Pages 1-14 (1.4mb) - Mr Bridge

Discovery Club Members save an extra 5%Tales of the Old Spanish MainChristmascruiseincludes on boardChristmas festivitiesJourney around the Spanish Main where Conquistadors from Spain sought glory, land andgold. Between Cuba and Barbados this Voyage of Discovery promises a trove of timelesstreasures. Explore legendary Chichen Itza, Altun Ha, Tikal and Copan – legacies of thegreat Mayan civilisation, whose reason for collapse is still shrouded in mystery. Costa Rica,Honduras and Belize – lands where riches lie in a wealth of wildlife and stunning, naturalbeauty. And Cartagena – a colonial gem once itself a trove for the Conquistadors bounty.MR BRIDGE – DUPLICATE BRIDGE GUARANTEEDAll Mr Bridge passengers, will be part of the exclusive bridge party, eligible for theseminars, drinks parties, quiz competitions, occasional afternoon and daily eveningduplicates after first sitting dinner. The bridge programme is fully optional and youmay participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridge actively encourages singlesto join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.Your Voyage includes:• Inspiring destinations andenlightening excursions• Comprehensive lecture andGuest Speaker programme• Travel with around 650like-minded passengers in4-star comfort• All meals, entertainment and gratuitieson-board included with no hidden extras• Friendly and relaxed atmosphere on board• All prices on board in British pounds• Captain’s cocktail parties and gala dinners• All port and pre-paid airport taxesAn exceptional 18-day voyagedeparting December 18, 2010DatePortDec 18 Depart UK by air and transferto mv DiscoveryDec 19 HAVANA, CubaDec 20 At SeaDec 21 PROGRESO, MexicoDec 22 At SeaDec 23 BELIZE CITYDec 24 PUERTO CORTES, HondurasDec 25 At Sea (Christmas Day)Dec 26-27 PUERTO LIMON, Costa RicaDec 28 At SeaDec 29 CARTAGENA, ColombiaDec 30 At SeaDec 31-Jan 1 MARACAIBO, VenezuelaJan 2 At SeaJan 3-4 BARBADOS, BritishJan 4 Arrive UK after a fl ightfrom BarbadosInside fares from £2,199ppOutside fares from £2,569pp01483 489961 for brochures and bookingswww.bridgecruises.co.ukFares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available, are subject to availability, capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Specific cabin numbermay not be allocated at time of booking. See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the Bridge Group. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of AllLeisure Holidays Ltd.

BRIDGEPublisher andManaging EditorMr BridgeRyden GrangeKnaphill, SurreyGU21 2TH( 01483 489961e-mail:bridge@mrbridge.co.ukwebsite:www.mrbridge.co.ukAssociate EditorJulian PottageTechnical ConsultantTony GordonBridge ConsultantBernard MageeProof ReadersTony RichardsDanny RothHugh WilliamsRichard WheenSoftware Support( 01483 485345Events & Cruises( 01483 489961Jessica GaltRachel EverettMegan RiccioClub Directoryand Charity Supportmaggie@mrbridge.co.ukAddress Changes( 01483 485342All correspondence shouldbe addressed to Mr Bridge.Please make sure that allletters, e-mails and faxescarry full postal addressesand telephone numbers.FEATURES3 Bidding Quizby Bernard Magee47 Double Dummy Quizby Richard Wheen11 Bidding Quiz Answersby Bernard Magee13 Bridge in the Desertby Bernard Magee18 Declarer Play Quizby Dave Huggett19 Dave Huggett saysFollow with theBottom of a Sequence21 Freddie North saysWhen in DoubtLead a Trump22 The Tempestor Micro-bridgeby Dick Atkinson26 Justin Corfield saysCash Side WinnersBefore a Crossruff27 A Walk in Springby Countryman31 A SuccessfulPartnershipby Freddie North31 Defence Quizby Julian Pottage32 David StevensonAnswers Your Questions35 Declarer Play Answersby David Huggett36 Readers’ Letters39 Defence Quiz Answersby Julian Pottage42 Catching Upby Sally Brock43 Julian PottageAnswers Your Questions46 Double Dummy Answerby Richard WheenADVERTISEMENTS2 Christmas Cruiseon Board Discovery5 Cut-out FormMail Order Form6 All Roads Lead to Romeon board Minerva8 Why it is so importantfor club committeesto insure their club9 Tunisia10 Bridge Weekendswith Bernard Magee12 Bridge Software15 Egypt 201116 Voyages of Discovery2010 Summer Cruises18 Rubber/ChicagoBridge Events20 In the Wakeof the Vikingson board Discovery24 Voyages of Discovery2010/11 Winter Cruises28 CharityBridge Events28 Bernard MageeHand EvaluationThe views expressed in this publication are notnecessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.292010 Bridge Breaks30 Cruisingon board Minerva37 Stamps40 Global TravelInsurance46 Duplicate BridgeRules Simplified47 Bernard MageeTips for Better Bridge48 Cruise to the Rivierawith Bernard Mageeand teamon Board DiscoveryBIDDING QUIZby Bernard MageeYou are West in the auctionsbelow, playing'Standard Acol' with a weakno-trump (12-14 points) andfour-card majors.(Answers on page 11)1. Dealer West. Love All.♠ A J 10 7 6 5 4 Void© 3 2® K Q 4 2West North East South?2. Dealer East. Game All.♠ A J Q 8 5© A K 2® K J 8 7 6West North East South1® Pass?3. Dealer West. N/S Vul.♠ A Q 10 7 6 5 2© A 9 8® A J 5West North East South1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass?4. Dealer North. Love All.♠ K Q 9 4 3 6© A 7 5® K Q 8 2West North East South3© Dbl Pass?5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.♠ 9 2 K Q 7 6 4 2© 4® K 5 4 3West North East South1 1♠ Pass?Page 3

100 AT LASTANY IDEASPATIENCETUTORIALSSending you this latest copyof my promotional magazineBRIDGE, is my way ofcelebrating the publication ofits one hundredth issue.You are currently eitherreceiving it for the very firsttime or more probably, youhave failed to re-registeryour data. The form fordoing this is on the facingpage. Please fill it in nowand post it back to me if youwish to continue to receiveBRIDGE for the next coupleof years. It is still free ofcharge and I am happy tocontinue to keep it so.However, I do need you tore-assure me that you reallywant to receive it.BRIDGE WEEKLYIn addition, please provideyour email address if youwould like to receive yourweekly bridge e-supplement.This too is free of charge andwe are already on issue 6.My, my, doesn’t time fly.2011 DIARIESThe full range of diarycolour covers is on offer toclub secretaries who like tohave their clubs logo printedon the front. Please call ZoeWright ( 01483 489961.Having the office open onSaturday mornings hasimproved our customerservice no end, especially forthose of you who are stillworking. This improvementarose from a suggestion putin the comments box on thefacing page. Have you got ahelpful suggestion to make?Let’s be hearing from you.DISCOVERY 2011I know it seems a long timeoff but brochures for thesummer 2011 season arenow ready. If you’re an earlybird do give us a call and wewill post one to you.TEA TOWELSI am now no longer involvedin the tea towel business butthe range is still on sale.We are SurvivorsLife’s a Game10 Commandments£5.95 each. Art Screen Print.( 01287 637527.SHARMINGBernard Magee went with agroup of readers on ourinaugural trip to Sharm elSheik. See page 13 forBridge in the Desert.RUBBER CHICAGODiana Holland, picturedabove, is hosting twoweekend events forrubber/Chicago players atthe ever popular BeachHotel. See page 18 fordetails. We are also holdinga mid-week event inNovember at the Beach.It will come as a greatsurprise to those of you whoknow me, to learn that I havedeveloped the necessarypatience to sort out computerproblems. This service isconfined to the support ofQPlus and Bernard Magee’sTutorial software. If it wereotherwise, I would never beable to maintain my newfound virtue.QPLUS TIPSIf your QPlus is running tooslowly, click configurationand go to playing strength,reset the memory at 9 andthe playing level at 27. Thatshould speed it up as apowerful computer willalways spend all daythinking about a problem ifyou give it half a chance.To further enhance yourenjoyment of QPlus, go toDeal, then to Match Controland put a black dot in dealnumber. Reset the scoringmethod to Team by putting ablack dot in that box too.Finally, at the bottom of thepanel, go to comparison andput a black dot in the closedroom box, setting thenumber of boards at 16.These adjustments willenable you to have a resultafter the play of each board.If you do badly compared tothe computer, you canalways replay the handautomatically and see howthe computer had played thehand in the closed room.This is a great way to learnfrom your mistakes and atyour own pace... all in theprivacy of your home.( 01483 489961.CRACKEDSometimes disks get crackedor scratched in the course oftime. QPlus and tutorialsoftware can be replaced bysending the disk back to ustogether with a cheque for£10 for each replacement.There are currently fivedifferent pieces of tutorialsoftware all of which featureBritain’s best known bridgeteacher, Bernard Magee,pictured above.Those of you who do notknow of this unique seriesshould start with AcolBidding and follow it withMore Acol Bidding, whichcould have been calledAdvanced Acol Bidding.Bernard Magee clearlyexplains each aspect of theAcol system and illustratesthese with twenty hands,which you are expected tobid and he will be talking toyou, over your shoulder,as it were. His clear advicewill help you grasp thesubject matter.Once you have bid to theoptimum contract, you playout the hand.An additional feature of theMore Acol Bidding programis help and tuition fromBernard Magee with the playof all two hundred hands.Declarer Play is covered bytwo separate CD’s. DeclarerPlay and Advanced DeclarerPlay, the latter which somemay find too advanced.These CD’s are not cheap.They take a long time todevise, script, programmeand record. If you have areally limited budget, Iwould recommend the latestin this series, Defence, as itis the most likely todramatically improve yourgame. It will also involveyou in some hard, butsatisfying work. You choose.See facing order form.Page 4

✄MAIL ORDERPLAY SOFTWAREQPlus 9.1 £84.00 .......QPlus 8.8 (second hand) £54.00 .......Trade-in any previous QPlusBook & Disk and just send ONLY £32.00 .......TUTORIAL SOFTWAREAcol Bidding £64.00 .......More Acol Bidding £94.00 .......Declarer Play £74.00 .......Advanced Declarer Play £79.00 .......Defence £74.00 .......BOOKSDuplicate Bridge Rules Simplified £5.95 .......Club Offer 10 for only £35.00 .......Simple Directing at the Club – Dr Gurr £4.75 .......Better Hand Evaluation – Bernard Magee £14.00 .......Bernard Magee’s Bridge Quiz Book £14.00 .......Bernard Magee’s Quiz and Puzzle Book £14.00 .......Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge £14.00 .......SINGLE-SUITED BALL-POINT PENSBoxed Setof Four(Spade,Heart,Diamond,Club)£19.95 .......All prices are fully inclusive. I enclose a cheque for £.............If you have not contacted us in the last twoyears, please enter your details in the boxbelow to re-register:Name (Dr Mr, Mrs, Miss) .............................................Address ..........................................................................................................................................Postcode .............................................................Telephone............................................................E-mail .................................................................If you have any comments, queries or points ofinterest, please use this panel and post them in:........................................................................................................................................................Please send BRIDGE to the following enthusiasts:Mr/Mrs/Miss ..............................................................................Address ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Postcode.........................................Mr/Mrs/Miss ................................................................................................Address...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................Postcode ..............................................( .............................................Mr/Mrs/Miss ..............................................................................Address ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Postcode.........................................Mr/Mrs/Miss ..............................................................................Address ....................................................................................Expiry: ............................ CVV.................... Issue No................(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip), Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH.www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop( 01483 489961............................................................................................................................................Postcode.........................................Please complete all or part this form and return to, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey, GU21 2TH.✄Page 5

YOU DEMANDSAVING TREESKEEP SAVINGYELLOW BOOKAmong the most frequentrequests of our cruisers, arethe following, particularlythe more discerning.l small shipsl no flyingl balconiesl insightful port lecturesl inclusive toursl no single supplementsl open sitting diningl daily duplicateDiscovery can meet some ofthese requirements butcertainly not all.Minerva, pictured above,carries only 325 passengers,has 12 cabins with balconies(they sell very quickly),Oxbridge quality portlectures, inclusive tours andopen sitting diningarrangements. Bridge groupsof nine or ten tables at most.I have bridge hosts on thefollowing cruises:Highlands and IslandsDover to Dover12 August – 26 AugustSee advert on page 30.15 days from£1595pp.All Roads Lead to RomeDover to Naples26 August – 9 SeptemberSee adjacent advert.15 days from£1282pp.Crusaders and PharaohsLimassol (Cyprus) to Aqaba21 November – 4 DecemberSee advert on page 30.15 days from£1655pp.These cruises include bridge,gratuities and most tours.What more could you want?Several requests fromreaders as to how to suppressjunk mail. Not BRIDGE ofcourse, but all that unwantedmaterial that you findsomehow dropping regularlyonto your doormat.You need the MailingPreference Service. Registeryour name address andpostcode with them andmost, if not all of your junkmail will die away withinthree or four months.Freepost29 LON 2077London W1E 0ZT.GOSSIP VALUEThe new design of my creditcard is intended to promoteboth me as well as the gameof bridge. Indeed, both arenow so inextricably linkedthat the promotion of eitherpromotes the other.Just producing the card tomake a payment provides areal talking point. It is a realMastercard and can be usedin just the same way as anyother plastic.To encourage you to help mewith this promotion, I willgive you vouchers to thevalue of 2% of all you spendon the card. These will beissued every six monthsbased on the informationprovided by the card issuer.The vouchers may be used inpayment towards any of mybridge holidays, cruises ormail order merchandise.We have just received afurther cheque in support ofLittle Voice from the sale ofthe used postage stamps thatyou and your friends arecarefully putting by for me.The work that Little Voicedoes in Addis Abba, isamazing and is well worthaccumulating theseotherwise worthless piecesof waste paper.DOUBLE DUMMYby Richard Wheen♠ A 8 7 Void© Void® A 3 2♠ Q J 10 ♠ 9 6 5N VoidW E Void© Void S © K® K Q 6 ® 10 7♠ K 4 Void© A® J 9 4South is declarer, on lead ina no-trump contract, andneeds five of the remainingsix tricks. How should hego about it?(Answer on page 46.)CAPTION COMPI will close entries to thecaption competition in thelast issue on the 30 April andpublish the result and detailsof the winners in the comingsummer issue.Duplicate bridge players aresaid to be notoriously carefulwith their money – nothingwrong with that you say butsteady on old chap, aren’tyou generalising a bit. Well,yes, I suppose I am, but itreally is about time to usethe new rule book. Copiesgoing back to 1990 are stillin use at some clubs.To this end I repeat my offer– made at the time ofpublication of DuplicateBridge Rules Simplified.Send in your old book – halfthe cover will do and sevenfirst class stamps. I will sendyou the current issue byreturn. Meanwhile, my cluboffer still stands – 10 copiesfor £35 delivered.BRIDGE DIRECTIONLong overdue, but reallywelcome none the less,Bridge Direction Simplifiedis to be published later thisyear. I have commissionedBernard Magee and DavidStevenson to produce a clear,concise and accurate guideto bridge club direction.For the moment, SimpleDirection at the Club by DrC E Gurr is on sale at £4.75.However, pay £6.75 and Iwill send you Gurr now andthe Magee/Stevenson whenit is ready. Every clubshould have at least one ofthese books to kick-start aninterest of a few of youryounger willing horsesto take on this interestingand, most of the time,rewarding work.Page 7

Why it is so importantfor club committeesto insure their clubThe rise in TV adverts offering free legal assistance in theevent of an accident or personal injury has increased publicawareness of the possibility of making a claim and, as aresult, the need for club committee members to seek publicliability insurance is becoming more important than ever.Over the last year we have seen a number of incidents thathighlight the need for clubs to take out insurance to protecttheir committee members against possible claims.One case concerned a member leaving his club, trippingover another member’s brief case and falling through a plateglass door. As a result of the injuries sustained, the gentle -man sadly died a few weeks later. This could have resultedin a liability claim against the club committee and memberbut, fortunately, the gentleman dictated a letter absolvinghis club of any responsibility and making it clear that theaccident was his own fault. An act that is rare these days.Another incident occurred when a member attended aclub evening. After parking his car in the club car park, themember apparently slipped over on ice and injured hisknee. Some months later the member initiated a claim viasolicitors for personal injury as a result of the fall. Theallegation of fault by the club surrounds their statutory dutyunder the Occupier Liability Act 1957 to provide safepremises for lawful visitors and that the club failed to do soby not clearing the ice or gritting the car park. The car parkholds around 60 cars, so clearing ice or gritting the car parkwould not have been easy for the club committee to arrange.Recently we received a call from an uninsured club. Thecommittee members were aware of the need to insure buthad decided not to bother. That is, until a rather large clubmember had the chair that they were sitting on collapseunder them. The individual concerned is claiming injuryand making a claim on the club, which in effect is thecommittee members. The committee are now left to dealwith defending the claim and any subsequent payment. Theclub have now decided to take out club insurance.In the first two cases the committees were initiallyextremely concerned but fortunately both were insuredthrough our club protection policy scheme. In the secondcase, the ongoing claim and all associated correspondencehas been passed to the club’s insurer. However, in the thirdcase, as the club was not insured it is for the committee torespond to the allegation or to seek legal advice, which mayprove very expensive. In the event that liability is proven,any damages will have to be met by the club’s members.These examples illustrate how important it is for committeesto insure their club. The present bridge club insurancescheme has an annual premium of £57.75 plus £2 administrationcharge and for clubs wishing to join in April takingthem through to this November the pro-rata premiumincluding the £2 administration charge is just £45.50.For more information please contactMoore Stephens Insurance Brokers Ltdemail: enquiries@msibltd.com ( 020 7515 5270CLUB INSURANCEEvery club committee needspublic liability insurancecover. Ring Moore Stephensfor a competitive quotation.Speak with Sylvia Donovanwho will be pleased to helpyou. ( 020 7515 5270.Do let her know you heardit from Mr Bridge.TRAVEL COVERWhilst on the boring subjectof insurance, those needingtravel insurance shouldconsider Global Travelwhose terms and conditionscan be found on pages 40& 41. The form provided isfor a single holiday – thosewanting an annual policyshould download the formfrom my website, or if it’seasier, telephone and I willpost one to you. Again, dosay you heard of it fromMr Bridge.MUSICAL VISITFelicity is growing up fast.As promised, I am includinga snap taken on her recentvisit to Ryden Grange.POSTAGE SAVINGSAnother price increase hasjust come in.Support Clive Goff’s unusualservice supplying unusedstamps at a useful discount.( 0208 4224906Clive.goff@londonrugby.comSHETLAND SILVERWhen Discovery stopped inLerwick last summer, MrsBridge treated herself to apair of earrings while on avisit ashore.They were so attractive Icontacted the owner on myreturn home with a view tohaving a pendant (and chain)and matching earrings. Thesehe dutifully designed and Iillustrate them below.ÏSilver pendant £29.95Gold (9ct) £69.95Silver earrings £34.50Gold (9ct) £85.00Postage and packing:Silver £2.50 (1st class post)Gold £5 (Special delivery)See his website:www.shetlandjewellery.com( 01595 830275CHARITY EVENTSOn page 28, I provide alisting of fund raising eventsinvolving bridge. Do try tosupport them if you can.Organisers, do send in yourdetails really well in advance– bridge players have eventsand matches booked a longway forward.The listing in BRIDGE isprovided free of charge.Organisers should also askthe bridge trade for prizes,most will help. The worstthey can do is say no.TWITSeveral months ago now,I set myself up on Twitter.Apologies to followers.Just about to restart sowatch out.Page 8

NOT FORPUBLICATIONCHRISTMASCRUISEMy ‘Ask Julian’ and ‘AskDavid’ services can onlywork if the problems theyare asked to examine andadvise about can bepublished. Please bear thisin mind.AT THE ROYAL KENZTUNISIA 2010/2011APPLE MACQPlus does not currentlyhave a Mac version, so Irecommend Mac users tobuy Bridge Baron. Thisis available from Chessand Bridge.Ring ( 0207 388 2404and ask for Matt.TUNISIAThe Royal Kenz Hotel hasat last completed its refitand has an amazinglyimproved bridge room(pictured above) with lovelynew tables, chairs, decor andlighting.It also has a new indoorswimming pool.Having spent a lot of timeand energy trying to find anew Tunisian venue, I reallydo not think I will findanywhere better.LAST CHANCESThe Beach Hotel site is tobe re-developed asapartments. In thecircumstances, I am makingthe most of this much lovedvenue in 2010. Over the lastfew years our weekendevents at this hotel have gotbetter and better. Book earlyto avoid being disappointed.No single supplement.As featured on the frontcover, our 2010 Christmascruise sails from Havana,Cuba to Bridgetown,Barbados via Mexico, CostaRica, Columbia andVenezuela. Hosted by AlexDavoud, do book now toavoid disappointment.CHRISTMASIN THE UKThis year we will haveChristmas groups at TheOlde Barn Hotel, Marston,Lincs and Denham Grove,near Uxbridge, Bucks withTwixmas and New Year’sEve breaks also at DenhamGrove. Do book early toavoid disappointment.STOP PRESSWINDOWS 7Hans Leber, pictured above,reports that QPlus iscompatible with the latestversion of Windows. Inconsequence there is noneed for an upgrade to thecurrent 9.1 version.Place your orders withconfidence.Two-week half-boardduplicate holidays31 Oct – 14 Nov £749*Tony and Jan RichardsGolf available20 February – 6 March £749*Bernard Magee6 March – 20 March £749*20 March – 3 April £749**per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusiveof bridge fees. Single supplement £6 per night. These prices arebased on air travel from Gatwick to Monastir. Flights from otherUK airports are available at a supplement. All prices are firm untilthe end of March 2010. Prices for seven-night stays are availableon application.Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facingroom, tea & coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl ofseasonal fruit.These holidays have been organised for by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933,working in association with Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited, ATOL 1179.DETAILS & BOOKINGS( 01483 489961Page 9

BRIDGE WEEKENDSwith Bernard Magee© Full-board© All rooms withen-suite facilities© No single supplement© Two seminars© Two supervised playsessions© Four duplicate sessionsPlease book me for ..... places at £235 per person,or ..... places at £145 per person as day guests.Single .... Double .... Twin .... Sea View 1 .... Executive 2 ....2010 WEEKENDSwith Bernard MageeFull Board £235 per personNo single Supplement22 - 24 OctoberDenham GroveDoubles29 - 31 OctoberDenham GroveSplinters and Cue-bidsVenue .................................................................................Dates ..................................................................................Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................Address...........................................................................................................................................................................Postcode ............................................................................( ......................................................................................Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed,but we will do our best to oblige)...........................................................................................Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking...........................................................................................Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place bycheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will besent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment,28 days before the event, a programme and full details willbe sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable.Should you require insurance, you should contact your own insurancebroker. 1 £30 supplement per room (Beach Hotel only). 2 £50supplement per room (Blunsdon House and Denham Grove only).Expiry: ............................ CVV.................... Issue No................(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip), Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.ukwebsite: www.holidaybridge.comThe Beach Hotel, Worthing16 - 18 AprilBlunsdon House HotelLeads and Defence23 - 25 AprilThe Olde Barn HotelSignals and Discards4 - 6 JuneThe Beach HotelSuit Establishment18 - 20 JuneBlunsdon House HotelSignals and Discards25 - 27 JuneThe Beach HotelGame Tries6 - 8 AugustBlunsdon House HotelHand Evaluation20 - 22 AugustBlunsdon House HotelBetter Defence1 - 3 OctoberThe Beach HotelDeclarer Play8 - 10 OctoberThe Olde Barn HotelGame Tries12 - 14 NovemberThe Beach HotelBetter Defence26 - 28 NovemberThe Beach HotelFurther into the Auction3 - 5 DecemberThe Beach HotelSacrificingThe Beach HotelWorthing, BN11 3QJThis elegant family run hotelhas the finest seafrontlocation in Worthing.Blunsdon House HotelSwindon, SN26 7ASA family run four-star hotelwithin the county of Wiltshire.Denham GroveUxbridge, UB9 5DUSet in 42 acres of grounds,Denham Grove combines amodern design with apeaceful rural setting.The Olde BarnGrantham, NG32 2HTEnjoy the tranquillity of thisidyllic retreat set in beautifulcountryside in the heart ofrural England.Page 10

ANSWERS TO THE BIDDING QUIZ ONPAGE 3 by BERNARD MAGEE1. Dealer West. Love All.♠ A J 10 7 6 5 4 ♠ 8 2 Void Q 6 3NW ES© 3 2 © A 6 5 4® K Q 4 2 ® A J 7 6West North East South?1♠. In first or second seat, a pre-empt usuallyshows 5-9 points and a seven-card suit: thenine point maximum is because if your suit isstrong then its extra power merits a normalone-level opening if you have ten points. Hereyou open 1♠ and then, over a 2® response,you can jump to 4♠, in the knowledge thatyour partner has 10pts (for a two-levelresponse) as well as a side-suit fit in clubs,making game an excellent prospect.Clearly, had you opened 3♠, your partnerwould have passed. A 4♠ opening is a betteroption than 3♠, but it is a little random.2. Dealer East. Game All.♠ A J ♠ K Q 8 3 Q 8 5N 3W© A K 2 S © J 7 4® K J 8 7 6 ® A Q 4 3 2West North East South1® Pass?1©. In Standard Acol, this is not an easy bid.You have a wonderful hand, but you need tomake a bid that forces your partner to bidagain: any club bid will limit your hand. 5®,3NT and 4NT are too random. If you are tofind a slam with a hand like this, you aregoing to need space in the auction to find it.One of my common phrases, when indesperation for a bid to keep things going is:‘it is always best to tell a lie in a minor.’ A 1©response keeps the auction going and allowsyou to find out what kind of hand your partnerhas – he is unlikely to jump to any huge levelE(as he might if you respond in a major), so 1©should be a harmless lie. The full auctionmight be: 1®-1©-1♠-2-3©-4NT-5©-6®.After partner rebids 1♠, you make anotherartificial bid 2 – the fourth suit – and partnersupports your ‘diamond suit’, bidding 3©. Thisis perfect because you have a wonderfulpicture of your partner’s hand: five clubs, fourspades and three diamonds, leaving just oneheart; with this knowledge, you can try forslam. If partner shows no aces, you pass his5® response; if he has one ace, you bid on to6®; and if he has two aces (5), you couldcheck on kings, looking for 7®.3. Dealer West. N/S Vul.♠ A Q 10 7 6 5 ♠ K 9 4 2 2 N J 8 4 3© A 9 8W ES © 6 5® A J 5 ® Q 8 6West North East South1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass?4♠. The losing trick count is an excellent formof hand evaluation when you have a fit, butyou need to take account of extra aspects: sixlosers would suggest inviting game but, witha six-card trump suit and three aces in thehand, this is without doubt worth a raise togame. The point count evaluates the hand as19 total pts: 15 HCP + 2 length + 2 singleton –this also suggests a raise to game. Yourpartner is pretty much minimum, but gameshould be straightforward.4. Dealer North. Love All.♠ K Q 9 4 3 ♠ A J 8 5 6 N K 9 8 2© A 7 5W ES© 2® K Q 8 2 ® A J 7 4West North East South3© Dble Pass?4NT. Finding a slam after the opponentshave pre-empted is not easy, but you mustkeep the possibility in mind: after all, if youhave an ace in the pre-emptor’s suit andpartner has a singleton (as he does), the 3©bidder is unlikely to make a defensive trick.Here partner has shown an opening hand(12+ or 6-7 losers) and you have just fivelosers or 14pts and a singleton.You are confident of a spade fit and, holdingthe ©A – the perfect card in the opponents’suit – the final contract is going to depend onhow many aces partner holds. When youjump to 4NT without any suit bid, partnershould simply show the number of aceshe holds. Your partner has a minimum handfor a take-out double, but his two-ace replyis enough to allow you to jump to 6♠,which is very likely to make a comfortable 12tricks.5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.♠ 9 2 ♠ A K 7 5 3 K Q 7 6 4 2 N 8W ES© 4 © A 9 7 3® K 5 4 3 ® 9 6 2West North East South1 1♠ Pass?Pass. It is always difficult to bid hands whenthe opponents bid your suit: it is important toremember that if you bid their suit here, youare not telling your partner you have it too.You would actually be saying that you have agood hand and game ambitions, usually withspade support.Hence, 2 is not the right bid; I can tell youNorth holds A-J-10-9-5, so you shouldcertainly be happy that you are not playing inhearts. With little strength and no huge hatredfor spades, you should simply pass and awaitdevelopments.If 1♠ becomes the final contract, you shouldbe happy enough with the potential to ruff adiamond or two.■Page 11

BERNARD MAGEE’S INTERACTIVE TUTORIALSACOLBIDDINGl Opening Bidsand Responsesl Slams andStrong Openingsl Support forPartnerl Pre-emptingl Overcallsl No-trumpOpeningsand Responsesl Opener’s andResponder’sRebidsl Minors andMisfits£64l Doublesl CompetitiveAuctionsMORE(ADVANCED)ACOL BIDDINGl Basicsl AdvancedBasicsl Weak Twosl StrongHands £94l Defenceto Weak Twosl Defenceto 1NTl Doublesl Two-suitedOvercallsl Defences toOther Systemsl Misfits andDistributionalHandsDECLARERPLAYl SuitEstablishmentin No-trumpsl SuitEstablishment inSuitsl Hold-upsl Ruffing for ExtraTricksl Entriesin No-trumpsl DelayingDrawing Trumpsl Using the Leadl Trump Controll Endplays &Avoidancel Using the £74BiddingADVANCEDDECLARERPLAYl MakingOvertricksin No-trumpsl Making£79Overtricksin Suit Contractsl Endplaysl Avoidancel Wrong Contractl Simple Squeezesl Counting theHandl TrumpReductions &Coupsl Playing DoubledContractsl Safety PlaysDEFENCEl Lead vsNotrumpContracts£74l Lead vsSuit Contractsl Partner ofLeader vsNotrumpContractsl Partner ofLeader vs SuitContractsl Count Signalsl Attitude Signalsl Discardingl Defensive Planl StoppingDeclarerl Counting theHandQSystem Requirements: Windows XP or Vista, 8mb RAM, CD-ROMPLUS 9.1Still the very best AcolplayingSoftware availablel Friendly Interfacel Hint and Help Buttonsl Easy Installationl Manuall Rubber, Duplicateand Teams Scoringl Instant resultsplaying in teams model 2,500 pre-playedhands for teamsl 2,000 pre-played handsfor match-pointed pairsl Check your pairspercentage and rankingl Systems include:Acol, includingBernard Magee’ssystem, StandardAmerican or createyour own.£84TRADE-INOFFERSTrade-in any previousversion of Q Plus.Just post in thebooklet and disk anda cheque for £32.Trade-in any otherbridge software before30 June 2010 andsend it with a chequefor £49.Order with absoluteconfidence.Happy BRIDGE reader, Gill Smith writes:I love my QPlus Bridge. Asa learner, I always have afaithful partner wheneverI want one. She is alwaysavailable (late at night too)and she bids and playsperfectly. She has neverkicked me under the table,rolled her eyes or taken asharp intake of breath. If Ibid or play badly she is onhand with sound advice yetshe doesn’t take offence if Iignore it.There is also a use which Ididn’t realise when Ibought the CD. It is thefacility to feed in the realhands that we deal, and seehow it would have bid andplayed them. I have donethis on arriving home,usually cross with myself,after a duplicate session. Myfaithful friend gives me asensible perspective on thematter. When playingChicago or rubber at home,at the end of the biddingand playing a difficult hand,I have opened up my laptopand switched on QPlus.With fellow learn ers, I havelooked at hands and seenhow our elec tronic friendwould have bid and played.We still have lots to learn.I bracket my QPlus disc to -gether with the dishwasher– an essential lux ury that Iwould find very difficult tolive without.Make your cheque payable toand send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302

Bridge inthe Desertby Bernard MageeJanuary and February are greatmonths to travel to get away fromthe cold Winter: this year being anexceptionally good one to escape. MrBridge has been running breaks inTunisia for eight or nine years now,using the Royal Kenz Hotel in Port ElKantaoui among others. A great hotel, alovely atmosphere and good bridge; theweather tends to be 10 degrees warmerthan at home and there is usually abreeze to contend with.It was time for us to try somewherehotter and, with that in mind, I took agroup of players to Sharm El Sheikh. Onthe Southern tip of the Sinai Peninsulathe weather is consistently in the mid20s in January and can be relied on.I went out early with one of ourhelpers, Jo, so that we could prepare thebridge rooms and check out thefacilities of both the hotel and the wholeresort. After two or three days of sun,the clients were due to arrive and theyduly did, in the middle of the worststorm to hit for seven years.They do not do rain in this part of theworld – most of the roofs are flimsy andmany are slatted or do not even exist.Hence, after hours of persistent raineverywhere was flooded, powercutsplunged the hotel into darkness andrivers of water greeted the guests.Electric storms decorated the sky forhours on end – I sat on my balcony totake it all in – at the same time I waswondering how to cheer up the guests.What a greeting: half an inch of wateron your bedroom floor.Hotels all over the resort were inchaos: millions of pounds worth ofdamage had been done, but the staffworked tirelessly to overcome theproblems and the weather had soonregained its usual calm sunny aspect.Within 2 or 3 days things were back tonormal and we all started to settle alittle more. By the end of the holiday,we were able to think of the storm as awonderful experience.The bridge room was spacious andheld both the seminar facilities andplaying facilities in the same area,which made things simpler. We hadsome noise and temperature problems,but, all in all, I think it has the potentialto make an excellent venue for ourevents in the coming years.Fortunately our playing venue wasnot affected by the storm, so we wereable to settle in to playing – most peopleplay only in the evenings, but there isbridge available most afternoons andthere are seminars on some morningsfollowed by set hands.On the first evening after the storm,some players were still to arrive andothers had settled in and were playing:the situation was chaotic, but all in hand– you can experience these kinds ofthings during an auction, but all toooften, one player loses control:Dealer South. Love All.♠ 6 2 Q© A K 9 6 4 3 2® 10 6 3♠ A J 10 9 5 4 ♠ 8 J 10 5 2 N K 4 3W E© Q 10 S © J 8 7® 4 ® K Q J 9 8 7♠ K Q 7 3 A 9 8 7 6© 5® A 5 2West North East South11♠ 2© 3® 3Pass 4© EndAuctions where all four players bid adifferent suit are unusual and it isimportant to be wary on such deals –very often they will be misfits andstaying low tends to be the wisestoption. West makes a weak butreasonable overcall, North’s 2© is alsoreasonable, but East’s 3® is too much,he does better to pass. However, as is sooften true in bridge, if your bad bidinduces an equally bad bid from youropponent, then was your bid so badafter all? South has a weak opening bidand no fit for his partner, so he shouldbe wary. His 3 bid is poor: opening 1and rebidding 3 should suggest a sixcardsuit: remember that your partnerstill has a bid – with a little help inhearts he might bid them now. However,North wants to play in diamonds – 3©would have been perfect, for +110,instead he has to settle for 4© one off.It is amazing how often one mistakeis followed by another in bridge: hadEast passed over 2©, South would haverebid 2, North would have bid 3© andthat might have finished the auction. SoEast will feel his bid was brilliant and itis not easy to argue with success.Of course, had North-South left theiropponents to play the contract(doubled) then they would certainlyhave got their best score: againstaccurate defence, declarer will makeonly six tricks in clubs. When you thinkthere is a misfit and the bidding isstormy, let your opponents play thecontract – so often they will end upwrecked.Page 13

The weather settled down and theskin colours of our group changedgradually: from snow-white to red andthen into varying shades of brown.Knowing the weather will be warm andcalm everyday makes dressing so mucheasier. Sharm el Sheikh is a resort: veryfew locals live in the area; most workfor 40 days on the trot and then travelhome for 7 days to Cairo or Luxor orthe like. One of our restaurantmanagers, Ayman, took us on a localtour, to the various religiousestablishments: Coptic Christian andMuslim and then around the resort. Itwas interesting to get a flavour of the areaas well as to see someof their traditions, oneof which is tocelebrate Christmason January 6th, whichexplained why all thedecorations were stillup, including theirnativity figures andmanger together witha Father Christmas inthe background.SnorkellingBridge in the DesertcontinuedSharm el Sheikh ismost famous for itssnorkelling. Now youcould be forgiven forthinking that thismight not interest thebridge group, but bythe end of the holiday I would say morethan 80% of the group had been in.My first visit to the ‘snorkellingbeach’ had seen the pontoon (of plasticbarrels) going up and down on thewaves, so I had thought it best to warnpeople off the idea. However, as thedays progressed and with flat calm seas,the pontoon was much more easilynavigated and so I suggested that thebridge group might take a bus downtogether.This was not so much an organisedtour, rather an opportunity to gosnorkelling whilst there were othersabout for moral support.Over 30 of us made the trip and it wasgreat to see so many people getting in.With the pontoon so flat, I was able tolead some players up fully clothed (Pamand Brenda). You could see plenty offish off the pontoon, especially near theend where a shoal tended to congregate.So what was the snorkelling like?Thousands of fish, all sorts of colours,colourful corals of all shapes and sizes,giant clams, sea anemones, seaweeds,little crabs. The sea water is very saltywhich contributes to its buoyancy. Myfavourite experience came on a calmday when I was able to lie face down onthe water without moving for ten tofifteen minutes. This enabled me just towatch the sea-life beneath me and sinceI did not need to move, many of themore shy animals made an appearance.Some of the colourful fish tend to swimand dance all of the time, but the quieterfish, especially some of the groupers,hide in the shadows. I hovered above alarge red fish (I think it was a moongrouper) and I stared into its blue eyesfor at least a minute, but there was onlygoing to be one winner in thatcompetition. I gave in and turned myattention to some of the camouflagedfish – their skin very similar in colour tothe coral. Then I moved closer to thepontoon and swam amongst the shoalsof fish and before long I started gettinga few pains on my chest which theywere nibbling.Calm days at the pontoon led to verypleasurable snorkelling and so oftencalm and passive play by declarer willlead to an equally pleasurable outcome.The term passive tends to describe theavoidance of playing new suits:generally, in bridge, the side that leads asuit for the first time is at a disadvantageunless the suit turns out to be verystrong (or very weak).♠ K 4 K J 10© K Q 6 3® J 9 4 2♠ J 5 ♠ A Q 7 6 2 8 7 5 2 N 6 4© J 5W ES © 10 9 8 7® K Q 10 8 7 ® 6 3♠ 10 9 8 3 A Q 9 3© A 4 2® A 53NT by South. Lead ®K.On this hand Westled the ®Kagainst 3NT: aperfectlyreasonable leadfrom a goodstrong suit (KQ10is a brokensequence so it isworth leadingfrom the top).However, North’sclub strengthmakes the leadless potent.Declarer haseight top tricks. Itmight be temptingto take some toptricks and look atdiscards, but sooften best play isto give the opponents the lead blind andlet them open up a new suit. Win andlead a club back. West takes his queenbut has to switch suits and looking atdummy, he decides to switch to the ♠J.At first glance this looks like gooddefence – he finds his partner’s strongsuit – but, as so often when thedefenders open up a suit, it givesdeclarer the upper hand. East takes twospade tricks, but this establishes two fordeclarer, leaving him with ten tricks.As suggested, for good switches youwant very weak suits or very strongsuits. The defence’s weakest suits makesafe switches: hearts and diamonds givenothing away. Left to his own devices,declarer will probably make only ninetricks: aiming for a tenth by leadingtowards his ♠K and losing to the ace.Page 14

Bridge in the DesertUnderstanding thatcalmness is often the bestdefensive technique is noteasy, but had you lain on thesurface of the water and seenthe fish as if in anotherworld, then you wouldunderstand that it is worthconsidering.ToursThere were a limitedselection of tours available: alarge party went to StCatherine’s Monastery nearto the site of the BurningBush. Other tours took youon glass-bottom boats or toRas Mohammed – a nationalpark at sea – coral gardensthat were alive with fish andplants. There were othertours available and we willmake sure there is a moreextensive range in the future.HotelcontinuedThe hotel was a greatsprawling complex with fouror five pools and severalrestaurants. However, thebridge group had our ownprivate restaurant for theevening meals which wasexcellent for ambience andsocial purposes. Perhaps thefavourite mealtime wasbreakfast: the pleasure ofbeing able to sit in the sunwith the temperature alreadyin the 20s at 8am meant thatmany of the bridge groupwould sit outside the Atriumrestaurant and create a lovelyatmosphere and we couldalmost have had a bridgemovement, although earlymorning bridge would take alittle getting used to.Till Next TimeThe bridge group had greatfun: there were plenty ofdifferent events and seminarsas well as tours andsnorkelling. Undoubtedly,there were parts of theholiday that could bebettered (all-inclusive resortstake getting used to) but Ifeel sure that there will be agreat improvement next year.The new General Manager ofthe hotel arrived just twodays before me and he hasgreat plans for the hotel. Itook all my problems to himat the end of the event and hewas confident that he willcorrect them for next year.Hence it is with excitementthat Mr Bridge can offer youtwo choices next year:Egypt in January for sunand snorkelling or Tunisia inFebruary for warmth andculture.They are very differentexperiences, but I can assureyou that you will enjoyeither.■AT THE 5* KIROSEIZTHREE CORNERS,NA’AMA BAY,EGYPT 2011A 5* spacious resort hotel complex with a friendlyatmosphere situated 3km from the resort centre ofNa’ama bay and a 15 minute courtesy bus ride fromthe hotel’s private beach.Duplicate Bridgewith Bernard Magee17-31 January 2011 £1029*All inclusive board includes: buffet-style breakfast,lunch, dinner, snacks served at selected timesbetween meals, ice cream served in the afternoonand afternoon tea. An unlimited amount of hot, softand alcoholic drinks (excluding internationalbrands and cocktails) served 10 am to midnight.The bridge itinerary consists of four seminars andset hand sessions, a quiz with an answer session anda varied evening programme.*per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusiveof bridge fees. Single supplement £221 per fortnight. These pricesare based on air travel from Gatwick. Flights from other airports areavailable at a supplement, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff,Manchester and Newcastle.This holiday is arranged in conjunction with Thomas Cook Holidays ATOL1179.DETAILS & BOOKINGS( 01483 489961Page 15

There’s a whole world of discovery.Even before you set foot ashore.Experience the cruise of a lifetime. You will discover some ofthe great cities and monuments from the ancient and modernworlds plus along the way, you will also share the stories andinsights not everyone gets to see. The renowned guest speakersunlock the secrets, while Discovery is the perfect way to get to anydestination. It will be a voyage you won’t forget.A SHIP LIKE NO OTHER AND AN EXPERIENCE TO MATCHOn board, the 4-star Discovery combines all of today’s modern comforts with a sleek exteriorreminiscent of the classic liners of yesteryear. Small enough to reach out-of-the-way ports, yet largeenough to make light work of crossing the great oceans, Discovery avoids the excesses of today’smega-liners. Instead, she has been expressly conceived for our special brand of ‘discovery cruising’to create an atmosphere on board that is friendly and relaxed. There are all the facilities you wouldexpect on a ship of this size, including three restaurants, a choice of bars and lounges, two pools, awell-stocked library, lecture theatre/cinema and internet centre.MR BRIDGE – DUPLICATE BRIDGE GUARANTEEDAll Mr Bridge passengers are eligible to attend the exclusive drinks parties. When Discovery is at seathere are morning seminars and afternoon bridge sessions. Those choosing to pay the £30 per bridgeplayer supplement, will be eligible for the evening duplicate after the first sitting dinner. The bridgeprogramme is fully optional and you may participate as much or as little as you wish. Mr Bridgeactively encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.YOUR VOYAGEINCLUDES:• Inspiring destinations andenlightening excursions• Comprehensive lecture andGuest Speaker programme• Travel with around 650like-minded passengers in4-star comfort• Flights from/to the UK forfl y - c r u i s e s ( M a n c h e s t e r £ 1 5 p psupplement)• FREE parking at Harwich forno-fly cruises• All meals, entertainment andgratuities on-board includedwith no hidden extras• Friendly and relaxed atmosphereon board• All prices on board inBritish pounds• Captain’s cocktail parties andgala dinners• All port and pre-paidairport taxes 01483 489961 for brochures and bookings

DiscoveryClub memberssave an extraonly5%EXCEPTIONAL SUMMER CRUISE OFFERS – FREE UPGRADE TO OUTSIDE CABIN ON SELECTED CRUISESInside Cat NNo-fly cruises to Scandinavia & Northern WatersFares from fares fromSpringtime in the Norwegian Fjords with Leanora Adds** 24 May 2010 – 8 daysEXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE FAREHarwich ~ Bergen ~ Ålesund ~ Hellesylt ~ Geiranger ~ Flåm ~ Harwich £699PP £899PPSt Petersburg & Baltic Treasures 31 May 2010 – 13 daysHarwich ~ Copenhagen ~ Stockholm ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (overnight) ~ GdyniaOUTSIDE CABINWarnemünde ~ Kiel Canal ~ Harwich £1,499PP SOLDLand of the Midnight Sun 12 June 2010 – 11 daysHarwich ~ Ålesund ~ Honningsvåg ~ Tromsø ~ Leknes ~ Flåm ~ Harwich £1,099PP £1,199PPBritish Isles Heritage Trail 22 June 2010 – 12 daysOUTSIDE CABINHarwich ~ St Peter Port ~ Tresco ~ Belfast ~ Dublin ~ Liverpool ~ Oban ~ Invergordon) ~ Dundee ~ Harwich £1,399PP SOLDThe North Cape & Spitsbergen 3 July 2010 – 15 daysHarwich ~ Ålesund ~ Honningsvåg ~ Ny-Ålesund ~ Longyearbyen ~ BarentsburgTromsø ~ Leknes ~ Flåm ~ Harwich £1,499PP £1,669PPBaltic Capitals 17 July 2010 13 daysOUTSIDE CABINHarwich ~ Copenhagen ~ Stockholm ~ Tallinn ~ St Petersburg (overnight) ~ HelsinkiWarnemünde ~ Kiel Canal ~ Harwich £1,955PP SOLDFjords, Faroes, Fire & Ice with Mr & Mrs Bridge 29 July 2010 – 9 daysHarwich ~ Flåm ~ Ålesund ~ Tórshavn ~ Akureyri ~ Reykjavik (overnight) £999PP £1,195PPIn the Wake of the Vikings with Mr & Mrs Bridge 29 July 2010 – 23 daysCombine ‘Fjords, Faroes, Fire & Ice’ with ‘Iceland & Greenland’ for a mesmerizing 23-day cruise £1,995PP £2,415PPIceland & Greenland with Mr & Mrs Bridge 6 Aug 2010 – 15 daysReykjavik (overnight) ~ Ilulissat ~ Nuuk ~ Qaqortoq ~ Kirkwall ~ Harwich £1,599PP £1,849PPA Taste of France 20 Aug 2010 – 11 daysHarwich ~ St Peter Port ~ La Rochelle ~ Bordeaux (overnight) ~ St Malo ~ Rouen (overnight) ~ Harwich £999PP £1,199PPMagic of the Norwegian Fjords 30 Aug 2010 – 8 daysHarwich ~ Bergen ~ Ålesund ~ Hellesylt ~ Geiranger ~ Flåm ~ Harwich £749PP £875PPUnique historical and cultural cruises to the Mediterranean & Black SeaCruise to the Riviera with Bernard Magee 6 Sept 2010 – 8 daysEXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE FAREHarwich ~ Lisbon ~ Gibraltar ~ Almeria ~ Nice £549PP £599PPGrand Iberia & Italy with Bernard Magee 6 Sept 2010 – 18 daysNEW LOW FARE NEW LOW FARECombine ‘Cruise to the Riviera’ with ‘Italy & Sicily’ for a breathtaking 18-day journey £1,319PP £1,465PPItalian Insights with Bernard Magee 13 Sept 2010 – 11 daysNice (overnight) ~ Santa Margherita ~ Livorno (Florence/Pisa) ~ Civitavecchia (Rome)Sorrento (overnight) ~ Palermo (overnight) ~ Catania ~ Valletta £1,099PP £1,199PPVenice & the Adriatic with Mr & Mrs Bridge 23 Sept 2010 – 11 daysValletta ~ Korcula ~ Zadar ~ Venice (overnight) ~ Koper ~ Split ~ Hvar) ~ Dubrovnik (overnight)Worlds of the Ancient Civilisations 3 Oct – 13 daysDubrovnik (overnight) ~ Kotor Bay ~ Cephalonia ~ Nauplion ~ Santorini ~ Mykonos ~ PiraeusLimited availability –please contact us for detailsNEW LOW FARENEW LOW FAREVolos ~ Canakkale ~ Istanbul (overnight) £1,399PP £1,549PPBlack Sea Voyager 15 Oct 2010 – 11 daysIstanbul (overnight) ~ Trabzon ~ Sochi (overnight) ~ Yalta ~ Sevastopol ~ Odessa ~ Nesebur ~ Istanbul (overnight) £1,299PP £1,399PPNorth African Treasures 25 Oct 2010 – 13 daysIstanbul (overnight) ~ Heraklion ~ Valletta ~ Tripoli ~ Al Khums ~ Benghazi ~ Alexandria (overnight)NEW LOW FARE£1,199PPNEW LOW FARE£1,349PPIn Search of Ancient Civilisations 6 Nov 2010 – 13 daysNEW LOW FARE NEW LOW FAREAlexandria ~ Benghazi ~ Al Khums ~ Valletta ~ Trapani ~ La Goulette ~ Cagliari) ~ Cartagena ~ Malaga £1,199PP £1,349PPFREE UPGRADEto outside cabin*FREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEFREEUPGRADEwww.bridgecruises.co.ukFares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest inside/outside twin-bedded cabin category as shown and include all applicable discounts for new bookings only. *Upgrade offer applies to inside category Nupgrading to outside category K on selected cruises only where stated. **Past passengers – Discovery Club savings are not applicable on the ‘Springtime in the Norwegian Fjords’ cruise. All offers are subject to availability, arecapacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Flights from Manchester £15pp supplement (£7.50pp each way). See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be partof the Mr Bridge Group. Those wishing to play bridge, please note that there is a bridge supplement of £30 per bridge player to be confirmed at the time of booking. Voyages of Discovery is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Ltd.

RUBBER / CHICAGO 2010at The Beach Hotel,Worthing, BN11 3QJHosted by Diana Holland28-30 May (Fri-Sun)30 July-1 August (Fri-Sun)16-18 November (Tue-Thu)Please note there are no seminars or set hands at these events£199 – Full-board – No Single SupplementDECLARERPLAYQUIZby David Huggett(Answers on page 35)You are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.In each case, what is your play strategy?1. ♠ 8 6 5 3 Q 6© A K 7 4® K 7 33. ♠ J 3 A 8 6 5© A 9 8 3® K 6 5NWSENWSE_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM_ _ _ _ _ _ _Please book me for .... places, Single .... Double .... Twin ....for the Rubber/Chicago event(s) of .....................................Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................Address...........................................................................................................................................................................Postcode ............................................................................( ......................................................................................Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed)...........................................................................................Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per placeby cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balancewill be sent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of yourfinal payment, 28 days before the event, a programme and fulldetails will be sent together with a map. Cancellations are notrefundable. Should you require insurance, you should contactyour own insurance broker. (Sea view £30 supplement.), Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.ukwebsite: www.holidaybridge.com♠ Q J 10 9 4 K J 7© J 3® A 8 5You are declarer in 4♠ andWest leads the ®2. Howdo you plan the play?2. ♠ K 8 5 A 6 4 3© 8 5 3® 6 5 4NW ES♠ A Q J 10 7 3 9 2© A K 4® A 3You are declarer in 4♠after West opened the biddingwith a pre-emptive3. West leads the K.How do you plan theplay?♠ K 10 2 K Q J 9 7 2© Q J® A 7You are declarer in 4 andWest leads the ©7. Howdo you plan the play?4. ♠ 8 7 5 7 5 4© A Q 9 7 5® Q 3NW ES♠ A 2 A J 8© J 10 8® A K 7 6 2You are declarer in 3NTand West leads the K,East playing the 3 showingcount. How do youplan the play?Page 18