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BERNARD MAGEEatDenham Grovenear Uxbridge, Bucks, UB9 5DG.10-13 January 2014£299 full board(Special early booking price)TopicsSACRIFICINGAn exciting aspect of the auction is outbidding youropponents and going down, but gaining by doing so.Learning to bid more aggressively and make the bestof your cards will enhance both your scores and yourenjoyment levels.TRUMP CONTROLHandling the play of the hand when trumps break badly isan important attribute: playing calmly and using a varietyof tactics to pave the way to success.WEAK TWOSIt is important to bid more in the modern game and weaktwos are an important choice for the competitive player.They allow for pre-emptive and accurate bidding.DEFENSIVE PLANLooking at your own hand, then at dummy and envisaginghow partner’s hand will allow you to make a plan for thedefence. By having a framework to make your way acrossyou will hopefully learn to identify various defensivesituations and solve the problems you face.FURTHER IN TO THE AUCTIONThe first two bids of an auction are usually easy, butbeyond that the complications increase. Learn about yourvarious options and how to ‘talk’ to your partner duringthe bidding.IMPROVING BRIDGE MEMORYRemembering every card is a dream for most of us.However, learn ways in which to remember the importantthings. What was the first discard or how many trumpsare left out?2014 FILMINGThe next six films in theBetter Bridge with BernardMagee series are to be shotin the course of an event atDenham Grove in January.See advert for topics.The course, which includesthree nights full board,starts on Friday morning at10.15am and ends with alazy Monday breakfast.Those coming a distancemay wish to book for theThursday overnight stay.£60 per person, dinner, bedand breakfast.This is extra to the specialearly booking price of £299per person. No singlesupplement. However, fullpayment must be made atthe time of booking.CHATSWORTHHOTEL PRIZE QUIZThis problem has been sentin by Mike Gurney of Holt,Norfolk. The answer andthe winner will bepublished in the Decemberissue. Entries should besent in before 30.09.2013.The prize is a room for oneor two at any of myweekend events at theChatsworth Hotel, in 2014.You are West playingstandard Acol andvulnerable.♠ 8 7 5 3♥ 2♦ 9 5 4 2♣ 8 4 3 2NW ESFESTIVE BERNARDWe are filling up for thefestive season earlier thanusual this year. As a result,we have decided to put on aTwixmas 2-night event andto use a location in thenorth west of England.Inn on the Prom, Lytham27-29 December 2013Signals and DiscardsBernard Magee £245FESTIVE MEI am looking forward tosaying hello to everyone atthe New Year’s Eve GalaDinner at Denham Grove.I hope to stay on for a gameof bridge as I did last year.The late breakfast was asplendid treat.TO CLEARTwin packs of my lovelypremium quality playingcards, in a tasteful goldcoloureddrop-lid box, havebeen reduced to two for £12and that includes the p&p.SO SORRYSeveral of the adverts inthis issue have coupons. Ifyou do not wish to defaceyour magazine, ring myoffice and I will fill in andpost your coupon for you.All good wishesMr Bridge6 seminar sessions with Bernard 16 sessions of supervised play 2Contact Mr Bridge to book your placeor for further details: ( 01483 4899611Filmed 2Not with Bernard Magee.West2♦2NT?East2♣2♥3♣Having given two‘negatives’ what shouldWest bid now?STOP PRESSI am hoping to promotebridge parties for one ortwo weeks in Croatia.Please register yourinterest if you wouldlike further details.■Page 6

Answers to Bernard Magee’sBidding Quizzes 1-3 on the Cover1. Dealer West. Love All.♠ A K Q J 8 7 6 5 ♠ 9 3♥ 9 8 N ♥ Q 5W E♦ J ♦ 10 7 6 4 3♣ 3 2 ♣ A 9 5 4West North East South?S4♠. You have eight playing tricks, butyou do not have a strong hand – do notconsider a strong two-level opening.When you have a long suit, you shouldevaluate your hand’s strength againstan opponent’s contract and then decidewhether to open pre-emptively or strongly.Imagine you were defending against4♥: how many tricks would you expect tomake?One, if you are lucky and nobody isvoid in spades.Compare one trick with eight certaintricks in spades and the point should beclear. Whenever the difference betweenyour declaring potential and your defensivepotential is very large, then youshould consider pre-empting.With a solid eight-card suit, you mustopen 4♠ because you have too muchtrick taking power to open just 3♠. Youwill go one off in 4♠, but that is a lot betterthan allowing the opponents to makeeleven tricks in hearts.shows a strong hand with at least fivehearts (playing transfers the bid wouldpromise six hearts). It gives partner threechoices: 3NT, 4♥ or make a slam try ifyou fit well for hearts.This last option is very important – youmust assess your hand – if you like heartsand have plenty of high cards, then youshould encourage partner to look for aslam.The 3NT response says, I do not likehearts; 4♥ says, I like hearts but I havenothing special. Any other responseshould be a cuebid agreeing hearts astrumps.Here, you have good heart supportand hold three key-cards (2 aces and theking of trumps) so you must express yourexcitement by bidding 4♣. This showsheart support and club control.Your slam try is enough to encourageEast and he bids key-card Blackwood.Your 5♠ response allows him to settle for6♥.If you simply respond 4♥, East will pass– his hand’s potential depends on how itfits with yours. So it is up to you to showyour excitement.3. Dealer East. Love All.♠ 7 6 ♠ K Q 8 5♥ A 8 4 2N♥ 9 7♦ A 6 5 3W ES♦ K Q J 8♣ Q 8 2 ♣ A 7 4room. Your long suits are so poor, youdo best to downgrade the hand and bid1NT.Evaluating the hand as 9 points isabout right.Your partner has 15 HCP and will passyour response. You have 25 points betweenyou, but your bare hand will notbear fruit in the play. On most days, youwill make seven or eight tricks. To makenine tricks, you will need two finesses towork and the opponents unable to makethree heart tricks: perhaps a 10% chance.Bidding is not always just a case ofcounting points, it can be looking beyondthat and evaluating your hand fully.Intermediate cards (tens and nines) andthe way your cards work together, makea lot of difference. When honours areby themselves, they are weakened andwhen long suits have just one high card,they have less potential.Finishing in 1NT with these hands willusually get you a great score, whilst mostare going one or two off in 3NT. ■The Innon the PromSt Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU2. Dealer South. Love All♠ 6 5 ♠ A 7 2WN♥ K J 3 ♥ A Q 10 9 5 4♦ A Q 7 4 ♦ 8SE♣ A 9 6 5 ♣ K Q 2West North East SouthPass1NT Pass 3♥ Pass?4♣. A direct response of 3♥ to 1NTWest North East South1♠ Pass?1NT. You have a bare 10 points witheach of the high cards isolated and asmall doubleton in your partner’s suit, sothe hands are not fitting particularly well.You have three choices: 1NT, 2♦ or2NT?2♥ is not an option for it promisesfive cards. A direct 2NT response is outof vogue because it takes up too much27-29 December 2013Bernard MageeSignals & Discards £24521-23 March 2014Bernard MageeDoubles £245Full BoardNo Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.Page 10

Ask David continuedQA defender toa no-trumpcontract made anunexpected switch to alow club when everyoneelse expected him toreturn a spade. Next toplay was declarer, whorevoked by playing ♠A.The next player alsorevoked, playing a lowspade, at which pointthe defender on leadasked, ‘having none?’Since the revokeswere not established,declarer withdrew the♠A and returned it tohis hand substituting aclub without penalty. Thesecond defender alsocorrected his revoke,as did dummy who hadplayed the only spadein his hand, withoutbeing instructed todo so by declarer.A director wasunavailable, so we wouldappreciate answers tothese two questions:1. Can the defender’squery re a possiblerevoke apply equally todeclarer even though itwas not made until afterhis partner had played?2. Can the leader’spartner avoid thenormal penalty for hisrevoke (the card playedbecoming a majorpenalty card) by invokingLaw 62 which might allowhim to withdraw the cardhe had played withoutpenalty after declarer’searlier revoke?Chris Pickup, Lostock, Bolton.ADeclarer is requiredto correct a revoke ifhe becomes awareof it before it is established.How he becomes aware ofit is irrelevant. So once thedefender asked the question,if this woke declarer up thenhe must correct his revoke.Your second questionis very interesting and notone that had occurredto me. The laws are verypoor on handling multipleinfractions: they tend toignore the possibility. Manypeople think it unfair thatthe defenders have a majorpenalty card and declarerhas no penalty, though thisis because declarer has nopartner to worry about.While the laws do notcover the situation properlyone way or another, I likethe suggested solutionwhich seems equitable. Ofcourse, Law 62C1 refersto a ‘non-offending side’,but the defenders werenon-offending in respectof declarer’s revoke. Soin such a situation thereare no penalty cards.♣♦♥♠QI belong to aduplicate bridgeclub with a totalof 50 members. It is avery friendly club withgood atmosphere andarguments are few. Ialways elect to playNorth with my regularpartner and always tryto keep the boards in themiddle of the table, as Iwas taught many yearsago. Some players objectand move them eitherto the edge of the tableor even on to the floor.Sometimes, particularlyif I or my partner isdeclarer, we ask thatthe boards be left in themiddle of the table. Weaccommodate playerswho have poor eyesightand try not to make abig ‘thing’ about it.Recently, a newmember of the club andhis partner have objectedstrongly to keepingboards in the middle ofthe table and it createsa most unpleasantatmosphere whenarriving at our table.He does not accept thatit is the correct positionand wants to bring adifferent ruling at thenext AGM. Our directoris very easy going andI can imagine it mightprove unpopular withmembers if a definiteruling is made. I don’twant to be the one to ruinthe atmosphere in ourclub and I am beginningto wonder whether I amright or not, or have Imisinterpreted Rule 7Ain the yellow book?Personally, I dofind it very awkwardwhen boards aremoved and as NorthI get concerned whencards are sometimesreturned incorrectly tothe board. Should I justgive way for the sakeof peace and quiet?Janet Jackson by email.AThe law is simple.The board mustalways remain inthe middle of the table.In practice, many clubshave small tables, andsome people have pooreyesight, so boards oftendo get moved. While thisis generally accepted, it isnot acceptable to take theboard off the table: it is notacceptable to twist the board.I think it is time you wroteto the club committeeand pointed out that thenewcomers are seriouslyupsetting you with theirattitude. What they wantis illegal, unnecessary andit seems unreasonablefor newcomers to upsetexisting members. You arenot the one to upset theatmosphere. The newcomershave already done that.♣♦♥♠QI score bridgesessions andthe results goon the club website thefollowing day. Someonehas challenged myscoring a week later.What is a reasonabletime after which nobodycan question thepublished results?Cilla Barnes, Dorking.AThe law book sayshalf-an-hour afterpublication of theresults unless the organisersdecide otherwise. However,half-an-hour is unreasonablewith results published onthe internet. In fact, I think itunreasonable for any resultsfrom clubs with players goinghome and so forth. I havealways advised clubs thatresults should become finalonly at the start of the sessionone week later.DUPLICATE BRIDGERULES SIMPLIFIED(otherwise known as the Yellow Book)by John Rumbelow andrevised by David Stevensononly£5 95Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961Page 13

Ask David continuedQWe play in aleague in whichwe have oneplayer who asks onfirst lead, ‘Why didyou play that?’ and onfirst discard, ‘Why didyou discard that?’We have told himour carding systemand I know thatquestions can be askedof partner when thecards are being playedabout systems, but is heallowed to ask this?Name and Address Supplied.AHe has no rightwhatever to aska player why theyplayed a card or why theydiscarded a card. I suggestyou agree with your partnerthat in future you alwaysanswer such a questionwith, ‘Because I felt like it.’He does have the rightto know what leads anddiscards you play, so thepartner of the player wholed or discarded can tell himyour basic leads or discards.♣♦♥♠QMy question isnot about bridgelaws but perhapsyou could help me. Iam bridge director ata non-EBU affiliated,friendly duplicate bridgeclub of modest standard.We usually have 10to 12 tables and playa Mitchell movementof 10 rounds with 2or 3 boards per tablewith full tables, or aHowell movement witha half table and fewerthan 9 tables, to avoida 3 board sit-out.On rare occasions,due to medical or otheremergencies, a playerhas to leave halfwaythrough a session. Thereis no problem with fulltables but, if we havestarted with a halftable, we now have twohalf tables. It seemsthat something shouldbe done but, try as Imight, any way of tryingto match the two halftables results in cries of,‘we have played theseboards before,’ and aspoiled movement.Is there any solutionto this problem?John Buckley by email.ANo, not really.Players just haveto sit out. It isnormally very rare. If thereason is medical, fairenough, but other reasonsfor pairs leaving shouldbe actively discouraged.♣♦♥♠QFor as longas I canremember, ourclub has played 24boards per evening.Last night, as sometables were packingup and preparing togo after 24 boards,the director (a verynew TD) announcedthat we would beplaying another roundof two boards.No doubt, the scoreson this last, unexpectedround were unusual.Many players were tiredas well as surprised,and some decided to‘Pass’, despite havingbiddable hands.Does the directorhave a duty to warnplayers early onabout the number ofboards to be played?Does the addition ofan unexpected andlargely unwanted roundinvalidate the scoresfor the evening?Gavin Wilson by email.AThe scores stand.The director hasmade a mess ofit, certainly, but that doesnot invalidate the scores.Someone needs to explaintwo things to the director.First, part of his job is tokeep the customers informed.If he is playing 26 boards,especially if players mightexpect only 24 boards, thenhe needs to tell them so atthe start of the evening.Second, custom & practicegovern a lot of what goeson in a club. So to change itneeds a pretty good reason.Of course, if the majoritywant a change or if the clubcommittee require a change,then that is good enough.♣♦♥♠QPlaying againstexperts, mypartner opened2♦. I alerted andwhen queried replied,‘three-way multi.’ Anexplanation was notrequested. I bid 2♠,showing willingnessto play in 3♥ and mypartner responded 3♥.My RHO now wanted toknow which of the threeoptions this showed.Obviously, I knew mypartner had a weaktwo in hearts. Do I say,‘Weak two in hearts,’and risk the remotepossibility of getting itwrong or just explainthe three options?Phil Hickman by email.AThe opponents havea right to know howyou play each call.So if they ask about the 2♦bid, you explain it might beone of three things. But ifthey ask about the 3♥ bidyou tell them what 3♥ shows,ie hearts, weak. There isno other possibility now. Ifyour partner has somethingelse, he has misbid.♣♦♥♠QI have yet to findeither in the Lawsor White Book anexplicit statement thatbids should remain onthe table until a lead isfaced. By implication,the laws and White Bookrefer to the ‘ClarificationPeriod’ during whichquestions concerning thebidding may be raisedand one might assumethis would take placewith the bids on the table– is there any definitivestatement to this effect?Roger Grimsdick by email.AIn the EBU Whitebook, paragraph1.6.2 reads, ‘At theend of the auction the callsshould remain in place untilthe opening lead has beenfaced and all explanationshave been obtained, afterwhich they should bereturned to their boxes. Ifthe hand is passed out thenthe passes are immediatelyreturned to their boxes.’So that is the basisin England and similarregulations apply throughoutthe British Isles. It is a matterof regulation, however, sodoes not appear in the lawbook and is often not thecase in other countries. ■E-mail your questions on bridge laws to:davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.ukPage 14

DECLARERPLAYQUIZ1. ♠ Q 10 9 3♥ 8 6 4♦ K 6♣ A Q 7 4WNSE♠ A J 8 7 2♥ A K 3♦ Q J 5♣ 9 2You are declarer in 4♠ andWest leads the ♥2. Eastfollows with the ♥J. Howdo you plan the play?2. ♠ 7 4♥ A 9 6 5♦ K 6 3 2♣ K 5 4WNSE♠ K J 5♥ K 4 3♦ A 9♣ A J 9 6 3You are declarer in 3NTand West leads the ♠6.East plays the ♠10. Howdo you plan the play?by David Huggett(Answers on page 27)You are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.In each case, what is your play strategy?3. ♠ A 8 6 5 3♥ J 6♦ K Q 10♣ 8 6 5NW ES♠ J♥ Q 8♦ A J 9 8 6 4 3♣ A K 2You are declarer in 5♦ afterWest dealt and opened 3♥.West leads the top twohearts with East playing hiloand switches to the ♣J.How do you plan the play?4. ♠ 6 5♥ Q J 6♦ A Q 7 4 3♣ A J 5NW ES♠ K 9♥ A K 9 3♦ K 6 2♣ K Q 10 9You are declarer in 6NTafter West has overcalledthe opening 1♥ bid with1♠. West leads the ♦J andEast follows with the ♦5.How do you plan the play?DenhamGroveDenham,Bucks, UB9 5DG4-6 October – £215Doubles – Gary Conrad25-27 October – £215Finding Slams – Sandy Bell10-13 Jan 2014 – £299Filming WeekendBernard Magee7-9 February 2014 – £199Just Duplicate Bridge28-30 March 2014 – £199Just Duplicate Bridge4-6 April 2014 – £169Rubber / ChicagoDiana HollandFull BoardNo Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.RUBBER /CHICAGOEVENTSChatsworth HotelWorthing BN11 3DU7-9 February 2014with Sheila RogersDenham GroveBucks UB9 5DG4-6 April 2014with Diana HollandThe Olde BarnMarston,Lincs NG32 2HT29-31 August 2014with Diana Holland£169 Full BoardNo Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.The OldeBarnHotelMarston,Lincs NG32 2HTBRIDGEEVENTS6-8 September £169Just Duplicate Bridge18-20 October £169Just Duplicate Bridge1-3 November £169Just Duplicate Bridge8-10 November £245Bernard MageeBetter Leads & Switches22-24 November £169Just Duplicate Bridge17-19 January 2014 £169Just Duplicate Bridge21-23 February £179Stayman & Transfers14-16 March £169Just Duplicate Bridge25-27 April £179Further into the Auction16-18 May £169Just Duplicate Bridge13-15 June £169Just Duplicate Bridge27-29 June £169Just Duplicate Bridge29-31 August £169Diana HollandRubber / ChicagoFull BoardNo Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.NEWTOPICPage 15

Answers to Bernard Magee’sBidding Quizzes 4-6 on the Cover4. Dealer East. Love All.♠ K 7 6 5 ♠ A Q 9 8 2♥ Q 3 2 ♥ 6 5 4W♦ K 8 7 6 ♦ A 5♣ 4 2 ♣ K Q 9NSWest North East South?E1♠Pass2♠. Using the point count this answer issimple: 6-9 points respond 2♠. However,some of you using the losing trick countmight not have evaluated fully. There aredowngrades for this hand, that are veryimportant.First of all, queens by themselves counthalf, so there are 2½ losers in the heartsuit. Furthermore, you have an acelesshand which should also cause you todowngrade by adding half a loser.This means that your full evaluationshould be nine losers and hence you tooshould respond 2♠.The losing trick count assumes aspread of high cards, so if you have allthe aces, you upgrade and if you areaceless, you downgrade.1NT bid of any strength when your sidehas not yet shown any suits, it is importantto have a system available. For the samereason that you need conventions overan opening 1NT, you also need them inresponse to a 1NT overcall. You wouldlove to know if you have a fit in spades,but you cannot bid spades yourselfbecause you would be showing fiveor more. Therefore, you bring out theStayman convention: 2♣.Whenever you are playing in a partnership,you should assume that youplay the same set of conventions in responseto both an opening 1NT and this1NT overcall. So if you play Stayman andtransfers, that would be in place here.Your partner bids 2♠ in response toStayman and you can raise to game.6. Dealer East. Game All.♠ J 2 ♠ K Q 8 7 6♥ 10 7 6 5N♥ A 9 2♦ 8 7 5W ES♦ A 6 4♣ A K Q 4 ♣ 3 2West North East South1♠ 1NT?lucky here and found his partner withjust one or two points. Or perhaps, asI have seen so many times, South hasmade a mistake and overcalled with 12-14 points. If that is the case, then youshould offer him his just deserts.The reason you need a stronger handto make a 1NT overcall is because thenext player is in a good position to knowwhether to double or not. If he calculateshis side are the major point holders, thendouble should be the call.■Mr BridgePremiumQuality Cards5. Dealer North. Love All♠ K Q 7 4 ♠ A 9 8 2♥ 3NW E♥ A Q 5 4♦ J 10 8 6 5 2 S ♦ Q 9♣ K 9 ♣ A 7 4West North East South1♥ 1NT Pass?2♣. Your partner has made a 1NTovercall which should show a stronghand: the equivalent of a strong notrumpwith a good heart holding. Youhave 9 HCP and a six-card suit, so youshould certainly see the potential for agame contract. When responding to aDouble. Your partner opens 1♠ andSouth overcalls 1NT showing a strong notrump(15-18 points). Once no-trumpshave been bid, doubles change theirmeaning: from take-out to penalties.Whenever your side has the majorityof points and your opponents bid notrumps,you should consider doubling forpenalties.Here you have 10 HCP and your partnerhas opened, so you should doubleand expect to get a good score. You leadthe ♣A and when partner plays the ♣2(low for NO) you switch to ♠J. You establishseven tricks quickly and might makeone or two more in spades depending onthe break in the suit.South has probably been a little un-Standard Faceswith or withoutbar codes. Unboxed.6 red / 6 blue£19.9530 red / 30 blueonly £60The LondonBridge Centre( 020 7388 2404www.bridgeshop.comPage 16

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Mr BridgeFestive 2013/2014DenhamGroveNear Uxbridge,UB9 5DUDEFENCEQUIZby Julian Pottage(Answers on page 33)You are East in the defensive positions below. It is your turnto play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT.Hosted by Jo Walsh23-27 Dec Just Duplicate Bridge £495(with a small section for rubber/Chicago with Diana Holland)27-29 Dec Signals and Discards £21529 Dec–2 Jan Doubles £445The OldeBarnMarston, Lincs,NG32 2HTHosted by Val Passmore23-27 Dec Just Duplicate Bridge £49527-29 Dec Finding Slams £21529 Dec–1 Jan Leads and Defence £445Inn onthe PromSt Annes-on-Sea,FY8 1LUHosted by Bernard Magee27-29 Dec Signals and Discards £245( 01483 489961e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.ukwebsite: www.holidaybridge.comBooking Form on page 8.1. ♠ Q J 6 3♥ K 10♦ 9 7 3♣ A 10 6 2♠ 10 5 4NW E ♥ Q J 7 3S ♦ K 6♣ J 9 7 3West North East South1♥Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT 1Pass 3NT End115-17Partner leads the ♦Q.What is your plan?2. ♠ A Q J 3♥ K 10♦ J 8 3♣ Q 10 6 2♠ 6 5 4♥ J 8 7 3NW E ♦ A 7S ♣ J 9 7 3West North East South1NT 1Pass 2♣ 2 Pass 2♥Pass 3NT Pass 4♠End112-14 2StaymanPartner leads the ♦K. Whatis your plan?3. ♠ A J 10 5♥ J 8 7 4♦ 8 7 5 3♣ 2♠ 6N♥ 10 9 3W ES ♦ A Q 10 9 6 2♣ K J 3West North East South1♦ 1♠Dbl 1 3♠ 2 Pass 4♠End1Take-out 2Pre-emptivePartner leads the ♦K. Whatis your plan?4. ♠ Q 10 9♥ A K 7 4♦ K J♣ 10 7 5 2♠ 7 6 4 3♥ Q J 6NW E ♦ Q 10 8 2S ♣ K 3West North East South1NT 1Pass 2♣ 2 Pass 2♥Pass 4♥ End112-14 2StaymanPartner leads the ♣Q.What is your plan?Page 20

Answers to Bernard Magee’sBidding Quizzes 10-12 on the Cover10. Dealer West. Love All.♠ K Q 4 3 2 ♠ 5♥ K Q 9 ♥ A 8 4WN♦ A 6 5 ♦ K 7 4 3 2♣ J 2 ♣ 8 5 4SWest North East South1♠ Pass 1NT Pass?EPass. Your partner is showing 6-9points, so the first thing to note is thatgame is beyond you. Second thing to decideis whether to play in no-trumps ornot?How many spades has your partnerpromised?The intuitive answer is two or more, butof course that is not the case. Becauseyou need a certain amount of strengthto bid at the two-level, a lot of respondinghands get thrown in the 1NT-dustbin.The 1NT response promises no spadesat all: with a void spade and seven pointsyou have to respond something, but donot have the strength to bid at the twolevel.If you rebid a spade suit after a 1NT response,you promise six or more spades.Therefore, with this hand, you pass– satisfied with the denomination andknowing that game is beyond you.11. Dealer East. Love All.♠ 3 2 ♠ A 6 5♥ 6 2NW E♥ A K 9 4 3♦ J 4 2 S ♦ A Q 8♣ K Q 8 7 3 2 ♣ 5 4West North East South1♥ Pass1NT Pass 2NT Pass?3♣. First of all you need to analyse yourpartner’s bidding. He has raised your6-9 1NT response to 2NT. This meanshe feels there is a chance for game.Your first decision is to decide whetheryou bid game or not. With 6 HCP youare minimum, so you should not go forgame. Now you need to decide what thesafest part-score is and there is no doubtFive-Card Majors with a Strong No-TrumpThe Interactive Way of Improving Your Five-CardMajors Bidding with Bernard Magee• Opening Bids & Responses• No-Trump Openings• Support for Partner• Slams & Strong Openings• Minors & MisfitsSystem RequirementsWindows XP, Vista, 7 or 8,8mb RAM, CD-ROM£89Contents (20 hands each)See Mail Order Form on page 7.• Opener’s & Responder’s Rebids• Pre-empting• Doubles• Overcalls• Competitive Auctionsincluding post and packingabout that when you look at your hand:3♣. This might look like a strong bid, butyour partner must ask himself why youdid not respond 2♣ on the first round.The answer is that you did not have thestrength: your 3♣ bid shows a very weakhand with six or more clubs. Your partnershould pass.3♣ is likely to make, whilst 2NT will bea struggle.12. Dealer North. Love All.♠ A 9 2 ♠ K 6 3♥ A 8 7 6NW E♥ K Q J 4 3♦ A J 5 4 S ♦ 9 8♣ 8 6 ♣ 9 7 5West North East South1♣ 1♥ Pass?2♣. Your partner has made a nonvulnerableone-level overcall: he is notpromising much. You have a great handwith primary support: you are thinking ofgame, but keep in mind that your partnermight be quite weak. It would be easy toleap to game and punish your partnerfor trying to overcall aggressively. It isimportant to try to overcall on weakhands to get involved in the auction, so,as the partner, you have to allow for thispossibility. What you need to do is showyour excitement: the way to do that is tobid the opponents’ suit: 2♣. Your partnershould alert this bid. This bid says,‘Partner, I am excited!’With a weak overcall, your partner willrebid his suit, but with a hand of openingstrength he will show it by biddinganything else. Here, your partner rebids2♥ and now you might invite himto game with 3♥, but East would pass:no aces and eight losers. Remember thatan immediate response of 3♥ shows adistributional hand; by bidding 2♣ first,you show your strength and allow yourpartner to make the final decision. ■Page 22

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BRIDGE CRUISES TO THGreat value fareswithin 2014Join a Voyage to Antiquity andexplore the history of the ancientworld while enjoying the benefits ofsmall-ship cruising, personal serviceand intimate surroundings of theaward-winning Aegean Odyssey.Plus with Mr Bridge special faresincluding flights, shore excursionsin most ports, wine with dinner,on-board bridge programme, anoutstanding lecture programmeand all on-board gratuities, you'llalso find exceptional value for money.MARCH 24, 2014joinMR & MRSbridgeand teamMEDITERRANEAN ISLES& ANCIENT EGYPTIstanbulsicilyTurkeyPalermo GreeceTrapaniIzmirAthensSyracuseMykonosSantoriniAntalyaVallettaRethimnon Rhodes Limassolmaltacrete Cyprus BeirutAlexandrialebanonEgyptA journey through the history ofthe Mediterranean – from ancientGreece and Egypt to the heart ofthe Byzantine Empire.JULY 7, 2014TREASURES OF ANCIENTGREECE AND TURKEYGreeceAthensSyrosSantoriniIstanbulCanakkaleTurkeyIzmirAntalyaBodrumKosRhodes Fethiye24 days from £3,295 pp 13 days from £2,095 ppHosted byBernardMageeCombine the classical sites of Greeceand Turkey with quintessential whitewashedislands on this two-week voyagethrough the beautiful Aegean Sea.ADD A HOTEL STAYAdd extra time at the beginning orend of your cruise with a 2-nighthotel stay in Athens and/or Istanbul,or a 3-night stay in Cairo. Pleasecall for details.DATEMAR 24MAR 25MAR 26MAR 27/28MAR 29MAR 30MAR 31APR 1/2APR 3APR 4/5APR 6APR 7/8APR 9APR 10APR 11APR 12APR 13APR 14APR 15APR 16PORTFly to ATHENS GreeceTransfer to Aegean OdysseyAt SeaSYRACUSE SicilyPALERMO (Monreale) SicilyTRAPANI (Segesta) SicilyVALLETTA MaltaAt SeaRETHIMNON (Knossos) CreteAt SeaALEXANDRIA (Pyramids) EgyptAt SeaBEIRUT (Baalbek) LebanonLIMASSOL CyprusANTALYA (Aspendos) TurkeyRHODES Greek IslandsSANTORINI Greek IslandsDELOS/MYKONOS Greek IslandsIZMIR (Ephesus) TurkeyAt SeaISTANBUL TurkeyTransfer to airport for flight homeDATEJUL 7JUL 8JUL 9JUL 10JUL 11JUL 12JUL 13JUL 14JUL 15JUL 16JUL 17JUL 18JUL 19PORTFly to ATHENS GreeceTransfer to Aegean OdysseySYROS Greek IslandsSANTORINI (Akrotiri)Greek IslandsKOS Greek IslandsRHODES Greek IslandsRHODES (Lindos)Greek IslandsANTALYA (Aspendos) TurkeyFETHIYE (Patara) TurkeyBODRUM (Halicarnassos)TurkeyIZMIR (Ephesus) TurkeyIZMIR (Pergamon) TurkeyCANAKKALE (Troy) TurkeyISTANBUL TurkeyTransfer to airport for flight homeThis voyage is also offered in 2 shortersections. Athens to Cairo, 12 days from£1,850pp. Or Cairo to Istanbul, 13 daysfrom £1,995 pp. Please ask for details.

E MEDITERRANEAN IN 2014AUGUST 21, 2014Cruise to Minoan Crete and the gemsof the Aegean and beyond. This journeycombines the monuments of antiquityand natural beauty of the Greek isleswith the heritage of the Black Sea.DATEAUG 21AUG 22AUG 23AUG 24AUG 25AUG 26AUG 27AUG 28AUG 29AUG 30AUG 31SEPT 1SEPT 2Greece CanakkaleAthens Izmir TurkeyMykonosNauplia DelosSantorinicreteRethimnonPORTFly to ATHENS GreeceTransfer to Aegean OdysseyNAUPLIA (Mycenae) GreeceRETHIMNON (Knossos) CreteSANTORINI (Akrotiri) Greek IslandsDELOS Greek IslandsMYKONOS Greek IslandsIZMIR (Ephesus) TurkeyIZMIR (Pergamon) TurkeyCANAKKALE (Troy) TurkeyCruise into the Black SeaSEVASTOPOL UkraineODESSA UkraineOdessa ukraineIstanbulCruise the Black SeaHosted byBernardMageeGREECE, TURKEY & THECRIMEAN PENINSULASevastopolISTANBUL TurkeyTransfer to airport for flight homeOCTOBER 7, 201VOYAGE AROUNDTHE BLACK SEAThis itinerary brings to life theintriguing history of the regions youwill visit, from the history of Mongolsand Persians in Georgia to storiesof the Crimean War in Sevastopol.DATEOCT 7OdessaUKraineFeodosiyaSevastopolBulgariaYaltaRussiaSochiNesseburTrabzon BatumiIstanbul TURKEY GEORGIA13 days from £2,095 pp 12 days from £1,995 ppOCT 8OCT 9OCT 10OCT 11OCT 12OCT 13OCT 14OCT 15OCT 16OCT 17OCT 18joinMR & MRSbridgeand teamPORTFly to ISTANBUL TurkeyTransfer to Aegean OdysseyAt SeaTRABZON (Sumela) TurkeyBATUMI GeorgiaSOCHI RussiaFEODOSIYA (Sudak) UkraineYALTA UkraineSEVASTOPOL (Balaklava)UkraineSEVASTOPOL UkraineODESSA UkraineNESSEBUR BulgariaISTANBUL TurkeyTransfer to airport for flight homeCRUISES TOCLASSICAL CIVILISATIONS IN 2014Special fares &LOW SINGLE SUPPLEMENTVoyages to Antiquity fares include:•SCHEDULED FLIGHTS & TRANSFERS•EXPERTLY PLANNED ITINERARIES•SHORE EXCURSIONS IN MOST PORTS•EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS•OPEN-SEATING DINING•WINE INCLUDED WITH DINNER ON BOARD•GRATUITIES ON BOARDPAST PASSENGERS SAVE MOREPlease call for detailsBOOK NOW FOR AVOYAGE TO REMEMBERVOYAGES TO ANTIQUITYCallon 01483 489961 or visit www.mrbridge.co.ukAll prices, savings and offers shown are subject to availability at the time of booking. Prices are per person, based ondouble occupancy, are available only on certain cabin grades on the sailing shown and may be withdrawn at any timewithout notice. Single accommodation is available only in certain categories and is subject to availability.

BERNARD MAGEE’SINTERACTIVE TUTORIALSBEGIN BRIDGEACOL VERSION• Card Play Technique• Planning Card Play• Bidding BalancedHands• Bidding Suits• Responding to a Suit• Supporting Partner• Responding to 1NT• Stayman• Strong Two Openingand Response• Overcalls• Doubles £66• Pre-empting• Defence against NoTrump Contracts• Defence against SuitContractsACOLBIDDING• Opening Bids andResponses• Slams and StrongOpenings• Support for Partner• Pre-empting• Overcalls• No-trumpOpeningsand Responses• Opener’s andResponder’s Rebids• Minors and Misfits• Doubles• CompetitiveAuctions£66MORE(ADVANCED)ACOL BIDDING• Basics• Advanced Basics• Weak Twos• Strong Hands• Defenceto Weak Twos• Defence to 1NT• Doubles• Two-suitedOvercalls• Defences toOther Systems• Misfits andDistributionalHands£96DECLARERPLAY• Suit Establishmentin No-trumps• Suit Establishmentin Suits• Hold-ups• Ruffing forExtra Tricks• Entries inNo-trumps• DelayingDrawing Trumps• Using the Lead• Trump Control• Endplays &Avoidance£76• Using the BiddingADVANCEDDECLARER PLAY• Making Overtricksin No-trumps• Making Overtricksin Suit Contracts• Endplays• Avoidance• WrongContract• SimpleSqueezes• Countingthe Hand• Trump Reductions& Coups• Playing DoubledContracts• Safety Plays£81DEFENCE• Lead vsNo-trump Contracts• Lead vsSuit Contracts• Partner of Leadervs No-trumpContracts• Partner of Leadervs Suit Contracts• CountSignals• AttitudeSignals• Discarding• Defensive Plan• Stopping Declarer• Countingthe Hand£76FIVE-CARDMAJORS &Strong No-Trump• Opening Bids& Responses• No-TrumpOpenings• Supportfor Partner• Slams& Strong Openings• Rebids• Minors& Misfits• Pre-empting• Doubles• Overcalls• CompetitiveAuctions£89BETTERBRIDGE• Ruffing forExtra Tricks• Doubling andDefenceAgainstDoubledContracts• Play and Defenceof 1NT Contracts• Finding andBidding Slams• Making theMost of High Cards• CompetitiveAuctions£69Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge , Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM

Answers to David Huggett’sPlay Quiz on page 151. ♠ Q 10 9 3♥ 8 6 4♦ K 6♣ A Q 7 4♠ K 4 ♠ 6 5WN♥ Q 10 7 2 ♥ J 9 5SE♦ A 9 3 ♦ 10 8 7 4 2♣ 8 6 5 3 ♣ K J 10♠ A J 8 7 2♥ A K 3♦ Q J 5♣ 9 2You are declarer in 4♠ and West leadsthe ♥2. East follows with the ♥J. How doyou plan the play?It might look tempting to take a seriesof finesses, but that could lead to losinga trick in every suit if the gods arebeing unkind. You might not be able toavoid losing both black kings and youcertainly have a loser in diamonds, butyou can avoid a loser in hearts unlessyou are very unlucky. So win the heartlead and play the ♠A if you wish, but youmust follow up by leading a diamond tothe king and continue the suit until theace appears. The defence will undoubtedlylead another heart, but now you canwin and discard dummy’s losing heart onyour remaining diamond. Only then canyou resume drawing trumps.2. ♠ 7 4♥ A 9 6 5♦ K 6 3 2♣ K 5 4♠ A Q 9 6 3 ♠ 10 8 2N♥ 10 8 2 ♥ Q J 7W E♦ 10 8 5 4 S ♦ Q J 7♣ 2 ♣ Q 10 8 7♠ K J 5♥ K 4 3♦ A 9♣ A J 9 6 3You are declarer in 3NT and West leadsthe ♠6. East plays the ♠10. How do youplan the play?With West presumably holding the topspades over you, it is essential to keepEast off the lead and it might look naturalto play a club to the king at trick twofollowed by a low club to the jack, notcaring if it loses to a doubleton queen inthe West hand as you only need four clubtricks for your contract. But that wouldbe disastrous if West had started with asingleton club because the suit can nowonly be established at the expense of lettingEast gain the lead. Of course, all thiscan be overcome by playing a club to thenine at trick three. Either it will win, whenyou have a further finesse against thequeen, or the suit will have broken.3. ♠ A 8 6 5 3♥ J 6♦ K Q 10♣ 8 6 5♠ 9 7 4 ♠ K Q 10 2♥ A K 10 7 5 4 2NW E♥ 9 3♦ Void S ♦ 7 5 2♣ J 10 4 ♣ Q 9 7 3♠ J♥ Q 8♦ A J 9 8 6 4 3♣ A K 2You are declarer in 5♦ after West dealtand opened 3♥. West leads the toptwo hearts with East playing hi-lo andswitches to the ♣J. How do you plan theplay?It looks as though there is an inescapableclub loser, but, with a bit of luck, youshould be able to promote dummy’s fifthspade into a winner. So before drawingany trumps, play a spade to the ace andruff a spade high. Now enter dummywith a trump and ruff another spade highand repeat the process once more. If theadverse spades break 4-3, the last spadein dummy will be a winner and you stillhave a trump to get there with. As anaside, can you see how lucky you werethat trumps broke 3-0? If West had beenable to lead one at trick three, dummywould have been an entry short to establishthe spade.4. ♠ 6 5♥ Q J 6♦ A Q 7 4 3♣ A J 5♠ A Q J 10 8 ♠ 7 4 3 2♥ 10 5NW E♥ 8 7 4 2♦ J 10 9 8 S ♦ 5♣ 8 3 ♣ 7 6 4 2♠ K 9♥ A K 9 3♦ K 6 2♣ K Q 10 9You are declarer in 6NT after West hasovercalled the opening 1♥ bid with 1♠.West leads the ♦J and East follows withthe ♦5. How do you plan the play?If diamonds break 3-2, there is no problemand if East has four, then the contractis surely doomed because obviously Westhas the top spades. But strangely the contractis a virtual certainty if West has fourdiamonds. Win the lead in hand and playa second diamond and if East shows outjust cash all your winners in hearts andclubs. To keep his diamond, West willbe forced to bare his ♠A. Meanwhile,you throw your last low diamond fromdummy, keeping the two little spades. Youcan duck a spade completely, knowingthat West will have to play his ace on thinair.■BEGIN BRIDGEACOLVERSION£66An Interactive TutorialCD with Bernard MageeSee Mail Order form on page 7.Page 27

Julian Pottage answers your bridge questionsWhen is aNo-TrumpOvercall Unusual?QWhat is 2NT ifthe oppositionopen 1NT? Ifthey open a major suit,is the following sensiblefor the meaning of ano-trump overcall?1♥/1♠: an overcall of2NT shows the minors.2♥/2♠: an overcallof 2NT shows a stronghand with stops inthe major suit.3♥/3♠: an overcall of3NT is strong to play withstops in the major suit.3♥/3♠: an overcall of4NT shows the minors.4♥/4♠: an overcall of4NT shows the minors.Mr W B Coffey by email.AAfter the opponentsopen 1NT,traditionally a 2NTovercall shows a strong twosuitedhand. That said, thebid does not come up veryoften (indeed, I do not thinkI can ever remember makingit). Many pairs these daysplay 2NT for the minors.Whether a 2NT overcallof 2♥/2♠ is natural or forthe minors should dependupon the strength of theopening. If it is weak, whichI think you have assumed,or intermediate, it is indeednormal to play 2NT asnatural. If the opening isstrong (Acol type), it wouldbe more common to play2NT as the minors.Yes, if they make apre-emptive opening ina major, 3NT is naturaland 4NT for the minors.♣♦♥♠QPlaying Acolwith a weak notrump,this wasmy hand at club pairs:Me1♦3NT♠ 8♥ 9 5 3♦ A J 10 9 6 4♣ A K 8Partner1♣1NTEndWe went two down.Partner had 15 points,which included fiveclubs and two littlespades.I thought that partnerhad a flattish hand, withsomething in the majors,and that nine tricksmight be easier thaneleven. Everyone elsewas in clubs or diamondsat various levels.How should I have bid?Rosaleen Smith by email.AIf you bid somethingother than 3NT,you would need tomake a forcing bid. In atournament, you would findthat people are playing 2♣as an enquiry asking forfurther information aboutpartner’s hand. If you arenot playing that, you mightinvent a 2♥ reverse.To me, it seems a littleunlucky that partnerhappened to havenothing in spades.These days, it rarelyhappens that each opponenthas five spades and thechance to overcall at the onelevel, yet chooses to pass.♣♦♥♠QPlease couldyou commenton West’sactions, playing a 12-14 no-trump andBenjaminised Acol? Thevulnerability is game all.♠ 9 7♥ Q J 3♦ J 7 4♣ A K Q 10 3NW ESWest North East South1♣ 1♥ 1♠ 2♥3♣ Pass 3♥ Pass3NT End3NT went two downfor a poor score.David France by email.APlaying a 12-141NT, opening 1NTseems clear.Having decided to open1♣, opener should not havecompeted to 3♣ either.Bidding to a higher levelshould show extra values,which the hand lacks. Biddinga suit again should show anunbalanced hand, which isa further misdescription.Although I do agree withthe 3NT bid, I would nothave started from here.If you were playing astrong no-trump, the 1♣opening would be fine butthen opener passes next time.South’s raise to 2♥ relievesWest of the obligation to finda rebid.Page 28

Ask Julian continuedQ1. What is thepoint range forthe followingin Acol, with noopposition bidding?1a. 1 any-1NT1b. 1♥-1♠-2♦-2NTand, if different,1♦-1♠-2♥-2NT2. Why should onehave five heartsor more whenresponding 2♥ to 1♠?Gordon Tate by email.A1a. If the openingis a major, a 1NTresponse shows6-9 or sometimes 5-9.Traditional Acol textbookssay that 1NT over1♦ shows 7-9. These days,most pairs play 6-9, thesame as over 1♥/1♠. 1♣-1NT shows 8-10. The reasonfor the higher range inresponse to 1♣ is that youcan bid a suit (or raise 1♣to 2♣) with weaker hands.1b. The range for the firstsequence is 10-12. Openermay still have a minimumopening. The range for thesecond sequence certainlyis different. Opener hasreversed, promising 16/17+.If you play 2NT as natural,non-forcing, the range is5-7. With any more thanthat, you would not make abid that partner can pass.2. In Acol, you open 1♥ onhands with 4-4 in the majors.Therefore, you find 4-4 heartfits by opening 1♥. There isno need to respond 2♥ to 1♠to look for a 4-4 heart fit.♣♦♥♠QHow wouldyou bid thisunusually freakdeal? East dealt withnobody vulnerable.♠ Void♥ K 9 8 7 6 5♦ Void♣ A 7 6 5 4 3 2♠ A J 8 7 ♠ K Q6 5 4 3 2♥ A Q J 2 ♥ Void♦ VoidNW ES♦ A 10 9 8 76 5 4 3 2♣ Void ♣ 8♠ 10 9♥ 10 4 3♦ K Q J♣ K Q J 10 9Stanley Selby, Edgware.AI can well imaginethere would be avariety of results.On such a deal, guessworkplays a significant part.Opening the East handwith 5♦ seems reasonableand this might get doubledby South. West bids a natural5♠ and will North comealive with voids in bothopponents’ suits? Theauction might continue:6♣, 6♠. Now the guessworkreally starts. 7♣ is agood sacrifice, but 7♠ willmake.♣♦♥♠QHow wouldyou interpretpartner’s doublewith this West hand?♠ 9 4 3♥ 10 6 3 2♦ J 8 7 5 2♣ 7NW ESWest North East South2NT PassPass 3♣ Dbl Pass?I bid 3♦, after whichwe ended up goingdown in 3NT.Rupert Timpson by email.AAs your partner’sdouble was over theclub suit, you shouldconsider the possibilitythat the double was forpenalties. Looking at yourown club holding, youmight guess the intentionwas indeed for penalties.Incidentally, playingStayman, you should havebid 3♣ over 2NT. If partnerrebids 3♥ to show fourhearts or 3♦ to deny afour-card major, you havealmost certainly improvedthe contract. Even 3♠ on a4-3 fit should be playable.You might score a coupleof club ruffs, which willbe tricks themselves andprovide entries to enablepartner to lead up to highcards in the strong hand.While your partner willnot be expecting you topass his response to 3♣,there is no law against it.♣♦♥♠QPlaying SAYC,better minor,would thesequence below be asensible way to startbidding this North hand?North1♣1♠3♥♠ K 9 8 6♥ J 9 5♦ A Q J♣ K 7 2South1♥2♦…Huw Jones, Swansea.ASorry, I do not likethe 1♠ rebid for astart. With a 4333shape, opener should beopening (if in range) orrebidding in no-trumps. Thisgives you the start1♣-1♥-1NT. You shouldthen have Checkbackavailable to discover apossible 4-4 spade fit(as well as finding outother information aboutopener’s hand).Opening 1♣, rebidding1♠ and then jumping to 3♥seems a very poor way todescribe a balanced hand.Partner would expect you tobe 4-3-1-5, not 4-3-3-3.How else would you bida 4-3-1-5 shape? If yourmethods force the 1♠ rebidupon you, opener has torebid in no-trump whennext he gets the chance toshow the balanced hand.♣♦♥♠QMany advisethat whenrespondingto a suit opening youmust bid a major, nomatter how weak thesuit. I wonder whichis more likely:1. You bid 1NT andmiss a 4-4 fit inthe major.2. You bid the suitand your partnerassumes you haveat least a partialstopper in the suit.Have any computersimulations lookedat this?John Martin,Evanton, Inverness.ASorry, I do notknow the answerabout the computersimulations. With a 4333shape and a poor 4-cardmajor, I am sure I wouldrespond 1NT ratherthan bid the major.Although you willoccasionally miss a 4-4 fit,the 4-4 fit might well notproduce an extra trick whenthe suit is poor and you haveno ruffing value.Page 29

Ask Julian continuedQMy LHO openeda weak 2♥ andtwo passesfollowed. I held:♠ K Q J 8 4 3♥ Void♦ A 7♣ A K Q 9 2I jumped to 3♠,thinking it was forcing.Partner held:♠ 6♥ K 8 7 5 3♦ K 8 4 2♣ 10 7 3He left me in it, sayingthat my bid was notstrong enough. Afterdiscussing other options,I consulted my biddingbooks, which seemed tofavour a Michaels cuebid of 3♥. How shouldthe auction develop asI have not mentionedeither of my suits?Mike Cumpstey by email.AThe idea of anopposing pre-emptis to make lifedifficult. Reaching a slamwith confidence is not goingto be easy. However, youshould at least reach game.If you are playing 3♥ asa Michaels cue-bid in thatsituation, that would beshowing spades and a minor.Your partner would bid 4♣,‘pass or correct,’ but youwould override him, bidding4♠ because of your sixthspade and extra values.Nearly all the top playersuse a convention calledLeaping Michaels in thissituation – a jump to four ofa minor to show that minorplus the unbid major. If youused that, you would bid 4♣to shows spades and clubs.Your partner would simplyraise to 5♣ and you wouldbe on a guess whether tobid on. Playing matchpoints,you would rather be in 4♠making 11 tricks than 5♣making 12 tricks – thatmight be a factor in decidingwhether to bid 6♣.♣♦♥♠QI, North, andmy partner heldthese hands:♠ A Q 9 3 2♥ A K Q 10 2♦ J 10 2♣ VoidNW ES♠ K 10 8♥ J 9 8 6♦ Q 7 6 5♣ 10 5West North East South1♠ 3♣ PassPass 3♥ Pass 4♠Pass Pass 5♣ PassPass 5♠ EndI went one off as thespades broke 5-0. 5♥makes. Partner thoughtI was 5-4 in the majors.What should I have bid?Davina Arkell,Godalming, Surrey.AYou were likely to be5-5 on your bidding,because on mosthands with 5-4 you wouldbe doubling 3♣ for takeoutrather than bidding 3♥.Your partner should havebid 4♥ rather than 4♠.If all the spades were inone hand, 5♥ is probablybeatable (unless thehand with the void spade,East no doubt, had bothtop diamonds). It seemssurprising that nobodydoubled you in 5♠.Since there is a spadevoid, 5♣ is surely making, soone down in 5♥ or 5♠ is areasonable result anyway.♣♦♥♠QEast opens 1♥.West holds:♠ Q 7 3♥ Q 6 5♦ J 10 5 4 3♣ K 5West has to choosebetween 1NT or 2♥ (withthree-card support anda possible ruffing value).1. What would you bid?2. Suppose yourespond 1NT and partnerraises to 2NT. CanWest rebid 3♥ to offera choice of games – oris that a sign-off like3♣ or 3♦ would be?Lloyd Lewis, Swansea.A1. Yes it is a closedecision, sufficientlyclose that the rightanswer probably dependsupon your opening style.With honours in all foursuits, it looks like a 1NT bid,especially if your style is toopen 4-card majors wheneveryou can. If, however, younormally open the minor on4-4 major/minor hands, thisincreases the chance partnerhas five hearts and may tipthe balance towards 2♥.2. I do not see how 3♥can be a sign off. If youwant to play in a heartpartial, you either pass 1♥or raise to 2♥. 3♥ wouldbe offering a choice ofgames (4♥ if opener hasfive hearts, otherwise 3NT).♣♦♥♠QMy hand was:Me2♦3NTEnd♠ Q 7 5♥ Void♦ A K J 9 5 4♣ A 8 7 6Partner1♥2♠4♥Partner was 5-7-0-1but quite weak; she justmade 4♥. Do you agreewith my bidding?Alan Solomon, Wimbledon.ANo: on the secondround, I would havebid 3♦, not jumped to3NT. A reverse after a twolevelresponse should createa game force. By keepingthe bidding lower, yougive partner more room todescribe her hand. If you hadlet her rebid 3♠, that wouldshow 5-6 (or longer) in themajors. Then you would haveknown you had a 5-3 spadefit. As it went, partner mighthave been 4-7 in the majors.If you cannot convince yourpartner that the sequence1♥-2♦-2♠ creates a gameforce, you could have usedfourth-suit forcing (3♣),which certainly does create agame force when it is at thethree level.E-mail your questions for Julian to:julianpottage@mrbridge.co.ukPage 30

Ask Julian continuedQThese handscome from board1 of a World WideWeb Sims. Our auctionwas not a success.A slam in diamondswas possible.♠ K N ♠ A J 4 2♥ 4W ES♥ A 9 8 6 5♦ A K J 10 4 ♦ Q 9 5♣ A K 10 9 3 2 ♣ 4West North East South2♥* Pass PassDbl Pass 4♠ PassPass Dbl End*WeakWhat would yourecommend?John Martin,Evanton, Scotland.AWest’s double wasmisleading. A jumpto 4NT to show astrong hand with both minorsdescribes the hand muchbetter – indeed, it is moreor less a textbook hand forthe bid. With both majorsuit aces (which shouldcover West’s major-suit loserswhatever they are) and threediamonds to an honour,East is certainly worth ajump to 6♦. Indeed, Eastwill be thinking of a grandslam, though there seemsno easy way to investigate.♣♦♥♠QIn fourth seat,after threepasses, do youneed to be stronger than12-14 to open 1NT?Are there any guidelinesabout openingin fourth seat?Trevor Baker by email.AIf you are in fourthseat and have 12-14points, you know youhave the best hand at thetable. I do not see why youwould need to be strongerthan usual to open 1NT.Nobody is going to have 15points and double, are they?The one commonly playedrule for opening in fourthseat is that you add your HCPto your spades and open with15 or more. On a competitivepart score deal, the sidethat owns the spade suit islikely to buy the contract.Common sense applies toweak sounding bids. If youopen a weak two or a weakthree in fourth seat, you willhave the values for a one levelopening bid (otherwise youwould pass the deal out). Youare just trying to forestall anyopposing bidding while tryingto tell partner that you do notthink you have game on.♣♦♥♠QPlaying Chicago,wouldNorth’s 3♣ bidbe a trial bid askingfor help in that suit?West North East South1♣ 1♥ Pass 2♠*Pass 3♣*Natural and forcing to game(1♠ would be passable)Michael Zaidner by email.ATrial bids normallyarise when you haveagreed a suit. Youhave explained 2♠ as astrong hand with just spades,so there is no suit agreed atthe point the overcaller bids3♣. As 2♠ has already createda force, the overcallerdoes not need to bid the opposingsuit to do so. I wouldtake 3♣ as asking for moreinformation, perhaps lookingfor a club stopper or for asixth spade.■Bridge and Travel TipsWe played a bridgematch the otherday. The oppositionbidding went: 1NT-2♣-2♥-3♥-4♥ (after a long think).This was passed to me andI had a singleton trump andnot much else. I doubledand we got 500. The lessonhere is: make up yourmind whether to accept agame invitation early in thesequence, so that you don’thave to think before makingyour final decision. I knewthat they had thin values andthat trumps weren’t breakingso the double was easy.Changing the subject a little,look at this deal (shown innext column).West North East SouthPass 1♣ Pass 1NTPass 2NT Pass 3NTAll PassWest leads a high spade toEast’s ace and East switchesto the ♥6. It is surprisinghow often it works to play aconfident jack. West shouldbe able to work out that hispartner must have the ♥ACHUTZPAH!Bridge tip from Sally Brock:Look confident even when you’re notand that a heart continuationis right, but often you will findhe is deflected by that playof the jack. Maybe he is justnot thinking properly, but hemay think you have ♥A-J-10.Maybe he will think his sideneeds to take diamond tricksand switch to that suit. Whateverhe thinks, he is muchmore likely to go wrong ifyou play the jack rather thana feeble deuce.♠ K Q J 3♥ 8 7♦ Q 7 6♣ A K J 5♠ 9 8 6 2 ♠ A 7 4NW ES♥ K Q 4 ♥ A 10 9 6 5♦ K 5 4 3 ♦ 10 9 8♣ 9 8 ♣ 4 3♠ 10 5♥ J 3 2♦ A J 2♣ Q 10 7 6 2Remember that your opponentscannot see your cards.It is much better to bid andplay confidently – sometimesyou get away with murder! ■Travel tip from Emma Thomson:We’ve all listened enviously to friends’ stories ofhaving their plane ticket upgraded. Listened,mouths agape, at tales of larger seats, properfood and – heavens above! – real cutlery, without havingto pay the £2,000 price tag. Here are a few tips for improvingyour chances: you’ll need to dress smartly, arriveearly and employ a little chutzpah.1 Airlines reward company loyalty, so if you’re a frequentflyer wave your card prominently.2 All airlines overbook flights; they assume not everyonewill turn up. If they do, they’ll be looking for people tobump onto the next flight. Offer to be rebooked withan upgrade – works very well if you don’t already havechecked-in baggage which would otherwise have to beremoved from the plane.3 If you’re seated next to a problem passenger, you’rewithin your rights to ask to be moved.4 If it’s a special event, such as a honeymoon, tell the deskclerk.Page 31

ElsteadHotelBournemouthBH1 3QPBRIDGEEVENTS8-10 November £199Just Duplicate Bridge15-17 November £199Just Duplicate Bridge22-24 November £199Just Duplicate Bridge10-12 Jan 2014 £199Just Duplicate Bridge31 Jan – 2 Feb £199Just Duplicate Bridge14-16 February £199Just Duplicate Bridge28-30 March £199Just Duplicate Bridge11-13 April £215Stan PowellSignals & DiscardsFull BoardNo Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.Bernard Magee’s Tipsfor Better Bridge65 invaluable tips in 160 pagesBidding Tips1 Always consider biddingspades if you can2 Bid more aggressivelywhen non-vulnerable3 Always double when theopponents steal your deal4 A takeout double showsshortage in the suit doubled5 ‘Borrow’ a kingto keep the auction open6 After a penalty double,don’t let the opponents escape7 Halve the value of a singletonhonour when opening8 Only add length-points for asuit that might be useful9 Isolated honours are badexcept in partner’s suit10 Use the jump shift sparingly11 Consider passing and lettingpartner decide12 You need two top honoursfor a second-seat pre-empt13 Put the brakes on if you have amisfit14 Strong and long minors workwell in no-trumps15 One stop in the opponents’ suitcan be enough for no-trumps16 Keep your two-levelresponses up to strength17 Use your normal methods inresponse to a 1NT overcall18 Don’t overcall just becauseyou have opening points19 Overcalls can be quite weak,so be prudent when responding20 Weak overcalls must be basedon strong suits21 6NT requires 33 pointsnot 4 aces and 4 kings22 Raise immediately, if weakwith four-card support23 In a competitive auction,show support immediately24 Bid to the level of your fitquickly with weak hands25 With strength and support,use the opponents’ bid suitDeclarer-play Tips26 When your contract dependson a finesse, think ‘endplay’27 Consider what a defendermight be thinking about28 Always take your timeat trick one29 Establish extra tricks beforecashing your winners30 Use your opponents’bidding to your advantage31 Avoid the ‘baddie’gaining the lead32 Use the Rule of Seven whenholding up in no-trumps33 A low lead usually promiseslength and an honour34 When declaring 1NT,try to be patient35 Duck an early round whenyou are short of entries36 Lead up to yourtwo-honour holding37 Do not always assumea suit will break well38 Drop a high cardto put off the defence39 Play your highest card to tempta defender to cover40 Draw trumps first unless youhave a good reason not to41 Do not waste your trumps42 Consider leaving a lone defensivetrump winner outDefence Tips43 Keep four-card suits intactwhenever possible44 Give count on declarer’s leads45 Keep the right cardsrather than signal46 Take your timewhen dummy is put down47 High cards are for killingother high cards48 Do not wasteintermediate cards49 Pick two key suits toconcentrate on during the play50 If in doubt, cover an honourwith an honour51 If a lead is from two honours, itis best not to cover52 Keep your honour to killdummy’s honour53 Try to show partner yoursolid honour sequences54 Lead the normal card whenleading partner’s suit55 Never underlead an ace at trickone in a suit contract56 Be wary of leading fromfour cards to only one honour57 Lead a higher card froma suit without an honour58 Lead through ‘beatable’strength and up to weakness59 Cash your winners before tryingfor a trump promotion60 Be patient when defending1NT61 Trump leads can be safethroughout the playGeneral Tips62 Do not put important cardsat either end of your hand63 Avoid being declarer whenyou are dummy64 Before you lead, ask for areview of the auction65 Enjoy the Game!£14 including postage and packing from Mr Bridge,Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961BlunsdonHouseHotelSwindon SN26 7ASBRIDGEEVENTS11-13 October £245Bernard MageeSplinters & Cue Bids8-10 November £215Stan PowellDoubles22-24 November £245Bernard MageeBetter Defence10-12 January 2014 £199Just Duplicate Bridge21-23 February £199Just Duplicate Bridge28 Feb – 2 March £199Just Duplicate Bridge14-16 March £199Just Duplicate Bridge25-27 April £199Just Duplicate BridgeFull BoardNo Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.Page 32

Answers to Julian Pottage’sDefence Quiz on page 201. ♠ Q J 6 3♥ K 10♦ 9 7 3♣ A 10 6 2♠ A 8 7 ♠ 10 5 4WN♥ 9 4 2 ♥ Q J 7 3♦ Q J 10 5 2 ♦ K 6S♣ 8 4 ♣ J 9 7 3E♠ K 9 2♥ A 8 6 5♦ A 8 4♣ K Q 5West North East South1♥Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT 1Pass 3NT End 115-17Partner leads the ♦Q. What is your plan?The lead of the queen shows Q-J-10or Q-J-9. Since you can see the ninein dummy, it must be the former. Youshould overtake with the king and, if itholds, continue the suit.Keeping the king would lead to ablockage if declarer takes the ace on thefirst or third round.2. ♠ A Q J 3♥ K 10♦ J 8 3♣ Q 10 6 2♠ 8 7 ♠ 6 5 4♥ 9 4 2NW E♥ J 8 7 3♦ K Q 10 5 2 S ♦ A 7♣ K 8 4 ♣ J 9 7 3♠ K 10 9 2♥ A Q 6 5♦ 9 6 4♣ A 5West North East South1NT 1Pass 2♣ 2 Pass 2♥Pass 3NT Pass 4♠End 112-14 2StaymanPartner leads the ♦K. What is your plan?This time, you know that partner hasthe ♦K and the ♦Q but not the ♦J. Sinceyou have some worthless trumps, youcan afford to overtake with the ♦A andreturn the suit. Although this sets up the♦J, you intend to ruff the third round. Thisstrategy proves essential as the cards liebecause declarer threatens to discard adiamond from dummy on the third roundof hearts and partner lacks a quick entryoutside diamonds.In a no-trump contract, you would haveto let the ♦K hold and try to unscramblethe blockage later.3. ♠ A J 10 5♥ J 8 7 4♦ 8 7 5 3♣ 2♠ 8 3 ♠ 6♥ A Q 6 2N♥ 10 9 3♦ KW ES♦ A Q 10 9 6 2♣ 9 8 7 6 5 4 ♣ K J 3♠ K Q 9 7 4 2♥ K 5♦ J 4♣ A Q 10West North East South1♦ 1♠Dbl 1 3♠ 2 Pass 4♠End1Take-out2Pre-emptivePartner leads the ♦K. What is your plan?Partner may have led top of a doubletonor the king could be singleton. You cannottell which. While the doubleton is morelikely, the chance of beating the contractif South has a singleton diamond seemsslim. To cater for the possibility that theking is bare, you should overtake withthe ace and return the queen. You do notwant to find yourself unable to get in tocash the second diamond.Which red suit you play after cashingthe second round of diamonds does notmatter as the cards lie.In practice, if West discards anencouraging ♥6 (you can see all thehigher spot cards so you will know thatthe ♥6 is encouraging), you will switch tohearts rather than play a third round ofdiamonds.If you did not get a request to switch tohearts, you would continue diamonds incase partner holds the ♠K and only oneheart trick.4. ♠ Q 10 9♥ A K 7 4♦ K J♣ 10 7 5 2♠ K 8 5 ♠ 7 6 4 3♥ 5 3 N ♥ Q J 6♦ 9 7 6 3W ES♦ Q 10 8 2♣ Q J 9 8 ♣ K 3♠ A J 2♥ 10 9 8 2♦ A 5 4♣ A 6 4West North East South1NT 1Pass 2♣ 2 Pass 2♥Pass 4♥ End112-142StaymanPartner leads the ♣Q. What is your plan?Once again, partner has led anhonour and you must decide whether totry to unblock the suit. On this occasion,there are two reasons (given the presenceof the ♣10 in dummy) to accept theblockage and duck.First, unlike on the second problem,you are not going to play two morerounds of the suit quickly – declarer holdsthe ace. Secondly, even if you could getto ruff the ♣10, you would be ruffing witha natural trump trick.In time, the contract should godown.■Page 33

From the Baron’s Archives by Dick AtkinsonThe Baron and theForces of DarknessImust have seen the photograph ahundred times on my uncle’s wall,between his old fencing team atHeidelberg and a slightly out of focusshot showing him in heroic pose witha grounded rifle in his right handand his left foot on the neck of a verylarge, very dead bear. Although itmust have been over eighty years ago,his aristocratic features and bearingwere somehow unmistakable. Themiddle photograph of the three, nowthat I looked closely, had the grainyappearance of a news clipping andthere was a caption underneath. Myuncle was standing next to anotherman, in early middle age, and bothwere in evening wear of the period.I looked more closely at the captionto see who the other might be andread, ‘Mr R.F. Foster introducesMynheer Marinus van Loon to theKnickerbocker Whist Club.’‘Uncle Leo? Is this a mistake?’ Iasked. My uncle’s name is neither MrFoster nor Mynheer van Loon, butBaron Leopold von Münchausen.He saw the direction of my gaze. ‘Ah.New York, early 1918. I was travellingon a Dutch passport . . . for a varietyof reasons.’The mystery deepened. ‘But Ithought you were an officer in theGreat War?’‘Certainly,’ he replied, raisinghis eyebrows enigmatically, ‘but aGerman uniform would have beeneven more out of place than a Germanname.’A secret agent. I might almost haveguessed. I looked at the photo withnew interest. ‘You were a whist playerin those days?’‘Nein, nein. They hadn’t playedwhist at the Knickerbocker for twentyyears. It was all bridge – Royal AuctionBridge at that time. Foster was one ofthe top experts. You should know this.It was he who invented the Rule ofEleven, before I was born.’‘That long ago?’ I thought, but didn’tdare say.‘Foster also first suggested theChicago principle.’ My uncle strokedhis chin pensively. ‘There were otherexperiments, too. There was an earlyform of Contract Bridge – the Frenchcalled it Plafond. And Nullos, ofcourse. New varieties sprang up everymonth, were taken up briefly, and justas soon forgotten. That was before thedamned National Bridge Federationsgot a strangle-hold on the game.’‘Do you remember any hands fromthose days?’He waved at the photograph on thewall. ‘You know my habits. I thinkthere will be a hand or two glued tothe back of the frame. Go ahead, goon.’I lifted the thin, ebony frame fromits brass hook and, sure enough, therewere two deals recorded there.♠ A K 10♥ 5 4 3♦ 5 4 2♣ 6 4 3 2♠ Q 7 4 2♠ JN♥ J 8 ♥ K 10 9 7 6 2W E♦ A K 7 S ♦ Q J 10 9 8♣ J 9 8 5 ♣ 10♠ 9 8 6 5 3♥ A Q♦ 6 3♣ A K Q 7‘Ah, yes – the English wizard.’ It oughtto have sounded like a compliment, butthe way he spat the words out seemedto express loathing, or somethingworse.I couldn’t resist it. ‘So some Englishmangot the better of you?’‘No. Briefly, that is all. And even toachieve this he enlisted the Powers ofEvil.’‘How could—’‘Judge for yourself!’ He snapped. ‘Itwas Rubber Bridge. This was the firstdeal and I was dealer, playing with MrLenz, another notable expert of theday. I was East in this layout. Southwas this Crowley person and he, ofcourse, shuffled the cards and passedthem to Foster to cut to me. Foster, Iremember, dropped two or three cardsof the upper packet onto the tableduring the cut and casually replacedthem on top of the lower packet beforecompleting the cut. ‘So what,’ youmight say. But for some inexplicablereason my attention strayed toCrowley’s face during this procedureand I saw a strange flicker of chagrincloud his dark features. I was aboutto pick up the deck when a stewardannounced at the door, ‘Telephone callfor Mr van Loon.’ I was rather shockedsince, in my false identity, I had noacquaintance who might be aware ofmy whereabouts. I was escorted tothe telephone in an adjoining lounge,but when I put the ear-piece to myear, there was not a sound, just anoverwhelming impression of somewickedly sardonic presence.I hung up and took a moment to pullmyself together.‘I almost fled the club, fearing thatmy cover was blown, but my missionwas too important. I returned to thecardroom only to find that CrowleyPage 34

The Baron and the Forces... continuedhad ‘inadvertently’ picked up thecards and dealt. Strangely, neither mypartner nor Foster had noticed andsince Lenz had already started sorting‘his’ hand, I had to accept the misdealwith good grace. Crowley opened 1♠and this was the full auction.’West North East SouthLenz Foster Baron Crowley1♠Pass Pass 2♥ PassPass 2♠ 3♦ 3♠EndHis pause invited comment. ‘Theperfect contract,’ I ventured in myusual kami-kaze fashion. ‘Twodiamonds, a club and a trump to lose.’The Baron harrumphed, sottovoce, then continued, ‘The diamondking was led. I discouraged with theeight, Crowley making the obligatorydeceptive play of the six of course,but Lenz pressed on with two morerounds, under the influence of thediabolical declarer.’‘Surely that is a perfectly goodForcing Game,’ I offered sagely.‘It is a Trump Coup! Declarer’s fifthtrump was simply an embarrassment.Crowley ruffed, played a spade to theking, finessed the heart, cashed all ofSouth’s honour cards and then tookthe spade finesse.’I was on surer ground now. ‘ThePrinciple of Restricted Choice . . .’‘You spoke?’‘You play a top trump, and when theknave appears, you assume that it is asingleton—’‘Why?’That was a bit below the belt. ‘You... er ... It’s a well known fact ...’ Stonysilence. ‘All right – why?’‘East has the jack of spades or thequeen-jack of spades with roughlyequal probability (actually 2.8% and3.4% a priori). But with queen-jack hemight well have played the queen halfof that time, so that the singleton isnearly 2 to 1 on (actually 62% at thatstage). I am sure you can visualise theending.’I did:♠ A♥ 5♦ —♣ 6♠ Q 7 ♠ —N♥ —♥ KW E♦ —S ♦ Q J♣ J ♣ —♠ 9 8♥ —♦ —♣ 7‘The lead of the five of hearts threwme in to smother my partner’s apparenttrump winner. If only Lenz hadswitched to a club or a low trump, tentricks would have been unmakeable;but he was ... possessed.’‘But it was only an overtrick.’He fixed me with a gaze like a cocktailstick skewering an olive. ‘At Auction,you score your game even if youdon’t bid it. 3♠ plus one is 4♠ made.’‘So Crowley used your diamond leadto take the trump finesse. And withoutthat spare loser for the throw-in, thetrump trick couldn’t disappear. Hm.’I filed that interesting fact away. ‘But Iassume you got your revenge?’‘Eventually. On the following deal,Lenz’s 1NT as dealer was passed outand he made nine tricks – game, ofcourse.This was the second deal you see infront of you – my deal at last. I haveput myself South, for convenience,since I was the declarer. I opened 1♠,Lenz called 2♦ and I made a high reversewith 3♣, looking for 3NT. Withouta heart stopper, he gave me falsepreference to 3♠, which I passed. AtAuction, don’t forget, I don’t have tobid the game to score it.’I looked at the second hand on thereverse of the photograph frame. Therewere three hearts to lose. I played thetrumps through in my head: ace, three,six, jack, then king, five, ten, queenleaves the eight-seven against South’snine-four-two, so yes, an inescapabletrump loser too. But I had learned mylesson. ‘Crowley seems to have fourwinners. I suppose he didn’t take hisheart tricks, so you were able to exitlater somehow to trap his trump winner?Like that last deal . . .’♠ 10 6♥ 10 6 3♦ A Q 10 3 2♣ A 7 6♠ 8 7 5 3♠ Q JN♥ A K Q J ♥ 9 7 5W E♦ 8 6 4 S ♦ J 9 5♣ 10 2 ♣ 9 8 5 4 3♠ A K 9 4 2♥ 8 4 2♦ K 7♣ K Q J‘Don’t be ridiculous. If they don’t takethree hearts, I can discard one on thethird diamond and ten tricks are inthe bag.’ There was no answer to that.‘So. What would you play as Westafter three rounds of hearts?’That was easy. ‘A fourth round, sinceit is clear from the strong bidding thatthere is no side-suit loser to dispose ofif I give the ruff and discard.’‘Exactly what Crowley thought! Butwhat if I discard my trump loser?’‘What?’The Baron glowed with selfsatisfaction.‘I discarded a club indummy, ruffing in hand.’‘Foster could have ruffed high—’‘True – but he still nursed some hopeof defeating 3♠, not merely preventingfour, so he chose to retain his queenand jack of spades and the jack, nineand five of diamonds to kill North’sthreatening tens. I played one hightrump and East dropped an honour.I couldn’t make game if trumps were5-1, of course, so I assumed he held thequeen-jack doubleton, as I had hopedfrom the start. I played two rounds ofclubs, then three rounds of diamonds,stylishly ruffing the ace.’He twirled his mustachios smugly. ‘Ileave you once again to work out theending.’I did. Club jack led, over-ruffed onthe table and ... ‘Where the Devil didthat trump trick go?’‘Quite so. Indeed, in English you callthis the ‘Devil’s Coup’. Just a routinelittle bit of Münchausen wizardry... It involves here a sort of Criss-Cross Grand Coup, cross-ruffing mywinners. A most enjoyable rubber.’No spare loser, no throw-in ... Iunfiled that Interesting Fact ...Page 35

The Baron and the Forces...continued♠ 10♥ —♦ 10 3♣ —♠ 8 7 5 ♠ Q♥ — N ♥ —♦ —W ES ♦ —♣ — ♣ 9 8♠ K 9♥ —♦ —♣ JAuthor’s Note: AleisterCrowley was a famous, ornotorious, English Satanist,who did indeed play bridgewith R.F. Foster, inventorof the Rule of Eleven,back in 1917-1918. Moreimportantly, Foster inventeda game called PirateBridge, which enabled thetwo strongest hands on anydeal to be played together,e.g. South with West. Thiswas decided by the declarer,who chose his dummy handbased on clues from theAuction. Pirate is long gone,despite Foster’s belief thatit would replace Auction,but one innovation fromthat game was adopted intobridge. Before Crowley (or‘the Great Beast’, as he likedto be known) a call of 3♣(18 points) was insufficientto overcall 2NT (20 points),etc. Crowley proposed thepresent system of ‘MajorityCalling’. He is famous tocard enthusiasts for his TarotCards, a new and ratherraunchy design (the ‘ThothTarot’). He was evidently involvedin all sorts of revoltingrituals, including (allegedly)human sacrifice. ■Previously publishedin BRIDGE 62.Chatsworth Hotel18-20 Oct £245Bernard MageePlaying &Defending 1NTWorthing BN11 3DUNEWTOPIC15-17 Nov £245Bernard MageeBiddingDistributional HandsNEWTOPICNEWTOPICFull Board – No Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.Ardington HotelWorthing BN11 3DZBRIDGE EVENTS17-19 Jan 2014 £245Bernard MageeBetter Leads& Switches31 Jan-2 Feb £199Just Duplicate7-9 Feb £169Sheila RogersRubber / Chicago14-16 Feb £199Just Duplicate28 Feb-2 Mar £199Just Duplicate21-23 Mar £199Just Duplicate4-6 April £245Bernard MageeFinding Slams27-29 September Just Duplicate Bridge £19925-27 October Just Duplicate Bridge £19922-24 November Just Duplicate Bridge £19929 Nov – 1 Dec Just Duplicate Bridge £19924-26 Jan 2014 Declarer Play £21521-23 February Overcalls £21514-16 March Take-Out Doubles £215(Improvers)11-13 April Hand Evaluation £215Full Board – No Single SupplementBooking Form on page 8.Better HandEvaluationBernard MageeIntroductionBetter Hand Evaluation isaimed at helping readers toadd greater accuracy to theirbidding. It deals with auctionsin which you and your partner,against silent opponents, candescribe your hands fully toeach other and, by evaluatingthem accurately, find the bestfinal contract. The emphasis ofall good, accurate bidding is onhand evaluation.There are two general types ofauction: a) a fit is found and b)no fit is found.When you do not have a fit,you are aiming to describe thestrength of your hand as soonas possible, most often usingno-trump bids. This book beginsby discussing balancedhand bidding in Acol, as itis very important that bothmembers of a partnershiphave an accurate knowledge ofhow to show hands of differentstrengths.When a fit is found, there ismuch re-evaluation of thehand to be done; point count,though still important, needsto be evaluated together withdistribution. The best way ofreaching an accurate assessmentis to use the Losing TrickCount; this is an importantmethod of hand evaluation andtakes up a number of chapters.Finally, we move on to differentforms of evaluation includinggame tries and splinter bids.You can never know enoughmethods of hand evaluation;the more you learn, the betteryou get at judging your hand.Although the Losing TrickCount is used more easily intandem with your partner, alarge proportion of the ideasin this book can be used by anindividual. For example, evaluatingyour hand to be worthan extra point is going to helpanyone you partner – as longas you get it right.£14 including postageSee Mail Order Formon page 7.Page 36

READERS’LETTERSONE NEW SUBSCRIBERThe charge of £20 for 12issues of your excellentmagazine is eminentlyreasonable. However, thisdoes put Scotsmen likeme in a terrible dilemma.I love the magazine, but topay for something whichcan be obtained free goesentirely against my DNA.Consequently, I downloadedBRIDGE 128 from yourwebsite and printed all 48pages. Of course, it provedto be ‘penny wise, poundfoolish’ for I seemed tohave used about three inkcartridges in the process.As I was calculating thecost, the magazine poppedthrough the letterbox.I was inconsolable.Nonetheless, after I driedmy tears, I actually didsomething sensible andordered a subscription.It was hard to part withthe money, but I managedit and felt so much better.However, my printed pagesdidn’t go entirely to waste.The only way I kept cool inthe recent heat-wave wasto take four cold baths perday. Before each bath I putsome pages into clear plasticpockets and read them in thebath. Not only did it makethe cold more bearable, Ithink it must have helpedmy concentration, as I gotall the quizzes correct.Ian Dalziel, Troon.QPLUSI am a bit mystified whenreading Bernard Magee’sweekly submission.www.q-plus.comHe so often tells whatQPlus achieved (usually apoor result) and then, on theright side of the page, youadvertise QPlus software.Why buy it if it is so oftenwrong or misjudged?Jim Stirling, WestonFavell, Northampton.Bernard Magee writes:Bridge software allows youto play real bridge in yourown home. QPlus plays atthe standard of a reasonableclub player. It does very wellon most deals. However, itdoes do some very strange‘unhuman’ things, thatcomputers are prone to:these mistakes stand outbecause they seem so silly,but, actually, on other handsyou will see the computerdo better than humans.Judgement in bridgeis extraordinarily difficultfor computers becauseof the three other playersand especially the humanelement. This is unlike chess,where the one versus oneelement allows for muchmore specific calculations.Bridge calculations dependon trusting all the informationthat goes before – this willoften lead a computerto make plays based onprevious information thatend up looking silly. It mustbe stressed that QPlus isnot tutorial software: wehave created a whole rangeof products to help youimprove your game; but itwill allow you to have greatfun playing hands. If italways beats you, it wouldsurely be disconcerting. Ifyou are looking solely fortutorials, then you couldchoose from our list:Acol Bidding, AdvancedAcol Bidding, Declarer Play,Advanced Declarer Play,Defence or Five-card Majors.APPLICATIONSFurther to my telephone callto your office supportingthe need for Mac basedsoftware for QPlus and yourassociated training DVDs.Surely, with the explosionof tablet computers, likethe iPad and similar handheld screens, there mustbe a huge potential forsales of apps for thesevery mobile devices thatcould well extend interest inbridge to a new market andmaybe a younger profile.I would have thoughtthat your German softwaredeveloper must surely havelooked at the potentialincome that could result.I would certainly find ithandy when on holiday.L Allery by email.USEFUL CLUESPerhaps you could ask oneof your contributors to writean article in praise of cuebidding. None of my currentpartners will use it and I haverarely come across anyone,even on cruises, except thebridge hosts, who do so.I am convinced of itsusefulness but I am in aminority locally. Perhapsit needs another ‘puff’.Sylvia Martinelli by email.ALL WINTER LONGOn page 13 in BRIDGE 125,Fred Lawson asks about eightcouples playing socially.In Bishopsteignton, Devon,we have eight couples in apairs’ competition lastingseven months, effectively thewinter. We play 20 boardseach month, dealt by the firstfour to play them. We addcurtain cards and travellers toeach board. The other threematches, arranged in varioushouses (with food and drink),are played within the monthand then the travellers arescored as usual. So, for eachmonth, there is a N/S winnerand an E/W winner. Opponentsfor each month aredecided by a 4-table Howellmovement. The first pairlisted are N/S. After sevenmonths, each pair has playedevery other pair and the finalresult is obtained by addingup each pairs’ percentagefrom each month. The seasonends with a get-togethermeal, prize giving and anevening’s bridge, which withinvited friends may be a5/6-table Howell. Full details:bryan1newman@btinternet.comBryan Newman by email.NEW WANTEDHart Bridge Club in Fleet islooking for new players. Weplay on Tuesday evenings at7pm. All standards welcome.For more details contactTony: fvab@hotmail.com( 07984626118 orNigel nigel.wiltshire@btinternet.comTony Baker by email.REDUCE THE COST OF YOUR POSTAGEPostage stamps for sale at 90% of face-value,all mint with full gum. Quotations forcommercial quantities available on request.Values supplied in 100s, higher values available as wellas 1st and 2nd class (eg 2nd class: 100x37p+100x13p)(/Fax 020 8422 4906 e-mail: clive.goff@londonrugby.comPage 37

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READERS’ LETTERScontinuedANSWERS WANTEDI wonder if you or any ofyour many readers couldanswer the following query?We pay our directorsbecause they not only direct,but they also undertake toplay with the weakest playerwithout a partner as well asprepare tea and coffee anddeal with the washing-up.We have heard, althoughit is mainly anecdotal, thatsome clubs have beenasked by HMRC to deducttax on the amounts paid.Having flirted with taxlegislation during my workinglife, I find it hard to believethat clubs are liable, but Iaccept that legislation hasmoved on and it may now bethe case that tax is deductibleand payable by the club.My argument that no taxneeds to be deducted by theclub rests on the assumptionthat our directors are selfemployedand not employeesof the club. The definition ofemployment generally centresaround how much control theperson involved has over hiswork. If he/she is obliged tocarry out instructions froman employer and appear atcertain times in certain placesthen he/she is likely to be anemployee. If however, as isthe case with our directors,they have total control overwhen they choose to directand total control over howthey carry out their functione.g. what system of movementsthey will use, then Ibelieve they are self-employedand should be treatedin the same way as, say,gardeners who come everyweek to mow your lawn.What is not arguable isthat any director receivingpay for services renderedhas a duty to declarethose earnings to HMRC.Can anybody throw lighton this question please?Mr Fred Taylor,Framfield Bridge Club,East Sussex.WORKING RULESI am a very average clubbridge player and as such itgoes without saying I do notknow the laws of the game.Reading David Stevenson’sanswers to questions relatingto the Laws and Ethics,it seems clear to me thatmany club directors do notknow the laws either.At my golf club, I served forseveral years as competitionconvenor. I was presentedwith numerous ‘situations’requiring interpretation onthe rules of golf, which arenumerous and complex.My job was made easier bythe powers that be havingproduced a book entitledDecisions on the Rules ofGolf, where eachrule is listed and followedby ‘decisions‘ based oncircumstances requiringinterpretation on thatspecific rule. Perhaps thisis what bridge requires,thereby removing individualinterpretations leading towrong outcomes. In BRIDGE127, a question mentionsLaw 13c, Law 12c and theanswer lay with Law 14. NowI am sure David Stevensonhas answered so many ofthese questions already thatthe book of Decisions on theLaws of Bridge has alreadybeen written. It probablyjust needs pulling together.What do you think?Alex Brown,Polmont, Falkirk. ■CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTSOCTOBER 20132 FRIENDS OFSUSSEX HOSPICESGlyndebourne Opera House,The Mildmay Hall at 12noon. Champagne receptionand lunch. A choice ofChicago or rubber. £25.Dianne Steele( 01435 8136304 ST ANDREW’S CHURCHMandeville Hall.Kimbolton. £14.00.Mavis Campion( 01480 8604774 RNLIBridge drive. SalwarpeVillage Hall, DroitwichWR9 0AH. 10.30 for 11am£12pp inc. buffet lunch.Pam ( 01905 3813955 Treetops’ HospiceRubber bridge tournament.10 for 10.30am till 3pm.Treetops’ Hospice, DerbyRoad, Risley, Derby DE723SS. £10 inc. buffet lunch.Barbara Saville( 01159 28268911 ST MARGARET’S SOMERSETHOSPICE. Wedmore VillageHall. 10.30 for 11.00am.£16 each to include lunch.Brian Moreton( 01934 713854brianjillmoreton@btinternet.com13 BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN1.00 for 1.30pm. £20 each.Blue Pointed Duplicate Pairs,sponsored by BillericayMayflower BC. Two-coursebuffet supper. First ClassBridge Academy, BarleylandsCentre, Billericay.Marcia ( 07789 003284marcia@newdirectionstudio.co.uk19 SALTERS HILL CHARITYCheltenham Bridge Club.10.30am-4pm. £15pp £60per table including lunch.Mary Ann Rust( 01242 24539221 Macmillan Cancer CareThe Mary Rose CharityBridge Luncheon.12.00pm. Balmoral GolfClub, Belfast 9. Duplicate/Rubber. £50 per table.Rosarie Heatherington( 07790 48399921 VALE HOUSEALZHEIMERS HOME10.30am-3.30pm (coffeefrom 10am). Informalbridge drive, St Peter & StPaul Chuch Hall, West Way,Botley, Oxford OX2 9JY.£15pp to include lunchwith a glass of wine.Prize and raffle.Ann Day ( 01865 248156michael.day@oxford-gr.co.uk22 ST DOMINIC’S CHURCHAPPEAL FUNDBridge Drive at St. Dominic’sChurch Hall, Jubilee Road(off Kingshill Road), Dursley,1.30-5pm. £5 each toinclude afternoon tea.Pat Uglow( 01453 542179Richard Gwyer( 01453 860512NOVEMBER 20132 EYE CANCER RESEARCHReynolds Institute,Weymouth. £30 per tableincluding excellent tea.Val Pierce( 01305 833686Gene Hill( 01305 7865097 EACH (East Anglia’sChildren’s Hospice)Bridge Drive, 2.00pm.Rysbygate Club, Westley Rd,Bury St Edmunds IP33 3RR.Lynda Moore( 01359 241534lynda@saffrons.f9.co.uk14 RNLI. Crowborough BeaconGolf Club bridge tea.1.30 for 2pm start.£26 per table.Penny ( 01825 83000614 HUDDERSFIELD PENNINEROTARY CLUBOutlane Golf Club. 12 for12.30pm. £44 per table.Sam Smith( 01924 49254022 ST MARY’S CHURCHEaton Socon, St Neots.10.00 for 10.30am. £13.50.Malcolm Howarth( 01480 212910MARCH 201411 ST NEOTS’ BOWLING CLUBSt Neots, Cambs.10.00 for 10.30am. £14.00.John ShawWrite to Mr Bridge at: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, SurreyGU21 2TH or e-mail letters@mrbridge.co.ukE-mail your charity events: maggie@mrbridge.co.ukPage 39

G L O B A LT R A V E L I N S U R A N C ET h e T u r r e t , 2 5 F a r n c o m b e R o a d , W o r t h i n g , B N 1 1 2 A Y .( 01903 235042 Fax 01903 229389 Email info@globaltravelinsurance.co.uk Website www.globaltravelinsurance.co.ukSINGLE TRIP SUMMARY OF COVERThe following represent the Significant and Key Features of the policy including Exclusions and Limitations thatapply per person. A full copy of the policy document is available on request.CANCELLATION OR CURTAILMENT up to £1,500If you have to cancel or cut short your trip due to illness, injury, redundancy, juryservice, the police requiring you to remain at or return to your home due to seriousdamage to your home, you are covered against loss of travel and accommodation costs.Policy Excess £75.For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £100.For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £150.See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increasedexcesses applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions.PERSONAL ACCIDENT up to £15,000A cash sum for accidental injury resulting in death, loss of sight, loss of limb or permanent totaldisablement. No Policy Excess.MEDICAL AND OTHER EXPENSES up to £10,000,000Including a 24 HOUR WORLDWIDE MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICEThe cost of hospital and other emergency medical expenses incurred abroad, including additionalaccommodation and repatriation expenses.Limit £250 for emergency dental treatment and £5,000 burial/cremation/transfer of remains.Limit £2,500 for transfer of remains to your home if you die in the UK.Policy Excess £75 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £150 Area 4 or on a Cruise.For persons aged 61 to 70 years the excess is increased to £150 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £500 Area4 or on a Cruise.For persons aged 71 to 90 years the excess is increased to £300 Areas 1, 2 & 3, £1,000 Area4 or on a Cruise.See section headed Increased Excess for Pre Existing Medical Conditions for increasedexcesses applicable to claims arising from pre-existing medical conditions.HOSPITAL BENEFIT up to £300An additional benefit of £15 per day for each day you spend in hospital abroad as an in-patient.No Policy Excess.PERSONAL LUGGAGE, MONEY & VALUABLES up to £2,000Covers accidental loss, theft or damage to your personal luggage subject to a limit of £200 for anyone article, pair or set and an overall limit of £200 for valuables such as cameras, Jewellery, furs,etc. Luggage and valuables limited to £1500. Delayed luggage, up to £75. Policy Excess £50.Money, travel tickets and travellers cheques are covered up to £500 against accidental loss or theft(cash limit £250). Policy Excess £50.No cover is provided for loss or theft of unattended property, valuables or money or for loss or theftnot reported to the Police within 24 hours of discovery.PASSPORT EXPENSES up to £200If you lose your passport or it is stolen whilst abroad, you are covered for additional travel andaccommodation costs incurred in obtaining a replacement. No Policy Excess.DELAYED DEPARTURE up to £1,500If your outward or return trip is delayed for more than 12 hours at the final departure point to/fromUK due to adverse weather conditions, mechanical breakdown or industrial action, you are entitledto either (a) £20 for the first 12 hours and £10 for each further 12 hours delay up to a maximumof £60, or (b) the cost of the trip (up to £1,500) if you elect to cancel after 12 hours delay on theoutward trip from the UK. Policy Excess £50 (b) only.MISSED DEPARTURE up to £500Additional travel and accommodation expenses incurred to enable you to reach your overseasdestination if you arrive too late at your final UK outward departure point due to failure of thevehicle in which you are travelling to deliver you to the departure point caused by adverse weather,strike, industrial action, mechanical breakdown or accident to the vehicle. No Policy Excess.PERSONAL LIABILITY up to £2,000,000Covers your legal liability for injury or damage to other people or their property, including legalexpenses (subject to the laws of England and Wales). Policy Excess £250.LEGAL EXPENSES up to £25,000To enable you to pursue your rights against a third party following injury. No Policy Excess.MAIN EXCLUSIONS AND CONDITIONSThe following represents only the main exclusions. The policy document sets out all of theconditions and exclusions. A copy of the full policy wording is available on request in writing priorto application.MAIN HEALTH EXCLUSIONSInsurers will not pay for claims arising1. Where You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends) have or have had symptomswhich are awaiting or receiving investigation, tests, treatment, referral or the results of any ofthe foregoing, unless We have agreed in writing to cover You.2. From any terminal illness suffered by You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends).3. From any medical condition for which You (or any person upon whose health the Trip depends)have within 12 months prior to the date of issue of this insurance been diagnosed with a medicalcondition or have been admitted or undergone a procedure/ intervention.4. Medical conditions existing prior to the payment of the insurance premium or any consequencethereof in respect of which a Medical Practitioner would advise against travel or that treatmentmay be required during the duration of the Trip.OTHER GENERAL EXCLUSIONSClaims arising from1. Winter sports, any hazardous pursuits, any work of a non sedentary nature.2. Self inflicted injury or illness, suicide, alcoholism or drug abuse, sexual disease.3. War, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities or warlike operations, civil war, rebellion,Terrorism, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion, military or usurped power but thisexclusion shall not apply to losses under Section 3 – Medical Expenses unless suchlosses are caused by nuclear, chemical or biological attack, or the disturbances were alreadytaking place at the beginning of any Trip.4. Failure or fear of failure or inability of any equipment or any computer program.5. Bankruptcy/liquidation of any tour operator, travel agent, airline, transportation company oraccommodation supplier.6. Travelling to countries or regions where the FCO or WHO has advised against travel.7. Your failure to contact the Medical Screening Line where required.Pre Existing Medical ConditionsYou only need to undergo medical screening if You are travelling to Area 4, on a Cruise,or for a period in excess of 31 days. For all other Trips there is no need to advise us ofyour pre existing medical conditions.If you have a history of any medical condition and are travelling within Area 4 or on a Cruise,you must first contact Towergate Medical Screening Line to establish whether we can providecover for your trip.The number to call is: 0844 892 1698If you are accepted, the level of excess stated below will apply. You will receive writtenconfirmation that you are covered for the trip. In the event that you are not accepted for coverhaving been screened, we may be able to offer you cover under our Single Trip “PLUS”product. Please ask us for further details or go to our website.INCREASED EXCESS FOR Pre ExistingMedical ConditionsAcceptance of pre existing medical conditions is made by the application of increasedexcesses in the event of claims arising from the pre existing condition.If You already suffer from or have a history of any medical condition, the following excess willapply (other than in respect of claims that are specifically excluded) :Under the Cancellation or Curtailment section – double the normal excess.Under the Medical & Other Expenses section –For persons aged 60 years or less the excess is increased to £500 Areas 1&2, £750 Area 3,£1,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise.For persons aged 61 to 90 years the excess is increased to £1,000 Areas 1&2, £1,500 Area3, £2,000 Area 4 or on a Cruise.Please note that we consider a Cruise to be a Trip by sea in a liner calling at a number of ports.POLICY EXCESSES:The amount of each claim for which insurers will not pay and for which you are responsible. Theexcess as noted in the policy summary applies to each and every claim per insured person undereach section where an excess applies.

This insurance is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltdwho are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authorityand our status can be checked on the FCA Register by visitingwww.fca.org.uk or by contacting the FCA on 0845 606 9966. ThisInsurance is underwritten by ETI – International Travel Protection, theUnited Kingdom branch of Europäische Reiseversicherung (ERV) A.G..ERV is authorised by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht(BAFIN – www.bafin.de) and the Prudential Regulation Authority andsubject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority andPrudential Regulation Authority.SINGLE TRIP INSURANCE PRODUCT SUITABILITYAs this description contains the Key Features of the cover provided itconstitutes provision of a statement of demands and needs.This insurance is suitable for a single round trip starting and finishingin the UK and Channel Islands, is of no more than 94 days duration, forpersons whose age is 90 years or less.This insurance is only available to persons who are permanentlyresident and domiciled in the UK and Channel Islands.✄Single Trip Travel InsuranceSuitable for a single round trip starting and finishing in the UKand Channel Islands, is of no more than 94 days duration,for persons whose age is 90 years or less.Global Travel InsuranceThe Turret, 25 Farncombe Road, Worthing, BN11 2AY.( 01903 235042 Fax 01903 229389SINGLE TRIP APPLICATION FORMPlease FULLY complete the following in BLOCK CAPITALS. Once complete,return the application panel direct to Global Travel Insurance at the addressabove, with a cheque or with card details entered. Insurance is not effectiveuntil a Policy has been issued.Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss)SurnameInitialsTelephone No.Single Trip PREMIUM RATING SCHEDULEGEOGRAPHICAL AREAS1. United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland,Isle of Man, including all islands comprising the British Isles (except theChannel Islands and the Republic of Ireland). Any British Isles or UKCruises are rated as Area 2.2. Europe – Continental Europe west of the Ural mountain range,all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (except, Egypt, Israel,Jordan, Lebanon, Libya & Syria), the Channel Islands and the Republicof Ireland, Iceland, Madeira, The Canaries and The Azores. (Personsresiding in the Channel Islands need to pay Area 2 rates for UK trips).3. Worldwide – All countries outside of the above (except those withinArea 4).4. North America, Central America & The Caribbean – Bahamas,Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Greenland,Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, The CaribbeanIslands, United States of America.SCHEDULE OF PREMIUMSThe following Premiums are valid for policies issued up to 31/3/2014and for travel completed by 31/12/2014. Maximum age is 90years. For periods in excess of 31 days please call for a quotation.Maximum period of insurance is 94 days. All premiums include theGovernment Insurance Premium Tax (IPT).Geographical AreasArea 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4Persons Aged up to 80 Years1 – 3 days £16.10 £24.70 £51.80 £74.504 & 5 days £19.40 £31.10 £65.10 £93.806 -10 days £22.60 £41.90 £88.20 £126.3011-17 days £25.80 £45.90 £98.10 £141.3018-24 days £29.00 £52.70 £110.40 £159.1025-31 days £32.30 £60.00 £125.70 £181.00Persons Aged 81 to 90 Years1 – 3 days £24.15 £37.05 £103.60 £149.004 & 5 days £29.10 £46.65 £130.20 £187.606 -10 days £33.90 £62.85 £176.40 £252.6011-17 days £38.70 £68.85 £196.20 £282.6018-24 days £43.50 £79.05 £220.80 £318.2025-31 days £48.45 £90.00 £251.40 £362.00PREMIUM ADJUSTMENTSAll age adjustments apply to the age on the date of return to the UKInfants up to 2 years inclusive are FREE subject to being included with anadult paying a full premium.Children 3 to 16 years inclusive are HALF PRICE subject to being includedwith an adult paying a full premium. Unaccompanied children pay the adult rate.✄House Number/NameStreet NameTown NamePostcodeDate of leaving HomeDate of arrival HomeScreening RefIntroducerGeographical Area – See Premium Panel(1,2,3 or 4)123456Names of all persons to be insured Age PremiumCredit/Debit Card DetailsCard NoTOTAL PREMIUMStart Date End Date Issue NoSecurity CodeMr BridgeDECLARATIONOn behalf of all persons listed in this application, I agree that this application shallbe the basis of the Contract of Insurance. I agree that Insurers may exchangeinformation with other Insurers or their agents. I have read and understoodthe terms and conditions of the insurance, with which all persons above are inagreement and for whom I am authorised to sign.Signed.......................................................... Date...................................The form MUST be signed by one of the persons to be insured on behalf of all persons to be insured.Mr Bridge is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Global Travel InsuranceServices Ltd, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.429STI13£££££££

Seven Daysby Sally BrockSundayWhen I booked my Eurostar ticket toand from Brussels, I forgot that I alsoneeded to get to and from Ostend.Not very intelligent. My 9am Eurostardeparture from Brussels necessitatesa 6.43am train from Ostend. Thejourney passes off peacefully enoughand Barry meets me at St Pancras totake me to High Wycombe. It’s alwaysso good to get home after a long timeaway. Both children had had separateweek’s holidays in the Canary Islandsin my absence so there was plenty totalk about. Toby enjoyed himself withthree good friends in Tenerife. Brionywent to Gran Canaria with half adozen other girls, most of whom shedidn’t know quite so well and she didn’thave such a good time. But she looksfabulous with her tan.We unpack and show each otherclothes we have bought, put thewashing machine on and then headoff to the supermarket to stock up onsome food. Back for a late chickensalad lunch in the garden. I have agreedthat we might go on a holiday togetherfor a few days at the end of August. Wethink driving along the Mediterraneancoast from Nice to Pisa and back againmight be fun and spend a fair part ofthe afternoon planning exactly whenand where to go.I’m quite proud that Briony hasrecently been prepared to try eatingfish, a hitherto ‘disgusting’ idea. Shehad salmon on holiday and tonightwe try monkfish with a tomato sauce– perhaps not quite so good, but Iam really impressed that she’s givingit a go. Toby, on the other hand, whohas previously seemed prepared totry most things, has now decided hedoesn’t want to eat fish. Oh well, youcan’t win ‘em all.MondayI have work to do: Oman, which isproving difficult because of the Arabic,needs a fair amount of work. Arabic isright-to-left reading, so when you copyacross an Arabic word from a Worddocument (the author, who is a MiddleEast specialist, has software to work inArabic), it appears backwards. I don’tthink there is a way to do it without investingin expensive software, so I amgoing to have to copy in each Arabicplace name as a small graphic file. Butthat’s for the next set of proofs, so I canput off thinking about it for a while.In the afternoon, we have a HubertPhillips match. I managed to arrangethis from Ostend as it seemed to be theonly date all eight team members couldmanage. We start at 4pm at the YoungChelsea against Nicholas Davidson’sLondon-based team. It is a most enjoyablematch which we win fairly easily.This is an unexpected (by me) gain:Dealer West. Game All.♠ A K♥ A 9 6 4♦ A Q 8 3♣ Q 7 6♠ 6 3 2 ♠ Q 10♥ 8 2N♥ K J 10 7 5♦ K 9 7 5W ES♦ 10 6♣ A K 9 2 ♣ 10 5 4 3♠ J 9 8 7 5 4♥ Q 3♦ J 4 2♣ J 8The bidding was the same at bothtables:West North East SouthPass 1♥ Pass 1♠Pass 2NT Pass 3♠Pass 4♠ All PassI’m not sure whether anyone knewif 3♠ was forcing or not, but I don’tthink anyone cared. It seems clear toraise to four spades anyway with mymaximum and good controls.At my table, West starts with a topclub and then switches to a passivetrump. My partner, Robert Sheehan,wins, cashes the other top spade andplays a second club. West now switchesto a diamond and Robert plays safely,rising with the ace, discarding a hearton the queen of clubs, cashing the ♥Aand ruffing a heart to hand to draw thelast trump and concede a diamond.Even looking at all four hands, itdoesn’t seem obvious how 4♠ might godown against any sort of sensible play,but actually it is quite straightforward.When you are defending in West’stype of position, after the top clublead, you need to ask yourself whetherto be active or passive. And that partlydepends on how many clubs partnerhas. If partner has three clubs thenyou might as well be passive andcontinue the suit, or switch to a trump;if partner has four clubs, however, youmay need to set up a trick to cash whenyou get in with your other top club.Here, when the ♣Q is in the dummy,partner should be telling you howmany clubs he holds at trick one.When you see that he has four clubs,you know that a diamond switch ispointless as any defensive diamondtrick you may have is too slow,Page 43

Seven Days continuedwe are back at Richard’s forthe official afternoon bridgedrive.There are twelve tables ofregular bridge, i.e. the participantsare or have beenfairly regular players, butalso another ten tables orso of people whose previousexperience has been extremelylimited.For example, Benita,Gerry’s wife, has only everplayed three hands before.This may prove taxing fortournament director, MartinLee.I am drawn to play withDavid, who was Richardand Jenni’s best man. Helearnt to play at school withRichard but has been toobusy to play much since,or so he says. In truth, heplayed very well. Barry andSimon were also drawnwith friends of Richardand we three ‘professionals’filled the top three places. Iam pleased to say that theright person was at the topof the list.I would like to stress thequality of the hospitality.When we arrived, therewas a barbecue, with excellentburgers, sausagesand mushrooms. Halfwaythrough the bridge, we hada pause for afternoon tea:sandwiches, scones withcream and strawberries,and some excellent cake.At six, we all go off in abus back to the various hotelsfor a very quick rest andto change into our glad ragsbefore being bussed back forthe evening session. We aregreeted with a choice of hogroast or paella (actually itisn’t really a choice becauseit is perfectly OK to haveboth). There is a stall servinghomemade ice-creams(the lemon cheesecake isdelicious). Fish and chipsare handed round at about11.30pm. And I believe baconbutties about 1.30am,though I confess I had goneto bed by then (no stayingpower).There is a live band, followedby a disco. And acocktail bar. Also going onare table football, table tennisand a couple of bouncycastle-for-semi-adultgamesprovide good spectatorsport.And to cap it all they havemanaged to arrange perfectweather.SundayAfter a second sumptuousbreakfast (all that food yesterdaydoesn’t seem to havedented my appetite thismorning), we set off for Surreywhere we have a GoldCup match against FrancesHinden’s team.The original plan hadbeen to go around the M25to get there, an estimatedtwo-and-three-quarterhourjourney. However,Barry wants to pick up somepapers from Chambersand Gerry’s son and hisgirlfriend need to get toLondon, so we decide to gothrough central Londoninstead. It is hard to estimatehow long that takes, even ona Sunday and we arrive 40minutes late for the match,in a pretty stressful state.The rules are that for every15 minutes late you lose twoboards and the opponentsget 3 IMPs a board. So westart with only a four-boardset and a 12 IMP deficit.At the end of that first set,we are a net 6 IMPs up. Thematch is close throughoutwith neither side beingahead by double figuresuntil the very end when wewin by 13.A very pleasing resultagainst a good team.The decisive deal fromthe last set is this slamhand which is not a goodadvertisement for openinglight.Dealer East. Game All.♠ 8 7 ♠ A J 6 5♥ A K Q JNW E ♥ 6 4♦ VoidS♦ Q J 6 5 4♣ A Q J 10 9 6 5 ♣ K 8Our bidding is:West North East SouthPass Pass1♣ 1♦ 1♠ Pass2♥ Pass 3NT Pass4♣ Pass 4♠ DblPass Pass Rdbl Pass6♣ All PassMy final 6♣ bid issomething of an overbid. Ishould have bid 4NT which,for us, is just a further slamtry, leaving it to Barry tobid the slam because of his♣K. But I like bidding slamsand know it can’t be worsethan a finesse. I know withcertainty that a grand slamis out of the question.In the other room, Eastopens 1♦ and after a lotof artificial bidding Westidentifies that there areno key cards missing. Hethinks that East has to havesome combination of cardsin spades and diamonds (orperhaps three trumps in a3-2-5-3 distribution wheretwo spades can be discardedon hearts) to make thegrand slam either cold or atleast playable.So there they are ina grand slam that hasvirtually no play at all.We head off to the pubfor a quick drink beforedriving to High Wycombe,via Shepherds Bush. ■Mr Bridge2014BridgePlayers’DiariesContents include♦ Acol Summaryby Bernard Magee.♦ Guide to the Laws.♦ Scoring Tables forduplicate andrubber bridge.♦ Distributional odds.♦ Hand patterns andfascinating figures.♦ Cover colours:Red, Navy, Tan, Black,Ivory, Green, Burgundy,Cambridge Blue.♦ All covers printed ingold-coloured ink.♦ Individual diaries £6.95each including p&p.♦ Special concessionto clubs and teachers.10 for £35,thereafter £3.50 eachincluding p&p.♦ Luxury version with supersoftkidrell cover, gildedpage edges anda ball-point pen attached,in ruby red, navy blueor bottle green.£14.95 each including p&p.See Mail OrderForm on page 7.Page 45

SEND NO MONEYYou are cordially invited to wearand see how much you like theJoanna Top... on approvalThere are no catches. Simply order your size & sendthe special coupon below but PLEASE DO NOTSEND MONEY. We'll send your order together withour invoice. Inspect & wear at home for a week.If you are happy with it, simply pay the invoice. If youare not satisfied, return in any condition, post freeand you owe us nothing! Why are we making suchan offer…we want you to see and feel the qualityfor yourself, at home and at your leisure.Joanna Top by PoppyONLY £25 EACHThis easy-to-wear top is a comfortable classicthat you'll get loads of wear out of. Cut fromPoppy's famous soft, high-quality jersey thatkeeps its shape and colour, it's smartly finishedwith a step-neckline that comes up nice andhigh, short sleeves and a deep hem.j Sizes 10-28 j Length 23"j Blue or White j 65% polyester,35% cotton j Machine washable at 40°www.erichill.co.ukFREE RETURNSTo order, clip coupon OR quote A416MB when you ring0844 324 8538ANYTIME DAY OR NIGHTFREEPOST ERIC HILL, Carriage House,Forde Road, Newton Abbot TQ12 4EYPlease send me the JOANNA TOP in the size(s) and colour(s) I have indicated below. I understand that I do notneed to pay for them now. I can inspect and wear them at home for 7 days. Once I am completely happy with them,I will pay your invoice. A postage and packing fee of £4.95 will be charged on payment. Should I be dissatisfied, inany way, I can send them back POST FREE (in any condition) and I will not owe you a penny.PRODUCT SIZE QTY PRICE CODEBLUE TOP £25 2289WHITE TOP £25 2289BLUE PATTERN SKIRT £49 1513BLACK TROUSERS £39 2291TitleTelephoneAddressFull namePostcodeA416MBEmailTick here if you would just like our FREE 80 page catalogue.Simply cut out the coupon and send (no stamp needed) to:FREEPOST ERIC HILL, Carriage House, Forde Road, Newton Abbot TQ12 4EYJoanna Top in White

Jeremy Dhondy SaysUse theRule of FifteenHow do you decide whether toopen the bidding in fourth seat?It’s a funny question really. Whyshould it differ from any other position?We are probably used to having somedifferent rules about whether we openand what we open with marginal hands– perhaps the rule of 20 or the rule of22. Whatever we do, we often open a bitlighter in third seat because partner hasalready passed and we might make anopponent’s life just a bit more difficult.If we are undisciplined in first seat, wemay put the opponents off but partnermay be the one with a good hand andnot appreciate our marginal pre-empt.Likewise, we often hear that the time tobe soundest is in second position whenvulnerable. This is because the danger ofa penalty is high and partner has not yethad a chance to call. So there are tacticsaccording to position just as much asaccording to vulnerability.In the last seat, some openings are nolonger sensible. For example, openinga three-level pre-emptive bid to keepthe opponents out is silly when passingis sure to keep them out. A three-levelopening in fourth seat is constructive.Many who play weak twos in the majors,showing 5-9 points, change what theydo in fourth seat. Perhaps they playstrong twos or make their weak twos thestrength of an opening bid. It is a goodidea to know what you and your partnerdo in this position.Anyway, let’s get back to the mainissue. What do you open with thesehands after three passes?Hand 1♠ K Q 10 6 3♥ 9 4♦ K J 9 2♣ Q 4Hand 2♠ 9 4♥ Q 4♦ K Q 10 6 3♣ K J 9 2Assuming you would open 1♠ on hand1, why wouldn’t you open 1♦ on hand2? I would always open 1♠ with the firsthand, but think carefully about the secondand probably pass. The reason forthis is that, with hand 1, we hold thehighest ranked suit and opening willmake it quite hard for the opponents tocome in. Even if they do come in, we willbe able to outbid them at the same levelshould they compete and we have a fit.On the second hand, if I open 1♦ I havegiven my left-hand opponent an easy entryinto the auction if he has a five-cardmajor. If he does come in and his partnerhas something of a fit, they will outbid usand may win the contract in two or threeof a major. Judge this for yourself:Hand 3♠ K Q 10 4 2♥ J 7 5♦ K 9 4♣ 7 6You deal and pass and, after two morepasses, your right-hand opponent opens1♦ in fourth seat. You would overcall 1♠wouldn’t you?Hand 4♠ K 9 4♥ J 7 5♦ K Q 10 4 2♣ 7 6You deal and pass and, after two morepasses, your right-hand opponent opens1♠ in fourth seat. Would you overcall2♦? You might, but it is unsound anddangerous to do so at least, in part,because you must proceed to the twolevel to do so. The risk of conceding apenalty is higher at this level.How do you decide when to open?This is where the ‘Rule of 15’ comes in.It applies when you are in fourth seatafter three passes. You add your numberof high card points to your number ofspades. If the answer is 15+, you openthe bidding. If it is 14 or fewer, you pass.Like most rules of this nature, it isintended only as a guideline to helpwhen you have a marginal hand. Say youhold the following hand:Hand 5♠ 8 5♥ K Q 7♦ A J 8 3♣ Q 9 3 2In the fourth seat, after three passes youmight decide to pass it out because pointsplus spades adds up to 14. You may be onyour own if you play at a club at whichthe common method is to play a weakno trump and nobody else has read thisarticle. From time to time, the cardswill fall in such a way that 1NT makesand you get a poor score. Rather moreoften, you will notice that many of theplayers sitting in your direction concede100 or 200 because they go down – orthey may concede 110 because theiropponents have got together in spades.At least, if you do decide to open 1NT,you force your opponents to come inat the two level – but it is still worthgiving a thought to whether you shouldpass.■Page 47

QPLUS 10Really user-friendly bridge-playing softwareFEATURES INCLUDESYSTEM• QPlus 11 sent when ready• 8mb RAM• QPlus can be passed on to a friend• CD-ROM• Comprehensive manual• Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8• Displays on HD and large screens• Minibridge option• 5,000 preplayed hands for teams• 4,000 preplayed hands for match-point pairs• Save match function• Closed room – buttonto view other table£92including post and packingMake your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shopBRIDGEIf undelivered or unwanted kindly return toRyden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey, GU21 2THQPLUS TRADE-IN OFFERReturn any QPLUS CD and booklet with acheque for £43 and receive QPLUS 10 nowand QPLUS 11 at the end of October.Order with absolute confidence.TUTORIAL TRADE-IN OFFERSend in any QPLUS software together witha cheque for £46 and receive the BernardMagee tutorial program of your choice.This offer must end 30 November 2013.