BRIDGE

Number One Hundred and Forty-Nine

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.
May 2015

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

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

2. Dealer East. Love All. 5. Dealer East. Love All. 8. Dealer North. E/W Game. 11. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ A 8 ♠ 8 2 ♠ J 8 7 ♠ 9 8 2
♥ A 9 8 7 N ♥ K 10 7 3 N ♥ K Q 8 7 3 N ♥ 8 3 N
W E W E W E W E
♦ 10 6 4 3 ♦ A K 5 4 ♦ 6 ♦ Q J 10
S S S S
♣ K Q 3 ♣ K 8 3 ♣ K 8 3 2 ♣ A 9 6 4 3

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

3. Dealer East. N/S Game. 6. Dealer East. Love All. 9. Dealer North. Love All. 12. Dealer East. Game All.

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

West North East South West North East South West North East South West North East South
1♥ Pass 1♥ 1♠ 1♣ Dbl Pass 2♥1 3♣
1♠ Pass 1NT Pass ? ? ? 16-10pts & 6 hearts
?

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

 BERNARD MAGEE
TUTORIAL DVDs
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.)
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 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 endplays before showing
some hands where you take extra tricks from defenders. In the
second half, Bernard looks at how to avoid being endplayed. (80 mins.)
£25 EACH. PICK AND MIX. A BOX OF ANY 6. £105
Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961 On-line shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/shop
13 Hand Evaluation
Going beyond just the point-count is important if you want to im-
prove. 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. Un-
derstanding the right types of hand to bid up on and realising the
importance of position and vulnerability. (96 mins.)
15 Splinter & Cue Bids
Splinter bids are a vital tool to add to your slam bidding 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. (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. (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.)
19 Defensive Plan
Looking at your own hand, then at dummy and envisaging how part-
ner’s hand will allow you to make a plan for the defence. (112 mins.)
20 Further Into the Auction
The first two bids of an auction are usually easy, but beyond that the
complications increase. Learn about your various options and how to
‘talk’ to your partner during the bidding. (95 mins.)
21 Weak Twos
It is important to bid more in the modern game and weak twos are
an important choice for the competitive player. They allow for pre-
emptive and accurate bidding. (104 mins.)
22 Trump Control
Handling the play of the hand when trumps break badly is an impor-
tant attribute: playing calmly and using a variety of tactics to pave
the way to success. (76 mins.)
23 Sacrificing
An exciting aspect of the auction is outbidding your opponents and
going down, but gaining by doing so. Learn to bid more aggressively
and make the best of your cards. (105 mins.)
24 Improving Bridge Memory
Remembering every card is a dream for most of us. However, learn
ways in which to remember the important things. What was the first
discard or how many trumps are left out? (90 mins.)
 Features this month include:

BRIDGE
ADVERTISERS’
1 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee INDEX
5 Mr Bridge 2 Bernard Magee DVDs
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, 6 Bidding Quiz Answers (1-3) by Bernard Magee 3 Clive Goff ’s Stamps
Surrey GU21 2TH 4 Christmas Cruise
9 Bidding Quiz Answers (4-6) by Bernard Magee
( 01483 489961 Cape Town and South
10 Wendy Wensum’s Diaries Africa with Voyages
bridge@mrbridge.co.uk to Antiquity
11 Bidding Quiz Answers (7-9) by Bernard Magee
www.mrbridge.co.uk 5 Denham Grove
13 Bidding Quiz Answers (10-12) by Bernard Magee Filming Weekend 2016
shop: www.mrbridge.co.uk/
mrbridge-shop 14 Sally’s Slam of the Month 6 Classical Greece
15 Mary’s Seventeenth Lesson by Liz Dale & Adriatic with
Publisher and Voyages to Antiquity
Managing Editor 16 David Stevenson Answers Your Questions
7 QPlus 11
Mr Bridge
18 Negative Doubles by Heather Dhondy 7 Mail Order Form
Associate Editor and 20 Leading from Broken Honour Sequences 8 Bridge Event
Bridge Consultant by Andrew Kambites Booking Form
Bernard Magee
bernardmagee 22 Defence Quiz by Julian Pottage 8 Bridge Events with
@mrbridge.co.uk Bernard Magee
22 More Tips by Bernard Magee
9 Fjords, Mountains
Cartoons & Illustrations 23 The Drones Club by David Holden and Roy Rowe and Glaciers with
Marguerite Lihou 24 Declarer Play Quiz by David Huggett Fred.Olsen
www.margueritelihou.co.uk
11 Scandinavian
25 Defence Quiz Answers by Julian Pottage
Experience
Technical Consultant
26 Catching Up with Sally Brock with Fred.Olsen
Tony Gordon
28 Wise Wynfryth’s Successful Spell by David Bird 12 Tips for Better Bridge
Typesetting & Design 12 S R Designs
Ruth Edmondson 30 Defending Against High Level Pre-empts
by Jeremy Dhondy Bridge Tables
ruth@mrbridge.co.uk
13 Dalmatia, Sicily and
32 A Distributional Hand Opposite a 1NT Opening
Proof Readers Italy with Voyages to
by Peggy Millidge Antiquity
Tony & Jan Richards
Richard Wheen 33 Play and Defence Against 1NT by Bernard Magee 15 Acol Bidding
Hugh Williams
35 Julian Pottage Answers Your Questions 15 Better Hand Evaluation
Customer Services 38 Boxes on a Shelf by Ned Paul 17 Duplicate Bridge
Catrina Shackleton Rules Simplified
39 Seven Days with Sally Brock
catrina@mrbridge.co.uk
27 Greek Islands and
41 Inspiration from the Heavens? by John Barr Turkey with Voyages to
Events & Cruises Antiquity
( 01483 489961 42 Very Superstitious by Shireen Mohandes
Jessica Galt 34 Bernard Magee’s
44 Readers’ Letters
jessica@mrbridge.co.uk Tutorial Software
Megan Riccio 46 What is a Multi all About? by Julian Pottage 37 Tunisia with Mr Bridge
megan@mrbridge.co.uk 47 Declarer Play Answers by David Huggett 40 Charity Events
Sophie Pierrepont
sophie@mrbridge.co.uk 40 Just Duplicate Bridge
REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGE 41 Travel Insurance
Clubs & Charities
Maggie Axtell Postage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value, 44 S R Designs
maggie@mrbridge.co.uk all mint with full gum. Quotations for Leather Gifts
commercial quantities available on request. 47 Mr Bridge Playing
Address Changes Values supplied in 100s, higher values Cards
( 01483 485342 available as well as 1st and 2nd class
Elizabeth Bryan (eg 2nd class: 100x37p+100x16p). 48 Odyssey to the Cape of
elizabeth@mrbridge.co.uk Good Hope with
(/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: clive.goff@londonrugby.com Voyages to Antiquity

BRIDGE May 2015 Page 3

 CHRISTMAS CRUISE 2015
Enjoy the summer sunshine of Cape Town – Luderitz Namibia
spectacular natural wonders and landscapes – Richards
and celebrate the festive season on this South Bay
Atlantic Indian
remarkable bridge voyage Ocean Cape South Africa Ocean
Town Mossel
Bay
Port
Elizabeth

Southern
YOUR ITINERARY
DATE PORT
Ocean ARRIVE DEPART
DEC 18 Depart UK
DEC 19 Arrive CAPE TOWN South Africa
Embark Aegean Odyssey overnight
DEC 20 CAPE TOWN (Table Mountain)
South Africa overnight
DEC 21 CAPE TOWN (Stellenbosch)
South Africa overnight
DEC 22 CAPE TOWN South Africa 7.00pm
DEC 23 At Sea
DEC 24 PORT ELIZABETH South Africa 8.00am
(Addo Elephant Park) 2.00pm
DEC 25 Christmas Day celebrations at sea
DEC 26 RICHARDS BAY South Africa 5.00am
(Hluhluwe Game Reserve) overnight
DEC 27 RICHARDS BAY South Africa
(St Lucia Nature Reserve) 9.00pm
DEC 28/29 At Sea
DEC 30 MOSSEL BAY South Africa 8.00am
(Garden Route) 6.00pm
DEC 31/ New Year’s celebrations at sea
JAN 1 ‘16
JAN 2/3 LUDERITZ Namibia 8.00am 6.00pm
JAN 4 At Sea
JAN 5 CAPE TOWN South Africa 8.00am
CAPE TOWN & THE HIGHLIGHTS OF Disembark and transfer to
Cape Town Airport for flight home

SOUTH AFRICA
19 days departing December 18, 2015
• Scheduled economy class flights with free
Fares from £3,795pp* include:
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regional connections from selected UK airports
Join your Mr Bridge team on a unique Christmas and • Expert guest speaker programme
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on board ship then sail to the highlights of South Africa – • Bridge seminars when at sea
Port Elizabeth and the Addo Elephant Park – Richards Bay • Sightseeing excursions at all ports of call
and a wildlife Safari and nature reserve – the stunning • Christmas and New Year’s celebrations at sea
Garden Route from Mossel Bay and the remarkable • Mr Bridge drinks party
landscapes of the Skeleton Coast in Namibia.
RESERVE YOUR
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*Mr Bridge fares are per person and subject to availability at time of booking. They may be withdrawn at any time without notice. †Single accommodation is available only in certain categories and is subject to availability. ABTA No.Y2206
 SPRING
CLEARANCE
I still have some 2015
diaries, all with a 40 page
summary of Bernard
Magee’s Acol bidding
system. These I am most
unwilling to consign to the
recycling bin. If anyone
would like one or even two
of these really useful pocket
booklets (surprisingly two
cost the same to post as
one), send two 2nd class
stamps. Alternatively,
telephone my office and pay
£1.95 using your debit or
credit card or buy from my
online shop. They come in
maroon, red, green or navy
coloured covers.
In addition, I am also
clearing shop-soiled
merchandise, including the
following books, all at
£1.95 each to cover postage.
Duplicate Bridge Rules
Simplified
Bernard Magee’s Tips
Bernard Magee’s Hand
Evaluation
NEXT SPRING
Once again I find myself
looking forward, this time
to a pre-cruise, 4-night tour
of India’s Golden Triangle,
the magnificent highlight
of which is the Taj Mahal.
Bernard Magee recently
travelled the same route
and tells me, most
emphatically, that I must
include this on my schedule
of essential tourism,
disrespectfully referred to
by him as my bucket-list.
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 5
2016 FILMING
The adjacent advertisement
spells out the programme
for next year’s filmed event.
Such is the demand that it
is already waiting-list only
for day-bookers. A £50
deposit secures your three
or four night stay at this
now annual event.
GOFFIES STAMPS
In my reduction of space
allocated to advertising and
promotion, I haven’t room
for the usual mention of
Clive Goff’s unusual stamp
service. However, have a
look at the advertisement
on page 3 for real savings.
I use this source of supply
myself and can assure
readers that Mr Goff is a
reliable supplier of stamps.
NO FLY CRUISES
For 2016 I have selected
cruises on m.v. Balmoral,
pictured above, to broaden
readers’ choice of cruise
holidays with bridge.
I have also added two and
three night taster cruises
for those who have yet to
try this form of travel.
Consider turning yourself
into a snail. Pack a case and
arrive at the ‘hotel’ in
Southampton, unpack just
the once and be at a new
city or port almost every
day. As for eating there are
restaurants, cafés and
bistros to suit everyone.
A two nighter might be just
what you need to spark
new enthusiasm and
possibly give you a fresh
lease of life. Try it.
All good wishes,
Mr Bridge
BERNARD MAGEE
at Denham Grove
near Uxbridge, Bucks, UB9 5DG.
8-11 January 2016
£399pp Friday – Monday
£369pp Friday – Sunday
full board
Limited places for Thursday night available.
£65pp single, £40pp double/twin.
Topics
COUNTING DEFENCE
Defence is the hardest aspect of bridge, but if you can learn to
defend in conjunction with your partner, it becomes the most
rewarding element at the same time.
Extra TRICKS in NO-TRUMPS
Long suits are an integral part of the bidding and the play –
developing extra tricks from them will often be the difference
between making or going down in your contract.
SUPPORTING PARTNER
When you hold support for your partner, the two hands can fully
evaluate, often allowing the partnership to bid much higher than
the high card points might suggest. We will look at a number
of conventions that can help you bid to good games and bid to
great slams.
FINESSING
Finesses come in all sorts of different varieties and come up on
almost every hand you play. Getting the most out of your honour
combinations is a crucial part of declarer play. Should you lead
high or low, finesse to the right or to the left?
BIDDING DISTRIBUTIONAL HANDS
Distributional hands can be great fun to bid and to play,
particularly when you find a fit. And how do you find a fit… by
bidding more!
COPING with PRE-EMPTS
How do you defend against pre-empts and weak twos; how do you
cope with weak overcalls and jump support? When your bidding
space is taken away you have to use a few extra techniques, but
most of all you have to use your judgement. Improving your
understanding will allow you to collect the big penalties and
better scores.
6 seminar sessions with Bernard1
6 sessions of supervised play2
Contact Mr Bridge to book your place
or for further details: ( 01483 489961
Filmed
1 2
Not with Bernard Magee
 VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY
Classical
Greece &
Adriatic
BRIDGE HOSTS
CROMBIE & HELEN
McNEIL
Enjoy daily duplicates as you
sail along the beautiful Croatian
coast and explore the classical
sites of Greece
August 17, 2015
10 days from Venice to Athens
Fly to Venice to join Aegean Odyssey,
Cruise to Split • Korcula • Dubrovnik
Kotor Bay • Corfu • Preveza • Ithaca
Katakolon • Pylos • Monemvasia
Hydra • Athens • Fly home
MR BRIDGE FARES INCLUDE:
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connections from selected UK airports
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• Mr Bridge programme
• Complimentary wine at dinner
• Gratuities for on-board cabin and
restaurant staff
Standard Inside from
Standard Outside from
Premium Outside from
Single supplement just £100
on selected grades only
Past Passengers on Aegean Odyessy
enjoy additional discounts
Extend your holiday with hotel stays in Venice
and/or Athens – please ask for details
For reservations call
on 01483 489961
www.mrbridge.co.uk
Terms and conditions apply – see brochure for details
Page 6 BRIDGE May 2015
Answers to Bernard Magee’s 
Bidding Quizzes 1-3
on the Cover
1. Dealer West. Love All.
♠ K Q J 6 4 ♠ 5
♥ K J 9 7 6 N ♥ 4 2
W E
♦ 4 2 S ♦ A 8 7 6 5
♣ 2 ♣ A K 8 7 6
West North East South
? sure that the opponents will not take five
Pass.
A lot of players use the rule of twenty to
judge whether to open the bidding. They
add the lengths of their two longest suits
to their points: if the total is 20 or above,
they are able to open the bidding.
It is good to open more aggressively,
but I have one proviso: be wary of ace-
less hands. If your hand has no aces,
then you should take a point off in this
calculation (or aim for 21).
The problem with weak distributional
hands without aces comes when you do
not have a fit: you will often find it dif-
ficult to access your hand. Furthermore,
your hand will not be very useful in de-
fence if your partner decides to double
at any point.
Here, the misfit would expose your
light opening bid and you are likely to
finish too high.
£1,795pp
£2,175pp
£2,295pp 2. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ A 8 ♠ 5 3
♥ A 9 8 7 N ♥ 6 4
W E
♦ 10 6 4 3 S ♦ 8 2
♣ K Q 3 ♣ A J 10 7 5 4 2
West North East South
3♣ Pass
? spades because if you were 4-3 in the
3NT.
The general rule opposite a pre-empt is
that you need 16 HCP to go for game.
However, with support for your partner’s
suit, you do not need so much strength
because your support will strengthen his
hand.
Raising to game in the minor would re-
quire a lot of extra tricks, but with excel-
lent support for clubs, no-trumps offers
much more potential. It is not unreason-
able to hope for seven club tricks with
two aces alongside it. You cannot be
diamond tricks off the top, but since you
have some length in that suit, you might
be OK.
3NT is certainly a gamble, but it is a
calculated risk: in the long run going for
no-trumps with good minor suit fits tends
to pay off. You would be extremely un-
fortunate for 3NT to be defeated on this
hand.
3. Dealer East. N/S Game.
♠ A Q 8 4 2 ♠ K 5
♥ 9 8 7 N ♥ A J 10 4 2
W E
♦ 3 2 S ♦ Q J 5
♣ 9 7 6 ♣ A 4 3
West North East South
1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 1NT Pass
?
2♥.
Your partner has shown 15-17 points and
a balanced hand: you need to choose
the best partscore. With such a weak
hand, you should be hoping to play in
a suit contract, but rather than rebidding
2♠, which sets the contract, you should
bid 2♥ instead. This keeps both options
available: you are showing only three
hearts, but you are also implying five
majors, you would have settled for a 1NT
contract.
Your partner either passes 2♥ or bids
2♠. Here he clearly chooses to pass
2♥. ■
 ✄
Q PLUS 11
Really user-friendly
bridge-playing
software
FEATURES INCLUDE
l Help button – explains
the features for bidding
and card play advice
l Displays on HD and large
screens
l Comprehensive manual
l Feed in your own deals
l Minibridge option
l 5,000 preplayed hands
for teams
l 4,000 preplayed hands
for matchpoint pairs
l Save match function
l Closed room – button
to view other table
£92
including post and packing
QPLUS
TRADE-IN
OFFER
Return any QPLUS
CD and booklet with
a cheque for £50 and
receive wonderful
QPLUS 11.
See adjacent
Mail Order Form.
System: 8mb RAM, CD-ROM,
Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8
✄
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 7
Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER
PLAY SOFTWARE TUTORIAL DVDs – £25 each
QPlus 11 £92.00 ......... 1. Ruffing for Extra Tricks........ 13. Hand Evaluation .........
QPlus 11 2. Competitive Auctions ......... 14. Pre-Empting .........
Trade-in £50.00 .........
3. Making the 15. Splinter
Most of High Cards ......... & Cue Bids .........
QPlus 10
(Second Hand) £50.00 .........
4. Identifying & 16. Avoidance .........
Bidding Slams .........
TUTORIAL SOFTWARE 17. Pairs Play
5. Play & Defence of 1NT.......... & Defence .........
Begin Bridge/Acol £66.00 .........
6. Doubling & Defence 18. Thinking Defence .........
Acol Bidding £66.00 .........
to Doubled Contracts .........
19. Defensive Plan .........
Advanced
7. Leads .........
Acol Bidding £96.00 ......... 20. Further Into
8. Losing Trick Count ......... the Auction .........
Declarer Play £76.00 .........
9. Making a 21. Weak Twos .........
Advanced
Plan as Declarer .........
Declarer Play £81.00 ......... 22. Trump Control .........
10. Responding to 1NT .........
Defence £76.00 ......... 23. Sacrificing .........
11. Signals & Discards .........
Five-Card Majors with 24. Improving
Strong No-Trump £89.00 ......... 12. Endplays ......... Bridge Memory .........
TEA TOWELS PICK ‘N’ MIX FROM THE ENTIRE RANGE
Life’s a Game £5.00 ......... Any 6 DVDs in a display box £105.00 .........
Ode to a Pill £5.00 .........
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The Present £5.00 ......... (When ready)
Duplicate Bridge Rules
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Bernard Magee £14.00 ........
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 ✄
BRIDGE EVENTS
BRIDGE  with Bernard Magee
BREAKS PROGRAMME
♦ Full-board ♦ Two seminars*
♦ All rooms with ♦ Two supervised FRIDAY
en-suite facilities play sessions* 1500 Mr Bridge
Denham Grove Welcome Desk open
♦ No single supplement ♦ Four bridge sessions**
Denham, Bucks, UB9 5DG
Tea or coffee on arrival
Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person, July 24-26 Thinking Defence 1745 to 1830
Welcome drinks
Single .... Double .... Twin .... reception

1830 to 2000
Name of Hotel/Centre............................................................. Dinner

Date(s) .................................................................................... 2015 BRIDGE 1

DUPLICATE PAIRS
Inn on the Prom
Mr/Mrs/Miss .........................................................................
St Annes On Sea, FY8 1LU
SATURDAY
Address................................................................................... SEPTEMber 18-20
Finding Slams 0800 to 0930
Breakfast
................................................................................................
1000 to 1230
Postcode ....................................( ........................................ SEMINAR &
SUPERVISED PLAY
Email ..................................................................................... of SET HANDS
(tea & coffee at 1100)
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, 1230 to 1330
Blunsdon House Hotel
but we will do our best to oblige). Swindon SN26 7AS Cold Buffet Lunch

1400 to 1645
................................................................................................ OCTOBER 9-11 Better Defence
OCTOBER 16-18 Doubles BRIDGE 2
TEAMS of FOUR
Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking.
1815 to 2000
................................................................................................ Dinner

2015 BRIDGE 3
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by
cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will be sent DUPLICATE PAIRS
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment,
28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent Chatsworth Hotel SUNDAY
together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. Should you Worthing BN11 3DU
require insurance, you should contact your own insurance broker. 0800 to 0930
OctOBER 30 – NovEMBER 1 Breakfast
Sacrificing
1000 to 1230
SEMINAR &
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of SET HANDS
(tea & coffee at 1100)

Expiry: ................................. CVV......................... Issue No.................... 1230 to 1400

(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip) Sunday Lunch
Elstead Hotel
Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. Bournemouth, BH1 3QP 1400 to 1645
BRIDGE 4
( 01483 489961 November 6-8 DUPLICATE PAIRS
e-mail: events@mrbridge.co.uk Suit Establishment

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£245pp. Full Board. No Single Supplement.
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Please note: Just Duplicate events contain no seminars and do not award prizes. See www.mrbridge.co.uk for new dates
✄

Page 8 BRIDGE May 2015

 Answers to Bernard Magee’s 
Bidding Quizzes 4-6
on the Cover
4. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 2 ♠ A 5 4 3
♥ K 10 3 N ♥ A Q 8 5 2
W E
♦ J 6 5 4 S ♦ 10 9
♣ Q 8 7 6 3 ♣ A 4
West North East South
1♥ 1♠
? opponents’ suit promises support and
2♥. When you are weak and the auction
becomes competitive, you should stretch
to show support. Either borrowing a few
points or sometimes showing support
with a card fewer when your distribution
makes up for it. Here, you hold only 6
HCP, but the singleton in the opponents’
suit and three-card support for your part-
ner should persuade you to bid 2♥. The
importance of this bid is that it allows
your partner to compete for the hand.
If North competes to 2♠, East would be
stuck if you had passed and 2♠ would
win the auction. However, with your raise
to 2♥, your partner can then compete to
3♥, forcing the opponents up to 3♠ which
is a lot less comfortable.
Competing for partscores is a key el-
ement of duplicate bridge and, to com-
pete to the maximum, you need to find
your fits.
5. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 8 2 ♠ A 5 4 3
♥ K 10 7 3 N ♥ A Q 8 5 2
W E
♦ A K 5 4 S ♦ 10 9
♣ K 8 3 ♣ A 4
West North East South
1♥ 1♠
? 4♥ makes on the two hands, but no
2♠. Once the auction becomes competi-
tive, it is important to differentiate be-
tween strong hands and distributional/
competitive hands. You have a great
hand, with primary support for hearts
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 9
Fjords, Mountains
& Glaciers
– you are sure that 4♥ is on and, who
knows, greater things might be on.
A jump to 4♥ would not show your
strength and your partner would pass
expecting a weaker, more distributional
hand.
To show your support and all-round
strength, you need to make a bid of the
opponents’ suit: 2♠. This is an unusual
bid, but it is an important bid: a bid of the
Departs Southampton
shows excitement. If partner is suitable,
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Balmoral • L1509
a slam might be on, never mind game.
East holds three aces and five hearts
Southampton
so he will be happy to join the party and
• Stavanger • Bergen • Flam
take the excitement to slam level. A se-
quence of cuebids will lead to Blackwood • cruising Naeroyfjord
and then on to 6♥. • Olden • cruising Nordfjord
• cruising Maurangerfjord
& Furebergfossen
6. Dealer East. Love All. • cruising Hardangerfjord
♠ 8 2 ♠ A 5 4 3 • Southampton
♥ K 10 9 4 3 N ♥ A Q 8 5 2
W E
♦ 4 S ♦ 10 9 Daily bridge on board, bridge
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West North East South
1♥ 1♠ Great value Mr Bridge fares:
? Inside twin cabins from £899pp
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4♥. A very different hand from question Superior outside cabins from £1,349pp
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Balmoral
This is ideal for a leap to game, ‘Part-
ner, my distribution and support suggest
that we will do very well in hearts, but the
opponents might well be able to make a
lot of tricks themselves.’
You are trying to keep the opponents
out of the auction at the same time as
having aspirations for ten tricks.
For reservations call Mr Bridge
more than that. At the same time, your
opponents can make ten tricks in dia- on 01483 489961
monds, so had they found their diamond www.mrbridge.co.uk
fit, they could have bid on to 5♦ for a Terms and conditions apply –
profitable sacrifice. However, your direct see Fred.Olsen 2015 brochure or
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raise keeps the opponents out. ■
 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum
Episode 37: Life at the Nineteenth Hole
R
umour has it that, many years
ago, a disparaging remark
(involving the word kitchen)
about the standard of bridge in the bar
at the River View Golf Club caused
a bit of a rumpus and resulted in a
challenge match between the golfers
and the then newly-formed Riverside
Bridge Club. The event was such a
success that it continues to this day. In
this year’s event, eight golfers who play
bridge and eight bridge players who
play golf volunteered, or were coerced,
into two formal teams competing for
the Golf and Bridge Trophy. Frankly,
as far as I could see, either team could
have represented either club as an
overwhelming majority belonged to
both organisations.
On the day of the event, George
the jogger twisted his ankle on his
morning run forcing a change of
personnel in the Riverside team. A
reluctant Spouse was persuaded to
retrieve his clubs from the back of the
garage where they had lain unused
for over a decade. Spiders and other
beasts were forced indignantly from
their long-time home. Spouse and
clubs were reunited and dispatched
to the golf course to partner Justin
for the afternoon session. Playing
as four pairs within each team,
each pair played in what I think was
called a four ball foursome over nine
holes. Spouse’s round was not a great
success as he visited every hazard on
the course and the bridge club found
itself well down at the end of the golf
phase of the match, losing three of the
encounters with one halved giving a
victory pointed score of 1-7.
Neither Millie nor I play golf. In
any case, Millie would never possess
sufficient willpower to leave the bar
in the club house, never mind exert
enough energy to reach the first tee. We
arrived for pre-prandial drinks as the
golf players finished their rounds and
were joined by Spouse and Justin for
the charity dinner. After the meal, the
Page 10 BRIDGE May 2015
pairs in the inter-club match settled
down to play an imps-scored teams-
of-eight match of bridge over twenty
boards. Millie and I entered the open
duplicate pairs event played with the
same boards as the teams match. This
deal gave Millie some initial problems.
Dealer South. Game All.
♠ K 9 6
♥ K 7 5 3
♦ A 8 7 6 3
♣ J
♠ Q 8 4 2 ♠ J 7 5
N
♥ A J 9 8 6 W E ♥ 4
♦ K 2 S ♦ J 9 5
♣ 8 3 ♣ K 9 7 6 5 4
♠ A 10 3
♥ Q 10 2
♦ Q 10 4
♣ A Q 10 2
Millie, in the South seat, opened the
bidding with 1NT. In an uncontested
auction, I responded 2♣, Stayman.
Following 2♦ from Millie, I decided to
try for game in no-trumps despite my
singleton club and Millie accepted.
West North East South
Wendy Millie
1NT
Pass 2♣1 Pass 2♦
Pass 2NT Pass 3NT
All Pass ensuring a shared trophy.
1
Stayman
It was a tricky problem for West and,
after much thought, he led the ♥9
into Millie’s ten. Millie decided to
set up diamond tricks so played the
small diamond to the ace, leading the
three back from dummy to the ten,
and West’s king. West played the ♥A
and exited with the six won in hand
by Millie. She then played a small club
to the jack on which East played the
king. A spade return, taken in hand,
gave Millie the rest of the tricks, for
3NT plus one and a score of plus 630.
In the inter-club match, the bidding
on the hand took a rather different
route. As South, Spouse opened 1NT.
West bid 2♣, showing both majors.
With seven cards in the majors,
Justin passed for the present, hoping
to double for penalties later. With six
clubs, East passed. Spouse doubled.
With hindsight, West might have
also passed, but, in reality, tried 2♥,
doubled by Justin. East compounded
this error by bidding 3♣ (instead of
2♠) which was doubled by Spouse.
West North East South
Justin Spouse
1NT
2♣1 Pass Pass Dbl
2♥ Dbl 3♣ Dbl
All Pass
1
Both Majors
Dummy could not have been a pretty
sight for West. The contract was
doomed from the start. He could see
one spade, one heart and a possible
diamond trick as well as a few others
in clubs. Justin and Spouse could not
recall the exact play of the hand, but
the result was three clubs doubled four
down, a very tasty plus 1,100 for them
and their team.
In the bridge phase of the match,
Riverside won by 7 VPs to 1 VP
producing an overall tie of 8-8,
In the bar afterwards, Justin admitted
that Spouse’s bridge was rather better
than his golf. Spouse was more than
happy to agree and announced that,
following his afternoon performance,
his golfing days were now definitely
over. He went further and said that he
would donate his golf clubs to charity.
Justin unkindly thought the golf clubs
were so ancient that a visit to landfill
or a museum of golf might be more
appropriate. On this note, Millie
thought it timely to order another
round of drinks. ■
 Answers to 
Bernard Magee’s 
Bidding Quizzes 7-9
on the Cover
7. Dealer West. N/S Game.
♠ 3 ♠ A 6 5 4
♥ A K J 5 4 N ♥ 2
♦ A 10 6 2 S
W E
♦ 5 4 3 have trumps as well as points.
♣ A 9 4 ♣ 10 8 7 6 5
West North East South
1♥ 1♠ Pass Pass
? 3NT, so you should make a bid that gives
Double.
Your partner has shown no strength at
all, but with South passing, it looks like
neither side has the potential for game,
so you should be aiming to compete for
the partscore. Your shortage in spades
suggests that the opponents may well
have a fit, so your side should aim to find
your fit.
2♦ seems reasonable showing four
diamonds and five hearts, but better is to
make a take-out double: with support for
each of the unbid suits, this allows your
partner to choose the best contract.
Here, East would bid 2♣, which leaves
you in your best contract.
8. Dealer North. E/W Game.
♠ J 8 7 ♠ A K 4 3
♥ K Q 8 7 3 N ♥ A 9 5
W E
♦ 6 S ♦ A 8 7 4
♣ K 8 3 2 ♣ Q 6
West North East South
1NT Dbl 2♦
? which amounts to 10 total points: make
3♥.
Your partner has made a penalty double
of 1NT, so you should be on the look-
out to double again, aiming to hunt them
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 11
down and get a good penalty. However,
with shortage in diamonds it looks like
they might have found their fit: you
should double at low levels only if you
You place your partner with about 16
points for his double so adding your nine,
you have the values for game. Which
game is likely to be best?
It is probably a choice between 4♥ and
partner the choice between them. 2♥ is
no good because it does not get across
your strength. Instead, you jump to 3♥:
showing the strength for game and five
or more hearts.
With short hearts, East would go for
3NT, but here, he has three-card support
so raises to 4♥.
9. Dealer North. Love All.
♠ A Q 7 6 5 ♠ K J 8 2
♥ 9 8 N ♥ A 7 6 5
W E
♦ Q J 2 S ♦ A 9 4 3
♣ 7 6 3 ♣ 2
West North East South
1♣ Dbl Pass
?
2♠.
Your partner has doubled 1♣ for take-
out: showing an opening hand with club
shortage.
When responding to a take-out double
it is important to show your strength. You
have 9 HCP and a good five-card suit,
a jump response to 2♠.
A response of 1♠ could show no points:
you are forced to bid; so when you have
a better hand, it is important to let your
partner know. ■
Scandinavian
Experience
Departs Southampton
9th June 2015 • 11 nights
Balmoral • L1506
Southampton
• cruising Oslofjord • Oslo
(overnight in port on board)
• cruising Oslofjord • Gothenburg
(Sweden) • Helsingborg (Sweden)
• Copenhagen (Denmark –
overnight in port on board)
• Skajen (Denmark) • Kristiansand
(Norway) • Southampton
Daily bridge on board, bridge
fees included. Mr Bridge welcome &
farewell drinks parties. Partners for
single players. Special solos offers.
Great value Mr Bridge fares:
Inside twin cabins from £1,079pp
Outside twin cabins from £1,259pp
Superior outside cabins from £1,529pp
Solos offer –
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Balmoral
For reservations call Mr Bridge
on 01483 489961
www.mrbridge.co.uk
Terms and conditions apply –
see Fred.Olsen 2015 brochure or
www.fredolsencruises.com for details.
 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 take-out 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 12 BRIDGE May 2015
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!
 Answers to Bernard Magee’s  VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY
Bidding Quizzes 10-12
on the Cover
10. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ K 8 4 3 ♠ A Q 6
♥ 7 6 5 N ♥ A K 4 2
W E
♦ Q 4 3 S ♦ 9 7 5
♣ K 7 3 ♣ A 6 5
West North East South
1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 1NT Pass
? per you hold. Unfortunately, you have no
Pass. Your partner has rebid 1NT,
showing a strong balanced hand: 15-17
points. With 8 HCP, you might have a
chance for game if partner has 17 points.
However, your hand is not really worth 8
points: you have the worst shape: 4-3-
3-3, you have no intermediates (tens
or nines) and all your honours are by
themselves. All of the indicators point in
one direction – downgrade your hand – I
would estimate the hand to be worth a
‘bad 7 points’. Bearing all this in mind,
you should pass 1NT.
There might be only 7 tricks available,
so 1NT is the best contract. You actually
hold 25 HCP between the two hands, but
the lack of potential in your hand would
leave you short if you went for game.
11. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 9 8 2 ♠ A Q 3
♥ 8 3 N ♥ 7 6
W E
♦ Q J 10 S ♦ A K 4
♣ A 9 6 4 3 ♣ K Q 8 7 2
West North East South
1♣ Pass
2♣ Pass 2♦ Pass
? the pre-emptor has described his hand
3♣. Once your partnership has agreed a
minor, both players should be considering
no-trumps if you have extra strength.
Supporting a minor denies length in the
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 13
Dalmatia,
Sicily &
Italy
majors (you would have responded 1♥
or 1♠ had you had four or more). With
no interest in playing in another trump
suit, all new suit bids are trial bids for a BRIDGE HOSTS
JOHN & REBECCA
no-trump contract – they show a stop in
RONAN
the suit bid and ask partner to view his
assets and either bid no-trumps or, show
a stopper in a suit, or, finally, return to
the original suit (clubs).
Your partner has shown a diamond
stop and is asking you to show any stop-
stopper to show, so you simply rebid 3♣.
East knows now there is no stopper in
hearts so he gives up on no-trumps.
Enjoy daily duplicates as you
12. Dealer East. Game All.
sail to the outstanding beauty
♠ A K 5 4 3 ♠ 7 6
of the Adriatic and the historic
♥ 9 N ♥ A K 7 4 3 2 sites of Italy
W E
♦ 10 6 5 2 S ♦ 9 8 7
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♣ A K J ♣ 4 2
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2♥1 3♣
? MR BRIDGE FARES INCLUDE:
• Return air with free regional
1
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• Mr Bridge programme
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game is likely to be beyond you: 3NT will • Gratuities for on-board cabin and
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points. ■
 Sally’s Slam of the Month

Two Successes,
One Lucky
I
am beginning to get a pleasing West East
supply of slam hands from readers. ♠ A K Q ♠ J 8 7 6 2 2♥ 2♠
This was bid to the right contract ♥ A Q 2 N ♥ K 5 3♦ 3NT
W E
by Richard Wheen and his partner: ♦ J 5 3 S ♦ A K 9 7 4♣ 4♦
♣ A Q 10 8 ♣ 7 3 5♣ 5♥
6♦ 6NT
Dealer South. N/S Game. Pass
♠ A K 10 4 Now the grand slam is terrible, needing
♠ J 8 7 6 2
♥ A Q 2 N ♥ K 5 both club honours with South. Here, the 2♥ opening was Acol (I’m
W E
♦ J 5 S ♦ A K 9 7 In my opinion, when you have four- not sure whether 2♠ was a positive in
♣ A Q 10 8 ♣ 7 3 card support for the suit partner has spades or a negative, presumably the
transferred into, you should let him former or West might have been a bit
know immediately (with a minimum nervous about getting too high). 4♣
West East and 4-3-3-3 distribution, I’ll let you was Gerber. West’s final 6♦ bid would
2NT 3♥ off). This is the same after a 2NT have resulted in getting to the right
3♠ 4♦ opening as after a 1NT opening. contract, but East converted to 6NT –
4♠ 4NT With his actual hand, West no worries as the opening lead was a
5♦ 5♥ should ‘break the transfer’. Because club, so they made 6NT and scored a
5♠ 6♠ you are taking up a lot of space top.
Pass after a 2NT opening, it is best to Gerber is one of those conventions
play that an immediate jump in much loved by those who play in lo-
East transferred into spades and then partner’s suit (4♠ here) promises a cal clubs (and at home), but almost
showed his second suit. After getting top honour in every suit, ie, no need totally rejected by the tournament
preference to spades, he launched into to cue-bid, partner can go straight to world. Strong two-bids are in a similar
RKCB and, on hearing that there were RKCB if he is strong enough. With category. Here, West guessed that his
no key cards missing, he asked for the a suit uncontrolled (as here), West partner’s king was in clubs rather than
queen of trumps, signing off in a small should cue-bid. Here, he should bid spades. However, it is all very well to
slam when it was missing. 4♣. Now, East can use RKCB to check criticise when I cannot see a way to bid
Mr Wheen comments that presum- on aces. the hand accurately.
ably his partner was intending to bid As it went, East did not know about The hand is easier after starting with
the grand slam if West held the queen that all-important fourth trump. a one-bid (that is often the case, pro-
of trumps. vided you get over the first hurdle by
To my way of thinking, the problem ♣♦♥♠ partner not passing the opening bid).
with this bidding sequence is that East
never knew that West held four spades The following, from Peter Calviou of West East
and look at what a difference that Amersham, is very difficult: 1♥ 1♠
makes. On the actual hands, 6♠ is cold 3♦ 3♠
provided trumps are 3-1 or better and 4♦ 4♥
has good chances otherwise. A normal ♠ A ♠ Q 10 9 8 5 4 5♥ 6♦
line of play is to start by cashing one ♥ A K J 10 9 N ♥ Q
W E
top trump. If both opponents follow, ♦ A K Q 6 5 S ♦ J 4 Here, West’s 5♥ asks for a club control.
then cash the other and there are still ♣ J 6 ♣ K Q 5 3 This is a bit speculative because West
two left with which to ruff dummy’s has no way of knowing that East has
losing diamonds. If trumps are 4-0, the ♥Q. East would bid 6♣ if he had
the club finesse may be needed. Send your slam hands to the ace, so his 6♦ bid promises second-
But imagine that the two hands are sally@mrbridge.co.uk round club control and offers an
these: alternative slam. ■

Page 14 BRIDGE May 2015

 Beginners’ Bridge Corner
Better Hand
Evaluation
Mary’s Seventeenth Lesson Bernard Magee
Introduction
Responding to Strong Twos 2♦, 2♥, and 2♠ Better Hand Evaluation is
aimed at helping readers to

by Liz Dale add greater accuracy to their

bidding. It deals with auc-
tions in which you and your
partner, against silent op-
ponents, can describe your

‘W
ell done
everyone.’
Alasdair
beamed. ‘You all seem to
know the 18-22 point count
for opening 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠.
I’m very pleased with you.’
Mary glanced around the
room. All eyebrows raised,
surprise on everyone’s face.
Alasdair continued, ‘There
are more delays at the table
with players uncertain about
which strong two to open
than at any other time.
Opening the strong two
bids are not difficult provided
you learn the point count
you want to be a good
partner, you must learn it.
It’s the responder’s artificial
negative bid of 2NT, alerted
because it is not a natural
bid. It is saying to opener,
“I have 0-7pts.” Your hand
passes over the green cards
and, with some trepidation
your 2NT negative bid finds
itself on the table. Opener is
already thinking, “Well done
partner. Thank you.” Your
partner’s hand will usually
be based on one strong suit,
but he might have two, which
means if you respond, he
can show his second suit.
Three different answers
were called out, ‘Pass’,
‘2NT’, and ‘3♥’. I had
a feeling it was 2NT,
but was not quite brave
enough to shout it out.
‘2NT,’ said Alasdair.
Inwardly, I was proud,
but I would have liked
to shout it out.
‘Pass is not allowed. 3♥
shows 8 or more points.
You bid 2NT to show
fewer than 8 points.’
♠ 4 3
♥ A K J 5 4
hands fully to each other
and, by evaluating them ac-
curately, 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-
gins by discussing balanced
hand bidding in Acol, as it
is very important that both
members of a partnership
have an accurate knowledge of
how to show hands of different
strengths.

and recognise the strength
of a shapely hand. The
important message opener
is giving to partner is, “I
have a strong hand and
need fewer than 6 points
from you to make game.”
2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ are strong
bids so you must not pass,
even if you have no points
at all. Yes I mean it, you
must keep the bidding open.
Stress is written all over your
face. You may wriggle in your
chair. Your first inclination is
to pass. You look longingly
at the green cards. No! You
mustn’t even think it. There’s
a negative bid to help both
you and opener and, because
What if responder has 8+
points? Any responder bid
other than 2NT is a positive
natural bid: the partnership
knows that game is on.
This knowledge allows the
partnership to take their time
to find their fit, keeping the
bidding going until game
is reached or moving on
to investigating a slam.
Over 2♠, what would
you bid with this hand?’
♠ 4 3
♥ A 7 6 5 4
♦ 3 2
♣ 7 6 5 4
♦ 3 2
♣ 7 6 5 4
‘3♥!’ This time, I said
my answer, as did most
of the class. We were
getting the hang of it.
Mary was determined to be
a good partner for Joan. She
could see the importance of
the 2NT negative bid in
giving opener so much
information.
Although Mary didn’t find
it easy, she knew she would
work on the responses until
they became automatic.
She didn’t want to let Joan
down. ■
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

NEW
anyone you partner – as long

ACOL BIDDING as you get it right.

Coming later this year is a new, revised version of this bestselling CD. First published nearly £14 including UK postage
16 years ago, it will feature extra hands, extra comments and in addition, feature, an app for See Mail Order Form
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BRIDGE May 2015 Page 15

 David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics

Should a Prepared
Club be Alerted
or Announced?

Q
We play five- clubs.’ or something transfers in response to the omission of arrow
card majors similar. I would welcome 1NT or 2NT (which are switching. I should
and a strong your suggestions. announced) – requires an very much like to be
no-trump and use the  On a different point: alert. So an Ogust 2NT given the benefit of
prepared club when responder having response to a weak two your expert opinion
we don’t have a five- announced ‘weak’ to requires an alert and the on this matter.
card suit. We have been opener’s bid of 2♥/2♠, rebids by opener after Name and address supplied.
advised recently that the it is my understanding Ogust, which are artificial,  

A
prepared club should that if this is followed by require alerts as well. Your understanding
be announced as, ‘may Ogust (2NT), this must is correct and I
be fewer than 3 clubs,’ be alerted by opener ♣♦♥♠ am afraid the club
and not alerted. At the since it is a convention just does not realise the

Q
same time, the EBU that forces a reply. I have always problem. The North-South
laws state that a strong Even if the rules do not understood that, pairs play no boards at
one club opening (as in require an alert, surely if a standard all in competition with the
precision club) should be the reply to Ogust itself Mitchell Movement is East-West pairs, so cannot
alerted, not announced. should be alerted since played without arrow compare scores meaningfully. 
Our dilemma arises it is always artificial? switching, then two
from the possibility that Mike Ingle by email. separate result lists ♣♦♥♠
with a 4441 distribution, should be published,

A Q
opener’s point count You are playing one for N/S pairs and Please will
could be quite high a short club not the other for E/W you clarify:
– maybe 17 points, a strong club. Of pairs, (ref page 20 of during the
because we never open course, it may have 16 points EBU booklet Running play of a hand, can the
1NT with a singleton. or even 19 or 20 like any a Duplicate Event). declarer (or anyone
By this reckoning, other normal opening, so Recently, I played other than dummy)
an opening bid of 1♣ it is basically just a normal at a club where a ask about the meaning
would fall under the opening except for the fact single result list was of a conventional bid
requirement to alert that your club suit can be produced although no made in the bidding?
a strong artificial short. As a result, you are arrow switching was Name and address supplied.
bid rather than an required to say, ‘May be introduced. The scoring

A
announcement. two cards.’ or something was done on a computer. Certainly, whenever
We feel that the most similar: an alert is quite When I queried this, I it is their turn to
equitable approach wrong. A strong club has a was told the computer play. For declarer,
would be to both alert normal point range of 16 to takes care of that. that means he can ask
and simultaneously 30, which is quite different Surely no computer whenever he is about to
announce with, and requires an alert. program, however play from either hand.
‘minimum 12 points and Any artificial bid – written or modified, Note that, after playing the
may be fewer than three except Stayman and can compensate for first card, a player may

Page 16 BRIDGE May 2015

 Ask David continued
not ask for a review, so he
needs to remember the
bidding, but he may ask the
meaning of a call, whether
conventional or not.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Is it appropriate
to use the stop
card for an
opening bid of 2NT
in duplicate? I was
told by a player that
it wasn’t because it
was a natural bid.
Gillian Harrand,
Waverton, Chester.
A
You are required to
use the stop card
before any jump
bid, natural or otherwise.
The purpose of a stop card
is to give the player next to
speak time to reflect when
a surprising bid is made. To
keep it simple, it was decided
any jump bid was a simple
enough rule to define a
surprising bid. Before any
jump bid, the player puts
the stop card on the table,
makes her bid, then leaves
it on the table for some
seconds, more than five. The
next player is not allowed to
call until it is removed. While
most players put the stop
card out before a jump bid,
DUPLICATE BRIDGE  as a sort of psyche, that is
RULES SIMPLIFIED
(otherwise known as the Yellow Book)
by John Rumbelow and
revised by David Stevenson
Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 17
regrettably a lot of players
take it back immediately after
they have put the bid on
the table which is incorrect.
If done correctly, no-one
knows whether the next
player has a problem over
the jump bid, or whether he
has nothing to think about.
When the procedure
was first introduced, it
applied only to opening
natural bids at the three-
level. It was sensibly
extended to all jump bids.
♣♦♥♠
Q
North is Dealer.
However,
South opens
1♠. West does not
accept the bid. What
is the ruling please?
Pearl Evans by email.
A
If West does not
accept 1♠, then the
bidding reverts to
North. North must pass for
the rest of the hand, South
can bid whatever he likes
and, obviously, no bid by him
is ever artificial. If East-West
finish up playing the contract,
there will be lead penalties
unless South bids spades
again: if he does, there are
no penalties. The penalties
are that the first time North
is on lead – possibly the
opening lead – declarer
can require a spade lead,
or forbid one for as long
only
£595
as North retains the lead.
Note that all the
possibilities should be
explained before West is
asked to choose whether
to accept 1♠ or not.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Recently, I joined
a new club where
most members
play Benji Acol. My RHO
opened 3♦. There was
no alert. I was next to
bid and held 16 HCP
and ♦A-x-x. I thought
of bidding 3NT, but
chose to double. LHO
passed and my partner
left the double in and
the contract made. It
turned out that declarer
held 11 points and 7
diamonds. I called the
director who declared
the bid acceptable. I
disagreed but had to
accept the ruling. My
complaint was that, had
I bid 3NT, I would have
made at least 7 tricks.
Dr D R King,
Berwick on Tweed.
A
There are a number
of reasons why
opener might bid 3♦
with this hand. If their system
is to play 3-level openings as
this strong, so it is normal,
then it should be alerted
and on any system card.
However, if they normally
play a 3-level opening as
weaker and he just decided
to bid it on this one occasion
legal. The director should
really have asked his
partner what he expected
from a 3-level opening.
Another possibility is that
you were fourth in hand:
after two passes, the expert
E-mail your questions on bridge laws to:
davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.uk
view is that pre-empts should
be much more random,
possibly either weaker or
stronger than normal.
There is another
possibility: if RHO is a really
inexperienced player, he
may not know what the fuss
is about. Perhaps he thinks
you need 12 points to open
at the one level and could
not think of anything else
to do with the hand. In that
case, you grin and bear it.
So the result should
stand unless you honestly
have been misinformed
by a pair who play this as
stronger than normal: in that
case, the director should
adjust, though what you
or your partner would do
differently is an interesting
question. Some sort of
weighted score including
a proportion of the table
result would then seem fair.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Recently, the
question came
up whether
weak jump overcalls are
alertable or not. Could
you advise us please?
Mike Clements by email.
A
When a bid is in
normal use and is
natural it is never
alertable, so no natural jump
overcall is alertable. These
days, in many clubs and
tournaments, weak jump
overcalls are the standard
and intermediate jump
overcalls are much rarer.
Practically no-one plays
strong jump overcalls.
Confusingly, some people
play intermediate jump
overcalls, showing about 11
to 15 points, but call them
strong. ■
 Heather’s Private Bridge Lessons

Negative
Doubles
W hat call do you make on the
following hand?
continuing with a third round of
clubs will force declarer to ruff with
dummy’s queen to avoid partner
West North

?
East
1♣ 1♠
South

over-ruffing. Now, if partner’s trump

♠ A 9 8 5 holding includes either the jack or Double to show four hearts.
♥ Q 4 3 2 N ten, you will have promoted a second
W E
♦ K J 10 S
trump trick in your hand to go with
♣ 10 7 your two club tricks. ♠ 9 7
This was your partner’s hand: ♥ A K Q 3 2 N
W E
♦ J 8 6 4 S
West North East South ♣ 7 3
1♦ 3♣ ♠ Q J 10 6 3 2
? ♥ 10 6
♦ 8 6 2 West North East South
Playing negative doubles, you can ♣ 8 2 1♣ 1♠
double, which ideally shows four cards N
?
in any unbid major. Holding four W E

cards in both majors, your hand is
perfect for the call.
Over your negative double, partner
jumps to 4♥ which ends the auction.
Now switch to the South seat. This is
the player who overcalled 3♣ and this
is your hand:
N and holdings in the other two suits.
W E
S
♠ 7 4
♥ K 9 7
♦ 4 3
♣ A K J 9 5 3
Naturally enough, you begin with a
top club. Your partner follows with
the eight and declarer the four. It looks
as though partner has a begun a peter
in clubs to show a doubleton. Play the
king of clubs to confirm the situation.
Your partner contributes the two and
declarer the six. How do you defend?
With such poor trumps in dummy,
S Do not make a negative double here.
It is much more descriptive to bid 2♥
naturally.
Negative doubles apply after partner
has opened a suit at the one level and l 1♣-(1♦)-Dbl
there has been a suit overcall on your You are showing 4-4 in the majors
right. because if you were 4-3, you would bid
Double is basically for take-out and your 4 card suit naturally.
suggests that you have some values
l 1♣/♦-(1♥)-?
Usually, you will hold 4 cards in any You have the opportunity to
unbid major, or have a hand strong distinguish between holding exactly 4
enough to bid again. The values you spades or 5+ spades. Double to show 4
need depend on the level to which you and call 1♠ if you hold 5 or more.
are forcing the auction.
l 1♣-(1♠)-Dbl. ♠ K 10 7 3
You have four or more hearts, or a ♥ 9 6 3 N
W E
good hand with no other action. For ♦ A 7 5 S
example: ♣ A Q 7
♠ 9 7 West North East South
♥ A K 5 3 N
1♣ 1♥
W E
♦ J 8 6 4 S ?
♣ 7 3 2
Double to show precisely four spades.

Page 18 BRIDGE May 2015

 Negative Doubles continued
North competes to 2♥ and partner
raises to 2♠. Now, you can jump
directly to 4♠ which ends the auction.
Now, switch to the South seat.
N W E
W E
S make a negative double – if partner
♠ J 9 6 4
♥ A J 10 8 4
♦ K Q J
♣ 2
You begin with the ♦K which declarer
takes with the ace in dummy. Holding
length in trumps, an honour sequence
such as this is a preferable lead to a
singleton.
Declarer leads a trump to the ace,
partner following with the two. How
do you defend?
Partner’s trump is a singleton and
declarer will cater naturally for the
only four-one trump holding that he
can by cashing the queen next. On
seeing your partner’s discard, he will
finesse your jack, draw trumps and
may well have five club tricks to cash,
since he must hold the king for his
opening bid. Is there anything you can
do to put him off this line of play?
You could try playing the nine on
the first trick. It gives declarer a losing
option since he is now able to cater
for trumps to be four-one on either
side. If he believes this nine could be
a singleton he may continue with a
low trump towards dummy. He will
see you follow suit and may become
suspicious of your play, but it is a bit
of a gamble for him now to finesse the
ten, which is what he needs to do to
make the contract.
l 1♥-(1♠)-Dbl.
You show at least 4 cards in a minor,
possibly both, and enough values to
bid at the 2-level.
l 1♦-(2♣)-Dbl.
This shows at least one 4-card major
and enough values to bid at the 2-level.
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 19
West North East South
♠ A 7 1♠ 2♦ Pass Pass
♥ A Q 8 2 N ?
W E
♦ K 3 2 S
♣ 9 8 3 2 If you were to open 1♠, you should
repeat the spades rather than make a
reopening double.
West North East South
1♦ 2♣
? ♠ A K 8 5 3
♥ J 10 3 N
Here, you have ample strength to ♦ 4 S
♣ A 8 7 2
bids 2♠, you can call again.
You may also make a negative double
with a long suit and a weak hand – not West North East South
strong enough to bid at the two level. 1♠ 2♦ Pass Pass
If you double and then bid your suit ?
it is non-forcing, but be wary because
partner may expect you to have the Re-open with a double. Although you
unbid major and may jump in it. are minimum, partner may be strong
with a penalty in mind.
REOPENING DOUBLES
If you are playing negative doubles, you ♠ A J 10 7 3
are no longer able to double the oppo- ♥ 5 N
W E
sition’s overcall for penalties. Instead, ♦ Q J 9 3 S
you must pass with a penalty double ♣ K J 3
hand and hope that partner is able to
re-open with a double. Thus, you pass
with two types of hands: either because West North East South
you are weak, or because you have a 1♠ 2♦ Pass Pass
penalty double of RHO’s suit. ?
As the opening bidder, you need to
consider which of these hand types Pass. You know partner doesn’t have a
is more likely. If partner has a weak penalty double, so must be weak.
hand, you will want to pass most of the
time unless you are extremely strong.
However, you will want to be bidding ♠ Q J 10 8 5 3
if partner holds the penalty pass. So ♥ A Q J 7 2 N
W E
how do you judge which is more likely? ♦ Void S
The answer comes simply by looking ♣ K 2
at your length in the opponent’s suit.
If you hold a shortage, this increases
the chance that partner has a penalty West North East South
double and you should be prepared to 1♠ 2♦ Pass Pass
re-open with a double (take-out) unless ?
you have a very weak or distributional
hand where you would not be happy to Bid 2♥. Although it is very likely that
defend their doubled contract. In this partner has a penalty double, you
case, you will rebid your suit, or bid a wouldn’t have stood it if your partner
second suit. had been able to make one. ■
♠ A K Q J 6 4 Improve with ProBridge
♥ 9 7 2 On May 5th, ProBridge are introduing
N
an online drop-in bridge club for
♦ 5 3 W E
S practise play supervised by an expert.
♣ 8 3
Email Sally Brock at info@pro-bridge.co.uk
 Improve Your Defence with Andrew Kambites
N
o doubt you are well aware of
the advice to lead the fourth
highest of your longest and
strongest against an opponent’s no-
trump contract. I have dealt with the
‘longest’ criteria already, coming to
the conclusion that a 5-card suit is
more attractive than a 4-card suit. In
this article, I look at the implications
of the strength of a suit. right to cash an unsupported side
Leading from an Ace
As a rule of thumb, the purpose of an
honour card is to neutralise an honour
card in the hand of your right hand
opponent and maybe promote an
honour card in your or partner’s hand.
So how many tricks should declarer
take in this layout?
♠ Q 7 3
N
♠ A 10 8 5 2 W E ♠ J 9
S
♠ K 6 4
The answer is one, provided West
keeps his ♠A to deal with South’s ♠K.
There are three ways that declarer
might make two spade tricks.
1) If West cashes the ♠A.
2) If West underleads the ♠A, declar-
er’s ♠K wins trick 1 and declarer
still has dummy’s ♠Q sitting over
West’s ♠A to provide a second trick.
Page 20 BRIDGE May 2015
Leading from
Broken Honour
Sequences
3) If declarer leads the ♠4 from his
hand and West rushes in with the
♠A. West needs to heed the advice,
‘Second hand plays low,’ and keep
his ♠A to deal with a spade honour
in declarer’s hand.
None of these three things should
happen when defending against a
suit contract. In particular, it is rarely
suit ace against a suit contract and it
is virtually never right to underlead a
side suit ace against a suit contract at
trick 1. However, against a no-trump
contract, the lead of the ♠5 from a
suit like ♠A-10-8-5-2 can be a good
attacking lead even if it costs a trick, as
demonstrated by this deal.
South North
1NT 3NT
End
Dealer South. Love All.
♠ Q 7 3
♥ Q 9
♦ A Q J
♣ Q J 10 9 6
♠ A 10 8 5 2 ♠ J 9
♥ 8 5 2 N ♥ J 10 7 4 3
W E
♦ 7 3 2 S ♦ 9 8 6 5
♣ K 8 ♣ A 5
♠ K 6 4
♥ A K 6
♦ K 10 4
♣ 7 4 3 2
Suppose West starts with the ♠5.
Declarer wins trick 1 with the ♠K
but, even though he has been gifted a
second spade trick, he cannot come to
nine tricks without setting up clubs.
East wins the first club and returns his
last spade. Declarer has to allow West
to gain the lead with the ♣K and the
contract is defeated, with three spade
tricks to go with the ♣A-K.
Ideally, the defence would have
liked East to be able to lead spades
twice through declarer but, with East
having just the one entry, that was not
possible.
Note that underleading the ♠A has
indeed cost a trick, but the reward has
been two length tricks. This shows
why underleading side suit aces is so
unattractive against a suit contract.
You run the same risk of giving away
a cheap trick, but there is far less
potential reward because declarer will
ruff any length winners you set up.
It is worth commenting that I simply
assume that partner will not underlead
a side suit ace at trick 1 against a suit
contract.
You might like to try to work out
how declarer made 4♥ on the next
deal, despite the fact he had four
inescapable losers.
South North
1NT 2♣1
2♥ 4♥
All Pass
1
Stayman
 Leading from Broken Honour Sequences
Dealer South. Game All.
♠ J 8 5 3
♥ 10 9 8 2
♦ A 2
♣ A K 6
♠ A 7 6 2 ♠ K 10 9
♥ A Q 4 N ♥ 5 3
W E
♦ 10 6 3 S ♦ 9 8 5 4
♣ J 4 2 ♣ 8 7 5 3
♠ Q 4
♥ K J 7 6
♦ K Q J 7
♣ Q 10 9
West led the ♠2 and dummy played
the ♠3.
Of course, seeing all four hands,
East would rise with the ♠K, however,
if West had led from ♠Q-7-6-2 rather
than ♠A-7-6-2, it would be essential
for East to play the ♠9, keeping his ♠K
to deal with dummy’s ♠J.
East could not believe West had
underled the ♠A and, because the
partnership was playing second
highest from suits without a picture
card, East assumed West must have
the ♠Q. A surprised declarer scooped
up the ♠Q at trick 1, leaving him with
just one spade loser.
Don’t underlead a side suit ace at
trick one against a suit contract.
Leading from a King
Suppose you are considering whether
to underlead a king at trick 1. The
contract is probably no-trumps, but
the principles I am going to outline
apply in defence of a suit contract as
well.
Generally speaking, I will assume
that it is not unreasonable to expect
your partner to hold one honour and
one intermediate card in the suit.
While, of course, you will be delighted
if partner’s holding is stronger than
this, if you are relying on that to make
your lead a success, you are probably
showing unrealistic optimism.
To show what you can expect, I have
given partner a holding of Q-9-7 each
time.
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 21
(i) ♠ 10 4 3
N
♠ K 6 5 2 W E ♠ Q 9 7
S
♠ A J 8
In Layout (i), all your spade lead does
is gift declarer a second spade trick.
Declarer plays low from dummy, East
has to contribute the ♠Q to prevent
declarer’s ♠J winning the trick, but
now the ♠J and ♠10 are equals against
your king. Note that if declarer had to
play the suit himself, he could never
score more than one trick. The spades
are a ‘Frozen Suit’. I will develop this
idea later on in this series.
(ii) ♥ 6 4 3
N
♥ K J 5 2 W E ♥ Q 9 7 In Layout (iv), if West leads the ♠2
S
♥ A 10 8 play the ♠J to prevent declarer winning
A heart lead in Layout (ii) works
perfectly for you. The ♥Q fills the hole
between your ♥K and ♥J nicely. Of
course, partner must play the ♥Q in
third seat.
(iii) ♦ 6 4 3 ♥ Q 10 5 2 W E
N
♦ K 10 5 2 W E ♦ Q 9 7 ♥ A 8 6
S
♦ A J 8
A diamond lead in Layout (iii) also
works well for you, but you have a
bit more work to do than in (ii). East
rises with the ♦Q (third hand high). If
declarer wins the ♦A, then West cannot
play diamonds again. However, if East
gains the lead and fires a diamond
through declarer’s remaining ♦J-8,
the defenders will get three diamond
tricks against a no-trump contract.
The conclusion here is that the
intermediate cards matter. A lead
from ♥K-J-5-2 is more likely to be
successful than a lead from ♠K-6-5-2.
A holding of ♦K-10-5-2 is in between.
Leading from any of these holdings
carries a risk, but the higher the rank
of your second card, the more likely
the lead is to be successful and the less
likely it is to concede a cheap trick.
Hence the idea of leading from your
longest and strongest suit.
Leading from a Queen
Similar principles apply here. Lead-
ing a spade from ♠Q-6-5-2 requires
partner to have a lot to make it work.
Leading from ♥Q-10-5-2 (or even ♦Q-
9-5-2) is far more likely to be success-
ful. Suppose you give partner the jack.
(iv) ♠ K 9 4
N
♠ Q 6 5 2 W E ♠ J 7 3
S
♠ A 10 8
dummy plays the ♠4 and East has to
the ♠10. Now, declarer can finesse
dummy’s ♠9 and make a third spade
trick that he could never have made
without your help. This is another
frozen suit.
(v) ♥ K 9 4
N
♥ J 7 3
S
On the other hand, leading the ♥2 in
Layout (v) works perfectly. Partner’s
♥J fills the hole between your ♥Q and
♥10. The lead has given nothing away
and you are well on the way towards
making two heart tricks.
Leading from a Jack
By now, it won’t surprise you to learn
that leading from ♠J-6-5-2 is unlikely
to gain you much and is highly likely
to throw a trick way. A lead from ♥J-9
-5-2 or ♦J-10-5-2 is hardly the world’s
most attractive start to the defence,
but the better intermediate cards
somewhat improve your prospects,
both of giving nothing away and of
setting up a length winner. ■
 More Tips from Bernard Magee
DEFENCE
QUIZ 5-5 hands are
by Julian Pottage
powerful
(Answers on page 25) if you find a fit
Y ou are East in the defensive positions below playing teams
or rubber bridge. It is your turn to play. Both sides are us-
ing Acol with a 12-14 1NT and 2♣ Stayman.
The potential of a hand
with two five-card suits Dealer South. E/W Game
is huge: if you have a fit ♠ J 7 5
with your partner, you will ♥ Q J 10 5
have a short suit for ruffing ♦ A 9 8 6
1. ♠ A K J 3. ♠ K J 10 9
and a second long suit ♣ 5 3
♥ A 6 3 ♥ K Q 10 9 8 5
♦ 8 5 3 ♦ J
to develop extra tricks. ♠ A Q 6 4 ♠ K 10 9 8 2
♣ K Q 5 3 ♣ 5 3 Be careful before you ♥ 8 2 N ♥ 9 3
W E

♠ 42 ♠ A Q 7 3 find a fit because a 5-5 ♦ Q J 5 S ♦ K 7 3 2

N
♥ K9872 N ♥ 6 4 shape does not play so ♣ J 10 8 4 ♣ Q 2
W E
♦ A96 W E
♦ K 10 5 4 well when your hand fits ♠ 3
S S
♣ A87 ♣ Q J 8 badly with partner’s. ♥ A K 7 6 4
However, once you find ♦ 10 4
a fit, you can bid up: be ♣ A K 9 7 6
West North East South West North East South optimistic – if in doubt,
1♣ 1♥ 2NT 1NT Pass opt to play the contract
Pass 3NT All Pass Pass 2♣1 Pass 3♥ rather than defend. West North East South
Pass 4♥ All Pass 1♥
Partner leads the ♥J and 1
Majors Pass 2♥ Pass 4♥
dummy plays low. What is ♠ Q J 2 All Pass
your plan? Partner leads the ♠5: ♠J, ♥ 9 7 5
♠Q and ♠4. What is your ♦ 5 3 2 As South, you open in the
plan? ♣ A 8 5 3 higher of your two five-
card suits, your partner
N
W E responds 2♥ and you have
S
to decide on your rebid. The
2. ♠ K 4. ♠ A J
losing trick count makes the
♥ A K J 7 5 ♥ K Q J 10 7 2
♠ A K 9 4 3 decision easy: it gives a full
♦ K Q 7 6 4 ♦ A J 10 6
♥ 8 4 evaluation of 5-5 hands; 5
♣ A 8 ♣ Q
♦ A J 10 6 4 losers would suggest going
♠ AQ4 ♠ Q 7 4 2
N
♥ 9432 N
♥ 6
♣ 6 for game. In point count
W E W E terms, you have to add
S
♦ 10 9 2 S
♦ K Q 3
♣ J93 ♣ 10 7 4 3 2 for length and shortage:
These two hands have 14 HCP + 2 for length +
fewer than 20 HCP between 2 for a singleton = 18.
West North East South West North East South them and they have only However, it is the quality
1♥ Pass 1♠ 1♣ Dbl 1♠ 2♥ an eight-card fit, but 4♠ is of your five-card suits
Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠ 2♠ 4♥ All Pass a good contract. There are that should inspire you. A
Pass 4♠ All Pass two hearts and, hopefully, good trump fit and a very
Partner leads the ♣A. only one diamond to lose. powerful side suit are a sure
Partner leads the ♦A fol- What do you play now The reason why you have recipe for a making game.
lowed by the ♦8. Declarer and what do you play on the potential for so many 22 HCP between the two
wins with the ♦J, overtakes gaining the lead? tricks is the two robust suits hands and a comfortable
the ♥Q with the ♥A, dis- in the South hand. The 11 tricks are the result.
cards a diamond on the spades make a good trump Two club ruffs in dummy
♥K and calls for the ♠K. suit, but the quality of the establish your last club – it is
What is your plan? second suit allows it to be the second suit that so often
established with ease. provides the extra tricks. ■

Page 22 BRIDGE May 2015

 Bridge Adventures by David Holden and Roy Rowe
The Drones Club:
Bertie Passes Out
‘W
hat the hey?’ exclaimed
Bertie, as the curtains
were drawn and the
morning sun flooded into the bed-
room. ‘Jeeves, what are you up to? It
cannot be eleven yet!’
‘Indeed, it is not, it is just
approaching nine and here is your
breakfast. Have you forgotten, Sir, that
your Aunt Agatha is due here with her
niece, Clarice Periwinkle, sharp at ten
thirty?’
‘Oh great Scott!’ replied Bertie.
‘Last night’s dreadful events had quite
driven that from my mind! I was at
the Drones. After I had sniffed down
a couple of jars, I got into conversation
with that large American sculptor
lady, Marybelle Schultz, and discussed
playing bridge. Not quite sure how, but
I rather think she got the impression
that I had proposed ‘M’ to her. All
I said was that we ought to try a few
rubbers some evening. What can I
do? What a frightful prospect! And
I happen to know that her father is
big on Wall Street: he could take me
for thousands on a bally breach of
promise. You have to help me get out
of this, Jeeves!’
Jeeves realised that the suggestion of
‘trying rubbers’ to an American lady
was an unfortunate turn of phrase and
beyond Wooster’s comprehension, but
could only reply, ‘I will endeavour to
help, Sir, but for the moment, I can
see no solution. Turning to matters of
dress, Sir, I see that you have put aside
those yellow spats with matching tie
and cap for your meeting today. I do
sincerely beg that you will reconsider
and change to something more sober
for your assignment with Aunt Agatha
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 23
today. I believe that she intends to
take you for lunch to the Army and
Navy Club to meet Miss Periwinkle.
I understand she believes Miss
Periwinkle to be quite suitable.’
‘Nonsense, Jeeves, they are the very
height of fashion and most appropriate
for a dashed sunny day.’
‘Very good, Sir, I will run your
bath now. Half or full, Mr Wooster?’
responded Jeeves with a hint of a sniff.
‘Righto, Jeeves, plenty of time. Make
it a full one and I’ll have a good soak’.
Later that evening, after a
surprisingly successful lunch,
although both Agatha and Clarice,
(to whom Wooster had taken quite a
shine) kept on their sunglasses for the
whole meal, Bertie was relaxing with a
G and T while Jeeves pottered around
tidying the apartment.
‘I say, Jeeves, what a bally successful
lunch. That Clarice is really damned
attractive and Aunt Agatha was so
impressed by the spats that she gave
me fifty guineas and told me to go
to Bond Street and buy some more
clothes. Dashed decent, eh? I don’t
suppose that you have come up with
any ideas vis-à-vis the American hulk?
It makes me shiver to think of her
muscular fingers.’
‘Not as yet, Sir, but I assure you
the sculptress has my considered
attention,’ replied Jeeves.
‘No, ah well, maybe tomorrow? By
the way, have you considered how
many meanings there are to the word
‘Pass’? I can think of at least a dozen
and now another!’ and here Bertie
chortled, ‘My brush with Marybelle is
a bit of a faux pas, don’t you know?’
‘Very droll, Sir, but you may have
given me an idea.’ responded Jeeves,
‘Will that be all, Sir?’ and seeing the
self satisfied grin on Bertie’s face, left
the room and closed the door behind
him thoughtfully.
Jeeves had developed a stratagem.
He suggested that Bertie should elect
to play bridge with the sculptress,
Marybelle. However, he should
endeavour to pass at vital times.
Hopefully, this should convince
Marybelle that he was an idiot and
unsuitable as a suitor. Actually, Bertie
was a surprisingly good player and
used to concealing this in the guise of
a buffoon. By this means, he had won
quite a packet at Drones and the other
London clubs and so could adopt
Jeeves’s plan readily.
So, two days later, Bertie was again at
the Drones Club and was partnered by
Marybelle at bridge. Their opposition
was one of Bertie’s cronies, Algy Ffyffe,
partnered by the luscious actress Lola
de Breeze.
The first hand was typical. Bertie
 Adventures continued penultimate hand was an
example.
DECLARER
and Marybelle, as West and ♠ Q J 3 ♠ A K 8 7
East, held:

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


♦ Q 5 3 2 S
♣ K 7
♦ A K 6
♣ 6 3


West East
Bertie Marybelle
by David Huggett
1NT 6♥ (Answers on page 47)
Pass


West East
Bertie Marybelle

Marybelle, expecting Ber- Y ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.
In each case, what is your play strategy?
1NT 2♣ tie to pass if she tried Stay-
Pass! man, punted the slam in
hearts, but lost the first two
1. ♠ K 8 3. ♠ 6 4
A routine Stayman en- tricks on the club lead from
♥ K 10 2 ♥ K Q 3
quiry by Marybelle should South. Of course, 6NT and
♦ A 7 5 3 ♦ A J 10 6
have led to an almost lay 6♥ were absolutely cold by
♣ 8 6 5 3 ♣ K J 10 5
down slam in spades (one West, but the frustration
of Bertie’s clubs can go on had become too much for N
N
W E
the fourth heart), but Ber- Marybelle. S
W E
S
tie passed, saying later he The evening ended with
thought Marybelle’s 2♣ was Marybelle storming out af-
♠ 7 6 4 ♠ A 3 2
a weakness take-out. As ter Algy and Lola won yet
♥ A Q J 9 8 3 ♥ A J 8 4
it happens, North held six another rubber and Bertie
♦ K 9 ♦ Q 9 7
clubs to the A-Q, and Mary- taking out the insurance of
♣ K Q ♣ Q 9 8
belle went one proposing to
down when several other
South led a ladies before
You are declarer in 4♥ and You are declarer in 3NT
trump. going home
West leads the ♦J. How do and West leads the ♠5
Similar to report suc-
you plan the play? (fourth highest). How do
passes by Ber- cess to Jeeves.
you plan the play?
tie, in forc- Bertie offered
ing situations, to give up
followed and wearing the
2. ♠ K Q J 3 4. ♠ J 10 9 5
Marybelle yellow ensem-
♥ 6 5 ♥ 8 5
got more and ble and Jeeves
♦ 8 7 ♦ A 8 7 5 3
more disen- informed him
♣ Q 6 5 4 3 ♣ A 6
amoured of that he had al-
Bertie. An- ready donated N
N
W E
other factor in the whole out- S
W E
S
Bertie’s favour was that Lola fit to a caller from the Tem-
had grown tired of Algy’s perance Society earlier that
♠ 2 ♠ K Q 8 7 3 2
attention and flirted sug- day.
♥ A K Q J ♥ K 7 6
gestively with Bertie with Bertie, having resolved
♦ A K 6 3 ♦ K 6 4
her knee against his under to take up Aunt Agatha’s
♣ A K 8 7 ♣ 8
the table, an action which invitation for a week in
became obvious to Mary- her country house where
belle, deciding that Bertie Clarice was staying, re-
You are declarer in 6NT You are declarer in 4♠ after
was wrecking her bids just marked to Jeeves that this
and West leads the ♠10. West has opened 1♣ and
to please Lola (whatever should be a safe passage.
You play the ♠K and it East raised pre-emptively
Lola wants, Lola gets). Jeeves concluded by add-
wins. How do you plan the to 3♣. West leads the ♣K.
Of course, Marybelle then ing, somewhat disdainfully,
play? How do you plan the play?
began to overbid and try to ‘Very droll, Sir, and singular
dominate the auctions. The if I may say so.’ ■

Page 24 BRIDGE May 2015

 Answers to Julian Pottage’s 
Defence Quiz on page 22
Partner leads the ♦A followed by the ♦8. slightly unusual. It would be normal to
1. ♠ A K J Declarer wins with the ♦J, overtakes the lead a trump or to attack one of dummy’s
♥ A 6 3 ♥Q with the ♥A, discards a diamond on short suits.
♦ 8 5 3 the ♥K and calls for the ♠K. What is your As partner has probably led from a
♣ K Q 5 3 plan? doubleton, you should continue by cash-
♠ 10 9 8 5 3 ♠ 4 2 With both unseen hands out of ing the ♠A. You need to watch the pips.
N
♥ J 4 ♥ K 9 8 7 2 diamonds, you cannot give partner a If partner follows with the ♠2, the lead is
W E
♦ 10 4 2 S ♦ A 9 6 simple ruff. Even so, it could still be a indeed from a doubleton. You then con-
♣ 10 6 4 ♣ A 8 7 good idea to play the suit. Declarer may tinue with the ♠7, giving a ruff and indi-
♠ Q 7 6 have to ruff high to stop partner from cating that you prefer the higher-ranking
♥ Q 10 5 overruffing. minor just in case partner wants to know.
♦ K Q J 7 You duly win the first trump and play What would you do if your partner fol-
♣ J 9 2 a third diamond. Declarer ruffs high, on lowed upwards, playing something high-
which West discards a heart, and leads er than the ♠5? In that case, you switch to
the ♠J. Although you have run out of dia- the ♣Q. This way you cash two club tricks
West North East South monds, the unseen hands are now out if West has the ♣A or set up a trick if West
1♣ 1♥ 2NT of hearts, so you are back in a similar has the ♣K.
Pass 3NT All Pass position. You win with the ♠Q and play a
third round of hearts. This time, declarer
Partner leads the ♥J and dummy plays has no recourse. Ruffing high will leave
low. What is your plan? partner’s eight as a third-round winner; 4. ♠ A J
Since you expect South to hold a stop- ruffing low allows it to score at once. ♥ K Q J 10 7 2
per, you read the lead as from a short suit You do not need to work out the de- ♦ A J 10 6
rather than the J-10. To ensure you can tails. You need just to know that it is a ♣ Q
lead hearts safely, you should win the first good idea to lead a suit in which partner ♠ K 8 5 ♠ Q 7 4 2
N
trick; you then return the suit. After that, might overruff. ♥ 4 W E ♥ 6
no matter how declarer tackles the minor ♦ 8 7 4 S ♦ K Q 3
suits, you should grab the appropriate ♣ A K J 9 8 5 ♣ 10 7 4 3 2
ace and clear the hearts. You must not ♠ 10 9 6 3
allow your opponent to steal one trick in 3. ♠ K J 10 9 ♥ A 9 8 5 3
one minor and then switch to the other. ♥ K Q 10 9 8 5 ♦ 9 5 2
♦ J ♣ 6
♣ 5 3
♠ 5 2 ♠ A Q 7 3
2. ♠ K ♥ J N ♥ 6 4 West North East South
W E
♥ A K J 7 5 ♦ A Q 9 7 2 S ♦ K 10 5 4 1♣ Dbl 1♠ 2♥
♦ K Q 7 6 4 ♣ 10 9 7 6 2 ♣ Q J 8 2♠ 4♥ All Pass
♣ A 8 ♠ 8 6 4
♠ 8 3 2 ♠ A Q 4 ♥ A 7 3 2 Partner leads the ♣A. What do you play
♥ 10 8 6 N ♥ 9 4 3 2 ♦ 8 6 3 now and what do you play on gaining
W E
♦ A 8 S ♦ 10 9 2 ♣ A K 4 the lead?
♣ Q 7 5 4 2 ♣ J 9 3 You should play the ♣2. With a single-
♠ J 10 9 7 6 5 ton in dummy and strong trumps, your
♥ Q West North East South play should be a suit-preference signal,
♦ J 5 3 1NT Pass the low card for the lower-ranking point-
♣ K 10 6 Pass 2♣1 Pass 3♥ ed suit. If partner gets the message or
Pass 4♥ All Pass decides to lead a diamond anyway, you
1
Majors get in at trick two after declarer finesses
West North East South the ♦10. Since you do not want to risk a
1♥ Pass 1♠ Partner leads the ♠5: ♠J, ♠Q and ♠4. club in case it gives a ruff and discard
Pass 3♦ Pass 3♠ What is your plan? or lead up to dummy’s A-J holdings, you
Pass 4♠ All Pass The lead of dummy’s second suit is should exit safely with your trump. ■

BRIDGE May 2015 Page 25

 Catching Up
by Sally Brock
W
ell, what’s been happening?
The house is back on the
market, in all its magnolia
glory. We’ve had a couple of viewers
but no real interest yet. Hopefully
that’s because it’s early days.
The ProBridge site is going well
(www.pro-bridge.co.uk). We are
starting our online bridge club on
Tuesday May 5th. There will be an
hour on Tuesday and an hour on
Thursday to start with. You can join
or not as you wish without notice
and, when there, you can play bridge
with an expert on hand to watch, to
give you advice about where you went
wrong. For more details of this, please
email me at info@pro-bridge.co.uk.
We made an attempt to win the Tol-
lemache (county teams-of-eight) three
times in a row. It didn’t start too well.
Generally, when I’m playing in the
Birmingham area, Ed and Gary give
me a lift in exchange for a full Eng-
lish breakfast on the way and this was
no exception. As we were leaving my
house, Gary had the wit to check on
the traffic. He discovered that the M40
was closed from junctions 8 to 10, so
we changed our route. It was slower
than normal but we didn’t get caught
in huge queues. During our journey,
we also heard that the M1 was closed in
Bedfordshire. When we arrived, many
teams were incomplete as lots of other
people had had traffic problems, in-
cluding, of course, the rest of our team.
‘Why hadn’t we warned them?’ they
asked. Why not indeed. The four of
us looked at each other and wondered
how we could have been so stupid.
None of our pairs shone and we
finished fourth eventually (out of
eight). However, we did beat the
top two teams heavily: Middlesex
and Manchester. Our high spot was
against Manchester, when we bid four
Page 26 BRIDGE May 2015
slams in a row, something neither of
us could ever remember doing before.
Board 11. Dealer South. Love All.
♠ K J 10 7 4 3 ♠ A Q 9 8 6
♥ 5 N
W E
♥ A K 8 6 3
♦ 4 2 S ♦ Void
♣ J 10 7 3 ♣ K Q 9
West North East South
3NT
Pass 5♦ Dbl Pass
5♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass
There were no problems in the play.
Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Game.
♠ 10 6 2 ♠ A K Q J 9 8
♥ A J 10 8 N ♥ K 9 5
W E
♦ A 10 8 S ♦ Q 6 5
♣ K Q 5 ♣ 2
West North East South
1♣ Pass 1♠ Pass
1NT Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Dbl Pass Pass
Rdbl Pass 4♥ Pass
4♠ Pass 4NT Pass
5♥ Pass 6NT All Pass
Barry upgraded his 14-count to 15-
17 and opened 1♣ rather than a weak
no-trump. My 4♣ was a splinter agree-
ing my own spades. 4♦ was a cue-bid
and when North doubled, I passed so
that Barry could confirm first-round
control. When he signed off over 4♥,
I decided to press on. When there was
an ace missing, I thought it would be
better for Barry to be declarer as North
wouldn’t be able to hurt us with a dia-
mond lead. In the event, North led a
heart, South played the queen and it
was all over. Actually 6♠ is OK. If South
leads a diamond declarer goes up with
the ace, draws trumps and then dis-
cards a club on the fourth heart. An
initial club lead sets up a winner for a
diamond discard and the other losing
diamond goes on the fourth heart.
Board 13. Dealer North. Game All.
♠ A 10 4 2 ♠ K 8 5 3
♥ A 2 W E
N
♥ K 10
♦ 6 5 S ♦ A K J
♣ A J 10 9 3 ♣ Q 8 5 4
West North East South
Pass 1♣ Pass
1♠ Pass 3♦ Pass
6♠ All Pass
We play five-card majors and a weak
no-trump so the 1♣ opening was
the system bid. Barry could have
responded 2♣ but preferred 1♠,
keeping the clubs up his sleeve. My
3♦ showed a good strong no-trump
with four-card spade support (3♠
would have promised a five-card club
suit). Barry couldn’t think of a way to
find out how good the slam was, but
knew it had to have play. We knew also
that at other tables my hand would
probably open a strong no-trump and,
after Stayman, would become declarer,
so he did not want to bid too delicately.
When trumps were 3-2 and the club
finesse was right, we had bid our third
slam. A hat trick.
Board 14. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 3 ♠ A K 9 8 5
♥ J 2 W E N
♥ A 8 5
♦ K 9 7 4 S ♦ A
♣ A Q 10 7 3 2 ♣ 8 6 5 4
 Catching Up continued view of the buildings inside the Krem-
lin walls. (The river thawed before VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY
we left on the Monday – apparently

West North

East South
1♠ Pass
nine or ten Muscovites are killed each
year in the thaw when they are walk-
ing along pavements and half-melted Greek
Islands&
2♣ Pass 3♦ Pass blocks of ice land on their heads.) On
4♣ Pass 4♦ Pass Wednesday evening, Nicola and Jona-
4NT Pass 5♥ Pass than arrived, so we had dinner with
6♣ All Pass them and on the Thursday intended to

My 3♦ was a splinter bid, agreeing
clubs. 4♣ set the suit and 4♦ showed
the singleton ace. 4NT was forward-
going (more encouraging than 5♣) but
denied a major-suit control (we don’t
count shortage in partner’s suit). 5♥
showed the ace of hearts and, by infer-
ence, the ace and king of spades. Had
Barry had the king of clubs instead of
the queen, he would have bid the grand
slam. As it was, the king of clubs was
right and we made all thirteen tricks.
All very satisfying.
On the following Monday, Briony
and I travelled to Moscow. Nicola and
I were invited to play in a tournament,
the Slava Cup, at the weekend, so Bri-
ony and I thought we’d go a few days
early and see some sights. We had
been warned that it might be seri-
ously cold and had come armed with
snow boots and thick padded jackets,
but it was no colder than cold English
weather. We were met at the airport
and driven to the Savoy hotel, one of
Moscow’s swankiest and very central.
We just had time for dinner and bed
the first night, but on the Tuesday, we
had some fun wandering around en-
joying the unfamiliarity of it all. On
Wednesday, we went to see St Basil’s
Cathedral which was truly splendid.
We also went on the metro. It was quite
confusing and difficult for people who
were not that familiar with the Cyril-
lic alphabet, but the main purpose was
to see the actual metro stations, which
do some serious sightseeing. We had
saved the Kremlin and museums to
see with them, but that was not a good
idea as they were closed on Thursdays.
We went to look for the Matroshka
museum (which also turned out to be
closed) while they went to Red Square,
but in the afternoon had to settle for
some fairly aimless wandering. In
the evening, I had managed to get us
tickets for the ballet. None of us could
really be called ballet fans, but it was
fabulous. It was called Anyuta and was
based on a rather black Chekhov play.
We all enjoyed it thoroughly and the
theatre itself was pretty good too.
On the Friday, the bridge started,
and that was all rather indifferent.
There were 42 pairs and Nicola and I
had the rather dubious distinction of
winning the US$500 prize for finish-
ing precisely 20th (prizes for first to
tenth … and 20th).
On the Saturday, as we were going
out for lunch, an old friend turned
up to see me. In 1999, the European
Championships were held in Malta.
The Maltese had never played before
(or since), but, as it was in their coun-
try, they wanted to field a team. How-
ever, their players were very inexperi-
enced, so they hired me to bring them
up to speed, hold trials and select and
captain a team. At the time, they had
only one person who was what I would
call a ‘real player’, and he was a Pole
called Marek who really held the team
together. Now, nearly 16 years later, he
Turkey
BRIDGE HOSTS
WILL & SYLVIA
PARSONS
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August 26, 2015
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have a reputation for being something
special, so we only wanted to go one
stop. We didn’t really care, but we
didn’t go in the direction we intended
and, while both stations were more
interesting than the London equiva-
lent, I don’t think we picked the best.
Anyway, we were happy to walk back
to our hotel from this far-flung sta-
tion and crossed the frozen river in
the process, which gave us a fantastic
is married with two children and liv- Extend your holiday with hotel stays in Athens
and/or Istanbul – please ask for details
ing in Moscow. It was lovely to see him For reservations call
again and catch up. We both remem-
bered going to Gozo with Raymond
on 01483 489961
and my kids on a day trip in Mario’s
rather battered car that broke down.
We got back to Gatwick on the Mon-
day without incident (though I could
have done without the speeding ticket
www.mrbridge.co.uk
I managed to acquire on my journey
Terms and conditions apply – see brochure for details
home). ■

BRIDGE May 2015 Page 27

 Robin Hood’s Bridge Adventures by David Bird
Wise Wynfryth’s
Successful Spell
A
t half-time in the ‘Magnificent
Mixed Payres’ championship,
Robin Hood and Maid Marian
were in a disappointing 12th position.
‘That’s no good, Robin!’ exclaimed
Maid Marian. ‘The length of golden
cloth is easily the best prize on the
table. One of the pairs ahead of us is
certain to choose it.’
‘I’m doing my best,’ Robin replied.
‘You can never be sure of winning any
event, let alone a mixed pairs.’
‘You said yourself how good I’d look
in a dress of that colour,’ Maid Marian
continued.
Robin Hood nodded. If truth be told,
it made little difference to him which
colour his beloved Marian wore. She’d
be the prettiest and most delectable
girl in the shire even in some ill-fitting
sackcloth garment.
Play restarted and this was an early
deal:
Dealer East. E/W Game.
♠ Q 10 7 5 4
♥ Q 9 2
♦ A J
♣ A J 4
♠ K ♠ Void
♥ 10 6 N ♥ A K J 8 5 4
W E
♦ K 10 9 6 3 2 S ♦ Q 8 5 4
♣ Q 7 6 2 ♣ 9 8 5
♠ A J 9 8 6 3 2
♥ 7 3
♦ 7
♣ K 10 3
West North East South
Little Maid Meg Robin
John Marian Lockett Hood
1♥ 3♠ a club from the queen.’
Pass 4♠ All Pass
Page 28 BRIDGE May 2015
Little John led the ♥10 and down went
the dummy.
‘I nearly raised you to 6♠ with my
five trumps and two aces,’ declared
Maid Marian. ‘We’ll need a lot of good
boards to catch up from 12th position.’
‘Raising to game is fine, my love,’
Robin Hood replied. ‘There’s no need
to go mad.’
‘Easy for you to say,’ Maid Marian
retorted. ‘You always wear green for
some reason. It’s different for a girl.’
The curly-haired Meg Lockett
overtook with the ♥J in case the
opening lead was a singleton. All
followed to the ♥A on the next trick
and she continued with the ♥K.
Hood paused to consider his play
to this trick. The presence of the ♥9
in dummy suggested that West had
led from a doubleton and was now
out of the suit. If East held the only
missing trump, the king, he could ruff
with the jack and eventually seek an
overtrick in the club suit. Mind you,
if West happened to hold the ♠K and
overruffed the third heart, he would
need to guess right in clubs just to
make the contract.
It was a close decision but Robin
Hood decided to play safely. He ruffed
the third round of hearts with the ♠A,
crossed to the ♦A and ruffed dummy’s
♦J. He then exited with a trump, facing
his cards. ‘Whichever of you wins the
trick will have to play a club or give me
a ruff-and-discard,’ he said.
The inexperienced, young Meg
looked at the cards on display. ‘Which
way you takin’ the club finesse, Robin?’
she enquired.
‘He don’t need to guess that, Meg,’
explained Little John. ‘I’ll have to lead
‘Oh no, you’ve told him now!’ Meg
exclaimed. ‘He’ll finesse you for the
queen, sure as ’ouses.’
A few rounds later, Robin and
Marian faced a drably attired, elderly
couple unknown to them. The first
board of the round offered slam
potential:
Dealer South. Game All.
♠ K 4
♥ J 10 7 4
♦ 8 5 4
♣ A 7 6 3
♠ J 7 5 ♠ Q 2
♥ 9 3 N ♥ 8 6 5 2
W E
♦ Q 10 9 2 S ♦ J 6
♣ K Q J 9 ♣ 10 8 5 4 2
♠ A 10 9 8 6 3
♥ A K Q
♦ A K 7 3
♣ Void
West North East South
Alwyn Maid Ulric Robin
Buckle Marian Buckle Hood
2♣
Pass 2NT Pass 3♠
Pass 3NT Pass 4♦
Pass 4♠ Pass 6♠
All Pass
The stern-faced Alwyn Buckle led the
♣K and down went the dummy. Robin
Hood paused to make a plan. Barring
a miracle, he had a loser in the trump
suit. One of his diamond losers could
be discarded on the ♣A. How could he
dispose of the other diamond loser?
Suppose he ruffed the club lead and
played two rounds of trumps, followed
by the ♦A-K and the ♥A-K-Q. If the
defender with the last trump had
started with only two diamonds,
 Robin Hood continued request and the players drew their couldn’t win this event on her own.
cards for this deal: Wise Wynfryth cashed the ♣A and
ruffed a club in dummy. Next she
made a rather surprising play – lead-
they could be endplayed with a trump. Dealer North. Game All. ing the ♦5 from dummy. Her intention
Yes, they would have to lead a club or ♠ 8 6 5 3 was to give up a diamond, possibly set-
a heart, putting him in dummy, and ♥ A K 7 2 ting up the suit, while dummy still had
there would be two discards for his ♦ A K 8 5 trumps to deal with a club continua-
diamond losers. ♣ J tion.
Robin Hood soon spotted a better ♠ J 10 9 ♠ 7 2 Robin Hood won with the ♦Q and
plan. He ruffed the club lead and drew ♥ Q 8 3 N ♥ J 10 6 4 looked respectfully at the unkempt
W E
one round of trumps with the ace. ♦ J 9 6 S ♦ Q 10 3 declarer. Wynfryth was a strong play-
He then played his three top hearts. ♣ Q 10 8 4 ♣ K 6 5 3 er of the cards but he certainly hadn’t
If hearts were 3-3 and trumps 3-2, he ♠ A K Q 4 expected that move. He played back
could cross to dummy with a trump to ♥ 9 5 a second round of trumps, won by
take two discards on the ♣A and the ♦ 7 4 2 declarer. She ruffed another club in
♥J. The defenders would just score a ♣ A 9 7 2 the dummy, cashed dummy’s two top
trump trick. hearts and returned to her hand with
As it happened, Alwyn Buckle a heart ruff. After drawing Maid Mar-
ruffed the third round of hearts. Robin West North East South ian’s last trump, she muttered an incan-
Hood then had to hope that she had Maid Hubert Robin Wise tation in some ancient tongue.
begun with three trumps. He won the Marian Longpiece Hood Wynfryth Robin guessed that she was casting
club continuation with dummy’s ace, 1♦ Pass 1♠ a spell for a 3-3 diamond break. No-
throwing a diamond, He then drew Pass 4♠ Pass 6♠ one could deny her powers. Diamonds
the last two trumps with the ♠K and All Pass were indeed 3-3.
discarded his other Wise Wyn-
diamond loser on fryth duly dis-
the ♥J. How pleased carded her last
Marian would be! club on the thir-
‘I was worried teenth diamond
when you let that and the slam was
heart get ruffed,’ made.
Maid Marian ob- Maid Marian
served. ‘Never mind. sat back unhap-
Twelve tricks were pily in her chair.
still there.’ ‘A good one for
A few rounds you,’ she de-
later, Robin and clared.
Marian faced Wise Wise Wynfryth
Wynfryth. A much cackled her de-
respected and some- light at making
what wild-looking the slam. ‘I have
woman, she was a my eye on that
purveyor of spells, length of golden
both good and evil. cloth, Marian,’
She was partnered by she said. ‘We were
Hubert Longpiece, in third place at
who had reputedly half-time. Should
paid a fair sum for be in the lead by
the privilege. now.’
‘No business from Maid Marian
you recently, Robin,’ said Wise Wyn- Maid Marian led the ♠J and Wise Wyn- glared across the table. Had Robin
fryth, as she took her seat. ‘A man with fryth won with the ♠Q. ‘Not much for not realised how much she wanted the
so many enemies, surely you must me there,’ she informed her partner. beautiful piece of cloth for herself?
need a spell or two?’ ‘Marian’s found a good lead, too.’ ‘With my spell table covered in
‘If you have one to commit the Sher- Marian caught Robin Hood’s eye. gold, I’ll be able to put up my prices!’
iff permanently to a sick-bed, I’ll come She had already played her part, find- declared Wise Wynfryth. ‘You can
round tomorrow,’ Hood jested. ing such a good opening lead. It was have your one for the Sheriff at the old
Wise Wynfryth made a note of his now his turn to find a clever move. She price, Robin. Don’t worry!’ ■

BRIDGE May 2015 Page 29

 Conventions Part 5 with Jeremy Dhondy

Defending Against
High Level Pre-empts

I
t’s bad enough when they open at
the three level but if they pre-empt
at a higher level, it can be even
harder to find the right spot. When
they wade in at a high level, you may
wish to give a little more thought to
extracting a penalty.
Let’s start at the lowest point. Your
opponent opens 3NT. These days, that
usually shows a solid minor and not
much else (the Gambling 3NT). What
should you do? You hold:
♠ A J 7 6 5
♥ K Q 8 5 3 N then you will focus on the majors.
W E
♦ A 4 S
♣ 6
You can guess that the opener has
solid clubs and he could make 3NT
or have a very cheap sacrifice whereas
you could well be making 4♥ or 4♠. It’s
best to have an agreement that 4♣ is
for take-out which should give you the
most likely route to game. They may,
of course, sacrifice in 5♣, but at least
you have communicated to partner
that you have some playing strength
which will help him decide whether to
try for a five level contract or not.
If you are more balanced and hold
something like:
♠ A K 6 4
♥ A J 9 N N
W E
♦ 4 3 2 S
♣ K 9 5
It is best to double 3NT to show some
points and some defence. Here, the
opener will hold solid diamonds but if
it is left in, you have an easy lead and
if they remove, partner knows you
have a balanced hand with a decent
opening bid.
If they do remove the 3NT opener
to 4♣, then you should play double by
your side as suggesting some values
with no clearcut action. If the opener
has a solid minor, you are never going
to have a significant trump holding
so it is best to try to get across the
fact that you have some values to help
partner make a decision.
If your opponents open 4♣ or 4♦,
A double will be for take-out. The
principle of all take-out doubles of
pre-empts is that they can be left if
there is nothing better. The higher the
opening, the more likely it is to be left.
Suppose the opening bid is 4♣. You
hold:
♠ K 6 5
♥ A 3 N natural and shows a better hand than
W E
♦ K 9 4 3 S
♣ K J 9 2
You pass the opening, as double would
be for take out, and hope partner holds
something like:
♠ A Q 4 2
♥ K 7 5 2
W E
S ♦ A 10 7 6
♣ 3
and makes a protective double. A
sizeable penalty should ensue.
If partner doubles an opening bid of
4♦ and you hold in fourth seat:
♠ J 10 9 5 4
♥ K J 3 N
W E
♦ 5 2 S
♣ K 7 6
You would bid 4♠ and hope it might
make, but suppose your hand is
strengthened so that on the same
auction you hold:
♠ K J 10 9 5
♥ K J 3 N
W E
♦ 5 S
♣ A K 9 4
If you bid 4♠, you are very likely to
make it but it will be hard for partner
to move on if a slam is in sight. One
possibility is to bid 5♠ which is
4♠. Another possibility is to bid 5♦.
If partner bids 5♥ over this, you can
bid 5♠. If partner bids 5♠ there will be
some guessing as to whether to raise to
6♠ or not. Generally, if the opponents
have made your life difficult with
a high level pre-empt, try to get to
a sensible contract even if it is not
absolutely the best. Sometimes, even
if a slam is a good bet in theory, bad
breaks may scupper it.
If the opponents open with 4♣ or
4♦ and partner doubles, then 4NT
is natural. As you will see below this
is not true if they open a major. The
reason for this is that you may well
have a stop and good playing

Page 30 BRIDGE May 2015

 Defence to Pre-Empts
strength and, if you are vulnerable
against not, the penalty may not be
sufficient. An example where you
might bid 4NT after the auction has
gone 4♣-Dbl-Pass is:
♠ A 7 5
♥ 6 5 N a 4NT call is showing a two suiter and
W E
♦ A Q J 8 7 5 S
♣ K 6
You have no major suit fit. 5♦ may
make but 4NT allows you the maxi-
mum chance to secure a useful positive
and, if the opener is short in diamonds,
you may not get rich in 4♣ doubled.
If the opponents open 4♥, then dou-
ble is for take-out again. Very occa-
sionally, you may hold something like:
♠ 5
♥ K J 9 7 N the five level are pretty slim and, worse,
W E
♦ A K 5 3 2 S
♣ A 5 4
You would like nothing more than to
make a penalty double, but you should
pass and hope partner is able to protect
with a double. It’s all a matter of
frequency. For every potential penalty
double such as the one above, you will
have many more hands where you
want to try to get to the right contract.
Sometimes, you will double for take-
out and partner will pass. Sometimes,
you belong in a game or slam and a
take-out double helps you get there.
If you double and partner passes or
bids 4♠, that is likely to be an end to
the auction, but what if he has, say,
both minors?
♠ 7 6
♥ 8 N ♣ A 7 5
W E
♦ K Q 7 5 3 S
♣ A J 9 4 3
He shouldn’t have to guess which suit
to play in. If he gets it wrong you might
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 31
play in a 5-2 fit instead of a 5-4 fit. He be any two suits. He might hold:
can bid 4NT to show two suits (the
minors in this position) and partner
can bid his preferred choice. It helps ♠ 5
if partner doesn’t think 4NT is some N ♥ K 9 5
W E
kind of Blackwood and it is much S ♦ Q J 7 5 3
more useful to use it as showing two ♣ K J 9 4
places to play rather than Blackwood
(when you haven’t agreed a suit) or
to play (when you might have passed He removes your double of 4♠ to 4NT
seeking a penalty). Similarly, when and now you bid your lowest playable
partner hears 4♥ opened on his right, suit. So with:
he doesn’t wish you to risk passing.
One reason for this is what you ♠ J 8
should do when it goes 4♥-Dbl-Pass ♥ A Q 4 2 N
W E
and it is your turn. You are vulnerable ♦ A K 9 4 S
and you hold the following miserable ♣ Q 10 6
collection:
You would bid 5♦. If partner happens
♠ 7 3 2 to have a hand with five hearts and
♥ 6 5 N five clubs, he would remove this to 5♥.
W E
♦ K J 5 2 S
Something such as the following:
♣ J 8 6 4
♠ 5
The chances of making something at N ♥ K J 7 6 3
W E
S ♦ Q 2
the partner of the 4♥ bidder may be in ♣ K J 9 7 4
a positon to double. 4♥ may make or
it may sneak one or two off if partner
has the right cards. Your best bet is to Using the 4NT bid this way increases
pass. Even if it makes and you score flexibility and your side’s chances of
a disagreeable -590, it might still be finding a playable spot.
your cheapest option. In short, if you One of the hardest areas to judge is
remove, you should have expectations the five level. Beginners and experts
of making a contract. alike find it tough. If your opponents
If your opponent opens 4♠, then pre-empt and you find a playable spot
double is still for take-out. It used to at the five level, consider it job well
be the case that people played this done. Reaching for a slam can have
double as penalty and others for take- some unpleasant consequences, even
out, but the disadvantage of that was when it seems you have alighted in a
you were compelled to bid 4NT for good contract. Consider the following:
take-out and, if you did so, partner
could no longer pass for penalty.
If you hold: ♠ A 9 8 3 2
♥ A 7 2
♦ K 7
♠ K 9 ♣ Q J 9
♥ A J 6 4 N ♠ J 10 5 4 ♠ Void
W E
♦ A K 8 6 S
♥ 10 4 N ♥ K Q J 9 8 6 5
W E
♦ 9 6 4 2 S ♦ 8 5 3
♣ 10 8 7 ♣ A 6 2
♠ K Q 7 6
You would double 4♠ and be pleased if ♥ 3
partner passes. If partner removes, he ♦ A Q J 10
will quite often make use of a 4NT bid ♣ K 5 4 3
to show two suits. In this case they may
 Defence to Pre-Empts
With the dealer East the bidding goes:
West North East South
4♥ Dbl
Pass 6♠ All Pass
North was a bit nervous but thought
himself far too good to bid 4♠. He
considered 5♠ but, in the end, took
the decision to bid the small slam.
He looked in kindly fashion at the
dummy when the ♥K was led but it
all turned sour when the spades were
4-0. Of course, he was unlucky, but the
normal 10% odds of a 4-0 break are
increased somewhat by the fact that
one hand has a seven card suit. Even
if the trumps break, 6♠ might still go
down if East can ruff a club. On a good
day, you will make 6♠. On a bad day,
you will underbid and opponents at
some tables will bid and make 6♠ and
you will be criticised for your timidity.
When deciding what to bid over a high
level pre-empt, you should consider
that partner was under pressure and
may have less than you would hope or
perhaps not the ideal distribution and
also the suits are less likely to behave
favourably. ■
Tips
l Agree how you will defend a
gambling 3NT
l Try to reach a sensible
contract rather than striving
for perfection
l If you have a balanced poor
hand, plan to pass a double
of 4♥ or 4♠ rather than trying
for the magic fit and game.
l 4NT is a useful tool to show
two suits after partner has
doubled four of a major
l Remember partner is under
pressure when he bids over
a pre-empt
l Suits are more likely
to break badly after pre-
empts
Page 32 BRIDGE May 2015
A Distributional Hand
Opposite a 1NT Opening
by Peggy Millidge
R
ichard had a problem. He did
not know what to bid when his
partner opened 1NT and he had
two long majors. I gave him these
general rules for four types of hand:
Hand 1 Hand 2
♠ A Q 7 3 2 ♠ K 8 4 3 2
♥ K Q 6 4 3 ♥ Q 6 4 3 2
♦ 6 4 ♦ 6 4
♣ 3 ♣ 3
Hand 3 Hand 4
♠ A K 4 3 2 ♠ K 6 4 3 2
♥ A K 6 4 ♥ Q 6 4 3
♦ 7 6 4 ♦ 7 6 4
♣ 3 ♣ 3
On Hand 1, with two five-card majors,
you know you will have a fit, so you
can go for game with slightly fewer
high-card points than usual. 5-5
hands play very well when you have a
fit, so go for game. When game is on,
you can afford to make a transfer and
rebid in a new suit at the three-level:
forcing to game. Start by transferring
to spades (2♥) and over your partner’s
2♠ bid, you rebid 3♥. Your partner
bids 3♠, 3NT, or 4♥. Over 3NT,
you should continue on to 4♥ to
promise at least 5-5 in the majors.
On Hand 2, you should bid 2♣
(Stayman). If opener has a 4-card
major, he will bid 2♥/♠ which you will
pass. If he bids 2♦, however, showing
no 4-card major, you will bid 2♠,
the better of your two majors (just).
On Hand 3, you have enough
points for game. Therefore, you
should transfer to spades, to let your
partner know that you have five of
them and then rebid 3♥ as in Hand
1. With just a 5-4 shape, you need to
be stronger to go for game. If partner
rebids 3NT, then you should pass.
Hand 4 is another weak hand on
which you can use Stayman. You bid
2♣ and if partner bids a major you are
happy, but if he bids 2♦, you rebid 2♠,
hoping it is better than playing in 1NT.
‘Oh yes, I see,’ said Richard, but
I had the feeling that these hands
came up so rarely that he might very
well forget. How wrong I was …
♠ A K 4 3
♥ K J 4 3 2
♦ 7 6 5
♣ 9
N
W E
S
♠ 7 6
♥ Q 9 7
♦ K Q J 2
♣ A 7 6 4
North South
1NT
2♣ 2♦
2♥ All Pass
Richard picked up the North hand
and was very pleased with himself
when he completed the auction above.
However, when he managed to
collect 11 tricks, he was
somewhat bemused.
I shook my head, ‘11 HCP, a
5-card suit and a singleton – you
have to have more ambition!’
‘But you said…’
He was right in part – I had not
covered all the options. ‘Transfer
to hearts (2♦), then rebid 2♠ over
my 2♥. This shows an invitational
hand with 4-5 in the majors. I would
have bid 3♥ confirming the heart
fit and you could have raised to
game, with your singleton counting
now you knew we had a fit.’
Richard huffed, ‘The rules
seem to change every hand.’
I sighed. He was not far wrong. ■
 Bernard Magee DVDs – Number Five
Play and Defence
Against 1NT
1NT
is one of the most
difficult contracts
for declarer and
the defence: quite often both sides will
make a number of mistakes that might
cancel each other out.
However, I would say this is the
contract where the number of tricks
made tends to vary more than any
other.
You can have the same contract
making five tricks at one table and
nine tricks at another: perfect declarer
play against poor defence, as opposed
to poor declarer play against perfect
defence. Because the points tend to be
spread about the table, everybody has
the chance to affect the play except, of
course, dummy.
The first half of the DVD deals with
declarer play and the need for patience:
remember that in 1NT it is important
to focus on more than one suit. You
do not mind the defence establishing
one suit, but you cannot afford them
establishing two suits.
♠ A 3
♥ Q 10 7 6
♦ 6 5 3 2
♣ Q J 6
♠ K Q J 10 ♠ 9 8 7
♥ 9 8 N ♥ A 5 2
W E
♦ K 8 4
S
♦ J 10 9 7
♣ K 9 5 2 ♣ 10 8 3
♠ 6 5 4 2
♥ K J 4 3
♦ A Q
♣ A 7 4
West North East South
1NT
All Pass
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 33
You open 1NT as South and are left to
play there. West leads the ♠K. You are
likely to lose tricks in the spade suit,
but your job is to avoid allowing the
defence to attack diamonds. To this
end, you aim to keep East off lead
early in the play. You are aiming to
develop tricks in clubs and hearts, but
in hearts, either defender might win
the defensive trick, whilst in clubs, it is
only West who can win. So your plan
should be to play on clubs first.
You win the ♠A and lead the ♣Q,
which runs to West’s king. He takes
three spade tricks, but cannot attack
diamonds from his hand. East gets the
lead with the ♥A, but by then you have
established your seven tricks: three
hearts, two clubs and the two other
aces.
Had you played on hearts first, East
would win and if he had seen the
second part of this DVD, he would
not have returned a spade woodenly,
he would switch to diamonds (up
to dummy’s weakness). The defence
would establish the diamond suit
along with the spades, so you would
have to settle for six tricks: three
hearts and three aces.
The second part of the DVD deals
with the defence against 1NT contracts
and, once again, there is a focus
on patience: try to avoid switching
without good reason. Too often,
defenders feel an urge to switch just
because a lead has gone wrong. Once
the opening lead has been made, you
cannot un-make it: what is lost is lost
and, quite often, by simply continuing
that suit you do not give anything
more away. One of the main focuses
is on frozen suits: when each player
has one honour in a suit: the side that
leads the suit gives a trick away. These
kinds of suits are more common in
1NT contracts because the points are
divided evenly around the table.
♠ K 4 3
N
♠ Q 10 9
W E ♠ A 7 6 2
S
♠ J 8 5
Here is a simple example of a frozen
suit. If East or West lead spades, then
declarer (South) will make a trick: eg
West leads the ten and North plays
low: East plays the ace to stop the jack
winning, but now North’s king makes.
If North or South lead the suit, they
may well give up the whole suit. North
might lead small to South’s jack, but
West wins the queen and can then lead
the ten back trapping North’s king and
making the whole suit for East-West.
However, sometimes dummy will
tell you that there is a good suit to
switch to: if dummy is on your right,
look for the weakest suit in sight, if
dummy is on your left, lead through
heft.
♠ 9 8 4 2
♥ 8 6 5
♦ A Q 10
♣ 9 7 5
♠ Q 6 5 ♠ J 10 7 3
♥ K 9 3 N ♥ A 10 2
W E
♦ K J 9
S
♦ 6 5 4
♣ Q J 10 2 ♣ K 8 3
♠ A K
♥ Q J 7 4
♦ 8 7 3 2
♣ A 6 4
 BERNARD MAGEE’S
1NT Contracts continued

West North East South INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS

1NT All Pass

ACOL ADVANCED DECLARER

Once again the auction is
simple with West opening
BIDDING ACOL BIDDING PLAY
1NT. You are South and l Opening Bids and l Basics l Suit Establishment
your partner leads the ♠8 to Responses l Advanced in No-trumps
your king. Basics
l Slams and Strong l Suit Establishment
Your partner’s lead is Openings in Suits
l Weak Twos
a high spot card, which
would suggest a weak hold- l Support for Partner l Strong Hands l Hold-ups

ing in the suit: placing de- l Pre-empting l Defence l Ruffing for

clarer with the ♠Q, you l Overcalls to Weak Twos Extra Tricks
contemplate switching. But l Entries in
l Defence to 1NT
to what? You do not look l No-trump
£66 No-trumps
at your hand to decide, you
Openings l Doubles £76
and Responses l Delaying
look at dummy. l Two-suited
l Opener’s and Drawing Trumps
Dummy is on your right
Responder’s Rebids
Overcalls £96 l Using the Lead
and there is a stand-out l Defences to
weakest suit: diamonds. l Minors and Misfits Other Systems l Trump Control
You switch to a diamond, l Doubles l Endplays &
l Misfits and
but are careful to switch to Avoidance
the ♦8: high to deny an hon- l Competitive Distributional
Auctions Hands l Using the Bidding
our.
Your partner wins the ♦10
and switches back to spades,
which you win and con- ADVANCED DEFENCE FIVE-CARD
tinue with the ♦2 to part- DECLARER PLAY MAJORS &
ner’s queen. North cashes l Lead vs Strong No-Trump
l Making Overtricks No-trump Contracts
the ♦A and, eventually, you
in No-trumps l Opening Bids
win your ♣A and cash your l Lead vs
l Making Overtricks & Responses
fourth diamond as the set- Suit Contracts
ting trick. in Suit Contracts l No-Trump
l Partner of Leader
Perfect defence: you need- l Endplays
Openings
vs No-trump
ed to lead diamonds twice
l Avoidance Contracts l Support £89
and have a third entry to for Partner
l Wrong l Partner of Leader
make your fourth diamond. l Slams
Contract vs Suit Contracts
So often, the right defence is & Strong Openings
l Count
found by looking at dummy l Simple
£81 Signals l Rebids
and not your own hand. Squeezes £76
Clearly, hearts look a bet- l Attitude l Minors
l Counting
ter prospect if just looking the Hand Signals & Misfits
at your hand, but a heart l Discarding l Pre-empting
l Trump Reductions
switch on this hand would
& Coups l Defensive Plan l Doubles
offer declarer the chance of
three tricks in the suit. l Playing Doubled l Stopping Declarer l Overcalls
Get better at playing and Contracts l Competitive
l Counting
defending 1NT and you l Safety Plays the Hand Auctions
will start enjoying the most
common contract of all. No
more fear of finishing in or Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge,
defending 1NT, instead, the Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
hope that your scores will ( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop
improve whether declaring System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM
or defending. ■

Page 34 BRIDGE May 2015

 Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions
Q
What system of
responses do you
recommend when
partner overcalls 1NT
and the next hand raises
the suit opened to the
two level? Should we still
play Stayman or should
we play all bids natural
after an intervention?
Irene Brown by email.
A
If an opponent
opens, you overcall
1NT and the next
hand passes, it is common to
play the same continuations
as you would after a 1NT
opening. This has the merit
of simplicity, even if some
bids make less sense (like
transferring into their suit).
If the next hand bids
(raising the suit opened in
your example), you can play
the same again as you do
if you open 1NT and they
overcall. As Stayman is a
2♣ bid, any action they take
over 1NT (apart from double)
will render a 2♣ bid by your
side insufficient. Cue bidding
the opposing suit would be
strong and ask the overcaller
for further information,
usually to show a four-card
major (the 1NT overcall has
already promised a stopper,
so it would not be logical
for a cue bid to ask for a
stopper). If you play a double
as take-out (and it is hard
for the fourth player to have
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 35
What Should We
Play After a
1NT Overcall?
opener’s suit when the other
three players claim to do
so), you could do that on a
weaker hand looking for a fit.
It is usual not to play
transfers if the opponents act
over 1NT. A simple new suit
bid would be natural but not
forcing. A jump in a new suit
would be natural and (if not
already game) be forcing. If
you play Lebensohl after a
1NT opening, you can play
that after a 1NT overcall also.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Please could
you help me
on two bidding
sequences:
1. West North East South
1♥ 1♠ 2♣ Pass
2NT
What does the 2NT
rebid show?
2. West North East South
1♥ 2♣ Pass Pass
2♠ Pass ?
Can East, if weak and
liking spades, pass?
Anthony Shaw by email.
A
1. Opener’s 2NT
rebid shows more
or less the same as
it would have done without
the 1♠ overcall. The strength
is certainly the same as
it would have been.
The only slight difference
is a stronger expectation
of a spade stopper now
that an opponent has bid
spades. With a hand worth
2NT but lacking a spade
stopper, opener bids 2♠.
2. As responder may
have nothing at all, 2♠ is
not forcing, although it is
encouraging. On a hand
that would have been worth
a bid had the opponents not
overcalled, East would bid
on. On a weaker hand, it is
usual for responder either
to go back to 3♥ or, with
more spades than hearts,
to pass 2♠. Opener figures
to be short in diamonds
(otherwise it would be better
to double rather than bid
2♠), so responder would
need a lot of diamonds
(seven of them) to bid 3♦.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Should you
overcall an
opponent’s
opening bid of 1NT when
holding a suit with 5 or
more cards in it – or is it
better to keep quiet and
hope to get them down?
Mike Fairclough,
Caldy, Wirral.
A
In general, with
a 5332 shape,
you should pass.
Balanced hands are defensive
in nature. With a more
shapely hand, you should aim
to come in, especially if you
can show both your suits.
With a singleton in one
major, but fewer than five
cards in the other major, you
may be unable to show your
shape with an immediate
action. You might then
plan a delayed entry into
the auction (via a take-out
double) after responder
bids or transfers into your
short suit. If responder
does not bid, your partner
probably has five cards in
your singleton, in which case
the deal could be a misfit.
Playing matchpoints when
neither side is vulnerable
may be an exception to
passing with a 5332 shape,
especially if your suit is good
and partner would be on
lead (he is unlikely to lead
your suit against 1NT). In
that situation, you should
strain to overcall because
it is better to go down at
50 a time than to let the
opponents make a contract
or to make a contract rather
than collect a 50 or two.
♣♦♥♠
Q
1. On what
hands should you
open an Acol 2♣
without 23 high
card points?
 Ask Julian continued
2. On what hands
should you make a
negative response with
more than 7 HCP?
Mike Gurney, Holt, Norfolk.
A
1. Unbalanced hands
do not require 23
HCP. Traditionally, a
powerful game going hand
with 5 quick (defensive) tricks
suffices. You count one quick
trick for an ace or a king-
queen combination, two for
an ace-king combination,
one and a half for an ace-
queen combination and a
half for an unsupported king.
If you have a long
club suit, you may need
to relax the requirement
for 5 quick tricks slightly
because you do not have
any other way of showing
a strong hand with clubs.
It would be normal to open
2♣ on hands like these:
♠ K Q 10 9 ♣♦♥♠
♥ A K J 7 3 2
♦ A
♣ A 7
♠ K 6
♥ Void
♦ A K J 9
♣ A K Q 9 7 6 3
If you are playing other two
level openings as weak,
you may need to relax the
5 quick trick requirement
whatever your long suit is.
The important point is that
you expect to make game
facing a near Yarborough
and that you have a lot of
high cards, not just playing
strength. If the opponents
intervene, all passes are
forcing by the opening
side. You cannot defend
Page 36 BRIDGE May 2015
any undoubled contract.
2. If you have 8 points
but no five-card major and
poor controls (less than an
ace and a king), you would
give a negative even on
traditional methods. This
is because a jump to 3♦ (if
responder has a five-card
diamond suit) uses up a lot of
bidding space, while a 2NT
response will often have the
effect of putting the strong
hand on the table. These
days, some pairs play that
a positive response shows
a good suit (two of the top
three honours), in which case
a 2♦ response will be much
more common. Indeed, since
responder will often have
‘positive’ values, those using
such a method describe the
2♦ response as ‘waiting’
rather than negative.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Please could
you describe the
McKendrick?
Margaret Owen,
Brentford, Middlesex.
A
The McKendrick
convention is a 2♠
response to a 1NT
opening. There seem to be
slightly different ways of
playing it, none of which
I have used myself, so I
would not want to say for
sure that what I am about
to describe is the most
common usage. Everyone
seems to play that opener
rebids 2NT with a minimum
or 3♣ with a maximum.
The basic concept is that
the 2♠ response is a multi-
purpose bid, either a weak
hand with a long minor
or a hand with at least 11
points. Playing a 12-14 1NT
opening, I would expect
the hand without the long
minor to be either game or
slam invitational – hence the
importance of finding out
whether opener is maximum
or minimum – though I
understand some play it as
including other options.
With a game-invitational
hand, responder passes 2NT
or converts 3♣ to 3NT.
With a weak hand and
long clubs, responder
converts 2NT to 3♣
or passes 3♣.
With a weak hand and
long diamonds, responder
converts 2NT or 3♣ to 3♦.
With a strong hand,
responder does something
else, like rebidding 3♥ or 3♠.
Some hands will prefer
to go through Stayman
or a transfer, so the 2♠
response on an invitational
hand will tend to deny a
4-card or 5-card major.
Everyone round here
who plays the 2♠ response
as a range enquiry uses a
2NT response to 1NT for
a weak hand with a long
minor, meaning that the
2♠ enquiry is definitely
game or slam invitational
and relatively balanced.
Q
Do you have
any general
principles
on overcalling 1NT,
given that current
thinking is to disturb it
whenever possible?
Playing pairs at game
all, RHO opened 1NT
(12-14) and I held:
♠ Q 7
♥ 9 8 7 5 4
♦ A K 8 6 3
♣ 8
I felt this had enough
offensive strength to bid
2♣ (hearts and a minor),
especially as partner
has the option to choose
diamonds at the 2 level.
Also, if you decide
to pass which red suit
would you lead ?
Mike Allen by email.
A
Although game all
is the least attractive
vulnerability for
competing (because anyone
going down does so at 100
a time), the pair of five-
card suits tips the balance,
especially if you have a
suitable way to enter the
auction. You really want to
show hearts and a minor,
which you can with Astro
(as you play) or Multi
Landy (when 2♥ shows
hearts and a minor) but
not with plain Landy (when
2♥ just shows hearts).
If your methods do not
allow you a good way to
compete and 1NT becomes
the final contract, I would
lead a high diamond
(whichever is the ‘ordinary’
card rather than the one
that asks for an unblock).
Depending upon dummy
and partner’s signal, you
can then continue diamonds
or switch to hearts.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Playing 5 card
majors and a
strong no-trump,
how should the following
hands be bid with South
as the first bidder?
♠ A 2
♥ 9 8
♦ A Q 10 9 6 5
♣ 8 6 2
N
W E
S
♠ K Q 9 8 5
♥ K
♦ J 2
♣ A J 10 5 3
Colin Woods by email.
 Ask Julian continued
A
These are not the
easiest hands to
bid. You are quite
likely to get too high. 1♠-
2♦-2♠-3♠-4♠ has a degree
of inevitability about it.
You are likely to need a
3-3 spade break and a
bit more to make 4♠.
If in your methods North
is too weak to respond
2♦ (as would be the case
playing 2/1), you have a
better chance of stopping
low. Indeed, you might
bid 1♠-1NT-2♣-2♦.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I, South, was
left to defend
2♠, rather
than play in three of
a minor in a match-
pointed club evening.
♠ Q J 7 3
♥ 7
♦ K 9 3 2
♣ Q 9 8 6
N
W E
S
♠ Void
♥ K J 8 6 2
♦ A 10 7 6
♣ K 10 5 2
West North East South
1♥
1♠ 1NT 2♠ All Pass
Should North have
doubled instead of
bidding 1NT?
Geoff Simpson by email.
A
With four spades and
potentially a double
spade stopper,
North’s 1NT response seems
normal. No-trumps takes
priority over the minors.
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 37
If a double of 2♠ would
be for take-out, you could
consider (but probably
reject) that. With a void,
minimum high cards and
the opponents vulnerable,
doubling is rather risky –
partner is all too likely to
leave in the double. On this
occasion, partner should not
pass the double. Bidding
2NT, a scramble, showing
two places to play would
be my choice. North cannot
suddenly have the values to
bid 2NT naturally, having
bid only 1NT last time.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Regarding
your ‘What is
an opener’s
reverse?’ in BRIDGE 147,
suppose opener holds:
♠ 4 3 2
♥ 3 2
♦ A K J 9
♠ A K Q J
You open 1♣ and partner
replies 1♥ (or 1♠). You
have the points for 2NT
but no stopper in the
unbid major, so your
only possible rebid is 2♦.
So, is this a case where
you are not showing five
clubs with your reverse?
Peter Calviou by email.
A
While I certainly
would not wish to
place the emphasis
that you have, I agree that on
rare occasions a reverse will
not deliver the expected five-
card suit. This is similar to
when you make a one-level
suit overcall. Partner bids on
the assumption that you have
five. On the hand you quote,
E-mail your questions for Julian to:
julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk
partner is not going to get ALL
wildly excited about playing Mr BridgeINCLUSIVE
in clubs with three small in
support, so it is safe to bid AT THE
as though you have five. ROYAL KENZ
♣♦♥♠
TUNISIA
Two-week
Q
What is
the correct
All-Inclusive
response to an Duplicate Bridge
opening 1NT (12-14) Holidays
holding 3 points and
a 4441 distribution?
Chris Rudge,
Fawkham, Kent.
A
The correct response
depends upon
where your short
suit is and possibly on your
partnership agreements.
If your singleton is in clubs,
you should use Stayman
and pass whatever opener
rebids. Once in a while,
opener will be 3-3-2-5,
which is unlucky. Most of
the time, you will reach a
better contract than 1NT.
If your singleton is in one
of the majors, you do best
to pass. You cannot seek to
improve the contract sensibly.
If your singleton is in
diamonds, the correct 8-22 November 2015
action depends upon your Golf available
partnership agreement. If you £999*
play that after the bidding
*The prices shown are per person
starts 1NT-2♣-2♦-2♥ then on an all inclusive basis, sharing a
opener corrects to 2♠ with twin-bedded standard room and are
inclusive of bridge fees. Standard
3-2 in the majors, you should rooms all come with private bath,
toilet and balcony. Single rooms are
use Stayman. Often you will double rooms for sole occupancy at
a supplement of £6 per night. You
find a 4-4 fit. If a 4-4 fit is
can add a pool view supplement for
not present, you will nearly £3 per person per night or a superior
garden view room with bath robe,
always end up in a 4-3 fit, tea/coffee making facility for £5 per
person per night. These prices are
which will not be terrible. If based on air travel from Heathrow
to Tunis. Flights from other airports
you do not allow opener to are available at a supplement. For
bid 2♠ after 1NT-2♣-2♦-2♥, details of what is included as part of
the all inclusive package please call
you should pass. It is not for an information pack or view the
website. Prices for seven-night stays
worth the risk of playing with are available on application.
only six trumps between you
Terms and conditions apply.
if partner is 3-2 in the majors
Packaged with and bookings
by Tunisia First LLP. ATOL 5933.
and you pick the wrong
one. ■
FOR DETAILS CALL
( 01483 489961
www.mrbridge.co.uk/abroad

Boxes on a Shelf
Y
ou pick up this very nice hand
as dealer:
♠ J 9 8 6 5
♥ A K J 9 8
♦ K
♣ Q 2
Which suit are you going to open –
hearts or spades? The first thing to
notice is that, with ten cards in your
two long suits, the hand is unbalanced.
So your plan should be to bid both
suits in turn. (This is quite different
from when the suits are 4-4 and you
are otherwise balanced. With the 4-4
hand you intend to make only one
suit bid. Then, if neither your bid nor
partner’s response has revealed an
8-card fit, you are going to rebid no-
trumps.)
Think of 5-5 suits as boxes of
different sizes you plan to store on a
rather high shelf. As you place the
boxes on the shelf, the
logical order is to put the
largest one at the back.
That way, when you have
finished, you, or your
partner, can see exactly
what’s up there. The
spade box, as befits the
highest-ranking suit, is
the largest box, the heart
box is a bit smaller and
so on down the line. So
bid spades before hearts,
hearts before diamonds,
etc.
Storing boxes on a shelf
was clearly not on the
mind of North on this
deal from a club duplicate:
Page 38 BRIDGE May 2015
Maxims from Ned Paul
hearts and spades and 16+ HCP. South
Dealer North. N/S Game. bid a straightforward 3NT and North
♠ J 9 8 6 5 saw no reason to disturb this.
♥ A K J 9 8 West led ♣J, covered by the ♣Q
♦ K and ♣K. South held up until the third
♣ Q 2 round and then cashed the top spade
♠ Q 10 ♠ 4 3 2 honours. Gratifyingly for declarer, the
♥ 10 6 5 N ♥ Q 7 4 ♠Q fell doubleton, but it still wasn’t
W E
♦ A 3 2 S ♦ Q 9 7 6 enough. East kept a heart guard and
♣ J 10 9 8 7 ♣ K 5 3 after declarer had won eight tricks, the
♠ A K 7 defenders were able to take the rest.
♥ 3 2
♦ J 10 8 5 4 What should
♣ A 6 4 have happened
If North had started off by putting the
West North East South big spade box on the shelf first, good
1♥ Pass 2♦ things would have happened. Here is
Pass 2♠ Pass 3NT the correct auction:
All Pass
West North East South
Beguiled by the quality of the hearts, 1♠ Pass 2♦
North failed to open the higher of the Pass 2♥ Pass 4♠
two 5-card suits. South responded 2♦ All Pass
and only now did North introduce
spades. This sounded like a reverse After the 2♥ rebid, South would know
to South, promising 5-4 or better in that North held five spades. The 8-card
fit has been discovered, so
South jumps simply to 4♠.
East might lead ♦6; West
wins and switches to ♣J
(best) but declarer wins
in the South hand and
cashes the top spades, the
♠Q falling. Now, before
drawing the last trump,
declarer plays ♥A-K and
ruffs a heart in dummy.
Getting back to hand via a
diamond ruff, he can draw
the last trump and claim
eleven tricks.
Remember – bid the
higher of 5-card suits. Put
the big box on the shelf
first! ■
 Seven Days
by Sally Brock
Thursday
I’ve been at Barry’s since Tuesday. I
came over to help Heather celebrate
her birthday. Several of us met at her
flat for a drink before proceeding to
the local pub for a meal. Barry has had
a rotten cold while I’ve been away and
didn’t feel up to joining us, though he
did come out at the end to pick me
up and say hello. On Wednesday, I
worked at his place because I needed
to be in London today.
At tea-time, I go over to Kitty’s to
see her new house in Chelsea Harbour.
She lives opposite Jose Mourinho now,
but I don’t manage a sighting. Then, I
travel with her to the Royal Hospital
for Neuro-disability for the annual
Night of the Stars. We get there nice
and early so manage to be at the head
of the queue for the excellent supper
and wine. My partner, this year, is Ar-
thur Goddard. We don’t have a lot of
luck and finish somewhere in the mid-
dle. Kitty and Willie win which is a
fine result for them.
After the bridge, Liz and I go back to
Barry’s. Liz is staying at Barry’s for a
few days as she is playing in our wom-
en’s team in the Lederer at the week-
end (more of that later).
Friday
Barry is up and out early. I find it best
to hide in bed until he is gone on such
mornings (usually reading on my Kin-
dle). As soon as he is gone, Liz and I
get up and have breakfast. At 10.30am,
I have an online coaching session and
Liz sets off to explore Shepherds Bush.
Barry is home in time for a bread and
cheese lunch. In the afternoon, I have
another online session, this time with
Richard and Gerry. In the evening,
Sam (Liz’s bridge partner) comes to
join us for dinner at our local (excel-
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 39
lent) Indian restaurant. It was her in-
tention to stay at her brother’s house
for the weekend, but, on closer exami-
nation, this plan seemed flawed. To
start with, he lives in Greenwich and
also (a) he is not there, (b) she has nev-
er been to this house before and (c) it
is a long way from a tube station. She
does not take a great deal of persuad-
ing to prefer Barry’s floor. Actually,
once she has moved the cushions from
the sofa to the floor, it looks reason-
ably comfortable.
The Weekend
After an excellent scrambled egg and
smoked salmon breakfast, we make
our way to the Royal Automobile Club
on Pall Mall for this year’s Lederer. One
of my favourite competitions of the
year, this features ten invited teams,
all of whom are of a high standard. It is
always played in the best of spirits. My
team is the England Women, though
we had a problem because neither Fee
nor Nevena were available. So that is
why we have added Liz and Sam to the
team and the plan is for Catherine to
play with Heather. Unfortunately, the
bridge didn’t go at all well and the less
said about it the better.
Monday
This is Briony’s day off when we tra-
ditionally do something nice together.
I go to the gym in the morning while
she does her own thing. Then we have
a rather rushed, early lunch before set-
ting off for the treat I have arranged.
She is going to have her colours done.
If you’ve not done this I can thorough-
ly recommend it. Someone organised
it for my 40th birthday and I still pay
a lot of heed to it. There is a colour
wheel, divided into the seasons and
the premise is that everyone falls into
one season or the other. A certain part
of the spectrum brings out the best in
you; the secret is deciding which that
part is. I am ‘spring’, mostly what they
call ‘jewel’ colours: coral, light bluey-
greens and greeny-blues, buttery yel-
low, apple green, cream (rather than
white), etc. Black is a no-no. Also I
should wear gold and not silver (I re-
member Nicola arranging for some of
my favourite jewellery to be dipped in
gold). It doesn’t take very long to dis-
cern clearly that Briony is ‘summer’.
These colours are much cooler: bluey-
greys, silver, rose pink, etc. When she
is wearing the ‘right’ colours, you first
see her eyes and apparently that is the
point. Anyway, it is good fun and we
have a very enjoyable afternoon.
When we get home, she bakes me
some more of those really fabulous
bread rolls with walnuts and blue
cheese that she made a few weeks ago.
Delicious.
Tuesday
A quiet day for me. Off to the gym
early and then I am at home working
all day (mostly writing my articles for
Mr Bridge). Briony is out in the even-
ing, so after my shower, I get straight
into my pyjamas. Somehow that seems
very decadent.
Wednesday
After another gym session, I get a bit
of work done before driving Barry’s
car (which he lent me to come home
in on Sunday) into London. I drop it
off and have a cup of tea with him be-
fore getting the tube to St John’s Wood
for a London Super League match. We
don’t do very well. Nicola and I are
poor but our team-mates (who shall
be nameless) are awful. This board is
so bad as to be almost funny:
 Seven Days continued
JUST
CHARITY EVENTS DUPLICATE
MAY AUGUST
Dealer West. N/S Game.
BRIDGE
15 Children’s Charities 21 St Ives Day Care Centre
♠ K 6 3 Doddington Village Hall, March.
10 for 10.30am. £14.
Village Hall Hemingford Abbots,
10 for 10.30am. £14.
2015
♥ A J 10 6 5
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♦ K 6
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♥ 7 4 3 W E ♥ K 8 2
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♣ K 9 ♣ J 8 7 5 2 1.15 for 1.30pm. ROTARY CLUB
♠ A Q J 10 8 7 Tickets £6. Outlane Golf Club.
Ann Taylor 12 for 12.30pm. £50 per table
♥ Q 9
( 01366 388408 including lunch, afternoon tea
♦ 5 4 & biscuits. Raffle prizes.
♣ A Q 6 Limited to 22 tables.
JUNE Rtn Sam Smith
( 01924 492540
2-4 British Red Cross samuelsmith396
West North East South Birkholme Manor, Corby, @btinternet.com
Pass 1♥ 2♦ 2♠ Grantham NG33 4LF.
2 & 3 June. 10 for 10.30am to
3♦ 3♠ Pass 4♣
3.15pm. 3-course lunch, glass
11 St Mary’s Church
Eaton Socon
Wyndham Garden
Pass 4♦ Pass 4♠ of wine & raffle. £17.50pp Church Hall Eaton Socon Grantham
All Pass 4 June. 1pm for 1.30pm to 10 for 10.30am. £14.
4.30pm. Tea and raffle. £10pp. Malcolm Howarth (formerly the Olde Barn)
Penny Hedley Lewis ( 01480 212910 Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT
West leads a diamond. East ( 01476 550255
cashes two diamonds and penny.hedleylewis
14-16 August £189
switches to a club. I go up @farmline.com OCTOBER 4-6 September £189
with the ace  and  start to 2 St Andrew’s Church Funds
12 St Mary’s Church 9-11 October £189
draw trumps, though I am Eaton Socon Mandeville Hall, Kimbolton,
brought up a bit short when Church Hall Eaton Socon. 10 for 10.30am. £14. 16-18 October £189
they turn out to break 4-0. I 10 for 10.30am. £14. Mavis Campion
Malcolm Howarth ( 01480 860477 13-15 November £189
then run the queen of hearts
( 01480 212910
which East wins and contin-
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It looks normal enough. 3-5 British Red Cross
Outlane Golf Club. 2-4 October £189
Would you believe that 12 for 12.30pm. £50 per Birkholme Manor, Corby,
against our other pair table including lunch, Grantham NG33 4LF.
North-South bid and make afternoon tea & biscuits. 3 & 4 Nov 10 for 10.30am  
to 3.15pm. 3-course lunch,
Holiday Inn
six spades? Raffle prizes. Newport NP18 2YG
Limited to 22 tables. glass of wine & raffle. £17.50pp
At that table East overcalls Rtn Sam Smith 5 Nov. 1pm for 1.30pm to 6-8 November £189
an unusual two no-trumps, ( 01924 492540 4.30pm. Tea and raffle. £10pp.
Penny Hedley Lewis
not a great  idea facing a samuelsmith396
Chatsworth Hotel
@btinternet.com ( 01476 550255
passed partner and with penny.hedleylewis Worthing BN11 3DU
diamonds so much better @farmline.com
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actly how the bidding goes 9 Cheshire Disability ROTARY CLUB
27-29 November £199
(hardly dare ask) but South Bridge Afternoon. Outlane Golf Club.
comes to rest in the slam Cranleigh School. 2.00pm. 12 for 12.30pm. £50 per table Full Board
eventually. Mr B Fear ( 01483 277418 including lunch, afternoon tea
& biscuits. Raffle prizes. No Single
West leads the king of 10 Great Barford Church
clubs. Declarer wins, cash- Village Hall Great Barford,
Limited to 22 tables. Supplement
Rtn Sam Smith
es a spade, finding out the 9.30 for 10am. £14.
Derek Fordham
( 01924 492540 Booking Form
bad news and then runs the samuelsmith396
queen of hearts. East wins
( 01234 870324 @btinternet.com on page 8.
Please note there are no
and tries to give his part- seminars, set hands or
ner a club ruff and that is E-mail your charity events: maggie@mrbridge.co.uk prizes at these events.
that. ■

Page 40 BRIDGE May 2015

 Letters from Overseas TRAVEL INSURANCE
Last month I told you that I have been
planning my personal travel arrangements

Inspiration from the Heavens?

for the coming year and my travel insurance
cover. I am sure you are aware that when
we reach a certain age, as I have, insurance
by John Barr premiums start to rise, especially with
pre-existing medical conditions. I have had

D
to seek out a new policy provider as my
uring the winter, many Aus- gazing at the heavens could be a strong insurer for many years no longer wants my
trians spend their time look- trump holding. business. I have embarked upon researching
this with my usual energy. As Acumen
ing to the heavens, studying I considered playing a heart to the
Insurance Services Limited advertise their
the skies trying to guess what the eight, but realised that partner would Genesis brand, there are some points on
weather will bring in the coming days be far from impressed if that lost to their Cover Cloud travel insurance product
and scanning the conditions atop lo- the ten, the hearts split evenly and that I am sure will be of particular interest.
cal mountains to judge where the best West’s pause was caused by him trying Under their trading names, Genesis
and Cover Cloud, they are able to
snow will be to remember
cover any age of traveller and most
tomorrow if he’d fed the pre-existing medical conditions.
morning. cats before Cruise Cover is standard to all Cover
One night coming out to Cloud policies and Ski cover can be taken
at the bridge bridge. right up to 69 years of age, which is quite
unusual. They have also negotiated with
club, my I decided
their underwriters on the medical side of
partner and to play West the policy and if you fit into the following
I had a long, for a balanced criteria you may be able to take advantage
slow bidding hand with of this low cost policy on Annual and Single
sequence to four hearts Trips up to a maximum age of 79 years.
six hearts. and started Basically the definitions of pre-existing
medical conditions is as follows: ‘Any past
We had con- with a small or current medical condition that has given
sidered the heart to the rise to symptoms or for which any form
grand slam jack, which of treatment or prescribed medication,
along the way won. medical consultation, investigation or
and I should That was follow-up/check-up has been required
or received during the 24 months prior
probably have followed by
to the commencement of cover under
converted the two top this policy and/or prior to any trip.’
to six no-trumps, but six hearts was clubs and a club ruff, the two remaining Therefore, if you have not experienced
where we rested. top diamonds and then three rounds any of the above within the 24 months prior
Before his final pass, West paused, of spades leaving this position: to the commencement of cover, you will
be accepted. However, great care should
gazed at the ceiling as if looking for
be taken in checking your medical history
inspiration, before looking back at to ensure that you fit the criteria exactly.
his hand and, with an audible sigh, ♠ 10 I am now a Cover Cloud Policy holder,
he passed slowly and led a small ♥ 8 2 but this is in no way a recommendation
diamond. ♦ ­— as you would have to check the policy
to ensure it suits your particular
♣ —
requirements in every way.
♠ — Putting travel to one side for a moment,
♠ K 10 5 3 ♥ K 10 5 N immaterial when you click onto the Genesis logo from
♥ J 8 2 ♦ — W E my website and select ‘Get Quote’, you
S
♦ K 9 ♣ — will see that there are now a wide range of
♣ A K 9 3 ♠ — insurance products available to members
including Home Emergency, Mobile
♠ 9 4 2 ♠ 8 7 6 ♥ A Q 9
Phone/Gadget, Home Appliance plus Pet
♥ K 10 5 4 N ♥ 6 ♦ — Insurance. I am sure you will find some of
♦ 7 6 4 W E ♦ J 8 5 3 2 ♣ — interest. If you are interested in any of the
S
♣ J 7 4 ♣ Q 10 6 2 above do email me at bridge@mrbridge.
♠ A Q J co.uk giving me your name, address and
telephone number and I will ask the very
♥ A Q 9 7 3 A heart to the nine endplayed West: he helpful people at Genesis Choice Travel
♦ A Q 10 is forced to lead away from the ♥K. Insurance Specialists to ring you and
♣ 8 5 The moral of the story is that when answer any questions you might have.
you have a holding that you think will This is as enthusiastic an endorsement as
cause declarer problems – pass quickly I dare make without getting into trouble.
When dummy came down, I realised and don’t warn him of the danger that Mr Bridge
that the only justification for West lurks in your hand. ■

BRIDGE May 2015 Page 41

 A Blast From the Past 11 by Shireen Mohandes

Very
Superstitious
S
uperstition, the song, was Ste- Pietro Campanile, which can be found
From The Reading Eagle
vie Wonder’s big hit in the early at http://tinyurl.com/or8cl55.
(a US newspaper) in 1937
1970s. Stevie was trying to tell At rubber bridge, the person who
us about the dangers of placing any wins the cut can choose their seat and by Eddy Gilmore
weight on the wisdom of the ancients. deck. Before the cards are dealt, there William Cheeks, in charge of
The chorus goes: are great opportunities to cultivate the superstition department
When you believe in things that you a superstition or two and then spend for the national contract
don’t understand,  time talking about them. Maybe you bridge championships, looked
Then you suffer,  are/have been a silent follower? Have over the entries with a sigh
Superstition ain’t the way, yeh, yeh. you secretly always preferred West today … his assignments:
It might be hard to believe nowadays, over East, or always one deck colour l Find a portable divan for
but many bridge players, especially over another, not wanting a score pad Edward Hymes jr., who curls
those who play rubber bridge, have of a certain type? Play has not even up with the cards before
had long lists of superstitions – indeed started yet, but there are many things making a tough play.
enough that The Bridge World carried a to fret about. The Catholic Church l Provide a masseur for P.
feature length article about them. This considers superstition sinful, yet so Hal Sims who never goes
article was later reprinted in Albert A many people are committing this sin into a tournament play
Ostrow’s excellent book entitled The every time they play cards, to protect without a head massage.
Bridge Player’s Bedside Companion them against bad luck, yet, in all l Keep the way cleared to John
(1956). A more recent retrospective probability, not worrying about the E Rau’s room. If he runs into
appeared in an amusing article by wrath of their deity. bad luck, he’ll dash upstairs
and change his clothes
right down to his socks.
Baron Waldemar von Zedwitz (1896-1984) l Forestall a carnation shortage in
the Capital. Ely Culbertson
Born and educated in Germany, the never enters play without one…
Baron served in the German cavalry in
l Make sure nobody sits in
WW1. He moved to the USA, naturalised
William McKinney’s chair.
and lived in New York and Hawaii.
He drags it from table to
He was friends with Harold Vanderbilt
table or he doesn’t play.
and, with Harold, was one of the key
players and promoters of bridge. l Prevent kibitzers from wishing
Professionally, he was a lexicographer Mrs. Sims well. She thinks it’s
and linguist. Talented at backgammon, bad luck to have someone
he won a major event at the age of 82. wish her good luck.
l Keep the way open from
The Baron had a summer home in
the door to the chair of
New Jersey, near the home of P.
Baron Waldemar von
Hal Sims. During a rubber bridge
Zedwitz, who won’t come
game at the Sims home, one of the
in until the whistle blows.
players used to sing hymns in Latin
when he was dummy. The other Photo: ACBL l Dissuade anyone from
players became a bit suspicious picking up the stub pencil
because declarer, a friend of the singing dummy, was unusually lucky in which Mrs. Mckinney carries.
locating honour cards. Ostrow reports ‘…An expert in Latin confirmed … She’s been known to insult
the singer was spotting honours for the benefit of the player…’ strangers who touched it.

Page 42 BRIDGE May 2015

 Very Superstitious continued
I will return to this, but before I do,
here is a superstition common in Vi-
enna, described in Ostrow’s book. The
proverb is, ‘Where the nine is, there is
also the queen’. This is how it is meant
to work:
A 4 3 2
N
W E
S
K J 10 5
Play the 5 towards the ace. If your left
hand opponent plays any card other
than the nine, then play your ace and
play small towards your hand, finess-
ing against East.
A 4 3 2
N
Q 9
W E 876
S
K J 10 5
However, if the nine does appear at
trick one, then win the ace and play for
the drop, ie, at trick two, play to your
king and hope that your left hand op-
ponent has exactly Q-9 doubleton.
Reader, this is terrible advice. One
can only imagine that in a coffee
house somewhere dark, perhaps even
the basis of a sub-plot of a Graham
Greene novel, a group of gangster
bridge professionals put out the word
that this was the best way to play this
combination.
Bathtub
It is said that some rubber
bridge players believe that if
they are seated in the direction
of their bathtub at home, then
they’ll be dealt better cards.
So what do other people think about
finding queens? In Belgium, they be-
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 43
lieve that the queen lies over the jack.
Alan Truscott’s Rule advises that if
you don’t have any information at all,
then as declarer, play the person on
lead to have the queen. Alan wasn’t us-
ing superstition, he was using science.
Without the queen, he will sometimes
lead that suit, but with the queen, es-
pecially if it’s the queen of trumps,
then he’ll never lead it for fear of losing
an opportunity for a potential trick.
This advice from Alan is very simi-
lar to the situation when you have a
king-jack holding:
K J
N certainly not perfect interleaves.
W E
S
4 3 2
You have to decide who to play for
the ace and queen. If you really have
no information to guide you (such as
distribution of the other suits, failure
to bid, etc) then it is advised to play
your left hand opponent for the ace.
After all, holding the queen, he may
or may not choose to lead the suit, but
with the ace and in a suit contract, he’s
very unlikely to lead away from the
ace.
Ready for a bit more science? The
following applies only for hand dealt
games (in other words, it is not rel-
evant for computer dealt cards, as is
very common nowadays in duplicate
pairs and teams).
A 10 9 8
N
W E
S
K J 7 6
Declarer needs to find the queen.
Because many players don’t shuffle
well, cards tend to remain in clusters.
If you do run the jack and it is suc-
cessful, going, J-Q-A and then you
don’t shuffle well, the chances are that
the cards will stay like that and when
they are dealt later, they’ll be friendly.
‘Ah… but...,’ I can hear you saying,
‘what happens if the jack loses to the
fourth person? Won’t that mean that
the cards are then separated and so
stay separated?’ Yes, that is true, but
then I will ask you to think back two
deals. Where was the queen then? If
you can’t remember, then look at your
scorecard and hope that your memory
is prompted.
How many times do you
need to shuffle a deck?
Much serious research has been
carried out by maths professors
on this topic. The answer is, ‘seven
decent riffle shuffles.’ By decent,
I mean fairly inter-leaved, but
If you aren’t a riffle-shuffler, but
rather you do cut-and-fold-in or
overhand type shuffles, then I am
afraid you need between 2,000
and 2,500. Yes, I kid you not.
Migry Zur Campanile, a professional
bridge player now resident in New
York, told me about a famous player
in Israel who may well have been the
most superstitious person in the bridge
world. Apparently, before every match
he would buy a new shirt, and cut a
small hole in it just above the pocket.
This hole allowed whatever bad bridge
that might be in him to exit his body,
and be released to the outside world.
We started with poppycock (advice
from Austria being terrible and
Belgium neither here nor there) and
moved onto science. Keeping on the
science theme, I wondered if there
has been any research on superstition.
Unsurprisingly, there has. In 2009, a
team from the University of Cologne
in Germany published a paper in
Psychological Science. They conducted
four experiments to evaluate the
outcomes of superstitious behaviour.
On all counts there were positive
improvements or performance
outcomes from those who are
superstitious. In short, being confident
about, or because of, your superstitions
lead to better results.
Robert Sheehan, former bridge cor-
respondent of The Times and holder of
a silver medal at the Bermuda Bowl,
told me that he’s not superstitious
 Superstitious continued he stumbled and fell. De-
spite some pain, as he didn’t
want to miss the event, he
continued on his way. Dur-
himself, but plays regularly ing the first session the pain
against a player who is. That started to cause him some
player prefers the red deck concern, so he decided to go
over the blue deck, so Robert to the nearby hospital in the
makes damn sure that when break between the sessions.
it’s his choice, he chooses the It turned out that he had
red deck. broken two ribs. So commit-
ted are bridge players that
we can play three hours of
bridge while putting up with
the agony of broken ribs.
Turning full circle, was
Stevie Wonder’s advice right
after all? If the German sci-
entists are to be believed,
then no, but only if you are
in a position to get what you
‘See a penny, pick it up. want, because if you can’t sit
All the day, you’ll have good in the direction of your bath
luck.’ Just a few weeks ago, or choose the red deck when
a USA player on his way to you want to, then perhaps
a bridge event saw a penny you would be better off hid-
and reached down to pick ing your superstitions in the
it up, but somehow or other attic. ■
Real Leather Gifts
Beautiful zipped case in burgundy red or deep blue
containing two packs of cards and a set of our bridge design
ballpoint pens. £39.00
Set of 4 scorepad holders - two burgundy, two blue, made
from top quality leather. £39.00
Special Offer for readers
Buy the two for £68.00. Save £10
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Phone 01483 750611
Page 44 BRIDGE May 2015
READERS’
LETTERS
SLOWLY SPREADING
Thank you for putting
BRIDGE up on-line.
I am an ACBL director/
club owner from the US, now
living in Singapore. I own and
run the American Woman’s
Association Duplicate
Bridge Club. A British
friend started forwarding
me your magazine about
three years ago and I love
David Stevenson’s column.
I copy his pages and make
them available to all of my
members who choose to
become more enlightened
as bridge players.
Thank you for your efforts
on behalf of bridge players
worldwide. We have such
a great game, it is a great
shame to see its decline.
Karol Crouse, by email.
ALTERNATIVE VIEW
I have just read the article
by Ned Paul in BRIDGE
147 and I disagree with
some of what he says.
In the example given,
there is nothing wrong with
bidding 1♥ over 1♣ if, as
stated, the opener continues
with 2♣. Responder can
then bid 2♦. This is similar
in principle to opening the
bidding with the higher of two
equal length suits. Would it
not be the case that bidding
1♦ and then 2♥ in response
to 2♣ would send the wrong
signals and possibly lead to
too high a final contract?
Another point is that
many players prefer to
try 3NT where only nine
tricks are needed. Minor
suit games are notoriously
tricky, largely because there
is little scope for error.
Tom Inglis by email.
EXTRA EXPOSURE
Here is an interesting auction
that occurred between
my partner and me.
I opened 1NT (15-17).
My partner held five
hearts and intended to
transfer by playing the two
diamonds bidding card.
However, he placed
the ♦2 playing card on
the table instead.
This remained on the
table as an exposed card
until the end of the auction,
which finished in 4♥ by
me, so his whole hand
went down as dummy.
Andrew Mountain,
Wrexham, Wales.
GOOD POINT
Unlike many recent
correspondents, I don’t
have a problem with Mr
Bridge deciding to charge
for BRIDGE, whether
printed or online. That is
his decision and one every
publication with bridge
content has to make, from
The Times downwards.
What I do have a problem
with is the online version
being made available to
non-subscribers way before
the magazine is even posted
out to subscribers. In the
case of the April issue, I
was notified by email that
the online version was
available on 6 March, with
the following message:
‘The April 2015 edition of
BRIDGE is now available to
view online... It is currently
being printed and postal
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
copies will be with subscribers
in the next few weeks.’
This is clearly a ridiculous
policy and is no way to
‘reward’ those who pay
(admittedly a modest sum) to
receive a paper copy of the
magazine. I trust this policy
will be reversed and in future
the online edition will only
be made available after the
magazine has had time to
be delivered to subscribers.
Mr Dave Simmons,
Buntingford, Herts.
This will be our new policy.
PLEASE RETHINK
With regret, I will not be
renewing my subscription to
your magazine, BRIDGE.
My main reason being
the personal ramblings of
Sally Brock. I don’t need
to know all that ‘stuff’.
We shall particularly miss
the David Stevenson and
Julian Pottage questions and
answers. Thank you for all
the past magazines which
we thoroughly enjoyed.
Mr & Mrs M Mollart-
Rogerson, Southampton.
BRIDGE is a monthly
magazine. As such I try to
make its pages as varied
and interesting as possible.
Please don’t give up, just turn
over the offending pages.
I do hope you will change
your mind and, by the way,
congratulations on your
recent award from the EBU.
JUST BRIDGE
Having enjoyed several of
your bridge weekends in
the UK in the past and not
managing to attend Bernard’s
events in Worthing so far this
year, I was pleased to see
that you plan to provide Just
Bridge sessions again, but I
do not have a computer so
cannot receive information.
I do hope you will be able
BRIDGE May 2015 Page 45
to find space in BRIDGE to
advertise these events.
Mrs P Morgan,
Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
See page 40.
NEARLY EXPIRED
I hesitated to join the ranks
of those refraining from
renewing my subscription
for fear of being allied with
the cohort of arrogant,
impertinent and downright
rude persons who have, from
time to time, declared their
departure on the grounds that
you don’t know what you are
doing or you are not doing
things as they would and
anyway they know better.
The stupefying pomposity
of such individuals may
perhaps be no more evident
in bridge circles as in others
which they inhabit. You
(and we) are well rid of
them (what the other bridge
circles do is up to them).
Unfortunately, the ‘we’
above is a bit of a misnomer
because I am really no
longer a bridge player
due to infirmities such as
memory and eyesight that
afflict some others who
have attained 85. I am not
fortunate enough to belong
to the elite who remain
keenly competitive until a
decade (or more) older.
I am not sure when my
present Founder Subscription
expires, but please note
the non-renewal is coupled
with my enthusiastic best
wishes for your continued
success providing services.
Mr David O’Neill,
Colkirk, Fakenham.
Thank you.
FREE SERVICE
Pat Holman asks where
they can practice their
partnership bidding using
their laptops (BRIDGE 147).
If they join Bridge Base
Online, or BBO as it is
popularly known, not only
can they play online but there
is a free of charge facility to
enable practice bidding with
no opponents. My partner,
Liz Commins, and I do not
like online play, but we do
use it to practice our bid-
ding and it is very good.
David Stevenson,
Wirral, Merseyside.
DISAPPOINTED
I hear Bernard Magee and
his team had a successful
weekend on the Isle of Wight.
I was disappointed at not
being able to book this year.
Do include the Isle of Wight
in next year’s planning.
Val Halladey by email.
UNANSWERED
I do not believe that David
Stevenson’s extensive
response to the letter on
Simultaneous Pairs in
Bridge 148 really answered
the prime concern.
I play at two clubs, one
weaker than the other. If
I played the same boards
at both clubs, then at the
weaker club on a number
of boards, I would make
more tricks than at the
stronger club. Hence, on
those boards, I would get
a higher actual score.
If both sets of scores were
entered into the national
simultaneous pairs, then
I would do better with the
results from the weaker club
than the stronger club. The
extent of the difference is
obviously dependent upon the
relative strengths of the two
clubs and how many extra
tricks I make on the boards.
The fact that you can do
better nationally by playing at
a weaker club is the real issue
with respect to the scoring.
David Lawrence,
Hook, Hants.
Write to Mr Bridge at: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey
GU21 2TH or e-mail letters @mrbridge.co.uk
TUNISIA DELIGHT
My wife and I celebrated
our Golden Wedding at the
Royal Kenz Hotel in Tunisia
this month with Bernard
and his excellent team – our
first experience of a Mr
Bridge event. Everything
about it was a real delight,
from the wonderfully varied
programme on offer, to the
bridge instruction, the hotel
(quality, location, service
and food), not forgetting the
lovely golf course nearby.
We send a big ‘Thank You’
to Bernard and to all involved
with the organisation,
including Tunisia First and
Eden Tours. Also, to our
great friend Anna who
gave us a subscription to
your magazine, BRIDGE.
Despite the tragic events
in Tunis the following week
and the inevitable hit being
taken by its vitally important
tourist industry, we would
certainly sign up again
for another such treat.
Maureen & Jeremy
Rittener, Málaga, Spain.
WE AIM TO PLEASE
I suspect I will not be alone
in feeling that issue 148 is an
outstandingly good one even
by your high standards. As a
player and teacher, I felt that
every page had something of
value on it and all the articles
are extremely clearly written.
And I’m a warm supporter of
Sally Brock: where else could
you get advice and interesting
hands from a world-class
player, while being reminded
that top bridge players do
have friends and families,
have to cook meals, decorate
the house and also have
brilliant hands and disasters?
Keep up the exceptional work.
Jim Miller,
Loughborough, Leics. ■
 Julian Pottage answers your Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Multi
all About?
A
Multi 2♦ opening bid shows
either a weak hand with a long
major or some strong hand.
The weak hand with a long major is
like a weak two opening, say a 6-card
major with 6-10 points.
The stronger hand might be balanced
or, as some play, eight playing tricks
in a minor or possibly a three-suited
hand.
People play a Multi because doing so
frees 2♥ and 2♠ for another purpose.
In the early days of the Multi, the other
purpose for 2♥ and 2♠ was retaining
them as natural Acol two openings.
Nowadays, I suspect the majority of
Multi users play 2♥ and 2♠ as weak
two-suited openings such as ‘Lucas’.
Usually, responder to the Multi 2♦
opening takes one of three actions:
(i) 2♥ = to play facing a weak two in
hearts.
(ii) 2♠ = to play facing a weak two in
spades but with heart support.
(iii) 2NT = strong enquiry.
After the 2♥ response, opener passes
with a weak hand and hearts, bids 2♠
with a weak hand and spades, or bids
something else with a strong hand.
After the 2♠ response, opener passes
with a weak hand and spades, bids 3♥
or 4♥ with a weak hand and hearts,
or bids something else with a strong
hand.
After the 2NT response, there is
greater variation on the continuations.
A possible set of rebids (where a bal-
anced hand is the only strong option)
is:
(a) 3♣ = max weak two in hearts.
(b) 3♦ = max weak two in spades.
(c) 3♥ = min weak two in hearts.
(d) 3♠ = min weak two in spades.
(e) 3NT = strong balanced.
Page 46 BRIDGE May 2015
Let us see an example:
♠ A Q 9 7 4 3 ♠ 8 2
♥ 10 5 N ♥ A 8
W E
♦ J 4 S ♦ K 10 6 2
♣ 10 6 3 ♣ K J 7 4 2
West East
2♦1 2♥2
2♠3 Pass
1
Multi
2
Relay, to play facing a weak hand with
hearts
3
Showing a weak two in spades
Note that this auction has taken an ex-
tra round of bidding compared with a
weak 2♠ opening.
As the Multi is a complicated con-
vention, you may well be more inter-
ested in how to play against it rather
than how to play it. Defending against
it is a bit different depending upon
whether you are in second seat or
fourth seat. In either case, assuming
the Multi bidder has a weak hand, you
will be bidding with strength rather
than weakness.
In second seat, since you do not
know what opener’s suit is, you can-
not readily make a take-out bid. The
upside is that much of the time, you
will get a second chance to compete.
A simple defence is to play everything
apart from double as natural. A dou-
ble shows either a balanced hand too
weak for a no-trump overcall (say 12-
15 points) or a strong hand (19 points
or more). Remember, partner does not
normally have to bid after the dou-
ble. Usually, opener will have a long
major and will not be passing out 2♦
doubled. If you are short in one major,
you can pass first time and then make
a take-out double next time if, as ex-
pected, opener turns up with a weak
two in your short major. A delayed
overcall is generally the same as an
immediate overcall but weaker, save
that a delayed 2NT overcall shows two
suits (minors) rather than a balanced
hand.
West North East South
2♦1
?
1
Multi
Hand 1 Hand 2
♠ 7 ♠ Q 9 4
♥ A Q 9 5 3 ♥ K 4
♦ K J 4 2 ♦ A J 10 3
♣ Q 10 3 ♣ K 9 8 2
Hand 3
♠ Q 5
♥ 9 3
♦ A Q 5
♣ K 10 7 6 5 3
With Hand 1, overcall 2♥. This will be
your last chance to show the suit at the
two level.
With Hand 2, double. This shows
something like a weak NT (or a very
strong hand).
With Hand 3, you are a bit weak for
an immediate 3♣ overcall. Partner
will be all too likely to bid 3NT over it
and find your hand a disappointment.
You should pass first time; you may be
able to bid 3♣ next round to compete
the partscore.
In fourth seat, the simplest thing is
to treat 2♦(Multi)-pass-2♥ the same as
you would treat 2♥(weak)-pass-pass
and to treat 2♦(Multi)-pass-2♠ the
same as you would treat 2♠(weak)-
pass-pass. ■
 Answers to 
David Huggett’s 
Play Quiz on page 24
You are declarer in 6NT and West leads
1. ♠ K 8 the ♠10. You play the ♠K and it wins. 4. ♠ J 10 9 5
♥ K 10 2 How do you plan the play? ♥ 8 5
♦ A 7 5 3 In the excitement of the moment, you ♦ A 8 7 5 3
♣ 8 6 5 3 mustn’t let your concentration waver. If ♣ A 6
♠ Q 10 9 2 ♠ A J 5 3 you play a club to hand at trick two, you ♠ A 6 ♠ 4
N N
♥ 4 ♥ 7 6 5 won’t make the contract if the clubs break ♥ A J 9 2 W E ♥ Q 10 4 3
W E
♦ J 10 8 6 S ♦ Q 4 2 3-1 because the suit is blocked. You have ♦ 9 2 S ♦ Q J 10
♣ A J 7 4 ♣ 10 9 2 to be aware of that possibility and play ♣ K Q J 10 7 ♣ 9 5 4 3 2
♠ 7 6 4 another top spade from dummy instead. ♠ K Q 8 7 3 2
♥ A Q J 9 8 3 You can discard two diamonds from hand ♥ K 7 6
♦ K 9 on the second and third round of spades ♦ K 6 4
♣ K Q and come to twelve tricks via two spades, ♣ 8
four hearts, two diamonds and four clubs.

You are declarer in 4♥ and West leads
the ♦J. How do you plan the play?
With six heart tricks, two diamonds
and a club, you are looking for only one
more trick, but, even so, you have to be
careful. If you draw even one round of
trumps before playing spades, you might
find that, if East has the ace of spades
and three trumps, he will be able to deny
you a ruff in dummy by leading trumps
himself. Of course, the answer couldn’t
be simpler, just win the lead in hand and
play a spade immediately. Even with the
spade ace wrong, nothing can prevent
you from ruffing a spade in dummy for
your tenth trick.
2. ♠ K Q J 3
♥ 6 5
♦ 8 7
♣ Q 6 5 4 3
♠ 10 9 8 ♠ A 7 6 5 4
N
♥ 8 7 4 3 ♥ 10 9 2
W E
♦ J 9 2 S ♦ Q 10 5 4
♣ 10 9 2 ♣ J
♠ 2
♥ A K Q J
♦ A K 6 3
♣ A K 8 7
3. ♠ 6 4
♥ K Q 3
♦ A J 10 6
♣ K J 10 5
♠ Q 10 8 5 ♠ K J 9 7
N
♥ 10 7 2 ♥ 9 6 5
W E
♦ 8 3 2 S ♦ K 5 4
♣ A 6 2 ♣ 7 4 3
♠ A 3 2
♥ A J 8 4
♦ Q 9 7
♣ Q 9 8
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads
the ♠5 (fourth highest). How do you plan
the play?
It looks tempting to take a diamond fi-
nesse at some point, but can that really
be right? From the lead and the Rule of
Eleven, if you care to apply it, it would
seem that the spades are breaking 4-4.
If that is the case, then you can guaran-
tee your contract by driving out the ace of
clubs and leaving diamonds well alone. If,
on the other hand, you take the diamond
finesse and it fails, you will lose three
spades and a trick in both the minors. As
usual, it is imperative to count your win-
ners and not just play on autopilot.
You are declarer in 4♠ after West has
opened 1♣ and East raised pre-emptively
to 3♣. West leads the ♣K. How do you
plan the play?
You are in danger of losing one spade,
two hearts and a diamond and, with the
ace of hearts likely to be sitting over the
king, you must aim to keep East off lead
at all costs. You are also likely to need
diamonds to break 3-2 to furnish heart
discards in hand, but there is a danger
that East will have three diamonds and
therefore an entry to find the killing heart
switch. The answer is simple. Just duck
the opening lead and throw a diamond
on the ace next time. That way, you can
ruff the third round of diamonds and will
have a trump entry to dummy to enjoy
the suit. ■
Mr Bridge
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BRIDGE May 2015 Page 47

 Sail with Bernard Magee and friends on a magnificent voyage
SPAIN
Tangier Malaga
Casablanca
Las Palmas Marrakesh
canary Agadir
MOROCCO
islands Dakhla
Western
Sahara desert
Praia
Cape Verde Bom Bom
Islands
Sao Tome
Sao Tome
& Principe Luanda
Angola
Atlantic Walvis Bay
Ocean Luderitz Namibia
South Africa
Cape Town
CRUISE FROM MALAGA TO CAPE TOWN
NOV 19 Fly to MALAGA Spain
Embark Aegean Odyssey
NOV 20 TANGIER Morocco
NOV 21 CASABLANCA/RABAT/
MARRAKESH Morocco
Morning sightseeing in Casablanca and
Rabat. Afternoon drive to Marrakesh hotel
NOV 22 MARRAKESH/AGADIR Morocco
Sightseeing. Drive to Agadir to rejoin ship
NOV 23 At Sea
NOV 24 LAS PALMAS Canary Islands
NOV 25 At Sea
NOV 26 AD DAKHLA Western Sahara Desert
LOW NOV 27/28 At Sea

JOIN THIS 4-WEEK SINGLE NOV 29 PRAIA Cape Verde Islands

NOV 30-DEC 5 At Sea
SUPPLEMENTS† DEC 6 SAO TOME

ODYSSEY TO DEC 7
DEC 8/9
BOM BOM ISLAND Principe
At Sea – Crossing the Equator

THE CAPE OF DEC 10

DEC 11/12
DEC 13
LUANDA Angola
At Sea
WALVIS BAY Namibia

GOOD HOPE DEC 14

DEC 15
DEC 16-18
DEC 19
LUDERITZ Namibia
At Sea
CAPE TOWN South Africa
CAPE TOWN South Africa
overnight

31 days departing November 19, 2015 Transfer to Airport for flight home

AEG151119BR

If you have a passion for travel as well as your passion for fares* from £3,995pp include:
bridge, then join Bernard Magee on this remarkable month- • Scheduled economy class flights
with free regional connections from selected UK airports
long Mr Bridge cruise. From the souks of Morocco and the • Expert guest speaker programme
Western Sahara Desert to the Skeleton Coast of Namibia and • Daily duplicate bridge
the summer sunshine in Cape Town, this will be an experience • Bridge seminars when at sea
like no other. Excursions and sightseeing are included in your • Sightseeing excursions at most ports of call
• Open-seating dining
fare, as well as the comprehensive bridge programme. • Mr Bridge drinks party
• Complimentary wine with dinner on board
• Gratuities for on-board cabin
and restaurant staff
• Overseas transfers and baggage handling
MR BRIDGE VALUE FARES*
Standard Inside from £3,995pp
Outside from £4,895pp
Balcony from £7,095pp
CALL NOW ON 01483 489961 Past passengers receive a
10% discount on these fares –
OR VISIT www.mrbridge.co.uk please ask for details.

Cabins can be held at no obligation for 7 days *Mr Bridge fares are per person and subject to availability at time of booking. They may be withdrawn at any
time without notice. †Single accommodation is available only in certain categories and is subject to availability.
#Please note that bridge will not be possible during our overnight land tour from Casablanca to Agadir.

V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY
10093

ABTA No.Y2206