BRIDGE

Number One Hundred and Thirty-Eight

Bernard Magee’s Acol Bidding Quiz

You are West in the auctions below, playing ‘Standard Acol’ with a weak no-trump (12-14 points) and 4-card majors.
June 2014

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

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

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

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

3. Dealer South. Love All. 6. Dealer West. Love All. 9. Dealer South. E/W Game. 12. Dealer East. Game All.
♠ A 6 ♠ A K 7 6 5
♠ K 4 3
♠ 7 6
♥ 7 3 N ♥ 4 2 N ♥ A K 7 N ♥ 4 3 N
W E W E W E W E
♦ K 10 3 2 ♦ A Q 4 2 ♦ A 8 7 6 5 ♦ A K 8 3
S S S S
♣ A 9 8 7 3 ♣ 4 3 ♣ Q 2 ♣ K 9 8 5 3

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

Answers on page 6 Answers on page 9 Answers on page 11 Answers on page 13

 V OYAGES A NTIQUITY TO

bridge cruises to
ancient civilisations

Combine a daily duplicate with the best of cultural travel

and the comfort of small-ship cruising
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with Voyages to Antiquity, each new itinerary offers the
chance to indulge your passion for bridge in comfortable
and welcoming surroundings while exploring many of the
great classical sites and fascinating cultures of the world.
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she has the ability to visit ports that are too small for larger
vessels – from the classical sites of the Mediterranean,
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BRIDGE June 2014 Page 3


Bernard Magee’s Tips
for Better Bridge
65 invaluable tips in 160 pages
Bidding Tips
1 Always consider bidding
spades if you can
2 Bid more aggressively
when non-vulnerable
3 Always double when the
opponents steal your deal
4 A takeout double shows
shortage in the suit doubled
5 ‘Borrow’ a king
to keep the auction open
6 After a penalty double,
don’t let the opponents escape
7 Halve the value of a singleton
honour when opening
8 Only add length-points for a
suit that might be useful
9 Isolated honours are bad
except in partner’s suit
10 Use the jump shift sparingly
11 Consider passing and letting
partner decide
12 You need two top honours
for a second-seat pre-empt
13 Put the brakes on if you have a
misfit
14 Strong and long minors work
well in no-trumps
15 One stop in the opponents’ suit
can be enough for no-trumps
16 Keep your two-level
responses up to strength
17 Use your normal methods in
response to a 1NT overcall
18 Don’t overcall just because
you have opening points
19 Overcalls can be quite weak,
so be prudent when responding
20 Weak overcalls must be based
on strong suits
21 6NT requires 33 points
not 4 aces and 4 kings
22 Raise immediately, if weak
with four-card support
23 In a competitive auction,
show support immediately
24 Bid to the level of your fit
quickly with weak hands
25 With strength and support,
use the opponents’ bid suit
Declarer Play Tips
26 When your contract depends
on a finesse, think ‘endplay’
27 Consider what a defender
might be thinking about
28 Always take your time
at trick one
29 Establish extra tricks before
cashing your winners
30 Use your opponents’
bidding to your advantage
31 Avoid the ‘baddie’
gaining the lead
32 Use the Rule of Seven when
holding up in no-trumps
£14 including postage and packing from Mr Bridge,
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961
Page 4 BRIDGE June 2014
33 A low lead usually promises
length and an honour
34 When declaring 1NT,
try to be patient
35 Duck an early round when
you are short of entries
36 Lead up to your
two-honour holding
37 Do not always assume
a suit will break well
38 Drop a high card
to put off the defence
39 Play your highest card to tempt
a defender to cover
40 Draw trumps first unless you
have a good reason not to
41 Do not waste your trumps
42 Consider leaving a lone defen-
sive trump winner out
Defence Tips
43 Keep four-card suits intact
whenever possible
44 Give count on declarer’s leads
45 Keep the right cards
rather than signal
46 Take your time
when dummy is put down
47 High cards are for killing
other high cards
48 Do not waste
intermediate cards
49 Pick two key suits to
concentrate on during the play
50 If in doubt, cover an honour
with an honour
51 If a lead is from two honours, it
is best not to cover
52 Keep your honour to kill
dummy’s honour
53 Try to show partner your
solid honour sequences
54 Lead the normal card when
leading partner’s suit
55 Never underlead an ace at trick
one in a suit contract
56 Be wary of leading from
four cards to only one honour
57 Lead a higher card from
a suit without an honour
58 Lead through ‘beatable’
strength and up to weakness
59 Cash your winners before try-
ing for a trump promotion
60 Be patient when defending
1NT
61 Trump leads can be safe
throughout the play
General Tips
62 Do not put important cards
at either end of your hand
63 Avoid being declarer when
you are dummy
64 Before you lead, ask for a
review of the auction
65 Enjoy the Game!
CLEARANCE
I am back safe and sound
after being away from the
office for four weeks. What
a lot to catch up with,
especially as I promised a
Spring sale on my return.
This is now well and truly
overdue, so this is how I
propose to handle it. On
the back of your carrier
(address) sheet, I have
provided a list of the
in-house merchandise I
want to clear, but I only
have limited quantities,
mostly of shop soiled or
second hand products,
usually taken in part
exchange. If it’s books, you
can send in postage stamps.
But if it is software, you can
phone to check what is
available before sending
your payment. This will
avoid the expense of me
having to write back with a
double-whammy negative:
having to pay the postage to
return your payments as
well as disappointing you.
SERENITY
Dealing with computers
and helping people with
software has made me
patient to the point of
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off on all the team here. If
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software, please do not
hesitate to ask for help. We
will see that your programs
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TRADE IN
If you are tired with your
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TUNISIA ALL IN
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and bridge combined in an
all inclusive package. I had
thought this would be
inappropriate for bridge
players as they wouldn’t
want to drink too much
and spoil their game, but it
seems that every hotel in
Tunisia is going all in and
really, it is by far the most
cost effective option. See
page 11 for our November
and March dates and prices.
POSTAGE SAVINGS
Following last month’s rise
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supplied in two stamps,
combined to make up the
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to you at 44p. 1st class 62p,
still only 50p to you.
Available in lots of 100.
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Members need to be sure
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of cash and their club
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liability. Just over £63 for a
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There are over five hundred
clubs in my scheme
enjoying peace of mind.
There is a new contact at
managing brokers, Moore
Stephens. Ring Tom Harvey
( 0207 515 5270.
It is the unexpected that
you need to have covered.
 VERY MODERN
Readers may have noticed
the new advertisement for
Genesis Choice, which has
appeared in our recent
issues. Genesis Choice are
currently advertising their
travel insurance in
BRIDGE for the season
and as part of a special
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giving Policy holders a
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Without the security risk of
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The great thing is that if
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If you want to know more
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If you have ever lost your
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BRIDGE June 2014 Page 5
STILL SPACES £50 OFF
I am still committed to the Interesting
promotion of Just Duplicate
Bridge Events. The Clifton QPlus
Park Hotel, Lytham St.
Annes, has been added to Hands
Bernard Magee will be our list of venues, see page
again travelling on lovely 47. The price includes two 2424-13 7792-13
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to Istanbul on 30 July from traditional Sunday roast. It 5387-06 1370-20
whence the ship sails across is further reduced by £50 7212-15 8584-06
the Aegean, around Athens per person to ensure 8724-04 7370-08
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BACK COVER AD 1151-03 6722-82
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The fifth in the series of 3430-07 9474-11
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with specific subjects of real 0007-02 4576-08
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next January. The price 9028-13 4048-02
includes 6 lectures, 6 2406-14 2828-09
sessions of supervised play 5390-11 9460-16
All three series of six DVDs 2829-11 5290-05
and 3 nights full board. For
are listed on page 10 with 5290-100 5290-54
only £399 per person, you
thumbnail descriptions of 5290-169 2941-02
will share an experience
their content. Playing time 1978-13 4616-06
that you will never forget.
is an average of 90 minutes. 6529-11 6656-01
The wonderful thing about 302-09 5464-09
QPLUS HANDS a tutorial DVD is that 4607-06 4275-03
As promised, all the strange, viewers have a permanent 8719-19 5613-07
weird and wonderful hands record which they can 0265-11 611-01
that I have drawn to readers re-visit over and over again. 6598-05 1762-10
attention in the course of Individual DVDs, £25 each. 611-12 5464-09
the last 3 years are listed in Boxed sets of six, £100. Pick 2769-11 5929-05
the adjacent column. I do and mix. Six for only £105 5060-07 9680-05
including postage. 9680-06 3515-04
think you should try some
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of these and let me know
2471-14 2471-15
how you get on with them. DIANA HOLLAND
4205-04 5276-09
This is one of the beauties
8605-01 8605-09
of QPlus. You can type in 0393-02 0097-11
the number and the same 0393-03 6172-11
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on your screen as on mine 4810-09 3390-04
becoming something we 9101-14 5031-01
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The last of our Rubber
TRAVEL TIP 6756-10 4498-01
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When you go on holiday, Barn from 29-31 August. 3033-11 7354-05
try to resolve any problems This will be hosted by 8462-07 9910-14
while you are with the Diana Holland. If you 8495-04 8901-04
airline or hotel at the time. haven’t been to one yet, 2263-04 6001-13
It may sound obvious, but this is your chance. 2683-13 8677-12
all too often, the first we 6071-05 6071-10
All good wishes,
hear is when it is too late to
do anything about it. Mr Bridge
 Answers to Bernard Magee’s 
Bidding Quizzes 1-3 on the Cover

1. Dealer West. Love All.
♠ K Q J 9 8 7 6 4 ♠ 3 2
♥ 3 2 N ♥ A 8
W E
♦ 8 2 S ♦ A 9 7 6 5
♣ 4 ♣ J 10 8 7
West North East South
? Your partner pre-empts to disrupt your
4♠. You have a beautiful pre-emptive
hand: you expect to make seven tricks
if you play in spades, but do not expect
to make one trick against any other
contract (someone will have at most a
singleton spade). If you play weak twos,
you will know that you can open a weak
hand with six cards at the 2-level. At the
three-level, you open a weak hand with
a seven-card suit, so naturally, you open
an eight-card suit at the four-level.
The reason for this extra level is
because of your potential for seven
tricks as well as your lack of potential
elsewhere. Either you will make, in which
case you get the game bonus, or, as
here, you will go down, but with only two
tricks from your partner it will not be a
surprise to find your opponents able to
make game. It is not easy for them to bid
over 4♠ and not even easy to double. -50
will look very good instead of -450 for
4♥ making with an overtrick.
contract. For this reason, without a fit for
your partner, you need about 16 points
to go forward.
It is quite possible that 3♥ might be a
slightly better contract than 3♣, but you
cannot play in 3♥ because any change
of suit is forcing for one round. If you bid
3♥, your partner will bid 4♣ and you will
end up in 4♣-1 instead of 3♣ making.
opponents, but sometimes it does disrupt
you – these are things you just have to
put up with – taking the rough with the
smooth.
3. Dealer South. Love All.
♠ A 6 ♠ 7 4 3
♥ 7 3 N ♥ A 9 8 2
W E
♦ K 10 3 2 S ♦ A 8 7 6
♣ A 9 8 7 3 ♣ 4 2
West North East South
1♠
Pass 2♠ Pass Pass
? You might respond that, surely this is
2NT*. When the auction dies out at the
2-level and your opponents have a fit,
then you should try very hard to compete
for the deal. If they have a fit, then you
usually have a fit and it tends to be right
to bid on to the 3-level: either you go off
(-50 or -100) and get a better score than
them making (-110) or you might even
make your contract. It is understanding
that going off will give you a good score,
that should persuade you to bid more.
But how do you find your fit?
A take-out double is the usual option,
but this will not work if you are short in
an unbid major, because your partner
is likely to bid it (here he would reply
3♥). There is one other option which you
might not have thought of: 2NT. When a
bid cannot possibly be natural, you hope
that your partner will try to work out what
you mean. There is no way you can have
a genuine 2NT overcall when you passed
on the first round, so you hope your
partner will understand that you want
him to bid a minor – it is similar to an
unusual 2NT overcall, but in the pass-out
seat it is just for take-out, not necessarily
showing 5-5.
Here, your partner should bid 3♦. Both
2♠ and 3♦ are likely to make: a swing of
220 points from +110 to -110.
not part of natural Acol?
You would be right in part, but when
a bid cannot be natural, then you hope
that partner will find a bid in response.
However, I cannot promise that your
partner would respond! ■

2. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ A 9 8 ♠ 4 3
Elstead Hotel
Bournemouth BH1 3QP
♥ Q 9 8 7 6 4 3 N ♥ 2
W E
♦ A K S ♦ 7 6 5
10-12 Oct Just Duplicate Jo Walch £199
♣ 3 ♣ K Q J 8 7 6 5
31 Oct-2/11 Just Duplicate Val Passmore £199

West North East South 14-16 Nov Just Duplicate Mary Stebbing £199
3♣ Pass
? 21-23 Nov Doubles Bernard Magee £245

Pass. In question 1, you had the perfect

example of a pre-emptive hand and here Full Board – No Single Supplement
is another: hands that make a lot of tricks Booking Form on page 8.
in their own suit, but very few in any other

Page 6 BRIDGE June 2014

✄

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( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Surrey, GU21 2TH.
✄

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 7

 ✄
BRIDGE EVENTS
BRIDGE  with Bernard Magee
BREAKS 21-23 Elstead Hotel
£245 Doubles
♦ Full-board ♦ Two seminars* 28-30 Blunsdon House
♦ All rooms with ♦ Two supervised £245 Distributional
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NEW
23-25 Blunsdon House
Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person,
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Single .... Double .... Twin ....
Worthing BN11 3DU

Name of Hotel/Centre.............................................................
June
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................................................................................................
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( ...........................................................................................
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( 01483 489961 £245 Further into Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT
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✄

Page 8 BRIDGE June 2014

 Answers to 
Bernard Magee’s  BRIDGE
Bidding Quizzes 4-6 Make sure you don’t miss
your favourite monthly

on the Cover
articles by taking out an
annual subscription.

l Acol Bidding Quiz &

Pass. Your partner’s 2♣ response Answers by Bernard Magee
4. Dealer East. Love All. shows a good hand: 10+ points, so it
♠ 10 9 4 2 ♠ A 3 seems to be your hand, but be careful. l Ask Julian Pottage
♥ A 2 N ♥ K Q 10 9 5 Your partner knows the same as you –
W E l Julian’s FAQs
♦ Q J 3 S ♦ 4 2 he has seen you open the bidding so will
♣ 9 7 6 5 ♣ A K Q 2 also know that it is your hand. You need l Misleading Cases as reported
to make a bid only if you have something by our court correspondent
important to say. Here, you have little to
West North East South say: you have a minimum hand with just l Ask David Stevenson
1♥ Pass a little distribution.
l David’s
1♠ Pass 3♣ Pass Your partner will be in a good position
FAQs
? to compete for the deal if he feels the SPECIAL
need to: either making a take-out l Mary’s OFFER
3NT. A new suit at the three-level is double, or bidding 3♣ as here. First Lesson PRICE
unconditionally forcing: your partner A take-out double from you is OK but,
should have about 19 total points for his with a minimum hand, you do better to l Helpful
bid, underwriting a game contract (East leave things to your partner. Conventions
has 18 HCP and a strong five-card suit). and Related Quiz
Trusting your partner, you should show l Defence Quiz
an important aspect of your hand if you
can. You do have a fit in clubs, but more 6. Dealer West. Love All. l Tales from
important is your stop in the fourth suit. ♠ A K 7 6 5 ♠ 2 Sherwood Forest
Your side has bid three suits so, with your ♥ 4 2 N ♥ Q J 10 6 5 3 by David Bird
W E
holding in diamonds, you can suggest a ♦ A Q 4 2 S ♦ K 6 5
l Things You Should Know...
no-trump contract: your 3NT bid ends ♣ 4 3 ♣ 9 8 7
the auction. l Catching up
You can see why your partner needs
to be so strong, since you are allowed West North East South l Seven Days
to bid 3NT with such a weak hand. East 1♠ 1NT 2♥ Pass
l Jeremy Dhondy
does not disappoint: you hope to make ?
four clubs and four more top tricks, with l Sally Brock Tip
the ninth trick coming from diamonds or Pass. What does your partner’s 2♥ bid
hearts. mean? l Travel Tip
Usually, two-level responses are l Readers’ Letters
strong, but no-trump bids change all
auctions. If your partner opens 1NT, two-
Special
5. Dealer West. N/S Game. level responses are weak and the same is
♠ A 5 ♠ 7 6 true if there is a 1NT overcall. With strong Introductory
♥ K Q 9 3 2 N
W E
♥ 6 5 hands, you can double your opponents’ Subscription:
no-trump overcall for penalties.
♦ K 9 3 2 S ♦ A 8 6
£20 for twelve
♣ J 7 ♣ K Q 10 9 6 2 So your partner’s 2♥ bid is an attempt
to compete for the contract: it shows a monthly issues.
long suit and a relatively weak hand,
West North East South 5-8 points. Generally, you should pass
See mail order
1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♠ unless you have a lot of strength or a lot form on page 7.
? of distribution. ■

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 9

 BERNARD MAGEE
Boxed Sets of six DVDs
Series 1
1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks
This seminar deals with declarer’s
use of ruffing to make extra tricks
and then looks at how the defenders
might counteract this. (74 mins.)
2 Competitive Auctions
This seminar focuses on competitive
auctions from the perspective of the
overcalling side and then from the
perspective of the opening side in
the second part. (86 mins.)
3 Making the Most
of High Cards
This seminar helps declarer to use
his high cards more carefully and
then looks at how defenders should
care for their high cards. (83 mins.)
4 Identifying
& Bidding Slams
The first half of this seminar is about
identifying when a slam might be on
– one of the hardest topics to teach.
The second half covers some slam-
bidding techniques. (96 mins.)
5 Play & Defence
of 1NT Contracts
This seminar looks at the most
common and yet most feared
of contracts: 1NT. The first half
looks at declaring the contract and
the second part puts us in the
defenders’ seats. (88 mins.)
6 Doubling & Defence
against Doubled Contracts
The first half of this seminar
explores penalty doubles and the
second half discusses the defence
against doubled contracts. (88 mins.)
Individual DVDs. £25 each.
Boxed Set of 6. £100.
PICK AND MIX. A BOX OF ANY 6. £105
Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 email: mrbridge@mrbridge.co.uk
Series 2
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. (95 mins.)
8 Losing Trick Count
A way of hand evaluation for when
you find a fit. Bernard deals with the
basics of the losing trick count then
looks at advanced methods to hone
your bidding. (92 mins.)
9 Making a Plan
as Declarer
Bernard explains how to make a plan
then expands on how to make the
most of your long suits. The first half
deals with no-trumps, the second with
suit contracts. (87 mins.)
10 Responding to 1NT
This seminar deals with Transfers
and Stayman in detail. The 1NT
opening comes up frequently, so
having a good, accurate system of
responses is paramount. (93 mins.)
11 Signals & Discards
This seminar deals with Count,
Attitude and Suit-preference signals:
aiming to get you working as a
partnership in defence. (92 mins.)
12 Endplay
Bernard takes you through the basics
of the technique before showing some
magical hands where you take extra
tricks from defenders. In the second
half, Bernard looks at how to avoid
being endplayed. (80 mins.)
Individual DVDs. £25 each.
Boxed Set of 6. £100.
Series 3
13 Hand Evaluation
Going beyond just the point-count
is important if you want to improve.
Reaching & making 3NT on 24 HCP;
and avoiding 3NT on 26 HCP when
there are only 7 or 8 tricks. (110 mins.)
14 Pre-Emptive Bidding
The art of pre-empting is so important
in the modern game. Understanding
the right types of hand to bid up
on and realising the importance of
position and vulnerability. (96 mins.)
15 Splinter & Cue-Bids
Take your slam bidding to another
level. Splinter bids are a vital tool to
add to your armoury & try your hand
at Italian style cue-bidding. (116 mins.)
16 Avoidance Play
As declarer, an important tactic is
to be in control of the defenders:
avoiding a particular defender getting
the lead. As a defender, you can try to
make sure the right player gets the
lead at the right time. (88 mins.)
17 Play & Defence at Pairs
Duplicate Pairs is the game most of
us play and getting used to the tactics
will make a lot of difference to your
performance. Making more overtricks
and making sure you do not give
away tricks as a defender. (90 mins.)
18 Thinking Defence
By far the hardest aspect of bridge,
but if you can improve your defence
your results will quickly improve.
Learn how to think through the
defence and get your mind in gear for
the decisions that await you. (87 mins.)
Individual DVDs. £25 each.
Boxed Set of 6. £100.
 Answers to Bernard Magee’s  Mr Bridge
Bidding Quizzes 7-9
on the Cover
7. Dealer North. E/W Game.
♠ A 7 6 2 ♠ 9
♥ A 5 4 2 N ♥ K 3
W E
♦ 4 2 S ♦ Q 9 8 7
♣ K Q 3 ♣ A J 10 9 7 4
West North East South
1♠ 2♣ 2♠
? need for a take-out double; your double
3NT. I hope you noticed the vulnerability:
your side is vulnerable. This means
that your partner should have a decent
hand for his 2♣ overcall: about the
equivalent of an opening hand with a
six-card suit.
Listening to the auction and noting
your 13 points suggests that someone
is a little short of strength: if it turns out
to be your partner, then he will have a
strong six-card suit, which means your
♣K-Q will be like gold dust.
You have a stop in spades and expect
to have eight running tricks – these tricks
are much more valuable in no-trumps
than in clubs. Surely your partner will
supply an extra trick given his vulnerable
overcall, so bidding 3NT has to be a
good gamble. Your partner is minimum
so he would pass a 2NT response.
Your diamonds are weak, but you
expect a spade lead and some outside
strength in your partner’s hand.
8. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 6 5 ♠ A K 4 2
♥ A K 8 7 6 N ♥ 2
W E
♦ Q J 8 7
S
♦ 3 2
♣ 4 3 ♣ A J 10 6 5 2
West North East South
1♣ 1♦
1♥ 1♠ 2♣ 2♦
? 19+ you could try for game. ■
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 11
ALL
INCLUSIVE
AT THE
ROYAL KENZ
TUNISIA
Double. Everybody has managed to
2014/2015
show their suit at the one-level, your
partner has continued the process by re-
bidding 2♣ and South has followed in his
wake. Should you continue the pattern?
To rebid your suit in an auction like
this, you would need a six-card suit.
However, do you expect 2♦ to make?
With all the suits bid and partner
having rebid 2♣, there is no possible
would be for penalties and you should
use it now. Do not worry about North
running to spades, because it is unlikely
they have a fit there either.
On a good day, you might take 2♦
doubled three off for 500 points.
Two-week
All-Inclusive
9. Dealer South. E/W Game. Duplicate Bridge
♠ K 4 3 ♠ Q J 9 8 7 6
Holidays
♥ A K 7 N ♥ 2
W E
♦ A 8 7 6 5 S ♦ 9 4 3
2-16 November 2014 £899*
♣ Q 2 ♣ 6 5 3
Golf available
Tony and Jan Richards
West North East South
1NT 1-15 March 2015 £935*
Dbl 2♥ 2♠ Pass Golf available
? Bernard Magee and his team
Pass. Another question that relies on *The prices shown are per person on an all inclusive
basis, sharing a twin-bedded standard room and are
you identifying your partner’s bid. You inclusive of bridge fees. Standard rooms all come
have made a penalty double of 1NT with private bath, toilet and balcony. Single rooms are
double rooms for sole occupancy at a supplement of £6
showing 16+ points: it is important to per night. You can add a pool view supplement for £3
per person per night or a superior garden view room
remember that your partner knows this with bath robe, tea/coffee making facility for £5 per
person per night. These prices are based on air travel
too. Your partner will add his strength to from Heathrow to Tunis. Flights from other airports
your strength and bid to the appropriate are available at a supplement. For details of what is
included as part of the all inclusive package please call
level (or perhaps even double 2♥ for for an information pack or view the website. Prices for
seven-night stays are available on application.
penalties). If your partner chooses the
These holidays have been organised for Mr
two-level, he does not expect a game Bridge by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933.
to make, he is merely competing for the
partscore. East can see that the points
are relatively evenly divided between the DETAILS & BOOKINGS
two sides, so it makes sense for him to
bid 2♠ to compete for the partscore. With ( 01483 489961
a minimum hand, you should pass: with www.mrbridge.co.uk/abroad
 BERNARD MAGEE’S
INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS
BEGIN BRIDGE ACOL ADVANCED DECLARER
ACOL VERSION BIDDING ACOL BIDDING PLAY
l Card Play Technique l Basics
l Opening Bids and l Suit Establishment
l Planning Card Play Responses in No-trumps
l Advanced
l Bidding Balanced Basics
l Slams and Strong l Suit Establishment
Hands Openings in Suits
l Weak Twos
l Bidding Suits
l Support for Partner l Hold-ups
l Responding to a Suit l Strong Hands
l Pre-empting l Ruffing for
l Supporting Partner l Defence
Extra Tricks
l Responding to 1NT l Overcalls to Weak Twos
£66 l Entries in
l Stayman l No-trump l Defence to 1NT
No-trumps £76
l Strong Two Opening Openings
l Doubles
and Response and Responses l Delaying

l Overcalls l Opener’s and

l Two-suited £96 Drawing Trumps

l Doubles £66 Responder’s Rebids

Overcalls
l Using the Lead
l Defences to
l Pre-empting l Minors and Misfits l Trump Control
Other Systems
l Defence against No l Doubles l Endplays &
Trump Contracts l Misfits and
Avoidance
l Competitive Distributional
l Defence against Suit
Auctions Hands l Using the Bidding
Contracts

ADVANCED DEFENCE FIVE-CARD BETTER

DECLARER PLAY MAJORS & BRIDGE
l Lead vs Strong No-Trump
l Making Overtricks No-trump Contracts l Ruffing for
in No-trumps l Opening Bids Extra Tricks
l Lead vs & Responses
l Making Overtricks Suit Contracts
in Suit Contracts l No-Trump l Doubling and
l Partner of Leader Defence
Openings
l Endplays vs No-trump Against
Contracts l Support £89 Doubled
£69
l Avoidance
for Partner Contracts
l Partner of Leader
l Wrong £81 vs Suit Contracts l Slams
Contract
& Strong Openings l Play and Defence
l Count
l Simple of 1NT Contracts
Signals l Rebids
Squeezes
l Counting
l Attitude £76 l Minors l Finding and
Signals & Misfits Bidding Slams
the Hand
l Discarding l Pre-empting
l Trump Reductions
& Coups l Doubles l Making the
l Defensive Plan
Most of High Cards
l Playing Doubled l Stopping Declarer l Overcalls
Contracts
l Counting l Competitive l Competitive
l Safety Plays the Hand Auctions 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
System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM
 Answers to  Blunsdon
House Hotel
Bernard Magee’s  Swindon SN26 7AS

Bidding Quizzes 10-12
on the Cover
Pass. You open the bidding with a plan:
10. Dealer East. Love All. you expect to rebid in no-trumps to show
♠ 4 3 ♠ Q J 2 your balanced 15 points, but, when your
N
♥ 2 ♥ A 9 7 6 3 partner responds 2♥, the situation has
W E
♦ K Q 9 8 7 6 5 ♦ 4 changed.
S
BRIDGE EVENTS
♣ 6 3 2 ♣ A K 8 4 He has shown his strength, so you
take control. 2♥ shows 6-9 points, which 18-20 July £199
means you can be sure that game is not
Just Duplicate
West North East South on and should therefore pass.
1♥ Pass Remember that after the first limit bid John Ronan
? in an auction, the partner usually takes
10-12 October £199
control.
1NT. An interesting hand, which was Just Duplicate
prompted by a similar example from Sheila Rogers
a recent bridge weekend. You have a
choice between two calls: Pass or 1NT. 12. Dealer East. Game All.
14-16 November £245
Yes, that is right, there is no sensible ♠ 7 6 ♠ A K J 3 Bernard Magee
N
diamond bid available because you are ♥ 4 3 W E ♥ A 9 8 7 6 Further into
playing in a partnership. 2♦ and 3♦ show ♦ A K 8 3 S ♦ 9 4 the Auction
strong hands and 4♦, even if you do not ♣ K 9 8 5 3 ♣ 4 2
play Splinters, is much too high. Passing 28-30 November £245
is perfectly reasonable and will work fine Bernard Magee NEW
as long as the opponents bid again, but, West North East South
Bidding TOPIC

with a singleton heart, it is quite possible 1♥ Dbl

to imagine them being happy to leave
1♥. I prefer to bid 1NT and then follow
with a diamond bid. When you bid this
way, you show a hand with a long minor
but without the strength to bid at the two-
level. Here the auction will be: 1♥-1NT-
2♣-2♦. Your partner should really pass
2♦, but even if he bids 2NT, you can then
rebid 3♦ and now he will surely pass.
11. Dealer West. N/S Game.
♠ A 3 2 ♠ 8 7 6
N
♥ K Q 4 2
W E
♥ A 10 8 7
♦ A 8 S ♦ Q 6 5 2
♣ Q 9 8 7 ♣ 4 2
West North East South
1♥ Pass 2♥ Pass
? penalties. ■
?
Distributional Hands
23-25 January 2015 £245
Redouble. This answer is often
Bernard Magee
overlooked by many players because it
does not occur to them to use the dark Competitive Bidding
blue card in the bidding box. When
your opponents double your partner’s
opening suit bid, your set of responses
changes.
With support, you tend to stretch a
little, supporting your partner to half
a level higher (or even a whole level if
the vulnerability is in your favour) than
without the double.
Without support, you can respond
naturally, but with 9 or more points, you
should give your partner the message
that your side has the majority of points
Full Board
by redoubling. This allows your side to
No Single Supplement
pursue a penalty from your opponents –
any double after a strong redouble is for Booking Form on page 8.

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 13

 Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures by David Bird
T
he Sheriff of Nottingham sat
back in his chair with a look
of great satisfaction. Five tops
above average already and three
rounds still to be played. Anyone who
could achieve such a score opposite
that miserable under-performer, Guy
of Gisburne, must surely be the finest
player in the land.
The castle servants valued their
employment and usually made no
attempt to score well against him. That
much was true. Still, had he not scored
just as highly against members of the
court? With a less imbecilic partner,
his score would have been close to 80%
on this occasion.
Two malodorous serfs took their
places at the table, not daring to look
up at their illustrious opponents.
‘You do not greet his Lordship?’
demanded Gisburne.
‘Er… yes, it’s an honour to play
against you, my Lord,’ said Percy
Halfpiece.
‘Please forgive our appearance, my
Lord,’ said Fred Graines. ‘The price of
soap and fresh clothing is beyond our
means in these troubled times. Only
yesterday my wife was telling me…’
‘Be silent!’ commanded the Sheriff.
What interest did he have in such
scum? If they couldn’t manage their
finances properly, it was hardly a
concern of his.
This was the first board of the
round:
Page 14 BRIDGE June 2014
Guy of
Gisburne’s
Assignation
with reasonable breaks, thirteen tricks
Dealer North. Love All. would be easy. ‘Ace,’ he said. ‘And the
♠ A K Q 2 ace of spades.’
♥ 3 When West showed out on this trick,
♦ A K J 10 3 Gisburne was somewhat alarmed. Was
♣ A K 2 it his fault if trumps broke 5-0? Surely
♠ Void ♠ 10 8 6 5 3 his Lordship wouldn’t blame him for
N
♥ 10 8 7 5 4
W E
♥ Q 6 that?
♦ Q 9 8 6 S ♦ 5 4 The Sheriff paused to assess the
♣ J 10 9 7 ♣ Q 8 5 3 implications of the bad trump break.
♠ J 9 7 4 If the three side-suit AK combinations
♥ A K J 9 2 could be cashed without an adverse
♦ 7 2 ruff, he would have to score six more
♣ 6 4 trump tricks on a cross-ruff. He
would need to ruff the third round of
hearts with the ♠2. If East’s shape was
West North East South something like 5-3-2-3, it seemed it
Percy Guy of Fred The could be done.
Halfpiece Gisburne Graines Sheriff The Sheriff cashed dummy’s re-
2♣ Pass 2♥ maining club honour. He then crossed
Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠ to the ♥K and played the ♥A, discard-
Pass 4NT Pass 5♦ ing dummy’s last club. On this trick,
Pass 7♠ All Pass East followed with the ♥Q. The Sheriff
winced. It could hardly be more obvi-
West led the ♣J and Gisburne looked ous that East had begun with only two
nervously across the table before hearts. The plan of ruffing a heart with
displaying the dummy. ‘I’ve taken a the ♠2 would have to be abandoned.
slight risk in the bidding, my Lord,’ he What else could he try?
said. ‘My diamonds are not exactly…’ The Sheriff led a low diamond
‘You appear to be confused,’ from his hand. ‘Play the jack,’ he
intervened the Sheriff. ‘It is sheep that commanded.
are meant to bleat pathetically. The When East followed impotently with
sole purpose of the dummy is to lay a low diamond, the Sheriff returned to
down his cards, preferably as quickly his hand with a trump to the nine and
as possible.’ repeated the diamond finesse, East fol-
The Sheriff was relieved to see such lowing suit.
powerful trumps hit the table. Yes, These cards remained:
 Robin Hood continued
♠ K Q
♥ —
♦ A K 3
♣ —
♠ — ♠ 10 8 6
N
♥ 10 8 7 W E ♥ —
♦ Q 9 S ♦ —
♣ — ♣ Q 8
♠ J 7
♥ J 9 2
♦ —
♣ —
‘Diamond ace,’ said the Sheriff.
The defence was at an end. If East
ruffed one of the top diamonds,
declarer would overruff and draw the
remaining trumps. Dummy would
then be high. If, instead, East declined
to ruff either diamond, declarer would
discard two hearts and score his three
trump honours with a high cross-ruff.
The Sheriff displayed his cards. ‘The
rest are mine,’ he said.
‘Yes, indeed, my Lord,’ said a
relieved Fred Graines. His five-card
trump holding had been burning like
hot coals in his hand. Just imagine the
consequences if they had caused the
downfall of the Sheriff’s grand slam!
His wife would be lucky to see him
again.
‘But the serf still has three trumps,
my Lord,’ said Gisburne.
‘Yes, also sufficient grey matter to
realise that he will have no defence
when I play dummy’s top diamonds,’
retorted the Sheriff.
Gisburne blinked. ‘Quite so, my
Lord. You played it well.’
The last round of the evening saw
the arrival of the Bishop of Leicester
at the Sheriff’s table. A larger than life
character, with his midriff swathed in
purple, he was a respected player of
the cards.
‘Is Your Worship enjoying his
session with us?’ enquired the Sheriff.
‘Well enough,’ replied the Bishop.
‘Four tops over would win any game
back in Leicester. I hear that the serfs
toss in their cards against you and
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 15
we’re likely to come second.’ plan the contract. If trumps were 2-2
Gisburne leaned forward. ‘Name and clubs 3-2, he could simply draw
the man who tells such lies and before trumps and establish the club suit with
nightfall he’ll be suspended by his a ruff. Still, there might be a better line.
thumbs in the castle dungeon!’ he Perhaps he could give up a spade trick
declared. and discard all his club losers on the
The Bishop chuckled to himself. spades. ‘Win with the ace,’ he instruct-
‘Very well,’ he replied. ‘It was Lady ed his partner.
Berenice de Gautoy.’ The Bishop discarded the ♠A on this
‘Er… well, it was surely remarked trick and then ran the ♠Q, discard-
in jest,’ stuttered Gisburne. ‘My Lord ing a club. Gisburne won with the ♠K
Sheriff’s cardplay is the finest in the and had no constructive return. The
land. It is well known.’ Bishop ruffed the diamond continu-
The players drew their cards for this ation, drew trumps with the ace, king
board: and queen and then discarded his re-
maining club losers on dummy’s spade
winners.
Dealer South. E/W Game. ‘Lead a club!’ cried the Sheriff. ‘Then
♠ Q J 10 9 3 2 he has no chance.’
♥ Q 4 3 ‘But, my Lord, he bid clubs,’ Gis-
♦ A 7 burne replied. ‘I took your diamond
♣ 10 3 bid as asking for a lead.’
♠ K 8 6 4 ♠ 7 5 The Bishop turned towards Gis-
N
♥ 6 ♥ J 10 7 burne. ‘It should go down, anyway,’ he
W E
♦ 10 9 8 3 S ♦ K Q J 6 5 4 2 said. ‘You must let my ♠Q win.’
♣ K J 8 4 ♣ Q Gisburne’s mouth fell open. ‘But you
♠ A continue with the ♠J,’ he replied.
♥ A K 9 8 5 2 ‘Let that win too,’ said the Bishop.
♦ — ‘Surely you continue with the ♠10,’
♣ A 9 7 6 5 2 persisted Gisburne.
‘Would my Lord Sheriff not then
discard his singleton club?’ retorted
West North East South the Bishop. ‘If I run the ♠10, then you
Guy of Father The Bishop of will give him a club ruff.’
Gisburne Locke Sheriff Leicester The Sheriff glared blackly across the
1♥ table. ‘I have rarely seen such an obvi-
Pass 1♠ 2♦ 3♣ ous defensive hold-up!’ he exclaimed.
3♦ 4♥ Pass 6♥ ‘What think you, Lord Bishop? Should
All Pass I have my partner suspended along-
side Lady Berenice de Gautoy tonight?
Gisburne led the ♦10 and down went What a handsome couple they would
the dummy. The Bishop paused to make!’ ■
 David Stevenson answers your Frequently Asked Questions
Revokes: What
Happens? Is it Fair?
‘Y
ou reneged!’ ‘No, I didn’t!’
‘Yes, you did!’ ‘I am afraid
you did, partner.’ ‘Well, I
didn’t mean to.’ ‘That’s two tricks to us!’
‘No, it isn’t, it’s one trick.’ ‘Well, anyway,
it made no difference, it isn’t fair.’
Does any of this sound familiar? In
my fifty-plus years of playing bridge, I
have heard these sort of things many
times and many such arguments have
been made. So let us consider what
should really happen.
Let us look at the basics. First, ‘renege’
is a very old term. The modern term
is ‘revoke’; it changed in about 1940
but the old term is still occasionally
used. Second, never argue with your
opponents in a duplicate: just call the
director and let him sort it out. It can
be more difficult in rubber bridge, or
in a match played privately: then the
players will have to sort it out.
Following suit is the most basic
rule in the game and players who fail
to follow suit spoil the hand for other
players. As a result, it was decided
that there would be some sort of
automatic penalties for players who
revoke to persuade them to take more
care. However, it was also realised
that they should never gain, so if they
have gained any tricks because of the
revoke, these should be given back and
the Laws allow for that. So, if a player
revokes and it is established, then there
is a combination of penalty and redress
that can lead to none, one, two or more
tricks being transferred.
If a revoke is discovered in time it
can be corrected and in time means
before it is established: but when is it
established? Normally, it is established
when the revoker or his partner plays
to the next trick; though the revoking
side claiming, conceding or agreeing to
a claim will also establish it.
If the revoke is not established, then
Page 16 BRIDGE June 2014
it must be corrected by changing it for a
legal card. If the revoker was a defender,
then the revoke card becomes a major
penalty card and the penalties for that
apply. Any cards played after the revoke
by the other side may be changed and,
if they are changed, subsequent cards
played by the revoking side may also
be changed, again defender’s changed
cards becoming major penalty cards.
If the revoke is established, the
revoke card remains played and the
hand is played out. At the end of the
hand, the director decides on the
automatic penalty tricks. Tricks won
before the revoke are safe and are never
transferred. If the revoker won the
revoke trick and his side won another,
then two tricks are transferred. Note,
it has to be the actual revoker: for
example, if declarer revokes and the
trick is won by dummy, then this is
not a two trick revoke. If the revoker
does not win the revoke trick, then
only one trick is transferred, assuming
he or his partner win either the revoke
trick or a later trick. Also, only one
trick is transferred if the revoker wins
the revoke trick but that is the last trick
his side wins. Finally, if the revoking
side win neither the revoke trick nor
any subsequent tricks, no tricks are
transferred. So the automatic revoke
tricks might be none, one or two.
In some cases, the revoke makes no
difference and any automatic tricks are
to penalise the revoker. In other cases,
the revoke made a difference of one
or even two tricks and the automatic
tricks give those tricks back. So the au-
tomatic tricks sometimes penalise and
sometimes give redress for tricks lost.
What happens if a revoke costs more
tricks, for example, when declarer is
able to run a long suit in dummy that
would not run without the revoke,
costing the other side, maybe, four
tricks? Then the director adjusts the
score to give the four tricks back. Note,
he does not add any penalty tricks: he
adjusts it for redress only. When your
opponents revoke, you may or may not
gain, but you can never lose.
Some players think it is ridiculous
that you could lose your ace of trumps
when defending a grand slam if you
or your partner revoke. But it is a
penalty and you can never lose it if
you and your partner always follow
suit. Perhaps safest is to lead your ace
of trumps before your partner can
revoke! Remember that tricks won
before any revoke are safe and will
never be transferred.
‘Dummy can’t revoke.’ This is a well-
known but totally incorrect saying.
If dummy fails to follow suit when
able, then he has revoked. However,
automatic revoke tricks are not
transferred, but redress may be given.
‘There is no such thing as a revoke at
trick twelve.’ Again, this is an incorrect
saying, since if someone does not
follow suit at trick twelve then he has
revoked. But the rules dealing with it
are different: after a trick twelve revoke,
the last two tricks are replayed without
the revoke, though an adjustment will
be given if a defender has gained from
seeing his partner’s revoke card.
Finally, let me return to the argument
that it is not fair. Sadly, in the modern
era, players often think that they
should not suffer even when they do
something wrong. But bridge is a much
better game if the rules are followed
and the rule about following suit is
so important that the law makers feel
some sort of real penalty is a good idea.
It also means that life is much easier
for directors: rarely do they worry
about redress for revokes because
the automatic penalties usually cover
redress as well as penalise. ■
 Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions

Should I Respond
in a 4-Card Major
or a Longer Minor?

Q Q
If partner opens In a teams quite likely to lose three heart pass. Responder will often
one of a minor, event, I held the tricks and the two black aces. try to keep the bidding alive,
should I respond North hand: If the diamond finesse loses partly in case opener has
in a major even if I or if hearts are 5-3, even 2NT a good hand and partly to
have a longer minor? might fail, as happened. keep the opponents out.
Name and address supplied. ♠ J 2
♥ J 3 2 ♣♦♥♠ ♣♦♥♠

A
The correct approach ♦ A Q J 3

Q Q
depends upon the ♣ Q J 5 3 At a class at the If partner opens
strength of your N Deva Bridge Club, a minor and I
W E
hand and whether you S
the principal said have support
can show your minor that you need 19 HCP to for partner and a
at the one level. ♠ K Q 9 4 give a jump rebid 3♣, i.e. 4-card major, should I
If, as is the case facing ♥ A 9 1♥-1♠-3♣. I know the 1♠ bid the major even if
a 1♦ opening, you would ♦ 10 9 8 2 might be on 6 points only, I hold 5 (small) cards
need to go to the two level ♣ K 7 4 but partner can have in partner’s suit?
to show your minor, you more. Someone thought John Hamilton by email.
need to be strong enough you could jump in a new

for a responder’s reverse to
justify showing your clubs.
In traditional Acol, 11 points
is enough for a responder’s
A
North South suit with 16+. When did With a weak respond-
1NT this change please? ing hand, one where
2♣1 2♠ Kate Beckett by email. game is only likely
2NT End if partner is strong enough

reverse. If, as some do
these days, you play a
responder’s reverse as game
forcing, you would need
opening values to do that.
If partner has opened
1♣ and your long suit is
diamonds, the situation is
slightly different because
you can respond 1♦ and
Non-promissory Stayman
1
The bidding led to a
non-spade lead, which
ensured that 2NT went
off. Should I have bid
3NT with 12 points?
Martin Epstein by email.
A
The requirement to
have 19+ points for
an opener’s jump
shift is not a new one. All
About Acol, published in
1969, gives three examples
of such a rebid, all of them
containing 19 points in
high cards alone. As I was
not playing then, I cannot
to bid again after a single
raise, I would feel inclined
to raise the minor. This is
especially the case if your
style is to open the major on
hands with 4-4 major-minor.
With a stronger hand, one
where you are happy to bid
three of partner’s minor next
time, I recommend showing

still find a 4-4 fit at the one
level. In this case, if you are
strong enough to rebid 1NT
(if partner rebids in the major
you do not have), it is fine to
respond in the minor. So 8
points would be fine in the
case of a 1♦ response to 1♣.
A
Given how poor your
intermediates were,
merely inviting game
seems reasonable, certainly
if you were not vulnerable.
3NT does not seem a very
good contract with these two
hands in any case. You are
answer your question
exactly but can tell you it
was at least 45 years ago.
Remember, other change
of suit rebids, despite being
non-forcing after a one-
level response, are not a
command for partner to
the major first. If you have a
game going hand and are
not playing inverted raises
then you have no choice
in the matter – you have
to respond in the major
because a limit raise would
not do the hand justice.

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 17

 Ask Julian continued
Q
I opened 1♣
sitting South
and West
overcalled 1NT.
My partner, North,
doubled – is this for
take-out or penalties?
Beryl Pattinson by email.
A
It is customary to play
that doubles of no-
trump bids, especially
after your side has bid, are
for penalties. The double
suggests 9+ points and
almost any shape. It would
be impractical to play a take-
out double in this situation
because partner can hardly
hold support for all four suits.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I opened 1NT
(12 points);
my partner
responded 2♣ (Stayman);
I replied 2♦. My partner
then bid 4NT and I
passed, thinking this was
quantitative as there
was no suit agreement.
If I had 14 points, I
would have raised her
4NT to 6NT. I made 12
tricks. Partner (who had
22 points) said that her
4NT was Blackwood.
What should the
raise to 4NT mean?
Doreen Brewer by email.
A
As you had not
agreed a suit, indeed
you had not even
mentioned a suit, treating
4NT as natural seems
entirely reasonable. Too
many players are obsessed
with checking on aces.
Having the right values is
the most important thing.
With 34 points between
the two hands, how did
your partner think two
Page 18 BRIDGE June 2014
aces might be missing?
If your partner really
needed to know about
aces, it would have been
sensible to bid a suit first
(jumping to create a force)
before bidding 4NT.
♣♦♥♠
Q
The following
deal, caused
problems at
almost every table:
Dealer East. Game All.
♠ A Q 10 8 6
♥ K J 3
♦ 6 4 3
♣ 10 8
♠ K 5 ♠ 9 3
♥ A 10 9 7 5 4 2 ♥ 8
♦ Void N ♦ A K J 10 emptive bid is to
W E
S 9875
♣ J 9 5 2 ♣ A 3
♠ J 7 4 2
♥ Q 6
♦ Q 2
♣ K Q 7 6 4
The only making contract,
at 1 table out of 7, was
4♦ by East. How should
the bidding have gone?
Margaret Williams by email.
A
If North-South
enter the bidding,
which you would
expect them to with their
nine-card spade fit, this
is a difficult hand to bid. I
see that nobody played in
3NT at the table, not that
3NT is a great contract – it
happens to make because
the ♦Q drops doubleton.
Here is a possible auction:
West North East South
1♦ Pass
1♥ 1♠ 3♦ 3♠
4♥ All Pass
With only 12 HCP, East is
too weak to make a strong
opening bid. West does
not pre-empt facing an to sacrifice. It would not be
opening bid, especially with impossible to construct a
the misfit. It is very hard hand for partner where 6♥
for West to avoid the fatal is cold but a 3♠ opening
4♥ rebid over South’s 3♠. would end the auction.
The table results give Hand B, despite the
a fair reflection of the outside ♥K, seems a textbook
difficulty of the deal. 3♦ opening to me.
♣♦♥♠
Hand A
Q
Guidance for ♠ 10 7 6 5 4 3 2
a 3 level pre- ♥ A 9 4
empt states ♦ A 2
that there should be ♣ 2
no 4 card major on the
side, (I understand why)
but no outside aces or Hand B
kings. Please can you ♠ 7
explain why not? ♥ K 4
Kevin Dawson, Nantwich. ♦ K J 10 8 6 4 2
♣ 8 5 3
A
The idea of a pre-
make life difficult for ♣♦♥♠
the opponents. On occasion,
Q
rather than making life My partner
hard for them, it poses a and I (North)
problem for your partner. got into a mess
The latter is an especial with these hands:
consideration in second
seat after one opponent
has already passed. ♠ 8 7 5
If you have a weak hand ♥ K Q J 4
with too many values outside ♦ J 9 2
your suit, your long suit is ♣ J 5 4
necessarily going to be weak. N
W E
The ideal hand for a
S
pre-emptive bid has good
playing strength, poor ♠ A K 9 2
defence against opposing ♥ 6
contracts and poor suitability ♦ A Q 8 3
as dummy. If your values ♣ A 8 7 2
are outside your suit, this
reduces your playing
strength while increasing North South
your defence to an opposing 1♦
contract and increases 1♥ 2♠1
your hand’s usefulness in 3♦2 End
support of partner’s suit.
A requirement to Reverse, I think
1
have no aces or kings 2
Unable to bid 3NT with no club
outside does seem a stopper
little extreme however.
With Hand A (below), What point count
it would indeed be poor should 3♦ show? Would
judgement to open 3♠. 1♦-1♥-1♠-1NT-2NT-3NT
You do not want partner to be a better auction?
lead a spade from K-x or John Dunbar by email.
 Ask Julian continued
A A
Partner’s 2♠ rebid
is not what most
people understand
by a reverse. It is a jump
rebid or opener’s jump shift
rather than a reverse.
In answer to your question,
since 2♠ creates a game
force, there is no specific
point count for your 3♦ rebid.
If you had four diamonds
and clear slam interest, you
would jump to 4♦. However,
if you have only three
diamonds, you might have
quite a strong hand for 3♦.
With the hands you
give, I would recommend
1♦-1♥-1♠-2♦-2NT-3NT.
Although the responding
hand is flat, ♣J-x-x is
a rather shaky stopper
in the unbid suit.
The auction you suggest is
not a bad one. I agree that
with 17 HCP and no 5-card
suit, opener is too weak
to jump to 2♠. While 1♠ is
not forcing, responder will
pass only with a minimum
responding hand and little fit.
The only significant improve-
ment I can suggest is that be-
cause the 1NT rebid should
show 8-10, opener should
raise all the way to 3NT.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I am begin-
ning to wonder
whether the
computer my club uses
is producing truly ran-
dom deals. On a Friday
session, there were two
hands where a player
had 12 cards in two suits
and a slam was make-
able on 7 deals out of 30.
The high cards points,
however, were very even;
N/S averaged 19.93,
E/W 20.07. Then, on the
next Wednesday, one
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 19
player had a hand with
two voids (7600 shape).
Ivor Moore, Plymouth.
The Olde Barn Hotel
Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT
You need to bear in
mind that unusual
things do happen.
People buy lottery tickets each
week. They know that, while
they have a minuscule chance
of winning the jackpot, it is
possible. Likewise, if enough
bridge hands are about,
some of them will contain
the rare shapes. It would be
abnormal if the freak shapes
never came up. Ruffing
values are a factor in making
a slam, so it is no surprise 6-8 June Bernard Magee NEW £245
that a shapely set contains Bidding Distributional Hands
more slam deals than usual.
On average, a slam is 13-15 June Just Duplicate Bridge £169
makeable (double dummy) John Ronan
on about 1 deal in 10. I
20-22 June Bernard Magee £245
reckon that the chance that a
Finding Slams
set of 30 boards contains 7
makeable slams is thus about 27-29 June Just Duplicate Bridge £169
1 in 55 (.1^7 x .9^23 x Patrick Dunham
30! / (23! x 7!)). Given that
there are far more than 55 11-13 July Just Duplicate Bridge £169
clubs in the UK, there must
Sheila Rogers
be sets of boards dealt every 1-3 August Just Duplicate Bridge £169
day on which 7 slams are Patrick Dunham
available. In other words, it
is an everyday occurrence 29-31 August Diana Holland £169
– not always at your club of Rubber / Chicago
course – but somewhere.
12-14 September Just Duplicate Bridge £169
Although the high card
Sheila Rogers
distribution does not bother
you, it may provide the 26-28 September Gwen Beattie £179
answer. Some card-dealing Declarer Play
programs allow the user to
select a strong equality of 10-12 October Bernard Magee £245
high cards between E/W
Endplay & Avoidance
and N/S. It is possible that 17-19 October Just Duplicate Bridge £169
selecting such an option Patrick Dunham
makes the hands shapelier
than you might expect. I do 31 Oct – 2 Nov Just Duplicate Bridge £169
not use that option myself, June Dixon and Carol Fisher
even when I need a set with
14-16 November Will Parsons £179
the high cards evenly split;
Doubles
I simply keep dealing until I
get the desired set. If this is 28-30 November Just Duplicate Bridge £169
not the answer, my advice is Michael Haytack
to enjoy the shapely hands
while you have them. Believe
Full Board - No Single Supplement
me, they are more fun to
play than 4333 and 4432 Booking Form on page 8.
shapes.
 Ask Julian continued
Q
How should
this hand have
been bid?
♠ K 3 ♠ Q J 9 8 4 2
♥ A 8 7 6 4 N ♥ Q 5
W E
♦ Q 8 5 S ♦ 4 3
♣ A 7 6 ♣ Q 9 4
West North East South
1♥1 2♦ 2♠ Pass
3♣2 Pass 3♥ All Pass
1
Playing 5-card majors
2
Not wishing to rebid the hearts
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3♥ went two off. A spade
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leather zipped cases in burgundy red or deep blue containing partner says that I should
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Serena Court by email.
A set of four scorepad holders - two burgundy and two blue
A
made from top quality leather. (Scorepads not included) You have said you
Offered at this special price of £39.00 were playing five-
card majors but not
what no-trump range you
were playing. If you were
playing a weak no-trump,
you should have opened
1NT rather than the mouldy
heart suit to avoid any
rebid problems. If you were
playing a strong no-trump,
you should have rebid 2NT,
which would not show any
extra values. Opening 1♥
and rebidding 3♣ hardly
describes your hand.
Your partner might have
bid differently as well. As-
suming you play disturbed
bids as forcing, which most
people do, 2♠ was a very
aggressive move. It shows
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than give you preference to
Page 20 BRIDGE June 2014
3♥ – rebidding 3♠ would
have shown the sixth spade.
♣♦♥♠
Q
This deal
comes from
rubber bridge:
♠ K Q J 10
♥ A J 10 7 6 4
♦ A Q J
♣ Void
♠ A ♠ 9 7 6 5 3
♥ K Q 8 3 N ♥ 5
W E
♦ K 7 6 5 S ♦ 9 3
♣ A Q 9 3 ♣ K J 7 6 5
♠ 8 4 2
♥ 9 2
♦ 10 8 4 2
♣ 10 8 4 2
West North East South
1♥ 1♠ Pass Pass
2♣ 2♥ Pass 2♠
Pass 3♥ End
The contract made
with an overtrick.
What do you think of
North’s bidding, particu-
larly the 1♠ bid rather
than double or 4♥?
Chris Dicker, Tavis-
tock, Devon.
A
Nothing fits perfectly
– I suspect I would
bid 1♠, too – partner
is likely to be short in hearts
and therefore have some fit
for spades. With a collec-
tion of low spades, partner is
unlikely to get very excited.
North seems to have bid
the hand as well as seems
possible under the circum-
stances. North must have
had some assistance to make
10 tricks. It looks as if there
are two hearts, one spade
and one diamond to lose.
Finally, I must comment
on West’s reopening action.
Double is a far better call
than 2♣; it brings three suits
into play rather than two.

Ask Julian continued
2
Intended as natural (preference
for diamonds over clubs) but
announced as a transfer
Is it possible to reach
6NT? Can you suggest an
alternative sequence?
Mike Pinnington by email.
A
The usual meaning
of this double is
take-out, showing the
sort of hand you would have

Q
What would Please could you advise? doubled 1♣ for take-out –

A
you bid on Heather Vale by email. If you do not play perhaps a fraction more as
the following inverted raises partner cannot bid at the one

A
matchpoint pairs deal? Since it is rare to
hold a hand with 20
points when both
Dealer West. Game All. the opponents are bidding,
♠ 10 8 7 4 3 2 a natural 2NT overcall does
♥ A not come up very often. A
♦ 10 6 two-suited hand will come
♣ J 10 7 5 up much more frequently.
(whereby a raise to
2♦ is stronger than a raise
to 3♦ and is forcing for at
least one round), South has
no good response to the
1♦ opening. Your actual
sequence, even if it was a
little agricultural, got you to
level – a 4-4-4-1 12-count
would seem acceptable.
Although almost all
doubles of no-trump bids are
penalties, this one is not.
♣♦♥♠

Q
♠ Q 9 5 ♠ K In a tournament, almost a decent spot. If you invent Neither North
N
♥ K 4 2 W E
♥ Q J 10 8 7 3 everyone would play 2NT a 1♠ response, partner will nor South knew
♦ J 9 4 S ♦ A 8 3 2 as the minors. However, in raise vigorously, perhaps the strength of
♣ 8 4 3 2 ♣ A 9 a casual game, many would with a 4♥ splinter. You will South’s no-trump bid
♠ A J 6 play it the way you intended, then have to jump to 6♦ to below. This resulted
♥ 9 6 5 as a natural overcall – tell partner that you were not in a missed game.
♦ K Q 7 5 though in such circumstances serious about the spades.
♣ K Q 6 it might be uncommon to Whether you want to reach
play transfers as well. 6NT is debatable, given ♠ A 10 9 5 3
As usual in cases of a that the laydown 6♦ will ♥ 5
Lloyd Lewis by email. misunderstanding, I suggest surely score above average. ♦ A Q 6
you discuss with your partner Assuming North declares, ♣ K 10 7 3

A
This looks like a how you will play the bid if you might make 6NT if the N
W E
competitive part- it comes again. In this spades play for four tricks S
score deal: situation, I recommend or if the ♣A is onside.
playing it the way However, you cannot ♠ K J
West North East South your partner does. necessarily combine your ♥ Q 10 8 7 3
Pass Pass 1♥ 1NT chances. Suppose you get ♦ K 9 4
Pass 2♥1 Pass 2♠ ♣♦♥♠ a heart lead, cash a few ♣ Q J 4
Pass Pass Dbl2 Pass diamonds and test the

Q
3♥ 3♠ All Pass The following spades. If you find West
hand comes from with precisely four spades, West North East South
1
Transfer to spades; with the a duplicate pairs. you may go down even 1♣ 1♥
poor suit, North did not open a with the ♣A onside. Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT
weak 2♠. Pass 2NT End
2
Take-out – with a 6-4 shape, ♠ A Q 9 2 ♣♦♥♠
East does not want to defend ♥ A Should the players have

Q
2♠. ♦ Q J 10 5 4 2 On this sequence, known better?
♣ K 7 should the R Timpson, Chipping Norton.
♣♦♥♠ double be

A
N
W E
take-out or penalty? It is usual to play

Q
S
I was playing the 1NT rebid by the
North with 20 ♠ K 8 3 West North East South overcaller as showing
points and a ♥ K 5 1♣ Pass 1NT Dbl a hand a bit too weak for a
flat hand. The bidding ♦ A K 9 8 7 3 1NT overcall, say about weak
proceeded as follows: ♣ 6 2 If for take-out, what no-trump strength. Partner,
is the minimum sort of with 13 points, should
West North East South hand you would have? therefore be raising to 3NT
1♠ Pass North South Keith Rickson by email. rather than 2NT. ■
2♠ 2NT1 Pass 3♦2 1♦1 5♦
Pass 3♥ … 6♦
E-mail your questions for Julian to:
Intended as natural but taken
1
Playing five-card majors and a
1 julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk
as both minors prepared 1♣

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 21

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The Simultaneous Bernard Magee
K
ate and Jo had just returned
from a Mr Bridge weekend.
‘It was great,’ announced Kate
excitedly. ‘We met Bernard Magee.
He was very nice and knows all about
bridge,’ Jo interjected. ‘All the ladies
love him.’ Kate added. ‘That’s a song
from Pickwick,’ observed Millie drily.
Kate and Jo looked at her, clearly none
the wiser. ‘All the ladies love him is a
line from a song about Mr Jingle in the
musical Pickwick,’ continued Millie
by way of explanation. Kate and Jo still
looked mystified. ‘Oh, never mind, we
aren’t all opera buffs,’ Millie admitted
briskly with a hint of impatience. We
were in the bar before a session of si-
multaneous charity pairs. ‘Can we get
started? Seats everyone, please.’ called
the director in a vain attempt to start
on time. ‘Our TD is a bit of a hunk too,’
Millie decreed without any sign of em-
barrassment. ‘Millie, behave, you’re
engaged to be married to Justin,’ I re-
torted, admonishing her with mock
horror. Millie and I sat at a table with
George and Sarah. ‘Table money ready
please,’ shouted the treasurer over the
general hubbub. ‘I think this pound
coin is a forgery,’ proclaimed Millie
as three extra pairs of eyes peered at
it inquisitively. ‘It’s a funny colour and
there’s no queen’s head,’ she contin-
ued. ‘That’s because it’s not a coin; it’s
a key-ring disc for releasing supermar-
ket trolleys,’ observed George with au-
thority. Play started and this deal ap-
peared (below).
Millie in the South seat was dealer
and opened the bidding with one club
on her poor eleven count, a bid she
justified later on the grounds that it
met the rule of 20. George overcalled
one heart and I had a dilemma.
Should I show my five-card spade suit
or support clubs? I decided on the
former as, if necessary, I could try to
show clubs later. East passed and with
remarkable circumspection Millie
rebid clubs at the minimum level.
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 23
The Diaries of Wendy Wensum
Episode 26:
West found two hearts and my three
clubs ended the auction.
Dealer South. N/S Vul.
♠ Q J 8 6 4
♥ J 4
♦ J 5
♣ K Q 9 2
♠ A 10 5 ♠ 9 7 3 2
N
♥ A Q 9 7 6 5
W E
♥ K 10
♦ 8 6 2 S ♦ K Q 9 4
♣ J ♣ 10 6 5
♠ K
♥ 8 3 2
♦ A 10 7 3
♣ A 8 7 4 3
West North East South
George Wendy Sarah Millie
1♣
1♥ 1♠ Pass 2♣
2♥ 3♣ All Pass
George led the jack of clubs. Millie
removed trumps in three rounds and
played the king of spades to knock out
the ace. Our opponents then took two
hearts and a diamond, giving us nine
tricks for plus 110. In the hostelry later,
Kate explained that, on the same board,
she had passed as South. West opened
one heart and Jo, in the North seat, bid
an artificial two hearts showing five
spades and at least four cards in an
undisclosed minor. East passed and
Kate enquired with two no trumps
asking for the minor. Jo bid three clubs.
With a near opener, five clubs and the
king of spades, Kate bid game.
West North East South
Jo Kate
Pass
1♥ 2♥1 Pass 2NT2
Pass 3♣ Pass 5♣
All Pass that response, Millie ordered another
1
Spades and a minor
2
Enquiry
It was an optimistic contract to say
the least. East led the king of hearts,
following it with the ten, won by
West’s ace. West now took his ace of
spades and returned the heart queen.
Already one off, Jo panicked and
trumped with the king. Now, hoping
clubs were two-two, she played for the
drop.
When this ploy misfired, she lost
a trump and a diamond trick. The
contract failed by three tricks for
minus 300. Perhaps rather tactlessly,
Millie noted that ditching a diamond
from dummy on the third heart could
have saved a trick.
The deal had caused problems all
evening. The traveller had showed
heart and club contracts at all sorts of
levels, some doubled, some making,
some not.
It was time to look at the
accompanying booklet and Kate and
Jo were particularly delighted to find
the commentaries had been written
by Bernard Magee. His suggested
sequence was:
West North East South
Pass
1♥ 1♠ 1NT Dbl
2♥ Pass Pass 3♣
Pass Pass 3♥ All Pass
Bernard noted that three hearts should
be defeated by one trick and that three
clubs was making the other way.
‘His bidding was not much like
ours,’ said Kate rather despondently.
Jo agreed sadly. ‘No problem, we do
it differently in Norfolk,’ responded
Millie with unusual sensitivity,
continuing with, ‘Bernard Magee’s
booklet will be very useful.’ At the
mention of his name, both Kate and
Jo perked up visibly, murmuring,
‘Ah, Bernard,’ simultaneously. At
round of drinks decisively, but this
time included a double brandy. ■
READERS’
LETTERS
WHAT SUITS
There has been a long-
running saga in both the
Readers’ Letters and Editorial
columns of BRIDGE to the
effect that a bridge club
should have a telephone
number on its website if
it wishes to attract new
members. The most recent
was in Mr Bridge’s response
to a letter from Hart Bridge
Club in BRIDGE 136
page 35. I, too, welcome
Mr Bridge’s concern with
declining numbers at
some clubs, but feel he is
somewhat missing the point.
It is self-evident that, in
today’s world, a bridge club
should have an attractive
and informative website
which includes a means to
contact the club if necessary.
Telephones have their place
– chatting to an old friend or
calling an ambulance in an
emergency are two obvious
and contrasting examples.
However, email is fine in
other situations, especially
where an immediate
response is not required.
The key thing is surely the
word ‘contact’ and getting
a reply. We must all have
had experience of an email
REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE
as well as 1st and 2nd class (eg 2nd class: 100x37p+100x16p)
Page 24 BRIDGE June 2014
that goes into a black hole,
or a telephone call to a
help line that takes forever
to get past an automated
call centre dialogue, ending
up nowhere. So long as the
bridge club responds to an
enquiry in a timely manner,
I fail to see the problem.
I have looked back at the
letter that prompted the
entire saga, a call for new
members from Orpington
Bridge Club way back in
December 2013 (BRIDGE
132 Editorial, page 5). Using
Google to search for that
club by name, I have found
out everything I needed to
know from their excellent
BridgeWebs website within a
minute or two (session days
and times, location, how to
find a partner, recent results
etc). I even noticed that there
is now a prominent telephone
number on their home page,
as suggested by Mr Bridge.
For me, the two top
priorities when I was looking
for a bridge club were:
a) Some sort of host system,
so I could turn up initially
without a partner and
b) results available
on a club website,
complete with deals.
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
(/Fax 020 8422 4906
e-mail: clive.goff@londonrugby.com
We are all different and
maybe a contact telephone
number attracts others, but
for me, email is adequate.
Dave Simmons,
Buntingford,
Hertfordhsire.
TWO WORLDS
David Stevenson’s article in
BRIDGE 136 on the subject
of dealing is no doubt
flawless, but it shows up the
differences which exist in the
world of bridge players.
I do not know how many
bridge clubs there are in the
UK, be they EBU affiliated or
not, but I am sure the major-
ity of them meet once a
week in rented premises,
such as church halls. The
cost and storage of comput-
er-based dealing
and/or table-scoring equip-
ment is out of the question.
Bridge, like many other
sports and pastimes, is
dividing into two or more
strata. Those who are
ultra-competitive and
will do anything legal
to win and those who
play for the enjoyment
and social interaction.
Stevenson’s regular column
answers queries, most of
which are from readers who
appear disgruntled, maybe
because they fell foul of rules
they didn’t understand, or by
the attitude of other players
or even the director. I think
there are few clubs who can
have the luxury of a non-
playing director and in many
clubs the director is
the dogsbody who puts out
the tables, distributes the
boards and travellers while
keeping an eye on the clock
to ensure a smoothly run
enjoyable evening. When
called upon, it is more
than likely that it will be
for a lead out of turn or a
revoke, rarely to decide on
higher matters which are
usually settled amicably by
the players concerned.
I am an avid reader
of your magazine in its
entirety. However, I do find
David’s style in responding
to queries rather pompous
and superior. A relative
novice reading the column
could at worst be put off
the game and certainly
might doubt the wisdom of
progressing to a higher level
club where competitiveness
outweighs enjoyment.
Christopher Dicker,
Tavistock, Devon.
WHAT A DEAL
A few days ago, whilst
playing rubber bridge,
I dealt myself the most
unusual hand I have ever
had in over 50 years
of playing bridge.
♠ A K x x x x x
♥ Void
♦ K Q x x x x
♣ Void
I would like to know what you
would open? All I will say is
that my partner gave my bid
a positive reply and at game-
all I raised to 6♠. My right
hand opponent doubled as
she had two aces, I redoubled
and made the contract. Wow.
Mr Peter Green,
Barnet, Herts.
I will ask Julian Pottage,
Bernard Magee and Sally
Brock for their suggestions
and include them in the
July issue.
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
SET HANDS
I am an enthusiastic and long
standing attendee at Bernard
Magee’s seminars and of
sessions of set hands, used
to illustrate and reinforce
the ideas and techniques
covered in the seminars.
Bernard has always stressed
the importance of the ‘set
hands’ sessions and from
my experience he is right
to do so. It is regrettable,
therefore, to find that you
seem to have decided not to
produce the ‘set hands’ CDs
which should accompany
the excellent tutorial DVDs
(2012 series and 2013
series). People who attended
the DVD recording sessions
did have the advantage of
complementary ‘set hands’
sessions; this experience is
denied to those who did not
attend but have subsequently
purchased a DVD.
I possess both the DVD
and CD for the 2011
series and they form a
well matched pair. When I
purchased the DVD for the
2012 series, it was with the
expectancy as advertised
in BRIDGE in December
2012 that the Better Bridge
2012 CD would be available
eventually. It is extremely
disappointing to find that this
appears to have been quietly
dropped from your plans.
Although the 2011, 2012,
2013 series DVDs and
CDs can be used stand
alone, they are much more
valuable when used in
tandem. The longer term
attractiveness of the DVDs
will surely be enhanced
if each is supported by
a corresponding CD.
The importance of the set
hands is eloquently explained
by Bernard at the start of
every session. Indeed, they
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 25
are an integral part of his
excellent teaching method.
Mr Hugo Simpson,
St. Albans, Herts.
Noted. I will
re-assess the project.
CROATIA 2015
I am so sorry not to be on the
trip to Rovinj with Bernard
next week. I love Croatia, it
is such a beautiful place and
I so wanted to do this trip.
I am sure I was one of the
first to respond to the original
suggestion of this holiday.
I really do not know why I
did not book immediately but
a subsequent family bereave-
ment eventually made a
later decision impossible.
I send my very best wishes
to Bernard and his team and
hope they have a wonderful
time. This opportunity may
not come up next year but if
it does, I will be first in line.
Gwen Raison by email.
We await your booking.
Dates are 5-20 May, 2015.
MARCO POLO
I was delighted to see
from his email, BRIDGE
137, that Bill Howe is alive
and well. I have very fond
memories of the Marco
Polo cruise he describes.
It was the first we hosted
after I retired. Escaping an
English November for the
sunshine of the Caribbean
and the Amazon was so
exciting, especially when
the five days crossing the
south Atlantic were hot and
sunny with a flat calm sea.
Several of the Mr Bridge
group were real bridge
addicts. They regularly
played in the after-lunch
duplicate run by the ship’s
bridge host, Bill MacDonald,
then went straightaway into
the Mr Bridge duplicate
between tea and dinner. The
after lunch sessions were
an opportunity for me to
play without the distractions
of directing and I played
regularly with Bill. Those
games were some of the
most enjoyable I have had
as we just seemed to click as
a partnership. I still use the
Orient Lines leather luggage
tag we were awarded for top
pair, Barbados to Manaus.
I wonder if Bill still has his?
Tony Richards,
Woking, Surrey.
PARANOID
I cannot avoid the
impression, shared by
others that I know, that
the QPlus distributions are
consistently ‘unfavourable’
ie too many four and five
-nil trump splits sitting over
declarer. Is this because
these are competition boards
designed to test the best
declarers? If this is the case,
I pat myself on the back
for avoiding congresses
or is it simply paranoia on
my part that the cards are
loaded against declarer?
Still, the program is
great and much used but
there is still this lurking
impression that the normal
distributions are not present.
Roy Howgill,
Canterbury, Kent.
LETTER FROM NZ
I emigrated last year to
New Zealand, at the age
of 80 plus – a time of life
when one normally does not
make new friends. One has
to join a club where there
are like-minded people
and what better club to
join than a bridge club?
So I joined the Upper Hutt
Bridge Club as a junior play-
er. When I left Australia after
30 years, to live in Carlisle,
England, the masterpoints I
had earned in Australia were
not recognised, but here in
New Zealand, they are. The
secretary learned that I had
represented W.A. in national
competitions, so immediately
I leaped from being a junior,
past the intermediates, to
become an open player – top
rank here. As a result, many
of the ‘big boys’ want to play
with me which is gratifying.
There are 3 sessions a
week, plus one on Wednes-
day afternoons from March
until August, as well as a
learners’ class, which brings
new blood into the club. At
the Monday and Thursday
evening session there is a
paid, non-playing director.
I was very surprised to find
that the Monday director
chooses to play one board
per table – a movement I
have never met before.
For every session except
the Wednesday afternoon,
players must put their names
down beforehand, so that
the director knows how
many tables there will be. I
have never met this custom
before either and would be
interested to know of other
clubs using these practises.
Thursday evening, with
8-12 tables, is the most
competitive session, but
Monday evenings and Friday
afternoons are the most
sociable. There are normally
18-24 tables. On Friday
and Wednesday afternoons,
the director calls a break
somewhere around half-
time. One person at each
table takes the orders for tea
and coffee from the other
three and fetches these on
a tray; everybody makes
a contribution by bring-
ing sandwiches, cakes or
biscuits. Sticky cards often
result from the breaks, but
the players at each table chat
and exchange gossip. It’s
very sociable and pleasant.
Most of the club members
are friendly and helpful; I am
very happy to belong and
to be making new friends.
Peggy Millidge,
South Island,
New Zealand.
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
CHARITY SUPPORT
John and I had an extra
week in Tunisia again this
year to celebrate our 55th
Wedding Anniversary. On
our return, we were delighted
to receive prizes from you
FOR ANDROID?
Will QPlus 11 in the future
be available to download
for a tablet like an iPad?
DECLARER PLAY
Rolf Ramsenius,
Teignmouth, Devon. QUIZ
SALLY BROCK WRITES
by David Huggett
(Answers on page 29)

supporting our charity event.
What a super team you
had representing you this
year – we think the best ever.
Bernard is always
superb – such a wonderful
teacher and so kind and
considerate to all the guests,
especially the very elderly.
We would like to have
gone to Croatia in May but
had already booked to visit
Y
ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.
In each case, what is your play strategy?
I thought your readers
might be interested to hear 1. ♠ J 4 2 3. ♠ 8 5 3
about the latest bridge ♥ K J 10 ♥ K 8 6 4 2
project I am working on. ♦ K J 7 4 ♦ 7 6
Simon Cope, Ben Green ♣ K Q 2 ♣ J 9 2
and I have set up a profes- N N
sional bridge agency. The W E W E
idea is that all bridge S S

family in Bratislava at that professionals, whether they

time. Whatever, Tunisia and
the Royal Kenz will always be
a favourite with us – such an
easy and good value holiday,
good hotel and staff to whom
nothing is too much trouble.
Jill Blanchard, Secretary,
Wolborough Bridge Club.
QMAIL PERHAPS?
We much enjoyed Bernard
Magee’s DVDs (series 1)
purchased in the recent
clearance sale.
We viewed them with
friends and debated
the content over drinks
afterwards. We thought
of a few questions of our
own. How about offering a
line of contact to Bernard
play for pay or teach, either ♠ A 9 6 3 ♠ A K 2
online or face to face, sign up ♥ A 9 8 ♥ A 9
to the agency and have their ♦ A Q 9 5 3 ♦ 9 4
profiles on our website. ♣ A ♣ A K Q 10 6 3
Potential clients can then
browse the profiles and find
the professional who matches You are declarer in 6♦ You are declarer in 5♣.
their needs. We are making it and West leads the ♣5. West leads the ♦K-Q and
much easier for bridge How do you plan the play? switches to the ♣5. How
enthusiasts to find out what do you plan the play?
professional bridge services
are available and how to
access them. Some people
might like to play a local
duplicate with an expert; 2. ♠ K Q 5 4. ♠ 6 3
others may like the idea of ♥ 7 5 ♥ A K 7 5 3
online lessons while staying ♦ 9 7 6 3 ♦ Q 6
in the comfort of their own ♣ A 6 3 2 ♣ Q J 10 4
home.
N N
Our website is now up W E W E
and running, so any readers S S

Magee? He could find interested should visit

such feedback useful. www.pro-bridge.co.uk ♠ A 10 8 ♠ A K 5 4
Mr M Steward by phone. and have a look. ♥ A 4 2 ♥ 8
Norwich, Norfolk. Sally Brock, ♦ A K 5 ♦ A K 10 3 2
bernard@mrbridge.co.uk High Wycombe, Bucks. ■ ♣ K J 5 4 ♣ 9 8 3

Write to Mr Bridge at: Ryden Grange, You are declarer in 3NT You are declarer in 3NT
Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
and West leads the ♥6. and West leads the ♠2.
or e-mail letters@mrbridge.co.uk
East plays the ♥K. How do How do you plan the play?
E-mail correspondents are asked to include
their name, full postal address, telephone you plan the play?
number and to send no attachments.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Page 26 BRIDGE June 2014

 Misleading Cases Number Six
After the evidence and Counsels’ closing speeches, his Lordship gave judgment as follows:
“O
n 31st April last, an el-
derly widow, Mrs Grace
Plaice (née Dace), was
playing bridge at the Erehwon Dupli-
cate Bridge Club. Normally, she sat
South, so that she would have neither
to move nor score. But, on this occa-
sion, a Howell movement was in op-
eration so she had to change tables
after each round. While moving to a
different table late in the evening, she
fell and broke a big toe and both hips
and was soon thereafter carted off to
hospital. A couple of weeks later, she
emerged to, first, a nursing home, then
(as a temporary resident) to an old
people’s home, then to her own home
with a live-in carer. I was pleased to
hear her Counsel say that she has re-
covered completely, is looking after
her former carer and has resumed her
bridge-playing career.
This case is all about who, if
anyone, should be liable to Mrs Plaice
for causing this accident (or not
preventing it). Her expenses and claim
for pain and suffering come to some
£100,000.
Mrs Plaice had no idea that she
might be entitled to compensation
until, a week or two after the accident,
she received a telephone call from an
organisation calling itself ‘Claims ‘R’
Us’, who offered to take on her case and
obtain enormous compensation for
her from whomsoever was liable. Mrs
Plaice did a bit of investigation into
the credentials of this firm and soon
discovered that the owner and sole
employee was a Mr Arthur Sweetbread,
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 27
Fall from
Grace
Plaice v. Erehwon Duplicate Bridge Club
before Mr Justice Coeur
in the High Court of Justice in the Strand
of Cheam. He had no qualifications
whatsoever, unless membership of
the Association of Croydon Butchers
counts as a qualification. She phoned
back and politely told him to take a
running jump. As a result, you might
think that Claims ‘R’ Us should not be
involved in this case, but their Counsel
says that they gave Mrs Plaice the idea
of seeking compensation in the first
place and should therefore receive a
substantial part of any ‘winnings’.
Thereafter, and as a result of
numerous phone calls, emails
and letters, she involved, in this
matter, both the Bridge Club and
its Committee and the Erehwon
Community Centre (the charity which
owns the Clubhouse) and its trustees,
all of whom (along with their – and her
– respective insurers) deny liability.
Her Counsel also alleged (though
this was disputed) that somebody
(unspecified) had left a handbag on
the floor, over which she thought she
might have tripped.
So what are we to make of all this?
Before going into the legalities, I
would like to point out that Mrs Plaice
is a very promising bridge player.
Indeed, in her evidence, which I
accept entirely, Mrs Plaice said that,
on moving to the next table, she still
had her mind on the very tricky hand
she had just played so successfully
and was not concentrating on looking
where she was going.
In case there are any bridge players
in the jury or among the public in
the Courtroom, it would, I think,
be appropriate to consider the hand
in question (below), in a bit more
detail.
Dealer South. Game All.
♠ K
♥ K 10 9 6
♦ Q J 10 4 2
♣ A K 2
♠ 7 2 ♠ Q J 10 9 4
♥ Q 5 3 N ♥ J 8 2
W E
♦ K 7 6 5 3 S ♦ 9 8
♣ 7 4 3 ♣ J 8 5
♠ A 8 6 5 3
♥ A 7 4
♦ A
♣ Q 10 9 6
West North East South
1♠
Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠
Pass 3♥ Pass 3NT
Pass 4NT* Pass 5♠
Pass 5NT* Pass 6♣
Pass 6NT
*Blackwood
West led ♦5, ♦2 from dummy, ♦9 from
East and Mrs Plaice won with her
singleton ace. She crossed to the ♠K,
next leading the ♦Q, won by West with
the ♦K (South discarding a spade).
West now led a small club to the ♣2,
♣J and ♣Q. Mrs Plaice cashed the ♣A
and the ♣K, all following, then the ♦J
and the ♦10 (South discarding the ♠6
and the ♥4), resulting in the position
shown below:
 Misleading Cases continued
2014 FESTIVE SEASON
Denham Grove ♠ —
Near Uxbridge, UB9 5DU ♥ K 10 9 6
♦ 4
♣ —
♠ 7 ♠ Q J
♥ Q 5 3 N ♥ J 8 2
W E
♦ 7 S ♦ —
♣ — ♣ —
♠ A 8
♥ A 7
Christmas 23-27 December ♦ —
Just Duplicate Bridge £495 ♣ 10
Jo Walch
Mrs Plaice now led the ♥6
Twixmas 27-29 December to the ace, all following and
Doubles £245 cashed the ♣10. West threw
Bernard Magee the ♠7 on this, North the
♥9 and East (needing to
New Year 29 Dec – 2 Jan keep his spade guard) the
♥8. Declarer now cashed
Hand Evaluation £445 her ♠A and the spotlight
Bernard Magee was on West. If he threw
the ♦7, North would discard
the ♥10 and declarer would
The Olde Barn make the last two tricks with
the ♥K and the ♦4. In the
Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT
event, West threw the ♥5,
so declarer pitched the ♦4
and made the last two tricks
with the ♥K-10. A textbook
positional squeeze.
For my part, keen but
poor bridge player that I
am, I can well accept that,
after playing that tricky
Christmas 23-27 December contract so cleverly and still
Just Duplicate Bridge £495 mulling it over in her mind,
Mrs Plaice was not concen-
Sheila Rogers trating on her route to the
next table. Although it was
Twixmas 27-29 December suggested that she tripped
Further into the Auction £215 over a handbag, no evidence
Patrick Dunham was given about this and,
even if it had been, I am not
New Year 29 Dec – 1 Jan persuaded that the owner
of the handbag would have
Declarer Play £345 been liable. In this sphere
John Ronan of the law, there are two of
what we lawyers call ‘causes
Back to Back bookings save £50 per booking. of action’. The first is negli-
Booking Form on page 8. gence, in other words where
See www.mrbridge.co.uk/ukbreaks for details and itineraries. somebody does something
careless which causes injury
Page 28 BRIDGE June 2014
or loss. I have heard nothing
in this case which leads me
to believe that anyone was
negligent (except possibly,
I regret to say, Mrs Plaice
herself).
The second common
cause of action in accident
cases of this kind arises un-
der the Occupiers’ Liability
Act 1957, described as, ‘An
Act to amend the law ... as
to the liability of occupiers
... for injury ... to persons ...
lawfully on any ... property
from dangers due to the
state of the property or to
things done or omitted to be
done there.’ So, if the Bridge
Club, or the Erehwon Com-
munity Centre, had, for in-
stance, left a carpet in such
a state that people might
trip over it, they would be
liable to anybody who did
trip over it. In the present
case, there was no carpet in
that area of the building and
there is no such allegation.
These days, people often
forget that the occurrence of
an accident does not neces-
sarily connote legal liability.
Those ambulance chasers
advertising their services
on television would do well
to bear this in mind. (These
days some of the advertisers
are solicitors – can you be-
lieve it?)
In the circumstances, I
hold that this was a genuine
accident, for which there
was no ‘guilty party’ and,
accordingly, I dismiss the
case. All costs to be paid by
Claims ‘R’ Us for having so
unnecessarily provoked this
long and complicated case.
It only remains for me to
wish Mrs Grace Plaice (née
Dace) all the best in her
promising bridge-playing
career. Who knows, with a
bit more practice she may
find herself playing for Eng-
land in due course.”
Reporter: Richard Wheen,
after A.P. Herbert ■
 Answers to David Huggett’s 
Play Quiz on page 26
plan the play? to gain access to the winning heart. If,
1. ♠ J 4 2 With eight tricks on top you have to mistakenly, you had drawn all the trumps
♥ K J 10 find only one more but the danger is that, earlier, you would lack sufficient entries
♦ K J 7 4 in setting up that extra trick, you might to cater for the 4-2 heart break.
♣ K Q 2 allow the opposition to cash too many
♠ Q 10 8 7 ♠ K 5 hearts. It would certainly be right to hold
N
♥ Q 5 3 2
W E
♥ 7 6 4 up the ace of hearts until the third round
♦ 8 6 S ♦ 10 2 but you must not take the club finesse in 4. ♠ 6 3
♣ 8 5 4 ♣ J 10 9 7 6 3 case it loses to West. Basically, if the club ♥ A K 7 5 3
♠ A 9 6 3 finesse works you do not need to take it ♦ Q 6
♥ A 9 8 and, as a safety precaution, you should ♣ Q J 10 4
♦ A Q 9 5 3 play out the king and the ace first. On a ♠ Q 10 8 2 ♠ J 9 7
N
♣ A good day, the queen will be doubleton ♥ 9 4 W E ♥ Q J 10 6 2
with West. If all follow low to the first two ♦ J 9 7 4 S ♦ 8 5
rounds, you have to hope that it is East ♣ K 7 2 ♣ A 6 5
You are declarer in 6♦ and West leads who has the queen. ♠ A K 5 4
the ♣5. How do you plan the play? ♥ 8
It looks at first as though you have to ♦ A K 10 3 2
find the queen of hearts but maybe you ♣ 9 8 3
can do better than that. Draw trumps end- 3. ♠ 8 5 3
ing in dummy and throw two low spades ♥ K 8 6 4 2
on the king and queen of clubs. Now ♦ 7 6 You are declarer in 3NT and West leads
play ace and another spade and, if East ♣ J 9 2 the ♠2. How do you plan the play?
started with a doubleton king or queen, ♠ 10 4 ♠ Q J 9 7 6 You are looking for two extra tricks
N
he will be endplayed to give either a ruff ♥ J 10 7 5 ♥ Q 3 and it might look tempting to play on
W E
and discard or open up the hearts. As an ♦ K Q J 8 2 S ♦ A 10 5 3 the diamond suit in the hope of making
alert West might pitch the king or queen ♣ 5 4 ♣ 8 7 five tricks there. But, if you fail, you are
of spades from a doubleton to avoid this ♠ A K 2 in danger of losing two spades, two
endplay, it would be good technique to ♥ A 9 clubs and a diamond. If you can believe
cash the ace of spades at an early stage ♦ 9 4 West’s lead, he will not have more than
– before the defence have latched on to ♣ A K Q 10 6 3 four spades, in which case it is right to
your plan. win the opening lead and play on clubs.
Most likely, they will clear the spades.
You are declarer in 5♣. West leads the Then, you knock out the remaining top
♦K-Q and switches to the ♣5. How do club and all you will lose are two tricks in
2. ♠ K Q 5 you plan the play? each black suit. ■
♥ 7 5 You have ten easy tricks and the elev-
♦ 9 7 6 3 enth can really come only from the heart
Mr Bridge
♣ A 6 3 2 suit. As long as the hearts do not break
♠ 7 6 2 ♠ J 9 4 3 worse than 4-2, you will be fine but you
Premium Quality Cards
N
♥ Q 10 8 6 3 ♥ K J 9 must be careful. Win the trump lead in Standard Faces
W E
♦ Q 10 8 S ♦ J 4 2 hand with the ace and cash the ace and with or without
bar codes.
♣ Q 7 ♣ 10 9 8 king of hearts and ruff a heart high. If Unboxed.
♠ A 10 8 both defenders follow, then you just draw 6 red / 6 blue
♥ A 4 2 the remaining trumps ending in dummy £19.95
♦ A K 5 and throw your spade on a heart winner. 30 red / 30 blue
♣ K J 5 4 But, more often than not, one defender only £60
will still have a heart left, in which case
The London Bridge Centre
you enter dummy with the nine of trumps
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads and ruff another heart high. Finally, you ( 020 7388 2404
www.bridgeshop.com
the ♥6. East plays the ♥K. How do you re-enter dummy with the jack of clubs

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 29

 Bridge and Travel Tips

DEFENCE
DON’T DESPAIR
QUIZ Bridge tip from Sally Brock: However badly a hand
is progressing, it’s not over until it’s over. Don’t
by Julian Pottage give up as there may still be a way to recover.
(Answers on page 39)

T
he Netherlands faced looked straightforward enough

Y ou are West in the defensive positions below playing

matchpoint pairs.
USA2 in the semi-final of
last year’s world champi-
onship. With two boards to go,
for West to continue with a
low diamond and for the de-
fence to make five diamond
USA2 had a 4 IMP lead (though tricks. But this West looked a
they did not know it). This was little deeper and realised that
the penultimate board: her partner might hold ♦J-x, in
1. ♠ A 10 5 3. ♠ J 10 5 3 which case it would be neces-
♥ 10 5 ♥ A K Q 9 7 sary for her to continue with
Dealer South. N/S Game. the ♦Q. After all, if her partner
♦ AQ4 ♦ Q
♠ J 10 had the ♦A-x-x that she actu-
♣ Q J 10 3 2 ♣ 9 6 3 ♥ 9 5 ally had, she would be able
♠ K Q J 8 ♠ 8 6 ♦ 6 5 4 to overtake. Time stood still
N
♥ K J 9 6 N ♥ 10 6 2 ♣ A K J 7 3 2 while East contemplated the
W E
W E ♠ 9 7 5 N ♠ Q 6 2 ♦Q – her partner’s logic was
♦ 7 6 5 ♦ A 7 6 5 S
S
♣ K 4 ♣ A K 10 4 ♥ 7 W E ♥ Q J 10 not obvious from her side of
S
8 32 the table. Eventually, she let the
♦ K Q 10 8 3 ♦ A 7 2 ♦Q hold. West continued with
♣ Q 9 8 6 ♣ 4 a third diamond and East was
West North East South West North East South ♠ A K 8 4 3 on lead, now painfully aware
1NT1 1♥ Pass 1♠ ♥ A K 6 4 of what she had done. At this
Pass 3NT All Pass Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ ♦ J 9 stage, she switched to a heart
1
12-14 All Pass ♣ 10 5 which declarer won with the
king and played the ♣10, cov-
ered by the queen and king.
You lead the ♠K, which You lead the ♣A, on which West North East South When clubs did not break, de-
holds, partner playing the partner plays the ♣2 (low 1♠ clarer had no option but to try
♠2. How do you continue? discourages). How do you Pass 3♣ 3♥ 3NT the spade finesse and, when
continue? All Pass that suit provided five tricks,
she had the rest, plus one,
I am not quite sure whether +630 and 12 IMPs when de-
North’s 3♣ was weak or invi- clarer went one down in 3♣ in
tational, but it makes little dif- the other room.
2. ♠ Q 10 5 4. ♠ 10 9 5 3 ference. We can imagine how fed up
♥ AKJ5 ♥ A K Q 9 7 Quite reasonably, West East must have been when she
♦ J84 ♦ J 8 decided to lead her own dia- was on lead at trick four, but
monds rather than her part- surely a heart switch is giving
♣ 10 3 2 ♣ Q 6
ner’s hearts. She chose to lead up. Just think what would have
♠ 8 6 ♠ A 6 the ♦K, which did not invite happened if she had switched
N N
♥ 9 6 2 ♥ 10 6 2 her partner to unblock (as is to a spade instead. Surely de-
W E W E
♦ A 7 6 5 S
♦ 9 7 6 S
the widespread practice in this clarer would have risen with
♣ A K J 9 ♣ A 9 5 4 3 country). When East followed the ace and pinned her hopes
with the ♦2 (encouraging), it on the club suit. ■

West North East South West North East South

1♦ 1♥ Pass 1♠ Travel tip from Emma Thomson:

Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT1
Pass 3NT All Pass
1
15-17
You lead the ♣A, on which
partner plays the ♣4 (low
to discourage, high to
encourage). How do you
continue?
B
Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
All Pass
You lead the ♦7, covered
by the ♦J, ♦K and ♦A. De-
clarer crosses to the ♥A
and runs the ♠10. Having
won, what do you do?
eing approached by touts or hawkers on holiday
can be annoying and, at times, intimidating, but
don’t despair. Be polite, but firm. Look them in the
eye, say, ‘Sorry, no thank you,’ smile and walk way. Avoid
shaking hands, or anything that could be misconstrued
as making an agreement. Most will give up at this point.
But if they don’t, don’t feel guilty for ignoring them.
Never lose your temper, or shout. If you’re arriving at
a major tourist destination, book a hotel room and ask
your hotel to pick you up from the airport.

Page 30 BRIDGE June 2014

 David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics
May a Defender
Hesitate with
Two Small Cards?
Q
I have a question to an adjustment. This
for one of your applies whether the action is
Laws & Ethics deliberate or accidental and
experts. In a recent the director does not need to
congress my partner, decide which it was. All he
South, had to play: needs to decide is whether
the action happened and
whether the player might
♠ K Q 10 5 have realised it could mislead
declarer. Wondering whether
N
W E to play high or low from
S
a doubleton in a position
♠ 8 7 6 4 2 where the player knows
declarer might be misled is
certainly such an action and,
for one loser (entries at the very least, the player
were not a problem). He involved should get a strong
led ♠2 towards dummy lecture, possibly a penalty
and LHO hesitated for if he has done this before.
a noticeable time and But to get an adjustment, it
actually ‘fiddled’ with also requires declarer to have
his cards before playing been misled. What did your
low. The ♠K was played partner think was happen-
from dummy and RHO ing? Did he really think that,
won with the ♠A. How on the first lead, his oppo-
should my partner cope nent was considering playing
with this situation? He the jack from J-x-x with
chose to play low to the K-Q-10-x in dummy? That is
ten which lost to the not credible, so while LHO
jack. Afterwards, he should not be hesitating with
said, ‘What else could a doubleton, declarer cannot
LHO be thinking about reasonably claim to be mis-
if he did not have the led. If, in a slightly different
ace?’ LHO held ♠9-3. arrangement, declarer had
Your guidance would played LHO for A-x-x and he
be appreciated. did not have the ace, then
Kevin Jones, Wrexham. an adjustment would follow
because it is reasonable to
A
It is illegal to play him for the ace when he
mislead declarer hesitates, but it is not reason-
by unnecessary able to play him for the jack
actions and they may lead in the actual arrangement.
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 31
So a lecture or a
penalty is reasonable,
but not an adjustment.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Can you offer
some advice
please?
A club I go to has had
a rule for some time
that, once the move-
ment is called, an aver-
age is given unless the
declarer can claim or
there are fewer than 5
cards to play. There is
a new proposal that,
instead of an average,
the board will be treated
as unplayed. I believe
that unplayed should
be reserved for three
situations: when the
board cannot be physi-
cally started (lights fail,
someone taken ill etc),
when there is a sit-out,
or when the TD calls on
the last round, ‘play only
the first board of the set.’
Bob Parker by email.
A
Both the current and
the proposed rule
are completely illegal
and totally unnecessary.
Once a board is started,
it is not permitted for
the director to stop it.
In practical terms, while
the law might be slightly
different, it is generally
accepted that this means
once the first call is made.
In a normal club, with a
competent director, he moves
the room when between
a quarter and a third of
tables are still playing. It is
perfectly normal, therefore,
for tables to keep playing the
last board for a few minutes
after the round is called.
Taking boards away is
very upsetting for players.
You reach a perfectly good
6♣ contract and you are just
starting to play when the
director takes it away from
you. Why were you late?
Because, on the previous
board, declarer, with nine
perfectly good top tricks,
played them out very slowly.
What about delaying
the room? Moving when
boards are still being played
is faster than waiting for
everyone to finish and
leads to less waiting time
and happier players.
So both your current
arrangement and your
proposed arrangement delay
the room unnecessarily and
upset players unnecessarily
and both are illegal. It is
true that marking the board
unplayed, instead of average,
is a further illegality. It is
easier to win if you play fewer
boards, so this provides an
incentive to play slowly.
 Ask David continued
Q
Last night, we
had six tables – a
Mitchell with four
boards a round. Things
were moving well. A
maximum of 25 minutes
was allowed per round,
but we were playing
faster than this and
were finishing the play
of the twentieth board
(and had enjoyed a 10
minute coffee break)
after two hours and 20
minutes. One table – not
slow usually – had only
just started their final
hand. We had plenty
of time and in normal
circumstances, I would
have allowed them a
little more time and then
moved the boards and
players when they had
about 6-8 cards left to
play. (If they had not
started, I would have
awarded an average
and moved them along).
A member indicated
to me that we should all
move. I said I wanted
to give a couple more
minutes as it was still
early and we had plenty
of time. I was surprised
then to find that he had
organised boards be-
DUPLICATE BRIDGE  their winning chances.
RULES SIMPLIFIED
(otherwise known as the Yellow Book)
by John Rumbelow and
revised by David Stevenson
Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961
Page 32 BRIDGE June 2014
ing moved and people
were changing tables.
I told him that as direc-
tor this was my decision.
He told me that if I had
been on a director’s
course – which I have
– I would know that it
was my responsibility
to ensure that players
enjoyed their game and
he couldn’t do this if he
was waiting for a move.
This is not the first time
he has done this and
two other directors have
been over-ridden by him.
As it was, play during
the whole session took
only 145 minutes plus
coffee time. If you have a
chance, I would be grate-
ful for guidance please.
Pat Maycock by email.
A
It is quite normal to
move when there
are tables in play
rather than to wait for them.
So it could be argued that
he may have a point.
However, he is way out of
line in his actions. While it is
not unreasonable for him to
indicate to you that he thinks
it ought to be done differently,
he has no right to move
the room and to do so was
completely unacceptable. If
he does it again, you should
issue him a disciplinary
penalty of 20% of a top.
only
£595
Of course, it is true that
helping people to enjoy
themselves is part of the
job. But different people
have different wants and it is
the director’s job to decide
between them. It is time
someone told him this.
♣♦♥♠
Q Q
Could you please
explain how
boards unplayed
due to insufficient time
should be scored? I know
some directors give
averages and others give
not played. If the board
is treated as not played,
then the percentage
for both pairs would be
calculated using only
the actual boards they
played. Giving them
an average introduces
an artificial score for a
board they did not play.
Name and Address Supplied.
A
There are two an-
swers to this. First,
giving not played is
illegal. It is like deciding that,
if someone leads out of turn,
you will apply the penalties
only if the director feels like it:
perhaps he will not penalise
people he likes. Second, it
is easier to get big scores if
you play fewer boards. So,
if you give not played, then
pairs who want to win should
deliberately play slowly so
they lose boards and increase
A pair who loses a board
where they are not at fault
gets Average Plus, the better
of 60% or their session score,
so they are never penalised
by following the laws. Only
pairs partly at fault get
Average and if that decreases
their score then that is a
penalty for being slow. If they
are completely at fault they
get Average Minus, the worse
of 40% or their session score,
so they are definitely and
intentionally penalised for
not playing to time and why
not? If you do not give a pair
Average Plus when they are
not at fault, you are illegally
taking a chance away from
them to improve their score.
♣♦♥♠
If a playing
director is called
away to resolve
an issue at another
table and as a result
there is not enough
time to play a board at
his table, how should
this board be scored?
Trevor Hobson by email.
A
This has been
discussed many
times, but agreement
has never been reached.
The opponents get Average
Plus, that is clear, but some
directors give themselves
Average, some give
themselves Average Plus. An
argument can be made both
ways. I take Average myself.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Declarer called
for a card from
dummy and
ruffed low in hand before
his RHO played. His RHO
then played a higher
trump. What is the ruling
on this? Would the ruling
be different if a defender
had prematurely
played a card and his
RHO then played?
Graham Lavender by email.
A
The cards they have
played stands. If
they want to tell
their opponents what card
they are going to play that
is their choice and they may
not change it. The ruling
is the same for declarer or
dummy.
 Ask David continued
Q
I am confused.
Recently, my
opponent
revoked and I was told
that because he had
won the trick it was a
two trick revoke, but
we were only given one
trick. Is this right?
Jackie Smith,
Blue Jackets BC.
A
The revoke Laws
often seem quite
complicated and it is
probably easiest if directors
and players realise there are
really two basic revokes.
If a player wins a trick by
revoking, ie he ruffs when he
could have followed suit, it is
called a ‘Two trick revoke’. If
he revokes but does not win
the revoke trick that is called
a ‘One trick revoke’. But that
does not mean the opposition
always get two tricks for the
first type and one trick for the
second type. What it means
is that there is the potential
for two penalty tricks with the
first type, but only one with
the second. Why do I say the
potential? Because tricks are
transferred only if they are
the revoke or later, so if a
player wins a trick by revok-
ing and his side win no more
tricks, only one trick is trans-
ferred. Similarly, no tricks
are transferred in a ‘One
trick revoke’ if the revoking
side win neither the revoke
trick nor a subsequent one.
♣♦♥♠
Q
After the
sequence:
West North East South
1♠ Pass 1NT* Pass
2♣ Pass 2♠ All Pass
*Alerted as forcing
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 33
It transpired that the
2♣ bid was made on a
three card suit which is
part of the Forcing 1NT
CHARITY EVENTS
system but I am sure
this is not widely known,
therefore is ‘unexpected’.
I think I was entitled
to an explanation of
the two club bid. What
is your opinion?
Graham Clements by email.
A
The reasons for
alerting are twofold:
you alert if either
it is not natural or it has
a potentially unexpected
meaning. When playing
five-card majors and a
forcing no-trump, a 2♣ rebid
after a forcing no-trump
response shows three or
more cards: this is natural but
unexpected so is alertable.
♣♦♥♠
Q
At a local club
duplicate, I
overcalled with
2♠, weak, holding:
♠ J 7 5 4 3 2
♥ 9 5
♦ 9 2
♣ 10 8 2
After the event, the
opponents said I had
psyched and they
would put it in the
book next time.
How often can one
psyche before it becomes
part of the system?
What is the penalty for
a repeat offender?
Huw Jones by email.
A
Psyching is legal, so
there is no question
of an offender
because no offence has been
committed. Your opponent
who said, ‘it would be put in
the book next time,’ is
JUNE 4 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
ROTARY CLUB
Outlane Golf Club. Lunch with
7 46th NORWICH SCOUT GROUP
afternoon tea. 12 for 12.30pm.
Felmingham Village Hall.
£48.00 per table.
1.45 for 2pm start. £8.
Rtn Sam Smith
Janet Bartram
( 01924 492540
( 01263 732974
samuelsmith396
@btinternet.com
13 ST MARY’S CHURCH
Eaton Socon, St Neots.
12 ST MARY’S CHURCH
10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50.
Eaton Socon, St Neots.
Malcolm Howarth
10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50.
( 01480 212910
Malcolm Howarth
( 01480 212910
JULY
OCTOBER
3 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
ROTARY CLUB. 3 RNLI. Salwarpe Village Hall,
Outlane Golf Club. Droitwich, WR9 0AH.
Lunch with afternoon tea &
10.30 for 11am.
biscuits. 12 for 12.30pm. £12 including buffet lunch.
£48.00 per table. Pam Main
Rtn Sam Smith ( 01905 381395
( 01924 492540
samuelsmith396
3 ST ANDREWS CHURCH
@btinternet.com
Mandeville Hall,
Kimbolton, Cambs.
10 MY SIGHT (formerly Notting- 10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00.
ham Society for the Blind) Mavis Campion
Grange Hall, ( 01480 860477
Radcliffe-on-Trent. 1-5pm.
£10 (includes afternoon tea).
Diana Jackson
NOVEMBER
( 0115 7529371
1 EYE CANCER. Reynolds
Institute, Upwey, Weymouth.
11 GREAT BARFORD CHURCH
1.30 for 2pm. £30 per table
Village Hall, Great Barford.
includes tea and cakes.
10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50.
Derek Fordham
Val Pierce
( 01305 833686
( 01234 870324
Gene Hill ( 01305 786509
AUGUST
13 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINE
15 ST IVES DAY CARE CENTRE ROTARY CLUB
Hemingford Abbots Village Outlane Golf Club. Lunch with
Hall. 10 for 10.30am. £13.50. afternoon tea. 12 for 12.30pm.
Don Moorman £48.00 per table.
( 01480 463444 Rtn Sam Smith
( 01924 492540
SEPTEMBER samuelsmith396
@btinternet.com
3 FARINGDON QUAKER AID
(Supporting Gulu Youth 22 RNLI
Development Association, Cheltenham Bridge Club
Northern Uganda). 1-5pm. Includes tea & cakes.
Corn Exchange, Faringdon. £10 per person. Margaret
£15 per person. Beverley
Steve Braithwaite ( 01242 510193
( 01367 240929 margaretbeverley
steve.bridge1@gmail.com @dsl.pipex
E-mail your charity events: maggie@mrbridge.co.uk

Ask David continued
Clifton
Park merely being offensive
Hotel and trying to gain a psy-
chological advantage.
St Annes on Sea Assuming you are playing
weak jump overcalls, your
FY8 1HN
bid is merely rather weak,
probably better described
as a deviation not a psyche.
If you want to bid 2♠ on it
every time, then just make
it part of your system and
describe your jump overcalls
as, ‘weak or very weak.’
Some clubs do keep a
psyche book. If so, then
it is up to your opponent
£50
to draw the director’s
attention to it and he will
decide whether to put it in
the book or not. I would
not bother with this one.
OFF
Frequency of psyching is
difficult to judge, but really
does not matter on minor
deviations like this. But if
Now £149* partner expects it, then it has
become part of your system
and must be disclosed.
JUST BRIDGE
27-29 June ♣♦♥♠
Kay Adamson
Q
My partner
11-13 July and I open 1NT
TBA with a possible
5-card major and have
8-10 August
been told that we should
Kay Adamson alert this. Is this so?
Janet Nicolas by email.
A
No, a 1NT that
may contain a
five-card major is
not alertable. You should
merely announce the range.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I called for
Full Board a card from
No Single dummy. Dummy
Supplement then pointed out that I
should have led from
Booking Form on page 8. my hand. How is this
*call for terms and conditions situation resolved?
John Dunbar by email.
Page 34 BRIDGE June 2014
A
The director must
be called. He will
tell your partner
not to interfere in future:
dummy is not allowed to call
attention to an irregularity
that has occurred.
Once he has been called,
he will deal with it by offering
your opponents the chance
to accept the lead from the
wrong hand. If they do not do
so, then the card is replaced
and you may lead any card
from the correct hand and
play any legal card from
the other hand after the
next opponent has played.
♣♦♥♠
Q
The majority
of players at
my club select
dummy’s cards by
touching them. I find this
irritating. Is there a case
for requesting that they
change such behaviour?
Brian Moakes,
Paraparaumu, New Zealand.
A
Certainly: it is illegal,
and has been for
many years, except
at rubber bridge. Since it is
illegal, it is reasonable to ask
people to follow the rules.
The only times declarer is
allowed to touch dummy’s
cards at duplicate is either
if dummy is not present,
being outside having a
smoke, getting a drink,
finding out the rugby scores
or whatever; or if dummy
has a medical problem, for
example if dummy is deaf
or disabled in some way.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Playing duplicate,
my partner and
I, E/W, reached
5♠ doubled. We made
eleven tricks but on
filling in the traveller, it
appeared that N/S on
the first table had bid
and made 5♦. This was
impossible because,
as well as having
spades, we also had
most of the diamonds.
We called the director
who found that N/S
on the first table had
spent time discussing
the hands and then
swapped N/S and E/W
hands when putting
them back in the board.
The director decided
to put the cards back
to how they were at the
start, giving both pairs at
our table Average Plus.
At the end, we found
that we had received
seven matchpoints and
the offending pair a
top with twelve. It does
not seem right that the
offending pair received a
top while my partner and
I (playing in a superior
and higher-scoring
contract) were penalised.
As they were hand-
dealt hands, would it
have been fairer to
keep the hands as we
had played them for
the remainder of the
play and penalise N/S
on the first table?
Ken Goddard, Sunderland.
A
There is no set
way to correct
this, though some
would argue that people
should play the board as
originally dealt, which is
what your director decided.
Once he had decided
this, he has no option but
to give you Average Plus;
he has to cancel the result
you obtained on a board
that nobody else played.
Note that it is normal
for the director to issue
procedural penalties to both
pairs at the offending table
and I am surprised if he
did not.
 Ask David continued
Q
We were playing
five-card majors
and a prepared
club when I, West, held:
♠ Q J 7
♥ K 10 9 7 3
♦ K 7
♣ J 10 6
West North East South
1♣ 1♥
Dbl
North asked whether
the double was for
penalty or take-out; East
replied, ‘not sure.’ North
called the director, who
said, without looking
at any of the hands,
‘play on and I will
decide after the play.’
Eventually, North
decided to pass. 1♥
doubled went three
down. This gave us 800.
North said that she
would have bid (she
had five spades but no
hearts) had she known
my double was for
penalties. She did not
call the director back,
but did walk away at
the end of the round to
speak to the director.
This did not seem to be
correct procedure. The
director came back to the
table, turning down the
chance to see my hand
and spoke privately with
South. He then awarded
an average to both sides.
Anthony Rogers,
Leigh on Sea.
A
The procedure by
the director was
definitely incorrect
and his ruling illegal.
However, that does not
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 35
mean that a ruling should
have gone in your favour.
Let us consider the
procedure. When your
partner said he was not sure,
the director should have sent
him away from the table
and asked you if you had an
agreement. If you had said
the agreement was penalty,
there would have been no
further problem: your LHO
could do whatever she liked.
If you felt there was no
agreement, then you would
have said so and the matter
would have been dealt with
at the end of the hand.
At least your director did
one thing right: he did not
look at the hands at the
time, which would be very
poor practice indeed.
Having not sorted the
matter out then, when we
got to the end of the hand,
the director should not have
been taking evidence without
all four of you present. When
the player spoke to him
privately, he should have
brought the player back to
the table and listened to
him in front of you and then
asked you for your comments.
He made his ruling without
hearing all the facts, ie
anything the remaining three
of you wished to say and
without knowing whether
the facts were correct.
One of the main questions
he should have asked
your partner is, ‘If you did
not know what the double
meant, why pass?’
He then gave an illegal
ruling of Average. I am afraid
this was a very poor ruling
by the director. He should
have found out all the facts,
considered and consulted
and then either ruled there
was no misinformation and
E-mail your questions on bridge laws to:
davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.uk
let the score stand, or that
there was misinformation
and adjusted to a new
RUBBER /
score, or, more usually, a CHICAGO
group of likely scores with
a weighting to each.
2014
As to the ruling, I cannot be
sure what was right without
seeing the hands and talking
to the players. It is unusual
for people not to have an
agreement over a double
of an overcall. Most people
play it as take-out; any other
meaning requires an alert.
In this instance, it seems
likely that the correct expla-
The Olde Barn
nation was either showing Marston,
hearts or no agreement,
Lincs NG32 2HT
with the former more likely
in my view. If so, the director
should adjust the score on
the basis that North would
have bid her spades. Only
if there was no agreement
would the result stand.
♣♦♥♠
Q
If a player makes
a mistake in
29-31 August
his/her call, Hosted by
such as calling 1♦
Diana Holland
when they meant 1♣,
are they obliged to
say, at any time, that
they made a mistake?
It seems to me that if
they say anything, it
constitutes unauthorised
information.
Derek Allum, Tring, Herts.
A
No, you do not
have to change £169 Full Board
an inadvertent No Single
designation. However, if you Supplement
do, unauthorised information
is not involved. If you mean
to bid 1♣, bid 1♦ by accident
and then change it to 1♣,
partner knows nothing about
your hand except that you
have a 1♣ bid. ■
Booking Form on page 8.
 Things You Should Know by Andrew Kambites
Splinter Bids
H
onour cards opposite a
shortage in a suit con-
tract are often wasted.
The concept of wasted values is very
important in hand evaluation. Sup-
pose spades are trumps and you have
a singleton diamond. You can win the
second diamond trick by ruffing. Sup-
pose your partner also has the ♦K-Q.
He can win the second diamond trick
with the ♦K. Both of you can win the
second diamond trick. In most cases,
it would be far more helpful if your
singleton could do something that
your partner couldn’t do. When both
partners can win a trick in this way,
we say there are wasted values.
With the sight of both hands, what
contract would you choose for Layouts
A and B?
Layout A
♠ A K 8 6 5 4 ♠ Q 10 9 7
♥ K Q 5 N
W E
♥ A J 8 4
♦ 7 6 3 S ♦ 2
♣ 7 ♣ A 8 4 3
Layout B
♠ A K 8 6 5 4 ♠ Q 10 9 7
♥ 7 6 3 N
W E
♥ A J 8 4
♦ K Q 5 S ♦ 2
♣ 7 ♣ A 8 4 3
With Layout A, 6♠ is trivial. It is worth
understanding the ingredients that
make a slam good with just 23 points.
You have no wasted honour cards.
In particular, you are missing the
Page 36 BRIDGE June 2014
About
♣K-Q-J but the singleton club in your
hand means it doesn’t matter. You are
missing all the diamond honours but
dummy’s singleton diamond leaves
you with just one diamond loser.
You have an excellent trump fit: in
particular, you have enough trumps
in dummy to take care of all your
diamond losers.
With Layout B, you would not want
to venture beyond 4♠.
Comparing these two layouts, you
will see that in Layout A West’s ♥K-
Q-5 are excellent cards, but in Layout
B West’s ♦K-Q-5 are wasted opposite
a singleton.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some
method of bidding which enabled
West to know which singleton East
has? Read on.
♣♦♥♠
A
double jump in an unbid
suit can be convention-
ally played as a splinter
bid, showing four-card sup-
port for partner’s last bid suit,
the high-card values for game
(11+ HCP) and a singleton (or
possibly void) in the suit bid.
The word splinter suggests something
narrow; a singleton seems to fit the bill.
Auction C Auction D
West East West East
1♠ 3♣ 1♠ 4♣
We must start by being absolutely sure
when a bid is a splinter.
In Auction C, 3♣ is a single jump, a
natural jump shift, not a splinter.
In Auction D, 4♣ is a double jump.
It is a splinter, showing 11+ HCP, 4+
spades, 6-7 losers and a singleton club.
Note that this means that you cannot
play 4♣ as Gerber as well in this se-
quence.
There are two sequences that you
need to be particularly aware of: 1♥-
3♠ and 1♠-4♥. Both are double jumps
and should be played as splinters,
however both sound natural and late
at night your concentration may wa-
ver. You don’t really need these bids as
pre-empts. Pre-empts are most effec-
tive before your side has bid.
Suppose partner opens 1♥ and you
have the ‘perfect’ spade pre-empt with
♠K-Q-J-9-4-3-2 and nothing else.
Why not start with 1♠? You have the
highest ranking suit. Opponents are
unlikely to be able to outbid you.
Equally, suppose partner opens 1♠
and you are convinced you want to
play in 4♥. You can easily start with
2♥ and then bid 4♥ next time.
Now, I return to Layouts A and B.
Layout A
♠ A K 8 6 5 4 ♠ Q 10 9 7
♥ K Q 5 N ♥ A J 8 4
W E
♦ 7 6 3 S ♦ 2
♣ 7 ♣ A 8 4 3
Layout B
♠ A K 8 6 5 4 ♠ Q 10 9 7
♥ 7 6 3 N
W E
♥ A J 8 4
♦ K Q 5 S ♦ 2
♣ 7 ♣ A 8 4 3
 About Splinter Bids continued does not worry too much about his
Layout H weak hearts and clubs. East has shown
♠ K Q 5 3 ♠ A 10 7 6 4 2 high card game values, his points must
♥ A Q 10 8 7 N
W E
♥ 9 6 5 be somewhere. Where else can they be
Auction E Auction F ♦ 2 S ♦ K Q 3 except in hearts and clubs?
West East West East ♣ A Q 6 ♣ 2 3
Partner knows about my singleton
1♠ 4♦1 1♠ 4♦ spade. If he judges 3NT is best, who
4NT2 5♥3 4♠5 am I to argue?
6♠4 West East Note that, on a heart lead, 5♦ has lit-
1♥ 1♠ tle chance.
Layout A should be bid with Auction E. 4♦ 4♠4

1
4♦ shows 11+ HCP, 4+ spades, 6-7 los-
ers and a singleton diamond.
2
Key Card Blackwood. ♦7-6-3 opposite
a singleton implies no wasted diamond
values. If East has two key cards, West
can almost count 12 tricks.
3
Two key cards.
4
Excellent. A perfect slam on relatively
few points.
Layout B should be bid with Auction F.
5
♦ K Q 5 opposite a singleton diamond
is likely to be wasted. No interest in a
slam.
♣♦♥♠
End
4
East has more points than in Layout
G but they are not the right points for
slam. The ♦K-Q opposite a singleton
are unlikely to be of any use.
Of course, if opener raises responder
to game without a splinter you can
deduce a lot. A sequence like 1♦-
1♠-4♠ is certainly not pre-emptive.
Opponents have shown no inclination
to bid at a cheap level, they are highly
unlikely to venture in over, for
example 3♠. So opener has enough
high cards for game but didn’t splinter.
He is likely to be 4-2-5-2 shape.
T
here are a number of is-
sues which divide expert
opinion.
a) Should you splinter with a hand
that is too strong to raise just to
game and then bid on over partner’s
sign off to show extra strength?
b) Should you splinter with a void?
c) Should you splinter with a singleton
honour?
If these issues were clearcut, they
wouldn’t generate so much hot air. I
will not express an opinion because it
probably depends on the rest of your
system.
For example, if you play Jacoby raises

O
pener can splinter after of a major suit, you may have other
partner’s response. ♣♦♥♠ ways of expressing these hands. You
can get along perfectly well without

I
nitially agreeing partner’s deciding these issues because they are
In Layouts G and H, West’s 4♦ rebid is minor suit with a splinter can comparatively infrequent.
a double jump, a splinter bid. lead to no-trumps if opener
can tell there are wasted val- ♣♦♥♠
ues.

S
Layout G plinters should be alert-
♠ K Q 5 3 ♠ A 10 7 6 4 2 If you agree partner’s major suit with ed, even if they are above
♥ A Q 10 8 7 N
W E
♥ K 4 a splinter, it would be very unusual for 3NT, if they occur on the
♦ 2 S ♦ 9 6 5 3 the major not to be trumps but look at first round of bidding.
♣ A Q 6 ♣ 2 this hand.
Thus 1♠-4♦ needs alerting, 1♣-1♠-
4♦ does not, but 1♣-1♥-3♠ does need
West East ♠ K Q 10 ♠ 3 alerting (artificial and below 3NT).
1♥ 1♠ ♥ 6 4 N ♥ A J 7
W E
4♦1 4NT2 ♦ A Q J 7 6 2 S ♦ K 10 9 8 3 ♣♦♥♠
5♠3 6♠ ♣ 6 2 ♣ A J 7 5

1
16+ HCP (you need enough to bid
game opposite partner’s possible 6
HCP), 4+ spades, 4-5 losers and a sin-
gleton diamond.
2
Key Card Blackwood. East doesn’t
have many points but he knows of
a 10-card spade fit and no diamond
wastage. If partner has three key cards
slam should be excellent.
3
Three key cards: the ♠K, ♥A and
♣A.
D
on’t pass a splinter bid.
West East
1♦ 3♠1
3NT2 End3 Am I being serious? Yes. On more
than one occasion at international
1
Game values in diamonds. Singleton level, the following sequence has oc-
spade. curred: 1♠-4♦-Pass. Did opener for-
2
If we play in diamonds, West’s ♠K-Q- get he was playing splinters? No, he
10 seem wasted opposite East’s single- agonised about whether to sign off in
ton spade. Maybe it makes sense to try 4♠ or try for a slam, decided to sign
for the nine trick game. Note that West off and instead he passed! ■

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 37

 Things You Should Know
About Splinters Quiz
by Andrew Kambites
(Answers on page 41)

1 Your partner opens 1♥. What do you respond with

hands A to D?

Hand A Hand B Hand C Hand D

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

2 You are West. What is your next bid with hands E to H?

West East
1♥ 4♦*
?

Hand E Hand F Hand G Hand H

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

3 You are West. What is your next bid with hands J to M?

West East
1♦ 1♠
?

Hand J Hand K Hand L Hand M

♠ 2 ♠ A Q 10 9 ♠ A Q 10 9 ♠ A Q 10 9 2
♥ A J 10 ♥ A J 8 ♥ A J ♥ 9
♦ A K J 7 5 ♦ A K J 7 5 ♦ A K J 7 5 ♦ A K 7 5 4 3
♣ A Q 10 9 ♣ 2 ♣ 9 2 ♣ 2

4 You are East. What is your next bid with hands N to R?

West East
1♦ 1♠
4♣ ?

Hand N Hand P Hand Q Hand R

♠ A J 4 2 ♠ K Q 4 3 2 ♠ A 8 7 6 5 4 ♠ K Q 4 3 2
♥ 9 7 5 ♥ A Q 6 ♥ 7 ♥ A Q 6
♦ 8 7 ♦ 8 7 ♦ 6 ♦ 8 7
♣ K Q 8 3 ♣ 8 3 2 ♣ A 5 4 3 2 ♣ K Q 8

Page 38 BRIDGE June 2014

 Answers to Julian Pottage’s 
Defence Quiz on page 30
West North East South finesse is working for declarer, you need
1. ♠ A 10 5 1♦ to get busy. Dummy’s heart suit will
♥ 10 5 Pass 1♥ Pass 1NT1 surely take care of declarer’s club losers.
♦ A Q 4 Pass 3NT All Pass Although you would prefer the next club
♣ Q J 10 3 2 1
15-17 lead to come from the other side of the
♠ K Q J 8 ♠ 7 3 2 table, if you are playing matchpoints you
N
♥ K J 9 6 ♥ 8 4 2 You lead the ♣A, on which partner cannot afford to risk underleading your
W E
♦ 7 6 5 S ♦ J 9 8 3 plays the ♣4 (low to discourage, high to ♦A. Declarer, who has shown opening
♣ K 4 ♣ 9 8 6 encourage). How do you continue? values, probably holds the ♦K, in which
♠ 9 6 4 Partner’s discouraging ♣4 tells you case twelve tricks and a bottom (for your
♥ A Q 7 3 that declarer holds the ♣Q, in which side) will result. Just cash the ♣K and ♦A.
♦ K 10 2 case playing another club will concede You still have some chance of beating the
♣ A 7 5 an immediate trick. Nevertheless, at contract if partner has the ♠A or ♣Q-x or
matchpoints, this is what you should do a singleton club.
(♣K then ♣J). By doing so, you can be
West North East South sure of stopping any overtricks.
1NT1 Again, while point count makes it just 4. ♠ 10 9 5 3
Pass 3NT All Pass possible to find the ♥Q opposite, this ♥ A K Q 9 7
1
12-14 might be too little to beat the contract. ♦ J 8
Partner would also need the right shape, ♣ Q 6
You lead the ♠K, which holds, partner two diamonds as well as five spades, ♠ A 6 ♠ Q 4
N
playing the ♠2. How do you continue? to stop declarer from making nine easy ♥ 10 6 2 W E ♥ 8 5 4
Playing matchpoints, the right tricks. Trying to beat the contract with ♦ 9 7 6 S ♦ K 10 5 4 3
continuation should be clear. Carry on a passive switch is far more likely to ♣ A 9 5 4 3 ♣ J 8 2
with high spades to drive out the ace. concede an overtrick than defeat the ♠ K J 8 7 2
This is likely to give your side four tricks contract. ♥ J 3
and a reasonable score. ♦ A Q 2
Although a count of points tells you ♣ K 10 7
partner just has room to hold the ♥Q, 3. ♠ J 10 5 3
in which case a heart switch could beat ♥ A K Q 9 7
the contract, this is an unlikely situation. ♦ Q West North East South
A desperate heart switch is more likely to ♣ 9 6 3 1♥ Pass 1♠
allow one or more overtricks, especially ♠ 8 6 ♠ Q 4 Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠
since declarer might have won the first ♥ 10 6 2 N ♥ 8 5 4 All Pass
W E
trick if fearful of a heart switch. ♦ A 7 6 5 S ♦ J 9 8 4 3
♣ A K 10 4 ♣ J 8 2 You lead the ♦7, covered by the ♦J, ♦K
♠ A K 9 7 2 and ♦A. Declarer crosses to the ♥A and
2. ♠ Q 10 5 ♥ J 3 runs the ♠10. Having won, what do you
♥ A K J 5 ♦ K 10 2 do?
♦ J 8 4 ♣ Q 7 5 As on the previous deal, dummy’s heart
♣ 10 3 2 suit poses a threat. Prospects are bleaker
♠ 8 6 ♠ J 9 4 3 2 this time because the diamond finesse
♥ 9 6 2 N ♥ 10 7 4 West North East South has already worked for declarer and it
W E
♦ A 7 6 5 S ♦ 9 3 1♥ Pass 1♠ looks as if a trump finesse is working too.
♣ A K J 9 ♣ 8 6 4 Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ At matchpoints, you should simply cash
♠ A K 7 All Pass the ♣A and continue the suit just in case
♥ Q 8 3 partner holds the ♣K.
♦ K Q 10 2 You lead the ♣A, on which partner plays If you lead a low club before the ♣A,
♣ Q 7 5 the ♣2 (low discourages). How do you playing partner for ♣K-x (and the ♠J or
continue? the ♠Q with which to overruff), you risk
Since you can see that any trump losing your ♣A. ■

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 39

 2014 with Jeremy Dhondy, Chairman of the EBU
June 2014:
No News is Good News
L
ast time, I spoke about the EBU’s
VAT claim getting bridge some
publicity. Although we didn’t
win in the first appeal, nonetheless the
majority of publicity was good. Pub-
licity for bridge is hard to achieve, cer-
tainly at national level but, of course,
bad news often gives an impetus to
our media. I remember bridge making
the news programme (Tonight) after
the six o’clock news back in 1965. Cliff
Michelmore (remember him) intro-
duced an item featuring an allegation
of cheating in the World Champion-
ships in Buenos Aires. The accusation
led to hearings by the World Bridge
Federation, an enquiry in England
and the consequences reverberated
for some time. A bit later, screens were
introduced in international events.
At first, these were only on top of the
bridge table but some optimistic foot
tapping by one pair in a World Cham-
pionship led to them going down to the
floor after this. There are two things
that come to mind about all this. The
first is that it is hard to stop cheating if
people are determined enough. In oth-
er sports, there is often the incentive of
a lot of money. Winning an Olympic
title may bring a huge amount in en-
dorsements so some illegal drug tak-
ing may be thought to be worth the
risk. In bridge, that is almost never the
case, simply because there is little seri-
ous prize money. However, there is no
accounting for people’s pride and de-
sire to show how good they are even
if the route they take is not an hon-
est one. Many of us will say, ‘What is
the point?’ If you win or seek to win
by dishonest means, then surely that
takes away the thrill of winning. Per-
haps it does for most of us but there
are enough cases of dubious conduct
to show that it is not the case for eve-
ryone.
The media had a strong interest in
Page 40 BRIDGE June 2014
events in last year’s World Champion-
ship in Bali, where there was an allega-
tion of cheating by a pair of German
Seniors. It led to a hearing and a find-
ing of guilt earlier this year. An appeal
is possible. The alleged code was based
on a series of coughs relating to suit
shortages and likely successful leads.
This might strike some as a bit crude,
but it seemed to have worked for a
while. The biggest problem with this
sort of occurrence is the lack of trust
that follows. No athletics performance
can ever be regarded as honest again,
no cricket match is free from taint-
ing by illegal betting and so it goes
on. They’ve won at the club five weeks
running so they must be cheating!
In bridge, such allegations are not
confined to international events and
the EBU has a Laws & Ethics Commit-
tee which occasionally has to concern
itself with allegations of unfair play at
club level. Sometimes, the problem can
be that people are too quick to accuse.
A lucky lead, dropping a singleton
king, bidding an extraordinary slam
are not prima facie evidence of unfair
conduct. They could be indicators, of
course, but only as part of a pattern.
One ought to consider the role of pull-
ing the wrong card, making a poor
bid which works and taking an anti
percentage line which, by the very na-
ture of anti percentage lines, will work
sometimes. Making a false allegation
can be very damaging for the person
accused and it also brings the whole
game into disrepute. However, there
are times when some investigation
needs to happen. Just as the burglar
who takes a bag marked ‘swag’ to his
burglaries is adding to the chances of
being caught so is the potential cheat
who chooses a poor method. You often
hear about how good Bridgemates are
at getting the scores out accurately and
quickly, but in my time on the Laws
and Ethics Committee, the use of such
machines would have avoided at least
two cheating cases where the chosen
method was alteration of travellers.
The likely success of such methods re-
lies, of course, on players not checking
the scores and when they are all avail-
able on the web, checking becomes
both easier and more likely. I can also
think of two cases when the chosen
method was to insert a fixed hand into
a set in a knock out match. Of course,
you and I would not do this, but if we
did, we would choose a hand where
we knew where one or two cards were.
Both cheats caught, that I know about,
chose to insert hands where they could
play an obscure squeeze to demon-
strate how clever they were.
Last year, the EBU ran a trial online
knock-out tournament. The reason for
having online knock-out tournaments
is that, if difficulties can be overcome,
players may find this more attractive
than travelling to a remote part of
the country on a wet Thursday even-
ing. Just as there are opportunities
for foul play face to face there are also
opportunities, albeit different ones,
online. Having two computers is the
most likely one. You can overcome
this to some extent by having East and
South and also North and West with
a Skype connection and camera, but
this becomes technologically daunt-
ing for many. Having said this, the 16
teams who played in the online tour-
nament reported a pleasant game with
no problems other than a few minor
technical ones and the option of play-
ing online is likely to come to one or
two knock-out tournaments this year.
I stress ‘option’. It will not be compul-
sory.
If you have constructive comment
or feedback on these or other topics,
I will be pleased to hear from you at
jeremy@ebu.co.uk. ■
Answers to Splinters Quiz on page 38
1 Your partner opens 1♥. What do you
respond with hands A to D?
Hand A Hand B
♠ 2 ♠ K Q 3 2
♥ K 9 7 6 5 4 ♥ A Q 6 2
♦ K 7 4 ♦ 2
♣ 8 5 3 ♣ J 10 7 6
Hand C Hand D
♠ 2 ♠ A
♥ A Q 6 2 ♥ A Q 6 2
♦ K Q 3 2 ♦ K Q 3 2
♣ J 10 7 6 ♣ Q 10 7 4
Hand A: 4♥. Pre-emptive. Get the bid-
ding high before opponents introduce
the spades.
Hand B: 4♦*. A double jump and typical
splinter: 4-card heart support. 12 HCP,
six losers and a singleton diamond.
Hand C: 3♠*. It sounds natural, but 3♠
is a double jump and shows a high-card
raise to 4♥ with a singleton spade.
Hand D: 2♣. Too strong for a splinter.
I would just wait to hear partner’s rebid.
2 You are West. What is your next bid
with hands E to H?
West East
1♥ 4♦*
? Hand L Hand M
Hand E Hand F
♠ J 8 7 ♠ 2
♥ A Q 6 5 ♥ A K 8 7 5 4
♦ K Q 6 ♦ 9 8 7 6
♣ K J 7 ♣ A Q
Hand G Hand H
♠ 2 ♠ 3 2
♥ A 10 9 8 7 6 ♥ A 10 9 8 7 6
♦ A 9 8 6 ♦ K Q 8
♣ A Q ♣ A J
Partner has shown 4+ hearts, 11-15 HCP,
6-7 losers and a singleton diamond.
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 41
Hand E: 4♥. You have 16 points with
no shape, giving you a combined 28-
30. Your diamond honours may well be
wasted opposite his singleton.
Hand F: 4NT, Key Card Blackwood.
You have just 13 points but the hands fit
beautifully. You have no wasted values in
diamonds and a 10+ card trump fit, al-
lowing you to ruff at least two diamonds
in dummy with the expected 2-1 trump
break. If partner has one of the two miss-
ing key cards, you can be confident of
making 6♥.
Hand G: 4NT, Key Card Blackwood.
Again, the hands fit well. Note that your
♦A is not wasted opposite a singleton
diamond: it is secondary honours (K, Q,
J) that are wasted.
Hand H: 4♥. Ignore the wasted ♦K-Q
and you have only nine points.
3 You are West. What is your next bid
with hands J to M?
West East
1♦ 1♠
?
Hand J Hand K
♠ 2 ♠ A Q 10 9
♥ A J 10 ♥ A J 8
♦ A K J 7 5 ♦ A K J 7 5
♣ A Q 10 9 ♣ 2
♠ A Q 10 9 ♠ A Q 10 9 2
♥ A J ♥ 9
♦ A K J 7 5 ♦ A K 7 5 4 3
♣ 9 2 ♣ 2
Hand J: 3♣. The single jump is a game
forcing jump shift, showing clubs.
Hand K: 4♣. The double jump is a
splinter bid agreeing spades. five losers
(really better than that with three aces,
only one queen and useful intermedi-
ates) and a singleton club.
Hand L: 4♠. Often, you will have a 4-2-
5-2 shape if you have enough for 4♠ but
cannot splinter.
Hand M: 4♠. No bid describes this hand
well. With only four losers (one in each
suit) you are worth 4♠ but the danger of
splintering is that partner will think you
have more high card points. However, I
don’t strongly object to 4♣.
4 You are East. What is your next bid
with hands N to R?
West East
1♦ 1♠
4♣ ?
Hand N Hand P
♠ A J 4 2 ♠ K Q 4 3 2
♥ 9 7 5 ♥ A Q 6
♦ 8 7 ♦ 8 7
♣ K Q 8 3 ♣ 8 3 2
Hand Q Hand R
♠ A 8 7 6 5 4 ♠ K Q 4 3 2
♥ 7 ♥ A Q 6
♦ 6 ♦ 8 7
♣ A 5 4 3 2 ♣ K Q 8
Partner’s splinter shows 4-card spade
support, four or five losers and a single-
ton club.
Hand N: 4♠. The ♣K Q are not particu-
larly useful opposite a singleton.
Hand P: 4NT. You have a 9+-card
spade fit and no wasted values in clubs.
Despite your two losing diamonds, it is
reasonable to bid Key Card Blackwood; it
is not possible for partner to have enough
for his splinter unless he has the ♦A or ♦K.
This sort of hand is often referred to as
a ’30 point pack’, meaning that the ten
missing points in clubs will cost you only
one trick. Your side must surely have virtu-
ally all of the remaining 30 points.
Hand Q: 4NT. Key Card Blackwood.
You may easily find out enough to guar-
antee 13 tricks.
Hand R: 4NT. Key Card Blackwood. Of
course, the ♣K-Q may be wasted, but
you have enough strength outside. Re-
member that your 1♠ response promised
only 6 HCP, opposite which your part-
ner went for game – you have 10 more
points. You will notice that without the
♣K-Q, you have Hand P. Hence, you can
carry on looking for slam. ■
 Q PLUS 11
We Are Survivors
(For those born Before 1940 . . .)
We were born before television, before
penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods,
Xerox, contact lenses, videos and the pill.
We were before radar, credit cards, split
atoms, laser beams and ballpoint pens,
before dish-washers, tumble driers, electric
blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes
Really user-friendly
. . . and before man walked on the moon.
We got married first and then lived bridge-playing software
together (how quaint can you be?). We
thought ‘fast food’ was what you ate
in Lent, a ‘Big Mac’ was an oversized FEATURES INCLUDE
raincoat and ‘crumpet’ we had for tea. We
existed before house husbands, computer
dating and sheltered accommodation was l Help button - explains the features for bidding
where you waited for a bus. and card play advice
We were before day care centres, group
homes and disposable nappies. We never l Displays on HD and large screens
heard of FM radio, tape decks, artificial
hearts, word processors, or young men l Comprehensive manual

£92
wearing earrings. For us ‘time sharing’
meant togetherness, a ‘chip’ was a piece l Minibridge option
of wood or fried potato, ‘hard­ware’ meant
nuts and bolts and ‘software’ wasn’t a l Save match function including
word. UK post and packing

Before 1940 ‘Made in Japan’ meant l Feed in your own deals

junk, the term ‘making out’ referred to
how you did in your exams, ‘stud’ was l 5,000 preplayed hands for teams
something that fastened a collar to a shirt
and ‘going all the way’ meant staying on l 4,000 preplayed hands for match-point pairs
a double-decker bus to the terminus. In our
day, cigarette smoking was ‘fashionable’, l Pre-programmed systems include Acol,
‘grass’ was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in the Standard American and many more or
coalhouse, a ‘joint’ was a piece of meat you create your own system.
ate on Sundays and ‘pot’ was something
you cooked in. ‘Rock Music’ was a fond l Closed room – button to view other table
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 QPLUS TRADE-IN OFFER
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( 01287 654481

Page 42 BRIDGE June 2014

 Beginners’ Bridge Corner
Mary’s Sixth Lesson
‘F
or heaven’s sake,
Mother, it’s only
a game of cards.
It can’t be that difficult for
you to cancel,’ Liam said.
Mary dug her heels in.
These were Mary’s first nights
out in two years. It would
have been very awkward
for her new bridge friends
if she hadn’t turned up
last night for their practice
session. Mary seemed to
be upsetting Liam and
Anne quite a lot these
days. Somehow, she hadn’t
expected to be so involved in
the childcare arrangements.
Although Mary was very
quiet during last night’s
play, she didn’t mention
the fact to Joan and the
others that there had
been a bit of an ‘upset’
before turning up for
the practice session.
Alasdair (teacher) said,
‘Today the group is going
to work on developing their
playing techniques so that
they can reinforce the bidding
strategies learnt to date.’
Good! Mary was relieved. No
new bidding techniques to
take on board this week. The
group relaxed visibly, heaving
one enormous sigh of relief.
Lots of quick repartee and
laughter. Mary did so enjoy
coming to these Tuesday
morning sessions. Alasdair,
handing a crib sheet to each
of the mentors, said, ‘The
mentors at each table will
ensure that the learners are
in the right contract.’ Alasdair
pointed out, ‘It is important
to remember that the
playing of the hands is just
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 43
by Liz Dale
as important as the bidding,
if not more so, and that
real enjoyment of the game
stems from developing your
card play.’ He said, ‘You can
gain an enormous feeling of
satisfaction when you make
a contract that seemed
unlikely when dummy
went down.’ So this was
what they were going to
work on today, in particular
developing their finesse
skills.
Alasdair explained again,
‘Counting top tricks is the
first priority of declarer after
dummy has gone down
and the etiquette of, ‘thank
you, partner,’ observed. If
you were, for example, one
trick short after counting
top tricks, then you could
try a finesse which had a
50% chance of winning.
The idea was that you
assessed which card you
were trying to promote and
you led from the opposite
side, the opponents holding
a higher card in that suit.
Declarer is hoping that
the missing higher card
is held in the hand of the
second player, allowing
declarer to win the trick.’
‘So, for example, if North
is dummy and declarer plays
the ♣2 from dummy towards
the ♣A-Q in declarer’s hand,
he plays the ♣Q first. If East
has the ♣K and doesn’t play
it, then declarer, South, wins
both the ♣Q and the ♣A as
long as declarer plays the
♣Q first. If East plays the
♣K, then declarer overtakes
the ♣K with the ♣A and wins
with the ♣Q on the next
round. A successful finesse.
If, however, East plays a
low club, declarer, South,
plays the ♣Q and West
plays the ♣K, the finesse
has been unsuccessful but
at least there has been a
50% chance of success.’
Finesse Wins
♣ 8 5 2
N
♣ 10 4 3 W E ♣ K J 7 6
S gins by discussing balanced
♣ A Q 9
Finesse Loses
♣ 8 5 2
N
♣ K J 7 6 W E ♣ 10 4 3
S
♣ A Q 9
Mary could see the
importance of counting top
tricks and she was getting
used to this in the planning of
the play, but she was not too
thrilled with this new finesse
strategy. Mary still liked to
play out her top winners.
What if the finesse was
unsuccessful, allowing the
winning opponents to play
out their winners, leaving
the contract one down?
Alasdair explained, ‘The
contract would have gone
down anyway but at least this
way there was a 50% chance
of success.’ Mary said,
‘Ummm.’ She would have to
think about this.’ ■
Better Hand
Evaluation
Bernard Magee
Introduction
Better Hand Evaluation is
aimed at helping readers to
add greater accuracy to their
bidding. It deals with auctions
in which you and your partner,
against silent opponents, can
describe your hands fully to
each other and, by evaluating
them accurately, find the best
final contract. The emphasis of
all good, accurate bidding is on
hand evaluation.
There are two general types of
auction: a) a fit is found and b)
no fit is found.
When you do not have a fit,
you are aiming to describe the
strength of your hand as soon
as possible, most often using
no-trump bids. This book be-
hand bidding in Acol, as it
is very important that both
members of a partnership
have an accurate knowledge of
how to show hands of different
strengths.
When a fit is found, there is
much re-evaluation of the
hand to be done; point count,
though still important, needs
to be evaluated together with
distribution. The best way of
reaching an accurate assess­
ment is to use the Losing Trick
Count; this is an important
method of hand evaluation and
takes up a number of chapters.
Finally, we move on to different
forms of evaluation including
game tries and splinter bids.
You can never know enough
methods of hand evaluation;
the more you learn, the better
you get at judging your hand.
Although the Losing Trick
Count is used more easily in
tandem with your partner, a
large proportion of the ideas
in this book can be used by an
individual. For example, eval-
uating your hand to be worth
an extra point is going to help
anyone you partner – as long
as you get it right.
£14 including UK postage
See Mail Order Form
on page 7.
 Catching Up by Sally Brock
T
he big issue since I last wrote is
Briony. She went to India but
was very unhappy. The slum
school she went to help with in Jaipur
was a disappointment. She was in
the suburbs and everyone told her it
was too dangerous for her to go into
the city on her own. The promised
internet was patchy at best and there
was very little for her to do. After
a week, she left and went to Jaipur
itself but she was not happy on her
own and, after a couple of days seeing
the sights of Jaipur and then the Taj
Mahal, she went on to Delhi. That was
saved from disaster by a wonderful
Indian family, friends of friends, who
were marvellously hospitable, but
they could not solve the underlying
problem which was that she was
unhappy travelling on her own. So she
came home. She is now a lot happier
and looking forward to starting work
in May.
Bridge-wise, the first event was
our Hubert Phillips semi-final match
against Phil Norman’s team from
Blandford Forum. We travelled there
and won the match easily. Our friends,
Jeremy and Heather, have moved out
of London to Blandford recently, so we
took the opportunity to visit and spent
an enjoyable evening catching up.
We also won our second-round
Crockfords match, but not quite so
easily. We were a little down with eight
boards to go and it all came down to
this deal:
Dealer East. Game All.
♠ A J 6 5
♥ K Q 8 7 2
♦ J 6 5
♣ 6
♠ Q 8 3 ♠ K 10 9 4
N
♥ A J 3 W E ♥ 10 9 6 5
♦ 9 4 S ♦ 2
♣ Q J 8 7 2 ♣ A K 10 4
♠ 7 2
♥ 4
♦ A K Q 10 8 7 3
♣ 9 5 3
Page 44 BRIDGE June 2014
West North East South
Pass 3NT*
Pass Pass Dbl Pass
Pass 4♣ Pass 4♦
Pass 5♦ All Pass
My 3NT opener showed a solid minor
with nothing outside. Barry, thinking
I had clubs, was prepared to gamble,
but not when we were doubled. When
it transpired that I had diamonds, he
knew it was unlikely that game was
cold our way, but he thought that West
might be tempted to lead an ace if she
had one. That tipped the scales for him
so he bid the game. West did lead the
ace of hearts, giving us the game. We
gained 12 IMPs, to win the match by 6.
We had our last team of eight league
match of the season and lost our first
match in four years – to Reading A,
our main rivals. They need 9 VPs from
their last match, against Amersham
Community Centre, to win the league
and thus qualify for the regional final
of the Garden Cities tournament.
Our great triumph in this period was
to win the Portland Pairs, the National
Mixed Pairs Championship. We played
at Richmond Bridge Club and put
together two 67% sessions to head the
field of 376 pairs. I have won this event
before but it was a first for Barry. Our
performance over the last two years
had been rather disappointing, so it
was good to win eventually.
We started well. On the first board,
our opponents went three down in
3NT and we scored 45 MPs out of 46.
Then I made a couple of overtricks in
1NT for another 150 and 39 MPs.
This was the third board (shown in
the next column). It was all a bit of fun
really. We pretty much knew what each
other had and West was a bit silly to
double. I knew Barry, South, wouldn’t
have a useful high card, but that he
would have five hearts (he did make a
forcing pass over five clubs). West led
the ace of spades, and perhaps Barry
should have risked the trump finesse
for the overtrick (to beat any pairs
actually bidding slam), but he decided
to settle for his contract. As it turned
out, 1,200 was worth 44 MPs and the
overtrick would not have beaten the
1,700 scored by the pair who defeated
3♠ doubled by six tricks.
Dealer West. Game All.
♠ K Q J 4
♥ A Q 8 7 4
♦ A Q 8 2
♣ Void
♠ A 9 8 3 ♠ 7 6 5 2
N
♥ K 3 W E ♥ 9
♦ K 9 6 S ♦ J 4 3
♣ A Q 9 4 ♣ K J 10 5 2
♠ 10
♥ J 10 6 5 2
♦ 10 7 5
♣ 8 7 6 3
West North East South
1♣ Dbl 2♣ Pass
Pass Dbl Pass 2♥
3♣ 4♣ Pass 4♥
Pass Pass 5♣ Pass
Pass 5♥ Pass Pass
Dbl Pass Pass Rdbl
All Pass
Away from the table, life trundles on.
I have instructed some more agents
to try to sell the house. Let’s hope
something good happens now the
weather is improving. I am finding
that estate agents are not very good
at their job, but perhaps that is just a
personal experience. They don’t seem
to turn up to see me at the agreed
time, they forget to tell me viewings
are cancelled and as for making
any positive suggestions because we
haven’t had any viewers for a while –
well, that’s a complete non-starter.
The professional bridge agency
project that I mentioned last month,
is progressing apace now. The plan is
to have the website finished by Easter
and then test it for a couple of weeks
before launching the site on the first
weekend of May. As that is before the
publication date of this article, I can
tell you that the website to look for is
www.pro-bridge.co.uk ■
 Seven Days
by Sally Brock
Wednesday
Up early and off to the gym. I am not
doing as much work for Bradt as I used
to as they now have someone inhouse,
but there is some overflow and at the
moment I am working on North Korea
– a truly fascinating country. So that is
the main task for the rest of the day.
Briony goes off to see Ben, Gemma
and Hayden in their new house.
Later on, I drive in to meet Nicola for
supper prior to playing in the London
Super League at the Young Chelsea.
We play OK but nothing special.
Somehow our uninspiring results
combine with those of our team-mates
to win by 62 IMPs. Richard Hillman
and Keith Bennett have a tremendous
game.
This is one of their good boards:
Dealer South. E/W Game.
♠ A 8 6 5
♥ Q 8 4 2
♦ A 8 4
♣ Q 3
♠ K J 10 9 7 4 ♠ 3
N
♥ 7 W E ♥ A J 9 5 3
♦ Q 10 3 S ♦ K 9 7 5 2
♣ J 5 4 ♣ 10 8
♠ Q 2
♥ K 10 6
♦ J 6
♣ A K 9 7 6 2
West North East South
1♣
1♠ Dbl Pass 2♣
Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT All Pass
BRIDGE June 2014 Page 45
West leads a spade and I make eleven
tricks by finessing the ten of hearts in
the ending.
In the other room, the bidding is
the same, but East doubles the final
contract to suggest a non-spade lead (if
he had wanted a spade, he could have
doubled two spades). West had the
ten of diamonds in his hand (maybe),
but South removed the double to four
clubs, which made exactly for 8 IMPs
to us.
Afterwards, I decide to stay at Barry’s
as Briony is away. I arrive to find him
asleep on the sofa – he claims that the
bottle of wine he opened so he could
put some in his risotto must have had
a hole in it as it seems to be empty.
Thursday
I have either to leave by nine or go
down and feed the meter. As Barry has
work to do, I leave early and am home
by ten. Briony arrives home an hour
or so later. At lunchtime, we have a
visit from yet another estate agent who
thinks he can sell the house. Everyone
thinks my house is lovely and will
sell easily – except anyone who is in
the market for such a property. I tell
him that he is welcome to give it a go
provided I pay him only 1%. He tries
to persuade me to let him take it on for
1.6%. I hold out. He says he will ring
me tomorrow. He leaves it a couple of
hours but I still hold out for 1% and
get quite short with him on the phone.
Five minutes later, he rings back and
agrees to 1%. Ooh, that feels good!
In the afternoon, I have a session
with Richard and Gerry. Barry is
working so Nicola plays with me
against them. However, Richard has
double booked himself. He is in a
business meeting, but we manage
with a frequent smooth interchange
between Richard and a robot. Though
I think Gerry is happier with the robot
who is on fine form today.
I have started fasting on most days
when I have no particular eating
commitments out of the house (not
that often). So this is a fasting day.
The idea is to keep under 500 calories
and actually it isn’t hard (not for the
occasional day anyway). Brunch
is scrambled eggs with tomatoes,
mushrooms, onions and peppers.
Supper is a huge mound of stir fry
– mostly vegetables but with some
prawns and scallops thrown in for
good measure.
In the evening, we finish a jigsaw we
bought the other day from a charity
shop. It is rather disappointing to find
that there are three pieces missing.
Friday
The first job of the day is to go shopping
for some of the stuff we need for a
dinner party I am hosting tomorrow
evening. We go to our local butcher to
pick up the meat I have ordered, then
the supermarket for other bits and
pieces. We do some odd bits of cooking
and then it is off to Rickmansworth to
meet a bank manager. We have had a
terrible time trying to open a business
account with Lloyds. It has been more
than a month already and they said
that if we each went to a branch with
various pieces of identification, then it
would only be another ten days or so.
A swift phonecall to Santander
 Seven Days continued
established that if all three of us turned
up to this branch armed with our pass-
ports, then we would walk away with
an account. So that seems the thing to
do. Briony comes with me for the ride
and we pop into the local Waitrose af-
terwards for other bits of shopping.
We start off some of the cooking
for tomorrow and then my friend Roz
arrives for supper. We have a great
evening catching up with this and
that.
Saturday
Tea and hot cross buns for breakfast
and then Roz gets on her way. She lives
on Jersey and when she is over here
there are always lots of people for her
to visit and chores for her to do. Bri-
ony and I then start cooking in earnest.
As well as today’s dinner, we have to-
morrow’s lunch. Cooking is one of the
things we really enjoy doing together.
Meanwhile, Barry decides to break the
habit of a lifetime and wash his car.
Everything is pretty much under
control. It makes such a difference
having Briony to help me. Our guests
arrive at seven and we have a really
good evening. There is a suggestion
that we play some bridge after dinner
but the general conversation is too
absorbing for anyone to want to do
that. The food goes down well and the
wine flows prolifically. When everyone
goes home just after midnight, I just
have the energy to fill the dishwasher
and then my head hits the pillow.
Sunday
Although it is hardly the crack of
dawn, I have to get up reasonably
early to put the house to rights.
Simon arrives first, then Ben with
his girlfriend Dana. We all have our
laptops open on the dining room table
and get down to sorting out the details
of the ProBridge website. At around
1pm, Paul, the web designer, arrives
and we have lunch. This is all done by
Briony and she has surpassed herself:
as well as yesterday’s leftovers, we have
chilli with jacket potatoes, guacamole
Page 46 BRIDGE June 2014
and a wonderful salad that includes
roasted grapes. Then to follow she has
made a rhubarb tarte tatin. When we
are all too full to move, we start work
again. Now is the time to discuss the
design details with Paul. He leaves
after a couple of hours, but there are
still several things Ben, Simon and I
need to iron out. Eventually, they leave
at about 6.30 and Barry goes shortly
thereafter. Briony and I settle down to
a jigsaw and some TV, pleased to be on
our own for a change.
Monday
One of the very long jobs we have had
to do for ProBridge is to get all the
information we can on bridge clubs
across the country. We are copying all
those details on to the site. This is for
two reasons: first, when people have
agreed to play together, they need to
know where they can play, so all that
information needs to be available on
the site in an easy-to-use way; second,
we want to send information about
the agency to all the bridge clubs in
the hope that it will generate clients
(and maybe some pros) for the site. But
locating and copying all that data is a
pretty long-winded and tedious affair.
And Briony and I have volunteered.
That is the chore for today.
In the middle of the day, we have a
visit from the aforementioned estate
agent. He arrives (an hour and a half
earlier than agreed) with a camera and
we have to clear each room as he gets
there so he can photograph it at its best.
He is young and confident. Maybe he is
the one who will sell it for us.
I referred earlier to the Berks &
Bucks league of eight. Well, the rules
of the league are that you are allowed
to play as many matches as there are
and do not necessarily have to play
them all for the same team. As we
have missed the odd A-team match
this season, when there is a desperate
plea for extra players for our C team,
we jump in to the rescue. A second
reason for doing this is the Richard
Palmer Trophy, which is awarded each
year for the New Amersham player
who scores most Butler IMPs in the
league matches in the season. I won
that in some comfort last year, but
this year I am 30 IMPs short of Dee
and Peter Lindon who top the table.
You might think it slightly unethical
to play for the C team in the hope of a
good personal score, but they have also
played a match for the C team so I feel
it is OK.
We start off firing on all cylinders,
bidding a couple of slams missed
by the rest of the field. It is all going
swimmingly, but the tide turns at half
time. First, they bid a thin but excellent
slam against us, missed by both our
pairs; then I underbid rather foolishly
and we miss a good slam our way.
Then, there is this lead problem:
Dealer East. N/S Game.
♠ K Q 10 9
♥ Q 9 N
W E
♦ A Q J 8 4 S
♣ J 6
West North East South
2♦ Pass
2♥ Pass Pass 3♣
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣
Pass 5♣ Pass Pass
Dbl All Pass
Partner’s two diamond opening is
a Multi and often only a five-card
suit at the prevailing favourable
vulnerability. Your opponents’ auction
does not sound too convincing so you
decide to double. What do you lead?
It’s all too easy to lead partner’s suit,
isn’t it? And that’s what West does at
the table. A second thought should
perhaps persuade you that, as you
have spades and diamonds tied up and
presumably partner has hearts, then a
trump lead is called for.
♠ 8 6 5 4 3 2
♥ A 8 7
♦ 2
♣ K Q 9
♠ K Q 10 9 ♠ A 7
♥ Q 9 N ♥ J 10 6 5 4 3
W E
♦ A Q J 8 4
S
♦ 9 7 5
♣ J 6 ♣ 8 5
♠ J
♥ K 2
♦ K 10 6 3
♣ A 10 7 4 3 2
 Seven Days continued

JUST DUPLICATE BRIDGE

Declarer wins the heart lead
13-15 June £169 31 Oct – 2 Nov £199
with the king and plays a
The Olde Barn Elstead Hotel
spade. West wins the queen
and plays a trump. Declar-
er wins in dummy, ruffs a 27-29 June £169 7-9 November £199
spade, then plays a heart to The Olde Barn Denham Grove
the ace and ruffs another
spade. Now a club to dum- 27-29 June £199 14-16 November £199
my and another spade ruff Clifton Park Hotel Chatsworth Hotel
sets up the suit. With clubs Chatsworth Hotel
breaking, declarer cannot 4-6 July £199 Worthing BN11 3DU 14-16 November £199
be prevented from reaching Denham Grove Elstead Hotel
dummy with a diamond ruff 1-3 August £169
to make the doubled game. The Olde Barn
An initial trump lead takes
an entry out prematurely. 8-10 August £199
Declarer wins the lead and Clifton Park Hotel
plays a spade. West wins
and plays a second club. De-
12-14 September £169
clarer wins in dummy, ruffs
The Olde Barn
a spade, plays a heart to the
ace and ruffs another spade,
but the spades are not set up
Elstead Hotel Denham Grove
and declarer has only one Bournemouth BH1 3QP Denham, Bucks UB9 5DU
more dummy entry. To get
out for one down, he has to
cash the king of hearts and 11-13 July £169 21-23 November £199
exit with a diamond, even- The Olde Barn Chatsworth Hotel
tually endplaying West. In
practice, declarer might well 11-13 July £199 28-30 November £199
have gone for 500 instead of Clifton Park Hotel Chatsworth Hotel
Blunsdon House Hotel
making 750 – a big swing. Blunsdon, Swindon SN26 7AS

18-20 July £199 28-30 November £169

Tuesday Blunsdon House Hotel 10-12 October £199
Blunsdon House Hotel
The Olde Barn
Nothing much is planned for
today, so it’s a fasting day. I
10-12 October £199
wait as long as I can before I
Elstead Hotel
have my eggs and then go off
to the gym. I’m getting near
the end of my book now, so 17-19 October £169
exercise with more enthu- The Olde Barn
siasm. In the afternoon, I
continue to enter hundreds 24-26 October £199
of bridge clubs into the data- Chatsworth Hotel
base. Late afternoon, I have
an online session with Pe- The Olde Barn Hotel
31 Oct – 2 Nov £169
Clifton Park Hotel
Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT St Annes on Sea FY8 1HN
ter – just for an hour. In the The Olde Barn
evening, after my exciting
supper, Briony and I watch
TV and do a jigsaw – our
Full Board – No Single Supplement
latest thing is to buy jigsaws Booking Form on page 8.
from charity shops. If they
are complete, we take them Please note there are no seminars, set hands or prizes at these events.
back and buy more. ■

BRIDGE June 2014 Page 47

 BERNARD MAGEE
at Denham Grove
near Uxbridge, Bucks, UB9 5DG.
9-12 January 2015
£399 Friday – Monday, £369 Friday – Sunday, full board
Limited places for Thursday night available. £45pp single, £65 double/twin.
Defence as Partner of the Leader
Defence is the hardest aspect of the game, but the one
that I love to teach the most: it is where most players can
make great progress. You are often taught about opening
leads, but what about as the leader’s partner? How do you
play to trick one and then what do you do later? Should
you continue with your partner’s suit or switch? I will try
to give you the answers to all of these questions and more.
Strong Opening Bids
Much focus is placed on weak opening bids in the
modern game which means many strong hands are hard
to bid. Managing your strong bids carefully can give
you great joy, particularly when you have a neat
bidding sequence to a lovely slam. I will talk about
your strong opening options and show you how to
make the most of them.
Suit Establishment
Five-card suits (and longer) are powerful things: I will
try to get across my passion for them by showing you
how to develop your extra tricks through establishment.
Every five-card suit merits your attention, however
weak. Once you have seen the opportunities for extra
tricks, you will understand why it is important to add
strength on for long suits during the auction.
6 seminar sessions with Bernard1
Contact Mr Bridge to book your place or for further details: ( 01483 489961
1
Filmed Not with Bernard Magee
2
Aggressive Bidding AT PAIRS
Forty years ago, duplicate pairs was in its infancy and you
needed 13 HCP to open the bidding and rarely competed
for a partscore. Now the norm is to open with 11 HCP and
compete for every hand. The reason is largely because of
the scoring system. -50 and -100 can score very well, when
your opponents can make a contract of their own. Since
going off can score well, you should bid more.
Take-Out Doubles
Take-out doubles are an increasingly important aspect of
duplicate bridge. I will deal with basic take-out doubles
and their responses and then progress to
talk about competing for every partscore.
Aiming to push your opponents higher or
looking to get the magic -50, which scores so well when
your opponents can make a contract of their own.
Landy / Defending Against 1NT
Competing against a 1NT opening allows you to chal-
lenge for the partscore and also disrupts your opponents’
conventions. I will talk about competing over 1NT in
general and then talk about the Landy Convention,
which is a relatively simple method of competing over
1NT. The weak no-trump is a powerful pre-emptive
opening, so you need to try hard to overcome it.
6 sessions of supervised play2