing & 17-19 Elstead Hotel
................................................................................................ Defending 1NT £245 Doubles
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by 25-27 Queensferry 17-19 Chatsworth
cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will be sent Hotel Hotel
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment,
£245 Finding Slams £245 Better Leads
28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent
together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. Should you & Switches
require insurance, you should contact your own insurance broker.
March 2014
21-23 Inn on the Prom
£245 Doubles

April 2014
Expiry: ................................. CVV......................... Issue No....................
(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip) 4-6 Chatsworth
Cheltenham Regency Hotel Hotel
Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. Cheltenham GL51 0ST £245 Finding Slams
( 01483 489961
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
website: www.holidaybridge.com Full Board. No Single Supplement.
*on tutorial weekends only. **6 sessions on rubber/Chicago events. See Booking Form on page 6.
Please note: Just Bridge events contain no seminars and do not award prizes.
✄

Page 6
 Answers to Bernard Magee’s
Bidding Quiz on page 3
1. Dealer West. Love All.
♠ 9 4
N
♥ A 7 4 3
W E
♦ K Q 7 6 2 S 3♦. In duplicate bridge it is important to
♣ A 3
West North East South
? partner has long hearts and harbours
1♦. Surely it cannot be that easy? I am
afraid it is.
You have 13 high card points and an
unbalanced hand, so open in your long-
est suit: 1♦.
Two important things not to do:
Do not open 1NT on an unbalanced
hand unless you have strong holdings
in your doubletons. Swap the ♦K for the
♠K, but with the same shape, then you
might contemplate a 1NT opening – your
diamond suit would be very weak for re-
bidding and you would have all-round
strength.
Do not open a four-card major instead
of a five-card minor. A long time ago,
there was a school of thought to do this,
but nowadays you will dig a big hole.
The idea of opening 1♥ is that then you
can easily rebid 2♦ without showing extra
strength, but unfortunately you lie about
your lengths. Your partner will place you
with at least five hearts and you will end
up in the wrong contract.
2. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ Q 7 ♠ 6 5
N
♥ K 5 3 2
W E
♥ A J 10 8 7 6
♦ 7 4 3 S ♦ A Q 8
♣ A 8 3 2 ♣ 7 5
West North East South
1♥ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♥ Pass
? ♦ J 6 5 4 3 S
Pass. In old, traditional Acol, the raise
to 3♥ would have been invitational, but
that is not the case now. Once hearts are
agreed, you have all sorts of bids you can
make to invite game: 2♠, 2NT, 3♣ and
compete for every hand, so it is important
to be able to bid 3♥ as a competitive
raise. It is an effort to keep your opponents
quiet – it is not an invitation to game. Your
no thoughts for game. However, he can
envisage the opponents making their own
contract. He bids 3♥ and hopes to buy
the contract. Had East passed 2♥, South
might well have reopened the auction
and North-South might have found their
spade contract.
3. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 5 ♠ A K Q J 10 2
♥ 9 8 7 2 N ♥ A K Q
W E
♦ Q 8 4 3 2 S ♦ A 5
♣ 8 7 6 ♣ 9 5
West North East South
2♣ Pass
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
?
2NT. After an Acol 2♣ opening and a
rebid in a suit, you are forced to bid until
game is reached: you must not pass.
Having given one negative response, with
a hand of 0-2 points with no support, you
should give a second negative, which is
a bid of 2NT. This tells your partner that
you expect to be of little or no help in his
quest for a slam. East would rebid 4♠ to
end the auction.
4. Dealer North. Love All.
♠ J 9 8 ♠ 10 6 3
N
♥ A 8 7 6 W E
♥ K Q J 4 3
♦ A 8
♣ 8 ♣ 9 7 6
Page 7
West North East South
1♣ 1♥ 1♠
?
3♥. Your partner has made a non-
vulnerable one-level overcall: he is
not promising much. Generally, when
responding to an overcall, you should
support aggressively, trying to disrupt
your opponents’ bidding and compete
the hand to the full. Only when you have
an opening hand or better might you take
your time a little, bidding the opponents’
suit to show your strength.
The best way to compete aggressively
is to bid to the level of your fit: add the
number of cards you have to the number
you expect partner to hold (five for an
overcall); nine. Bid to make nine tricks:
3♥.
3♥ is likely to go one off and cost 50
points, but that is much better than al-
lowing your opponents to play in their
contract. If you had bid just 2♥, North
might have been able to rebid 3♣ and
now South might push on to 4♣ over 3♥,
which would make for 130 points. Over
3♥, North has a difficult choice – bidding
high and fast puts a lot of pressure on
your opponents. ■
The Inn
on the Prom
St Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU
12-14 July 2013
Kay Adamson
Just Duplicate Bridge £169
16-18 August
Gwen Beattie
Just Duplicate Bridge £169
21-23 March 2014
Bernard Magee
Doubles £245
Full Board
No Single Supplement
Booking Form on page 6.
 Is

ON S HU
SU AV GE
M I
M N
ER G
CRUISE TO V S OY
AG

ITALY, SICILY
Civitavecchia
Rome
Italy Istanbul E S
Sorrento
Lemnos
Tyrrhenian TURKEY
Sea Aegean
Palermo Greece Sea Izmir

& CLASSICAL AEGEAN Taormina Athens

Sicily Nauplia Delos Mykonos

13-day fly-cruise departing July 6, 2013

DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART
JUL 6 Fly to ROME Italy
Transfer to Civitavecchia to
board Aegean Odyssey 6.00pm
JUL 7 SORRENTO (Pompeii) Italy 8.00am overnight
JUL 8 SORRENTO Italy 2.00pm
JUL 9 PALERMO (Monreale) Sicily 8.00am overnight
JUL 10 PALERMO (Segesta) Sicily 8.00pm
JUL 11 TAORMINA Sicily 8.00am 7.00pm
JUL 12 At Sea
JUL 13 NAUPLIA (Mycenae) Greece 8.00am 6.00pm
JUL 14 PIRAEUS (Athens) Greece 8.00am 9.00pm
JUL 15 DELOS/MYKONOS Greek Islands 7.00am 6.00pm
JUL 16 IZMIR (Ephesus) Turkey 7.00am 7.00pm
JUL 17 LEMNOS Greek Islands 8.00am 1.00pm
Cruising the Dardanelles
JUL 18 ISTANBUL Turkey 7.00am
Disembark and transfer to airport for flight home

MR BRIDGE SPECIAL FARES

BEST AVAILABLE CABIN FLY-CRUISE FARE SAVE
INSIDE CABINS (CAT: M/L/K) £1,995 £1,740
PREMIUM OUTSIDE CABINS (CAT: I/H/G) £2,350 £2,720
DELUXE BALCONY CABINS (CAT: D/C) £2,695 £4,540
Why not extend your trip with a 2-night
hotel stay in Rome at the start, and/or
2 nights in Istanbul at the end?

NO SINGLE Rome: Prices from £328pp (twin) or £460pp (single)

Istanbul: Prices from £338pp (twin) or £608pp (single)
SUPPLEMENTS CALL FOR MORE DETAILS

fares from just £1,995pp include:

A unique Mediterranean and Aegean •FULL BRIDGE PROGRAMME •SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
bridge cruise with extraordinary savings. •EXPERTLY PLANNED ITINERARIES
Join our bridge team on this fascinating voyage that will •SHORE EXCURSIONS IN MOST PORTS OF CALL
take you to some of the most impressive and memorable •EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS
Roman and Greek monuments in the world. •WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD
•OPEN-SEATING DINING
• GRATUITIES ON BOARD
•EXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE COCKTAIL PARTY

Mr Bridge Passengers The bridge programme

Call Mr Bridge now to reserve the best available
cabin, and benefit from these huge savings.
is exclusive to Mr Bridge bookings and is
completely optional. Mr Bridge passengers
can participate as much, or as little as they
wish. There will be a duplicate session every
evening and bridge every afternoon the ship
is at sea. Singles are made especially welcome –
a playing partner will always be found.

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10093
V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY
www.mrbridge.co.uk ABTA No.Y2206

O
ne key to good bidding is to
understand when you have
found a fit and to tell partner
the good news as soon as possible.
The more trumps you have the better
– eight or more is ideal – they generate
tricks in their own right and stop the
opponents from cashing winners. Look
at the following two hands and think
how you would respond to an opening
bid of 1♥ from partner:
Hand A Hand B
♠ A 7 6 3 ♠ A 7 6 3
♥ K 5 ♥ K 5 3 2
♦ J 9 7 6 ♦ J 9 7
♣ 8 7 5 ♣ 8 7
With no immediate fit, you respond
1♠ with hand A even though it is quite
weak. Many would do the same with
hand B as well and that is wrong. Why
is that? Whatever partner’s hand might
be, he will not have more spades than
hearts – else he would have opened 1♠.
You therefore know you cannot have a
better fit in any other suit and so should
raise to 2♥ with this minimum hand.
2♥ shows a hand of about 6-9 points or a
nine-loser hand for those familiar with
that concept. Make your hand slightly
stronger (with the club king instead
of the eight) and you would bid 3♥ –
showing about 10-11 points or an eight-
loser hand.
Because in Acol an opening bid of one
only promises a four-card suit, it is not
usual to support partner immediately
with less than four cards in the suit
(although there are exceptions).
Sometimes you know that partner
must have at least a five-card suit and
then you can raise with three-card
support. Look at the following two
hands and see what conclusions you
come to and what you should bid next:
Dave Huggett Says
Support Partner
Hand C Hand D
♠ A K 8 7 ♠ A K 8 7
♥ K 8 7 ♥ K 8 7
♦ K 6 4 2 ♦ 7 3
♣ 7 3 ♣ K 6 4 2
You Partner You Partner should raise to the two level with three-
1♥ 1♥
1♠ 2♥ 1♠ 2♦ card support and to the four level with
? ?
With hand C, you should bid 4♥: by
repeating his suit, partner must have at
least five hearts, often six. Even facing a
mini­mum opener, you know you have
game values. Now you know that your
side has at least eight hearts, you bid 4♥. ♦ K Q 7 6
It might be harder to see with hand
D, but again you bid 4♥ as partner must
have at least five hearts. With a flat hand, ♥ 4 W E
say 2-4-4-3, he would have opened 1NT
or rebid no-trumps; with 1-4-4-4 and a
singleton spade, he would surely have
rebid 2♣, not 2♦. So, with an eight-card
fit and game values you bid 4♥.
Another source of confusion is how
to continue after partner has overcalled.
So what would you do if partner had
overcalled an opening 1♥ bid with 1♠
and with third hand passing you hold:
Hand E
♠ A 7 6
♥ 6 5
♦ K 10 7 6 5
♣ Q 5 4
I hope you do not bid 2♦; it is wrong
because partner must have at least a
five-card suit for his overcall. Knowing
you have an eight-card fit or better, it is
right to bid 2♠. Moreover, a change of
suit after an overcall is not forcing, as it
Page 9
would be after an opening bid.
If you bid 2♦, partner could easily pass
and then you would lose the spade fit.
On a more advanced level, if you have
support for partner in the suit in which
he has overcalled but in a relatively weak
hand, somewhere in the 6-10 bracket say,
you should raise. In broad terms, you
card support, to the three level with four-
five-card support. In other words, you
bid to make the same number of tricks as
your side has trumps, assuming the over-
caller has five. Let us see this in action:
♠ 6
♥ A Q 8 7 6
♣ A 5 2
♠ K 10 8 7 5 N ♠ A Q 9 3 2
♥ 10 9 2
S
♦ 9 8 2 ♦ J 3
♣ K J 10 3 ♣ Q 8 4
♠ J 4
♥ K J 5 3
♦ A 10 5 4
♣ 9 7 6
West North East South
1♥ 1♠ 3♥
4♠ ?
By the time the bidding is back to North,
it is at the four-level. His side can make
4♥, but not 5♥ and 4♠ is only one down.
The best North can do is double but that
is far from obvious.
I always believe in bidding what you
think partner wants to hear if possible,
and what partner wants to hear most of
all is that you can support his suit. There
are a million cases that we could have
considered and we have looked at just a
few. These are enough to give food for
thought, I hope. ■
BERNARD MAGEE
Filmed Live at Haslemere Festival
2011
1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks
This seminar deals with declarer’s use of ruffing
to generate extra tricks and then looks at how the
defenders might counteract this.
2 Competitive Tricks
This seminar focuses on competitive auctions from the
perspective of the overcalling side to start with and
then from the perspective of the opening side in the
second part.
3 Making the Most of High Cards
This seminar helps declarer to use his high cards more
carefully and then looks at how defenders should care
for their precious high cards.
4 Identifying & Bidding Slams
The first half of this seminar is about identifying when
a slam might be on – one of the hardest topics
to teach. The second half covers some of the
techniques used to bid slams.
5 Play & Defence of 1NT Contracts
This seminar looks at the most common and
yet most feared of contracts: 1NT. The first half
looks at declaring the contract and the second
part puts us in the defenders’ seats.
6 Doubling & Defence
against Doubled Contracts
The first half of this seminar explores penalty
doubles and the second half discusses the
defence against doubled contracts.
DVDs
Each £25. Boxed Set of 6 £100
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
2012
7 Leads
Bernard takes you through all the basic leads and the
importance of your choice of lead. If you start to think
not just about your hand, but about your partner’s too,
then you will get much better results.
8 Losing Trick Count
A method of hand evaluation for when you find a fit.
Bernard deals with the basics of the losing trick count
then looks at advanced methods to hone your bidding.
9 Making a Plan as Declarer
Bernard explains how to make a plan then expands on
how to make the most of your long suits. The first half
deals with no-trumps, the second with suit contracts.
10 Responding to 1NT
This seminar deals with Transfers and Stayman in
detail. The 1NT opening comes up frequently, so having
a good, accurate system of responses is paramount.
11 Signals & Discards
This seminar deals with Count, Attitude
and Suit-preference signals: aiming to get
you working as a partnership in defence.
12 Endplays
Bernard takes you through the basics of the
technique before showing some magical hands
where you take extra tricks from defenders. In the
second half, Bernard looks at how to avoid being
endplayed as a defender.
DVDs
Each £25. Boxed Set of 6 £100
Fax 01483 797302
 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum
I
t was a pairs evening at the Riv-
erside Bridge Club when, with a
large brandy poised at lip level,
Millie proposed that, as we now play
five-card majors, we should introduce
a forcing 1NT response. I was rather
doubtful, as I always am when Millie
suggests a change to our well-honed
system. However, a couple of gin and
tonics later, I was less concerned and
possibly even a little enthusiastic as
we swayed from bar to bridge room.
As we passed the director, he eyed us
suspiciously. Millie stopped and, with
a guilty look on her face, greeted him
with, ‘I’m sorry I was cross about that
ruling you made against me last week.’
‘I don’t recall any antipathy,’ replied
the director politely, but with a puz-
zled edge to his voice. ‘Ah, yes,’ con-
tinued Millie, ‘I remember now. Do
not open that email I sent you; just
delete it.’ With that, she hurried me to
our table. ‘What was that all about?’ I
inquired of Millie. ‘I think I may have
acted a bit hastily last week,’ was her
response. ‘Well, confide in me,’ I re-
sponded, jokingly adding, ‘Although I
will not be listening, I am sure it will
make you feel better anyway.’ Millie
laughed but said nothing more.
After a few rounds, the following deal
appeared. Millie opened 1♠ and East
passed. While I blame the effect of one
too many G and Ts, I soon regretted
using our new gadget by responding
1NT. Of course, in reality I had several
other options, the obvious one being
to support spades. West passed and, to
my great surprise, so did Millie.
North South
Millie Wendy
1♠ (5-card suit) 1NT (forcing)
Pass (!)
Episode 14:
Director Rules, OK?
♠ A Q 7 3 2
♥ K 5 2
♦ J 8 3
♣ A 10
♠ 10 ♠ J 9 8 5
♥ Q 9 7 6 3 N ♥ J 10
W E
♦ A Q 7 4 S ♦ 10 9
♣ K 7 6 ♣ J 9 8 5 2
♠ K 6 4
♥ A 8 4
♦ K 6 5 2
♣ Q 4 3
As Millie left the table to buy herself
another large brandy, I explained to
our opponents that my 1NT bid was
forcing according to our agreement.
West seemed content and led her
fourth highest heart; I allowed East
to win the trick with the ten. East
returned the jack of hearts to my ace.
I played two rounds of spades, finding
the bad news, before continuing with
two more rounds anyway. I discarded
a heart while West threw away a club
and two diamonds. East won with
the jack and led the ten of diamonds.
I ducked in hand and West took the
trick with the queen. She then led
another heart, which I won on table
with the king, East discarding a club
and I a diamond. I played out the last
spade; East ditched another club, I
threw another diamond and West a
heart. I now led the small diamond
from dummy, which West had to take
with the ace. West cashed her master
heart, but dummy won the last two
tricks with the ♣A and ♦J.
The ensuing result was 1NT plus
one for +120. I reminded Millie on her
return from the bar that the 1NT bid
was forcing. ‘Really, dear,’ she replied
Page 11
curtly, ‘if you will insist on playing
these newfangled conventions, you
must expect problems. I suppose we
missed 3NT.’ ‘Yes, luckily we did,’ I
admitted, ‘but I think we could have
been in spades.’
The lady on my left called, ‘Director,
please.’ On his arrival, she explained
the auction and complained, ‘Millie
and Wendy don’t know what they’re
doing.’ ‘Nothing new there then.’
quipped the director rather unkindly
and certainly ungallantly. ‘Mind
you,’ he continued, ‘I should probably
impose a fine or award an adjusted
score.’ Millie looked rather indignant:
‘Why?’ she protested innocently.
‘Well, for a start, incapacitated in
charge of a bidding box. Secondly,
failure to display an alert card after
a conventional 1NT bid and finally,
sending a rude email to a director
in the lawful pursuit of his duties,’
stated the director forcibly. To be
fair, he had to admit that the third
offence was currently unproven as he
had not checked his emails recently.
As he returned to his table, Millie
remarked quietly, ‘Was he serious?’
adding inappropriately, ‘I still think
he’s a hunk, though.’ ‘Millie, behave.’
I rejoined her.
As we entered our usual hostelry
after bridge, Millie announced that
the same piano player as the previous
week was tinkling the ivories in the
next bar. I inquired as to how she
could tell. ‘He’s mangling the same
melodies as last time,’ was the abrupt
reply of someone who clearly had
other matters on her mind. ‘I wonder
if the director has read his emails yet,’
she mused nervously. ‘Get me a large
brandy, Wendy dear. I really think I
need one.’ ■
 Bridge and Travel Tips
Mr Bridge
AT THE ROYAL KENZ BITE THE BULLET
TUNISIA 2013/2014 Bridge tip from Sally Brock:
Don’t ask partner to make the
decisions that are yours to make

T
his is following on in
similar vein to last
month’s tip, but there
I was talking about bal-
anced hands. If you have
a distributional hand which
you cannot describe and
don’t know whether or
not it will fit with partner’s,
don’t ask his opinion – just
bid game.
Suppose you hold:
♠ K 9 7 5 4
♥ A J 6 5 4
♦ 8 7
♣ 10
Two-week half-board
Suppose partner shows a
duplicate bridge holiday weak no-trump with four
cards in spades. Perhaps
in hearts, but (a) it’s not just
his heart holding that is im-
portant, and (b) if you are
going to bid a thin game
you don’t want to tell your
opponents how to defend.
Just bid four spades.
When this deal cropped
up, he actually held:
♠ Q J 6 2
♥ 7
♦ Q J 6 4
♣ A K 7 4
OK, you are lucky that he
has a singleton heart, but
West’s natural lead was a
club from Q-J-9-8-2, so
you would have had good
chances even if there were

3-17 November 2013 he opens one no-trump

and you start with Stayman;
Golf available or maybe he opens a pre-
pared club and raises your
Tony and Jan Richards one spade to two spades,
£769* usually showing four-card
support and a minimum
hand. You could bid three
23 Feb – 9 March 2014 hearts, asking him for help
four top losers.
My tip, like last month,
is to bid the game your-
self when you have nine or
more trumps between you
and any prospects what-
soever. That way you give
away as little information
as possible.

Golf available
Travel tip from Emma Thomson:
Bernard Magee and his team

A
wise man once said, ‘Needing travel insur-
£799* ance is like needing a parachute. If it isn’t
*per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive of
there the first time, chances are you won’t
bridge fees. Single supplement £6 per night. These prices are based on air be needing it again.’ A standard policy should in-
travel from Heathrow to Tunis. Flights from other UK airports are available
clude: medical and health cover for an injury or sud-
at a supplement. Prices for seven-night stays are available on application.
Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facing room, tea &
den illness abroad, 24-hour emergency assistance,
coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl of seasonal fruit. personal liability cover, lost and stolen possessions
cover, and cancellation or curtailment of your trip.
These holidays have been organised for Mr Bridge by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933.
Pay careful attention to which activities are covered:
you’re safe playing bridge, but surprisingly sports
DETAILS & BOOKINGS such as cricket, canoeing or camel trekking may re-
quire an ‘adventure activities’ supplement.
( 01483 489961

Page 12
 David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics
Q
I wonder if you
could help with
this problem?
I was called to a table
to learn that, at trick 12,
East discovered he had
left one card (a club)
in the wallet. South,
declarer, went one down
in a contract of 5♦. I
know that players are
supposed to count their
cards before looking
at them, but I cannot
discover from the law
book what happens if
they don’t, as in this
case. Being uncertain,
I advised them to
score the board as one
down whilst I tried to
resolve the issue.
I was due to play
the board later, so
didn’t check as many
details as I should, but
I understand that the
last suit lead was not
a club. It is possible
that East had followed
suit throughout and
simply had to discard
the club on the last
trick. Equally, it is likely
that East may have
revoked somewhere
earlier, but this could
not be established. The
players couldn’t agree
whether there had been
a revoke or not. After
What Happens
When a Player
has Twelve Cards?
due deliberation, I
decided to penalise E/W
one trick on the basis
that a revoke was more
likely than not. Thus,
South made the contract.
Most other pairs were in
3NT making 10 tricks.
Was my action correct
and reasonable?
David Hickman by email.
A A
You seem to have
started off on the
wrong foot. The Law
book does contain Laws (13
and 14) telling you what to
do when not everyone has
13 cards, so you should have
read this out and followed it.
Law 14 applies in this case
and you need to find out
whether there was a revoke,
since, as you have surmised
correctly, this is relevant. I
am afraid playing the board
later is no excuse: if you
have to investigate, then
being a director requires it
and if that means you are
unable to play the board
later, you will have to give
your opponents Average Plus
and yourself either Average
or Average Plus, whichever
is usual in your club.
As you discovered, trying to
find out later what happened
is nearly impossible and
I would have then ruled
under director error, giving
Page 13
both sides the benefit of the
doubt as to whether there
was a revoke or not, leading
to an unbalanced score.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I direct at a local
club and was
asked recently
whether a player should
alert when his partner
made an opening
3-level suit bid that
was not a pre-empt.
The bid in question
was a long suit with
more than 10 HCP.
Roy Lambert,
Orpington, Kent.
A
If it is normally a
pre-empt, but if a
player decided to
make it on a stronger hand
on one occasion, that is not
alertable, nor is any other
deviation. If their basic
agreement is that it shows
a stronger hand, then yes,
they should be alerting it
and describing it adequately
on their system card.
♣♦♥♠
Q
In your article
on Bridge
Etiquette, you
say that when you are
making the initial lead,
play your card before
you enter details in the
Bridgemate. Does this
mean you enter details
in the Bridgemate
when the initial lead
card is face down?
If not when exactly
should you enter details
in the Bridgemate?
Bob Brown by email.
Once you have
turned the lead
face up there is
plenty of time, while dummy
is being put down and
declarer is thinking, to put
details on a score card and
into the Bridgemate. To
do otherwise delays other
people unnecessarily.
If you are dummy, it is
best to wait until you have
put dummy down. After that,
you are not involved directly,
so have plenty of time. Of
course, if you are neither the
opening leader nor dummy,
you can start putting details
in immediately without
delaying anyone.
David Stevenson answers all
queries based on the facts
supplied by the letter writer.
Neither Mr Bridge nor
David Stevenson has any way
of knowing whether those
facts are correct or complete.

Ask David continued
Mr Bridge
Christmas & Q
At which
stage can a
director give
New Year 2013/14 an average on a board
due to slow play? 
Is it before they start
bidding or before they
Denham start playing the hand?
Ron Turner by email.
Grove
A
Once someone
Near Uxbridge, has made a call
the board may
UB9 5DU
not be stopped. It must be
completed once started.
23-27 December £495
Just Duplicate Bridge ♣♦♥♠
Q
(with a small section for I play duplicate
rubber/Chicago with Diana Holland) bridge at several
venues using a
27-29 December £215 left-handed bidding box
Signal and Discards and line my bids from
right to left. I find it most
29 December – 2 January £445 comfortable to place the
box on my left hand side,
Doubles
just as a right-handed
player seems to prefer
his/hers on the right. I
The Olde was told recently that I
must place my box on my
Barn
right. This means that
I have to reach across
my body to take my bids
Marston, Lincs,
out with my left hand.
NG32 2HT Is there a standard on
this or are clubs free to
23-27 December £495 impose their own local
rules on where bidding
Just Duplicate Bridge boxes must be placed?
If I am to be
27-29 December £215 constrained to placing
Finding Slams my box on the right,
can I object to another
29 December – 1 January £445 player’s placement of
Leads and Defence his/her cup of coffee /
glass of water / pint of
beer / bunch of keys etc.
( 01483 489961 on the table if it infringes
on my ‘personal space’
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk and, especially, if it is in
the spot where I would
website: www.holidaybridge.com
like to have placed
Booking Form on page 6. my bidding box?
Pat Tooze by email.
Page 14
A
Certainly, clubs can
make regulations
about bidding boxes.
However, I find it
difficult to believe that any
club would make such
a childish regulation.
Are you sure the person
who told you was official,
and not just some interfering
person with his own view of
the rules? There is no end
of those people and they
really do set the game back.
If someone invades your
personal space, that is
certainly illegal as well. But I
would tell them politely and
involve the director only if
they continue being a pain.
♣♦♥♠
Q
If you have
played a four-
deal Chicago,
how do you work out
the overall score?
Helen Birks by email.
A
At the end of a
four-deal rubber in
Chicago, just as in an
ordinary rubber, the scores
for each side are totalled,
one score is deducted from
the other and the difference
is the result, used for paying
any stakes, or being added
up for the session or month,
or whatever, for prizes.
So, a typical Chicago
rubber might be:
N/S, 2♠+2, N/S +120
N/S, 1NT=, N/S +40+300
(game bonus) = +340
N/S, 5♦*-4, E/W +1,100
E/W, 2♠-1 with 100
honours, N/S +100,
E/W +100 (honours)
N/S total = +120+340+100
= +560
E/W total = +1,100+100
= +1,200
So E/W win the Chicago
rubber by 640 (1,200-560).
 Ask David continued director and complained probably have been given bid meant and I said
that South had no right a penalty in addition to I took it as natural.
to bid the slam as he an adjusted score. How At the end of play, the
had obtained extra does he know they are not opponent asked why I

Q
The bidding information from North’s missing two aces? Because had not bid 3♥. I said
has gone: pause for thought. of the hesitation: if they that I took my partner’s
North disputed that it had been missing two aces 3♦ to show a weak hand
had been a long pause, North would have signed and that was the only
North South adding that he had been off immediately, with no way she could make a
1♥ 1♠ deciding whether to bid pause for thought and take-out in diamonds.
4♦ 4♥ 5♠ or 6♠. South said that this is obvious to South. The director was called
4NT1 5♥ he held the ♠Q which N/S not accepting an and the opponent
5♠2 6♠ had not been shown automatic ruling gracefully, said I should have
1
RKCB in the bidding and this then complaining about the announced that we were
2
Brief pause for thought warranted the slam bid. timing of their opponents’ playing non-promissory
South’s hand was: director call and the Stayman and the director
Before the lead was obvious use of unauthorised agreed, however, no
made, East asked for the information are all examples penalty was given.
meaning of the 4♦ bid. ♠ A Q 8 6 5 2 of gamesmanship by N/S. Was this correct?
South replied that it was ♥ 10 6 They should be warned Mrs Dean, Poole, Dorset.
either a splinter or a ♦ Q J strongly about their ethical

A
strong diamond suit. East ♣ A 9 6 approach to the game. You announce,
commented that surely Certainly, E/W might ‘Stayman,’ whether
a suit would warrant have called the director it is promissory
a bid of 3♦ and South The director went away at a different time and (horrible word) or non-
agreed. East then asked to think and later came perhaps it might have been promissory. If the opponents
the meaning of the 5♥ back with a ruling that better, but so what? They want to know whether
response. North replied the contract should be have done nothing wrong, it is promissory or not,
that this was given with amended to 5♠+1. while N/S have flouted they have to ask and it is
respect to the last suit Was the director right? the laws of the game. very difficult to imagine
bid, i.e. hearts and N/S were not amused. why they want to know.
showed two key-cards. Do you think East was ♣♦♥♠ It is perfectly legal to bid
The lead was ♥2 and guilty of gamesmanship 2♣ then 3♦ to play in 3♦ and

Q
dummy went down: by calling the director I read an article the opponents and director
as soon as it was of yours, some were wrong to chastise you.
obvious the slam was months ago, from
♠ K J 4 3 makeable (at trick 2)? which I understood that ♣♦♥♠
♥ A Q 9 4 3 Alan Brown, Stayman could be bid

Q
♦ 8 Camberley, Surrey. and used, as the bidder Please could you
♣ K Q 7 wanted to use it, that clarify the revoke

A
Certainly, the
ruling was correct.
South finessed the ♥Q South’s 6♠ bid was
successfully, at which highly unethical and in a
point East called the competition South would
DUPLICATE BRIDGE  way of using Stayman?
is, as this example:
West North East South
1NT Pass 2♣* Pass
2♥ Pass 3♦ All Pass
*announced as Stayman
Is this an acceptable
law for the
following: on round four,
declarer (South) played
a heart from dummy
which was trumped
in her hand and then
led the ♥Q. LHO (West)
has not yet played
to the ♥Q. Is this an

RULES SIMPLIFIED I (West) also had

four spades. Had my
established revoke? 
Ron Turner by email.
(otherwise known as the Yellow Book) partner said 2NT over

my 2♥ bid, I would have
by John Rumbelow and only bid 3♠, to give her a
revised by David Stevenson £5 95 choice of either a suit
or no-trump contract.
At the end of the
Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 auction, an opponent
asked what the 3♦
A
Yes, the revoking
side has played
to the next trick.
When declarer revokes, it is
established as soon as he
plays to the next trick, or calls
for a card from dummy.

Page 15
 Ask David continued
Q
Please could
I get advice
as to whether
the gambling 3NT
opener (showing a
solid minor) should
be alerted? The EBU
website is not entirely
clear on this point.
David Salmon, Shiplake.
A
The bid is artificial,
not showing a
balanced hand,
so it is alertable.
♣♦♥♠
Q
At our club in
Montrose, the
director was
called for a ruling when
declarer was about
three quarters through
calling for a card from
dummy with, ‘The 10
of h...,’ and instantly
corrected the call to,
‘No. The queen of clubs.’
The ruling was that
the ♥10 was a played
card. Was this correct?
John Williams, Montrose.
A Q
No, I am afraid
not. Similar to
spoken bidding, a
designation of a card has
not been made and thus
may be changed if it has
not been finished. So the
club queen is played.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Two pairs in our
club describe
their system
as Acol. If you enquire
further, you find they are
playing five-card majors.
Should they not tell you
this when you ask their
system? Is this Acol? I
was taught Acol opened
four-card majors.
Two more questions.
One pair say their
system is, ‘Benjaminised
Acol with five-card
majors.’ Is this allowed?
Finally, one of our
pairs says he has read
that it is an acronym
and the correct name
is ACOL. Is this true?
Jackie Smith, Blue
Jackets Bridge Club.
A
Acol is a system of
four-card majors with
light two-over-one
responses. If a pair is playing
five-card majors, they should
just call their system, ‘five-
card majors.’ It is not Acol.
You can play Benjamin
two-bids with various other
systems. The pair concerned
should call their system,
‘Benjaminised five-card
majors,’ or, ‘five-card
majors with Benjamin.’
Acol is a proper name,
named after a club in
London which was named
after the road in which it
was at the time. It is not an
acronym, and people who
spell it ACOL are incorrect.
♣♦♥♠
Please can you
comment?
♠ 8 4
♥ Q 5 2
♦ A K 10 6
♣ K 7 5 3
♠ J 10 7 6 ♠ A Q 9
♥ 10 8 7 6 4 N ♥ A K J
♦ Q J 9 W ES
♦ 5 4 3
♣ J ♣ A Q 4 2
♠ K 5 3 2
♥ 9 3
♦ 8 7 2
♣ 10 9 8 6
At the table, East advised
that E/W played five-
Page 16
card majors, with a
strong no-trump and
weak twos in the majors.
North was the director.
East opened 2♣, which
was alerted by West.
South passed. West bid
2♦ (a relay), which was
alerted by East. North
doubled (not alerted
by South). Sitting East,
with a big hand, I asked
South what the double
meant. South replied
he didn’t know, he
couldn’t remember.
I then asked North
(who was director for
the day) if South could
leave the table so that
the double could be
explained. North in the
capacity of director said
that this was not allowed.
The bidding continued
with East bidding 2NT
(indicating 20 HCP) and
West raised to 3NT.
South led the ♦7,
seemingly having
remembered that
the double was lead
directing. My question
is, ‘Under what
circumstances can a
player be asked to
leave the table so that
an explanation of a
bid can be given?’
Jean Threlfall by email.
A
It is perfectly normal
for the director to
allow a player to
leave the table so his partner
can tell the opponents
their agreements. It is very
worrying that your director
did not permit this.
You did the correct thing
to ask the director, but
he did the wrong thing
in not permitting it.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I have two
queries:
1. Is a player
allowed to say, ‘alert,’
as well as showing the
alert card? If not, what
should be done to satisfy
a director that both
opponents are aware,
or should have been
aware, of the alert card? 
2. Is a card deemed
to have been played if
its edge is rested on the
table but its face is not
visible to anyone? Some
players do this in the
middle of the play when
declarer and then pause
before facing the card.
K M Jackson, Cheam, Surrey.
A
1. If a player says
alert as well as
showing the card,
some players will find it
mildly annoying, but of
course, there are lots of
things players do that annoy.
No doubt a player can do
this if he wishes, but it seems
unnecessary. If the alert card
is held in the middle of the
table, it is fairly obvious that
opponents have seen it.
2. No, a card by declarer
is not played when held like
this. It is played when it is put
on the table, or held face up
near or touching the table.
♣♦♥♠
Q
You have said
that pointing
out established
revokes by your own side
is a matter of personal
choice. How does this
fit in with Law 79, which
states, ‘A player must
not knowingly accept
the score for a trick that
his side did not win?’
John MacLeod, Wimbledon.
A
Revoke penalties are
tricks awarded by the
director, they are not
tricks won at the table. Law
79 does not apply to such
penalty tricks.
 Ask David continued
Q
I have been
playing duplicate
bridge in
local clubs for about
a year and still lack
self-confidence in
challenging more
experienced players,
even when I think
they are wrong.
One player has an
irritating habit of
passing opening hands,
‘I had a poor 12 or 13
and didn’t want to open.’
The traveller shows that
every other table played
the hand. An average
score is awarded.
Should I seek director
guidance if I feel that
the hand could/should
have been opened
instead of merely
accepting an average
score or is it his right
to pass if he wants to?
I play for fun,
but like to win.
Derek Connell,
Wigginton, Tring, Herts.
A
The rules for bidding
are merely good
players’ opinions of
what is best. No-one needs
to follow them if they do not
want to and if this player
gets good scores when he
passes, perhaps you should
consider copying him.
Certainly, the director
will not do anything: he
has not broken any laws by
bidding differently from other
people. Bridge is very much
a game of judgement, as
well as skill and technique
and he is allowed to
exercise his judgement.
If the hand is passed out,
E-mail your questions on bridge laws to:
davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.uk
that is not an average score:
that is a zero score, which
beats all the minus scores
but loses to the plus scores. DEFENCE
♣♦♥♠
QUIZ
Q
I was declarer
and, half way
through the by Julian Pottage
contract, I led ♦A from (Answers overleaf)
my hand only to be told,
correctly, by my LHO that
the lead should have
come from dummy. I duly
Y ou are West in the defensive positions below. It is your
turn to play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT.
apologised, left the card
face up on the table and 1. ♠ J 5 3. ♠ 7
called for the lowest card ♥ K J 9 5 ♥ A K J 6 5
in that suit from dummy. ♦ A Q 10 3 ♦ K 8
This was accepted by the ♣ Q 10 4 ♣ K J 10 8 4
opponents. However, at ♠ A 10 7 4 3 ♠ A J 6 4 3
the end of the play my ♥ 6 4 N
♥ 9 7 4
N
♦ 7 6 W E ♦ 10 6 W E
LHO informed me that
♣ J 8 6 2 S ♣ 6 5 2 S
I could have replaced
the ♦A had I wished. I
attempted to confirm this
West North East South West North East South
in your book by reading
1NT 1♥ Pass 2♦
Law 47 (p28), ‘Retracting
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦1 Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT
a card played,’ but Pass 3NT End End
could find no relevant 1
No four-card major
rule. However, on page You lead the ♠4: ♠7, ♠10
29, ‘Card accidentally You lead the ♠4. Partner and ♠K. Declarer leads the
exposed by declarer,’ takes the ♠K and returns ♣7, which loses to the ♣Q.
rule 48 says, ‘The the ♠8, on which South Partner returns the ♠5,
accidental exposure plays the ♠9. What do you declarer covers with the
of a card by declarer do? ♠9. How do you defend?
incurs no penalty.’
Is this relevant?
Philip Holloway by email. 2. ♠ 9 5 4. ♠ A J 9 7
♥ K Q J 9 5 ♥ Q J 6
A
When declarer leads ♦ K 8 ♦ 8 5
from the wrong hand ♣ A K 6 4 ♣ K Q 9 4
either opponent ♠ A 10 8 4 3 ♠ 6 4
may accept it. If neither ♥ A 6 4 N
♥ A 9 7 5 4 N
opponent does, then you ♦ 10 6 W E ♦ Q J 10 6 W E
♣ 9 8 2 S ♣ 6 5 S
replace the card wrongly
led and lead any card you
like from the correct hand
West North East South West North East South
and play any card you like
1♥ Pass 2♦ 1NT
from the other hand.
Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT Pass 2♣1 Pass 2♠
One thing that does puzzle
End Pass 4♠ End
me, did the director not tell 1
Stayman
you this? Surely you did not You lead the ♠4. Partner
carry on without calling the wins with the ♠K and You lead the ♦Q. Partner
director? ■ returns the ♠2, on which overtakes with the ♦A
declarer plays the ♠Q. and switches to the ♥8,
What do you do? covered by the ♥10. What
is your plan?
Page 17
 Answers to Julian Pottage’s 
Defence Quiz on page 17
West North East South You need to have been watching the
1. ♠ J 5 1♥ Pass 2♦ spade spots. If you think declarer started
♥ K J 9 5 Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT with three spades (K-Q-9), you want to
♦ A Q 10 3 End win the trick. You can then cash the ♠J,
♣ Q 10 4 on which you hope partner unblocks the
♠ A 10 7 4 3 ♠ K 8 2 You lead the ♠4. Partner wins with the ♠8 and run the suit.
N
♥ 6 4 ♥ A 8 7 3 ♠K and returns the ♠2, on which declarer You should be able to deduce that, in
W E
♦ 7 6 S ♦ J 8 2 plays the ♠Q. What do you do? fact, partner started with three spades.
♣ J 8 6 2 ♣ 7 5 3 Your spade holding is very similar to With an initial holding of 10-8-5-2,
♠ Q 9 6 the one you held last time. Nonetheless, partner would return the ♠2, not the ♠5.
♥ Q 10 2 there are two important differences. This Thus, you duck the spade, playing the ♠3
♦ K 9 5 4 time, you have a sure entry with your to confirm an original five-card holding.
♣ A K 9 ♥A. This means that you do not need to You are hopeful, given the play in the
maintain communications. club suit, that partner will have the ♣A as
Moreover, as partner has returned the an entry to continue spades.
West North East South ♠2, this may be from a doubleton (you
1NT expect partner to return a higher card
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦1 from three, while South would hardly bid
Pass 3NT End 3NT with little spade cover). You should 4. ♠ A J 9 7
1
No four-card major capture the ♠Q with the ♠A and return ♥ Q J 6
the ♠10 to drive out the ♠J. So long as ♦ 8 5
You lead the ♠4. Partner takes the ♠K declarer does not have eight top winners ♣ K Q 9 4
and returns the ♠8, on which South plays in the minors, you will beat the contract ♠ 6 4 ♠ K 5 2
the ♠9. What do you do? this way. ♥ A 9 7 5 4 N ♥ 8 3
W E
You led your long suit in the hope of ♦ Q J 10 6 S ♦ A 7 3 2
making some long cards in the suit. ♣ 6 5 ♣ 10 7 3 2
To continue that plan, as you have no ♠ Q 10 8 3
entry outside the spade suit, you need to 3. ♠ 7 ♥ K 10 2
duck this trick (play the ♠3), keeping a ♥ A K J 6 5 ♦ K 9 4
link to partner. ♦ K 8 ♣ A J 8
You know from the bidding (South ♣ K J 10 8 4
denied four spades with 2♦) that partner ♠ A J 6 4 3 ♠ 10 5 2
has a third spade. You would still duck ♥ 9 7 4 N ♥ Q 10 8 3 West North East South
W E
even if you were unsure (for example, if ♦ 10 6 S ♦ J 7 3 2 1NT
the bidding had gone 1NT-3NT). ♣ 6 5 2 ♣ A Q Pass 2♣1 Pass 2♠
♠ K Q 9 8 Pass 4♠ End
♥ 2 1
Stayman
♦ A Q 9 5 4
2. ♠ 9 5 ♣ 9 7 3 You lead the ♦Q. Partner overtakes with
♥ K Q J 9 5 the ♦A and switches to the ♥8, covered
♦ K 8 by the ♥10. What is your plan?
♣ A K 6 4 West North East South It is unlikely that you can beat this
♠ A 10 8 4 3 ♠ K 2 1♥ Pass 2♦ game with high cards. Giving East the
N
♥ A 6 4 W E ♥ 10 8 7 3 Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT ♣A-J would leave South with at most
♦ 10 6 S ♦ J 7 3 2 End 11 points and thus too weak for a 12-14
♣ 9 8 2 ♣ J 7 5 1NT. You need to give partner a heart
♠ Q J 7 6 You lead the ♠4. Partner plays the ♠10, ruff. Even so, it would be wrong to grab
♥ 2 which loses to the ♠K. Declarer then the ♥A. For many, South’s 2♠ denies four
♦ A Q 9 5 4 leads the ♣7, which loses to the ♣Q. hearts. In any case, as the ♥3 and ♥2
♣ Q 10 3 Partner returns the ♠5, which declarer are missing, the ♥8 looks like top from a
covers with the ♠9. How do you defend? doubleton. You should play the ♥9. ■

Page 18
 A to Z of Bridge
U
UNASSUMING CUE BID
The use of a cue bid in the opponent’s
suit, in response to an overcall by
partner, to show at least a sound
minimum raise of partner’s suit,
thus releasing direct raises to be used
competitively or pre-emptively.
West North East South
1♣ 1♠ Pass
2♣
West’s 2♣ shows three or more spades
and fair values (typically 10+ points).
The bid neither shows nor denies a
particular holding in opener’s suit,
hence the name unassuming. West
might hold:
♠ K 8 5
♥ A 8 6 3 N UNBLOCKING
W E
♦ A 10 4 2 S The play of an unnecessarily high card
♣ 7 2
UNAUTHORISED
INFORMATION
Information available to a player that
he is ethically bound to ignore. For
example, an inference drawn from a
hesitation by partner is ‘unauthorised
information’, although, of course, it is
legal to act upon an inference drawn
from a hesitation by an opponent.
West North East South
1NT
2♣* Pass 2♠ Pass
? To be under another player is to be on
*explained as both majors
compiled by Julian Pottage
West North East South
1♥ 1♠ 2♥ 2♠
3♥ 3♠ Pass* Pass
?
*slowly
In the first sequence, whatever the
partnership agreement, if West does
not actually hold both majors, he has a
duty to ignore East’s explanation.
In the second sequence, the slow
pass suggests that East was thinking of
bidding 4♥. West should bid 4♥ only if
it is a clear-cut action (unlikely in this
particular example).
UNBALANCED DISTRIBUTION
Distribution that is not one of the
balanced or semi-balanced hand
patterns. An unbalanced distribution
will normally contain at least one
singleton or void, in addition to one
or more long suits. The most common
unbalanced distribution is 5431.
UNBID SUIT
A suit not bid during the auction.
in a suit to preserve a small card. For
example:
10 8 7
N
A K J 3 2
W E Q54
S
9 6
If West leads out the ace and king, East
needs to unblock the queen in order
that West can run the suit.
UNDER
his right: West is under North etc.
Page 19
UNDERBID
To make a bid suggesting a weaker
hand than that actually held.
UNDERBIDDER
Someone who frequently underbids.
UNDERLEAD
To lead a small card from a holding
including a high card.
UNDERRUFF
To discard a small trump under the
ruffing card of an opponent.
This unusual play may be to avoid
being endplayed or simply because
you cannot afford a discard in a side
suit.
UNDERTRICK
Each trick by which declarer fails in
his contract.
UNLIMITED BID
A bid (such as the Acol 2♣ opener)
with no upper limit.
UNPENALTY DOUBLE
A conventional double of a slam
contract showing no defensive tricks,
thus allowing partner to judge
whether to sacrifice. With one or more
defensive tricks, one should pass.
Very few pairs play unpenalty
doubles.
UNUSUAL NO TRUMP
A convention whereby an overall in
no-trumps which, given the previous
bidding, could not logically be natural,
is used instead to show length in the
two lowest-ranking unbid suits.
The most popular application is
as an immediate overcall of a suit
opening, although this is an extension
of the convention, for such a bid could
logically be natural.
Look at the two sequences below:
 A to Z of Bridge continued If you lead towards the queen-jack For any of the above sequences West
twice, you are likely to make a trick. might hold:
If, instead, you lead from the South
hand, you are unlikely to make a
West North East South trick. ♠ K 9 7 5
Pass 1♥ Pass 2♥ ♥ Q J 5 N
W E
2NT UPPERCUT ♦ A J 6 2 S

To ruff high in order to try to promote ♣ 7 2

West North East South a trump trick for partner. For example:
1♥
2NT VANDERBILT, Harold Stirling

♠ 5 4 3 Developed contract bridge from
In the first sequence, West cannot N
auction bridge.
possibly hold a very strong balanced ♠ J 6 W E ♠ Q 2
S
hand. VARIABLE NO TRUMP
In the second, it is also sensible to ♠ A K 10 9 8 7 An opening 1NT bid being weak
play the 2NT as the minors because, when not vulnerable and strong when
while West could hold a very strong vulnerable.
balanced hand, a two-suited hand is With spades as trumps, West leads a
much more likely. West might hold: suit in which both East and South are VENICE CUP
void and East ruffs with the queen of The World Championship held
spades. Assuming South overruffs, biannually for representative women’s
♠ 5 this promotes West’s jack. teams.
♥ 3 2 N
W E
♦ K Q 9 6 5 S VICTORY POINTS

V
♣ K Q 8 4 2 In some events, usually teams
competitions with International
Matchpoint Scoring, one makes a
UPSIDE DOWN further conversion from International
SIGNALS/DISCARDS Matchpoints (IMPs) to Victory Points.
These are alternative names for The conversion occurs on a match-
Reverse Signals/Discards. by-match basis. The purpose is to
VALUE RAISE reward large victories more generously
UTILITY CLUB This is an artificial bid to enable you than small ones, but to limit the extent
This is another name for the Phoney to differentiate a hand with support of very large wins to prevent the result
Club. for partner and fair values from a in one match effectively determining
weak or pre-emptive raise. There the outcome of an entire tournament.
UP THE LINE are three common situations for In a Swiss teams competition, it is
In ascending consecutive rank order, playing a value raise: after partner common for the VP scale to go from 0
as in ‘To bid four-card suits up the has overcalled (unassuming cue bid), to 20, with 20 being a maximum win
line’. after partner has opened and the next and a score of 10 for a tied match.
player has overcalled and after partner
UP TO STRENGTH has opened and the next hand has VIENNA COUP
1. In the auction, this means having doubled. In the first two cases, the bid Unblocking play required when a
full values for a bid. to show a value raise is a minimum bid menace is blocked and entries are
2. In the play, leading up to strength in the opposing suit. In the third case, lacking.
is the opposite of leading up to the bid is 2NT. You temporarily establish a winner
weakness. It is usually a good idea for an opponent, only to force him to
to lead up to your side’s strength but West North East South discard it.
not so good to lead up to opposing 1♦ 1♥ Pass James Clay of London, a leading
strength. 2♦ whist authority in the last century,
first described the play. He ascribed
West North East South its discovery to the best whist player in
♠ 4 3 2 1♠ 2♦ Vienna, hence its name.
N
3♦ In this end position on the following
W E hand, North’s ace of hearts blocks the
S
West North East South heart menace. To squeeze East you
♠ Q J 5 1♠ Dbl must cash the ♥A before playing the
2NT last diamond.

Page 20
 A to Z of Bridge continued
♠ A J
♥ A
♦ 2
♣ Void
♠ Q 3
Immaterial N ♥ K 2
W E ♦ Void
S
♦ Void
♠ 2
♥ Q 3
♦ A
♣ Void
VIEW, TO TAKE A
To make a decision concerning the
play or a bid, usually one not strictly
in accordance with the odds.
VOID
A holding of no cards in a suit.
VOID SHOWING BIDS
The use of an unusual jump to show
a void in a side suit has found a place
in many of the modern systems. Some
methods make no initial distinction
between voids and singletons. It is
possible to show a void in responding
to a Blackwood enquiry of 4NT by
making the normal response one
level higher than usual, for example
a 6♦ response showing one ace and
a working void. Another method
involves specifying which void you
hold, by jumping to the suit below the
trump suit with a low-ranking void
and six of the trump suit with a high-
ranking void.
VUGRAPH
Live, theatre-style presentation of
a hand of bridge using overhead
projectors, closed circuit cameras etc,
thus enabling an audience to follow
the play in detail. In addition to the
presentation itself, a panel of experts
usually provides commentary.
VULNERABLE
Term used to describe a side with a
game. Bonuses for games and slams
are higher when you are vulnerable
but so are the penalties if you fail to WEAK JUMP SHIFT RESPONSES
make your contract. The use of a jump shift in response to
an opening bid of one of a suit to show
a weak hand.
W
This convention is popular with two-
over-one players but highly unusual in
Acol.
WEAK NO TRUMP
An opening bid of 1NT showing 12-14
points and a balanced hand. Playing
WAITING BID a weak no-trump, you open 1NT on
A non-committal bid, often a cheap hands like these:
forcing bid offering partner more time
to describe his hand.
Players sometimes call it a
Hand 1 Hand 2
‘Temporising bid’. ♠ K Q 7 4 ♠ K 9 6
♥ 9 4 ♥ Q 8 4
West North East South ♦ A J 8 3 ♦ A 4
1♥ Pass 3♦ Pass ♣ K 10 3 ♣ Q J 9 3 2
3♥
West will bid 3♥ on most hands WEAK THREE BIDS
with five or more hearts to give East An opening bid at the three-level made
maximum room. with pre-emptive intent. It is usual
to have a seven-card suit, few values
WALLET outside and about six playing tricks if
Device used to hold cards in a duplicate non-vulnerable (seven if vulnerable).
event. You would open 3♣ on hands like
these:
WBF
Abbreviation for the World Bridge
Federation.
Hand 1 Hand 2
♠ 7 ♠ 7
WBU ♥ 8 5 2 ♥ 2
Abbreviation for the Welsh Bridge ♦ 7 4 ♦ Q 10 8 5
Union. ♣ A Q J 8 5 3 2 ♣ A J 9 7 5 4 2
WEAK JUMP OVERCALL
A jump overcall based on a good WEAK TWO BIDS
six-card suit and about 6-10 points An opening bid at the two-level,
at the two level or a seven-card suit usually in the majors, with mainly
and similar values at the three level. pre-emptive intent.
Due to their much higher frequency Typically, such a bid shows a six-
of occurrence and their ability to card suit and 5-9 or 6-10 points. A
disrupt the opposing bidding, most 2NT response is an artificial response
tournament players now use weak to enquire about strength, suit quality,
jump overcalls. outside features or some combination
of these.
Playing weak twos, you open 2♠ on
♠ A Q J 9 4 2 hands like these:
♥ 5 4
♦ 6 4 3
♣ 10 2
Hand 1 Hand 2
♠ A Q J 9 4 2 ♠ K J 8 5 3 2
♥ 5 4 ♥ 2
This hand is suitable for a weak jump ♦ 6 4 3 ♦ Q 10 7 4
overcall of 2♠ over one of any other ♣ 10 2 ♣ 7 2
suit.
Page 21
 A to Z of Bridge continued
WEAKNESS TAKE-OUT
(WEAK TAKE-OUT)
A natural response, especially to an
opening 1NT, that does not promise
any strength, but merely expresses
the wish to play in an alternative
denomination. If you have a weak
unbalanced hand, it is likely that a suit
contract will play better than 1NT.
WELSH BRIDGE UNION (WBU)
Regulatory body for Duplicate Bridge
in Wales.
WEST
One of the positions at the bridge table.
WHACK
Colloquial word for ‘Double’.
WHITE
Shorthand for describing the
vulnerability of both partnerships
on a board and meaning that neither
partnership is vulnerable.
WIDE OPEN
A player has a suit ‘wide open’ if he
has no guard in that suit in a no-
trump contract, or no control in that
suit in a slam contract. For example,
if declarer and dummy both have a
small doubleton in spades, one would
say the suit is ‘wide open’.
WITHDRAWING A CARD
Permitted in correcting a revoke
before it becomes established, or by
an opponent following the correction
of a revoke, or following a revoke on
the twelfth trick and in certain other
defined situations permitted by the
Laws.
WOLFF SIGN OFF
A conventional way of stopping in
a suit partscore after opener’s jump
rebid of 2NT: responder bids an
artificial 3♣, which forces opener
to bid 3♦; responder then passes (if
wishing to play in 3♦) or bids another
suit, non-forcing.
WORKING CARD
A card is ‘working’ if it is particularly
useful, such as a king or queen in a suit
bid by partner.
WORKING VOID
A void is ‘working’ if it is particularly
useful. This is especially the case
in slam bidding (in a suit contract)
when a ‘working void’ is one in which
partner does not hold the ace.
WORLD BRIDGE
FEDERATION (WBF)
The successor to the International
Bridge League and founded in 1958,
the World Bridge Federation provides
a global organisation mainly to set
uniform international standards for
the Laws of the game and to conduct
World Bridge Championships.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
There are several World
Championships:
Mind Sports Games
(formerly the Olympiad)
This takes place every four years. Entry
is open to every country (affiliated to
the WBF), who may enter one team
in each category, the Open, Ladies,
Senior etc.
The winners of the Open category
receive the Vanderbilt Trophy.
Bermuda Bowl
This takes place every two years. Entry
is open to the open champions of
every WBF zone (approximately every
continent).
In recent years, the bigger zones
have been able to enter more than one
team.
Venice Cup
This takes place every two years. Entry
is open to the ladies’ champions of
every WBF zone (approximately every
continent). In recent years, the bigger
zones have been able to enter more
than one team.
World Bridge Series
(formerly the Pairs Olympiad)
This takes place every four years.
Entry is open to participants in every
country affiliated to the WBF. The
Series consists of transnational pairs
and teams events for Open, Ladies,
Seniors and Mixed.
Page 22
The winners of the Open teams
receive the Rosenblum Trophy.
WRIGGLE
A convention whereby, after an
opponent doubles an opening 1NT, the
responder with a weak hand attempts
to locate a fit that will hopefully
prove less costly than 1NT doubled.
A redouble shows clubs and another
suit. A bid of 2♣ shows either clubs
or a two-suited hand without clubs
(opener initially assumes the former;
if someone doubles 2♣, a redouble is
SOS, showing the non-club hand).
Other responses are natural weakness
take-out bids.
WRITTEN BIDDING
The use of a paper pad to record bids.
Instead of making their bids vocally,
players write them on a pad that they
pass to each other. At one time, written
bidding was popular in Australia but
the widespread use of bidding boxes
has now made written bidding a rarity.
X
X
1. Symbol used in recording hands
when the x denotes a small card.
2. Symbol used when writing down a
contract to denote that it is doubled
(for example 4♥x). Similarly, two
symbols denote that it is redoubled
(for example 4♥xx).
Y
YARBOROUGH
A hand containing no card higher
than a nine, named after the English
Lord who offered odds of a shilling to
100 guineas (10 pence to £110) against
holding such a hand (the true odds are
1,827 to 1).
 A to Z of Bridge continued

JUST DUPLICATE BRIDGE

Z
21-23 June 31 January – 2 February
The Olde Barn £169 Elstead Hotel £199

12-14 July 31 January – 2 February

Inn on the Prom £169 Chatsworth Hotel £199

19-21 July 7-9 February

The Olde Barn £169 Denham Grove £199
ZERO
1. Lowest score possible on 26-28 July 14-16 February
a board at duplicate Cheltenham Regency £199 Chatsworth Hotel £199
2. The score on a board 9-11 August
Cheltenham Regency Hotel
14-16 February
Cheltenham GL51 0ST
when there is a pass out. Cheltenham Regency £199 Elstead Hotel £199

ZERO OR TWO HIGHER 16-18 August 1-3 November 21-23 February

A lead method by which Inn on the Prom £169 The Olde Barn £169 Blundson House Hotel £199
the lead of a nine or higher
6-8 September 15-17 November 28 February – 2 March
shows a suit headed either
Elstead Hotel £199
by that card or by two
higher cards. For instance, 22-24 November
the ten would be consistent Ardington Hotel £199
with a suit headed by the
K-J-10 or the ten. ■ 22-24 November
Elstead Hotel £199

Used stamps have 22-24 November

been sent in from: The Olde Barn £169
Mrs G Marks, East Finchley.
Mrs A M Reid, Banchory. 29 November – 1 December
Colin Moore & Anne Eagle, Ardington Hotel Ardington Hotel £199 Chatsworth Hotel
Blackwell. Mr M Pickup, Bury. Worthing BN11 3DZ Worthing BN11 3DU
Mrs J Morrison, Helensburgh.
Mrs S Cartledge, Upminster. 6-8 December
Mrs Marguerite Nicholson, Cheltenham Regency £199 Cheltenham Regency £199 Chatsworth Hotel £199
Peterborough. Mrs G Iley, Epsom.
Mrs K Donoghue, St Albans.
Mrs L Maman, London EC2. 6-8 September 10-12 January 28 February – 2 March
Mrs J Papworth, March, Cambs. The Olde Barn £169 Blundson House Hotel £199 Blundson House Hotel £199
Mrs M Griggs, Chipping Ongar.
Mr G Staples, Storrington.
Mr J Hudson, Durham. 13-15 September 17-19 January 14-16 March
Mrs M Cartwright, Croydon. Cheltenham Regency £199 The Olde Barn £169 Blundson House Hotel £199
Mr & Mrs J Richardson,
Sheringham. Mrs Parker,
Letchworth. Mrs R Brooks, 27-29 September 14-16 March
Coulsdon. Mrs S Griffiths, East Ardington Hotel £199 The Olde Barn £169
Barnet. Mrs J Hurry, Orpington.
Mr & Mrs C McNeil, Faversham.
Mrs E Mitchell, Shipston-on-Stour. 11-13 October 21-23 March
Mrs M Harrison, High Wycombe. Cheltenham Regency £199 Chatsworth Hotel £199
Mrs M Maxwell, Newton Stewart.
Mrs P Robinson, Welham Green.
Mrs J Thurlow, Newport Pagnell. 18-20 October 28-30 March
Mrs I Duncan, Monifieth. The Olde Barn £169 Denham Grove £199
Mrs M Prior, London N20.
Mrs M Bleakley, Belfast.
Mrs B Warnett, Ashford, Kent. 25-27 October 28-30 March
Mrs C Gates, Bexhill on Sea. Cheltenham Regency £199 Elstead Hotel £199
Mrs J Killip, Milverton. Mrs A Gray,
Banstead. Mrs A Mons, The Olde Barn Hotel
Tewkesbury. Mr C Phillips, 25-27 October Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT 25-27 April
Cheltenham. Mrs M Dyer, Ardington Hotel £199 Blundson House Hotel £199
Shoreham-by-Sea. Mrs R Sellors,
Norwich. Mr & Mrs H Sharples,
Chorley. Mrs K Adamson, Oxton.
Mr A Carter, Bournemouth.
(to be continued next month)
Full Board – No Single Supplement
Please keep saving your Booking Form on page 6.
used stamps to support
Little Voice in Addis Ababa. Please note there are no seminars, set hands or prizes at these events.

Page 23
 GLOBAL TRAVEL INSURANCE
A1 Yeoman Gate, Yeoman Way, Worthing, BN13 3QZ. ( 01903 267432 Fax 01903 268946
Email info@globaltravelinsurance.co.uk Website www.globaltravelinsurance.co.uk
GLOBAL TRAVEL
INSURANCE
Services Limited
SINGLE TRIP SUMMARY OF COVER
The following represent the Significant and Key Features of the policy including Exclusions and Limitations that
apply per person. A full copy of the policy document is available on request.
CANCELLATION OR CURTAILMENT up to £1,500
If you have to cancel or cut short your trip due to illness, injury, redundancy, jury
service, the police requiring you to remain at or return to your home due to serious
damage to your home, you are covered against loss of travel and accommodation costs.
Policy Excess £75.
For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £100.
For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £150.
See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increased
excesses applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions.
PERSONAL ACCIDENT up to £15,000
A cash sum for accidental injury resulting in death, loss of sight, loss of limb or permanent total
disablement. No Policy Excess.
MEDICAL AND OTHER EXPENSES up to £10,000,000
Including a 24 HOUR WORLDWIDE MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICE
The cost of hospital and other emergency medical expenses incurred abroad, including additional
accommodation and repatriation expenses.
Limit £250 for emergency dental treatment and £5,000 burial/cremation/transfer of remains.
Limit £2,500 for transfer of remains to your home if you die in the UK.
Policy Excess £75 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £150 Area 4 or on a Cruise.
For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £150 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £500 Area
4 or on a Cruise.
For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £300 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £1,000 Area
4 or on a Cruise.
See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increased
excesses applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions.
HOSPITAL BENEFIT up to £300
An additional benefit of £15 per day for each day you spend in hospital abroad as an in-patient.
No Policy Excess.
MAIN EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONS
The following represents only the main exclusions. The policy document sets out all of the
conditions and exclusions. A copy of the full policy wording is available on request in writing prior
to application.
MAIN HEALTH EXCLUSIONS
Insurers will not pay for claims arising
1. Where You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends) have or have had symptoms
which are awaiting or receiving investigation, tests, treatment, referral or the results of any of
the foregoing, unless We have agreed in writing to cover You.
2. From any terminal illness suffered by You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends).
3. From any medical condition for which You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends)
have within 12 months prior to the date of issue of this insurance been diagnosed with a medical
condition or have been admitted or undergone a procedure/ intervention.
4. Medical conditions existing prior to the payment of the insurance premium or any consequence
thereof in respect of which a Medical Practitioner would advise against travel or that treatment
may be required during the duration of the Trip.
OTHER GENERAL EXCLUSIONS
Claims arising from
1. Winter sports, any hazardous pursuits, any work of a non sedentary nature.
2. Self inflicted injury or illness, suicide, alcoholism or drug abuse, sexual disease.
3. War, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities or warlike operations, civil war, rebellion,
Terrorism, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion, military or usurped power but this
exclusion shall not apply to losses under Section 3 – Medical Expenses unless such
losses are caused by nuclear, chemical or biological attack, or the disturbances were already
taking place at the beginning of any Trip.
4. Failure or fear of failure or inability of any equipment or any computer program.
5. Bankruptcy/liquidation of any tour operator, travel agent, airline, transportation company or
accommodation supplier.
6. Travelling to countries or regions where the FCO or WHO has advised against travel.
7. Your failure to contact the Medical Screening Line where required.
POLICY EXCESSES:
The amount of each claim for which insurers will not pay and for which you are responsible. The
excess as noted in the policy summary applies to each and every claim per insured person under
each section where an excess applies.
GLOBAL TRAVEL
INSURANCE
Services Limited
PERSONAL LUGGAGE, MONEY & VALUABLES up to £2,000
Covers accidental loss, theft or damage to your personal luggage subject to a limit of £200 for any
one article, pair or set and an overall limit of £200 for valuables such as cameras, Jewellery, furs,
etc. Luggage and valuables limited to £1500. Delayed luggage, up to £75. Policy Excess £50.
Money, travel tickets and travellers cheques are covered up to £500 against accidental loss or theft
(cash limit £250). Policy Excess £50.
No cover is provided for loss or theft of unattended property, valuables or money or for loss or theft
not reported to the Police within 24 hours of discovery.
PASSPORT EXPENSES up to £200
If you lose your passport or it is stolen whilst abroad, you are covered for additional travel and
accommodation costs incurred in obtaining a replacement. No Policy Excess.
DELAYED DEPARTURE up to £1,500
If your outward or return trip is delayed for more than 12 hours at the final departure point to/from
UK due to adverse weather conditions, mechanical breakdown or industrial action, you are entitled
to either (a) £20 for the first 12 hours and £10 for each further 12 hours delay up to a maximum
of £60, or (b) the cost of the trip (up to £1,500) if you elect to cancel after 12 hours delay on the
outward trip from the UK. Policy Excess £50 (b) only.
MISSED DEPARTURE up to £500
Additional travel and accommodation expenses incurred to enable you to reach your overseas
destination if you arrive too late at your final UK outward departure point due to failure of the
vehicle in which you are travelling to deliver you to the departure point caused by adverse weather,
strike, industrial action, mechanical breakdown or accident to the vehicle. No Policy Excess.
PERSONAL LIABILITY up to £2,000,000
Covers your legal liability for injury or damage to other people or their property, including legal
expenses (subject to the laws of England and Wales). Policy Excess £250.
LEGAL EXPENSES up to £25,000
To enable you to pursue your rights against a third party following injury. No Policy Excess.
Pre Existing Medical Conditions
You only need to undergo medical screening if You are travelling to Area 4, on a Cruise,
or for a period in excess of 31 days. For all other Trips there is no need to advise us of
your pre existing medical conditions.
If you have a history of any medical condition and are travelling within Area 4 or on a Cruise,
you must first contact Towergate Medical Screening Line to establish whether we can provide
cover for your trip.
The number to call is: 0844 892 1698
If you are accepted, the level of excess stated below will apply. You will receive written
confirmation that you are covered for the trip. In the event that you are not accepted for cover
having been screened, we may be able to offer you cover under our Single Trip “PLUS”
product. Please ask us for further details or go to our website.
INCREASED EXCESS FOR Pre Existing
Medical Conditions
Acceptance of pre existing medical conditions is made by the application of increased
excesses in the event of claims arising from the pre existing condition.
If You already suffer from or have a history of any medical condition, the following excess will
apply (other than in respect of claims that are specifically excluded) :
Under the Cancellation or Curtailment section – double the normal excess.
Under the Medical & Other Expenses section –
For persons aged 60 years or less the excess is increased to £500 Areas 1&2, £750 Area 3,
£1,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise.
For persons aged 61 to 90 years the excess is increased to £1,000 Areas 1&2, £1,500 Area
3, £2,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise.
Please note that we consider a Cruise to be a Trip by sea in a liner calling at a number of ports.
Single Trip

✄
travel insurance is arranged by Global Travel
Insurance Services Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority and our status can be checked on the FSA Single Trip Travel Insurance
Register by visiting www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA
Suitable for for a single round trip starting and finishing in the UK
on 0845 606 1234.
and Channel Islands, is of no more than 94 days duration,
This policy is underwritten by ETI – International Travel Protection the for persons whose age is 90 years or less.
UK branch of Europäische Reiseversicherung A.G., an ERGO group
Company, incorporated and regulated under the laws of Germany,
Companies House Registration FC 25660 and Branch Registration BR
Global Travel Insurance
A1 Yeoman Gate, Yeoman Way, Worthing, BN13 3QZ
007939. ETI is authorised by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleis- ( 01903 267432 Fax 01903 268946
tungsaufsicht (BAFIN – www.bafin.de) and subject to limited regulation
by the Financial Services Authority. Our regulation by the FSA are avail- SINGLE TRIP APPLICATION FORM
able from Us on request. Our registration number is 220041.
Please FULLY complete the following in BLOCK CAPITALS. Once complete,
return the application panel direct to Global Travel Insurance at the address
SINGLE TRIP INSURANCE PRODUCT SUITABILITY
above, with a cheque or with card details entered. Insurance is not effective
until a Policy has been issued.
As this description contains the Key Features of the cover provided it
constitutes provision of a statement of demands and needs. Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss) Initials
This insurance is suitable for a single round trip starting and finishing
in the UK and Channel Islands, is of no more than 94 days duration, for Surname
persons whose age is 90 years or less.
This insurance is only available to persons who are permanently Telephone No.
resident and domiciled in the UK and Channel Islands.
House Number/Name
Single Trip PREMIUM RATING SCHEDULE
GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS Street Name
1. United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland,
Town Name
Isle of Man, including all islands comprising the British Isles (except the
Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland). Any British Isles or UK
Postcode
Cruises are rated as Area 2.
2. Europe – Continental Europe west of the Ural mountain range,
all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (except, Egypt, Israel, Date of leaving Home
Jordan, Lebanon, Libya & Syria), the Channel Islands and the Republic
of Ireland, Iceland, Madeira, The Canaries and The Azores. (Persons Date of arrival Home
residing in the Channel Islands need to pay Area 2 rates for UK trips).
3. Worldwide – All countries outside of the above (except those within Screening Ref
Area 4).
4. North America, Central America & The Caribbean – Bahamas, Introducer Mr Bridge
Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Greenland,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, The Caribbean Geographical Area – See Premium Panel
Islands, United States of America. (1,2,3 or 4)

SCHEDULE OF PREMIUMS Names of all persons to be insured Age Premium

The following Premiums are valid for policies issued up to 31/3/2014

and for travel completed by 31/12/2014. Maximum age is 90
1 £
years. For periods in excess of 31 days please call for a quotation.
Maximum period of insurance is 94 days. All premiums include the
2 £
Government Insurance Premium Tax (IPT).
3 £
Geographical Areas
Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4
4 £

Persons Aged up to 80 Years 5 £

1 – 3 days £16.10 £24.70 £51.80 £74.50
4 & 5 days £19.40 £31.10 £65.10 £93.80
6 £

6 -10 days £22.60 £41.90 £88.20 £126.30
11-17 days £25.80 £45.90 £98.10 £141.30
18-24 days £29.00 £52.70 £110.40 £159.10
25-31 days £32.30 £60.00 £125.70 £181.00
Persons Aged 81 to 90 Years
1 – 3 days £24.20 £37.10 £103.60 £149.00
4 & 5 days £29.10 £46.70 £130.20 £187.60
6 -10 days £33.90 £62.90 £176.40 £252.60
11-17 days £38.70 £68.90 £196.20 £282.60
18-24 days £43.50 £79.10 £220.80 £318.20
25-31 days £48.40 £90.00 £251.40 £362.00
PREMIUM ADJUSTMENTS
All age adjustments apply to the age on the date of return to the UK
Infants up to 2 years inclusive are FREE subject to being included with an
adult paying a full premium.
Children 3 to 16 years inclusive are HALF PRICE subject to being included
with an adult paying a full premium. Unaccompanied children pay the adult rate.
✄
Credit/Debit Card Details TOTAL PREMIUM £
Card No
Start Date End Date Issue No
Security Code
DECLARATION
On behalf of all persons listed in this application, I agree that this application shall
be the basis of the Contract of Insurance. I agree that Insurers may exchange
information with other Insurers or their agents. I have read and understood
the terms and conditions of the insurance, with which all persons above are in
agreement and for whom I am authorised to sign.
Signed........................................................... Date...................................
The form MUST be signed by one of the persons to be insured on behalf of all persons to be insured.
Mr Bridge is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Global Travel Insurance
Services Ltd, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

429STI13
 SEND NO MONEY
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READERS’ drinks to be consumed at the
table without any issues. It
is up to you and your fellow
organisers as to whether you
were held and by whom?
Anne Lee by email.
Just set out the layout of the
hand, vulnerability if known,

LETTERS
CONFIDENCE BOOST
I have never been able to
understand why you don’t
just publish BRIDGE as a
monthly magazine and sell
it. I am sure there are good
commercial reasons but
BRIDGE is the best Not-A-
Bridge-Magazine advertising
leaflet I have ever read.
It beats English Bridge,
Bridge Plus and all other
bridge publications that
are and have ever been.
James Cowing by email.
PRIZE QUIZ
I suggest that the bidding
quiz on page 3 would make
a much more challenging
prize quiz. Far fewer correct
solutions and maybe more
worthwhile prizes.
John Styles,
Fairland, Bristol.
very reluctance to accept
change that has caused
the downfall of bridge and
bridge clubs, and perhaps
why the number of regular
players has slumped from
1.8 million in 1987 to
below 300,000 today.
Had these figures taken
into consideration the
number of people playing
online bridge? From what
I see there is a healthy
participation in online bridge
which perhaps explains
one reason why bridge
clubs have haemorrhaged
player numbers, especially
in recent years. A few years
ago (2006?), you published
an article of mine ‘Tempus
Fugit’, which gave the
reasoning that increasingly
busy lifestyles have made
people of working age less
decide to trial the idea, but
as I said at the beginning
of this letter, if the world of
social bridge is not prepared
to take the risk of going
outside its comfort zone and
trying something new now
and again, I fear that its
future is in the virtual world.
David Thompson by email.
UNWANTED
Redundant unmarked
perforated A4 sheets of
‘curtain cards’ – we have no
further use for approximately
1,000 sheets. If any club
would like them, in exchange
for a donation to Alzheimer’s
Research, contact :
ronwebb107@hotmail.com
Ron Webb by email.
HOW DO I?
How do I submit a question
about a particular hand?
Should I explain the layout
of the hands? Do I just
write down what cards
who was the dealer and
what card was led, if indeed
a lead had been made.
KISS RECALLED
It was kind of James McGrath
to remember our bridge-
playing days, BRIDGE 124.
I have moved on since those
care-free times and my status
now is more international
as I play at Brecon in Wales
and Ledgemore in England.
It was good to see that
James is still taking an
interest in the game as
I thought he might have
given up years ago.
Simon Burrage,
Hay-on-Wye.
NEW CARD
Stamford Bridge Club has
introduced a Yellow card
(see below) which fits into
all standard bidding boxes,
to be placed between the
double and redouble cards.
Robert Leyland by email.

BRIDGE BOOKS
Thank you for publishing
the letter about my
catalogue of books about
bridge and other card
games. The response has
been far greater than I
imagined. I still have copies
available so if any of your
readers would like one,
they should contact me.
Gordon Bickley,
Card Game Books.
gordonarf@aol.com
( 07530 553594
TEA & COFFEE
I now understand why
people might be reluctant
to adopt these changes at
your weekends, however, in
an increasingly technology
driven world, it might be this
and less keen to devote a
whole evening to visiting a please
bridge club. Online bridge
has kept bridge alive,
because it allows people
to play as much or as little MANNERS AT THE TABLE
bridge as they like at a time
that suits them. It has made Stamford Bridge Club does not tolerate the
the game more time efficient, actions or behaviour of any player who:
because the need to travel
to a venue is eliminated and, l badgers you or anyone else at the bridge table.
whilst they are dummy, they
l comments negatively or sarcastically
can get up and do something
about your bidding, play or result.
productive if they wish.
My suggestion for l makes rude or threatening comments
perpetual tea & coffee was or insinuations.
again with time efficiency l gives gratuitous lessons or analysis at the table.
in mind, and I think that the
excuse that keeping the tea l discusses a previous bridge hand during the round.
and coffee separate from
the playing area to avoid the If offensive behaviour occurs, place this card
risk of spills is not really valid on the table. If the behaviour doesn’t stop,
because many clubs adopt call the director.
the practice of allowing

Page 27
Cheltenham Blunsdon
Regency Elstead Hotel House
Hotel Bournemouth, BH1 3QP
Hotel
Cheltenham GL51 0ST Swindon SN26 7AS

14-16 June Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199

8-10 Nov Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199
15-17 Nov Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199
22-24 Nov Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199
10-12 Jan 2014 Doubles – Bernard Magee £ 245
31 Jan – 2 Feb Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199
14-16 Feb Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199
BRIDGE 28-30 March Just Duplicate Bridge £ 199
BRIDGE
EVENTS 11-13 April Signals & Discards £ 215 EVENTS
Stan Powell
5-7 July 2013 £245
12-14 July – £245
Full Board. No Single Supplement. Bernard Magee
Bernard Magee
Booking Form on page 6. Signals & Discards
Thinking Defence
11-13 October £245
26-28 July – £199 Bernard Magee
Just Duplicate Bridge Splinters & Cue Bids
Queensferry Hotel 8-10 November £215
9-11 August – £199 Stan Powell
North Queensferry, KY11 1HP
Just Duplicate Bridge Doubles

22-24 November £245

6-8 September – £199
Bernard Magee
Just Duplicate Bridge
Better Defence

13-15 September – £199 10-12 January 2014 £199

Just Duplicate Bridge Just Duplicate Bridge

21-23 February £199

11-13 October – £199 Just Duplicate Bridge
Just Duplicate Bridge
28 Feb – 2 March £199
Just Duplicate Bridge
25-27 October – £199
BRIDGE EVENT 2013
Just Duplicate Bridge 14-16 March £199
25-27 October Bernard Magee £245 Just Duplicate Bridge
6-8 December – £199 Finding Slams
25-27 April £199
Just Duplicate Bridge
Full Board. Just Duplicate Bridge

Full Board No Single Supplement. Full Board

No Single Supplement No Single Supplement
Booking Form on page 6. Booking Form on page 6. Booking Form on page 6.

Page 28

CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTS
JUNE 2013
12 BREAKTHROUGH BREAST
CANCER. Bridge afternoon.
Bartholomew Barn, Kirdford,
West Sussex. RH14 0LN.
1.30pm. £20pp (tables of 4).
Jo Rees ( 01903 740512
www.bartholomewbarn.co.uk
14 ST MARY’S CHURCH
Eaton Socon, St Neots.
10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50.
Malcolm Howarth
( 01480 212910
19 Downham Market
Heritage Society. Duplicate
Bridge at the Town Hall,
Downham Market, Norfolk
at 1.00pm. £6pp, inc. tea.
Pat Roberts
( 01366 382947
26 ST MATTHEWS CHURCH
Bridge Drive in Ripley,
Derbyshire. 10 for 10.30am.
£13.50 inc. coffee, lunch
and afternoon tea.
Veronica Wragg HOSPICE
( 01773 745462
28 BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION
29 Swansea Bridge Club,
30 22 St James Gardens,
Friday 7pm, Open & Novice
Pairs £4. Saturday, Session
1 at 1.45pm, £5. Session 2
at 7pm, £9. Sunday, Session
1 at 1pm, Session 2 at
4.45pm. £36 per team.
Diana Panniers sponsored by Billericay
( 01792 297081
JULY 2013
4 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
ROTARY CLUB
Outlane Golf Club.
12 for 12.30. £44 per table.
Sam Smith
( 01924 492540
7 RUNSWICK BAY RESCUE
BOAT. Bridge Day.
Hinderwell Village Hall.
10am. £16 includes lunch.
Karen ( 01947 841013
8 ROWANS HOSPICE,
PURBROOK
Duplicate at Denmead
Bridge Club, Community
Hall, School Lane, Denmead.
7pm. £2pp.
Georgina Erskine Sam Smith
( 01489 878016
12 GREAT BARFORD CHURCH
Village Hall, Great Barford.
10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50.
Derek Fordham
( 01234 870324
AUGUST 2013
16 ST IVES DAY CARE CENTRE
Hemingford Abbots Village
Hall. Tickets £13.50.
Don Moorman and selfish of Mrs M
( 01480 463444
SEPTEMBER 2013
4 GYDA. Corn Exchange,
Faringdon. £15.
Steve Braithwaite
( 01367 240929
5 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
ROTARY CLUB
Outlane Golf Club.
12 for 12.30. £44 per table.
Sam Smith
( 01924 492540
OCTOBER 2013
4 ST ANDREWS CHURCH
Mandeville Hall.
Kimbolton. £14.00.
Mavis Campion
( 01480 860477
11 ST MARGARET’S SOMERSET
Wedmore Village Hall.
10.30 for 11.00am.
£16 each to include lunch.
Brian Moreton explanations. They have
( 01934 713854
brianjillmoreton
@btinternet.com
13 BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN
1.00 for 1.30pm. Blue
Pointed Duplicate Pairs,
Mayflower Bridge Club.
Two-course buffet supper.
First Class Bridge Academy,
Barleylands Centre,
Billericay. £20 each.
Marcia
( 07789003284
marcia
@newdirectionstudio.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2013
4 RNLI. Crowborough Beacon
Golf Club bridge tea.
1.30pm for 2pm start.
£26 per table.
Penny ( 01825 830006
14 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
ROTARY CLUB
Outlane Golf Club.
12 for 12.30. £44 per table.
( 01924 492540
22 ST MARY’S CHURCH
Eaton Socon, St Neots. 10.00
for 10.30am. £13.50.
Malcolm Howarth
( 01480 212910
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
ONE OF MANY
How unbelievably ignorant
Thrower, see Readers’
Letters in BRIDGE 124. She
gets a free magazine full
of articles on bridge and
has the nerve to complain
because you, in running your
business, claw back some
of the costs of production
by means of advertising.
In the past, when other
people have commented on
the advertising in a similar
way, you have explained
why, so I can only assume
that – unless she has only
just recently received her
first copy – just as she says
that she ‘skips through’
the adverts, she has not
bothered to read your
been skipped through too.
Mr L Jackson, Hull.
BETTER PHOTO
In Readers’ Letters, see page
33 in BRIDGE 124, Mrs Jan
Scoones has commented
about the photo of Bernard
Magee in most of your
REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE
Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value,
all mint with full gum. Quotations for
commercial quantities available on request.
Values supplied in 100s, higher values available as well
as 1st and 2nd class (eg 2nd class: 100x37p+100x13p)
publications. (I quite agree
with her and have frequently
commented about this
myself). I am delighted to
be able to enclose a photo
which we consider shows the
‘real Bernard’. His image
is taken from a photo of
us at the prize giving.
Mrs J Blanchard,
Newton Abbot, Devon.
could it be
election time?
It is good to see civic interest
in the game. Peter Metcalfe,
chairman of Adur District
Council, near Worthing,
recently visited Old Barn
Way Bridge Club at
Southwick to present
championship trophies
to my partner, Sue
Cottrell and myself.
Mr Harry Treadwell
by email.
REQUEST
Could you publish an
article on five card versus
four card majors?
Mr Tony Simpson,
Nunnington, York.
Should and will in
due course.
REFEREE
How can I learn to become
a director – do you run
courses or know of some
organisation that does?
Mrs J Mekie,
Sutton, Surrey.
Join the EBU and choose a
course from the extensive
list published in their house
magazine, English Bridge.

E-mail your charity events: maggie@mrbridge.co.uk (/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: clive.goff@londonrugby.com

Page 29
Join Bernard Magee and discover
Mediterranean
Medley
Why choose this cruise?
12th - 26th September 2013 15 days from £2,089pp • Rome with its remarkable legacies of
the Roman Empire
• Magnificent archaeological sites of
VENICE Pompeii and Herculaneum
• Dubrovnik Old City on UNESCO’s P R I C
NICE LIVORNO SIBENIK
MARSEILLE World Heritage List

E
ANCONA HVAR
• Venice – a city of magnificent art and

PR
CIVITAVECCHIA
DUBROVNIK architecture O
MIS

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CASTELLAMMARE BRINDISI
DI STABIA

STANDARD FARES ARE

MESSINA COVERED BY THE VOYAGES OF
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Standard fareS (per person)

E nthralling Rome – at the heart of the mighty Roman Empire, beautiful

Venice – ‘the Queen of the Adriatic’ and enchanting Dubrovnik described
as ‘heaven on earth’ by George Bernard Shaw! Three notable cities on this
2 Bed inside
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from £2,089
from £2,399
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cities reborn after recent conflict and others that nature left frozen in time.
complimentary Chauffeur service to the port
Immerse yourself in art, architecture and culture and enjoy the dazzling on higher grade cabins – see brochure for full details
constellations of islands strung out like pearls along Croatia’s Adriatic coast.
included in your fare

• 14-night cruise aboard Voyager including

YOUR VOYAGE INCLUDES: your itinerary V O Y 130912
all meals, entertainment and port charges
Date Port arrive DePart • Your choice of cabin type, location and
• Evening bridge† 12 Sep MarSeiLLe, France 10.00pm number
13 Sep nice, France 12.00pm 7.00pm
• Flights or eurostar London/Marseille
• Afternoon bridge when at sea 14 Sep Livorno, italy 8.00am 7.00pm
and flights Dubrovnik/London including
15 Sep civitaveccHia, italy 8.00am 6.00pm
• Bridge seminars when at sea all pre-paid airport taxes (connecting
16 Sep caSteLLaMMare Di StaBia 7.00am 5.00pm
flights from Manchester are available at a
• Exclusive Mr Bridge drinks parties 17 Sep MeSSina, Sicily 8.30am 6.00pm
supplement*)
18 Sep at Sea
• All meals, entertainment and • Gratuities – other lines add up to £270
19 Sep BrinDiSi, italy 7.00am 6.00pm
onboard gratuities per couple to your bill
20 Sep at Sea
21 Sep ancona, italy 7.00am 5.00pm • Service Charges – other lines add up to
• Comprehensive lecture and guest 22 Sep venice, italy 7.00am 6.30pm 18% to your bill
speaker programme 23 Sep SiBeniK, croatia 9.00am 11.00pm • Comprehensive Guest Speaker
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24 Sep Hvar, croatia 8.00am 6.00pm programme
25 Sep DUBrovniK, croatia 7.00am Overnight
dinners 26 Sep DUBrovniK, croatia
*Flights from Manchester may not be direct

01483 489961 for brochures and bookings

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READERS’ LETTERS
continued

BACK IN OUR DAY

FULL MARKS

At the supermarket, a young cashier said to an elderly customer, ‘You

should bring your own bags in future because plastic ones aren’t good for
the environment.’ The old lady apologised and said, ‘We didn’t have this
green thing back in our day.’ ‘That’s the problem,’ the cashier replied,
‘your generation didn’t do enough to save the environment ...’
Just to tell you that after 30
cruises with Discovery and She was right. We returned milk bottles to the milkman, pop bottles to
one with Voyager, I decided
the sweet shop and beer bottles to the off licence. We refilled pens with
to try Aegean Odyssey and
was very impressed with their ink instead of buying new ones and we replaced razor blades instead of
office efficiency – my flight throwing away the whole razor. We didn’t have the green thing back in
details were posted to me our day.
six weeks before due date
and final details have arrived
four weeks before sail date. We washed babies’ nappies because we didn’t have the throwaway kind.
Mrs P Davies, We dried clothes on a line using wind and solar power, but that young
Sandbach, Cheshire.
lady was right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
MY RECIPE
I was very sorry to hear of Back then, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric
the difficulties Mr Clare has
machines to do everything for us. When we posted a fragile item, we used
in attracting new members
to his club – see Readers’
screwed-up newspaper as packaging, not polystyrene or bubble wrap.
Letters, BRIDGE 125. I help We didn’t start a petrol engine just to cut the grass. We just ran on human
run a thriving and expanding power, but she’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
bridge group within a
golf club not far from Mr
Clare. I believe some of We drank water from the tap instead of buying bottled water and accepted
the reasons for why we are that a lot of food was seasonal. We didn’t have the green thing back in
doing well are as follows: our day.
1. I took the EBU teachers’
course about 3 years ago.
This I found really helpful. Back then, people caught a train or bus to work and children walked or
I then started a beginner’s rode their bikes to school. We had one electric socket in the room, not
class. This encouraged new
a bank of sockets to power half a dozen appliances, nor did we need a
people to become involved.
I made sure the classes were computer to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in
welcoming, encouraging space in order to find the nearest pizza place ...
and really supportive.
2. I organise annual
day long seminars – for How wasteful we oldies were. We didn’t have the green thing back in our
example, on card play day.
or defence. I base these
on the lesson plans to be
found on the EBU website. Perhaps you should show this to another selfish old person?
3. I provide improvers with
weekly practice sessions.
These usually have a theme Published by Mr Bridge and printed on 100% cotton as a tea towel by
based on suggestions made
Art Screen Prints Limited. www.artscreen.co.uk ( 01287 637527
by participants (stayman/
transfers) or taken from

Page 31
 READERS’ LETTERS
Denham continued
Grove
Denham,
the EBU teachers’
Bucks, UB9 5DG
material (playing for
ruffs or whatever).
4. We have a core group of
very experienced players who
play in a weekly Chicago and
who were very frightening to
my beginners and improvers.
I spoke to the core group
4-6 October 2013 – £215
and arranged for each one
Doubles – Gary Conrad
to play with one of the less
25-27 October 2013 – £215
experienced for one session.
Finding Slams – Sandy Bell
This broke the ice and the
7-9 February 2014 – £199 weekly Chicago is now
Just Duplicate Bridge
even more successful with
28-30 March 2014 – £199 increasing numbers of tables.
Just Duplicate Bridge 5. We have a small group
4-6 April 2014 – £199 of enthusiasts who organise
Rubber / Chicago most of the events but a large
Diana Holland group of reliable volunteers
Full Board who do everything from
No Single Supplement arranging prizes to clearing
up after bridge days.
Booking Form on page 6.
6. We have a range of
other activities such as a
popular Swiss Pairs which
is played in people’s homes
RUBBER / over a 5 month period in the
autumn. I handicap this so
CHICAGO that everyone has a chance
of winning. We also play it
as Chicago which introduces
a slightly random element.
People play with those
they would not normally
play against in a relaxed
Chatsworth Hotel and friendly environment.
Worthing BN11 3DU Several good friendships
7-9 February 2014 have arisen as a result.
with Shelia Rogers 7. I have a bridge notice
board which I try to keep
up to date with information
about what is going on
and lots of photos of happy
players and I make sure
that I have beginners and
Denham Grove improvers on the board.
Bucks UB9 5DG 8. We play matches
4-6 April 2014 against other clubs and
with Diana Holland try to involve as many of
our members as possible
£169 Full Board in these events.
No Single Supplement
9. One of our members
Booking Form on page 6. suggested a bridge and
golf weekend away which
Page 32
she agreed to organise and
this was over-subscribed
has sunk to a new low.
For the second successive
before I could advertise it.
Above all, we go out
month, we were told
that Mrs Brock has been
of our way to welcome diagnosed with diabetes.
everyone; to be friendly and Even worse is the fact that
encouraging; to talk to all this insensitive mother has
who attend making sure that chosen to expose to your
everyone has a good time entire readership the health
and doesn’t feel too down- problems of her teenage
hearted whatever their result. daughter. I feel for Briony.
Lyn Fry, London, N6. I know that, without
One hundred like you could permission, she has written
change the whole future of in her column about the
the game in this country. personal life of someone
who isn’t one of your
NEW PLAYERS readers. The first he knew
At Oakfield Bridge Club about it was when I told
near Oldham, we have a him. She obviously doesn’t
flourishing learner’s session. understand either good
Any success I have at manners or the basic laws
teaching bridge is due in of privacy in this country.
no small part to the One day someone will
weekends and cruises sue her. Is she worth it?
which my partner and I I regret finding it necessary
have spent sitting at the to write in these terms and do
feet of Bernard Magee. hope that you will have
He has the rare ability to a meaningful discussion
combine bridge expertise with her about the
with a teaching style which contents of her column
enables him to engage his if it must continue.
audience while transmitting Gaynor Lewis by email.
his enthusiasm and
knowledge to beginners and MARMITE FAN
experienced players alike. Thank you for another lovely
Mr Rod Smith, magazine. Personally, I
Dobcross, Oldham. enjoy Sally Brock’s columns
and am sorry Sally felt ill
OFF MARMITE recently. My message to
To date I have managed to Sally would be – you have a
desist from commenting on wonderful life surrounded by
the furore caused by Sally’s nice people. Why not relax
column in your otherwise a little and enjoy it. There’s
excellent magazine. nothing wrong with staying
However, in the latest at home sometimes and
edition, even by her rather watching the television.
abysmal standards, this Avril Summers,
attention seeking woman Southport, Lancs. ■
Write to Mr Bridge at:
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
or e-mail letters@mrbridge.co.uk
E-mail correspondents are asked to include
their name, full postal address, telephone
number and to send no attachments.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

I
must have mentioned before the
Baron’s absolute loathing for all
things conventional.
In the early 1990s, Demetri
Marchessini – a stalwart of the
Portland Club, where absolutely no
artificial conventions are allowed –
organised a challenge match between
a team of ‘Naturals’ and a team of
‘Scientists’. My uncle was particularly
unbearable after the results were
published – there seemed to be little
advantage gained by advanced bidding
methods.
A year later (January 1992), the
experiment was repeated, with two
of the most successful pairs in the
world – Wolff and Hamman, and
Meckstroth and Rodwell – as the
Scientists team. I was confident that
they would annihilate their opponents
and, when they duly won, it was with
malicious pleasure that I bought the
match record for Uncle Leo, Naturals
v Scientists – The Great Match by
Terence Reese and David Bird. He had
summoned me to his room for a late
evening thrashing at Backgammon –
his words – so I took the book with me
and handed it to him as he sat sipping
brandy from a large balloon glass in
the flickering vermillion light of his
fireside.
The Baron was not, however, in a
mellow mood. He opened the book at
random, and found a game swing to
the Scientists:
♠ Q 10 3 ♠ 8 4
N
♥ K Q 10 9 3 ♥ 2
W E
♦ Q S ♦ A K J 5 4 2
♣ Q J 7 2 ♣ A K 10 6
From the Baron’s Archives by Dick Atkinson
Back to Nature
with the Baron
Naturals: West North East South
West North East South 2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
Pass 1♦ 1♠ 3♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
2♠ Dbl 3♣ Pass 4♣ Dbl Pass Pass
3♥ Pass 4♦ Pass Redbl Pass 4♠ Pass
5♣1 End 4NT Pass 5♦ Pass
5♥ Pass 6♠ Pass
1
This failed by one trick 7♠ End
Scientists: ‘Seven rounds of bidding to go four
West North East South down! Why on earth did East bid over
Pass 1♦ 1♠ 5♥ . . . Let me see . . . Merciful heavens!
2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass They were playing Roman Key-Card
2NT Pass 3♣ Pass Blackwood. Natural my eye!’
3NT1 End It looked a bit unlucky to me. East
could easily have had ♠K-Q-J-x-x-x
1
This made with two overtricks. and a singleton heart. ‘How would you
have bid it?’
‘Natural! 2♥ stands out a mile.’ ‘2♥ – 2♠ – 4♥ – Pass. West shows
‘They were playing it non-forcing.’ his exact values. East has absolutely
‘That is an unnatural agreement nothing further to say. No, I am afraid
invented by players of those awful your ‘Naturals’ threw it away because
Negative Doubles. Not that the hand they could not bid naturally at all.’ He
needs to force. The quality is appalling. paused to spread a little more caviar
In any case, over 3♣ West must bid on his toast.
3NT. And when he doesn’t, East must ‘But if there had been a slam on,’ I
surely call 3♠ over 3♥ to prompt West insisted, ‘then RKCB or some other
to call 3NT if possible. Pshaw!’ control check would be vital.’
‘Interestingly enough, the Almanac
Seven Rounds of da Gotha League once organised its
Natural Bidding own Naturals vs Scientists match. I
volunteered to play for the Natural
He opened the book again at page 98. Bidders of course, with some
confidence – for all the usual reasons:
the eavesdropping opponents, the
♠ A ♠ K Q 9 6 4 3 strain on the memory, the bid you can
♥ A K J 10 9 6 4 N ♥ 7 3 no longer use in its natural sense.’
W E
♦ A J 4 3 ♦ 10 9 5
S
♣ A ♣ 10 8 The Baron Plays
for the Naturals
The Scientists reached 6♥, which was As ever, I was amazed at the speed with
two down. This was the bidding by the which the shrivelled fingers scribbled
Naturals: the bridge diagram on a convenient
Page 33
 Back to Nature continued
scrap of paper. On this occasion, it
was convenient because it was ripped
unceremoniously from the morocco
desk-diary my sister sent me for Christ-
mas. It served me right – I should have
known better than to leave it open and
in range of the confirmed old vandal.
And anyway, what the heck . . . nothing
much happens in mid-November.
He passed me the diagram below,
commanding imperiously, ‘You are
South at unfavourable vulnerability.
East deals and opens 3NT. Call.’
♠ A K Q
♥ A K J
♦ J 10 9 8 7 6
♣ J
‘The opening bid is not natural, then?’
‘The opening bid is about as natural
as that low-fat mayonnaise you keep
trying to poison me with. According to
the convention card, it showed a solid
minor suit with nothing much outside
the suit and no four-card major. It was
a very popular convention forty years
ago.’
‘And still today, Uncle Leo. Funnily
enough, it’s exactly the way I play it
myself,’ I added severely, well aware
that he knew this already. ‘You have
to take some action since partner may
well not be strong enough. I play 4♣
as a take-out request. You’d have to
double I suppose.’
‘Of course double. West runs to 4♦,
an artificial call, which—’
‘I know. Shows club support. If the
opener has a solid diamond suit, he
passes. If he has clubs, he bids 5♣.’
‘Your partner calls 4♥, which East
passes.’
I looked at him carefully, but the
dark profile against the firelight
revealed nothing. ‘Then I pass. What
else? I have an ideal dummy for him.’
‘Her, actually. A Castillian Infanta.
Let me repeat: she calls 4♥, which East
passes!’
‘Oh my God. You mean the opener
had solid diamonds?’
‘Yes. How many?’
With J-10-9-8-7-6 missing, he’d wrong.’
have to have A-K-Q-5-4-3-2 as his
solid suit. And that meant . . . ‘So
my partner must have a void? In that ♠ J 10
case, well yes, I suppose I have to be ♥ 10 9 7 5 3 2
tempted to look for a slam. But partner ♦ Void
could be very weak.’ ♣ A K Q 10 9
‘4♥ was a free bid.’
N
Damn the man. ‘OK. I ask for aces.’
W E
‘That was not within our repertoire. S
In any case, it would be asking the
wrong question. I raised to 5♥, which ♠ A K Q
as all natural bidders understand asks ♥ A K J
for a little more in trumps. Unless ♦ J 10 9 8 7 6
there is only one danger suit, of course ♣ J
– an unbid suit, or the opponents’ bid
suit – in which case it asks for control
of that suit.’ ‘How can a successful heart finesse
‘That wouldn’t be any better than the help? And why finesse anyway?
Scientific approach. If I really want to Whatever happened to ‘Eight ever,
look for the Grand, I can check for the nine never’?’
queen with a 5♠ bid after she responds ‘You moron. I need an unsuccessful
5♦ – just like that 5♥ call on the 7♠ heart finesse! That still leaves me five
hand in the book.’ heart tricks.’
‘Your partner denies the queen.’ ‘But you can never get at them! That
‘That’s a 6♥ bid. Fine – did you do club lead was disastrous, completely
better?’ isolating the dummy.’
‘Actually, we had a bidding mis- ‘Dolt! East has ♦A-K-Q-x-x-x-x and
understanding. Partner should have six other cards. None are clubs. How
passed 5♥, but she wrongly – in my many are spades?’
opinion – assumed that I was asking ‘I don’t kn . . . not more than three!’
for a diamond control. It’s a moot ‘Correct. No four-card major. So
point. Has the suit been bid? So, having how many are hearts?’
first-round control, she made a grand ‘Well, obviously, he must be 3-3 in
slam try by bidding her excellent clubs the majors then.’
at the six level.’ ‘Quite right. And the hearts are very
‘Hah! Hah! So you admit you unlikely even to be Q-x-x, which would
only got to 6♥ as the result of a mis- also make this an excellent dummy in
understanding.’ I couldn’t resist one a heart contract.’ Now that I had done
more. ‘Hah!’ the work, he sketched in the full deal:
‘I haven’t finished. East doubled.’
‘6♥ doubled? But –’
‘6♣ doubled. Clearly, East has a club ♠ J 10
void, and hopes to ensure a club return ♥ 10 9 7 5 3 2
if his partner obligingly ruffs the first ♦ Void
or second diamond. Don’t interrupt! ♣ A K Q 10 9
Just as clearly, my partner has ♠ 9 7 5 3 2 ♠ 8 6 4
N
misunderstood my call and does not ♥ Q
W E
♥ 8 6 4
guarantee to hold the trump queen. ♦ Void S ♦ A K Q 5 4 3 2
I went with my instinct – that von ♣ 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♣ Void
Münchausen instinct which almost ♠ A K Q
never lets me down – and converted ♥ A K J
to 6NT.’ ♦ J 10 9 8 7 6
‘With a solid suit against you?’ ♣ J
‘And a void in the opening leader’s
hand. He led a club and as soon as I
saw the dummy I claimed twelve tricks ‘But the hand is hopelessly blocked,
if the queen of hearts is right, which is Uncle Leo. That’s why you should be
highly probable, or two down if she’s playing in hearts.’
Page 34
 Back to Nature continued
The Baron Unblocks
‘I discarded all the blocking
cards on dummy’s winners
at tricks two, three—’
‘But you need five or six
discards to shift all those
major suit winners. You’ve
only got four clubs to
discard on – and if you take
them all you set up West’s—’
‘Don’t ramble. I discard
the top spades at tricks
two, three and four, the
heart finesse loses and West
puts me back in dummy to
discard the top hearts.’
It was preposterous, but
I was bereft of words. The
declarer’s 19-point hand
must decline to take even a
single trick.
Uncle Leo continued
happily, ‘In the other room
my second cousin Siegfried
of Westphalia opened a
natural 1♦. His opponents
had an opportunity to
employ every artifice known
to man and duly ended
up in 6♥ doubled and,
somewhat optimistically,
redoubled. The diamond
queen was ruffed by Uncle
Wilhelm – I believe there
was a complaint to the
Tournament Director when
he said, ‘Snap!’ – and of
course North could not
overruff with those dreadful
trumps, just as I had feared.
A club return was ruffed to
put the contract one down
for a swing of 1,840. Now
perhaps some supper? A
nice steak sandwich would
be acceptable, with a little
radicchio salad. And some
real mayonnaise, if you
please.’ ■
Previously published
in BRIDGE 66.
Catching Up
I
t took a while more
or less to fully recover
from the labyrinthitis
– at least a couple of weeks
before I felt OK enough
to drive and a few weeks
of holding on to someone
(usually Barry) whenever
possible when out and
about. I never fell, or ever
really got close to falling,
but felt unsteady, especial-
ly when moving suddenly.
I was pretty much back
to normal when we went
to Istanbul for the week-
end. It was my Christmas
present from the children.
They conspired with Barry
who helped them choose
an appropriate weekend.
He had to pay for himself
but they paid for me and
chose us a lovely boutique
hotel in the old town,
pretty close to all the
sights. We flew out from
Heathrow, arriving late af-
ternoon on Thursday and
managed to negotiate un-
derground and tram to ar-
rive at our hotel in time for
dinner. The first night, we
had dinner in a restaurant
that was in an old, con-
verted cistern – wonderful
high ceilings, with arches
and original stonework.
The only bad thing was the
weather which was cold
and wet, otherwise we had
a fantastic time. We saw all
the sights and I spent a few
hours in the Grand Bazaar
while Barry had a Turkish
bath. Maybe the high spot
was our meal at Giritli,
a fish restaurant recom-
mended in the guidebook.
The meal cost €50 includ-
ing wine and there was no
choice. First they brought
us a small bowl of seafood
Page 35
by Sally Brock
risotto. Then came the
cold starters, little bowls
of goodies – fish, seafood,
vegetables, etc – twenty-
two of them. The rest was
excellent too, and they
were generous with the
wine. We were glad of the
walk back to help digest it
all.
Briony met us at Heath-
row on the Sunday even-
ing, with a surprise – Toby.
His last week of term had
been designated a ‘reading
week’ and he decided he
could work as well at home
as in Bradford. So we had
him home for three weeks.
I don’t think Briony and
I had realised quite how
much we’d missed him.
Not that we saw much of
him on a daily basis as he
spent most of the time in
his room on his computer,
although his friends came
round fairly regularly to
play games on our big din-
ing table.
There is little news on
the house front. I’m hop-
ing that after Easter we
may get some good weath-
er which might encourage
more people to get out
there and concentrate on
buying or selling houses.
The estate agent sends a
regular activity report. The
first week I registered, only
five people had clicked to
get the full entry on Right
Move (and I’m sure at least
one of those was me), the
following week seven, but
the latest figure was 26. So
that would seem to be a
significant upward trend.
Not that there’s anything
out there I am interested
in buying either.
There has been very
little bridge since I last
wrote, the most signifi-
cant event being the Port-
land Pairs (national mixed
pairs tournament), which
is held on one day over
several centres. I think I
am perhaps overdue a win
in this event; I won it in
1978 (with Tony Sowter),
1988 (with Tony Forrest-
er) and 1999 (with Ray-
mond), but we didn’t play
well, the luck was against
us and we were only a little
above average. This was an
example of my ineptitude.
With both sides vulner-
able, in first seat, you hold:
♠ Void
♥ A K Q J 10 8 7 5
♦ 10 2
♣ Q 10 4
You open four hearts, the
next hand passes and part-
ner raises to five hearts,
asking for good trumps.
What do you bid?
Clearly, you have great
trumps, so you raise to
six hearts? That’s what I
did and, what a surprise,
we missed the grand slam
when partner held:
♠ A 6
♥ 6
♦ A 7 4 3
♣ A K J 8 5 3
Probably I should have bid
the grand slam myself, but
at the very least I should
have bid five no-trumps to
show that my trump suit
was solid. I hate missing
grand slams! ■
 Seven Days
Friday
Good Friday. The children and I go to
my parents for the day. My mother was
worryingly poorly a few weeks ago, but
seems to have made a full recovery and
is now as well as she was at Christmas,
i.e. getting a bit frail but otherwise OK.
Still, these days it is easier for them if
we plan the catering. So we take bread
and cheese for lunch. We have a good,
long lunch and talk and then let them
fall asleep on the sofa while we make
a chicken casserole to leave with them
and prepare a hot gammon dinner
for that evening. We are joined by my
sister Kate and her husband John, and
my sister-in-law Sally (my brother,
also John, has the flu) and her two
grown-up children Kasia and Joel. It
is nice to be a fairly small number by
our family’s standards. Ten people fit
comfortably around the dining table
and we can all talk to each other. Joel
is just back from an extended gap year
in Australia and it is particularly good
to see him. We leave after supper and
are home by ten.
Saturday
On Easter Saturday, after an early
gym visit (I have been slacking lately),
Briony and I do some work during the
day (she has worked out a punishing
revision timetable for herself) and
then collapse in front of the TV.
Sunday
I go into London on the train to play
in the Easter Festival with Susanna.
First the Swiss Teams, in which we
play with Barry and Rodney Lighton,
who has come down from Manchester.
by Sally Brock
We start well and are lying second at
the break. But then things dip a little
before turning up at the end. We
finish a respectable seventh, just in the
prizes. In the evening, we go out for a
Chinese meal with David and Diane
Greenwood who are over from Belfast.
David had a stroke a few months ago,
so it is good to see him up and about
and playing again.
Monday
Today it is the Swiss Pairs. As luck
would have it, Susanna and I start
against Barry and Rodney. We have
the better of things and win 15-5. The
rest of the event goes OK for us, with
a few ups and downs and we finish
13th. There must be some people out
there who prefer pairs to teams, but
everyone I know finds matchpoint
scoring much more difficult. That
is partly because the target is not
so clear. This deal is played in fairly
normal fashion against us:
Dealer North. N/S Vul.
♠ Q 10 6 5 3
♥ Q
♦ A J
♣ A 8 7 5 4
♠ J 9 7 ♠ K 4 2
N
♥ 10 9 7 6 5 3 W E ♥ K J 4
♦ 6 2 S ♦ Q 8 7 3
♣ 9 2 ♣ Q 6 3
♠ A 8
♥ A 8 2
♦ K 10 9 5 4
♣ K J 10
Three no-trumps is reached without
opposition bidding and West leads
Page 36
the ten of hearts. Our declarer ducks
until the third round and then plays
a diamond to dummy’s jack. Susanna
ducks this and declarer follows up
with a club to her king and then runs
the jack of clubs. Susanna wins this
but there is no way she can escape in
the ending and declarer makes ten
tricks.
In the bar afterwards, my two
drinking companions were telling me
how ducking the first heart was for
sissies. Andrew Murphy won the heart
lead, played a diamond to the ace and
ran the jack of diamonds which held,
he then played a club to his jack and
ran the clubs on which East discarded
a heart and a spade. West was keen to
keep all his heart winners so bared the
jack of spades. Now Murph played the
queen of spades, covered by the king
and ace, cashed the king of diamonds,
and ran the spades. Thirteen tricks
made.
And my other drinking companion?
He ran the jack of clubs at trick two
and went two down!
Tuesday
I am staying with Barry for a couple
of days because I have matches tonight
and tomorrow. We see Rodney off
and then the plan was to settle down
to work, me on my laptop and Barry
preparing for a trial on his computer.
But the work I was promised
(Zimbabwe) hasn’t arrived, so I potter
about, writing up a few hands, reading
my book etc and then have the bright
idea of having lunch with Margaret. I
give her a ring and I agree to go around
to her place for 1.30 or so. She has
just had a session with her personal
trainer and is looking alarmingly fit
 Seven Days continued
and slim. We go to Café
Rouge for lunch, bravely
sitting outside in the wintry
sunshine until we can bear
it no longer and retire inside
for a final hot drink.
Tonight’s match is a
NICKO match against Janet
de Botton’s team. We are
going to have our work cut
out. At the halfway stage
we are 24 IMPs down and
things are not looking good.
We are sitting against the
cards in the second half and
there are a lot of difficult
hands. Our opponents do
not do too well so we have
some hope but our team-
mates have it all to do. On
the penultimate deal, our
opponents bid a slam with
two cashing aces missing
– that turns out to be a flat
board.
This is the last board:
♠ A K 9 8 7 3
♥ A K J 10 2
♠ Q J 5 2
♥ 5
N
♦ 8 4 W E ♦ A K J 5
♣ Void S ♣ K Q 10 9
West East
1♣
1♠ 3♥
4♣ 4NT
5♦ 6♠
Pass
It’s easier to see how they
went wrong than it is to see
who went wrong. Although
it is not usual to cue-bid
shortage in partner’s suit,
West had a difficult choice
of ways forward over the
three heart splinter. And
when he accepted the slam
try with four clubs, four no-
trumps looked reasonable
from East’s point of view.
Presumably, East-West’s
response structure to the
ace-asking four no-trumps
could not show both the
number of aces and the
specific void.
Our team-mates, Dick
Davey and Ed Scerri, did
rather better:
West East
1♣
1♠ 3♥
4♣ 4♦
4♥ 4NT
7♠
With the aid of this board
we gain 31 IMPs on the sec-
ond set and win by 7 IMPs. having scored only 3 VPs
Wednesday
Barry is working in
Maidstone this morning
and has to get up and leave
by 7.30. I stay in bed out of
his way. I then potter around
again, writing a few articles,
reading my book, until he
gets home at about 1.30.
We have a bit of bread and
cheese for lunch and then
have an online teaching
session with Richard and
Gerry.
Still on the subject of
grand slams, they do well
on this deal:
♠ A K Q J ♠ 10 8 7 6 4
♥ A N ♥ K 5
W E
♦ A 9 8 3 S ♦ K 5
♣ A K 7 5 ♣ Q 10 6 4
West East
2♣ 2♦
2♥ 2♠
2NT 3♥
4♣ 4NT
5♦ 5♥
7♠
The first five bids are
artificial, with West showing
a game-forcing, balanced
hand and East showing
nothing in particular. East’s
three hearts is a transfer
Page 37
to spades. It is unusual
to use Roman Key Card The Olde
Blackwood with none of the
five ‘aces’ and I guess West Barn
might have bid the grand
slam a round earlier, but
Hotel
Marston,
there was no real danger Lincs NG32 2HT
of their missing the grand
slam and this is worth
nearly 12 IMPs to them.
Later on, I go to meet
Nicola and Kitty at Zizzi’s
for supper, prior to our Lon-
don Super League match.
This has been a bit of a dis-
aster for our team this sea-
son. Luckily for our team,
from our first three match-
BRIDGE
es, Nicola and I were una-
vailable in the next round EVENTS
and they won heavily with-
7-9 June 2013 £179
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End Play & Avoidance
evening saw no reverse to
the trend and we were un- 21-23 June £169
inspired all evening and lost Just Duplicate Bridge
heavily yet again.
19-21 July £169
Afterwards, I get a lift
Just Duplicate Bridge
home, where it’s good to
be with the kids after a few 16-18 August £179
days away. Declarer Play
6-8 September £169
Thursday Just Duplicate Bridge
My good intentions of 18-20 October £169
going to the gym first thing Just Duplicate Bridge
disappear when I see how
1-3 November £169
cold it is. But I manage to
Just Duplicate Bridge
get the kids up and we get
going by 10 o’clock to drive 8-10 November £245 NEW
to Waltham Abbey to see Bernard Magee TOPIC
Ben and family. We had Better Leads & Switches
intended to go for a walk
22-24 November £169
(probably a geocache which Just Duplicate Bridge
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Hayden), but it is snowing 17-19 January 2014 £169
and really cold so we just Just Duplicate Bridge
hang around in the house,
21-23 February £179
catching up on all the gossip Stayman & Transfers
and playing with Hayden.
We leave after lunch, and 14-16 March £169
get home, via Waitrose, by Just Duplicate Bridge
about 4.30. I have a short
25-27 April £179
nap on the sofa and then Further into the Auction
Briony and I do a bit of work
and some cooking. Then I Full Board
settle down with my laptop No Single Supplement
in front of the TV to write Booking Form on page 6.
this article … ■
Chatsworth Hotel Ardington Hotel
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17-19 Jan 2014 £245

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NEW Better Leads
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Rubber / Chicago BRIDGE EVENTS
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Page 38
 Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions
How Should
I Bid a
One-Loser Hand?
Q
How would you incorrectly. I made
have bid this 12 tricks easily. What
hand please? should I have opened?
I am West with:
♠ 5
♠ A K Q J 8 7 5 4 ♥ A 10 9 8 7 4 2
♥ Void ♦ 8
♦ Void ♣ A K J 10
♣ A K J 10 9
Mrs C A Murday, Wye, Kent.
East only had 4 points.
A
Sally Carter, Given how strong
Romsey, Hampshire. your hand is, I
wonder why West
A
If yours is the doubled. Perhaps he
opening bid, 2♣ had a void (presumably
seems the only in clubs): maybe he was
possible start. You will then hoping East would lead a
rebid spades, which will club and produce a trick
be game forcing, trying to on the side. In any case,
elicit some support. All you the opponents should not
need in partner’s hand is criticise your bidding.
a doubleton club or the A 1♥ opening looks normal
queen to give you a shot at to me. With three defensive
a grand slam. Having bid tricks, your hand is too good
spades a couple of times, for a pre-emptive opening.
if you do not get any spade You were lucky that your
support, you can jump to 6♣. 4♥ opening bid did not
result in a missed slam.
♣♦♥♠
♣♦♥♠
Q
Sitting North I
Q
held this hand. After the
I opened 4♥ opposition
and my partner raised opened 1♥, I bid
to 6♥. West doubled 1♠ with only four spade
and later criticised cards and 10 points.
me for having bid The players told me I
Page 39
had to have at least
five cards for this.
Likewise, on a
previous occasion, the
opposition opened 1♠
and I overcalled 2♥,
again with only four
hearts and 11 points.
Who is correct?
John D Lees by email.
A
It is usual to have a
5-card suit for an
overcall even at the
one level. With only four
cards in the unbid major, a
take-out double is the usual
way to show it. If you are too
weak for a take-out double
(or have an unsuitable shape
but no other suit to show),
you have to pass. I would
never overcall at the two level
with a 4-card suit. Indeed,
most hands that warrant
a 2-level overcall have a
6-card or strong 5-card suit.
♣♦♥♠
Q
As West, I held
this 16-point
hand:
♠ K 7
♥ Q J 8 4
♦ K 6
♣ A K 8 6 2
West North East South
1♦ 1♠ Pass
2♦ Dbl Pass Pass
3♣ Pass 3♠ End
My 2♦ asked my
partner, ‘how good
is your overcall?’
While I would have
liked 3-card support,
16 points looked
good. Should I have
bid 2♣ instead?
What does partner’s
pass of the double
mean? We went
one down in 3♠.
W Bernard Coffey by email.
A
Partner’s pass
over 2♦ doubled
says, ‘I have nothing
particular to say.’
If his spades were
good, he would bid them
again. If he had four
hearts, he would bid 2♥.
If he had a good hand
(and something in
diamonds too), he might
redouble or bid 2NT.
Therefore, he is denying
those features when he
passes.
Personally, I prefer to
play a change of suit as
forcing for one round.
In this case, you can start
with 2♣, which should lead
to an easier auction.
 Ask Julian continued
Q
How would one
bid a slam on
the following
hand? North was dealer.
♠ Q 4 2
♥ 3
♦ J 3
♣ K Q 10 9 7 5 3
N the ace, it is likely to be safe
W E
S
♠ A K 10 8 7 5
♥ A Q 10 4
♦ 2
♣ A 6
I opened 3♣ – partner
knows I have ♣K-Q
as I must have 2 of 3
top honours to open
3 in 1st seat. She bid
5♣, but slam is on in
either clubs or spades.
Christine Forbes, Brecon.
A
If you have the
agreement that
a pre-empt in
first seat promises two of
the top three honours, it
does help on hands like
this. It is quite common to
have this agreement when
vulnerable, less so to play
it at all vulnerabilities.
Knowing the clubs are
solid, partner should take
the bidding more slowly.
Responding with a natural,
forcing 3♠ seems best. With
strong spade support (in the
context of having opened
3♣) and a singleton heart,
opener should then bid
4♥. This must be a cue bid
agreeing spades because
you would not open 3♣ on a
two-suited hand. Responder
can then place the final
contract, perhaps checking
on key cards along the way if
your methods allow opener
to have the ♦A and the ♠Q
as well as all those clubs.
♣♦♥♠
Q
The hand on my
right opened
1♣ and I held:
♠ A K 8 6 5
♥ A Q 8
♦ K 5
♣ A 10 2
I miscounted my points
as 19 and overcalled 1♠.
I later competed to 2♠.
We made 10 tricks. Only
one pair was in 4♠ and
nobody was in 2NT.
Doreen Parrington by email.
A Q
With 20 HCP (or
19 as you originally
thought you had),
you should double 1♣,
planning to bid spades later.
If you are too strong for a
1NT overcall, you are too
strong for a suit overcall.
As hands with 20 HCP
are rare, many play a 2NT
overcall to show a completely
different hand type, length in
both minors. This may explain
why nobody was in 2NT.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I know that an
opening lead in
a suit contract
should not be from a
suit headed by an ace.
What happens, when the
game is in full swing and
this is what I can see?
♠ J 6
N to the converted. I
W E
S
♠ A K 8 4
My partner leads a
spade. I play the king
and then lead a small
Page 40
spade, hoping that
partner has the queen
and will play another
spade. Was I wrong?
Trudie Daly by email.
A
During the play,
different rules apply
to what you should
lead. If what you see in your
hand and dummy tell you
to lead a particular suit, go
ahead and lead it. If you are
sitting over dummy and hold
to lead the suit if dummy has
rubbish or is only a jack high
in the suit. If you are sitting
over declarer, you need to
consider the possibility that
declarer holds the king or
some other honour that
you would wish to capture,
in which case you do not
want to lead the suit.
In the layout you cite, with
the doubleton in dummy, it
would be normal to play the
ace on the second round.
This ensures you make it
if declarer has the queen.
If partner has the queen,
leading the third round of
the suit from your side of the
table will be equally effective
unless declarer has four.
♣♦♥♠
Q
If you are using
step responses
to a 5NT follow-
up to a 4NT enquiry,
would it be better to
show which kings you
have rather just the
number? Often, one king
is of particular interest.
Raymond Jenkinson,
St Albans.
A
You are preaching
usually play that you
bid the king you have or, if
you have two, you bid the
king you do not have. With
no kings, you bid six of the
trump suit. Unless partner
has no kings at all, it will be
possible to work out which
kings you are showing.
Despite the attractions
of showing specific kings,
many people prefer the
simpler method of showing
the number. Apart from
simplicity, the other attraction
of showing the number is that
the reply is less likely to take
you to an uncomfortably high
level. For example, if you
have agreed hearts
and are looking for both
the ♠K and the ♦K for a
grand slam, you would
not want to get a 6♠ reply
showing the ♠K only; you
would prefer a 6♦ reply
showing one king.
♣♦♥♠
In the ‘Golden
Rules of
Constructive
Bidding’ (2002 edition),
you give this hand:
♠ A 10 7 3 2
♥ 5
♦ A K J 3
♣ K J 2
The auction starts
1♥-1♠-2♣-2♦. Why are
you using fourth-suit
forcing when your
diamonds are so good?
John Martin, Dingwall.
A
Yes, a bid of the
fourth suit in these
auctions is still
fourth-suit forcing even if
one happens to have
length or strength in the
fourth suit. Here, you are
looking for a possible 5-3
spade fit or a possible 5-3
club fit (when you might
have a club slam).
With 16 HCP, you are also
a bit strong to bid 3NT,
which should show no
more than 15.

Ask Julian continued
Q
How would
you bid these
hands playing
Benjamin and RKCB?
East overcalls 2♠ and
West raises to 3♠. Why
is 4NT better than 4♣
to check on key cards?
♠ Void
♥ 8 4 3
♦ A 5 3
♣ A K Q J 8 5 2
N How should you bid
W E
S
♠ K J 5
♥ A Q J 10 9 2
♦ Q 10 9 8
♣ Void
Angela Horsfall, Edinburgh.
A
To be honest these
are difficult hands,
with or without inter-
vention. A possible auction is:
West North East South
2♣1 2♠ 3♥
3♠ 4♣2 Pass 4♥
Pass 4♠3 Pass 6♥4
End
1
With 8 clear-cut tricks, the 2♣
opening is reasonable.
2
Despite the heart support, it is
sensible to show what sort of
2♣ opener you have.
3
Now that South has rebid
hearts, a slam is in the air, so
North cue bids.
4
South is a bit worried about
diamonds, but North must have
values aside from strong clubs.
Playing 4♣ to check on key
cards is not sensible because
the bid has so many other
possible uses: a natural
bid, a cue bid or a splinter
for example. Indeed, on
this very auction, North
wants to bid 4♣ naturally.
Q
At our club,
only one table
reached a
small slam on the
following deal.
♠ A K Q J 4 3
♥ A 2
♦ A 2
♣ A 5 3
N (Standard
W E
S
♠ 10 5
♥ K Q J 8 6 4
♦ 8 6 5 4
♣ 6
How do you feel the
bidding should go
to arrive at a small
slam or even a grand
slam (North deals
and opens 2♣)?
Richard Collis, Cambridge.
A
Once upon a time,
it was standard to
play that if you gave
a negative response to 2♣
and then jumped on the
next round, you would be
showing a semi-solid suit
missing the ace. These days,
it might be more common
to play that auction as a
splinter (if you have any
agreement at all) and to give
an immediate positive with
a hand like South has here.
Nowadays, the emphasis
for giving a positive response
has shifted from overall
values to suit quality. Indeed,
it is becoming common to
play that you need two of
the top three honours in your
long suit. If the auction starts
2♣-2♥-2♠-3♥, North then
has a good idea that South
has six hearts to the K-Q.
Even if South lacks the ♥J,
7NT basically needs a 3-2
heart split. Give South the
♥J or a seventh heart and
it is almost laydown; even
the ♥10 would improve the
Page 41
odds. To be honest, this is
not such an easy hand to bid
with complete confidence,
though it seems a reasonable
gamble if you can establish
that South has six hearts
headed by the K-Q.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Playing SAYC
American Yellow
Card), what does a 1NT
response (to 1♠) show?
What does a 2-level
bid by responder
show in HCP?
the following hands?
♠ A Q J 7 2
♥ A 8 3
♦ A J 9
♣ K 6
N I went slamming.
W E
S
♠ K 10 6
♥ 6 5
♦ K 5 4 3
♣ A Q 5 2
Huw Jones, Swansea.
A
A 2-level response
shows about 11
points or more in
SAYC – what you might
call limit raise values or the
values for an old-fashioned
non-forcing 2NT response.
With 13 HCP, South is too
good for a non-forcing 1NT
response (which would show
a maximum of 10 points)
and should respond 2♣.
In SAYC, opener’s jump
to 3NT after the two-over-
one response shows 18-19
balanced, which describes
the North hand nicely.
South does not really have a
good bid over that because
I do not think 4♠ would be
forcing. You might jump to
5♠ to invite a slam, which
with good trumps and
good controls North would
accept. I am afraid there is
not really a good answer.
Many people have
concluded that two-over-
one is better than SAYC,
though playing two-over-
one as a game force does
create other problems.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Partner dealt
and, with the
following hand,
decided to reverse to
show the extreme shape.
♠ K 4
♥ Void
♦ K Q 9 6 3
♣ A Q 8 7 4 2
Even though I had
an opening hand
too, we were missing
too many important
cards. What is the best
opening for partner?
Ken Davies, Birmingham.
A
The playing strength
of your partner’s
hand justifies
reversing. If you use the
losing trick count – which
you do need to be cautious
about before you have found
a fit – the hand has only 3
losers – very strong for a
one-level opening. Once
opener shows 5-6 by
opening in clubs and then
bidding diamonds twice,
responder needs to act
accordingly. High cards in
opener’s long suits will be
useful. In the other suits,
anything other than the ace is
unlikely to be worth much.
Indeed, on this occasion,
even the ace of hearts might
be of little use.
It is that old adage – stay
low on a misfit.
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 Ask Julian continued
Q
After I opened
1♦, partner, with
the following
hand replied 2♣ leading
to the auction below.
♠ Q 7
♥ 9 7 6 3
♦ 5
♣ A K Q 9 4 3
Partner Me
1♦
2♣ 2♥ As I had just one king,
3♥ End
We missed game in
hearts as I assumed
partner had only
three-card support.
Should partner have
bid 1♥ instead of 2♣?
John Dunbar by email.
A
There are two points
here before we get
on to your question:
1. A reverse after a two-
level response should create
a game force, so, even if you
thought partner might have
only three hearts, you should
be finding a further bid.
2. Normally, since a
second suit is often a
four-card suit, raising the
second suit shows four-card
support. On this particular
auction, when partner has so
many other bids available,
I would say it guarantees it.
Without four-card support,
responder would find some
other bid, 2♠ (fourth suit),
2NT, 3♣ or 3♦, for example.
No, partner should not
respond 1♥: with longer
and stronger clubs in a
hand worth two bids, 2♣
E-mail your questions for Julian to:
julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk
seems clear-cut. With such
disparity in the suits, many
people would respond 2♣
even if the hand had nine
DECLARER
points rather than eleven.
♣♦♥♠
PLAY
QUIZ
Q
Playing 4-card
majors and
Key-Card
Blackwood, the following
by David Huggett
sequence arose: (Answers overleaf)
West East
1♥ 1♠ Y ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.
In each case, what is your play strategy?
2♦ 4NT
?
1. ♠ K 7 3 2 3. ♠ K J 9 8
♥ Q 10 5 ♥ 7 4
I was unsure which ♦ 8 7 4 ♦ A 8 5 3
suit was trumps and ♣ A J 8 ♣ A Q 9
hence what to do. N N
W E W E
John Martin, Glendale, S S
Evanton, Scotland.
A
For a start, it is best ♠ A 9 4 ♠ A Q 10 7 6 5
to bid 4NT only ♥ A K J 8 ♥ A K 3
after the partnership ♦ 3 2 ♦ 4
has agreed a suit. Partner ♣ K Q 9 4 ♣ 7 6 5
might have tried using fourth
suit and then agreeing one
of your suits. However, You are declarer in 4♥ You are declarer in 6♠
depending upon your next and West leads the ♦K and and West leads the ♦Q.
bid, I can see that there might follows up with the ♦Q and How do you plan the play?
not be space to do so below then the ♦J. How do you (Trumps are 2-1).
game. Partner could certainly plan the play?
have jumped to 4♦ to agree
diamonds. Then, if you cue
bid 4♥ or 4♠, it would be
possible for him to bid 4NT 2. ♠ 8 6 4 4. ♠ A 7 5
next time. If your hand was ♥ K 2 ♥ 8 4
such that you could not make ♦ A Q 3 ♦ K J 9 6 5 3
a cue bid in either major, ♣ A 10 9 6 4 ♣ K 2
that alone might tell partner N N
whether a slam is playable. W E W E
S S
Reverting to your main
question, you have a choice.
Either you say that Key-Card ♠ K Q 9 ♠ 8 2
is off if you have no suit ♥ A Q J ♥ A J 5
agreed or you say that ♦ 9 7 4 2 ♦ A 10 4
the last suit bid is the ♣ Q J 7 ♣ A 8 7 4 3
trump suit, the latter being
the way that most people
play it. ■ You are declarer in 3NT You are declarer in 3NT
and West leads the ♠5. and West leads the ♥K.
East plays the ♠J. How do How do you plan the play?
you plan the play?
Page 43
 Answers to David Huggett’s 
Play Quiz on page 43
the ♠5. East plays the ♠J. How do you
1. ♠ K 7 3 2 plan the play?
♥ Q 10 5 If the club finesse works there will be
♦ 8 7 4 no problem, so you have to assume that
♣ A J 8 it doesn’t.
♠ Q 10 8 ♠ J 6 5 If you win the opening lead and take a
N
♥ 3 2 ♥ 9 7 6 4 losing club finesse, you will be defeated
W E
♦ K Q J 6 S ♦ A 10 9 5 every time West has led from a five-card
♣ 10 7 6 2 ♣ 5 3 suit headed by the ace. So why not duck.
♠ A 9 4 If East started with just two spades, he
♥ A K J 8 will have to switch suits when in with
♦ 3 2 the king of clubs and, if he does have
♣ K Q 9 4 another spade, you can only lose three
spades at most. You have to be careful
though if West switches to a low diamond
You are declarer in 4♥ and West leads after winning the ace of spades,
the ♦K and follows up with the ♦Q and when you must be careful not to play
then the ♦J. How do you plan the play? the queen – either play the ace or duck
You have done well to find the heart completely.
game and mustn’t spoil it by casual play.
The diamond lead and continuation has
threatened your trump holding and, in-
deed, if you ruff the third round of dia- 3. ♠ K J 9 8
monds, you will be defeated whenever ♥ 7 4
trumps break 4-2 because you will lose ♦ A 8 5 3
trump control. ♣ A Q 9
However, as you have a definite spade ♠ 3 ♠ 4 2
loser, just discard a low spade on the ♥ J 9 6 2 N ♥ Q 10 8 5
W E
third round of diamonds. Now if the ♦ Q J 10 2 S ♦ K 9 7 6
defence tries a fourth round of that suit ♣ 10 8 4 2 ♣ K J 3
you can ruff in dummy but maintain the ♠ A Q 10 7 6 5
trump length in hand. And then you can ♥ A K 3
draw trumps. ♦ 4
♣ 7 6 5
2. ♠ 8 6 4 You are declarer in 6♠ and West leads
♥ K 2 the ♦Q. How do you plan the play?
♦ A Q 3 (Trumps are 2-1).
♣ A 10 9 6 4 This is an exercise in timing together
♠ A 10 7 5 3 ♠ J 2 with an endplay. It looks superficially as
N
♥ 9 7 5
W E
♥ 10 8 6 4 3 though you need the club finesse to work
♦ J 8 5 S ♦ K 10 6 but, of course, that would be too easy.
♣ 8 3 ♣ K 5 2 Win the ace of diamonds and ruff
♠ K Q 9 a diamond. Draw trumps ending in
♥ A Q J dummy and ruff another diamond, then
♦ 9 7 4 2 play the top two hearts and ruff the third.
♣ Q J 7 Finally, you ruff the last diamond back to
hand and lead a club to the nine. That
will undoubtedly lose to the hand on your
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads right but he will be totally endplayed.
Page 44
A club back gives you the two tricks
in the suit you were looking for while
anything else gives you a ruff and discard
when you make your last two trumps
separately.
4. ♠ A 7 5
♥ 8 4
♦ K J 9 6 5 3
♣ K 2
♠ 10 6 4 3 ♠ K Q J 9
N
♥ K Q 10 6 3 2 ♥ 9 7
W E
♦ 7 S ♦ Q 8 2
♣ J 6 ♣ Q 10 9 5
♠ 8 2
♥ A J 5
♦ A 10 4
♣ A 8 7 4 3
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads
the ♥K. How do you plan the play?
You might think it right to duck the
opening lead, but that would be a big
mistake if a spade switch was found,
when you would have to find the queen
of diamonds to make the contract. In
fact, the contract is a certainty as long as
you keep the hand on your right off lead.
So win the ace of hearts and play a club
to the king and run the nine of diamonds.
If it wins, you will make an overtrick or
two, while if it fails, you still have nine
tricks via one spade, one heart, five dia-
monds and two clubs.
Notice how important it was to keep
the danger hand, East, off lead when
a heart through from him would spell
defeat. ■
BEGIN BRIDGE
£66
ACOL VERSION
An Interactive Tutorial
CD with Bernard Magee
See Mail Order form on page 5.
 QPLUS 10 BERNARD MAGEE’S
Really INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS
user-friendly
bridge-playing ACOL MORE DECLARER
software BIDDING (ADVANCED) PLAY
ACOL BIDDING
l QPLUS 11 sent l Opening Bids and l Suit Establishment
when ready Responses l Basics in No-trumps
l QPLUS can be l Slams and Strong l Advanced Basics l Suit Establishment
passed on to a friend Openings in Suits
l Weak Twos
l Updated l Support for Partner l Hold-ups
comprehensive l Strong Hands
l Pre-empting l Ruffing for
manual l Defence
Extra Tricks
l Displays on £92 l Overcalls to Weak Twos
HD screen £66 l Entries in
l No-trump l Defence to 1NT No-trumps £76
l Supports large Openings
screens l Doubles
and Responses l Delaying
l Minibridge option
l Opener’s and l Two-suited £96 Drawing Trumps
l Extra 500 preplayed Responder’s Rebids Overcalls l Using the Lead
hands for teams
l Defences to
making 5,000 in all l Minors and Misfits l Trump Control
Other Systems
l Extra 500 preplayed l Doubles l Endplays &
hands for match- l Misfits and Avoidance
l Competitive Distributional
point pairs making
4,000 in all Auctions Hands l Using the Bidding
l Improvement
over two years
from version 9 ADVANCED DEFENCE FIVE-CARD
l New save match DECLARER PLAY MAJORS &
function l Lead vs Strong No-Trump
l Making Overtricks No-trump Contracts
l Save deals with
automatic file in No-trumps l Opening Bids
l Lead vs
labelling & Responses
l Making Overtricks Suit Contracts
l Closed room – new in Suit Contracts l No-Trump
l Partner of Leader
button to view Openings
l Endplays vs No-trump
other table
l Avoidance
Contracts l Support £89
for Partner
QPLUS l Partner of Leader
TRADE-IN
l Wrong £81 vs Suit Contracts l Slams
Contract
& Strong Openings
OFFER l Simple
l Count
Signals l Rebids
Return any QPLUS Squeezes
CD and booklet with
l Counting
l Attitude £76 l Minors
a cheque for £43 and Signals & Misfits
the Hand
receive QPLUS 10
l Discarding l Pre-empting
with the promise l Trump Reductions
of QPLUS 11 when & Coups l Defensive Plan l Doubles
ready later this year
l Playing Doubled l Stopping Declarer l Overcalls
for no extra charge.
Contracts
Order with absolute l Counting l Competitive
confidence. l Safety Plays the Hand Auctions

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
System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM
 AEGEAN ODYSSEY DECK PLAN

CATEGORY GUIDE
403 404#
CAT A Owner’s Suite, Balcony BRIDGE 405 406
503 504 408
CAT B Junior Suite, Balcony 407

•
•
505 506 409 410
507 508 411 412
CAT C Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony 509 512 510 414 ▲
511 413 416

•
•
801 802 515 514
CAT D Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony 701 513 516 415 417 418 420

•
•
702

•
•
AMBASSADOR 519 518 419 422

■
CAT E Deluxe Stateroom, Outside 803 804 703 704 LOUNGE
517 520 421 424
423 426
523 524 425 428
705
CAT F Deluxe Stateroom, Outside 805 806
706 521 522
427 ▲
430
525 ▲ 526 ▲ 429 432
707 708 434
CAT G Premium Outside 527 528 431 ▲ 433 436 ▲

■
807 808 529 530
438

712 • 710 •
531 532 435 437 440
CAT H Premium Outside
810 •
809 •

533 534 439 442

CAT I* Premium Outside 441 444
709 714 443 MARCO POLO
RECEPTION 448

•
445 446
CAT J Standard Outside RESTAURANT
LIDO 711 716 447 450 452
449
BAR 713 718 451 454
CAT K Premium Inside 453 456
715 720 535 536 455 460
CAT L Premium Inside 717 722 459 ATHENA 464
537 538
719 539 HEALTH
CAT M Standard Inside
724 •
CHARLESTON HAIR 463 466
SPA
LOUNGE 543 DRESSER
541 540 467 470
721
POOL 547
KEY 471 474
726 •

INTERNET 542
545
• Single cabins 723 549
475 476
▲ Third pullman berth in these cabins 551 544 477 478
725 728
• •

• •

■ Third/fourth pullman berth 727 730 553 546

# Cabin for passengers with disabilities

* Please note: Category GG, I, II and

some HH cabins have partially
555 548

restricted view 557 550 MEDICAL

LIBRARY
Elevator 729 732
559 552

• •

• •
•

811 812
731 734 561 554
SHOP
813 814
733 736 563 556
815 816 735 738
565 558
817 818 737 740
567 560
819 820 739 742 TERRACE CAFE
569 562
821 822 741 744
571 564
823 824 743 746
573 566
825 826 745 748 BAR
827 828 575 568
747 750 THE
TERRACE
577 570

LIDO DECK BRIDGE DECK PROMENADE DECK BELVEDERE DECK COLUMBUS DECK MARCO POLO DECK

TERMS & CONDITIONS
please read carefully:
1. The contract
The contract exists between you and Voyages
to Antiquity (UK) Limited (the Company)
once we have received your signed booking
form and the required deposit payment and
we have sent you a confirmation/invoice. The
terms and conditions apply to all passengers
named on the booking form and the person
signing the booking form warrants that he or
she is authorised to do so. All correspondence
will be conducted with the lead person named
on the booking form.
2. Deposits and final payment
The deposit is 10% of the total holiday cost.
Final balance is due 75 days prior to departure.
Full payment must be made at time of booking
if made within 75 days of departure. We reserve
the right to cancel your booking and apply the
relevant cancellation charges (detailed in
paragraph 4) if we do not receive all payments
at the due time. There is no charge for payment
of deposit by credit card but a charge of between
1.7% and 2.5% is made for balance payments.
No charges are made for payments by debit cards.
3. Changes by you
Should you wish to make a change to your
confirmed reservation you must notify us in
writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will try
to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so. When we can, a £50 per person
amendment fee (£100 within 60 days) is payable
plus any other charges imposed by the airline.
A change of departure date within 60 days prior
to departure will be treated as a cancellation.
4. Cancellation by you
You need to notify the Company in writing
as soon as possible if you or any member
of your party needs to cancel your cruise
holiday. Cancellation charges payable to
the company are shown here:
Period before departure
when written notice is
received by the Company
more than 75 days
between 61 to 75 days
between 31 to 60 days
between 16 to 30 days
15 days or less
The cancellation charge is based on the total
invoice charge.
5. Insurance
We do not sell insurance as there are many
good deals available in the market, plus many
people now have annual policies. It is however a
requirement that all passengers have adequate
insurance cover against possible cancellation
charges, medical treatment and repatriation
and loss of baggage. Details of your policy need
to be entered in your booking form in the
space provided.
6. Changes and cancellation by us
The holidays featured in this brochure are
planned many months in advance.
Occasionally we have to make changes
and alterations to the published itineraries
both before and after bookings have been
confirmed, as circumstances may change and
also to correct possible errors in the brochure.
Most changes are minor but occasionally we
may have to make a ‘significant change’. A
‘significant change’ before departure is deemed
to be: a change to your initial embarkation or
disembarkation port to a different geographical
area or a change in the duration of your cruise
holiday by more than 12 hours. Itinerary or
other timing changes are not considered to be
‘significant changes’. We might also have to
cancel a cruise in cases of force majeure (war,
civil unrest, natural disasters, adverse weather
Cancellation charge conditions) in the area the cruise is scheduled,
per person or where a travel advisory has been issued by a
cancelling governmental organisation (UK or US) against
10% travel there. We also reserve the right to cancel
25% a cruise at any time up to ten weeks before
50% sailing if we consider there are insufficient
75% bookings for the cruise to be viable.
100% If we have to make a significant change or
cancel a cruise, we will advise you as soon as
possible with any alternate arrangements that
may be available. You can choose to either
accept these alternate arrangements or cancel
with a full refund.
In the unlikely event that a ‘force majeure’
situation occurs after a cruise has started,
causing us to change the itinerary, we would
not be liable to pay any compensation other
than pass on any refunds received from suppliers.
The ship’s captain is responsible for the safety
of the ship, passengers and crew and has
absolute discretion in making any alterations
to the cruise he considers necessary.
7. Consideration for others
We expect all passengers to have consideration
for other people. If in our reasonable opinion
the behaviour of any passenger is likely to cause
damage, upset or distress to any third party or
damage to property, the Company reserves
the right to terminate that passenger’s cruise
without prior notice. In these extreme
circumstances no refunds will be made and
the Company will not pay any expenses or
costs incurred as a result of the termination
of the cruise.
The departure of the ship from any port will
not be delayed for passengers who are not on
board by the published departure time.
8. Fitness and Eligibility
The focus of the cruises featured in this
brochure is on the extensive programme of
included sightseeing and to fully participate in
this you need to be reasonably fit and have no
walking difficulties. In any event your mobility
should not be an impediment to others on the
guided tours. We also reserve the right to refuse
to accept a booking without giving a reason.
9. Liability
The liability of the Company and any other
party that may be involved in providing services
in connection with any of the holidays in this
brochure may be limited where international
conventions apply. These include the Warsaw
Convention which relates to carriage by air
and the Athens Convention which relates to
carriage by sea. Travel on board the Aegean
Odyssey is subject to the conditions of carriage
issued by the ship operating company and travel
on board aircraft to join the Aegean Odyssey is
subject to the airline’s standard ticket conditions.
Full details are available on request.
The Company is not to be held responsible
for any act, event or omission during the time
passengers are not aboard the vessel. The
Company acts only as an agent for the supplier
of off-ship services such as airlines and other
off-ship transportation carriers, meals, shore
excursions, accommodations, air ambulance
and shore-side physicians. These may limit
or exclude liability. Claims other than for
personal injury, death and illness are limited
to a reasonable amount.
10. English Law
These conditions form part of the contract with
the Company and any disputes arising out of it
are governed by English Law. All proceedings
shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the
courts of England and Wales.
 VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY BOOKING FORM
CRUISE NAME UK Departure Date Booking Reference

Preferred Dept. Airport

PASSENGER DETAILS Lead Name (A) 2nd Passenger (B)

Surname (as shown on passport)

First Names (as shown on passport)

Mr/Mrs/Miss/other

Nationality

Date of Birth

Place of Birth

Occupation

Passport Number

Expiry Date

Issuing Authority

Country of Issue

Issue Date

Home Address

Postcode
Telephone Number

E-mail address

Emergency contact name and relation (next of kin)

Contact Number

Cabin Grade & Number

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS PAYMENT DETAILS

Non-refundable deposit of 10%. £
Cheques to be made payable to
Voyages to Antiquity (UK) Limited
INSURANCE Lead Passenger (A), Second Passenger (B)
All passengers must be adequately insured and you should provide your policy details below: CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

(A) Policy issued by Policy No: MasterCard Visa American Express Visa Debit
Policy emergency contact No: Expiry date: Name on card:
(B) Policy issued by Policy No: Card No: Security code:

Policy emergency contact No:

MEDICAL DECLARATION
All the above named persons are fit to travel and are not travelling contrary to medical advice.
All pre-existing medical conditions which may require treatment aboard ship must be declared.
NB. A charge of between 1.7% and 2.5% is made for final payments made by credit card
SIGNATURE
On behalf of the persons named above, whose authority I have to sign this agreement, I have read
the information on this cruise and accept the Terms and Conditions.

Name (please print)

NB. If there is a change in the general health of any of the above named, medical advice should
be sought before taking the proposed holiday. A medical certificate may be requested. Signature Date

#
VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY
ABTA No.Y2206

MAKING YOUR RESERVATION

• Select your Voyages to Antiquity cruise and preferred cabin category.
• Contact Mr Bridge office on 01483 489961 who can take care of your booking.
• Once you have been given a booking reference number, please complete the booking form, as soon as possible to avoid delays,
and send it with a 10% deposit to Voyages of Antiquity (UK) Ltd., 8 South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JL.
• An invoice will be issued within one week of confirmation and the balance of your holiday must
be received 75 days before departure.
• Your documents will be sent approximately two weeks before departure once
full payment has been received.
 CRUISE FROMVENICE
TO ANCIENT SICILYAND
BRIDGE
If undelivered or unwanted kindly return to
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey, GU21 2TH
POMPEII
Venice
Croatia
Split
Italy
Dubrovnik
Civitavecchia Korcula
Rome Adriatic
Sea
Sorrento
Tyrrhenian
Sea
Palermo
Enjoy a daily duplicate while exploring dramatic fares from just £2,150 include: Mediterranean Sea Syracuse
Sicily
Croatia, monumental Sicily and the Amalfi Coast •FULL BRIDGE PROGRAMME •SCHEDULED FLIGHTS 13 days departing October 4, 2013
Spend two days exploring Venice then sail south via the •EXPERTLY PLANNED ITINERARIES OCT 4 Fly to VENICE Italy
Adriatic's beautiful cities and around the heel of Italy to Sicily. •SHORE EXCURSIONS IN ALL PORTS OF CALL Transfer to Aegean Odyssey overnight
OCT 5/6 VENICE Italy overnight
Visit the ancient Greek Theatre at Syracuse, the extraordinary •EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS OCT 7 SPLIT Croatia
Palatine Chapel in Palermo and explore the ruins of Pompeii •WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD OCT 8 KORCULA Croatia
from Sorrento while enjoying daily bridge. •OPEN-SEATING DINING • GRATUITIES ON BOARD OCT 9 DUBROVNIK Croatia
OCT 10
•EXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE COCKTAIL PARTY At Sea
OCT 11 SYRACUSE Sicily
OCT 12/13 PALERMO (Monreale) Sicily overnight
Mr Bridge Passengers The bridge programme is exclusive to OCT 14/15 SORRENTO (Pompeii) Italy overnight
Mr Bridge bookings but is completely optional. Mr Bridge OCT 15 SORRENTO Italy
passengers can participate as much, or as little as they wish. OCT 16 CIVITAVECCHIA Italy
There will be a duplicate session every evening and bridge Transfer to airport for flight home
every afternoon the ship is at sea. Singles are made especially MR BRIDGE SPECIAL FARES
Call Mr Bridge to reserve your cabin and take
welcome – a playing partner will always be found.
advantage of these special fares, or for a brochure Standard Inside £2,150pp Premium Outside from £2,895pp
to find out more about our ship, Aegean Odyssey. Premium Inside from £2,295pp Deluxe Outside from £3,495pp
CALL ON 01483 489961 Standard Outside £2,750pp Deluxe Balcony from £4,295pp
All prices, savings and offers shown are subject to availability at the time of booking. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and available only on certain cabin
grades and the sailings shown, and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Single accommodation is available only in certain categories, and subject to availability. www.mrbridge.co.uk NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
PAST PASSENGERS CAN SAVE EVEN MORE
10093
V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY
Extend your holiday with a hotel
ABTA No.Y2206
stay in Rome, please call for details