Bridge Magazine 2015.01


new books from

Master Point Press
the bridge publisher
Winning Duplicate Tactics

David Bird
Duplicate bridge is a different game. It’s true that you can get by if you
play exactly the same way as you would in a home social game or a team
match. To be successful at duplicate pairs, you must adjust your bidding.
This is a book that every novice bridge player needs to read before that
first pairs game at their local club.
Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook

Barbara Seagram and David Bird
Bidding at Bridge: A Quizbook gives the near-beginner a chance to practice

the principles on which sound bidding is based, from the opening bid
onward. Each section contains problems, a brief introduction to its
topic, and the ideas are reinforced with carefully explained solutions
and helpful tips throughout. Bridge teachers and students will find this
book invaluable.
Imaginative Cardplay and Accurate Cardplay

Terence Reese and Roger Trézel
In the 1970s, two of the best bridge writers of all time collaborated on a series of eight small
books on aspects of card play at bridge. These books have long been out of print, and are
being republished now in two combined volumes, edited and updated by BRIDGE magazine
editor Mark Horton.
Imaginative Cardplay includes: Master the Odds

in Bridge; Snares and Swindles in Bridge; Those
Extra Chances in Bridge; The Art of Defense in
Bridge.
Accurate Cardplay includes: Safety Plays in

Bridge; Blocking and Unblocking Plays in Bridge;
Elimination Play in Bridge; When to Duck and
When to Win in Bridge.
2 January 2015 BRIDGE Magazine


The Way Ahead
It’s time to look forward to what promises to
BRIDGE
MAGAZINE
be a great year for Bridge.
Bridge Magazine Online is about to launch
a scheme that will not only ensure the lon-
gevity of the magazine, but also provide a
potential revenue stream for every bridge
playing country in the world, enabling their
Federations to enhance the services they already supply to
their members.
On the playing front the proliferation of top class events will
include magnificent invitation tournaments in Copenhagen,
Moscow & Singapore, what promises to be a record breaking
European Open Championships in Tromsø and a breathtaking
44 BAKER STREET
LONDON W1U 7RT World Championships in Chennai.
Tel: 020-7486 8222
Fax: 020-7486 3355 We mustn’t forget the NEC in Yokohama, the Chairman’s Cup
email: info@bridgeshop.com in Sweden, the EBU’s Summer Festival and the EBL Champi-
http://www.bridgeshop.com ons Cup, which will be staged in England for the first time in
Editor: November.
Mark Horton
Assistant Editors: If you keen to visit America, this year the Nationals are in New
Sandra Landy Orleans, Chicago and Denver.
Neil Rosen
Christina Lund Madsen Add to this list the many festivals that take place all over the world
Advertising: throughout the year - for instance in Surfer’s Paradise, Juan les
Matthew Read
Photographer: Pins, Deauville, Rhodes, Madeira etc you see what a magnificent
Ron Tacchi global sport bridge has become.
Proofreaders:
Danny Roth Bridge Magazine Online will bring you all the news from these
Monica Kummel fantastic events.
Typesetter:
Ron Tacchi Meanwhile, the SportAccord World Mind Games 2015 is look-
BRIDGE Magazine is published
monthly.
ing for a venue. Why not London (following on directly from
Online Subscriptions: the London Chess Classic)?
1 year: £19.95
Individual Issue: Bridgmanite
£2.00
Distributors
CHESS & BRIDGE LTD.
Scientists recently identified a mineral that makes up 38% of the
44 Baker Street
London W1U 7RT U.K.
earth, and they have named it Bridgmanite. Reports suggest that
Views expressed in this publication are not
the most abundant substance on the planet has been named in
necessarily those of the Editor. Editorial
contributions will be published at the
honor of the physicist, Percy Bridgman, who won the Nobel Prize
Editor’s discretion and may be shortened
if space is limited.
in Physics, in 1946, for his high-pressure research.
No parts of this publication may be
reproduced without the prior express
permission of the publishers. All rights
So far there is no evidence to support the theory that exposure
reserved. ©2014 to it will improve your declarer play.


Mr. Memory
Neapolitan Club, an online magazine in English and Italian has been running a series on memory
in bridge, where a number of leading players have been asked for their opinions. It’s well worth
taking a look at - the latest answers can be found at: http://neapolitanclub.altervista.org/eng/
memorizing-bridge-7-practice-talent.html
We stand Corrected
Richard Fleet points out that the European Championships predate the Camrose (December
2014 Editorial) Patrick Jourdian observes that the Camrose is the most played international series
as it started slightly later than the Europeans but was held 1937, 1938, 1939 (uncompleted) not
1940-45, but then every year whilst the Europeans is only alternate years.
Meic Goodyear, expressing the wish that we keep up the good work and have a great Yule,
reports that the England-Scotland football match in 1872 is not the earliest international
fixture. That honour belongs to a cricket match in 1844 between Canada and the USA.
Honest!
The Canadian cricket team was the first international team to travel to another coun-
try and the match between the two national sides that year, billed as United States of
America versus the British Empire’s Canadian Province, was the first official international
cricket match. The match took place between 24 and 26 September 1844 at the St George’s
Cricket Club, Bloomingdale Park in New York. Canada won by 23 runs. The game was
watched by between 10,000 and 20,000 spectators and around $120,000 worth of bets
were placed.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_cricket_team_in_the_United_States_in_1844.
The Pain Barrier

The last of the US Nationals took place in Providence, Rhode Island at the beginning of December.
The week started badly for America’s Richard Schwartz. First he lost his i-Phone upon arrival. (He
got it back later.) Worse was to follow, as just before he sat down to play the afternoon session of
the finals in the Reisinger Board a Match teams he tripped over a BBO broadcasting cable. His
knee was seriously wounded and he broke a rib. In spite of the pain Richie decided to play and
his team won the session.
We will have a full report in due course.
Marks & Comments

During the course of this year we will be making a major overhaul to the bidding system, reflect-
ing the modern trends in bidding.
If you would like to make any observations send them to the Editor: markhorton007@hotmail.com


Online News
These days you can find a wealth of information about bridge on the Internet. One of the sites
we are constantly referring to is to be found at: http://www.larryco.com/.
Compiled by Larry the Law Cohen it contains a wealth of information, especially on modern
bidding methods.
Problem Corner
Please note that you should now send your answers to the Prize Problems to Ron Tacchi at:
BMProb@vaupillon.com. You can also send your answers by snail-mail to the Chess & Bridge,
44 Baker Street and they will be forwarded to Ron.
Top Gun
The EBU is running a competition to determine the Player of the Year (who will collect £1000.)
The winner will be the player who accumulates the most points in the period 1 October 2014 -
30 September 2015 from a number of prestigious events, which are:
The Gold Cup, the Spring Fours, the Premier League (first division) Crockfords, Brighton Four
Stars, National Teams Point-a-Board, Brighton Swiss Pairs, National Pairs, Guardian Trophy &
Two Star Pairs.
With three events completed (Two Stars, Premier League and Gold Cup) there is a five way tie
between Alexander Allfrey (he received full credit for winning the Gold Cup, although he did not
play in the final) David Bakhshi, Tony Forrester, David Gold & Andrew Robson.
I’m not sure I would have included the Premier League in this list.
In This Issue
I 6 Problem Corner— Ron Tacchi & Patrick Jourdain. GI 82 Have Some Madeira M’Dear— Ron Tacchi on
GI 7 World Bridge Championships Sanya— The the 2014 Madeira International Bridge Festival
editor reports on the Mixed Teams. I 103 Robot Play has a Human Side — Alvin Levy
I 49 Solution to Non-Prize Problem on the World Computer Championships.
GI 105 This Month’s Video Page
GI 50 After The Flood— The story of the ACBL
Headquarters flood GI 108 An American in Opatija — Christine Lund
I 53 SEKs Appeal— Paul Lamford reports on his Madsen interviews Roy Welland.
team’s victory in the Chairman’s Cup. I 110 Test Your Defence — Julian Pottage
I 72 The Abbot’s Heavenly Vision — David Bird I 112 Partnership Profile — Mark Horton
GI 80 Round and About — Our roving reporter I 118 Solution to Test Your Defence
Maureen Dennison phones home. I 119 Marks & Comments — Alan Mould

 Intermediate
Ron Tacchi and
Solution to prize problem 298
Patrick Jourdain’s No Problem
Problem ♠ AK 9
♥ K964
♦ QJ7 W
N
E
♠ QJ874
♥ 75
♦ A4
Corner ♣ KJ5
West North
S
East
♣ Q 10 6 2
South
sponsored by – Pass Pass 1♥
THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP 1NT Pass 2♥* 3♥
Master Bridge Series 3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
North leads the three of hearts taken with the ace by
South, who continues with the ten. Plan your play
Prize Problem 299 After last month’s difficult problem an easy one, it is
Count, Count, Count transparent that North’s lead is a singleton, South should
not bid this way without at least six hearts. So how not
♠ K 10 9 8 6 3 2 N ♠ AQ 7 4
♥ Q83 ♥ A9 7 5 4 2 to get the king of hearts ruffed? Easy - don’t play it, in
♦ 6 W E ♦ K2 other words duck and if South continues duck again
♣ A2 S ♣9 and ruff in dummy. Now you still have the king of
hearts for a discard of your losing diamond. You have
West North East South exchanged your diamond loser (the finesse is bound to
– – 1♥ 2NT* fail and it will always fail in a problem) for an additional
3♠ 4♣ 4NT* 5♣ heart loser. Draw trumps ending in hand and now you
5♠* Pass 6♠ All Pass can cash that king of hearts discarding a diamond from
2NT Minors dummy. Now force out the club ace and hey presto you
North leads the jack of clubs. Plan your play. have ten tricks and your contract.
As from this month we are asking you to send your
answers to the Prize Problem direct to Ron Tacchi at
BMProb@vaupillon.com, of course you can still mail
Email your answers to BMProb@vaupillon.com or send it if you prefer as per the address on the left and it will
on a postcard to The Editor, Bridge Magazine, 44 Baker be forwarded to me in due course. Each month I shall
Street, London, W1U 7RT. Entries must be received before examine the entries for correctness and use one of Mrs
31st January. The first correct solution out of the hat will Tacchi’s various hats to extract the winning entry but I
receive £15 of BRIDGE Magazine book vouchers. also hope to keep a record, not only of correct entries
but also of the style and and wit of the responses. I hope
to be fortunate enough to find a sponsor for a small prize
for the entrant who has pleased me most over the year.
Non-Prize Problem See Page 49 This will be a purely personal appraisal of the results.
♠ A 10 3 N ♠ 64 Furthermore if you have any comments on the puzzles
♥ J 10 2 ♥ AK 6 4 please do not hesitate to use the same email address to
♦ A K J 10 W E ♦ 753 correspond with me, you can even send me a problem
♣ A8 3 S ♣ K 10 7 5 for publication if you have one.
In a pairs event West opens a strong no-trump, East
uses Stayman, South overcalls Two Spades, and West’s
2NT is raised to 3NT. Congratulations
North leads the seven of spades. You obviously duck
South’s jack, but, when he follows with the king, Prize Problem 297.
decide to win, North following with the 2. When A tough problem which attracted some excellent
you lead the jack of hearts it is covered by the queen; answers. The winner was Colin Brown.
when you finesse the diamond jack it holds and South’s
queen falls on the next round. On two more dia-
monds, South throws spades. But when you cash two
more hearts, it is North that throws a club. Look for Patrick Jourdain’s Problem Corner,
How do you continue? available from Chess & Bridge.

 General Interest
World Bridge Championships - Sanya
The Editor reports on the multi-faceted fourteenth Red Bull World Bridge Series
T he World Bridge Series is both the most spectacular and the most demanding in the cycle of
World Championships. With so many World titles to be decided the tournament imposes
a significant strain on everyone who takes part, both players and officials.
This year the World Bridge Federation had the support of a major sponsor, the Red Bull organ-
isation. Created in 1987 the Austrian company produces the highest selling energy drink in the
world (5,387 billion cans sold in 2013).
They also received a tremendous amount of assistance from the Chinese Bridge Federation,
who (amongst other things) delivered a seemingly limitless supply of young helpers from the
local University.
One of them deserves a special mention – during the Mixed Teams he was tidying up one of
the playing rooms when he found an envelope with a considerable amount of money in it. With
a little investigation it was possible to return it to its owner, a relieved Roy Welland.
Here is how the tournament unfolded from my point of view:
Day 1
The Bulletin Room is located on the first floor of the MGM Hotel, alongside all the other offices.
For the first time I can recall there is to be no VuGraph theatre, which means that Barry Rigal and
David Stern are upgraded (if that is the right word) to being full time members of the Daily Bul-
letin team, joining journalists Jean-Paul Meyer, Brent Manley & Micke Melander, with Monika
Kummel in charge of layout and Francesca Canali providing the photographs.
With play taking place in both the MGM and the adjacent Sheraton everyone should get plenty
of exercise.
Online coverage is being provided by Our Game, another of the tournament’s sponsors, and
BBO, but it quickly becomes apparent that there are some technical issues to be solved with regard
to continued connection to the Internet.
The first event is one of the most popular, the Mixed Teams. In my first article I take the consid-
erable risk of making some predictions. You can judge for yourselves how successful they proved
to be.
The Fab Four

If by any chance you have dropped in on the Red Bull Championships from the Planet Mars
(should that be Red Bull Planet Mars?) I’ll mention that my title relates to the best selling band
in the history of pop music (with over 600 million record sales worldwide) the legendary Beatles.
They acquired the nickname ‘the Fab Four’ as Beatlemania grew in Britain, and by early 1964
they had become international stars, leading the British Invasion of the United States pop market.
The Fab Four would be a good name for a bridge team (too late, I have already registered the
copyright) and before the Mixed Teams started I took a look at the team lists in an attempt to
form an opinion as to who might win.
These were my six to follow (don’t blame me if you lost your shirts) from China, Red Bull &
Yeh Mix, from the USA, Diamond & Joel, a Monaco/USA combination, Nunes and a truly Trans-
national squad with players from England, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey & USA, Salvo.
When the matches for Round 1 were posted I noticed that they included Salvo v Meikuangtixie

so I settled down to watch – and completely coincidently Francesca produced a couple of great
photos from the Open Room which showed the friendly spirit that prevailed.
(The standard procedure is for the journalists to tell the photographer which matches they are
covering so appropriate photos can be taken, but Francesca is pioneering a new method – if she
gets any amazingly good pictures she expects us to write a report on the relevant match.)
Board 1. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ KJ87
♥ A72
♦ K65
♣ J65
♠ 95 N ♠ A3
♥ K93 ♥ Q J 10 5
♦ A8 2 W E ♦ QJ74
♣ A K Q 10 2 S ♣ 974
♠ Q 10 6 4 2
♥ 864
♦ 10 9 3
♣ 83
Open Room
West North East South
Liu Mahmood Yang Michielsen
– 1♣ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♠ All Pass
With South making use of the world’s most used Bols Bridge Tip (don’t be afraid to respond) N/S
stole the pot, although given that it is not easy for West to get into the bidding (Barry Rigal
observed that a natural 2♣ would be one way) and even then E/W would be doing very well to
reach 4♥, it is not clear how significant an advantage this conferred. 2♠ drifted one down, -50.
Closed Room
Welland Long Auken Gong
– 1♣ All Pass
Facing a partner who would have bid at the drop of a hat (and was possibly short in clubs) West
was content to let matters rest. There are ten tricks available in clubs – unluckily for the declarer
it was the defenders who amassed them, down five, -250 and 5 IMPs to Salvo.
Considerable technical problems meant that I was unable to give more than a passing glance to
the remaining deals of the match, although I did notice that in the Open Room South was able
to start with a Multi 2♦ on both ♠1065 ♥A9432 ♦9 ♣J763 and ♠A109873 ♥864 ♦- ♣7632. I
guess if anyone asked South how strong her weak two might be she could reply ‘It all depends
on Mah Mood’.
(the next day I receive a short note from from Eric Kokish:
“It all depends on Mah Mood” should be enshrined in the IBPA Hall of Fame.)

High Anxiety
High Anxiety is a 1977 comedy film produced and directed by Mel Brooks, who also plays the lead.
It was Brooks’ first film as a producer and first speaking lead role (his first lead role was in Silent
Movie). The film is a parody of suspense films, most obviously the films directed by Alfred Hitch-
cock, Spellbound, Vertigo and The Birds in particular. The movie was dedicated to Hitchcock,
who worked with Brooks on the screenplay, and later sent Brooks a case containing six magnums
of 1961 Château Haut-Brion, to show his appreciation.
If any reader feels that a similar gesture is appropriate can I mention that I prefer the Latour
‘61 (but lesser vintages would be equally acceptable).
This deal from Round 7 of day one of the Red Bull Mixed Teams produced all manner of results,
some of them the type that might drive one to drink – especially a 1961 Bordeaux.
This was Lucky Star v Salvo:
Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
♠ A Q J 10 7 4
♥5
♦ J 10 9 7
♣ Q6
♠K N ♠ 93
♥ Q98763 ♥ KJ2
♦6 W E ♦ 43
♣ 10 9 8 5 4 S ♣ AK J 7 3 2
♠ 8652
♥ A 10 4
♦ AKQ852
♣—
Open Room
Welland Lei Auken Ying
– – 1♣ 1♦
2♦* 2♠ 3♦* 4♠
Pass Pass 5♣ 5♥
Pass 5♠ All Pass
2♦ 5+♥, 4+♣
3♦ Heart support (I’m guessing 3♥)
I’m not sure 4♠ is the right approach on the South hand. In the Bulletin room there were votes
for 5♠, 4♣ and 4♥.
Declarer was not hard pressed to score +710.
Closed Room
Chen Mahmood Yang Michielsen
— — 1♣ 1♦
2♥ 4♠ 5♥ 6♣*
Pass 6♦ Pass 6♥*
Pass 6♠ All Pass

Once North had jumped to 4♠ (did it in any way imply a fit for diamonds?) South was not stop-
ping short at 6♠ and was able to make a couple of grand-slam tries along the way.
If E/W had tried 7♣ my guess is they would have been writing down an even bigger number
than the -1460 they had to inscribe on their scorecard.
There was a bigger swing in the match between Pertamina Blue and Rossard:
Open Room
Voldoire Djauhari Avon Andhani
– – 1♣ 1♦
1♥ 1♠ Double* 2♠
4♥ 4♠ 5♣ 5♦
6♣ 6♦ Double All Pass
Declarer was not troubled in the play, +1740.
Closed Room
Karwur Gawel Dewi Brewiak
– – 2♣ 2♦
5♣ 5♦ Pass Pass
6♣ Double All Pass
South cashed the king of diamonds and switched to the six of spades. North took the ace and
returned a heart, South winning with the ace and returning a heart for North to ruff, three down,
-500 and 15 IMPs to Pertamina Blue.
The demanding playing schedule means that we finish working late in the day and then face
a long walk to the local restaurants (it was only a few days later that we discovered an excellent
place close to our hotel).
When selecting something from the excellent menu I remember just in time – all mushrooms
are edible; but some only once.
Day 2
I notice that one of the teams that qualified for semifinal A of the Mixed Teams was Jilinsheng-
qiaopaixiehui – could that be the Chinese for supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?
As the competition moves inexorably towards the knock-out stage the breaking news is the
confirmation that the German Doctors have lost their appeal against their conviction of having
used illegal signals.
Jeff Meckstroth is diagnosed with a herniated disc, which makes sitting down uncomfortable.
Not the best thing to happen to a bridge player, but Jeff took it in his stride. By coincidence he
featured in the match I chose to follow.
Blitz Brigade
Blitz Brigade is an online multiplayer game based on WWII. There are two teams, the Allies (the
good guys) and the Axis of Evil (the baddies).
At the end of the first round of semifinal A team Ganzer may have concluded that they had
been up against the Axis of Evil when they faced Rivers.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
♠5
♥ 96
♦ K Q 10 9 8 6 5 2
♣ J2
♠ Q8643 N ♠ A7 2
♥ 82 ♥ AQ J 5 4
♦7 W E ♦ J4
♣ K 10 8 7 5 S ♣ 964
♠ K J 10 9
♥ K 10 7 3
♦ A3
♣ AQ3
Open Room
Ganzer Cappelletti Picus Rivers
– 4♦ Pass 5♦
All Pass
What to lead from the East hand?

East went for the ace of hearts and then switched to the nine of clubs. Declarer put up dum-
my’s ace and then treated East to eight rounds of diamonds.
This was the position when the last of them hit the table:
♠5
♥9
♦2
♣J
♠ Q6 N ♠A
♥2 ♥ QJ
♦— W E ♦—
♣K S ♣4
♠ KJ
♥ K 10
♦—
♣—
East could not afford to discard from either major, but parting with her last club meant declarer
could throw a heart and lead a spade, a very well-played +400.
Closed Room
Meckstroth Bakkeren Rogers Arnolds
– 4♦ Pass 5♦
All Pass
When East selected the four of clubs declarer had no choice but to finesse and West won with
the king and returned the four of spades, East’s major suit aces producing a rapid one down, -50
and 10 IMPs.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
♠Q
♥ 85
♦ AQJ9
♣ AKJ862
♠ J 10 9 8 7 4 3 N ♠ K5
♥ K7 ♥ AQ 9 6 4
♦ K 10 8 W E ♦ 75
♣4 S ♣ Q973
♠ A62
♥ J 10 3 2
♦ 6432
♣ 10 5
Open Room
– – – Pass
2♦* 5♣ Double All Pass
2♦ Multi
North went all in with his overcall. The more restrained approach is to bid 3♣ or Pass and then
come in on the next round (although the Multi remains under a cloud in North America The
Mysterious Multi has already been translated into Chinese).
East led the king of spades and declarer won with dummy’s ace, played a diamond to the queen
and the two of clubs. East went in with the queen and declarer ruffed the spade continuation with
the eight of clubs, played a club to dummy’s ten, repeated the diamond finesse, drew trumps and
claimed for one down, -100.
Closed Room
— — — Pass
3♠ 4♣ 4♠ Pass
Pass 4NT* Pass 5♦
Double All Pass
4NT ♦+♣
West led the four of clubs and when declarer played low from dummy East won with the queen
and returned the three of clubs. West ruffed and switched to the king of hearts. East overtook it
and cashed the queen before playing a third club, so declarer escaped for three down, -500, still
a 9 IMP pick-up for Rivers.

Board 7. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♠ Q9
♥ J93
♦ KQ75
♣ AJ92
♠ J7642 N ♠ K 10 5 3
♥ AK 6 ♥2
♦ A J 10 4 W E ♦ 9832
♣3 S ♣ K874
♠ A8
♥ Q 10 8 7 5 4
♦6
♣ Q 10 6 5
Open Room
– – – 2♥
2♠ 4♥ 4♠ Pass
Pass Double All Pass
On paper North’s jump to 4♥ is disastrous as on a club lead it will cost 800, but if you can find
a reason to double rather than bid 4♠ with the East hand then I salute you.
North led the three of hearts and declarer won with the ace and played a spade for the nine,
ten and ace. South’s essential diamond return went to the jack and queen and North exited with
the queen of spades, in due course collecting a diamond and a club for one down, -200.
Closed Room
– – – 2♦*
2♠ Double* 3♠ All Pass
2♦ Multi
Double Penalties if your suit is spades
After North’s pass or correct double East/West also need to know the meaning of Pass, Redouble,
2NT and 3♥ (to name but a few).
North led the three of hearts and declarer won with the ace and played a spade to the king and
ace. South again found the essential diamond switch and North took the jack with the queen,
cashed the queen of spades and exited with the nine of hearts. Declarer won with the king and
played a club. When North withheld the ace a defensive trick had vanished and +140 gave Riv-
ers another 8 IMPs on the way to a 33-0, 19.15-0.85 VP win.
You can replay all the deals from this match at: http://tinyurl.com/pvjo797
When Micke Melander tells me he has a big swing to report we join forces to produce an arti-
cle that needs Francesca (photos) & Monika (layout) to produce something special.

The Monumental Men
Saving hands for bridge players around the world…
Our title pays homage to the so called Monuments Men, who were a group of men and women
from thirteen nations, most of whom volunteered for service in the newly created Monuments,
Fine Arts, and Archives section, or MFAA. Most had expertise as museum directors, curators, art
scholars and educators, artists, architects, and archivists. Their job description was simple: to save
as much of the culture of Europe as they could during combat as the second world war drew to
a close.
They not only had the vision to understand the grave threat to the greatest cultural and artistic
achievements of civilization, but then joined the front lines to do something about it.
Their achievements are described in the film directed, written, produced and starring George
Clooney, The Monuments Men.
We doubt our efforts in producing material for these Bulletins will ever be the subject of a movie,
but in the interests of preserving deals for cultural purposes allow us to present two monumental
moments from round 6 of semi final A:
Our first monumental score comes from the match between Platinum Cem and Shenzhen
Pingan:
Board 12. Dealer West. All Vul.
♠ J75
♥9
♦ AK3
♣ K98532
♠ A 10 2 N ♠ KQ96
♥ A8 7 ♥ J 10 5 3
♦ J864 W E ♦ 52
♣ Q76 S ♣ A J 10
♠ 843
♥ KQ642
♦ Q 10 9 7
♣4
Open Room
Wang Upmark Ma K. Bertheau
1♦ 2♣ Double Pass
2♦ All Pass
In this room Wang-Ma got into big problems when Upmark made a simple overcall of Two Clubs.
Ma could have saved their day by bidding 2NT over Two Diamonds instead of passively passing
it out.
Upmark led his nine of hearts and that went to the jack, queen and ace. Declarer then finessed
in clubs and played a diamond to the seven, eight and king whereupon the defense crossruffed
hearts and clubs to produce one down. If Katrine Bertheau could have imagined that her partner
also held the ace of trumps two down was possible.

Closed Room
Delmonte He Weinger Wen
1♣ 2♣ Double 4♥
Pass Pass Double Pass
Pass 5♣ Double All Pass
Meanwhile China’s He-Wen got into even bigger trouble when Wen thought partner had a two
suiter and not clubs after the same overcall. Weinger had no problems in doubling any contract
the Chinese tried to play.
Weinger started with the king and queen of spades and a third round followed to her partner’s
ace. Delmonte now played a diamond which declarer won in hand and played a club to the king
and ace. East returned the jack of hearts that went to the queen and ace. Declarer was already
three down and nothing could prevent the defense from getting at least two more trump tricks,
so that was five down and -1400, Platinum Cem scoring 16 IMPs with the great score from the
other room.
Board 13. Dealer North. Both Vul.
♠ J 10 3 2
♥ Q3
♦ K854
♣ A32
♠ K875 N ♠ AQ 6 4
♥— ♥ K976
♦ A Q 10 9 7 6 W E ♦ J32
♣ KJ6 S ♣ 87
♠9
♥ A J 10 8 5 4 2
♦—
♣ Q 10 9 5 4
Open Room
Hague Voldoire Malinowski Avon
– Pass Pass 4♥
Double Pass 4♠ All Pass
South attempted to cash the ace of hearts, but declarer ruffed in dummy, cashed the king of spades,
played a spade to the ace and ran the jack of diamonds to North’s king. Winning the spade return
with the queen, declarer played on diamonds, pitching a heart when North ruffed in with the ten
of spades. Taking the heart exit with the king declarer played a club to the jack for +620.
Closed Room
Romanowski Gunev Rossard Popova
– Pass Pass 4♥
Double All Pass

Ignoring Edgar Kaplan’s dictum that ‘take out doubles are meant to be taken out’ East elected to
play for penalties.
West led the six of clubs and declarer won with the nine and played ace of hearts and a heart.
East won, cashed the ace of spades and played another spade. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and
advanced the queen of clubs, covered by the king and ace. There was a club to lose, but that was
+790 and another monumental 16 IMP swing.
You can replay the featured deals at:
http://tinyurl.com/m4rhmqg and http://tinyurl.com/kkhy2nj8
Day 3
With the knock-out phase of the Mixed Teams under way the players from the eliminated teams
start on the long road that will hopefully lead them into the final of the Mixed Pairs Championship.
Perfect Numbers
In number theory, a perfect number is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its proper
positive divisors, that is, the sum of its positive divisors excluding the number itself (also known
as its aliquot sum). Equivalently, a perfect number is a number that is half the sum of all of its
positive divisors (including itself ) i.e.∑1(n) = 2n.
For 28, the divisors are 1, 2 4, 7, and 14.
Given that the matches of the round of 32 in the 14th Red Bull World Bridge Series Mixed
Teams were of 28 boards all the players would be looking for some perfect numbers.
I elected to watch the match between Hauge (seeded 19) and McAllister (14).
♠ Q9
♥ J432
♦ J 10 6
♣ 10 7 5 4
♠ AK J 8 7 6 N ♠ 10 3 2
♥K ♥ A Q 10
♦ Q543 W E ♦ AK 2
♣ AJ S ♣ Q943
♠ 54
♥ 98765
♦ 987
♣ K82
Open Room
Hauge McAllister Malinowski Zur Campanile
1♠ Pass 2♣* Pass
2♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♣* Pass 4♦* Pass
4♥* Pass 4♠ All Pass
2♣ Game-forcing
4♣ Cue-bid
4♦ Cue-bid
4♥ Cue-bid

For my money both East and West should have done more – perhaps a good hand for You be the
Jury?
With spades 2-2 declarer took all the tricks, +710.
Closed Room
Bilde Gunev Lund Madsen Popova
1♠ Pass 2♣* Pass
2♦ Pass 3♠ Pass
3NT* Pass 4♦* Pass
4NT* Pass 5♥* Pass
6♠ All Pass
3NT Serious, slam try
4♦ Cue-bid
4NT RKCB
5♥ 2 key cards
That was +1460 and 12 IMPs to McAllister.
Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
♠ J3
♥ K 10 4
♦ Q65432
♣ A2
♠ KQ87 N ♠ 942
♥ A8 3 ♥ J9652
♦ A J 10 W E ♦9
♣ 943 S ♣ K 10 8 5
♠ A 10 6 5
♥ Q7
♦ K87
♣ QJ76
Open Room
– – – 1♣
Double Redouble 1♥ Pass
Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠
Pass 2NT All Pass
East led the two of hearts and when West put in the seven declarer won with the ten and played
a diamond to the king and ace. West continued with the ace of hearts and a heart and declarer
won and cleared the diamonds. That was eight tricks, +120.
To defeat 2NT East must lead a spade – not exactly obvious.

Closed Room
– – – 1♦*
Double 2♦ 2♥ 3♦
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
Double All Pass
1♦ Precision
Hoping that the diamonds would provide enough tricks North took a shot at game. Knowing
that diamonds were not behaving West applied the axe.
East led the five of clubs and declarer put up dummy’s queen and played the king of diamonds.
West took the ace and switched to the king of spades. Declarer won with dummy’s ace and cleared
the diamonds, East discarding the six and two of hearts. In with the jack of diamonds West returned
a club and declarer won and cashed his diamond winners. If East had retained both her clubs the
defenders would be in a position to collect two down, as dummy would come under pressure,
but when she parted with the ten of clubs declarer could play a heart to the queen and ace. West
exited with a club and East won and played a spade, West’s queen being the setting trick, -200
and 8 IMPs to MacCallister.
Board 8 Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ AQJ984
♥3
♦ 842
♣ 865
♠ 732 N ♠ K65
♥ Q82 ♥ AK J 7 4
♦ A J 10 W E ♦ K9
♣ AJ 4 2 S ♣ KQ3
♠ 10
♥ 10 9 6 5
♦ Q7653
♣ 10 9 7
Open Room
1♣ 2♠ 3♥ Pass
4♥ Pass 4NT* Pass
5♠* Pass 6NT All Pass
4NT RKCB
5♠ 2 key cards + ♥Q
East’s thoughtful final bid avoided the spade ruff that would have defeated Six Hearts. South led
her spade, +990.

Closed Room
1NT 2♦* Double All Pass
2♦ One major
The defenders quickly got in three rounds of trumps and declarer could score only two trumps
and a spade, five down, -1100 adding 3 IMPs to McAllister’s total.
Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
♠ J7
♥ K742
♦ A J 10
♣ K762
♠ A K 10 5 2 N ♠ 843
♥ AJ 3 ♥ Q865
♦ K53 W E ♦ Q64
♣ A4 S ♣ Q98
♠ Q96
♥ 10 9
♦ 9872
♣ J 10 4 3
Open Room
– – Pass Pass
1♠ Double 2♠ Pass
2NT Pass 3♠ All Pass
With an awkward lead North tried the seven of spades and declarer was not hard pressed to take
ten tricks (eleven are possible and there is no lead to defeat Four Spades) +170.
Closed Room
– – Pass Pass
1♠ Pass 1NT* Pass
2♣* Pass 2♠ Pass
3NT All Pass
To defeat 3NT South must lead a club honour, not at all easy given the auction. She went for the
ten of hearts for the jack and king and North returned the two to declarer’s ace. Three rounds of
spades put South on lead and after a club to the king and a club declarer could win with the ace
and claim nine tricks, +600 and 10 IMPs, 37-6 for McAllister.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
♠ 92
♥ J 10 8 6 4 2
♦ KQ5
♣ A 10
♠ K3 N ♠ Q 10 8 7 6 4
♥ K73 ♥9
♦ 10 9 7 6 4 W E ♦ AJ
♣ QJ5 S ♣ 9876
♠ AJ5
♥ AQ5
♦ 832
♣ K432
Open Room
– – – 1♣
Pass 1♥ 2♠ Pass
Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥
All Pass
East led the seven of clubs and declarer won with the ace and ran the jack of hearts to West’s king.
A diamond to the king and ace saw East play a second club and declarer won with dummy’s king,
ruffed a club, crossed to dummy with a heart, drew the outstanding trump, played a diamond to
the queen, cashed two trumps and played a spade to the ace. That was nine tricks, but the defend-
ers took the last two, +50
Closed Room
– – – 1NT
Pass 2♦ 2♠ Pass
Pass 4♥ All Pass
East led the four of spades and when declarer played low from dummy West won with the king
and switched to the four of diamonds for the queen and ace. When East failed to continue with
the jack of diamonds, preferring a second spade, declarer could win with dummy’s jack, come to
hand with a club and run the jack of hearts. In due course the ace of spades took care of the los-
ing diamond, +420 and 10 IMPs back to Hauge, who trailed 37-18 at half time.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
♠ J4
♥5
♦ A 10 5 3 2
♣ AKJ92
♠ 8752 N ♠ A K 10 9
♥ KQJ832 ♥ 10 9 7 6
♦4 W E ♦6
♣ 84 S ♣ 10 6 5 3
♠ Q63
♥ A4
♦ KQJ987
♣ Q7
Open Room
Cichocki McAllister Hocheker Zur Campanile
– – – 1NT
2♦* 2NT* 4♥ Pass
Pass 4NT* Pass 5♦
Pass Pass Double All Pass
2♦ One major
2NT Lebensohl (or possibly Rubensohl?!)
4NT Both minors
East’s double was a gallant effort – it might have been a real winner if West had started with a
spade shortage.
However, reading nothing special into the double West led the king of hearts and declarer
claimed all the tricks, +1150.
Closed Room
– – – 1♦*
3♥ Double 4♥ 4NT
Pass 5NT* Pass 6♦
1♦ Precision
5NT Minors
Here it was clear that East did not want a heart lead and West’s spade lead meant +200 and 16
IMPs, almost doubling McAllister’s lead.
When McAllister picked up game swings on the next two deals another 23 IMPs were in the
locker and the result was not in doubt.
You can replay the deals from this match at:
http://tinyurl.com/lfgpw9g and http://tinyurl.com/lmtr52s

Day 4
Only eight squads are left standing in the Mixed Teams – by the end of today’s play we will know
who will contest tomorrow’s final.
I decide to follow the fortunes of the only one of my six to follow left standing, team Salvo.
Classical Themes
The quarter-finals of the 14th Red Bull World Bridge Series Mixed Teams Championships contained
more than one deal that replicated themes that have been frequently discussed in the text books.
Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
♠ 9643
♥ K5
♦ QJ5
♣ 10 9 4 2
♠ QJ82 N ♠ A7 5
♥ 9862 ♥ AQ 3
♦ K98 W E ♦ A 10 6 3 2
♣ A8 S ♣ J7
♠ K 10
♥ J 10 7 4
♦ 74
♣ KQ653
Open Room
Kowalski Welland Miszewska Auken
– – 1NT Pass
3NT All Pass
2♣ Stayman
2♦ No major
What to lead from the South hand?
Suppose you decide your best chance is to start with a club – which one do you go for?
I think I am right in saying that in one of his books Hugh Kelsey advocated that with an out-
side entry you should start with an honour, while with no entry a low card is best, catering for
partner, or possibly declarer or dummy, holding Ax.
Meanwhile I am pretty sure that messers Bird and Anthias will confirm that a club honour is best.
Whatever the merits of this argument it is clear that on this layout leading a low club will be
catastrophic.
The alternative to a club is a heart – here I suspect the universal choice would be a low card.
If you lead a heart here and declarer takes partner’s king with the ace and ducks a diamond to
North then a club switch will be essential. Pairs playing Smith Peters should be in a position to
get that right.
Here South led a club. It was the three.
That gave declarer a second club trick and with the heart finesse onside and the diamonds break-
ing declarer had nine tricks, +600.

Closed Room
Zorlu Vainikonis Sinclair Gulevich
– – 1NT Pass
3NT All Pass
2♣ Stayman
2♦ No major
Here South led the five of clubs. Declarer won with the jack and ducked a diamond to North,
who switched to the king of hearts. Declarer won with the ace, crossed to dummy with the king
of diamonds and ran the queen of spades, so she took ten tricks, +630 and 1 IMP to Salvo.
♠ 65
♥ 10 7
♦ A Q 10 9 6
♣ AKQ5
♠ A 10 9 8 N ♠ 73
♥ 9865 ♥ AQ J
♦ KJ2 W E ♦ 73
♣ 72 S ♣ 10 9 8 6 4 3
♠ KQJ42
♥ K432
♦ 854
♣J
Open Room
– – – Pass
Pass 1NT Pass 3♦*
Pass 3NT All Pass
3♦ 5+♠, 4+♥ game-forcing
East led the nine of clubs and declarer won with dummy’s jack and played a diamond, winning
with the ace when West put up the king. A spade went to the king and ace and West returned a
club to declarer’s ace. A spade to dummy allowed declarer to run the eight of diamonds and when
it held he claimed, +660.
Closed Room
– – – Pass
Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦
All Pass
Perhaps South should rebid 2NT with this type of hand.

Missing the game cost Vitas 11 IMPs.

♠ 7653
♥ Q87
♦ QJ6
♣ AJ3
♠ AQ 8 2 N ♠ K J 10
♥ A K J 10 5 ♥ 9432
♦A W E ♦ 32
♣ 875 S ♣ K 10 9 4
♠ 94
♥6
♦ K 10 9 8 7 5 4
♣ Q62
Open Room
– 1♣* Pass 1NT*
Double Pass 2♥ 3♦
4♥ All Pass
1♣ Any balanced hand including any other five-card suit, also 5422
1NT Balanced, 5-11, four-card major possible
South led the nine of spades and declarer won in hand with the king, cashed the ace and king of
hearts and played a club. North went up with the ace and returned a club and declarer put in the
ten and claimed when South won with the queen, +620.
Closed Room
– Pass Pass 4♦
Double 5♦ Double Pass
5♥ All Pass
North led the queen of diamonds and declarer could not avoid the loss of a trump and two clubs,
one down, -100 and 12 IMPs to Vitas.

Board 12. Dealer North. All Vul.
♠ 10 8 5 2
♥ 93
♦ AK95
♣ 10 4 3
♠ AQ J 7 6 N ♠ K43
♥ A 10 6 ♥ K852
♦ 876 W E ♦ Q42
♣ K6 S ♣ Q75
♠9
♥ QJ74
♦ J 10 3
♣ AJ982
Open Room
1NT Pass 3NT All Pass
North led the five of spades and declarer won with the queen and played a heart to the three, eight
and jack. South returned the ten of diamonds and North allowed that to run to dummy’s queen
(difficult for North to win and switch to a club). Declarer cashed four rounds of spades followed
by two rounds of hearts, but when the suit failed to divide he was one down, -50.
Closed Room
1NT Pass 3♣* Double
3♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass
North led the ace of diamonds and when South followed with the jack he accurately switched to
the four of clubs. Declarer took South’s jack with the king, cashed the queen and jack of spades,
played a spade to the king and a low club. When South nervously went up with the ace declarer
had been handed a life-line. North won the diamond return, but dummy’s queen of clubs could
take care of declarer’s losing heart, +420 and 10 IMPs to Salvo.
♠ 10 7 3
♥ K543
♦ KJ63
♣ K8
♠ KQ5 N ♠ 96
♥ A Q 10 8 2 ♥ J976
♦— W E ♦ 10 7 2
♣ AQ 5 3 2 S ♣ J764
♠ AJ842
♥—
♦ AQ9854
♣ 10 9
Open Room
– Pass Pass 1♦
2NT* 3♣* 4♥ 4♠
Double 5♦ Pass Pass
5♥ Pass Pass 5♠
Double All Pass
2NT ♥+♣
3♣ Good raise in diamonds
With two apparently well-placed defensive cards North might have doubled 5♥.
West led the ace of hearts and declarer ruffed and played a club. West took the ace and contin-
ued with the two of hearts. Declarer won with dummy’s king and played a spade to the jack and
king. Declarer ruffed the heart return, laid down the ace of spades and conceded one down when
the queen did not appear, -200.
(I will refrain from mentioning the hackneyed phrase ‘the five-level belongs to the opponents’.)
Closed Room
– Pass Pass 1♠
2♥ Double 3♥ 5♦
5♥ 6♦ Pass Pass
Double All Pass
West led the ace of clubs and then tried to cash the ace of hearts. Even though that was ruffed
declarer could not avoid the loss of two spade tricks, two down, -500 and 7 IMPs to Salvo.
Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
♠2
♥ A K 10 6
♦ A 10 6
♣ K J 10 9 7
♠ 10 7 6 N ♠ AQ 9 5 4
♥ Q7542 ♥ 98
♦ 753 W E ♦ QJ84
♣ Q5 S ♣ 64
♠ KJ83
♥ J3
♦ K92
♣ A832
Open Room
– – 2♠* Pass
Pass Double All Pass
2♠ Spades and a minor

South led the jack of hearts for the queen and king and North cashed the ten of hearts and switched
to the two of spades for the four and South’s jack. The ace of clubs and a club put North on lead
and he accurately played the ace of hearts. When declarer ruffed with the queen of spades South
pitched the two of diamonds. Now declarer does best to play a diamond, escaping for four down;
when she played the five of spades South went up with the king and played the king of diamonds.
A diamond to the ace and a diamond ruff meant four down anyway, -800.
After cashing the king of diamonds South can play a trump. If declarer wins and draws the
outstanding trump North takes the rest; if he wins in dummy and plays a winning heart South
ruffs and plays a club; finally if declarer wins and plays a diamond North wins and plays a club.
In all three cases declarer is held to three tricks for -1100.
Closed Room
– – Pass 1♣
Pass 2♣* Pass 2♦
Pass 2♥ 2♠ Double
Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT
Pass 4NT All Pass
I’m guessing 2♣ was game-forcing (was it an inverted raise?)

West led the four of hearts and declarer went up with dummy’s ace, played the ten of clubs to
the ace and a club to the king. Returning to hand with a club declarer played the jack of hearts,
covered by the queen and king and played a spade. East went in with the ace and played the queen
of diamonds and declarer won in dummy and played a diamond to the nine, +490 but 7 IMPs
to Salvo, ahead at half time, 49-19.
Vitas got back in the match with this deal:
♠ A932
♥—
♦ KQ8764
♣ K42
♠ Q85 N ♠ 76
♥ J975 ♥ 10 4 3 2
♦ A 10 W E ♦ 92
♣ Q 10 7 3 S ♣ J9865
♠ K J 10 4
♥ AKQ86
♦ J53
♣A

Open Room
– – – 2♦*
Pass 2NT* Pass 3♣*
Pass 4♠ Pass 5♣*
Pass 6♦ Pass 6♠
All Pass
2♦ 5♥+4♠, 17-19
2NT Relay
3♣ Shortage
5♣ First-round control
In the complex system played by Welland/Auken it is not always entirely clear what a bid means
(and that applies to both the analysts and the partnership!). Here it led to a contract that required
declarer to locate the queen of spades (if 4♠ was RKCB for spades, with 5♣ showing 3 key cards
then perhaps North’s 6♦ was an attempt to offer an alternative contract?).
East led the two of diamonds (classical Polish, low from a doubleton) and West won and returned
the suit. When East followed to the second round declarer had survived that hurdle, but he got
the trumps wrong, -100.
Closed Room
Mahmood Vainikonis Michielsen Gulevich
– – – 1♥
Pass 2♦ Pass 2♠
Pass 4♦ Pass 4NT*
Pass 5♣* Pass 5♦*
Pass 5♥* Pass 6♦
All Pass
4♣ Cue-bid
I can’t quite interpret the auction from 4NT onwards, but it took the Polish pair to a slam where
the location of the queen of spades was irrelevant, 16 well-earned IMPs going to Vitas.
Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ A73
♥ J65
♦ QJ5
♣ J 10 3 2
♠ Q 10 8 5 N ♠ J942
♥ A8 4 ♥ 10 3 2
♦ K 10 9 8 6 4 W E ♦ 72
♣— S ♣ A8 7 6
♠ K6
♥ KQ97
♦ A3
♣ KQ954
Open Room
1♦ Pass Pass Double
Pass 1NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
East led the two of diamonds (low from a doubleton) and declarer went up with dummy’s ace
and played the king of clubs. East took the ace as West pitched the four of hearts and continued
diamonds, West winning with the king and clearing the suit. Declarer was up to eight tricks, but
there was no way to secure a ninth, -100.
If declarer plays a low diamond from dummy at trick one and West is tempted to make the
expert play of ducking, leaving East with a diamond to play when she gets in with the ace of clubs
then there is a risk. If East ducks the first round of clubs declarer will realise that it is necessary
to play on hearts to drive out West’s potential entry to the diamonds.
However, if West takes the king of diamonds at trick one a spade switch leaves declarer with
no chance.
(This was the defence found by the Pollacks in their match against Voldoire.)
To complete the picture if declarer had guessed to play a heart at trick two he would have made
the contract.
Closed Room
Mahmood Vainikonis Michielsen Gulevich
Pass Pass Pass 1♣
1♦ 1♠* Pass 3NT
All Pass
West led the five of spades and declarer won with the king and played a heart. West went in
with the ace and played a second spade, but now declarer could force out the ace of clubs to ensure
nine tricks, +600 and 12 IMPs to Vitas, too little too late and Salvo advanced to the semifinal.
You can replay the deals from this match at:
http://tinyurl.com/l94q5bq and http://tinyurl.com/kw43hbf
Day 5
In the all Chinese semi-final Geely Automobile win both halves of their match against SAIC for
a comfortable 89-51 IMP victory.
http://tinyurl.com/kan2uls and http://tinyurl.com/mfwxsmf
Meanwhile Slavo trails 24-45 at halftime.
You can replay all the deals from the first half at:
http://tinyurl.com/kt65slp
In the second half, with Rossard leading 49-45 a quotation by Bill Pencharz springs to mind
‘It is essential at all times to be lucky’.

Board 23. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♠ KQ52
♥ AQ876
♦ 10 5
♣ A 10
♠ A6 4 3 N ♠7
♥ J 10 9 2 ♥ K53
♦ 93 W E ♦ K8742
♣ 872 S ♣ J964
♠ J 10 9 8
♥4
♦ AQJ6
♣ KQ53
Voldoire Mahmood Avon Michielsen
– – – 1♦
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♦* All Pass
Zia’s fingerfehler (he meant to take the 2♣ card out of the bidding box) results in a violation of
Burn’s Law. Although declarer managed ten tricks, +130 does not look promising.
Zia thought the partnership was playing the XYZ convention whereby when the first 3 bids of
a partnership’s auction are at the 1-level (1X-1Y-1Z) the typical treatment is to use:
2♣ by responder as an artificial relay. Opener must bid 2♦.
2♦ by responder as an artificial bid, saying that the partnership is going to at least game.
Other bids by responder are natural and not Forcing; 2-level suit bids are typically weak, 2NT
and 3-level bids are invitational.
Welland Gawel Auken Brewiak
– – – 1♦
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♦* Pass 2NT*
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♥*
Pass 5♥* Pass 6♠
All Pass
2♦ XYZ, game-forcing
4♥ Cue-bid
5♣ Cue-bid
5♦ Cue-bid
5♥ Cue-bid
West led the jack of hearts and declarer took dummy’s ace, ruffed a heart, and played three rounds
of clubs, pitching a diamond, followed by a red-suit crossruff. West pitched a heart on the third
round of diamonds, overruffed the next heart and exited with a trump leaving declarer a trick
short, -100 and 6 IMPs to Salvo.
Give West a trump less and a diamond more and declarer’s line would have been a winning one.
That deal was immediately followed by one where Voldoire-Avon reached 5♠ with ♠AKQJ10832

♥- ♦Q10 ♣K84 facing ♠5 ♥AQJ5 ♦KJ964 ♣932 and South’s lead of the ♣Q through dummy’s
♣K84 led to a two-trick defeat. In the other room they stopped in the unbeatable 4♠.
With Salvo ahead by 13 IMPs a flat game was followed by two cold slams (reached at both tables).
Then N/S reached 3NT with ♠107 ♥AKQ8 ♦KJ83 ♣QJ9 opposite ♠A4 ♥103 ♦52 ♣A865432.
West had opened 1♥ but Avon led the queen of spades, finding partner with ♠K543 ♥J9742
♦AQ76 ♣-. That was one down, -100 while at the other table (where Welland had opened 1♦)
East led the ten of diamonds and West won but switched to a heart rather than a spade) and +660
made the match all square.
Salvo quickly scored +3 and +9 and this was the penultimate deal:
Board 31.Dealer South. N/S Vul.
♠ KJ
♥7
♦ Q J 10 8 4 3 2
♣ 764
♠ 643 N ♠ AQ 9
♥ K 10 9 2 ♥ AQ J 8
♦ 76 W E ♦ K9
♣ J 10 9 6 S ♣ AK 3 2
♠ 10 8 7 5 2
♥ 6543
♦ A5
♣ Q8
Open Room
Voldoire Mahmood Avon Michielsen
– – – Pass
Pass 3♦ Double Pass
3♥ Pass 4♦* Pass
4♥ All Pass
North led the queen of diamonds and continued with the ten for the king and ace. South exited
with a trump and declarer won with dummy’s queen, cashed the ace and followed it with the ace
of clubs, a heart to the ten and the jack of clubs. When declarer ran it South won and exited with
a trump, leaving declarer with a spade to lose at the end, -50.
Closed Room
Welland Gawel Auken Brewiak
– – – Pass
Pass Pass 2NT* Pass
3NT All Pass
2NT 22-24
South led the eight of spades for the king and ace and declarer cashed the king of clubs, went to
dummy with a heart and ran the jack of clubs for +400 and 10 decisive IMPs.
Salvo had won the second set 54-14, producing a final score of 81-62.
You can replay all the deals from this set at: http://tinyurl.com/lmydqjx

Day 6
The first gold medals will be decided today.
Symphonic Variations
A symphony is an extended musical composition in classical music, generally scored for orches-
tra, though more recent examples have been written for chamber ensembles, organ, choir, piano,
or combinations of these resources. Many symphonies are tonal works in four movements with
the first in sonata form, which is often described by music theorists as the structure of a classical
symphony, although many symphonies by the acknowledged classical masters of the form, Haydn,
Mozart and Beethoven do not conform to this model.
The final of the Red Bull World Mixed teams Championships, would like most symphonies,
consist of four movements.
Awakening of cheerful feelings on arrival in the Final
♠ J7
♥ 10 8 6 4 2
♦ A4
♣ 10 9 8 6
♠ AQ 6 5 N ♠ 943
♥5 ♥ AQ J 7
♦ K 10 7 6 W E ♦ Q9853
♣ K754 S ♣Q
♠ K 10 8 2
♥ K93
♦ J2
♣ AJ32
Open Room
Yang Zorlu Wang Sinclair
– – – 1♣
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
Pass 3♣ All Pass
North’s jump to 3♣ was preemptive and was intended to keep E/W out of the bidding. Given
that E/W can make eleven tricks in diamonds, it was not without merit, although it is hard to
see how they might get into the auction.
West led the five of hearts and East took the ace and switched to the queen of clubs, declarer
winning with the ace and playing a club to dummy’s eight, East discarding the five of diamonds.
The jack of spades went to West’s queen and two rounds of clubs exhausted everyone’s supply.
When declarer played a heart East followed with the seven and declarer put up the king only to
see West pitch the seven of diamonds. East took the heart continuation and switched to diamonds,
so that was four down, -200.

Closed Room
Welland Dai Auken Zhang
– – – 1♦*
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♥ Pass Pass
Double All Pass
1♦ Precision
West’s reopening double yielded a rich dividend.
East led the queen of hearts and declarer won with the ace.
Waiting for declarer to play to the next trick I considered what might happen if declarer crossed
to dummy with a diamond to play a trump. To secure four down East must go up with the ace
and play a spade. West wins, cashes the king of clubs (East pitching a spade) and gives East a club
ruff. A spade puts West in to deliver another club ruff and then West wins the diamond return
and plays a spade allowing East to overruff the dummy.
When declarer played the three of hearts at trick two East took dummy’s eight with the jack
and switched to the three of spades. West won, cashed the king of clubs (spade away by East) and
gave East a club ruff. Now East played a diamond for the jack, king and ace, won a heart with
the ace, cashed the queen of diamonds, played a spade and ruffed a club, +500 and 7 well earned
IMPs for Salvo.
♠ K 10 9 7 5 2
♥ Q 10 4
♦ 972
♣6
♠4 N ♠ QJ
♥ A8 5 ♥ K97
♦ Q8643 W E ♦ J 10
♣ A9 7 5 S ♣ K Q J 10 4 2
♠ A863
♥ J632
♦ AK5
♣ 83
Open Room
– – – 1♣*
Pass 2♦* Pass 2♥
Pass 2♠ Pass Pass
Double Pass 3♣ 3♠
Pass Pass 4♣ All Pass
2♦ Multi style
South led the three of clubs and declarer won in hand and played a diamond. South won and
switched to the three of hearts, but it was too late – declarer had the tempo and could establish
a diamond for a heart discard, +130.

Closed Room
– – – 1♦
Pass 1♠ 2♣ 2♠
3♠* 4♠ All Pass
East led the king of clubs for the three, five and six and continued with the queen. Here the loss
of tempo was more crucial, as declarer could establish a heart for a diamond discard, +620 and
13 IMPs to Geely Automobile.
To defeat 4♠ East must switch to a diamond at trick two.
Then came what might have been the hand of the Championships:
Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ KJ54
♥ AJ6
♦ 10 9 2
♣ A52
♠ Q 10 7 3 N ♠ 9862
♥ 10 8 3 2 ♥ KQ95
♦ KQJ53 W E ♦ 74
♣— S ♣ Q43
♠A
♥ 74
♦ A86
♣ K J 10 9 8 7 6
Open Room
Pass 1♣* Pass 2♣*
2♦ Pass Pass 3♦*
Pass 3♠ Pass 4♣
Pass 4♠ Pass 5♣
Pass 6♣ All Pass
2♣ Inverted
North’s raise to 6♣ was on the optimistic side but when East led the seven of diamonds he had a
chance to justify it in the play.
He won with dummy’s ace, cashed the ace of spades followed by the king of clubs. When West
discarded the contract was a goner, finishing two down, -100.
I am working on a new book with Eric Kokish and one of our themes will examine some of
the skills that declarer needs to master in order to reach a higher level.
One of these is the ability to project the play down to an end position. It may appear to be dif-
ficult, but on many occasions the application of the technique we will be describing will make
you realise that it is within most players’ grasp.
I was commentating on Our Game and although one has the benefit of seeing all four hands
it did not seem to be out of the question for declarer to find a winning line.

First of all, assuming you can avoid a trump loser there are eleven top tricks. One way to get a
twelfth might be to find the queen of spades making an early appearance, but that strikes me as
being against the odds.
The first question to address is how to play the clubs?
In one of his many classics Terence Reese discusses how to deal with this very issue – which
opponent is more likely to have started with a club void?
(Chatting to Zia later while he was waiting for the last set of boards to be completed he
observed that you would generally play for the opponent who had overcalled to be short.) With
West known to have length in diamonds it seems natural to start with a club to the ace. Now you
can pick up the trumps and play four more rounds, followed by the ace of spades. At this stage
these cards will remain:
♠ KJ
♥A
♦ 10
♣—
♠ Q 10 N ♠9
♥— ♥ KQ
♦ KQ W E ♦4
♣— S ♣—
♠—
♥ 74
♦ 86
♣—
When you cross to hand with the ace of hearts West has no good move – a spade surrenders two
tricks in the suit, while after a diamond pitch declarer exits with a diamond to endplay West.
Closed Room
Pass 1NT Pass 2NT*
Pass 3♣* Pass 4♠*
Pass 5♥* Pass 6♣
All Pass
2NT Transfer
4♠ Splinter
5♥ Cue-bid
Here East led the king of hearts and declarer, with no adverse bidding, won and played a club to
the king. Bad luck and no swing.
Suppose Declarer ducks the opening lead? (If you live in or around Bath this play tends to
become almost second nature.)
Now East must find a diamond switch, otherwise declarer (with the right view in trumps) can
reach this position:

♠ KJ
♥ AJ
♦ 10
♣—
♠ Q 10 N ♠ 98
♥ 10 ♥ Q9
♦ KQ W E ♦7
♣— S ♣—
♠—
♥7
♦ A86
♣7
When declarer plays the seven of clubs West must discard a heart, as does declarer and then a
heart to the ace squeezes West.
At the end of the set Salvo trailed 19-26 IMPs.
Merry gathering of bridge players

For the second movement we are under the baton of Micke Melander.
Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠2
♥ Q 10 9
♦ AKQ7
♣ Q 10 7 5 3
♠ AQ 4 N ♠ KJ853
♥5 ♥ 63
♦ J9865 W E ♦ 10 4 2
♣ KJ86 S ♣ 942
♠ 10 9 7 6
♥ AKJ8742
♦3
♣A
Open Room
Yang Mahmood Wang Michielsen
1♦ Pass 1♠ 4♥
All Pass
When Zia passed in second seat Michielsen had no reason to anything other than bid 4♥.
Closed Room
Sinclair Dai Zorlu Zhang
1♦ 2♣ Pass 2♥
Pass 4♥ Pass 4NT*
Pass 5♣* Pass 5♥
All Pass

Zhang in the Closed Room went asking for aces, but without being able to check if partner con-
trolled spades or not she didn’t want to risk bidding the slam.
If North had bid Three Spades as a splinter raise in hearts South might have been inclined to
push on to 6♥.
Both declarers managed to get twelve tricks without problems, so no swing.
♠ A Q J 10 7 4 3
♥—
♦ AK932
♣7
♠K N ♠ 982
♥ Q87654 ♥ AK J 2
♦ QJ W E ♦ 10 8 7 6
♣ AQ J 2 S ♣ K8
♠ 65
♥ 10 9 3
♦ 54
♣ 10 9 6 5 4 3
Open Room
– – 1♦* Pass
1♥ 1♠ 2♥ Pass
4♥ 4♠ Pass Pass
Double All Pass
Zia was happy to rely on his powerful spade suit and had no trouble coming to eleven tricks, +990.
Closed Room
– – Pass Pass
1♥ 2♥* 2NT* Pass
4♥ 4♠ Pass Pass
5♣ 5♠ All Pass
2♥ Michaels
2NT Heart support
Declarer took the same eleven tricks, but that was 8 IMPs for Salvo.

♠ KQJ87
♥ K9
♦ J7
♣ AK42
♠ 965 N ♠ A4 3
♥ J87653 ♥ A Q 10 4
♦ Q854 W E ♦A
♣— S ♣ J 10 8 5 3
♠ 10 2
♥2
♦ K 10 9 6 3 2
♣ Q976
Open Room
– – – Pass
Pass 1♠ Pass 1NT
All Pass
2♣ Gazilli
3♦ Weak
Wang had no sensible action on the first round (unless she was willing to bid 1NT) and her side
ended up selling out to 3♦.
West led a heart and East took the king with the ace and returned a club. That made life very
easy for the defenders and they collected six tricks for +200.
Closed Room
– – – Pass
Pass 1♠ Double 2♦
3♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
1♣ Precision
1♦ Negative
East followed the standard strategy against a strong club by passing on the first round. He then
made a takeout double on the next round and struck gold.
With the king of trumps onside and the diamond ace singleton in dummy it was easy to wrap
up eleven tricks. That was 10 IMPs to Salvo.

On board 24 Zia held: ♠9 ♥A832 ♦Q764 ♣J852.
He saw the auction develop like this:
Open Room
1NT Pass 2♣* Pass
2♦* Pass 2♥ Pass
3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass
Pass ?
Zia doubled for business, knowing things weren’t behaving too well for declarer, a real “tiger dou-
ble” à la Jeremy Flint.
There was no real play for the contract as long as the defense didn’t give away any gifts. +100
would have been a simply brilliant score in Pairs, here it was worth 2 IMPs aginst the – 50 they
had conceded in the other room.
♠ 10 9 7 3
♥ 98
♦ AQ86
♣ Q 10 3
♠ Q82 N ♠ AJ 5
♥ 10 4 ♥ KQ763
♦ K J 10 4 W E ♦—
♣ AK 8 6 S ♣ J9742
♠ K64
♥ AJ52
♦ 97532
♣5
Open Room
– Pass 1♥ Pass
2NT Pass 3♣ Pass
3♦ Double 3♠ Pass
3NT Pass Pass 4♦
Double All Pass
Here Zia’s double didn’t work out so well when it persuaded Michielsen to sacrifice against 3NT,
a contract which was at least two levels too high. (There is a case for South to double 3NT – she has
the hearts under control and it seems likely the clubs are not breaking. Editor)
Declarer scrambled eight tricks for two down, -300.

Closed Room
– Pass 1♥ Pass
2♣ Pass 3♣ Pass
3NT All Pass
This hopeless contract drifted two down, -200 so 11 IMPs to Geely Automobile, who led 48-41
at the end of the set.
Thunder, Storm
Trailing by 7 IMPs Salvo was hoping to fire a few broadsides as the third session got under way.
They certainly came out with all guns firing.
♠ 54
♥ K Q 10 6 2
♦A
♣ K 10 6 4 3
♠ Q 10 8 N ♠ AK J 7 6 3
♥ AJ 8 4 ♥5
♦ K863 W E ♦ J 10 5
♣ Q5 S ♣ J82
♠ 92
♥ 973
♦ Q9742
♣ A97
Open Room
– – 1♠ Pass
4♠ All Pass
South led the four of diamonds and North won with the ace and returned a spade. Declarer won
in dummy, came to hand with a spade, played a heart to the ace, ruffed a heart and advanced the
jack of diamonds. When that was covered by the queen declarer claimed ten tricks, +420.
If you would have returned a club at trick two, well done indeed.
Closed Room let me know.
– – 1♠ Pass
2♥* Double 2♠ Pass
2NT Pass 3♠ All Pass
2♥ 9-13 with three spades
South led the three of hearts and declarer won with dummy’s ace and played the queen of clubs.

North won with the queen and tried the king of hearts, but declarer ruffed, went to dummy with
a spade and played a club to the eight and nine. Declarer ruffed the heart return, ruffed a club,
came to hand with a spade and played the jack of diamonds, covered by the queen, king and ace,
+140 but 7 IMPs to Geely Automobile.
♠ J62
♥ AKQ5
♦ 10 7 3
♣ 653
♠ Q3 N ♠ K984
♥ J 10 6 4 ♥—
♦ A4 W E ♦ KQ986
♣ A9 8 4 2 S ♣ Q J 10 7
♠ A 10 7 5
♥ 98732
♦ J52
♣K
Open Room
– – – Pass
1♦* 1♥ Double 4♥
1♦ Precision
When North, clearly a disciple of Mike Lawrence, introduced his hearts South jumped to game
– let’s call it a good example of Leaping Michielsen.
East led the queen of clubs for the king and ace and West switched to the ace of diamonds
and a diamond, East cashing two more tricks in the suit and then returning a club (a low spade
or another diamond is better). Declarer ruffed with the two of hearts (the seven, eight or nine
is best) and played the seven of hearts, running it when West (mistakenly) did not cover. Now
declarer could play a low spade to the jack and East’s king, ruff the club return and drop West’s
queen of spades for two down, -300.
If declarer ruffs with an intermediate heart, say the seven, and then plays the eight West cov-
ers and declarer wins in dummy, ruffs a club with the nine of hearts, plays a heart to the six and
queen and then plays the jack of spades, holding the defenders to just one more trick.
With E/W cold for 5♣ -300 did not feel too bad, certainly better than the 500 that E/W might
have achieved.
Closed Room
– – – 2♥*
Pass 3♥ All Pass
I was expecting East to double and wondering what West would do – Pass, jump to 5♣ etc when
up flashed three passes.

West led a trump and declarer won with dummy’s ace and played a diamond. West took the
ace and returned the suit and East cashing one more trick in the suit and switching to a club.
Declarer ruffed the second round, exited with a diamond to East, ruffed the club return, played
a heart to the ten and queen and played ace of hearts and a heart. West won and the defenders
still had a club and a spade to come, -150, but 4 IMPs for Geely Automobile.
After eight of the fourteen deals Salvo was impless on the set – were they running out of
ammunition?
♠ A K 10 9 7 2
♥ 964
♦ 63
♣ 63
♠ J843 N ♠—
♥ KJ ♥ A 10 7 3
♦ AJ 7 W E ♦ K 10 9 4
♣ KJ85 S ♣ A Q 10 9 4
♠ Q65
♥ Q852
♦ Q852
♣ 72
Open Room
– 2♠ Double Pass
3NT All Pass
North led the ten of spades and South won with the queen and returned a spade, two down, -200.
Closed Room
– 2♦* Pass 4♥
Pass 4♠ Double Pass
6♣ All Pass
2♦ Multi
4♥ Pass or correct
North led the king of spades and declarer ruffed in dummy, played a heart to the king, a heart back
to the ace, ruffed a heart, a club to the nine, ruffed a heart with the king of clubs, drew trumps
and played a diamond to the jack, +1370 and 17 restorative IMPs to Salvo.

♠ A Q 10 6 5 3
♥ 10 9 3
♦ A2
♣ 65
♠K N ♠ 8742
♥ AK 8 5 4 2 ♥7
♦ Q76 W E ♦ KJ843
♣ Q 10 4 S ♣ KJ3
♠ J9
♥ QJ6
♦ 10 9 5
♣ A9872
Open Room
– – Pass Pass
1♥ 1♠ Pass 1NT
All Pass
West led the five of hearts and declarer won with the jack and played the jack of spades for the
king and ace. A spade to the nine was followed by a claim, +150.
Closed Room
– – Pass Pass
2♥* 2♠ Pass Pass
Double Pass 3♦ All Pass
In first position Two Hearts (especially NV v Vul) would be 3-9, but here it was a wide range.
South led the ten of diamonds and when North withheld the ace declarer won in hand with
the king and played the king of clubs. South took the ace and returned the two of clubs, declarer
winning with dummy’s ten, cashing the top hearts throwing a spade, ruffing a heart and play-
ing a diamond to the queen and ace. North cashed the ace of spades and exited with a spade and
declarer ruffed in dummy and pitched a spade on a heart. South’s ruff was the last trick for the
defence, +110 and 6 IMPs to Salvo.

♠ K762
♥ 62
♦ A62
♣ 8652
♠ Q 10 8 3 N ♠ J94
♥ A9 7 5 ♥ KQ4
♦ Q 10 8 7 W E ♦ KJ5
♣3 S ♣ AQ J 7
♠ A5
♥ J 10 8 3
♦ 943
♣ K 10 9 4
Open Room
Pass Pass 1♣* Pass
2♥* Pass 2♠ Pass
2NT* Pass 3NT All Pass
1♣ Precision
2♥ Shortage in a black suit, three-suited
2♠ Relay
2NT Club shortage
If my interpretation of the auction is correct then perhaps North should have found the club lead
that would have defeated the contract.
On a spade lead South won and found the best shot of the ten of clubs. Declarer won with
dummy’s jack and played on diamonds, North winning the third round and returning the five
of clubs. Declarer covered with dummy’s seven and although South could win there was only a
spade to come, +400.
Played by East 3NT is almost impregnable, but on the ten of clubs lead declarer still needs to
be careful. Say she wins and plays a top diamond. If North wins and plays a club South wins and
finds a low spade switch, North winning and returning a club. Declarer wins and must play three
rounds of diamonds. On the last of these, South, down to ♠A ♥J1083 ♣K is squeezed.
If North ducks the first diamond East must switch to spades – do you see why?
Because a second diamond allows North to duck again and now the communications for the
squeeze will be broken by a third round of diamonds at some point.
Closed Room
Pass Pass 1NT Pass
2♣* Pass 2♦ All Pass
2♣ Puppet to 2♦
West’s pass over Two Diamonds facing a 15-17 1NT may look odd, but any continuation over it
except 2NT (54 majors invitational) would have been game-forcing.
Two Diamonds was straightforward – declarer emerged with ten tricks, +130 but Salvo lost 7
IMPs.

Shepherd’s song. Happy and thankful feelings after the storm
For the final movement we hand over to Barry Rigal’s report.
The third quarter had seen Geely Automobile extend their lead to 20 IMPs before a late rally
had reduced the margin to 6 IMPs at 72-66.
On a set that was going to produce a swing (or the prospects of one) on just about every deal,
first blood went to Salvo when Gui doubled,then raised an invitational jump to game with what
seemed (to the naked eye) like a subminimum for his earlier action. Game duly struggled out for
down one while Auken was just managing to bring home her partscore in the other room.
Zia and Michielsen returned the partscore swing on the next deal:
Board 44. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠ A64
♥ 842
♦ KJ5
♣ 10 7 6 2
♠ K93 N ♠ Q J 10 8 7
♥ A9 7 5 ♥ K6
♦ A9 8 6 2 W E ♦ 10 7 3
♣J S ♣ Q54
♠ 52
♥ Q J 10 3
♦ Q4
♣ AK983
Open Room
Gui Mahmood Liping Michielsen
1♦ Pass 1♠ Double
Redouble* 2♣ 2♠ 3♣
3♠ All Pass
After Gui produced a support redouble and somewhat undisciplined spade raise Michielsen might
have worked out that dummy rated to put down a singleton club?
But there again ♦Q4 looked to be a terrible holding for the defence. One might sympathize
with a top heart lead (declarer wins the king to duck a diamond and has an answer for everything
the defence might do). Michielsen did better: she led a top club and shifted to a spade. When Zia
made the normal control-retaining play of ducking, Liping won in hand and ruffed two clubs
in dummy for +140. Had Zia played ace and another trump the defence would have prevailed.
Since N/S had competed to 4♣ (undoubled and down only one) in the other room, Geely had a
gain of 3 IMPs instead of a loss of the same number.

♠2
♥ 8652
♦ KJ8
♣ A Q J 10 4
♠ AQ 8 7 N ♠ K643
♥ K9 ♥ A Q 10 7
♦ A 10 7 5 W E ♦ Q93
♣ 865 S ♣ 73
♠ J 10 9 5
♥ J43
♦ 642
♣ K92
Open Room
Gui Zia Liping Michielsen
– 1♣ Double Pass
2♠ All Pass
Gui’s jump to 2♠ suggest E/W were playing non-standard methods in response to takeout doubles.
North naturally led a heart rather than the club that would have held West to nine tricks. After
drawing two rounds of trumps to find the bad news, West ran the hearts, pitching clubs, then led
♦A and another diamond and could not be prevented from making ten tricks
Closed Room
– 2♣ Double 3♣
4♠ All Pass
When play followed the same course as at the other table Salvo had 6 IMPs and the lead at 77-75.
Geely reclaimed the lead on the next deal when a conservative action by Welland backfired.
Responding to a (potentially light) 1♠ opening at favourable vulnerability, he elected to relay and
find a six-card spade suit opposite, then invite game in spades with: ♠Q ♥AK972 ♦K963 ♣732.
The good news when his partner also took a conservative view and passed was that 4♠ wasn’t
cold, the bad news was that as the cards lay both 4♥ and 4♠ were very straightforward. Geely
found their 5-3 heart fit and played 4♥ to gain 6 IMPs and regain the lead at 81-77.
♠ A K 10 3 N ♠ 84
♥ K 10 2 ♥ QJ5
♦ KJ W E ♦ A9 5 2
♣ AK Q 6 S ♣ J 10 7 2
Gui and Liping bid these cards 2♣*-2♦*-2NT-3NT, while Welland/Auken reached the club slam
after 2NT*-3♣*-3♦*-4♠* (3♣ puppeted 3♦ then 4♠ showed both minors, and a slam
invite). In 6♣ on a trump lead Auken won in dummy and played a heart. North took the ace
to return the suit and now Auken ruffed two spades in hand for her 12 tricks, putting Salvo in
front 89-81.
Both N/S pairs stayed out of a delicate vulnerable 4♥ where the key would have been to to pick

off a doubleton ♥AJ over the king queen, with an eight-card fit. Then a two-suited Astro over-
call from Auken allowed her side to compete to the four-level, and drove Dai-Zhang too high,
in what in practice was the wrong eight-card fit. Down 200 on ruffs, while Zia was collecting a
sedate +110 at the two-level, and it was suddenly 96-81.
Time for Zia to produce one of his “master-bids”.
At favourable vulnerability, you hear your RHO open a strong no-trump in front of you. How
many hearts would you bid, holding: ♠Q10 ♥KQJ10765 ♦A73 ♣J.
Zia’s answer? None! He passed, and 1NT became the final contract. He led a top heart (how
unimaginative) and the defenders took two aces and six hearts, for +200, while in the other room-
Welland down-valued his 15-count to a 1♣ opening and sold out to a 3♥ preempt – down 50
on a club lead. 102-81 now, with six deals to go.
Geely needed some action, but the next four deals did not produce anything for them. Both
E/W pairs went minus in low-level partscores, then down in 2♠ on a 5-2 fit where their opponents
were likely to have gone minus themselves. Then the N/S pairs bid a skinny game and negoti-
ated ♥AJ76 facing ♥K85 for the necessary four tricks to bring it home (no great inspiration was
required, merely ♥Qxx onside).When both N/S pairs bid to a perfect-fit 5♦, the match score was
103-84 and there were just two deals to go.
(By now play had finished in the Open Room and an anxious Zia was waiting outside for play to fin-
ish. Although he thought his team might be ahead he was far from confident about the outcome. Editor)
♠ 87
♥ 87632
♦ AQ3
♣ A73
♠ A K 10 9 3 2 N ♠ 64
♥ 95 ♥ J 10
♦ 986 W E ♦ KJ752
♣ K5 S ♣ 10 8 6 4
♠ QJ5
♥ AKQ4
♦ 10 4
♣ QJ92
Open Room
Gui Mahmood Liping Michielsen
– – – 1NT
2♣* 3♦* Double 3♥
All Pass
2♣ One-suiter
3♦ Hearts, invitational plus
Zia has never been afraid to take a position, and here he elected to play partscore despite his ten-
count, knowing spades and diamonds were offside. After a top spade lead and diamond shift
Michielsen rose with the ace and drew trumps then established a spade to pitch a club for +170.

Closed Room
– – – 1NT
2♠ Double Pass 3♥
Pass 4♥ All Pass
Welland found the more accurate defence of three rounds of spades. Declarer pitched a club from
dummy, and Auken ruffed in to play back a heart. Zhang won, drew the last trump, then advanced
the ♣Q, covered all round. Now she could run the trumps, pitching a diamond from hand.
Auken was squeezed on the last trump, and though she might have given declarer a nasty guess
had she bared her ♦K, she chose to pitch a club, and now declarer finessed in clubs and ran the
suit for ten tricks and 6 IMPs.
Note that to execute the squeeze successfully declarer had to pitch a diamond not a club from
dummy at trick three, playing West for ♣Kx. Welland could have broken up the squeeze by duck-
ing the ♣Q (and from a purely psychological case wouldn’t South have advanced the ♣10 from,
e.g., ♣QJ10x if she had wanted him to duck from ♣Kx?).
Last board…all to play for, with Salvo leading 102-90.
♠ AK
♥ K975
♦ 94
♣ K 10 8 3 2
♠ 95 N ♠ Q 10 8 4 3
♥ A J 10 8 6 ♥ Q42
♦ Q762 W E ♦ 10 8 5
♣ 75 S ♣ QJ
♠ J762
♥3
♦ AKJ3
♣ A964
Open Room
Gui Zia Liping Michielsen
Pass 1♣ Pass 1♠
Pass 1NT Pass 3NT
All Pass
Zia made 630 after the ♦10 lead by guessing clubs then sneaking a low diamond through to the
nine.
Closed Room
2♥ Pass Pass Double
Pass 3NT All Pass

One could just about imagine N/S in search of a swing bidding to 6♣ and guessing trumps. But-
Welland’s pre-empt made life impossible for the Chinese while that 1♠ response deservedly made
sensible bidding with the N/S next to impossible.
Dai carefully ducked Auken’s low heart lead to Welland’s ten. The defenders cleared hearts, and
Dai went to the ♦A to lead a club to the eight. Nice play, but an IMP to Salvo, who won
103-90 after a very impressive performance in the last set.
If N/S had reached 6♣ and made it the match would have been a tie, which would have been broken
by a fifth set of 8 boards. Classical students will have realised that the Editor’s Symphonic Variations
uses four subheadings based on the movements in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony (number 6) which
contains five movements rather than the traditional four.
Solution to Non-Prize Problem

♠ A 10 3 N ♠ 64
♥ J 10 2 ♥ AK 6 4
♦ A K J 10 W E ♦ 753
♣ A8 3 S ♣ K 10 7 5
In a pairs event West opens a strong no-trump, East uses Stayman, South overcalls Two Spades,
and West’s 2NT is raised to 3NT.
North leads the seven of spades. You obviously duck South’s jack, but, when he follows
with the king, decide to win, North following with the 2. When you lead the jack of hearts
it is covered by the queen; when you finesse the diamond jack it holds and South’s queen falls
on the next round. On two more diamonds, South throws spades. But when you cash two
more hearts, it is North that throws a club.
How do you continue?
This is a relative easy problem to start the year. Hope you enjoy 2015. If you have kept count
you will realise South’s shape was 6-4-2-1 and North is down to four clubs. So you play a club
to the ace and back towards the K-10. If both followed small you finesse the ten. If North
puts up an honour you let it win and finesse when he leads another. That gives 11 tricks.
The point about the deal is that it is from the 1999 World Junior Pairs and declarer, by the
name of Bas Drijver subsequently became an Open World champion. The Closing Dinner at
the 1996 Junior European Teams in Cardiff organised by your problem setter had one table
(including parents and siblings) made up of two families: Brink and Drijver.

After the Flood
Sue Munday, of the ACBL reports on the dramatic happenings at ACBL headquarters in Horn
Lake.
O
n September 11, 2014 , ACBL Headquarters had a flood. This wasn’t a leaky basement
sort of thing, but an honest-to-God, maybe-we-should-be-building-an-ark kind of
flood. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant even officially declared our city a disaster area.
As far as real floods go, the mid-September rains could certainly have been much, much worse. As
it is, the ACBL was hit hard enough that office operations were shut down for nearly two weeks,
which is an agonizingly long time for a membership organization whose sole product is customer
service (and masterpoints).
We’d had several days of rain
leading up to that Thursday
morning. The intense pre-
dawn thunderstorms made
getting to work even more
challenging than usual. The
original flash-flood alerts
scheduled the deluge to stop at
around 10.00, but the weather
map showed more red cells on
the horizon. We ended up getting between eight and 10 inches of rain before noon.
By 10.00 the ground had swallowed as much water as it could hold. By 10.30, “Ruth’s bench”
out by the pond in front of the headquarters building was either under water or it had floated
away, no one was quite sure which. By 11.00, water from the pond and the raging creek out back
merged and started filling the natural moat around ACBL Headquarters. At 11.45, the situation
was clearly becoming unsafe, and ACBL management evacuated the building.
At 12.30 the last hold-
outs waded through
knee-deep, mucky,
cold water (“watch
out for the snakes!”)
to reach their cars.
At 14:30, an intrepid
staffer somehow
made it through the
police barricades and
back to the building,
“just to make sure that everything was OK.” Nothing was OK. The front doors were open, and
bubble-wrapped items from the warehouse were floating away. Water had reached six inches in
some areas of the building. In other areas, where the water was beginning to recede, he saw lay-
ers of mud and debris.

A cry went up for help. Clipboard in hand, a commercial flood-recovery expert arrived at 16.30 to walk
the building and estimate the level of effort required to start remediating the damage. Halfway through
his tour, he stepped outside to make a phone call. Not long after that, a flood recovery crew arrived in
the company’s signature sunshine-yellow truck. Then another truck arrived, and another until by mid-
night, at least 14 ServiceMaster soldiers were working the halls, vanquishing the standing water and mud.
The next afternoon, once it was deemed safe, a
handful of employees squished through the halls
to pack up their departments (again with the pre-
cautionary “watch out for the snakes!”) – red tags
for files and supplies that would be needed within
the next 10 weeks or so, and blue tags for files that
would be transported offsite and stored.
ServiceMaster had started pulling out the base-
boards, prying up the floor covering and cutting
out about 8 inches along the base of the walls to
help dry out the plaster. A small group of dedi-
cated managers and employees worked long hours
every day doing everything needed to eventually
get ACBL Headquarters up and running: pack-
ing, moving, sorting, meeting rescuing, disposing, testing, meeting, labeling, unpacking, setting
up, connecting, installing and meeting. They did not encounter even one snake!
Everything was moved out. Industrial fans and heaters were brought in. Huge plastic ducts were
strung from one end of the building to the other. Heated air was forced through the tubes to collect
moisture, then cycled through a dehumidifier, then pumped through the loop again. Throughout
the building, moisture content was measured and mold tests conducted frequently. Everything
was deep-cleaned; surfaces were sanitized once, twice, three times.
A local insurance agent arrived at Headquarters on Monday. The damage estimate exceeded his
approval authority, so the regional guy was called in. The situation was beyond his authority, too,
so they had to bring in the big guns.
The third adjuster came in from New Orleans on Wednesday, nearly a week after the flood. A
veteran of Hurricane Katrina, this professional was more than familiar with floods and insurance.
He declared the damage to ACBL Headquarters to be in excess of $1 million.
Though there was no guest book for them to sign, many visitors were in and out in those days follow-
ing the flood. ServiceMaster basically set up shop in the parking lot. The movers were there, of course.
On the first Friday, the city Fire Department stopped by to make sure we were safe. On Tuesday,
Horn Lake Mayor Allen Latimore visited to confirm that things were as bad as he’d heard; they
were. MEMA (the Mississippi version of FEMA) officials paid us a visit, as did the city engineer
and a number of general contractor types, insurance types and electricians.
There was thought given by the executives to finding temporary office space in downtown Mem-
phis while the reconstruction took place. Another idea involved bringing in huge trailers and
setting up shop around the parking lot.
Ultimately, however, the CEO credited us with the creativity and resolve and generosity of spirit
it would take to make do in our own familiar space, subject to a few adjustments.

The office reopened on September 23, all of us artfully crammed into the east end of the building
while the west wing underwent complete reconstruction.
Picture a big, naked bullpen with rows and rows of rented, white folding tables. We’re work-
ing out of boxes and crates, but we have our regular desk chairs. The bare concrete and general
human hum make it hard to hear callers on the other end of the phone. We did our best to give
conversing co-workers the illusion that they had privacy. We had to share. In addition to the two
restrooms available to us inside the building, we had top-of-the-line portaloos outside.
Once the west end was done, business operations moved to that side while the east end underwent
reconstruction. Because the scope of the work was “to put everything back the way it was before
the flood,” those of us hoping for a new colour scheme were apparently hoping in vain. Normal-
ity returned just before Christmas. Between then and normalcy, however, we had the Providence
NABC to get ready for, new members to welcome, a monthly magazine to publish, and – most
important – our members, to attend to.
We received many questions, the answers to which included:
All the masterpoints, which are stashed in a secret, waterproof floor safe, sustained no damage.
Basic Boating Skills has not been made a mandatory course at Tournament Directors University.
The museum and library are just fine and “Ruth’s bench” is exactly where it’s supposed to be.
Most days, we felt that absurdly contagious thrill that comes with being a team in the trenches,
pulling together under adverse circumstances. Other days, we just put on the noise-cancelling
headphones that management ordered for us.
new honors books from

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 Intermediate
SEKs Appeal
Paul Lamford reports on his participation in the Chairman’s Cup in Örebro
W hen David Kendrick and I were invited to make up a team with Michael Byrne and Mike
Bell for the Chairman’s Cup in Örebro, we jumped at the chance. Sweden was a country I
had not spent any time in, apart from flying there and crossing the magnificent Øresund
bridge from Malmö to Copenhagen once. It has a reputation for good food and good hospitality and
that proved to be the case. 166 teams from 13 countries entered the event, which had over 300,000
SEKs in prize money. and the defending champions, Fem på nya äventyr, had the most interesting
name. Swedish speakers familiar with Enid Blyton, will recognise the book Five Go Adventuring
Again. There are plenty of other Famous Five books to use if they keep the same team! They proba-
bly had 500 Swedish caps and a dozen Bermuda Bowl appearances in total. Johnny Östberg, Anders
Morath, Sven Åke Berregård, Christer Bjäring and Tommy Gullberg were justly the favourites for
the event. We started steadily in the 13-round Swiss Teams Qualifier, then this hand occurred:
Six of the Best

Dealer West. All Vul.
♠ QJ2
♥8
♦ A42
♣ AKQ972
♠ 6543 N ♠ K98
♥ 10 9 3 ♥ A5 4
♦ 10 3 W E ♦ Q765
♣ J853 S ♣ 10 6 4
♠ A 10 7
♥ K Q J 7 62
♦ KJ98
♣—
Lamford Lyngmo Kendrick Karlsson
Pass 1♣* Pass 1♥
Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦
Pass 2NT Pass 4NT
Pass 5♠ Pass 6NT
All Pass
Our opponents had an undistinguished auction after a strong-club start, and South had little
option but to bid 6NT at the end. Even though Kendrick ducked two hearts, declarer had to play
a third round and that was 12 tricks and a 13 IMP loss. Despite that result and our first loss, by
17-13, we steadily moved up the field. Kendrick jacked up a 1♠ overcall to four on ♠J9653 ♥J2
♦J83 ♣763 and that caused opponents to misjudge to bid 5♥, which drifted one off, leading to
a good win in the next round.

 Intermediate
Then this hand:
Find the Lady

Dealer West. E/W Vul..
♠ AK75
♥ Q9
♦ J98
♣ KJ54
♠ 10 9 4 N ♠ 62
♥ KJ63 ♥ A8 5 2
♦ AK 7 2 W E ♦ Q4
♣ A6 S ♣ Q 10 8 7 2
♠ QJ83
♥ 10 7 4
♦ 10 6 5 3
♣ 93
Lamford Norberg Kendrick Ström
1NT Pass 2♣ Pass
2♥ Pass 4♥ All Pass
A strong NT auction led to the playable vulnerable game and North cashed two spades and played
a third, South showing an even number. Lamford ruffed low in dummy, cashed the ace of hearts
which went four, three, nine, and played a heart to the king, jokingly telling North to hold his
cards up when the queen appeared. This is an interesting problem, and the game-theory strategy
for the defenders is quite complex. North should play the nine half the time from 9x on the first
round, and South should play the ten from 107x two thirds of the time in total on either of the
first two rounds of hearts. That would make the finesse right, but in the real world one pays off
to these false cards, even against experts. With Futile Willie as North and South, the drop is sur-
prisingly around 2-1 on because 109 doubleton is half as likely as Q9 doubleton (adjusting for
restricted choice). Anyway that was 11 IMPS and a further move up the field. Day one finished
disappointingly when Dan Bylund and Helena Stromberg did well to bid 6♦ against us on the
following hands:
North ♠6 ♥A3 ♦A7642 ♣J10853; South ♠ AKQ932 ♥102 ♦KJ5 ♣A4. Spades were 4-2 but
Qxx of trumps were onside and Helena played it well. That was 12 IMPs away,.
Our next match was a draw; it would have been worse except team-mates caught the opponents
in 4♥x and took the maximum 500 with good defence. That made up for a poor 3NT reached
by us on one board in the other room which had no play.
We played friends of ours in the next round, JONATHAN (Harris, Capal, Root, Sobell) and
they were quite generous to their compatriots. Despite bidding a good slam, they bid two less-
good slams and went for 1100 on one board. That big win moved us back into the top ten again.
And the following round was solid with the only gain when declarer went off in a game that could
have made, so 9 IMPs to teammates on the Butler and another win . We moved further up with
a win against Zang. Expecting at least one Chinese player, we met four more Swedes all with a
diaeresis in their names. Then our opponents decided to bid another thin slam at our table:

 Intermediate
Guessing Game
Dealer East. All Vul.
♠ K3
♥ Q6
♦ A32
♣ K Q 10 8 5 2
♠ J 10 9 8 N ♠ 762
♥ KJ2 ♥ 987543
♦ 10 8 6 5 W E ♦ Q4
♣ A6 S ♣ J7
♠ AQ54
♥ A 10
♦ KJ97
♣ 963
Lamford Hen’berg Kendrick Hen’berg
– – Pass 1NT
Pass 3♣ Pass 3♦
Pass 3♠ Pass 3NT
Pass 4NT Pass 5♥
Pass 6♣ All Pass
South opened a 14-16 NT and 3♣ was a natural slam-try. I would have signed off over this, but
South bid 3♦ and soon they were in the poor Six Clubs. East’s speculative lead of the queen of
diamonds did not cause any problems, and declarer soon recorded +1370. Declarer may still make
on the lead of the eight of hearts, by rising, playing three spades pitching a heart, and then play-
ing a club. He can then ruff the fourth spade high and fell the jack of clubs, but there are plenty
of dead ends in this labyrinth. Declarer might have found one if East had led the three of hearts
which would be a good shot.
Our next opponents included John Solodar, a former Bermuda Bowl winner, and there was
only one swing of more than 1 IMP in the match when we reached slam quickly on the follow-
ing hand, where Lamford tried an aggressive preempt second in hand:

 Intermediate
Light Headed
Dealer South. All Vul.
♠ K8732
♥ AJ94
♦ 84
♣ J2
♠J N ♠ A5 4
♥ 10 5 3 ♥ KQ82
♦ QJ109763 W E ♦ AK
♣ 85 S ♣ AK Q 3
♠ Q 10 9 6
♥ 76
♦ 52
♣ 10 9 7 6 4
Lamford Larsson Kendrick Törnqvist
– – – Pass
3♦ Pass 4NT* Pass
5♣* Pass 6♦ All Pass
That came in easily for 11 IMPs, as it was missed in the other room, where I liked the lead from
Mike Bell as North against 5♦. Knowing that there was a “bad” 25-count on his left, if there is
such an animal, he tried the jack of hearts which was a great shot but made no difference on the
actual layout. The final match of the qualifier was also a win, and team-mates did very well to
play in a major-suit Moysian of Q963 opposite K52 when 3NT had no play.
7KH6ZHGLVK%ULGJH)HVWLYDOLVVLPSO\IDQWDVWLF,
UHDOO\KRSHWRFRPHEDFNWRWKLVHYHQWLQWKHIXWXUH
ZKHUHWKHJDPHLVEHLQJSOD\HGDWWKHKLJKHVWOHYHO
DQGZLWKDQRUJDQLVDWLRQWKDWLV:RUOG&ODVV

0LFKDHO%\UQH(QJODQG
&KDLUPDQ·V&XS
3OD\&KDLUPDQ·V&XS\RXWRR
 Intermediate
So, we qualified fourth in the Swiss, which was pretty comfortable, as 32 teams made it through
to the knock-out stage starting with two 32-board matches on the Monday. In the Chairman’s
Cup, the first 16 qualifiers choose their opponents from the teams that come 17-32 and we were
therefore fourth to pick, so the final ranking made a difference, as that system then continues
until the end
The two Michaels had some Swedish spies who had played junior bridge with them and gave
us some information on the strength of teams, so we left the picking of opponents to our skip-
per throughout. We picked Västergötland, an area of Sweden about which I learned more when I
visited the very interesting Örebro castle at the end of the event. It has two of Sweden’s national
parks, and Sweden’s largest lake, and I am told is incredibly beautiful. The match was quite close,
and the following board was interesting:
Scylla and Charybdis

Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠ K84
♥ A 10 4 2
♦ 72
♣ Q983
♠ AQ J 7 N ♠ 10 6 5 3 2
♥ Q98 ♥ K753
♦ A K Q 10 W E ♦ 64
♣ J2 S ♣ A6
♠9
♥ J6
♦ J9853
♣ K 10 7 5 4
Lamford Lantz Kendrick Carlsson
A simple strong-and-four auction led to the normal game here. In the open room, on a much
different auction, Mike Bell led the seven of diamonds and declarer had no problem. Lamford
faced the more testing lead of the eight of clubs (third and fifth) and he rose with the ace, cashed
the ace of spades, and played three top diamonds. North ruffed perforce with the eight of spades,
but Lamford over-ruffed, and exited with a club. Both opponents were Morton-forked simulta-
neously. If South won and played a diamond, dummy would ruff and play a trump and North
would be endplayed, declarer playing for split minor honours in hearts. Similarly if North won
the club, he would have to open up the hearts immediately. Some strong players, commenting on
BBO later, thought that playing three rounds of diamonds immediately was slightly better, but
a simulation showed that this fails to some layouts with Kx of trumps with a low doubleton dia-
mond, and even a singleton trump with a low doubleton diamond. Close, and certainly the line
chosen at the table was solid enough and had the virtue of bringing home the bacon. It would be
nice to have had more play or auctions from the other room, and perhaps out team-mates will
write those up sometime.

 Intermediate
Cutting Edge
Dealer East. N/S Vul.
♠K
♥ J983
♦ 10 9 8 4
♣ Q985
♠ 10 7 6 2 N ♠ A9 8 3
♥ 10 2 ♥ AK Q 7 4
♦ KQ7 W E ♦ A5 3
♣ J 10 7 4 S ♣3
♠ QJ54
♥ 65
♦ J62
♣ AK62
Lamford Lantz Kendrick Carlsson
– – 1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 4♣ Pass
4♠ All Pass
West signed off quickly opposite the splinter of 4♣ and North picked a safe ten of diamonds lead.
West, Lamford, won with the king, and wrongly played on trumps immediately. He did, how-
ever, trust North’s king and reverted to hearts playing the ace, king and queen. North, falsely but
foolishly, showed an odd number of hearts, so South naturally ruffed the third heart after which
declarer was home, over-ruffing, crossing to a diamond and ruffing the hearts good. The winning
defence for South was to discard a diamond on the third heart, and later he can get a diamond
ruff by under-leading his ace and king of clubs. West had an antidote to this strategy of a Scis-
sors Coup of leading a club at trick two, but that was not obvious to him. Even less obvious was
North’s antidote to the Scissors Coup of leading the stiff king of spades on the go, and declarer
cannot prevail. If he wins and ducks a club, South can clear the trumps.
We won that match 51-30, and were again fourth to choose in the round of 16, and our scouts
thought that we should pick Sundsvallsgänget. I knew that this translated as Sundsvall Chipmunks,
and also that Sundsvall did not have a team in the first division of the Swedish Allsvenskan, but
I did not know until later that the city had been burnt down four times, most recently in the
Great Northern War.

 Intermediate
The match started quietly and we were 19-15 up at half-time partly through this board:
Twelve Top
♠ J53
♥ K43
♦ 10 4 3 2
♣ 10 6 3
♠9 N ♠ A8 7 6 2
♥ A J 10 5 ♥ Q96
♦ KQ986 W E ♦ AJ 5
♣ AK J S ♣ 97
♠ K Q 10 4
♥ 872
♦7
♣ Q8542
Lamford Ek Kendrick Nordén
– – – Pass
1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♣ Pass
3NT Pass 4♦ Pass
6♦ All Pass
As East-West was a relatively new partnership, Lamford adopted a pragmatic approach to the
auction: he reversed and then bid what he thought he could make. Even with the heart finesse
wrong, 12 tricks were easy and E/W were a bit surprised to gain on the board at this stage of the
competition.

 Intermediate
The match was still close when the following board occurred:
Careless Talk
Dealer West. All Vul.
♠ A432
♥ A7
♦ A9754
♣ A7
♠ Q87 N ♠ 96
♥ 54 ♥ 10 6 3 2
♦ KJ32 W E ♦8
♣ KQ32 S ♣ 10 9 8 6 5 4
♠ K J 10 5
♥ KQJ98
♦ Q 10 6
♣J
Lamford Ek Kendrick Nordén
Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥
Pass 1NT Pass 2♦*
Pass 2♠ Pass 3♠
Pass 4NT Pass 5♣
Double 6♠ All Pass
In the other room, West opened the bidding with a Precision Diamond, so when our teammates
reached Six Spades, Mike Bell, North, had no problem in playing West for the queen of spades.
Lamford, West, chose to Pass, and North, with 18 Binkies, opened a strong club and showed
17-19 balanced, and North-South were soon in slam when South showed a keycard. Kendrick
led the ten of clubs, and Ek finessed trumps against him, fatally, because he could pick up ♠Qxxx
with East and make if diamonds were favourable. A slightly random 17 IMPs to England, who
then ran away with the match. So, through to the quarters, where we were left with the shark
from the group 7-32 because teams 1-3 chose before us, and we played the team that remained.
Unsurprisingly they were the defending champions, Fem på nya äventyr, and the match length
went up to 64 boards for the last three rounds.
Some discussion took place among our team as to whether it was better to finish 4th or 5th in
the Swiss, without us reaching any firm conclusions. We spent some time discussing the conten-
tious issue of dumping, which was of academic interest only as we were now in a straight knock-out
against the team that nobody wanted to play, which would present our toughest challenge.
The first quarter was incredibly swingy and the Swedish juniors were impressed that we had
managed to exchange 112 IMPs in only 16 boards, while we were quite pleased to enter the sec-
ond segment only 10 adrift. Kendrick earned 11 IMPs from a solo effort on board 2, or we would
have been further behind:

 Intermediate
Psychic Ability
♠ A87
♥ AQ73
♦ AQ7
♣ J98
♠ J 10 6 4 N ♠ 932
♥ J 10 6 ♥ K942
♦ K53 W E ♦9
♣ 743 S ♣ A K 10 6 2
♠ KQ5
♥ 85
♦ J 10 8 6 4 2
♣ Q5
Kendrick Östberg Lamford Bjäring
– – Pass Pass
1♥ 1NT Double Redouble
2♣ Pass 3♣ 3♦
All Pass
South intended his 3♦ to be forcing, but Lamford decided that there seemed to be around 50
points in the pack, and the vulnerable opponents were less likely to be acting than Kendrick.
3NT in the other room was easy, and that was 11 in. That was about our only good board of the
set, however, and Lamford gave back those IMPs by being conservative on ♠832 ♥A6 ♦A102
♣108532, just inviting opposite a strong NT. Partner had ♠J96 ♥KQ4 ♦854 ♣AKQ4 and the
good game was missed, although only bid twice in the eight hands of the four matches in play. A
1000-deal simulation with Bridge Dealer opposite a 15-count had game making 29% of the time,
and inviting seems the correct strategy, assuming partner will pass with 15 and bid game with 16.
Opposite a 16-count, the above hand makes 3NT 47% of the time, which is easily enough to
bid game, and, for completeness, opposite a 17-count, the percentage goes up to 67%. Mike Bell
has a theory that one should pass or bid game on this type of hand, but I remain unconvinced.
Teammates definitely kept us in the game in this set, as we let through 4♠ which could be beaten,
and we played in the wrong vulnerable game.
The next set was also swingy, and Lamford went for 1100 when he overcalled 4♥ on ♠Q52
♥KQ109876 ♦Q2 ♣3 at favourable vulnerability over an auction of 1♣-Pass-2♠ which was nat-
ural and game-forcing. In theory, the opponents could make 6♣ but nobody was getting there.
He was consoled that the auction and result by Solodar-Nilsson was identical, but that was in the
other match, so it was 7 IMPs out. When the smoke had cleared the lead was down to 4 IMPs.
103-107 after only 32 boards!

 Intermediate
Grand Larceny
♠2
♥ 962
♦ K962
♣ Q 10 6 4 3
♠ A7 6 5 3 N ♠ K8
♥ KJ8 ♥ AQ 7 5 4 3
♦ A QJ W E ♦ 10 3
♣ 92 S ♣ AK 8
♠ Q J 10 9 4
♥ 10
♦ 8654
♣ J75
Kendrick Östberg Lamford Bjäring
– – 1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 3♥ Pass
4NT Pass 5♠ Pass
5NT Pass 6♣ Pass
6♦ Pass 7♥ All Pass
England galloped into the excellent grand here, entirely naturally. 4NT was RKCB and East showed
2 plus the queen of trumps. 5NT said please cue kings, and 6♦ was a general grand-slam try. East
thought the king of spades was important and bid the grand. South led the ♠Q and Lamford
won in hand, drew two rounds of trumps and led a spade to the ace, but North ruffed. This was
an excellent grand, especially on a non-diamond lead. Finding out that the Swedes missed small
slam here was quite a shock, but it is one of the downsides of bidding grands. The odds are poor
if they are not in slam in the other room.
We got those 13 IMPs back on the last board of the set, bidding another grand, 7♥, that was
even better. ♠– ♥AQJ8652 ♦KQ87♣A10 opposite ♠A875432 ♥K ♦A4 ♣KQ8. If that one had
also failed it would indeed have been carelessness, but all was well and we still trailed by 4 at the
end of the third segment after an exciting draw in set 3.
The final set was surprisingly comfortable, and far less swingy. Byrne and Bell bid an excellent
and cold slam which was missed in the other room with a combined 26-count with ♠KQ103 ♥A8
♦K ♣Q108653 opposite ♠AJ986 ♥K1076♦A1054 ♣–. We only took the lead in the match on
board 62 but by the end of a gripping encounter, England had won by 15, 175-160, and would
play Westerlund in the semi-final.
That match again started in a lively fashion, and England pulled ahead with a good slam on
minimum values, again bid naturally:

 Intermediate
Reversal of Fortune
Dealer East. E/W Vul.
♠ Q632
♥ J 10 8 6 5
♦ AQ2
♣J
♠ AJ 9 8 5 N ♠ K 10
♥2 ♥ AQ 7 3
♦ 85 W E ♦ K4
♣ K8743 S ♣ AQ 6 5 2
♠ 74
♥ K94
♦ J 10 9 7 6 3
♣ 10 9
Kendrick Sundell Lamford Westerlund
– – 1♣ Pass
1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass
4♣ Pass 6♣ All Pass
Sometimes having few gadgets is no bad thing, and the above auction was entirely natural, to the
excellent 6♣ by East. If the diamond is right it is virtually cold, and might otherwise depend on
the ruffing spade finesse or a spade guess. When South led a diamond, Lamford claimed as soon
as he discovered trumps were 2-1.
So, on to the semi-final, and the other team Zmrzlina, who were the only team in the event
with five consecutive consonants, chose Solodar in the semi-final. As an aside, I suppose you all
know the only London Underground station with six consecutive consonants (Knightsbridge Ed.).
We were therefore due to play Westerlund in the semi-final. That we were not picked first flattered
us, as John Solodar won the Bermuda Bowl in 1981 and is still a strong player at the age of 74.
The first set was very wild, and a slam swing went to England when Karlsson and Svensson
had ♠AK2 ♥AK852 ♦7 ♣AJ82 opposite ♠ J8 ♥QJ1093 ♦A1083 ♣53 and did not bid the slam
reached at the three other tables including the other semi-final. Given that it only needs trumps
2-1, and was still cold as the cards lay when they were 3-0, that was a “fumble” as they say in
American Football. Mike Bell received a more testing lead against a Four Spades contract, and
his reasonable line was unsuccessful. Byrne made a thin 3NT on another board, which Kendrick
and Lamford tried to let through in the other room, and an over-aggressive non-vulnerable over-
all of 2♦ by Westerlund on ♠Q7 ♥K95 ♦K10863 ♣J92 led to an 800 penalty. So, at the end of
the segment, England led by 32, 65-33.
The second set was equally swingy. Westerlund and Sundell bid a vulnerable slam on minimum
values with ♠10 ♥AJ5 ♦AQ754 ♣KQJ9 opposite ♠ A752 ♥KQ8 ♦2 ♣76432. With diamonds
4-3 and clubs 2-2 that could not be touched, and the solid 800 teammates extracted from 3♠x in
the other room was not enough compensation. Teammates found an excellent sacrifice in 5♣ at
Love All on one board, and that paid rich dividends when Karlsson and Svensson misjudged to
go on to 5♥ for a 10 IMP pick up. Lamford and Kendrick reached a very good Five Diamonds
on a combined 21-count with ♠AK1095 ♥965 ♦A10764 ♣– opposite ♠J2 ♥82 ♦KQ82 ♣A8754
and that was another 10 IMPs. One final board of the set clawed back the early losses and was
definitely the one that got away.

 Intermediate
Deep Finesse
Dealer East. None Vul.
♠ A9
♥ 98
♦ KQ732
♣ K532
♠ KJ62 N ♠ 10 5 3
♥6 ♥ A K Q 10 5 4 3
♦ J6 W E ♦ 10 9
♣ Q J 10 9 8 7 S ♣4
♠ Q874
♥ J72
♦ A854
♣ A6
East’s opening bid of 4♥ closed proceedings, so the danger of another -1100 had been averted.
South led the seven of spades, third and fifth. Declarer played low, and would have unblocked the
six if he had had it and the five had been in dummy! North put all his eggs in one basket by win-
ning with the ace and returning a spade, correct if his partner has the ace of hearts, but wrong on
most other layouts, and South covered the ten with the queen. That was the last chance for the
defence, as Lamford could now finesse the six of spades for his contract after drawing trumps. “I
can’t make it on a fourth-best lead”, joked Lamford to his screen-mate, Sundell, who, like Queen
Victoria is often misquoted as saying, was not amused.
The third set was much quieter, with only two double-figure swings. This was flat: but might
not have been:

 Intermediate
Safety First
Dealer North. E/W Vul.
♠ KQ3
♥ J6
♦ QJ6532
♣ 53
♠ A6 2 N ♠ J 10 4
♥ K832 ♥ AQ 9
♦ A9 8 7 W E ♦ K4
♣ K6 S ♣ AJ 9 7 2
♠ 9875
♥ 10 7 5 4
♦ 10
♣ Q 10 8 4
– Pass 1NT Pass
3NT All Pass
Kendrick does not like too much auction, so picked 3NT on the first round, and South led a
deceptive ♠9, in theory showing shortage. Lamford, East, ducked, won the small diamond switch
with the king, noting the fall of the 10, and advanced the jack of clubs. South ducked smoothly,
but Lamford ran it, as he was 100% even if it lost, as North would be endplayed in four suits. If
South had covered, declarer would give up a club to him and rise with the ace of spades on the
next round of the suit and knock out the remaining club guard while the spades were blocked.
The only way he could be beaten was if South had 98x of spades, so South was hoist on his own
petard by the false-card lead of the nine! Note the good play of not covering by South which might
beat the contract if declarer, not knowing who has the long clubs, rises with the king on the first
round and finesses on the way back, which he might do if his heart pips were weaker.
On another board, Kendrick overcalled 3♣ with 4♣ on ♠1075433 ♥J98543 ♦AQ ♣–. His
partner expected a better hand and drove to slam, which had some play but went off when the
diamond finesse was wrong. They made up for this bad result by collecting 800 from 3♦x when
North, Sundell, balanced, not unreasonably, at Game All on ♠Q ♥Q10742 ♦A8752 ♣J9 after
the auction Pass-(1♣)-Pass-(1♠)-Pass-(2♠)-Pass-(Pass).-Double. To rub salt into the wound, they
guessed to play in the worse 5-3 fit and that was 800 from nowhere. A few small pick-ups by
Westerlund trimmed the lead to 22, but a solid last set, with no double digit swings led to Eng-
land running out comfortable winners by 156-114, only conceding a few overtricks and a total
of 4 IMPs.
So, we move to the final, where we faced the redoubtable John Solodar and his team of top
Swedes. The match started well, with Larsson and Tornqvist reaching a slam that needed the club
finesse. That failed and 11 IMPs to England was the punishment. There was a misclaim by Lam-
ford, who specified the correct remaining tricks in 3NT, but the total was 8 not 9, and only the
director (who was watching but could say nothing) noticed. That was discovered at the break,
and corrected. Potential misinformation led to Michael Byrne making the wrong lead against a
game, which he would have beaten with his normal lead, and the score was, at one time, 34-1 to
England for the set, but later, as England pulled away, the Solodar team were given those IMPs
back as they persuaded the director that Byrne had received the correct information but Nielsen

 Intermediate
had misbid. We gave in on three potential rulings in the final in the interests of good relations,
and because our lead grew at times to close to 100.
How you would you feel if you decided to overcall 1♥ over 1♦ at game all, as Sundell did, on
the following hand: ♠J5 ♥AK94 ♦1087643. ♣6? It now goes 1♠ on your left, 6♥ from partner,
All Pass. Dummy hits with ♠A ♥Q1086532 ♦– ♣KQ987. You score up +1430 only to lose 6
IMPs against the -1660 in the other room in 6♥x on a far longer and far more competitive auc-
tion. Par is only 500 for East-West in 6♠x!
The biggest board of the second set was the following:
Grand Aspirations
Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ J52
♥ K J 10 9 8 4
♦9
♣ 965
♠ KQ63 N ♠ A9 5 4
♥— ♥ AQ 2
♦ A K Q J 10 W E ♦ 7543
♣ KJ43 S ♣ Q 10
♠ 10 7
♥ 7653
♦ 862
♣ A872
1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass
4♥ Pass 5♠ Pass
5NT Pass 6♦ Pass
6♠ All Pass
The only good thing I can say about the Kendrick-Lamford auction is that it was better than the
one in the other room which got to 7♦, for a 14 IMP pick-up to England. I do not have that auc-
tion, but in any case it would not be allowed in a family magazine. In this room, 5♠ was intended
by Lamford to be a general slam-try, or asking for a club control, but interpreted as asking for
good trumps by Kendrick. I am not sure what West thought 5NT was, but East thought it was
“pick-a-slam”, a sensible attempt to avoid a potential spade loser when spades were 4-1, but that
did not seem to tally with the correction to Six Spades from a much safer slam. All’s Well that
Ends Well, as the bard said, and I think that South’s lead of a low club was excellent, despite the
commentators criticising it on BBO. Had I held the jack of spades instead of the queen of clubs,
I might well have gone down.

 Intermediate
This was an interesting board.
Lady Luck
Dealer West. N/S Vul.
♠ Q5
♥ AJ83
♦5
♣ QJ8742
♠ 962 N ♠ K874
♥ Q762 ♥9
♦ KQ32 W E ♦ J9764
♣ 63 S ♣ K 10 5
♠ A J 10 3
♥ K 10 5 4
♦ A 10 8
♣ A9
North-South bid, after three passes, uncontested, 1NT-2♣-2♥-4♥, which seems a bit pessimis-
tic, although slam is only so-so. They were nearly in Four Spades, when North bid 3NT over
2♥, and then told East, his screen-mate, that he had made the wrong bid, just as East was about
to pass. East asked North if it was a mechanical error, and North stated it was, so East allowed
North to correct it. Of course, the director should have been called then, not by East when he
saw dummy and realised that it might have been some inexplicable error, but was not likely to
have been mechanical. The TD ruled that the auction had ended, so the change of call stood.
Lamford, East, had noticed by the end of the hand that 4♠ was cold, so did not complain. In the
other room North was in 6♥, and mis-guessed the play. Michael Byrne’s line of playing for hearts
to be 3-2 looked right at the time. I will leave readers to decide how they would have played it,
as it easy to make looking at all the hands.
Byrne and Bell, with ♠852 ♥Q7 ♦K4 ♣AQ8752 opposite ♠ AQ43 ♥AJ2 ♦AQ10 ♣K64 bid to
an excellent Six Clubs, missed in the other room, and on this occasion one of the major finesses
was right, so they gained 10 IMPs against the +490 by South in the other room. By the end of the
set, England had stretched their lead to 69-31. And we still had at least one potential ruling, on the
misinformation in segment one, if things got sticky, but we hoped that it would not come to that.
The third set began wildly and it was clear that the Solodar team was going to overbid in order
to try to get the IMPs back. And this approach led to an opportunity on the second board of the
set after a dull first one. Instead of 17 in, it could easily have been 14 out, and I think this may
have been the point where the match was effectively decided:

 Intermediate
Correction Facility
♠ AQ6542
♥ Q6
♦ AJ6
♣ A3
♠ 10 8 3 N ♠J
♥ KJ742 ♥ 10 9 8
♦— W E ♦ Q98543
♣ 10 8 7 6 5 S ♣ QJ4
♠ K97
♥ A53
♦ K 10 7 2
♣ K92
Kendrick Nilsson Lamford Solodar
– – Pass 1♦
2♥ 2♠ 3♥ 3♠
Pass 4NT Pass 5♥
Pass 7♠ Pass Pass
Double All Pass
The double of 7♠ was duly alerted by Lamford on his side of the screen, so maybe North should
have corrected to 7NT, which, as observant readers will notice, is cold on the double squeeze. I
might have led a diamond anyway (as partner did not double 5♥) but I think doubling by West
is reasonable. And North viewed that Kendrick was quite capable of making a psychic lightner
double when leading by over 50 in a match, if he judges that 7NT is going off, but 7♠ is making.
East dutifully led a diamond and that was 17 IMPs to England. Another 13 IMPs came when
declarer did not view to drop the queen of hearts doubleton offside in a slam with ♥AJ5 oppo-
site ♥K9432. I think he might have guessed this at the state of the match. He needs a swing, and
opponents might also be there, so playing the standard line might just get a flat board. “One
might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb”, as they say in Wales. The opponents went a little
on tilt after that board, and pulled back 10 IMPs when Nilsson raise a strong NT to three with
♠63 ♥1098 ♦AQJ109 ♣1053. On this occasion, there was ♦Kxx in the hole, and partner has
♠AKJ72 so 12 tricks rolled in for Solodar. Par was 6♠=, but 2♠+4 normal!
Perhaps the final nail in the coffin was the following board where teammates were given a chance
to make 4♥x, and we misdefended in our room but it was still 14 IMPs in.

 Intermediate
De piscibus e sartigine in prunas desilentibus
♠ 65
♥ J 10 7 2
♦ KQ
♣ KQJ74
♠ 10 9 7 4 2 N ♠ AJ 8
♥4 ♥ AQ 6 3
♦ J 10 4 W E ♦ A9 6 5 2
♣ 965 S ♣3
♠ KQ3
♥ K985
♦ 87
♣ A 10 8 2
Kendrick Nilsson Lamford Solodar
– – – 1♣
Pass 1♥ Pass 2♥
Pass 4♥ Double Pass
Pass 5♣ Double All Pass
Aficionados of Abstemius will recognise the heading as his 20th fable.
East, Lamford, thought N/S might be punting again, and decided to have some of 4♥ – after
all it is not making overtricks, and the forcing defence of ace and another diamond polishes it off
comfortably. East waits to duck the first two rounds of hearts and wins the third round (actually
he can surprisingly play the queen on this trick and declarer still cannot get home!) and plays a
fourth round of trumps and declarer cannot make it. I understand that Michael Byrne could have
made 4♥x as the play went but said that he lost concentration at a crucial moment. North lost
more than concentration in our room when he ran to 5♣, and West led his singleton heart. East
returned the three and West ruffed with the three of clubs, returning the three of diamonds to East
who returned the queen of hearts and West ruffed and returned the ten of spades. East guessed
to give his partner another heart ruff, because even if South did not have the king of spades (and
that would given him at most a ten-count), there would be nowhere for the spade loser to go. West
should ruff the first heart with the six, return the jack of diamonds, to tell his partner that South
does not have it for a spade discard from dummy, ruff the second heart with the three, and then
play the nine of spades, as East will then know for certain that West does not have the king of
spades then. So,+1100 anyway, and the Soladar team seemed to give up mentally after this blow.
The score had climbed to 46-125 when Solodar decided to throw in the towel with a set to play,
which is the first time, according to one of the organisers, that the final has not gone the distance.
We played in luck, and the chances for gains for them that did come along went begging. The
prize-giving was splendid, with a Grand-Prix style podium, flowers, and a rendering of God Save
the Queen (not officially England’s national anthem; “not a lot of people know that”, as Michael
Caine is often misquoted as saying; apparently Peter Sellers impersonated him.).
The trophy winged its way to Manchester Bridge Club, to join the Premiership trophy for at
least a year, while our 50,000 SEKs found their way to Foreign Exchange.com, to whom I am
happy to give a free plug, in Liverpool St Arcade. The flowers had to remain in Sweden, owing to
Ryanair’s stringent “no plants” regulation, but we had no difficulty in finding suitable recipients
among the female kibitzers in the final. This was certainly an event I would play in again, and I
will try to form a team next year assuming I do not get selected.

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71 January 2015 Bridge Magazine

 Intermediate
The Abbot’s Heavenly Vision

David Bird
B rother Tobias handed the Abbot a mug of tea. ‘We drink it black here,’ he informed him.
‘The local milk comes from the water buffalo. It can be a bit lumpy.’
The Abbot took a cautious sip of his tea. ‘That’s a strong brew,’ he observed.
‘Changing the subject, there’s one rather sad aspect of our great success in the African champi-
onship,’ continued Brother Tobias. ‘Ridiculous as it may seem, coming second actually qualifies
us to play in the next Bermuda Bowl in Chennai. Of course, the flights would cost a fortune and
we’re practically penniless here. I suppose the team that came third will have to replace us.’
For a moment the Abbot froze, his mug of tea halfway to his lips. The Bermuda Bowl? The
Holy Grail of bridge on this planet? How truly wonderful it would be to face the famous players
that he had only read about. Was there any chance, just a tiny possibility, that he might be able
to put a slice of James Porteous’s £20,000 bequest to good use? And, wait a moment, if he was
acting as sponsor of the team, they would have to find him a place on it. Just imagine the tales
he could tell, back in Hampshire. Why, they would last a lifetime!
‘What sort of sum would be required to fund your participation?’ enquired the Abbot casually.
‘There must be plenty of cheap accommodation in India. If the cost of the flights could be met,
perhaps £4,000 or so, it might all become a possibility.’
‘And where are we going to find a princely sum like that?’ asked Brother Tobias. ‘Even if such a
fortune magically descended from the heavens, we could hardly justify blowing it on a bridge event.
There are so many pressing needs here in the Mission. The main water-pump hardly functions at all.’
The Abbot had no intention of letting such a momentous opportunity slip from his grasp. He
strode towards the Witchdoctor’s hut, where a bridge four was about to start.
‘You playin’?’ asked the Witchdoctor, who was already seated at the table with the Parrot and Mbozi.
The Abbot nodded and took the vacant seat opposite the Parrot. He would bide his time, intro-
ducing the subject at a suitable moment. This was an early deal:
Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ 10 8 6 2
♥ AK
♦ AK
♣ QJ954
♠ J3 N ♠ AQ 9 7 4
♥ 98652 ♥ QJ3
♦ 10 4 3 W E ♦ J862
♣ K83 S ♣2
♠ K5
♥ 10 7 4
♦ Q975
♣ A 10 7 6
Witch- Parrot Mbozi The
doctor Abbot
– 1♣ 1♠ 1NT
Pass 3NT All Pass

 Intermediate
The Witchdoctor led the jack of spades and the Parrot laid out the dummy, using his beak to
remove the cards one by one from his wooden card-holder. The Abbot took his time, planning the
play. The more impressive his performance in this game, the more likely it was that the Witchdoc-
tor would agree to his mind-blowing idea. He leaned forward to play a low card from the dummy.
Mbozi contributed the ♠7 to the first trick and the Abbot won with the king. He nodded his
head as he assessed his prospects. The Witchdoctor was favourite to hold the club king after his
overcall and a successful club finesse would produce an easy overtrick. West was the danger hand,
mind you, who might be able to play a second spade through dummy’s remaining holding. It
seemed that a small safety play was in order. Yes, that would demonstrate the calibre of his play.
He should cash the ace of clubs, to avoid losing to a singleton king with West. If East held the
club king and won a subsequent round of the suit, he would not be able to play spades effectively.
With the air of a prospective Bermuda Bowl captain, the Abbot played the ace of clubs from
his hand. When this collected only low cards, he continued with a second round of the suit. The
Witchdoctor won with the king in the West seat and flicked his remaining spade onto the table.
Mbozi claimed four tricks in the suit and the game was one down.
‘I did what I could,’ declared the Abbot. ‘On another day my safety play in clubs would have
landed the game.’
The Parrot was rocking backwards and forwards on his perch, usually a sign of disapproval.
‘Hold up, HOLD UP!’ he screeched.
The Abbot winced and covered his ears. Goodness me, the bird’s loud squawking was intoler-
able in the confines of a small mud hut. What on earth was he on about?
The Witchdoctor turned his blood-shot eyes in the direction of the Abbot. ‘Play low on first spade
and don’ matterin’ where club king is,’ he explained. ‘Easy-peasy play, except for white-Bwana.’
The Abbot blinked. Was that right? It seemed that it might be. If West continued with a sec-
ond spade and the suit was cleared, he could simply finesse clubs into the safe hand.
Not long afterwards, the Abbot ended as declarer in another game contract. With any luck he
would be granted another opportunity to show his cardplay skills. Surely the Witchdoctor would
then see the value of his suggestion for the upcoming Bermuda Bowl.
♠ 10 7 5 3
♥ AQJ3
♦6
♣ 9742
♠K N ♠ AJ 9
♥ K976 ♥ 842
♦ J 10 9 5 W E ♦ 8732
♣ A Q 10 3 S ♣ J85
♠ Q8642
♥ 10 5
♦ AKQ4
♣ K6
doctor Abbot
– – Pass 1♠
Double 4♠ All Pass

 Intermediate
The Witchdoctor led the jack of diamonds and the Abbot won with the ace. How should he tackle
the play? If he simply played a trump next, East might win and lead a club through the king, giv-
ing the defenders two tricks in each black suit. A heart finesse would have to be taken eventually,
so surely it was right to run the ten of hearts immediately. If the finesse won, he would be able to
discard one of his club losers.
At Trick 2 the Abbot led the ten of hearts, covered by the king and ace. He continued with the
queen and jack of hearts, discarding the six of clubs. Now, what was the best chance of escaping
for just two trump losers? Suppose he led a trump and West held ace-jack or king-jack in the suit.
He might win and lead a fourth round of hearts for his partner to ruff with a top honour. The
defenders would score three trump tricks and that would be one down.
To prevent this unappetising scenario, the Abbot led dummy’s last heart himself, discarding the
club king from his hand. The Witchdoctor won the fourth round of hearts and played the ace of clubs,
the Abbot ruffing in his hand. He then led the two of trumps, West’s king appearing. The Abbot
ruffed the club continuation and ruffed his low diamond in dummy, leaving these cards still out:
♠ 10 7
♥─
♦─
♣ 97
♠─ N ♠ AJ
♥─ ♥─
♦ 10 9 W E ♦8
♣ Q 10 S ♣J
♠ Q8
♥─
♦ KQ
♣─
The Abbot ruffed a club with the ♠8 and ruffed a diamond winner in the dummy. Yet another
club lead promoted his bare queen of trumps and the game was home.
The Abbot sat upright in his chair. Now, surely was the moment to strike! ‘I have a proposition
for you all,’ he said. ‘I understand that you have qualified for the Bermuda Bowl finals in Chen-
nai but are short of funds to undertake the journey.’
The three other players leaned slightly in the Abbot’s direction.
‘I’m thinking of becoming a sponsor of your team,’ continued the Abbot, ‘paying for the flights
and some sort of cheap accommodation when we get there. How does that idea grab you?’
The Witchdoctor surveyed the Abbot suspiciously. ‘What’s in it for you?’ he demanded. ‘You
comin’ along as useless non-playin’ sponsor-captain?’
‘Er... well, no,’ the Abbot replied. ‘Since it will cost me several thousand pounds, I feel I would
be entitled to play on the team. I’ll replace Brother Tobias. He can hardly ignore all his duties
here at the Mission.’
‘Hopeless, HOPELESS!’ squawked the Parrot, realizing that he would he saddled with the
Abbot as partner.
‘What on earth do you mean?’ protested the Abbot. ‘I’m a far better player than Brother Tobias.
You saw my masterful handling of that last deal and only a short while ago my team were run-
ners-up in the Spring Foursomes, back in England. Anyway, without sponsorship you won’t have
a chance of playing. It will be the highlight of your lives!’
Mbozi leaned forward. ‘If you playin’ on team, we should all be paid as professionals,’ he declared.
‘Hundred US dollars a day each player and big bonus if we winnin’ it!’
The Abbot could not believe such an attitude. After such a selfless offer on his part, was it not

 Intermediate
appropriate to display some modicum of gratitude? As for thinking that they might win the event,
had they the faintest idea of the standard of the other teams? If the Bozwambi players avoided last
position in their round-robin, they’d be doing well.
‘Mbozi’s right,’ said the Witchdoctor. ‘We good players. One hundred American a day is final offer.’
The cards were redealt and this was the next deal:
♠8
♥ J5
♦ A875
♣ AKQ976
♠ 53 N ♠ 9642
♥ A K Q 10 7 2 ♥ 93
♦ K 10 3 W E ♦ Q62
♣ 10 4 S ♣ J852
♠ A K Q J 10 7
♥ 864
♦ J94
♣3
doctor Abbot
– – – 1♠
2♥ 3♣ Pass 3♠
Pass 4♣ Pass 4♠
All Pass
The Witchdoctor led the king and ace of hearts against the spade game, Mbozi playing high-low
to show his doubleton. When the queen of hearts appeared on the table, the Abbot lost no time in
ruffing with dummy’s eight. Even if Mbozi did have his proclaimed doubleton heart, which was not
guaranteed, there was always a chance that he didn’t hold the ♠9 and would be unable to overruff.
Mbozi overruffed with the nine of trumps and returned a low diamond to the nine, ten and
dummy’s ace. The Abbot surveyed the scene with no great enthusiasm. After this unfortunate
turn of events, it seemed that he would need the clubs to break 3-3. He could then discard his
two diamond losers, ruff a diamond in his hand and draw trumps. He leaned forward to play
dummy’s ace of clubs.
The Parrot was already shaking his head disapprovingly. The Abbot glared at him. How on
earth could the stupid bird know what was going on when he didn’t know what his partner held?
The Abbot discarded a diamond on the king of clubs. When he continued with the club queen,
throwing the last diamond loser, his luck ran out. The Witchdoctor slapped a trump onto the
table, ruffing the trick, and the game was one down.
‘Awful play, awful PLAY!’ screeched the Parrot. ‘100 a day? 100 a day? Not ENOUGH!’
‘Parrot-bird quite right,’ said the Witchdoctor. ‘He should gettin’ 150 a day, for extra stress of
partnerin’ Abbot-bwana.’
The Abbot had no idea what they were talking about. Why on earth should the Parrot need
such vast sums of money? What was the price of birdseed in these parts? In any case, was it some-
how his fault that clubs hadn’t broken 3-3?
Mbozi turned towards the Abbot. ‘You should discardin’ from dummy on third heart,’ he

 Intermediate
informed him. ‘Preservin’ trump entry to hand. Obvious play!’
The Abbot’s mouth fell open. Good gracious, they were right. Discard from dummy and he
could have claimed the remainder. How had he missed it? ‘I’ve been playing too much match-
point bridge,’ he declared. ‘Don’t worry. Playing IMPs in the Bermuda Bowl, of course I would
have taken the automatic safety play.’
The Witchdoctor rose dismissively to his feet. ‘I go talkin’ to Miss Nabooba and Okoku woman,’
he said. ‘Don’ expect they’s interested for only 100 dollars a day.’
‘Look, I keep telling you,’ exclaimed the Abbot. ‘There’s no way I can afford 100 dollars a day.
I’ll be bankrupting myself just to pay for the flights and some minimal accommodation.’
The Witchdoctor glared at the Abbot, his eyes even more bloodshot than usual. ‘We both
knowin’ that not true,’ he informed him. ‘Zbolwumba tribe got inner-net connection. I readin’
about Bwana Porteous leavin’ lots of money. You thinkin’ we looney-boys?’
The Abbot winced at this revelation and for the first time began to have some doubts about his
idea. What if it were exposed in some red-top Sunday paper back home? Did the Sunday Mirror
have a correspondent in Upper Bhumpopo?
Suddenly feeling very tired, the Abbot closed his eyes. A vision appeared and through rolling mists
he saw a card table where Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell occupied the East-West seats. The Par-
rot was perched on the North seat, leading forward and playing the requested cards from dummy
in his usual fashion. Only the back of the occupier in the South seat could be seen; he was wearing
a monk’s cassock. The players eventually returned their cards to the board and Meckstroth turned
towards the declarer. ‘I didn’t think you were going to make that one,’ he said. ‘Interesting line of play!’
The Abbot re-opened his eyes, his determination renewed. ‘See what the other two think about
it,’ he said. ‘I’ll wait here for you.’
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Round And About
Maureen Dennison
F or the first of three busy weekends I revisited the wonderful Peebles Congress.
The winners of the teams were led home by that bridge stalwart John Matheson playing
with Les Steel, Sam Punch & Stephen Peterkin. This freak hand only earned 5 IMPs for his
team but is an interesting example of judgement pulling in the IMPs.
Dealer South. None Vul.
♠ 10 6 5 2
♥ 10 6 4 2
♦6
♣ AK95
♠ QJ74 N ♠—
♥Q ♥ 985
♦ AK J 10 7 5 4 W E ♦ Q9832
♣6 S ♣ Q 10 8 4 2
♠ AK983
♥ AKJ73
♦—
♣ J73
Steel Matheson
– – – 1♠
2♦ 2NT* 5♦ 5♥
6♦ Double All Pass
2NT 4 spades, limit bid
With no honours in his side’s suits, Steel judged well to double. At the other table they took the
push to Six Spades doubled for another 100.
Matheson’s team beat the runners-up 15-5, which accounted for their winning margin.
The Winning Team

(minus Les Steel)

The winners of the Championship Pairs were the 19 year-old Yvonne Wiseman and Jake Corry,
still in his 20’s while the Consolation Pairs were headed by Jim Hay & Andy Philip.
This deal helped them on their way:
Game All: Dealer West
♠ K 10 9 8 4 2
♥ K85
♦ Q97
♣9
♠ 753 N ♠6
♥ QJ2 ♥ A9 6 4
♦ A 10 W E ♦ KJ86532
♣ A7 6 4 3 2 S ♣ 10
♠ AQJ5
♥ 10 7 3
♦4
♣ KQJ85
Hay Philip
1♣ 2♠ Double 4♠
5♣ All Pass
Suspecting that E/W might have a better spot South wisely kept his counsel.
The following weekend I played in the Tunbridge Wells weekend congress. Kay Preddy and
Norman Selway led the field. Kay gave me this pretty defence to defeat a contract which was
made by the rest of the field.
Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ 10 9 8 6 4
♥ QJ
♦K
♣ K9853
♠ AK 5 2 N ♠ Q3
♥ 10 9 5 ♥ A8 7 6 3
♦ 62 W E ♦ QJ975
♣ 10 7 6 2 S ♣Q
♠ J7
♥ K42
♦ A 10 8 4 3
♣ AJ4
Selway Preddy
— Pass 1♥ Pass
1♠ Pass 2♦ Pass
2♥ All Pass

Kay got off to the best start of a trump and declarer played three top spades, discarding the club.
Preddy could have ruffed this. However she knew it was important to pull trumps and she would
be able to only draw one more round if she did, so she, too, discarded a club. Declarer then played
a diamond won perforce by North and he continued with the attack on trumps, cashing the queen
of hearts, and then played another spade which declarer ruffed. Again Preddy declined to over-
ruff and when East led the queen of diamonds to her ace, she was able to take out dummy’s last
trump, get off lead with a club and come to two more diamond tricks.
(To be absolutely certain of defeating Two Hearts South should pitch a diamond on the third round
of spades, scoring a diamond and a club in the ending for one down. Once South has discarded a club
declarer can ruff a club and exit with a trump. North wins and plays a spade but declarer ruffs and if
South discards plays the queen of diamonds. North wins and plays a spade, but declarer can get home
in a number of ways, one by ruffing that in dummy and ruffing a club. Editor.)
The Sunday Swiss Teams went to Michael Hampton & John Amor, Michael Prior & Keith Ash-
croft. Playing five-card majors and strong NT, Hampton & Amor had this neat bidding sequence
to earn a slam swing for their team but they were helped when East decided to join the party!
♠ J742
♥ A642
♦A
♣ K 10 8 3
♠ 83 N ♠ 95
♥ K Q 10 9 3 ♥ J5
♦ K984 W E ♦ Q J 10 7 5 3 2
♣ 64 S ♣ J7
♠ A K Q 10 6
♥ 87
♦6
♣ AQ953
Hampton Amor
– – – 1♠
Pass 4♦* Double Pass
Pass Redouble* Pass 5♣*
Pass 6♠ All Pass
2NT Four-card raise, invitational or better
4♣ 5-5
4♦ Cue-bid
Redble First-round diamond control
5♣ Cue-bid, denies heart control
In the replay, the opposition subsided in 5♠.
The next weekend took me to Birmingham to play in the Seniors Congress. The Pairs were won
in fine style, 4% ahead of second, by the fine pairing of Jette and Alan Bailey. Alan said their best
scores were in defence. This was one which gave them a shared top.

♠ 962
♥ J 10 4 3
♦ AJ7
♣ AK3
♠ AJ 5 4 N ♠—
♥ K98 ♥ Q752
♦ KQ865 W E ♦ 943
♣2 S ♣ Q J 10 6 5 4
♠ K Q 10 8 7 3
♥ A6
♦ 10 2
♣ 987
Alan Jette
– – – 2♠
Pass 3♠* Pass 4♠
Double All Pass
3♠ Invitational
West led the king of diamonds and declarer won in dummy and played a spade to the queen and
ace, East discarding the queen of clubs.
West switched to the two of clubs and declarer won in dummy and played a diamond to his
ten to set up dummy’s jack for a discard for his losing club. In with the queen West switched
to the king of hearts. Declarer took the ace and confidently led a second club but was disarmed
when this was ruffed. West exited with a heart and East won with the queen and returned a club
so that was plus 500.
(Declarer could have saved a trick in two ways, one by playing a diamond at trick two, the other by
ducking the king of hearts. Editor.)
Jette and Alan Bailey receiving the trophy from

Jeremy Dhondy

By contrast the winners of the teams with 97 VP were one victory point ahead of two teams on
96 and another on 95. They were Phil Thornton & Bob Holder with Rob Proctor & Mike Rob-
inson. This was the hand that won it for them.
Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠6
♥ A743
♦ 10 9 8 4
♣ AK65
♠ KJ73 N ♠ 10 9 5 2
♥ J865 ♥ Q92
♦ A7 6 W E ♦ Q53
♣ Q 10 S ♣ 972
♠ AQ84
♥ K 10
♦ KJ2
♣ J843
Holder Thornton
1♦* Pass Pass 1NT
Pass 2♣* Pass 2♠
Pass 3NT All Pass
West led a low heart to the three, queen and king. Declarer played a club to the king, noting the
ten from West. Next came a diamond for the ten and ace. It was difficult for West to see that the
only safe exit was the queen of clubs (the jack of hearts is another possibility, but declarer can always
score eleven tricks with careful play. Editor.) and he continued with a second heart to the ten.
Declarer led the eight of clubs to dummy’s ace, a diamond through East finessing against the
queen, crossed to the king of diamonds and continued with the jack of clubs and the carefully-
preserved four of clubs, reaching dummy in order to cash the thirteenth diamond. He threw two
losing spades on this and ace of hearts and West was squeezed down to ♠KJ and ♥J. He threw
the ♠J and Thornton played a spade to the ace making 12 tricks, two more than at the other table
which made a tournament-winning difference of a victory point.
Phil Thornton, Bob Holder, Rob Proctor and

Mike Robinson

Have Some Madeira M’Dear
Ron Tacchi reports on the international Bridge Festival held in Madeira November 3–9 2014
Have Some Madeira M’Dear is a song by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann from their after-
dinner farrago ‘At The Drop of a Hat’ staged in 1957. It tells the tale of a mildly lecherous elder
gentleman trying to take advantage of a young lady by plying her with Madeira wine.
I was asked if I would like to visit Madeira and assist with the Daily Bulletin at the 2014 Inter-
national Bridge Festival. In all of half a dozen nanoseconds I had replied in the affirmative. Who
would not like a week in a temperate climate with good value food and drink and some interest-
ing bridge to boot.
The festival is run so that you can enjoy a holiday whilst playing some serious bridge. There
is a pairs tournament and team competition, each lasting three days. If you wish you can join
in a ‘warm-up pairs’ the day before the festival starts. Only on the second day of the team event
are there two sessions. For the pairs event it starts at 16.30 each day allowing you plenty of time
before for relaxing by the pool, where the water is wonderfully warm, or shopping, or sightsee-
ing. With the bridge finishing at about 20.00 gives you time to have a nice dinner in one of the
many close-by restaurants. The same principle of timing is used in the team event.
So the first of November arrives and in the morning I leave a cold and misty Vaupillon for
Orly aeroport to catch a plane to Lisbon where I transferred with minimal fuss for an airplane to
Funchal where I arrived early evening and checked in at the Vidamar Resort hotel. It was a balmy
evening in low twenties Centigrade, much more in Fahrenheit.
View From My Hotel Room

I was introduced to my co-workers by the tournament organiser Jose Curado, who also tourna-
ment directs : Pedro Nunes – Bulletin Editor, Tournament Directors Rui Marques, Hans van
Staveren and Fernando Gama Vieira. We just had time to get acquainted before the Warm-Up
Pairs got under way.
Warm-Up Pairs
Starting at 9.30 p.m. was the ‘Warm-Up Pairs’. It is probably fair to say that a significant minor-
ity warmed up in the bar beforehand.
I found a vacant chair and found myself sat behind a Dutch pair sitting North South, Allie
Hoenstok and Hans Metselaar, who are regular attendees to the festival. They were playing a com-
plicated system, I must confess it confused me a little as most of the explanations were given in
Dutch as frequently their opponents were also Dutch, please note that no remark about ‘Double
Dutch’ appears now or later in this article. Both 1♣ and 1♦ were forcing and had relay responses
and the opening 1NT was a three-suited hand! They finished 36th with 51.85% and whilst they
were not blameless they can count themselves unlucky on a few deals.
An early board showed the importance of discarding correctly.
Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
♠ AJ5
♥ J75
♦ 10 7 2
♣ K Q 10 2
♠ K 10 6 4 N ♠ Q9873
♥ Q92 ♥ 10 6 3
♦ AQ J 6 3 W E ♦ 95
♣6 S ♣ 974
♠2
♥ AK84
♦ K84
♣ AJ853
Allie Hans
– 1♣* Pass 1♥*
Pass 1♠* Pass 3♠*
Pass 3NT All Pass
I gleaned from the explanations that the 1♥ response showed 14+ points and the 1♠ rebid a 11-14
no-trump hand.
The lead was the ♠3 (third and fifth) to the king and ace. Declarer now cashed five rounds of
clubs and put West to the test. He discarded one diamond and three spades so now when declarer
tried to make his contract by cashing the ace and king of hearts hoping the queen would drop
now disconsolately exited with a heart hoping for some miracle. In fact it was a double miracle as
not only was West thrown in to give a trick to the diamond king but also declarer now had the
thirteenth heart to cash for +1 and 75% instead of 25% for one down. Surprisingly twelve of the
twenty pairs who played 3NT were successful.
The next board of interest was the grand slam, though only two pairs bid it, whilst three pairs
did not even manage to bid game, in fact the eventual winners Grethe Teksum and Bjorn Duf-
seth had a complete top when their opponents stopped in 2♠ and made +1!

♠ 9872
♥7
♦ K54
♣ Q7543
♠ A Q J 10 6 4 N ♠5
♥ Q85 ♥ A K 10 9 6 4 2
♦A W E ♦ 10 7 6 3
♣ AJ 8 S ♣2
♠ K3
♥ J3
♦ QJ982
♣ K 10 9 6
When you look at the cards it is obvious that the grand slam is there trivially with any reasonable
split in the majors. Bidding-wise it can be more difficult for natural five-card systems after West
opens 1♠, unless East has an arrow in his quiver to describe his hand accurately he may be forced
to respond 1NT and then the auction could easily become muddied. One third of the field failed
to make it even to a small slam. Amusingly you can also make the grand slam in spades or no-
trumps and the play is even easier than the heart contract as the only way to make the slam is to
find South with Kx in spades and if you had reached the wrong slam it would have been your
lucky day. Allie and Hans scored 70% when their opponents rested in game.
The following deal is instructional on suit management. At the table I was watching it was as
follows:
♠ A 10 8 5
♥ A7
♦ 87
♣ AK943
♠ QJ63 N ♠ 974
♥ J2 ♥ Q9853
♦ K92 W E ♦ J643
♣ Q 10 7 2 S ♣5
♠ K2
♥ K 10 6 4
♦ A Q 10 5
♣ J86
Allie Hans
Pass 1♦* Pass 1♠*
Pass 2♠* Pass 3NT
All Pass
I believe the explanations are that the 1♠ response was 12-14, the 1NT rebid a 14-16 no-trump
and surprisingly 2♣ was Stayman.
The lead of the ♥3 (third and fifth) was covered by West’s jack and taken with the ace. Declarer

then cashed the ♣A and when both opponents followed he could guarantee four tricks in the
suit by leading towards the jack; this caters for a 4-1 split in either hand. If East is the culprit
then whether he takes his queen immediately or later declarer has four club tricks. If West is the
culprit then he will take the jack with his queen but his ten can now be finessed against and yet
again declarer has four club tricks. At my table declarer ‘sensed’ the club queen was doubleton
and played another top club and when the split was revealed he then took every wrong view and
failed by one trick for a poor result. As the cards lie, on a small heart lead declarer can make twelve
tricks, but that is a double-dummy exercise but making +2 should be the normal result.
Tuesday afternoon saw the start of the Open Pairs. With 155 pairs taking part, yet another record
for the Madeira Festival, space was at a premium in the playing area but I was fortunate enough
to find a place behind Michael Gromoller and his partner Helmut Hausler. Michael is one of the
eight participants I have so far discovered who has won a Gold Medal at either an European or
World Championship, there may be more but I have not managed as yet to uncover them. Their
system is based on five-card majors, weak no-trump and a Multi Two Diamonds.
Open Pairs – Session 1

One of the reasons for enjoying these tournaments is that one gets to meet friends one has not
seen for some while. It was a great pleasure to me to find Elly Ducheyne here. It was she who
signed me up to become an IBPA (International Bridge Press Association) member in Lille in
1998. Until 2003 Elly ruled the press room at all World and European events but upon her retire-
ment the job remained in the family as she passed the baton to Jan Swaan.
Elly with her partner, Maria Polder, arrived at the table to play Board 3.
♠ 943
♥ A4
♦ AKQ2
♣ A853
♠ KQ8 N ♠ 10 7
♥ J 10 5 ♥ K9876
♦ 10 4 3 W E ♦ J76
♣ K 10 9 4 S ♣ QJ2
♠ AJ652
♥ Q32
♦ 985
♣ 76
Elly Michael Maria Helmut
– – – Pass
Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠
Pass 1NT Pass 2♠
Pass 3♠ All Pass
As N/S were not playing a strong no-trump the contract ended up being played by South. The
majority of the room, however, played a spade contract from the North hand. This had a pro-
found effect upon the play. At this table West led the jack of hearts, declarer lost his two trump
tricks but West was loathe to open up the club suit and so declarer go away his losing club when
the diamonds broke 3-3 and scored +1 for 85%. When played by North East had an easy club

lead and so declarer was kept to nine tricks. Chalk up one for the weak no-trump.
As many of you will know I work on Bridge Magazine and the editor requires me at every
opportunity to plug mercilessly his impressive catalogue of bridge works in print. One of these
is The Mysterious Multi and for unfathomable reasons I did not pack my copy in the small bag
that the airline allowed to me to bring. It was to prove an error as our first two hands involve it.
The first hand showed how it is a weapon of destruction for pairs who have not planned a com-
prehensive defense to this bid.
♠ 10 9
♥ AK9862
♦ 10 7 5
♣ 54
♠ KJ762 N ♠ AQ 3
♥ Q73 ♥ 10
♦ A3 W E ♦ Q64
♣ 983 S ♣ AK Q J 7 6
♠ 854
♥ J54
♦ KJ982
♣ 10 2
Michael Helmut
– 2♦* 3♥ All Pass
This contract breached Burn’s Law. It states that the declaring side should have more trumps than
the defending side. Not only did the defending side have more than twice as many trumps as
declarer but they split 6-3. Evidently East thought she was showing a big hand with a heart con-
trol and equally evidently West thought she was showing a weak hand with hearts. Four down
did not trouble the scorers’ tally for East/West, especially as they had a small slam in either of the
black suits.
Our next hand shows that even in the hands of experts the Multi is not foolproof in reaching
the best contract.
♠ 95
♥ AQ9753
♦ Q2
♣ 753
♠ 8743 N ♠ KQ2
♥ J 10 ♥ 862
♦ K73 W E ♦ J 10 9 6 4
♣ J962 S ♣ Q4
♠ A J 10 6
♥ K4
♦ A85
♣ A K 10 8

Michael Helmut
Pass 2♦* Pass 2NT*
Pass 3♦* Pass 3♥*
Pass 3♠* Pass 3NT
All Pass
As I understood the explanations 2NT was a game force and the Three Diamonds showed some
extras in that suit, the opposition refrained from further questions and so the precise meaning of
Three Hearts and Three spades is not completely clear. With South having first mentioned the
heart suit they were getting close to reaching Six Hearts from the South seat. Whilst not a great
contract it is, according to Hamman, a good slam, because it makes. It will make anytime on a
non-diamond lead with at least one spade honour in East’s hand but also on a diamond lead if
West holds the king. In other words it will fail when East has the diamond king and West finds
the diamond lead.
The lead of the four of spades was not designed to test declarer and he soon wrapped up twelve
tricks for an impressive 86%, thus not reaching the slam cost very little – I know if I failed to
reach the best contract and still got 86% I would be over the moon, as they say.
(If you are wondering how Six Hearts makes if the spade honours are split, then I’ll reveal
part of the answer – in one ending West is down to ♠8 ♦K7 ♣J and is squeezed when a trump is
played from dummy, declarer having ♠6 ♦A8 ♣10 and pitching a diamond. The one snag is that
declarer has to guess who has the four-card length in spades, as if it is East then the winning line
involves starting spade by playing a low one from hand!)
When people ask me how to become a better bridge player, one of the tips I give them is to
watch the judgement of top players. On this hand my pair did nothing special but got close to
70% as a large proportion of the field pushed too hard.
♠ K J 10 6 4
♥ A5
♦ Q 10 2
♣ K 10 7
♠ A8 N ♠ Q53
♥ KQ84 ♥ 10 7
♦ J965 W E ♦ 873
♣ 832 S ♣ A9 6 5 4
♠ 972
♥ J9632
♦ AK4
♣ QJ
Michael Helmut
– – Pass Pass
Pass 2♠ All Pass
Two Clubs was a Drury variant and North said he had nothing more than his opening bid. South
showed good judgement in passing his eleven count. Relocate the club honours to another suit

and then he might be worth an effort. If you play Four Spades it is not even a 50% contract so
by staying at the low level if the game contract fails then you will get a good score 70% as above,
and if the game contract is successful then you will score some significant points as there will be
other sensible players like yourself and also in such a large field there will always be some odd
results in your favour.
Michael and Helmut ended the session with 55.94% in thirty-fifth position, well inside the
upper quartile keeping them in the hunt for one of top prizes.
On Tuesday evening I was invited to a dinner hosted by Miguel Teixeira, the President of the
Madeira Bridge Association and chief organizer of the event, for those involved with the organi-
zation, about twenty of us and included Carlos Luiz, Pedro Nunes, Rodrigo Martins Soares and
Ricardo Luiz. This was my first time of drinking a ‘Poncha’ which is typical drink of Madeira and
surprisingly it is made from local sugar-cane rum, honey and citrus juice and not madeira wine.
It will be joining my cocktail list at home – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poncha will tell you all
you need to know. The food, octopus risotto followed by tournedos, and wine flowed and was
then followed by excellent local brandy – yet another late night but we don’t need to start too
early in the morning, breakfast continues till half past ten.
Open Pairs – Session 2

Wednesday saw the second session of the Open Pairs get under way. Fortunately for me there was
a suitable place for viewing directly behind Miguel Teixeira, the President of the Madeira Bridge
Association and chief organizer of the event, and his partner, Diego Brenner, a frequent member
of the Brazilian national team. They were sitting North-South. The basis of their system is five-
card majors and a strong NT, though a point weaker in third and fourth position.
We shall start with Board 1, a very good place to start.
♠ 92
♥ A 10
♦ A K J 10 9 3
♣ A84
♠ A8 7 6 5 N ♠ K 10
♥ 93 ♥ QJ7654
♦ Q852 W E ♦6
♣ KQ S ♣ J652
♠ QJ43
♥ K82
♦ 74
♣ 10 9 7 3
Miguel Diego
– 1NT 2♥ Double
Pass 3♦ All Pass
South’s Double was asking North to bid something and discovering he had a six-card suit he bid
it. Some might say that East’s intervention was bold, but it had the effect of making N/S play in
an inferior scoring contract. The lead was a small heart taken with the ten. Declarer cashed the
ace of diamonds, played a spade towards dummy on which East hopped up with his king and

exited with a second round of hearts. Miguel cleared the trumps and West’s fate was sealed when
he had to win the second round of clubs and give declarer a trick in dummy to discard his losing
club. Making the contract netted 58%, but being allowed to make 2NT would have been worth
75%, so the brave intervention saved several matchpoints.
Our next board we have the perennial problem of what to do with a big hand opposite a pre-empt.
♠ Q73
♥2
♦ AKQ8
♣ A K Q 10 8
♠ AJ 8 N ♠—
♥ J 10 9 4 ♥ AQ 8 6 5
♦ J76 W E ♦ 10 9 4 2
♣ J96 S ♣ 7542
♠ K 10 9 6 5 4 2
♥ K73
♦ 53
♣3
MIguel Diego
– – – 3♠
Pass 4NT Pass 5♦
Pass 5♠ All Pass
The right contract reached but the great shuffler had the last laugh when West had an obvious
lead of a heart to his partner’s ace and when he continued the suit South was in hand and natu-
rally played a small spade towards the queen and now had two spade losers. Those whose bidding
system allowed North to play the contract frequently received a minor-suit lead and so naturally
lead a small spade towards the king and so picked up the trumps for just one loser. There was one
pair who bid and made Six Spades, “for a top?” I hear you cry, “No” is the response for one pair
bid and made Five Spades redoubled, scoring 1000 as opposed to the 980 of the slam bidders.
Failing in Five Spades was still worth 33% of the matchpoints.
Our next hand again features a pre-empt but this time at the two-level.
♠ 64
♥ 8765
♦ A 10 3 2
♣ Q62
♠ A9 5 3 N ♠ J 10 8 7 2
♥ 10 ♥ AJ
♦ KQ7 W E ♦ J98
♣ K 10 9 7 4 S ♣ A8 3
♠ KQ
♥ KQ9432
♦ 654
♣ J5
Miguel Diego
– – Pass 2♦
Pass 3♥ All Pass
The Two Diamonds bid was a weak two in hearts and Three Hearts was to play. With the points
almost equally divided between the East and West hands neither of them found a way into the
auction and so got nowhere towards their game contract in spades. Three Hearts drifted a peace-
ful two off for an impressive 85%.
Earlier sessions have featured grand slams and this one is no different.
♠ K 10 9 6 4 3
♥ A87653
♦—
♣7
♠ QJ75 N ♠ A8 2
♥ Q2 ♥ 10 4
♦ KJ63 W E ♦ Q 10 9 8 4
♣ Q84 S ♣ 632
♠—
♥ KJ9
♦ A752
♣ A K J 10 9 5
Miguel Diego
– – – 1♣
1♠ 2♥ 2♠ 3♠
Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠
Pass 6♥ Pass 7♥
All Pass
Yet again we have an ‘interesting’ interjection by West. If, like me, you are easily amused by lit-
tle things then the fact that the person with a six-card spade suit was the only person at the table
not to bid them will amuse you. I don’t know whether West’s overcall made things harder or eas-
ier for North/South but it was hard for South to visualise North’s actual hand and after the Six
Hearts bid went into the tank before emerging with a raise to the grand slam. It was now North’s
turn for deep thought after the lead of the ace of spades. He started well by ruffing this but how
should he continue? To make the contract hearts have to be 2-2 and the clubs have to come in but
now we have the question of tackling the clubs. Miguel decided on taking one round and then
ruffing one in hand, this will work whenever the clubs are 3-3 or the queen of clubs is singleton
or doubleton, just over 50% according to my calculations which is certainly a lot better than a
first-round finesse. The bridge gods were smiling on this contract and it duly came home for all
the matchpoints as no one else bid the grand.
Wednesday evening is yet another dinner; yes a bridge writer’s life is a hard one. This time there
are three coach loads of bridge players going to the ‘O Lagar’ restaurant for a ’typical Madeira’
meal experience. Normally I am not a fan of these ‘experiences’ but I can honestly say this was a
fantastic evening. We started with tasting some Madeira for the aperitif. Then we sat down and

plate after plate of hors d’oeuvres arrived, both hot and cold, then roast chicken and finally the
star of the show, espetadas. Espetadas are huge skewers of large pieces of beef grilled over char-
coal, on each table there is a special support designed so that the skewers hang down and you can
slide a piece of the garlic studded beef off onto your plate, and for the aficionados out there it is
served with a type of deep-fried polenta. It keeps coming until you can’t consume any more, the
wine is the same. There is a display of local dances by dancers in typical costume, which includes
a particular type of hat.
Maija Romanovska and Andis Gesta collecting a

prize with Andis sporting the local headware
Open Pairs Final Session

When the final session kicked off I noticed that Sylvie and Franz Terraneo were lying in eighth
place after the first two sessions. It triggered a memory of last year’s Open Pairs when David Bird
was here reporting for the bulletin. The Terraneos had had a marvellous first two sessions so David
ensconced himself next to them for the final session, but the dreaded commentator’s curse attacked
with a vengeance and they only finished third. I was hoping that this year it would work in the
opposite way and I would be able to report a wonderful final session and how they won the tour-
nament. I watched them for six boards on which they scored in excess of 50% but it was evident
that Franz was unhappy at being kibitzed so I moved on to other pastures.
They had some good results including this board.

♠ Q 10 7 5
♥ A K 10 6 2
♦ 87
♣ A9
♠ KJ2 N ♠ A9 3
♥ Q8 ♥ 73
♦ 10 5 4 2 W E ♦ KQ63
♣ 10 6 4 2 S ♣ KQ75
♠ 864
♥ J954
♦ AJ9
♣ J83
Sylvie Franz
– 1♠ Pass 1NT
Pass 2♥ All Pass
The opening bid was limited to sixteen points so South had no reason to consider further action.
When East elected to start with king of clubs he had signed his own death warrant as North calmly
won with the ace, cashed two top trumps, felling the queen, and played up to the jack of clubs to
establish a discard for her losing diamond . The jack of spades being on-side held her spade los-
ers to two and thus made ten tricks for a pleasing 62.5% board.
As the chair next to Miguel Teixeira and Diego Brenner was still vacant, and they were still
North/South, I sat down to watch a few hands. The first highlights the occasional pitfall of open-
ing light.
Board 12. Dealer West N/S Vul.
♠ 9743
♥ AK2
♦ 54
♣ KJ32
♠ AK J 8 5 2 N ♠Q
♥ 98643 ♥5
♦ 62 W E ♦ AK Q 7
♣— S ♣ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4
♠ 10 6
♥ Q J 10 7
♦ J 10 9 8 3
♣ AQ
Miguel Diego
1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♦ Pass
3♥ Pass 4♣ Pass
4♦ Pass Pass Double
All Pass

When I was taught to play we would not have dreamed of opening the West hand; mind you we
were so busy celebrating the relief of Mafeking that we did not have time for such light open-
ers, we also had a new-fangled gadget called Michael’s cue-bids (we thought they probably came
from Marks and Spencer) to re-enter the auction at a later date. If both East and West keep their
mouths tightly shut they would have scored over 63% on the board, as it was it went from being
a disaster to a debacle. When the smoke cleared East was three off and writing 3% in his scorecard.
Of course two boards later the upside of opening light showed itself.
♠6
♥ A 10 8 5
♦ Q75
♣ AK765
♠ J7532 N ♠ K 10 8 4
♥ Q6 ♥2
♦ AJ 9 8 2 W E ♦ K 10 6 3
♣J S ♣ Q 10 9 2
♠ AQ9
♥ KJ9743
♦4
♣ 843
Miguel Diego
– – Pass 1♥
1♠ 3♠ 4♠ Pass
Pass 5♥ All Pass
East/West tried to make things difficult for Diego and Miguel but they chose not to take heed of
Zia’s law about the five-level and carried on to Five Hearts. West led the jack of clubs, taken by the
king. Declarer cashed the ace and king of trumps and led a small club and ducked. East had a deci-
sion to make now, to try and decode the discard on the club or decide by other means as to which
pointed suit he should try. He did not choose wisely when he placed a spade on the green baize as
declarer now took the ace and calmly ruffed a spade cashed the club ace and ruffed out the clubs.
He then crossed again to dummy by ruffing his last spade and cashed the good club to discard his
losing diamond. That was 87.5% to declarer.
The Winners of the Pairs were Michael Gro-
moeller and Helmut Haeusler with Sabina and
Igor Grzejdziak in second place followed by
Nuno Paz and Carlos Luiz taking third.
Before I commence my disquisition on the
Teams event I must mention the sponsors.
Without sponsors there would no events like
this. Good sponsors make good tournaments
and good tournaments find good sponsors. I
could not have been present without the help
of the event’s sponsors, for me it was the local
council, the Tourist Board and Sports authority

– Câmara Municipal do Funchal, Direçäo Regional de Turismo and Direçäo Regional da Juven-
tude e Desporto who were responsible for my participation. There were many other commercial
sponsors who helped fund the tournament and each was prominently mentioned in the Daily
Bulletin. A full list can be found on the www.bridge-madeira.com website.
Open Teams
It’s Friday night so it’s Teams night. I love the start of a Teams event, it always appears to be a
cacophony of unresolvable confusion, but of course it always turns out all right in the end. Finally
it was resolved that there were 68 teams who would play three rounds on Friday, two sessions of
three rounds on Saturday and finally on Sunday a concluding three rounds before the prize-giv-
ing and gala dinner.
I sat at table one as this was being covered in the open by BBO so in theory it should be easier
for me to have the results from two tables.
Session 1
Session 1 had ‘Fast & Furious’ meeting ‘XXX’, no that’s their team name and not some mistake of
mine. ‘Fast & Furious’ had the Open Pairs winners Gromoeller and Haeusler paired with Gunther
and Schlicker, whilst ‘XXX’ had the Engens with teammates Grosmann and Bégas. In the closed
room where I was kibitzing, Gromoeller and Haeusler were facing the Engens. It was a low scor-
ing match with little in the way of exciting hands.
♠ K32
♥ 10 7 4
♦ A7654
♣ J5
♠ 764 N ♠ A9 8 5
♥ 53 ♥ AQ J 2
♦ K J 10 W E ♦ 983
♣ Q 10 8 7 6 S ♣ K4
♠ Q J 10
♥ K986
♦ Q2
♣ A932
Hauesler Engen Gromoeller Engen
Pass Pass 1NT* Double*
2♣ 2♦ All Pass
1NT was weak and the Double said “I’ve got a weak no-trump too.” Two Diamonds was a mis-
erable contract and slid three off whilst in the open room.
Grosmann Gunther Bégas Schlicker
Pass Pass 1♣ Pass
1NT All Pass

Here the system allowed E/W to reach the dizzying heights of 1NT and South could find noth-
ing sensible to say. As John Pullman was wont to say ‘West minded his work’ and brought the
contract home but lost 5 IMPs.
♠ K842
♥ 52
♦ Q 10 5 3
♣ Q92
♠ Q 10 7 5 N ♠ A9
♥ K3 ♥ Q 10 8 7 6
♦ A9 8 7 4 2 W E ♦ KJ
♣8 S ♣ J 10 5 3
♠ J63
♥ AJ94
♦6
♣ AK764
Hauesler Engen Gromoeller Engen
– – – 1♣
1♦ 1♠ 2♥ 2♠
3♦ All Pass
North elected to lead a spade after South’s support for his suit to the nine jack and queen. Declarer
now had an easy route home to nine tricks. The same contract was reached in the open room but
the lead of the nine of clubs made the going much harder for declarer, whilst double dummy Three
Diamonds is makeable, in practice, failing by one trick is the norm and thus XXX lost another
five IMPs, They lost the match 11-3 which translates to 13.12 – 6.88 VPs.
Round 2
Round 2 saw HOK, Bruynsteen, Delft, Snellers and Boer, drawn against ‘The Fab Five’. Ferg-
mann, Ingolfsdottir, Shaw and Gudjonsdottir. Virtually all of the IMPs went on the second board.
♠ K Q J 10 6 5 2
♥ K Q J 10
♦—
♣ 73
♠ 74 N ♠ 93
♥8 ♥ A7 6 4
♦ KQJ842 W E ♦ A 10 6
♣ AJ 6 4 S ♣ K 10 9 8
♠ A8
♥ 9532
♦ 9753
♣ Q52

– – Pass Pass
1♦ 4♠ Pass Pass
5♦ All Pass
West took a sharp intake of breath before going on to 5♦, some would say she was lucky to find
the dummy she did, but as a general rule I like to look at the deal and see what would happen if
the South and East hands had been swapped – well Five Diamonds minus one would be a good
result against Four Spades making.
North led the spade king and South tanked and showed her doubleton spade by overtaking
with the ace and continuing with a small one to North’s ten. North continued with the heart king
to the ace. Declarer tried to get a count on the hand by ruffing a heart in hand and then crossing
to dummy with a trump and ruffing another. North did not help her cause by following with the
ten and the knave. If she had discarded the jack and the queen declarer would not have an accu-
rate count of the heart suit and may well have placed the cards differently but she calmly finessed
(after significant anguish, it must be said) against East and brought home her contract.
In the open room the first six bids were the same but the seventh was a pass. If East finds the
miracle lead of the ace of hearts the contract is two off, if the lead is a club then it is one off but
if East starts with partner’s suit then the contract makes, here as on many tables East chose the
diamond and so a double game swing and fifteen IMPs changed hands.
On board 11 in the closed room East opened a strong no-trump and West with, albeit, a balanced
eight-count, including a couple of tens, made no effort, so 1NT +1 was written in the scorecard.
In the open room there was no problem in reaching the laydown game and so 7 IMPs went out.
The only other swing worthy of note was Board 14.
♠ AQ4
♥ K86
♦ A K J 10 5 4
♣6
♠ J9 N ♠ 86532
♥ AQ 9 2 ♥ J 10 5
♦ 762 W E ♦ Q8
♣ KQ43 S ♣ A8 7
♠ K 10 7
♥ 743
♦ 93
♣ J 10 9 5 2
– – Pass Pass
1♣ Double 1♠ Pass
1NT 2♦ All Pass
East kicked off proceedings with a small spade and North took the trick in dummy with the king
and took the failing diamond finesse and eventually took her eight top tricks to fulfil her contract.
I think declarer might have done better at trick one by playing small, it’s not impossible that West
plays the jack so if one then wins with the ace you have two entries to dummy. If that scenario
does not present itself then surely playing off the top diamonds, and if fortune is on your side the

queen will drop, but even should it not you have an entry to dummy to lead towards your heart
king, this gives you two chances instead of one for extra trick(s). On this hand it is a rare case
when the bulletin editor would have made two tricks more than declarer.
In the open room this time the first seven bids were the same but this time North expressed an
opinion of the prospects 1NT by doubling and this became the final contract. N/S collected the
first nine tricks and wrote +500 and 9 IMPs back.
At the end HOK had won 26 – 8 or 16 -4 VPs.
Round 3
Round 3 brought Das Autobahn, Bilde, Eyde, Buchlev and Reim to table one to meet KOK who
stayed there. This was a very low-scoring round with Das Autobahn winning by the smallest of
margins 9-8 or 10.44 – 9.56 VPs. Board 18 was probably the most interesting.
♠ Q98543
♥ J 10 7 4
♦5
♣ 97
♠ 10 N ♠ K72
♥ AQ 8 6 3 2 ♥ K95
♦ A7 W E ♦ KQJ642
♣ A8 5 4 S ♣3
♠ AJ6
♥—
♦ 10 9 8 3
♣ K Q J 10 6 2
Obviously Six Hearts is trivial if the trumps are not 4-0 and equally trivially cannot be made when
they are as unkind as that. The question is can you make Five Hearts with the cards as they are.
Neither table did in this match. Both Souths had owned up to a club suit. On the lead of the nine
of clubs the simplest way to make eleven tricks is to win and lead a spade, you can try the king
if you like in case North was sleeping, then on a black-suit return you ruff and simply play four
rounds of trumps. North can do you no harm as he has no club in his hand and the spade entry
to his partner’s hand has been nullified so you can now cash the diamonds in peace.

Open Teams Session 2
Unfortunately for the first set (Round 4) there were technical gremlins about and my computer
failed to record the BBO between team Baleal and Mickiewicz. I was watching in the closed room.
Board 2 was of some interest.
♠ A Q 10 8 3
♥8
♦ J8743
♣ 53
♠ 95 N ♠ KJ64
♥ 743 ♥ AQ
♦ A6 W E ♦ K Q 10 2
♣ KQ9872 S ♣ J 10 6
♠ 72
♥ K J 10 9 6 5 2
♦ 95
♣ A4
Leszczynska Lucas Tomaszek Cruzeiro
– – 1NT 2♥
3NT All Pass
The opening no-trump bid was strong and the Two Hearts overcall natural. If I understood the explana-
tions then the 3NT was a Lebensohl type bid showing enough points for game but no heart stop. South
was now on lead and at my table chose the king of hearts, not a resounding success. If you trust the oppo-
sition’s bidding is there a case for not leading a heart? If so should you try diamonds or spades. I would
chose spades for as if West had a significant spade holding it probably would have been mentioned in
the bidding and frequently in these situations the responder will have a minor of some significance. I am
attempting to find the records of this deal to see if anyone found the opening spade lead and heart switch.
Team Baleal won by 23 -18 or 12.05 – 7.95 VPs.
Round 5 saw Das Autobahn facing Sigdonnemann. The first swing of significance was a defen-
sive question.
♠ Q75
♥ 8643
♦ J 10 5
♣ Q92
♠ A9 6 4 N ♠ J8
♥ K Q 10 9 7 ♥ J5
♦ AK 7 3 W E ♦ 94
♣— S ♣ A8 7 6 5 4 3
♠ K 10 3 2
♥ A2
♦ Q862
♣ K J 10
Open Room
Reim Inversen Buchlev Skaanning
– – Pass 1♦
1♥ Pass 2♣ Pass
2♠ Pass 3♥ All Pass
North found the only lead to tax declarer, namely a small trump, won by South who continued
the suit. Declarer won in dummy and took a diamond discard on the ace of clubs. He then played
the jack of spades round to North’s queen who continued with a club. Declarer ruffed and drew
North’s trumps. South made his first error by discarding his last club. West now played a small
spade to the eight taken by South’s ten. He got off lead with a small diamond. Declarer won with
the king, cashed the ace and South now made the fatal error of not unblocking his queen of dia-
monds. Declarer now exited with his diamond and South was thrown in to lead into the spade
tenace and give declarer his contract. In the open room Eyde also found the heart lead to Bilde’s
ace who also continued trumps. This time the defence was on the ball and did not surrender an
unnecessary trick. This was six IMPs to Das Autobahn.
The following board provided a swing back to Sigdonnemann.
♠ KQ8
♥ 10 8 6 5 4
♦ Q2
♣ K92
♠ 10 5 2 N ♠ AJ 7 6
♥ AK Q 3 ♥—
♦6 W E ♦ A K 10 9 7 3
♣ A Q 10 8 6 S ♣ 753
♠ 943
♥ J972
♦ J854
♣ J4
Open Room
Reim Inversen Buchlev Skaanning
– – – Pass
1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass
1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
2♣ Pass 4♣ Pass
5♣ Pass 6♣ All Pass
As the cards lie the contract is without hope, exchange the club jack and king then there is a dou-
ble dummy line. Give South the king and jack of clubs and reasonable splits then the contract is
a good one but that is only about 20%.

Closed Room
Skjonnemann Bilde Ostergaard Eyde
– – – Pass
1♣ 1♥ Double 2♥
Pass Pass 3♥ Pass
3NT All Pass
Here E/W took the easy game making plus two when North turned up with KQ trebleton of
spades and 11 IMPs to Sigdonnemann.
In a close match Sigdonnemann won by 14 – 12 or 10.86 – 9.14 VPs.
♠ AQ8
♥ 52
♦ K74
♣ AK873
♠ 9653 N ♠ K J 10 7 4
♥ K Q 10 9 ♥ J63
♦ Q82 W E ♦ 10 6
♣ Q5 S ♣ J62
♠2
♥ A874
♦ AJ953
♣ 10 9 4
Open Room
Molnar B Koistinen Molnar S Goldberg
Pass 1NT Pass 2♣
Pass 2♦ Pass 3♦
Pass 3♠ Pass 3NT
All Pass
When East led a spade there was little to the play – declarer set up the long clubs and had a sim-
ple nine tricks.
Closed Room
Geste Franzel Romanovska Eichholzer
Pass 1NT Pass 2♣
Pass 2♦ Pass 3♣
Pass 3♦ Pass 3♥
Pass 3♠ Pass 5♣
All Pass
Here N/S had a scientific auction where South started on a Stayman sequence and discovering
his partner to 5332 with five clubs settled for Five Clubs. Declarer could have got home by play-
ing East for the 10 doubleton of diamonds but that was beyond the reach of mere mortals so the
contract was defeated by one trick and 12 IMPs to Goldberg.

♠ J 10
♥ 10 8 7 4
♦3
♣ QJ9765
♠ K954 N ♠ Q862
♥ QJ62 ♥ AK 5
♦ J 10 W E ♦ AQ 8 6 5 4
♣ 10 4 3 S ♣—
♠ A73
♥ 93
♦ K972
♣ AK82
Closed Room
Geste Franzel Romanovska Eichholzer
– – 1♦ Pass
1♥ Pass 2♠ Pass
4♠ All Pass
As East’s opening bid was limited to 16 points the Two Spades bid showed a good distributional
hand and West had no hesitation in bidding the game.
The lead was the ace of clubs which declarer ruffed. She played a small spade up to the king
which fetched the knave from North. The losing diamond finesse followed and South persevered
with another club, again ruffed by declarer.
Declarer has now lost one trick and has no top losers outside the trump suit. Even if South
has four trumps the most he can make is two them, especially with the nine sitting over them.
Declarer seemed to be mesmerized by the prospect of a 4-1 trump split, (it was getting to the end
of a long session) but recovered her equilibrium and chose one of the many winning lines lead-
ing a diamond to the jack which North ruffed with his ten. North persisted with a club which
declarer ruffed and she then just led winning diamonds through South who could do nothing
other than take his trump ace when he wanted.
Goldberg ran out winners 41 – 1 or 19.74 – 0.26 VPs.
On the third day Das Autobahn motored on to the title by winning all three of their matches
and claimed victory by more than one match. Second were the ‘Dream Team 17’ of Nuno Matos,
Carlos Luiz, Rodrigo Soares, Miguel Teixeira, Nuno Paz and Reinaldo Timòteo and they just
headed Franck Multon’s team of K Ward-Platt, Peter Bertheau and Jessica Hayman in third.
In the evening there was the gala dinner attended by nearly two hundred, and yet another cor-
nucopia of food and wine. It was followed by the prize-giving and then the band struck up and
played till late. There is even a rumour that I was spotted on the dance-floor but as yet I have not
been approached to appear in Strictly Come Dancing.
And so it was with great sadness that on the Monday I packed my bags flew back to the grey
mist of Vaupillon.



 Intermediate
Robot Play has a Human Side
Alvin Levy reports on the 18th World Computer Bridge Championships from Sanya.
S hark Bridge took the title at the 18th World Computer Bridge Championship held in
Sanya, China, as part of the 14th World Bridge Series. This year’s competitors were three-
time world champion WBridge5 (France), Shark Bridge (Denmark), Micro Bridge (Japan),
Bridge Baron (USA) and RoboBridge (The Netherlands). Defending champion Jack (The
Netherlands) took this year off but is looking forward to competing next year, at the Chicago
summer NABC.
Year after year the best robots continue to improve. You can see their progress as well as the
18-year history at the official website, robots.allevybridge.com. The improvement in robot play
has created more and more interest in a human-robot game. In some ways, a perfect game will
have all the human competitors sitting South playing with the same robot partner against the
same robot opponents. There are a number of excellent websites and Apps. My favourite is www.
bridge-now.com/.
The top two finishers of the round robin, Micro Bridge (56 5 VPs) and Shark Bridge (53), faced
off in a 64-board final match, with WBridge5 (47.5), Bridge Baron (26) and RoboBridge (17)
sidelined, but with their developers as interested bystanders as seen below.
In the 48-board round robin Shark Bridge had a big win against WBridge5 to advance to the
final KO, in part due the following deal.
♠8
♥6
♦ J 10 7 5 4 3 2
♣ A653
♠ A9 N ♠ K532
♥ K97432 ♥ J 10 8 5
♦8 W E ♦—
♣ KJ94 S ♣ Q 10 8 7 2
♠ Q J 10 7 6 4
♥ AQ
♦ AKQ96
♣—
WBridge5 Shark Bridge WBridge5 Shark Bridge
– – – 1♠
2♥ Pass 2 NT* 3♦
4♥ 6♦ Pass Pass
Double Pass Pass Pass
2NT limit raise, as 2♠ would be asking for a spade stopper for NT♦ Yves Costel.
WBridge5 developer, calls 2NT bid a clear mistake, and a costly one. It comes from evaluation,
upgrading the hand based on distribution, rather than looking at the strategic need to preempt

 Intermediate
the auction.
Shark Bridge WBridge5 Shark Bridge WBridge5
– – – 1♠
2♥ Pass 4♥ 4♠
Pass Pass 5♥ Double
All Pass
The jump to 4♥ put pressure on South, which bid 4♠ and then doubled 5♥. ♣A lead would defeat
the contract, but North led the ♠8. Shark Bridge +650 and 17 IMPs
With three boards to play in the final KO, Micro Bridge led by 5 IMPs. John Norris, developer
of Shark Bridge could see that the last two boards would be flat so the only hope for victory was
bidding and making a slam on board 62. Tomio Uchida, developer of Micro Bridge was hoping
for Shark Bridge to stay below slam as Micro Bridge had bid to 5♥ and made 450 on a club lead
at the other table.
♠ K 10
♥ K9862
♦ KQ3
♣ Q95
♠ QJ5 N ♠ A8 4 2
♥ J73 ♥ 10
♦ 986 W E ♦ 742
♣ J632 S ♣ K 10 8 7 4
♠ 9763
♥ AQ54
♦ A J 10 5
♣A
Micro Bridge Shark Bridge Micro Bridge Shark Bridge
– – Pass 1♦
Pass 1♥ 1 NT* 4♣
Pass 4♦ Pass 4♥
Pass 4NT Pass 5♦
Pass 5♥ Pass 6♥
All Pass
The slam is quite good and is only defeated with a diamond lead as there are limited entries to
ruff two clubs and draw trumps. On a club lead the slam makes if declarer plays ♥A and, noting
the drop of the ♥10, ruffs one club with the ♥Q and finesses against the jack to pull trumps. A
good prospect on the auction and restricted choice. East led the ♠A. Shark Bridge +980, 11 IMPs
and the title.

VIDEO OF THE MONTH 3
The Arctic Bridge Experience - Tromsø 2015
The Editor talks to Knut Brinchmann about the forthcoming European Open Championships.
It is hard to imagine a better location for a major Bridge event than the city that is described as the Paris
of the North. Having lived there as a child Knut knows the region by heart, and he is rightly proud of
the fact that the Norwegian Bridge Federation is working hard to promote the championships, aiming
to ensure that they are the best ever.
Knut describes Tromsø and the surrounding region as a spectacular destination, observing that the
location affords a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience its fiords, mountains and midnight sun.
In August last year Tromsø played host to the world's fourth-largest sporting event, the Chess Olympiad
so is more than ready to stage what they are sure will be the biggest event in the history of European
Bridge. Enquiries are already flooding in from such faraway places as Australia, China and the USA.
Knut reminds me that summer is low season in the North of Norway, with many people going South
on vacation. This has enabled them to negotiate very good rates with a local hotel group in Tromsø.
The city is easy to reach, with direct flights from London, Munich and Stockholm and you can easily
connect via Oslo or Stockholm. The Norwegian Federation has negotiated a special deal with the Star
Alliance which will ensure excellent conditions for those travelling by air. Remarkably the airport in
only 5 minutes away from the centre of Tromsø.
When I ask Knut about things to do he is not short of answers, suggesting I take the cable car to the
mountains, play golf at 02.43 (!) enjoy the world's best fish, or even take the Hurtigruten, the daily passenger
and freight shipping service along Norway's western and northern coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. It
used to operate as a bus service, and now there are 11 ships operating a hop on, hop off service.
Renting a car is cheap and while exploring the North Cape you might catch sight of moose or reindeer.
When I ask him about the day to day expense of living in Tromsø Knut tells me that there are restaurants to
suit every pocket along with a wide choice, including Chinese (of course!) Italian, Indian and French etc.
A pint of beer will cost from €6.00 but will be much cheaper in a supermarket, where you can expect to
pay from €2.50 upwards.
There is wealth of information about the Championships at www.tromso2015.no and www.eurobridge.org

www.eurobridge.org/Data/Sites/1/media/documents/competitions/2014Seminar/Tromso2015-NBF-310114.pdf
Having chatted to Knut my unbiased opinion is that a trip to Tromsø really is the bridge
player's opportunity of a lifetime.
Click image above to play this month’s featured video

105 January 2015 Bridge Magazine

BLACK BRIDGE
Vienna for Connoisseurs a unique bridge holiday
August 23 - 29, 2015
Travel Itinerary
Day 1 - August 23rd Day 3 – August 25th finger food from Vienna’s award- in a Michelin award-winning
winning catering and a bridge restaurant in the historic vaults.
I ndividual arrival and check-in
at your hotel, with free time to
settle in and explore the neigh-
T he morning is at your
leisure. Lunch will be held in
the garden of a former city mo-
tournament await.
Day 7 – August 29th
borhood, such as the nearby nastery (Gault et Millau award- Day 5 – August 27th
Museum Quarter, one of the
world‘s greatest art and cultural
winning restaurant), then you
will depart for a bridge tour-
T he morning is at your
leisure. Lunch will be served
I ndividual check-out and depar-
ture.
areas. Late in the afternoon, en- nament in the Viennese Bridge * Subject to change. Alternative acti-
in an upscale restaurant right on
joy an official welcoming drink Club with dinner afterward at a vities will be arranged in the event of
the Danube River with a view of
at the hotel and then dinner in a winery under the stars. bad weather.
the Vienna’s modern skyline, fol-
stylish Art Nouveau atmosphere.
lowed by a bridge tournament
Day 4 – August 26th afterward in the Bridge Center. No scheduled activity is
Day 2 – August 24th In the evening, we will surprise
A fter breakfast, visit

the Vienna Secession Exhi-
A fter breakfast, head off on a
city walking tour with
stops at the City Park,
you with an exclusive dinner held
in one of the city’s museums with
mandatory - you set the pace of
your trip as you see fit.
You can join walking tours later or
a visit to the museum exhibition. leave earlier, and between
bition Hall (with a guided tour). Museum of Applied Arts and
activities you’ll have plenty
Then stroll through the lively the Otto Wagner-designed Aus- of time to relax or explore
Naschmarkt, Vienna‘s largest in- trian Postal Savings Bank buil- Day 6 – August 28th on your own.
nercity market, where you can ding. After lunch in a sophisti-
sample delicacies from around
the world. The culinary tour con-
cated tavern serving traditional
Viennese cuisine, you’ll continue A fter breakfast, take a vinta-
ge tram ride through Vienna
and then lunch at the city’s top For bridge players
tinues with a stop at a traditional with a tour of the Vienna city cen-
Asian fusion restaurant. Another of all levels.
Viennese coffee house, after ter, visiting Mozart´s House and
which you’ll return to the ho- St. Stephen´s Cathedral, among city walking tour in the afternoon
tel for optional participation in others. You’ll return to the hotel will include a visit to the Baroque Non-players are also
State Hall of the National Libra-
a bidding challenge. Depart for to relax, and then depart for the
ry. The closing dinner will be held
very welcome!
dinner in the Basteigarten. "Bridgecentrum" where the finest
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
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An American in Opatija
Christina Lund Madsen Interviews Roy Welland
R oy Welland started playing bridge to be able to work on Wall Street. Today he works as
little as possible to be able to play bridge.
I catch Roy in between two matches and since he just had a big win, he has enough mental
capacity to bear with my curious questions.
Can you tell me about your business career?
“I was on Wall Street for more than 20 years as a trader. I worked for myself and risked my own
capital. I actually started out working for somebody else. It was the reason I took up bridge. I
was trying to get a job as a trader and I was told that there were these two guys, Mike Becker and
Ron Rubin, who hired all the best bridge players to trade options, so I took up bridge hoping to
become a good enough bridge player for one of them to hire me. And it worked.”
He was playing poker in the evening in a bridge club in New York when Debbie Rosenberg asked
him what he knew about bridge.
“I know that if you have 13 points you open in your longest suit,” Roy replied.
“Excellent,” Debbie said. “Would you mind filling in on a few hands?” And so Roy was hooked.
He knew a little about card play from other games such as whist, so despite starting at the age of
24, Roy quickly caught up.
However he was working full time on Wall Street and did not have much time to dedicate to
bridge. Then a friend of his suggested that they found him a good partner and hired a pair for a
team at the American nationals.
“I had not played so much bridge for 2-3 years and I hadn’t played more than a little this and
that. I felt a little awkward, you know, being concerned that I would let my teammates down
because I was a bit out of practice.” During the following years Roy and his various teammates
won all imaginable American titles.
In Opatija he plays his first European Championship with Sabine Auken on the German open
team. Roy being a famous American bridge player, his eligibility to play for Germany has been
intensely debated.
How do you feel personally about all this debate whether or not you were eligible to play for Germany?
“Oh, I didn’t mind. I kind of expected it. Maybe I expected a little bit less since there had already
been some precedents with other people playing… and, you know. Hm. I want to be careful about
how I phrase this… people who are obviously of other nationalities than the country they repre-
sent. So I didn’t expect too much of controversy… and there really wasn’t, mostly it was just one
person. I cannot change and go to play for Sweden next year, I have committed to be a resident
of Germany, to play for Germany, I don’t see why that should be a problem.”
Even though he says he does not mind much, I sense it has bothered him a little.
What is it like playing with Sabine?
“Oh, it’s the best. We have the most fun system of any bridge players in the world. Every time it is
our turn to bid we have a multitude of options. We don’t have to bid hearts just because we have
a five-card suit. Should I be declarer, should I be dummy, show my four-card suit or ask partner?

She is the best partner, she takes more tricks than just about anybody as a declarer, great defender,
ferocious competitor – and we have a lot of fun when not playing bridge.”
Sabine and Roy are also partners outside the bridge table, so I ask the completely inappropri-
ate question:
Doing what?
“Oh, we enjoy having a nice dinner, having some wine and champagne together, we go running
in the morning, we both love travelling.”
I notice that every time Roy considers his reply, he either says “Oh…” or “you know”.
How would you describe her as a person?
“Ah… you know. She has tremendous insight into the nature of people. I think she really under-
stands most people really well. She is a lot of fun to be with and a little more outgoing than I
typically was, but I enjoy that quality in a person.”
What would Sabine say if she were to describe you in 3 words as a person?
“I don’t know, you better ask her.”
I am asking you.
“Eh… that’s tough. Lucky? I would hope she would say kind. Innovative?” He utters his words
almost as questions and in a glimpse appears a bit vulnerable.
Is that you as a bridge player or a person?
“Kind of overall. I like to think of myself as doing things a little bit differently. Some people think
of me as reckless, but sometimes what appears to be reckless is a little better thought out than
what most people assume. So I do some things at the bridge table for example that are risky, but
they are calculated risks. And that is pretty much what I have done my whole life in one format
or another. Calculate risk, and if it seems sensible to me, then take the risk and if not, don’t.”
Most of the time Roy appears very cheerful, however don’t let his smile fool you; at the bridge
table he is a killer. He passes by me as I sit alone in the closed room during lunch break writing
his interview. It is 25 minutes before game time. The smile is off his face, he gives one syllable
answers, he walks quickly back and forth without any destination. A tiger in a cage. Roy’s will to
win has made him famous for unimaginable come backs and now he is in Opatija in the hunt of
a European title.
What is the best part about playing the European Championships?
“One of the nicest things is to get a chance to meet some of the players from countries who don’t
go to the American nationals or some of the European tournaments I have played in. We just
played a match against Slovenia, they played super well, and the general calibre of play is really
extraordinary. No team has a bad player on it. In the US there are a lot of teams who often have
one weak sponsor or something like that. Here you have to play really well to compete. And that
is a pleasure to play.”
Which countries do you regard as your biggest competitors?
“I honestly think it would just be a miracle if we came in the top 6. I wouldn’t say miracle, we
have a pretty good team too, but there are so many teams who have a super legitimate chance of
achieving that. I always wanted to play in the Bermuda Bowl and I never have. So it has been a

long time goal of mine. Of course I would like to win it, but that is going to be way harder than
just getting there. If you look at the two initial groups there is about ten world-class teams. There
is going to be a lot of disappointed players.”
You have reached so many goals as a bridge player. Which goals do you have outside of bridge?
He repeats my question while thinking. “Well, I have two sons who are 17. They seem to be doing
really well and hopefully they will continue. Gosh, I don’t know, what can I say, world peace or
something like that? You know, goals change as life comes along. I achieved some of the goals I
had set out to achieve earlier in my life. I am sure I will come up with some new goals outside of
bridge, I just don’t know what they are yet.”
Test Your
Defence
with Julian Pottage Solutions on page 118
♠ 8763 ♠ A Q 10 4 2
1 ♥ 10 6 3 2 ♥ 76
♦ J 10 7 4 2 ♦ 9643
♣ Q ♣ K8
♠ 954 N ♠ KJ N
♥ AQ 9 ♥ Q982
♦ 853 W E ♦ K 10 8 7 5 W E
♣ A K 10 5 S ♣ 10 6 S
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
– – – 2♣ – – – 1♥
Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT* Pass 1♠ Pass 3♥
Pass 3♣* Pass 3♠ Pass 4♥ All Pass
Pass 4♠ All Pass You lead the seven of diamonds. Partner wins with the
2NT 23-24
3♣ Five-card Stayman ace and returns the jack. You capture the queen with
You lead the ace of clubs. Partner plays the four and the king. How do you continue?
declarer the six. How do you continue?



 Intermediate
PARTNERSHIP PROFILE
In this issue the Editor takes a look at the 4th SportAccord World Mind Games in Beijing.
The Hands
(This month all the deals were played at IMPs.)
Hand 1. Dealer West. None Vul.
♠ J9654 N ♠—
♥A ♥ Q54
♦ K9874 W E ♦ A6 5 3
♣ 98 S ♣ AQ 5 4 3 2
North opens 1♠ and South raises to 2♠.
Kranyak Helness Demuy Helgemo
Pass 1♠ 2♣ 2♠
2NT* Pass 3♦ Pass
4NT Pass 6♦ All Pass
When East reopened with a double West placed him with a shape-suitable hand that almost cer-
tainly included a spade void. When his partner bid 3♦ he bid 4♠ to show a good hand with all
his values outside spades. 4NT promised a good hand and East backed his judgement by jump-
ing to the slam.
Fantoni Lall Nunes Lee
Pass 1♠ 2♣ 2♠
Pass Pass 2NT* Pass
3♠* Pass 4♣* Pass
4♦ Pass 5♦ All Pass
When East reopened with 2NT suggesting diamonds West showed a good hand with 3♠, but
when East could only bid 5♦ he called it a day, +420, but 11 IMPs to the USA.
Recommended auction: It would be hard to improve on the American pair’s sequence.
Marks: 6♦10, 5♦ 6, 4♦ 3.
Running score: Masterminds 10.
Hand 2. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
♠ K J 10 6 3 2 N ♠ AQ 9 8
♥ 642 ♥ AK Q 5
♦ QJ9 W E ♦ K84
♣2 S ♣ 10 3
South opens 1♦.

 Intermediate
Nunes Fantoni
– – – 1♦
1♠ Pass 2♦* Pass
2♠ Pass 3NT All Pass
When I spotted Fulvio Fantoni at breakfast I asked him if his 3NT bid had any special signifi-
cance. In his typically jovial and disarming way he described it as an idiotic bid (of course he had
envisaged a situation where his side might lose the first four tricks, two diamonds and two clubs)
considering 3♦ to be more accurate.
When South attacked with the second string to his bow (he held ♠5 ♥J73 ♦A10752 ♣AK94) by
leading the ace of clubs the defenders soon had the first seven tricks in the bag, three down, -300.
Wu Dong
– – – 1♦
1♠ Pass 2♦* Pass
2♠ Pass 3NT Pass
4♠ All Pass
It seems that great minds think alike, but here West earned China 14 IMPs by bidding spades
for a third time.
Recommended auction: (1♦)-1♠-2♦-2♠-3♦-3NT-4♠.
Once West shows values in diamonds with 3NT it is clear for East to go back to spades as there
can be no danger of four fast losers.
Marks: 4♠ 10, 3♠ 4, 3NT 1.
Hand 3. Dealer East. All Vul.
♠ Q875 N ♠ A9 4 3
♥Q ♥ K875
♦ KJ4 W E ♦ A6 5
♣ 76532 S ♣ AJ
Multon Zimmermann
– – 1NT Pass
2♣* 2♥ 2♠ Pass
4♠ All Pass
Opposite a 15-17 INT West looked for a major-suit fit and then bid what he hoped his partner
could make.
South, who held ♠K106 ♥4 ♦Q109832 ♣KQ10 led his heart and North won with the ace
and returned the seven of diamonds to the queen and king. A spade to the ace was followed by a
spade to the ten and queen and when North’s jack appeared declarer claimed ten tricks – he could
ruff both his losing hearts in dummy, +620.

 Intermediate
Shi Zhuang
– – 1NT Pass
Pass 2♦* Pass 2♥*
Double* Pass 2♠ All Pass
2♦ 6+♥/♠ or any 5+5+ strong
2♥ Pass or correct
Double Take out
Facing a 14-17 1NT West was content to let matters rest, but he had an easy route into the auc-
tion at his next turn.
Play followed an identical course, so that was +170, but 10 IMPs to Monaco.
Recommended auction: 1♥-1♠-3♠-4♠.
Playing Acol given a free run E/W should have an easy route to game. 4♠ is not great, but it is
a vulnerable game at IMPs.
If South overcalls 2♦ West can double and if East then rebids 3♠ West will go on to game.
Marks: 4♠ 10, 3♠ 6.
♠ AK Q N ♠ J98432
♥7 ♥ K93
♦ AQ W E ♦ J9
♣ AK Q 9 6 3 2 S ♣ J5
North overcalls 2♥, South raises to 4♥ and then North bids 6♥. If E/W bid 6♠ South bids 7♥.
Helgemo Lall Helness Lee
– – – Pass
2♣* 2♥ 2♠ 4♥
4NT* 6♦ Double* 6♥
6♠ Pass Pass 7♥
Double All Pass
Double No key cards
On the first round of the auction North, looking at ♠6 ♥AJ864 ♦1076432 ♣7 was content to
show his strongest suit but as soon as his partner showed significant support he did not hesitate
to show the two suited nature of his hand with a majestic jump on the next round. That put the
American pair on the way to the excellent save, the only issue for South being to decide that he
was not risking driving E/W into a making 7♠, which was unlikely given that East had denied
any key cards.
The defenders collected a spade, a heart, two diamonds and a club for five down, +1100.
Demuy Fantoni Kranyak Nunes
1♣* Double* 1♦* Pass
4♠ Pass 5♣ Pass
6♣ All Pass

 Intermediate
1♣ Strong
Double Two suits of the same colour, at least 4-4
1♦ 5 (6-7)
4♣ RKCB for clubs
4♦ 0 key cards
Once South passed on the first round (could he have bid 2♣ to say he preferred clubs to spades,
but promised a better fit in one of the red suits?) there was no hope of N/S finding a save. North
cashed his ace, but declarer could claim the rest, +1370 and 7 IMPs to the USA.
Recommended auction: You cannot improve on the one produced by Helgeness.
Marks: 6♠/7♥ doubled 10, 6♥ doubled 5, 4♠ 3, 7♠ 1.
Hand 5. Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ J732 N ♠ K 10 9 8 4
♥ 643 ♥ AJ 5
♦ AQ W E ♦ 97
♣ 9863 S ♣ AQ J
North opens 1♥. If East bids 1♠ South doubles.
Helgemo Lall Helness Lee
– 1♥ 1♠ Double*
2♥* Pass 3NT All Pass
2♥ Spade raise
With a relatively modest hand when East suggested the nine-trick game might be playable West
was happy to go along with the idea.
South led the ten of diamonds and North took the queen with the king and returned the suit.
Declarer tried a spade, but North won with the ace and played a diamond. It looks as if declarer
can emerge with five tricks, but according to the record he finished six down, -600.
Demuy Fantoni Kranyak Nunes
– 1NT* Double 2♣*
Pass 2♦* Double 3♣
1NT 12-14 any balanced, 5332, 5422 not 54 majors, 4441, 6m332
2♣ Transfer
4♠ was hopeless, but it had the virtue of being less expensive than 3NT.
North led the five of clubs and South won with the king and switched to the ten of diamonds
for the queen and king. North returned his remaining club and declarer won in dummy, played
a diamond to the ace and a spade. North went in with the ace and switched to the two of hearts.
South won with the ten and gave his partner a club ruff, so that was three down, -300, still 7
IMPs to the USA.
Recommended auction: (1♥)-1♠-(Double)-2♠.
Marks: 2♠ 10, 3NT (W) 6, 3♠ 5, 4♠ 3, 3NT (E) 1.

 Intermediate
Hand 6. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♠ K85 N ♠ 76
♥ A5 3 ♥ K 10 9 8 7
♦A W E ♦ K Q 10 6 5
♣ AK Q 9 7 4 S ♣J
South overcalls 1♠
Wortel Michielsen
1♣* Pass 1♦* 1♠
Double* Pass 3♥* Pass
3♠* Double Pass* Pass
4NT* Pass 5♣* Pass
6NT All Pass
1♣ 11-21 HCP (could be weaker, depending on shape/position). Can be any bal hand
without 5M
1♦ Transfer to hearts
Double Three-card heart support
3♥ Invitational
3♠ Cue-bid
Pass Denies first-round spade control
4NT RKCB
5♣ One key card
West bid 6NT to protect the king of spades.
When North led a spade declarer was able to claim, +1440, which proved to be worth 13 IMPs
against the heart game bid at the other table.
Recommended auction: 1♣-1♥-(1♠)-2♠*-3♦-3♥-4♣*-4NT*-5♣*-6NT.
A very tough deal to get right – in Beijing several pairs attempted the hopeless 6♥.
Marks: 6NT 10, 6♣ 9, 4♥/5♣ 5, 6♥ 2.
♠ J 10 9 5 3 2 N ♠ AK 6 4
♥ AJ 7 4 ♥ 10
♦ J3 W E ♦ A K 10 8 7 4
♣2 S ♣ A9
South opens 3♣ and North raises to 4♣.
Herbst Fantoni Herbst Nunes
– – – 3♣
Pass 4♣ Double Pass
4♠ Pass 4NT* Pass
5♣* Pass 6♠ All Pass
4NT RKCB
5♣ 1 key card
The defensive barrage (South’s opening was on ♠8 ♥865 ♦Q6 ♣Q1087654) meant East could
draw no inference from his partner’s 4♠ bid and he was unwilling to go beyond 6♠.

 Intermediate
Helness Birman Helgemo Padon
– – – Pass
Pass 1♥ Double 2♥
4♠ Pass 4NT* Pass
5♦* Pass 7♠ All Pass
5♦ One key card
When West jumped to 4♠ South asked for key cards and then took a pot at the grand.
Declarer won the heart lead, drew trumps and set up the diamonds, +2210 and 13 IMPs to
Monaco.
Recommended auction: The preemptive action by Fantunes made life difficult. Even without the
pressure E/W were to some extent guessing if 7♠ would be a good contract.
The only improvement on the Herbst brother’s auction that I can think of is that East might
have bid 6♣ over 5♦. Whether that would be enough for West to bid 7♠ is debatable.
Marks: 7♠ 10, 6♠ 7, 4♠ 3.
Hand 8. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♠ AK 7 6 N ♠ 85
♥ K532 ♥ A J 10 8
♦6 W E ♦ J 10 5
♣ 10 8 6 5 S ♣ AQ J 7
If East opens 1♣ and West responds 1♥ North doubles and South bids 3♦.
Helness Birman Helgemo Padon
Pass Pass 1♣ Pass
1♥ Double 2♥ 3♦
4♥ All Pass
North led the king of diamonds and continued with the three, forcing declarer to ruff.
He played a heart to the queen and ace, followed by the queen of clubs. South took the king and
returned the two, so declarer won with dummy’s jack, ruffed a diamond, cashed the king of hearts
and played a club to the ace. South could ruff, but that was the last trick for the defence, +620.
Herbst Fantoni Herbst Nunes
Pass Pass 1♣* Pass
1♦* 1♥* 2♥ 3♦
3♥ All Pass
1♦ Hearts
1♥ Take out
Missing the game cost Israel 9 IMPs.
Recommended auction: I can’t improve on the one to 4♥.
Marks: 4♥ 10, 3♥ 5.

 Intermediate
A tough score to beat – but you would expect that with deals involving some of the best pairs in
the world.
You can play through the following deals mentioned in this article. Just follow the links:
Hand 1: http://tinyurl.com/ob4pexo
Hands 2 & 3: http://tinyurl.com/lpn8dko
Hands 4 & 5: http://tinyurl.com/kpw3knb
Hands 7 & 8: http://tinyurl.com/m8h8fo8
Solutions to “Test Your Defence”

with Julian Pottage See page 110
♠ 8763 ♠ A Q 10 4 2
1 ♥ 10 6 3 2 ♥ 76
♦ J 10 7 4 2 ♦ 9643
♣ Q ♣ K8
♠ 954 N ♠ 10 ♠ KJ N ♠ 9763
♥ AQ 9 ♥ J872 ♥ Q982 ♥ 5
♦ 853 W E ♦ 96 ♦ K 10 8 7 5 W E ♦ AJ
♣ A K 10 5 S ♣ J97432 ♣ 10 6 S ♣ J9543
♠ AKQJ2 ♠ 85
♥ K54 ♥ A K J 10 4 3
♦ AKQ ♦ Q2
♣ 86 ♣ AQ7
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
– – – 2♣ – – – 1♥
Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT* Pass 1♠ Pass 3♥
Pass 3♣* Pass 3♠ Pass 4♥ All Pass
Pass 4♠ All Pass You lead the seven of diamonds. Partner wins with the
2NT 23-24
3♣ Five-card Stayman ace and returns the jack. You capture the queen with
You lead the ace of clubs. Partner plays the four and the king. How do you continue?
declarer the six. How do you continue? You have made two tricks and can be sure of making
a third with the queen of trumps. How can you find a
If South has a full 23 points, partner has at most two,
fourth trick?
which means no ♥K. Since any high cards partner holds
in the pointed suits will drop or be subject to a finesse, A quick count of points tells you that your partner can
you need to aim for three heart tricks. have few high cards beyond those you have already seen.
The ace of clubs is out of the question. Moreover, the
For a start East will need to hold the ♥J. This in turn spade position could hardly be worse from your side’s
means that South holds all the missing diamond hon- perspective. The jack or ten of hearts would certainly
ours. You can more or less write down the layout. be helpful. Either of those would give you a second
Declarer has ten tricks, if not eleven: five trumps, five trump trick. Is there any other useful card that partner
diamonds and a club ruff. You need to take advantage could hold?
of the blockage in the diamond suit by forcing dummy Both of the unseen hands are now out of diamonds.
to ruff. Perhaps partner can ruff the third round of diamonds to
If you thought about continuing with a high club, it is force out something from declarer. If you think about
a good idea but not good enough. Rather than ruff in it, the lowly five of hearts is all you need to find.
dummy, declarer calls for a heart. You need to continue If you continue with the ten of diamonds, the need to
with a low club, hoping partner has the jack. Throw- ruff may not be apparent. The way to be sure that your
ing a heart will be not land the contract if you do that partner ruffs is to play a low diamond. The five seems
because partner will be on lead. the natural card, though anything small should do.

 Intermediate
MARKS & COMMENTS

Set 287 conducted by Alan Mould
Just before Christmas as I write this and it will prob- THE BIDS & MARKS
ably be New Year before you see it so Happy Holidays 1. Double 10
to one and all. We start the season with a bumper set Four Spades 8
of problems – some of which attracted no less that seven 4NT 8
different bids. This month problem 1 was sent to me Five/Six Diamonds 8
Three Diamonds 7
by ever present panelist Mike Lawrence, problem 2 Three Spades 7
comes from Manchester player and reader Alan Jones, 4NT 7
problems 3 and 4 were sent to me by Malcolm Pryor 3NT 5
Four Diamonds 5
and both come from the English Premier League, prob- 2. Pass 10
lems 5 and 6 were sent to me by Iain Sime and comes 4NT 9
from a Scottish Western first division match and the Five Clubs 9
qualifier for the Rayne trophy (a Scottish competition) Six Clubs 7
Five Spades 4
respectively, problem 7 comes from a Manchester first Five Hearts 3
division league match and was held by my teammate 5NT 3
Michael Byrne and finally problem 8 was sent to me All other bids 1
by Marc Smith and again comes from the English 3. Two Diamonds 10
Four Diamonds 9
Premier League. Before we start some congratulations. Three Diamonds 7
Firstly to Sally Brock for yet another gold medal, this Five Diamonds 5
time in the Beijing World Mind Sports and secondly 3NT 3
to Andrew Robson for his third successive victory in Pass 1
4. 4NT 10
the Gold Cup. The fact that he beat me by 6 in the Pass 9
semi-final will have no bearing on his scores at all Five Hearts 8
obviously. None at all. Really…. Double 6
OK, on with the show. Five Spades/NT 6
Five Clubs 5
Six Hearts 3
PROBLEM 1 Six Clubs 1
5. Four Hearts 10
IMPs. Dealer South. All Vul. Three Spades 9
Four Diamonds 9
♠ AK Four Clubs 9
♥— Pass 8
♦ AQ J 9 7 6 2 Five Diamonds
Four Spades
5
4
♣ AQ 4 2 6. 1NT 10
West North East South Two Hearts 8
– – – 2♠* Pass
One Spade
7
7
? Two Clubs 5
2♠ Natural and weak 2NT 2
3NT 1
Marks: Double 10, Four Spades 8, 4NT 8, Five 7. Three Hearts 10
Diamonds 8, Six Diamonds 8, Three Diamonds 7, 3NT 9
Three Spades 7, 4NT 7, 3NT 5, Four Diamonds 5 Four Clubs 7
Well as I live and breathe I never thought I would see 4NT 2
Five Clubs 1
this happen! We have an absolute pig of a hand with 8. 4NT 10
every bid significantly flawed, but for all that I never Six Clubs 9
believed that I would set a problem where the 10 marks 5NT 8
went to a takeout double with a void in the unbid Five Clubs 6
Seven Clubs 4
major. Still see for yourselves dear readers. Not only Five Hearts/Spades 2
did double get the most votes (albeit with only 7 of Pass 0

 Intermediate
them) it also polled more than twice as many votes as afterwards. Yes, we might make Six Clubs or Seven
any other bid. What do they have to say for themselves?: Clubs and go down in even Five Diamonds, but
Brock: Double. I can’t really see an alternative other until someone invents a bid to show this hand, I’ll
than Five Diamonds, which seems a bit premature. guess Six Diamonds.
I have such a good hand it seems unlikely that part- This panellist doesn’t surprise me:
ner will produce an elephantine leap in hearts. Can Wolff: Six Diamonds. Slam try. Slightly aggressive
bid diamonds at some level next time. but so what?
I think Paul is damning with faint praise for the Whereas this one does:
bid: Bird: Six Diamonds. This is the most scientific bid
Bowyer: Double. I don’t like it but can’t think of that occurs to me. If other panellists have a special
anything better. The upside of this action is that a method for dealing with this hand type, I will ‘lis-
response of Three Hearts will show me values (as ten and learn’.
2NT would be weak) but spade pre-emption or a I think you can take the panel responses as a “No”
leap to Four Hearts will be tiresome. David.
Apteker: Double. Keeps the possibility of clubs At the other end of the scale we have Mr. Softly
open. I will bid to Five Diamonds over 2NT (Leb- Softly:
ensohl?), Three Hearts or Four Hearts. Over 2NT, Silver: Three Diamonds. I know, I know the panel
I will bid Three Spades and convert the anticipated will surely go for a takeout double (OK 1-0 to you
Four Hearts to Five Diamonds. Over Three Hearts, on predictions. That is a rarity!), but although it will
I will bid a forcing Four Diamonds and over Four get us to game I don’t see how it will help getting
Hearts, I will covert to Five Diamonds. us to the correct slam (after a takeout double what
Matheson: Double. Over my partner’s likely heart does one bid when partner surprisingly bids hearts?).
bids I will bid Five Diamonds eg Two Spades-Dou- The fact is that bidding my suit makes for a much
ble-Three Spades-Four Hearts-Pass-Five Diamonds easier auction one way or t’other. So I take a chance
shows this type. As always this needs partnership and bid by two-loser main suit at the three-level
agreement. hoping either my OX or my two friends on my left
Cannell: Double. The alternative of Three Spades and right will keep the bidding open.
will mislead partner on the solidity of my diamonds In between we have the Five Diamond bidders:
when I introduce them next at whatever level. Three Robson: Five Diamonds. Okay, completely fixed,
Spades would ask for a spade stop for 3NT. We so being practical. I refuse to double with no hearts
know partner does not have one, and will bid some- at all, a long-held principle not to double with such
thing at the four-level. Then, the auction would off-shape monsters without the other major.
get out of hand. Seems best to double to see what Smith: Five Diamonds. Going to have to guess at
partner has to offer. We may be bidding Five Dia- some point, so might as well do it now and leave
monds next. everyone else guessing too. Overcalling Three Dia-
Greco: Double. It is between this and just shoot- monds seems to risk playing there with 11+ top
ing out Six Diamonds but I want to get some info tricks, whilst Six Diamonds seems too much with
from partner first and with the AK of spades All so many losers. Double seems to be just asking for
Pass is not possible. trouble as partner is likely to bid Four Hearts with
Zmudzinski: Double. any hand that has 5-6 card ‘support’ and after that
If you cannot stomach Double (and over half the Five Diamonds might well not end the auction,
panel cannot) then what else? The panel offer no less particularly if the opponents bid again.
that six possibilities. First the optimist bashers. John Sime: Five Diamonds. I play Four Diamonds as
gives us a full analysis of this and every other possibility: Leaping Michaels, freeing Three Spades as the first
Carruthers: Six Diamonds. Let’s see: Three Dia- move for a strong one-suiter. However, this compe-
monds and Five Diamonds are inadequate; Four tition is for the readers, LM is not on the card and I
Diamonds shows diamonds and hearts; Three have to take my best shot at a number of diamonds
Spades asks for a stop; Four Spades shows both now. Five Diamonds is more likely too low than
minors with first-round spade control; 4NT shows too high, but being in a hopeless Six Diamonds
both minors without first-round spade control; opposite wasted hearts would be the worst outcome.
3NT is for cowboys. That also leaves Double, even And finally the scientists who do their best to try
the thought of which leaves me reaching for the and involve partner in a decision. The difficulty in
Rolaids (antacid) since I cannot control the auction doing that is well expressed by Liz:

 Intermediate
McGowan: Three Spades. For me this usually asks You will note that consistent with the style I have
for stopper for 3NT. I expect partner to bid Four previously spoken about in this column of the seven dou-
Clubs, denying a stopper, over which I shall bid blers only two were from North America (Eric Greco
Four Spades, then Five Diamonds over Five Clubs. and Drew Cannell). Partner held ♠32 ♥AKQ53
At least one of us will know what that shows…. ♦853 ♣983 so the Six Diamond bashers win the
Indeed! day……. except that cruelly diamonds are 3-0 so
Green: Three Spades. Asking for a stop, hoping down you go! Indeed you have to take care in Five Dia-
to follow with Five Diamonds over a Four Club monds to lead small diamonds from hand each time to
response (Four Diamonds would not be forcing for eventually force an entry to dummy. Clearly the cor-
me) and Six Diamonds over a Five Club or 4NT rect play at IMPs but very easy to miss – particularly
response. I know Six Diamonds might be cold but as you are disappointed not to be in Six Diamonds!
I can’t underwrite it so I want to show a good Five I found this a tough problem to mark with so many
Diamond bid, this must show a better hand than bids and no clear consensus so I have opted to give 10
a direct Five Diamonds. to the bid with twice as many votes as anything else
Going up: and eight or seven to the rest based on number of votes.
Teramoto: Four Spades. This should be strong, both
minors, usually 5-5. I will bid Five Diamonds if he
bids Five Clubs, which must then show this type
of hand.
Must it?
Barry is driving to Six Diamonds and trying for a
grand on the way!:
Rigal: Four Spades. Minors. My plan is to correct ACBL Encyclopedia of
Five Clubs to Six Diamonds and Six Clubs to Six
Spades – pick a slam. What does 4NT by partner Bridge
mean over Four Spades? I think it is constructive
so maybe I’m worth more than Six Diamonds now? Official ACBL Encyclopedia of Bridge–
Sufficient unto the day… 7th Edition
I knew no Canadian would double and I was not Edited by Brent Manley, 600+ pages
disappointed: (Hardback)
Kokish: Four Spades. Big minors, stronger than OUT NOW
4NT. Will convert clubs to diamonds but will not
simply drive to slam, as it’s easy to see how unsuit- RRP £49.95 SUBSCRIBERS’ £45 + post free
able East’s worst hands could be. Another advan- to UK customers (£10 for overseas customers)
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a clear slam try. It’s a crucial partnership issue to Over 600 easy-to read and easy-to-search
determine where 4NT ends and Four Spades begins. pages
Last word and a solo effort to the man who sent me
this great problem: • Thousands of entries covering bridge
Lawrence: 4NT. One possible scientific approach terms, conventions, sys-
might be to bid 4NT, if accepted as unusual, and tems, rules, and top
follow Five Clubs with Five Diamonds. Hopefully, personalities.
that might get partner’s interest. A sane alternative • Contains a CD-ROM
is to bid Six Diamonds. You don’t need much. I am containing hundreds of
hoping partner will expect me to have the minors. extra biographies that
If allowed one bid, it would be Six Diamonds. But didn't make the printed
since Seven Clubs may make facing Kxxxx of clubs, edition
looking for a club contract can’t be bad, assuming
there is a way to do it. 4NT, if unusual, followed
by a correction to Five Diamonds, might do it. At
the least, I can always bid Six Diamonds if the auc-
tion gets out of hand.

 Intermediate
PROBLEM 2 or slam so I make a forcing pass now then pull part-
ner’s penalty double of Four Spades thus showing
IMPs. Dealer West. All Vul. slam interest.
And alone amongst the passers Adam will take his
♠— chances on defence:
♥ 98642 Zmudzinski: Pass. I’m afraid pass after partner’s
♦ KQ double. Too many losers.
♣ A K Q J 10 2 One behind with six votes each are both 4NT and
West North East South Five Clubs. Let’s interweave them and see if we can
1♣ 3♠ 3NT 4♠ determine the superior offering:
? Bowyer: Five Clubs. I bid what I think I might
Marks: Pass 10, 4NT 9, Five Clubs 9, Six Clubs 7, make. Six Clubs is a shot in the dark and 4NT
Five Spades 4, Five Hearts 3, 5NT 3, All other bids 1 (natural) just looks weird, especially at the form
Those pesky opponents are in our faces again. We have of scoring.
a hand with high offense and very low defence so it Matheson: 4NT. Partner thought he could make
seems definitely right to play the hand – but in what 3NT, and I have a source of tricks. Five Clubs I feel
strain and at what level. To try and solve that prob- has more risks than 4NT eg a heart lead through
lem (or at least help to) seven panelists (just enough K10x.
for the 10 marks) opt for a Pass – clearly forcing as it Robson: Five Clubs. A tad conservative but my
is assumed that we have bid game to make and the best guess. Again, taking the practical view of life
opponents are saving. and not trying to thread the needle.
Kokish: Pass. Easy to just bash Six Clubs but Scottish solidarity about heart concern:
there could be no slam or a cold seven. It might McGowan: 4NT. I don’t expect partner hearts to
not help to see a further opinion from North but be good enough for slam with the likely bad breaks,
there must be a distinction between his double but I shall be disappointed if he can’t make 4NT.
and 4NT and once in a while he can make a dif- Lawrence: Five Clubs. Seems obvious. Can’t wait
ferent natural bid. I will remove both double and for this one. South was warned about spade losers
4NT to Five Clubs to express my slam interest and he still bid Four Spades. I doubt we will get
but commit to slam over an unlikely Five Clubs rich against Four Spades. 4NT is a possible call but
or Five Diamonds. Five Clubs is practical. Don’t see much reason not
Greco: Pass. Since I truly have no idea on whether to bid it. It might even fetch Six Clubs from partner.
too bid Five or Six Clubs (or possibly 4NT could Smith: 4NT. If partner thought he could make
be the winner opposite weak hearts) I think Pass is nine tricks opposite a random opening bid, he can
clear, and then pull the double to Five Clubs indi- surely make ten when I have such a source of tricks
cating a slam try. – ♠AKx ♥J10x ♦AJxxx ♣xx looks like a minimum
Teramoto: Pass. Forcing so he will have to do some- sort of hand for him. If he thinks 4NT is showing
thing. He will double most of the time then I will two suits I even have that too 
bid Five Clubs showing slam interest. Bidding Five And yet more Scottish solidarity:
Clubs immediately is just to play and Six Clubs is Sime: Five Clubs. I could make a forcing pass and
an overbid. follow with Five Clubs to show slam interest. How-
Cannell: Pass. Forcing in context. I will pull the ever, the last time I saw a similar heart holding
double to Five Clubs to show some oomph. Partner partner had AJx, which he would regard as slam
may then deduce the spade void, and will appreci- positive here.
ate red-suit controls for slam. Carruthers: 4NT. It would not surprise me in
Two Erics, Tadashi and Drew will pull Double to the least if both Four Spades and 4NT were mak-
Five Clubs, Alon to 4NT: ing, Partner holding something akin to ♠Kx ♥KJx
Apteker: Pass. Forcing intending to pull the ♦AJ10xx ♣xxx
expected double to 4NT showing a stronger action Wolff: Five Clubs. Game try, It is hard to imagine
than a direct action. anything else although I have no way to have any
And Joey ain’t saying: idea that my bid is right, but who would?
Silver: Pass. This hand is build for offence not Is Ben becoming Scottish?:
defence. It is just a question of bidding either game Green: 4NT. I’m torn between 4NT and Five Clubs.
Although 4NT is to play partner can always take

 Intermediate
it out if his stopper is tenuous, he knows that I’m (3NT could easily be right) and does have the ♦Aand
very short in spades with long clubs. Five Clubs a probable trick with the ♥K if the opposition play
could be cold but it could also be down off the top the hand. So says Eric (squared) and others:
(heart to the queen ace and a ruff for example or Kokish: Two Diamonds. Three Diamonds, Four
just three heart losers. Diamonds and Five Diamonds facing an unpassed
David thinks it all very close: partner should not have this much suitability for
Bird: Five Clubs. Even though partner’s spade 3NT or hard-to-quantify defense in combination
honour(s) will be wasted in this contract, I think with sharp tricks in the long suit. Though Two
it is a more likely prospect than 4NT. Mind you, Diamonds is not perfect either but it’s closer to the
it is a complete lottery what hearts will appear in truth than other diamond overcalls.
the dummy. Passing, to give partner a chance of Greco: Two Diamonds. I have too good a hand to
doubling Four Spades, is merely choosing to buy preempt Three or Four Diamonds and it certainly
a different lottery ticket. isn’t a Five Diamond bid especially at these col-
Brock: 4NT. If partner thought he could make ours so that leaves only one choice. I can’t stand
3NT, I think we can make 4NT. preempting with a solid opening hand unless that
For the panel this was a choice between three dif- is your agreement.
ferent bids – but Barry produces a solo effort: Silver: Two Diamonds. Despite the eight-card suit
Rigal: Six Clubs. I close my eyes and go to my happy there is too much defense and not enough inter-
place. With no idea who can make what I take a nal diamond solidity to make pre-emption at the
shot with the biggest upside. Maybe it’s a save… three or four level either wise or safe. Where is it
Not this time! But then partner wasn’t exact straight written that our side does not have the balance of
down the middle with 3NT on ♠QJ9x ♥K10xx ♦Axx power on this hand?
♣xx. Hearts are 4-0 over the K10xx so passive defence Apteker: Two Diamonds. Too strong and construc-
will beat both 4NT and Five Clubs, but ♠K and tive for any pre-emptive action.
another saw 4NT home at the table. Four Spades is David worries about Five Diamonds:
the obvious 500 if you avoid crashing the diamond Matheson: Two Diamonds. I do have an eight card
honours (the pre-emptor is 7-0-5-1) suit, but with some defence I prefer not to preempt.
Teramoto: Two Diamonds. The vulnerability is bad for
PROBLEM 3 Five Diamonds. This hand has some chance for 3NT.
Bird: Two Diamonds. To bid Five Diamonds at
IMPs. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
this score would bring a worried look to the doc-
♠6 tor’s face. The only other bid worth considering is
♥K Four Diamonds. Yes, that might be a good idea.
♦ AK 9 7 5 4 3 2 Too late, though. I’ve already bid Two Diamonds.
♣ J86 Whereas Drew thinks even Four Diamonds is too much:
West North East South Cannell: Two Diamonds. Four Diamonds is too
– – - 1♥ much vul versus not. Three Hearts is also too much
? as the black suits are suspect – not to mention the
unknown solidity of the diamond suit.
Marks: Two Diamonds 10, Four Diamonds 9, What was Bobby Wolff’s phrase from a few months
Three Diamonds 7, Five Diamonds 5, 3NT 3, Pass 1 ago: “Beware the vulnerable coward”.
Not often to see a hand where the panel only bid one Adam puts a lot of weight on the ♥K
suit, and at four different levels to boot. Reverse the Zmudzinski: Two Diamonds. Maybe without the
vulnerability and I suspect many would simply bid ♥K Five Diamonds is the right bid.
Five Diamonds and hope that was the right thing to And Andrew goes for what he thinks is the best
do, but at this vulnerability that just seems too much, compromise:
however Marc Smith informs me that at the table the Robson: Two Diamonds. Very unclear whether we
vulnerability was reversed (i.e. we are NV vs. Vul. not want to be (a) pre-empting or (b) having a con-
the other way round) which explains Marc’s Five Dia- structive auction to 3NT, or (c) simply staying out
monds bid both at the table and here.. Just over half of trouble. Two Diamonds seems to be a Meatloaf
of the panel opt for the lowest overcall possible, point- (two out of three ain’t bad).
ing out that this hand has plenty of offensive potential Going up.

 Intermediate
I have to say this is the bid I like least seeming to be Staying true to his principles and entirely on his
neither fish nor fowl, but three panelists go for: own is Marc:
Brock: Three Diamonds. I would bid Four Dia- Smith: Five Diamonds. Well, I make the same bid
monds at other vulnerabilities but at adverse I’ll now as I did at the table, even though it didn’t work
be conservative. out so well. I could certainly be persuaded that a
Rigal: Three Diamonds. If we play this like sensible simple Two Diamonds overcall is better, although
human beings as intermediate. I can see the attrac- am I really going to sit for 3NT or a double of
tion of Three Hearts stopper ask, but at this vul- Four Hearts?
nerability I’m not sure I’m worth it. Spades, what I don’t see why not in either case!
spades? At the table Marc bid Five Diamonds, LHO bid
We don’t play it as intermediate and you know it Five Hearts and partner felt he should contribute a
Barry sixth diamond on ♠AJ1053 ♥9 ♦J6 ♣K9532. This
John also gives weight to the♥K: was doubled for 500 even when the ♣Q was right
Carruthers: Three Diamonds. Pusillanimous? Per- with Five Hearts trivially off. At the actual vulner-
haps, but that king of hearts is one card fewer for ability that is reasonable I suppose but would be
them. It that heart king had been the two, I would ridiculous at the vulnerability of this problem. You
have bid Four Diamonds. don’t expect Six Diamonds to make so you are aim-
Still going up and the second highest number of ing at one off against Five Hearts making. But per-
votes: haps this is a partnership hand. As the late great
Green: Four Diamonds. Again I’m torn between John Armstrong was wont to say when someone had
Two Diamonds and Four Diamonds, my singleton a crater of a result after a pre-empt and raise, either
spade sways me towards pre-empting and making Five Diamonds or Six Diamonds is wrong, and it is
life difficult for the opponents. I know I might miss a partnership matter which.
3NT but how likely is that to be the right spot?
Mike expresses the options well: PROBLEM 4
Lawrence: Four Diamonds. No bid stands out.
Don’t feel strongly about this hand. You can make E/W Vul. IMPs. Dealer South
a case for Two Diamonds to Four Diamonds and ♠—
even 3NT. Four Diamonds comes closest to show- ♥ A K 10 9 6 5
ing what I have. No bid rates to be worth more than ♦ K9
70 (In the American Bridge World the marks are out ♣ AK Q 9 4
of 100 so 70 is 7 out of 10 for us. Given that marks
are always in multiples of 10 it is just an example of
– – – Pass
inflation ). This is an ugly hand.
2♣* 3♠ Pass* 4♠
Bobby is in the same camp as Mike, but more
?
succinctly: 2♣ Any game force
Wolff: Four Diamonds. On feel only, but so have Pass Double would have been penalty suggestive.
been all hands up to now. Bids natural and forcing
Sime: Four Diamonds. For the second time in three Marks: 4NT 10, Pass 9, Five Hearts 8, Double 6,
boards I have to decide how many diamonds to bid. Five Spades 6, 5NT 6, Five Clubs 5, Six Hearts 3,
Four Diamonds looks about right on values, and Six Clubs 1
importantly, on my un-passed partner’s expectation This hand comes from the second division of the English
in terms of playing strength. Premier League where I am told every player opened
Paul wants to get back at the opposition: Two Clubs. When setting this hand I thought I may
Bowyer: Four Diamonds. It’s a choice, in my view, get some thoughts from the panel on this and I invited
between Two Diamonds, keeping partner in the them to comment if they would have preferred a one-
game, and a pre-empt to upset the opponents. level opening. As you can see many of them did and do.
Well, given the awkward time we have been hav- Still, we are where we are and what to do about it. This
ing with opponents’ pre-empts it’s my turn to lob was a remarkable problem given it is not that uncom-
some grenades. mon a situation, yet we have three bids attracting mul-
McGowan: Four Diamonds. There are probably tiple votes, one attracting two votes and two single votes.
clever bids available but I am a simple soul. Five Let’s start with what get the 10 marks with eight votes.
Diamonds is too much at this vulnerability.

 Intermediate
Silver: 4NT. I prefer opening One Heart on this days…? As it is I’m in a mess. I’ll have to try 4NT
type of hand for two reasons. I don’t hold enough and convert Five Diamonds to Five Hearts. Partner
high cards (I don’t want to suffer the embarrassment, might have the right cards to bid Six Clubs and get
rare as it may be, to have the villains bid and make me out of the mire.
a slam after I open Two Clubs) (would you prefer to Rigal: 4NT. Two Hearts Acol would have been nice
play in One Heart with Six Clubs cold Joey?) and at but that’s not an option. One Heart at this vulner-
this vulnerability if I don’t start bidding my suits ability has a lot to recommend it. 4NT now is a
at the one-level there is always a chance (not that two-suiter so I bid it and wait with baited breath
unlikely considering my dearth of spades) I could to see what happens next. No it isn’t natural – and
end up trying to describe my hand starting at the a plague on anyone for suggesting it is.
five-level. With so much offence I am a bidder not No I don’t think anyone is suggesting it is natu-
a defender, and with two places to play I show this ral Barry.
with 4NT. Like Paul, Iain is OK with Two Clubs:
Green: 4NT. I could Pass and bid 4NT over part- Sime: 4NT. Two places to play, stating the nature of
ner’s expected Double (is this a stronger route than my hand to involve partner in the strain/level discus-
an initial 4NT?) but there are two issues with that, sion. I agree with Two Clubs and it has worked fine.
one partner may bid Five Diamonds in which case Whilst we haven’t shown any suits, 1♥-2/3♠-Pass-
will Five Hearts show a two-suiter or just a hand 4♠-4NT/5♣ is often a weaker hand.
too strong to bid Five Hearts over Four Spades? Along with Joey Mike comments that the vulnerabil-
Two, the opponents may bid Five Spades in which ity is right for One Heart
case I still haven’t shown my hand type. My plan is Lawrence: 4NT. Will raise Five Clubs to slam. Will
to raise Five Clubs to six (partner should bid seven bid Five Hearts over Five Diamonds. I lean to One
if he is looking at the ace of diamonds and a few Heart. If there is a reason for One Heart, it is the
clubs) and to bid Five Hearts over Five Diamonds. vulnerability. I thought you said something about
Hmm – I am unconvinced about this. Won’t partner this being a calmer set.
initially assume we have the minors and pick between I said Mike that there were some problems which
those. So doesn’t this risk playing Six Clubs when part- actually started at the one level (in an email to the
ner is say 2-5-3-3? Or even more embarrassingly 3-6- panel). I never promised it was a calmer set 
2-2? Eric G appreciates the problems and is also one Like Ben, Tadashi is going to drive to a slam – in
of the few happy with the opening bid: which case I don’t think this is the right bid. But more
Greco: 4NT. I like the initial action but would of that later.
prefer to play partner’s Pass as positive instead of Teramoto: 4NT. Takeout and usually a two suiter.
penalty, so at least I now I am facing something If he bids Five Clubs or Five Hearts I will con-
potentially useful. While I don’t have the most ideal tinue with Five Spades as a grand slam try. If he
shape for 4NT (such as six clubs and five hearts as bids Five Diamonds I will bid Six Hearts, hoping
partner will pick his best minor or clubs with equal for a few hearts.
length), it seems pretty normal here and even if we Next up is what I did when I was given the prob-
miss a slam the opponents might have a very cheap lem. Eric K gives his usual full analysis:
save at these colours. Kokish: Pass. Prefer One Heart though it’s hard
Two panelists yearn for the days when Christmas to fault Two Clubs. I like Two Clubs a lot better at
was always white, politicians who lied in parliament favourable vulnerability. We’d all have some idea
brought down governments and Acol Twos were still about Double vs. Pass in real life, and how 4NT
played: fits into that combination (natural, minors, any
Bowyer: 4NT. With 20-20 hindsight of course I two suits) so it’s difficult to answer sensibly with-
would have preferred to open One Heart as now I out that information. For example, if Pass requests
could bid Five Clubs and partner would have an Double and implies a balanced or quasi-balanced
idea of what I have. With no forewarning, opening hand with no bias towards offense, Double would
Two Clubs to avoid the ignominy of playing One indicate extra offense, but whether Double would
Heart with Six Clubs cold was reasonable. It is to include two-suited hands would depend on what
cater for hands like this, by the way, that the Acol 4NT would mean. It’s clear the BM standard has
Two was invented; an old-fashioned strong Two no position on this sort of thing so West is faced
Hearts would have been the ideal opening bid on with the more standard idea that Double is regres-
the hand. Mind you, who plays Acol twos these sive, Pass encouraging and 4NT two-suited. As East

 Intermediate
can have a poor hand with (say) 4-2-5-2 shape there faced was hardly unforeseeable.
is no security in committing our side to Five Clubs Wolff: Five Hearts. Second choice 4NT and con-
or Five Hearts, so if my encouraging pass attracts vert Five Diamonds to Five Hearts, but if partner
a double from East I intend to pass. Do I have any bids Five Clubs he might only like clubs better than
brothers-in-arms on the panel? diamonds, which probably is a little safer but hearts
For this fine analysis Eric wins the comment of the are longer and if the opponents bid Five Spades,
month. not unlikely, Six Clubs then becomes more fluid.
Well Eric let’s find out if you have any brothers in arms: Bird: Five Hearts. I am not interested in defend-
Apteker: Pass. Forcing and takeout oriented as with ing when partner could not double Three Spades.
a strong balanced hand, I would double. If partner Suppose I bid 4NT instead and hear Five Clubs?
doubles, I will bid 4NT which should shows two We might still be better off in hearts.
places to play, if he bids Five Diamonds, I will bid On to the lone voices:
Five Hearts and anything else I will drive to slam. Carruthers: 5NT. A bit optimistic, but I’m entitled
I would have opened One Heart. to play him for a few bits and pieces. I’m going to
Not there. have to pass Six Clubs since any conversion to hearts
Zmudzinski: Pass. Then 4NT over partner’s dou- after this auction would be a very strong grand-slam
ble. Stronger than an immediate 4NT. suggestion with hearts. I slightly prefer One Heart
Or there (because of the two-suiter) both to get my suits in
Brock: Pass. The Two Club opening is terrible. You and because it’ll never be passed out when I have
couldn’t pay me enough to make me make it. Feel a void in spades.
like abstaining on the other half of the problem. As I fail to see why this is better than Five Spades John?
it is I’ll Pass and torture partner a bit more. Presumably it is not two-suited with hearts for you.
Sally doesn’t say (though as you see said plenty about Completely on his own playing different methods
the opening bid!) to many of the panel I suspect is:
Robson: Pass. Yes, One Heart for me. Another strongly Cannell: Double. Takeout in essence. A Pass would
held belief, mocked by Zia and Tony. Pass. For now. show a balanced 22+ HCP. At least this gives us an
Most economic way to find out more opposite. idea of partner’s general hand if it is pulled. He will
Nor there. So Eric it looks like you will be a very bid 4NT with 2-3 places to play. This also gives
small band. partner a choice of converting to penalties. I would
Two panelists to drive slam unilaterally and it seems open this One Heart as this enables us to get both
to me that if you are driving slam this is better than suits into the mix if the auction is competitive. It
4NT for the reasons John gives: gets them in even if not competitive. EOK will not
Matheson: Five Spades. I am showing ♥+m, 5NT view Two Clubs with any compassion.
would be both minors. As little as four small cards Somewhat to my surprise he did!
from partner in either clubs or hearts will give slam Partner held ♠xxx ♥x ♦QJxxx ♣xxxx so the slam
some play. forcers were spot on.
Scottish solidarity again:
McGowan: Five Spades. Much prefer to open One
Heart – someone will surely bid spades, then I can
jump about in clubs. Now I need to get over the
fact that I have a two-suiter. I could bid 4NT but YOUNG CHELSEA
it seems I have game in my own hand so I may as
well reach the right strain at the six-level…. BRIDGE CLUB
In between we have those who take the old-fash-
ioned approach of bidding our longest suit – albeit at One of the World’s Great Bridge Clubs
the five-level: Duplicate every weekday evening
Smith: Five Hearts. I could guess Six Hearts now,
but that needs partner to produce a very suitable
hand. Another advantage is that if RHO continues Tel: 020 7373 1665
to Five Spades, I still have the option of going to www.ycbc.co.uk
the six-level but now I’ll get both suits in. I confess
that I do much prefer to start with One Heart on
this hand, since the problem with which we were

 Intermediate
PROBLEM 5 will get us precisely nowhere (or worse).
Optimistically:
IMPs. Dealer North. N/S Vul. Greco: Three Spades. While passing Three Hearts
or raising to Four Hearts might be the winner I
♠ Q8543 want to give partner one last chance to bid 3NT.
♥K Fair enough
♦ AK Q 9 7 5 3 Apteker: Three Spades. Partner could still have
♣— three spades, otherwise we should end up in Four
West North East South Hearts (maybe, maybe not).
– 1♣ 1♥ 2♣ Four panelists put their faith in our very fine dia-
2♦* Pass 2♥ Pass mond suit:
2♠ Pass 3♥ Pass Rigal: Four Diamonds. Yes this is masochistic but if
? I buy the expected hand (♠xx ♥AQxxxxx ♦x ♣KJx)
2♦ Natural and forcing they haven’t beaten Three Hearts yet, and Four Dia-
Marks: Four Hearts 10, Three Spades 9, Four Dia- monds may be easier to beat since the hearts have
monds 9, Four Clubs 9, Pass 8, Five Diamonds 5, to be solid enough to overtake.
Four Spades 4 It is a curious facet of this hand that those who raise
Partner seems to have nothing but hearts and yet has to Four Hearts seem content with hearts as a trump
not made a weak jump overcall, so ought to have a suit (Drew refers to our magnificent card) whereas
reasonable hand. So what do we do now? This is a those who don’t support hearts think the hand will
genuine dilemma and the result is another remark- play appallingly in that suit:
able problem with no bid attracting even a quarter Green: Four Diamonds. Sounds like partner has
of the votes and four bids separated by one vote at the hearts and clubs, I don’t want to play this hand in
top. Just squeaking into top spot with five votes is to hearts as on a club/diamond lead my hand becomes
give weight to our great heart card: very short of entries. I have a lot of losers and so if
Brock: Four Hearts. Depends a bit on style. Why Five Diamonds is making I think partner will know
didn’t partner make a weak jump overcall? He to raise to five. I have after all bid three times when
should have a decent hand. I might have passed Two or Three Hearts.
David is guessing a lot this month: McGowan: Four Diamonds. Assuming we are play-
Bird: Four Hearts. It’s a guess, so I might as well ing weak jump overcalls: partner has either a strong
open the box that might have a worthwhile prize hand with good hearts, or a heart-club two suiter.
inside. He would surely bid Three Diamonds with a dou-
Whereas Drew seems quite happy: bleton so my hand is not much use to him. I do
Cannell: Four Hearts – Time to support partner not usually compete with partner in this fashion,
with this magnificent card! but I really do not fancy playing in hearts.
Sime: Four Hearts. Partner appears to be heavy- Wolff: Four Diamonds. And still bewaring a heart
hearted. My king might fill a gap if it is not needed contract, but will pass if partner bids them one
at trick one. more time, which I think necessary. I would accept
Teramoto: Four Hearts. Partner’s bidding is neg- a Five Diamond bid instead of four, but think that
ative so it will be difficult to make a slam. Four to do so is pushing the envelope.
Hearts looks better than Five Diamonds because Note that all the Four Diamond bidders think it
of the spade losers. is not forcing.
Three bids share second place. Those who just con- On now to the cue-bidders. Listen to Eric:
tinue to bid out their shape: Kokish: Four Clubs. As East did not overcall Two
Bowyer: Three Spades. I don’t think this hand Hearts or Three Hearts he has at least a fair hand
belongs in Hearts at all. We may make Four Spades with his long suit. I would not wish to treat Two
by just losing three trump tricks. Let’s see what Diamonds as forcing facing a one-level overcall, but
partner bids next. here it bought the time to show both suits (more
Pessimistically: or less). However, as East could not pass Two Dia-
Robson: Three Spades. Cheap way to show more monds, the nature of his Two Heart could do with
about my shape, although in my heart I think part- some clarification. I would not bid Two Hearts with
ner rates to be 2-6-1-4 even 1-7-1-4 and this bid five but I can imagine that others would treat Two
Hearts as the default. Would East bid Two Spades

 Intermediate
over Two Diamonds only with a sound overcall? ♠A10 ♥J1098765 ♦108 ♣K10 so theoretically you
The answer to that would affect his willingness to are already past the point of a plus score. However at
raise Two Spades with only three. Furthermore, we some tables the ♣A was led which let Four Hearts
do not know whether East intended Three Hearts home. With so many bids with similar votes everyone
as forcing. None of which helps to determine that gets plenty of marks.
Four Diamonds over Three Hearts would be forcing,
whether East would expect West to raise with sin- PROBLEM 6
gleton king, or whether Four Clubs would be inter-
preted as choice-of-games or a slam try in hearts. IMPs. Dealer North. All Vul.
As Four Clubs might get a meaningful fourth bid ♠ 10 9 8 3
from East I’ll go that way. ♥A
Marc is sure it is a choice of games cue-bid. ♦ AK 7 6
Smith: Four Clubs. Choice of games cue-bid? ♣ AK Q 8
Choosing either Four Diamonds or Four Hearts
here seems to over-emphasize that suit whilst under-
– Pass Pass 1♥
playing the other, so the cue-bid should suggest
Double Redble* Pass* Pass
interest in either suit. I don’t think this is diamonds
?
and spades as I could have bid Three Spades with Redble Standard (strong, penalty seeking, no primary
that. heart support)
Carruthers: Four Clubs. I’m going to follow this Pass Neutral. It does NOT promise a penalty pass of
up with Five Diamonds, even over Four Spades, 1♥
which might not play so well on the forcing game. Marks: 1NT 10, Two Hearts 8, Pass 7, One Spade
Zmudzinski: Four Clubs. 7, Two Clubs 5, 2NT 2, 3NT 1
And lastly we have those who think they are tired Not an everyday auction when we have quite this
of fighting partner: much. Assuming South hasn’t produced an out and
Lawrence: Pass. My stiff king of hearts suggests out psyche then partner is entirely bereft. Thus we have
that hearts will be a fine trump suit. The question to decide how to develop this hand for our maximum
is between passing and raising to Four Hearts. Four potential whilst avoiding going for the penalty that
Diamonds is out of the question. Next is whether is being advertised. If we had doubled and then bid
my auction has created a force. I don’t play Two NTs that would show about 18-20 or so which is not
Diamonds as forcing so I am assuming a pass is OK. such a bad description (and it sure ain’t going more
Facing ♠xx ♥AQ87432 ♦x ♣Qxx (isn’t this a Three than one off!). A niggling doubt in my mind though
Heart bid over One Club?) Four Hearts might fetch is whether after this redouble partner will interpret
and it might not. Since partner showed no interest it as pick a minor – well never mind if she does as we
in any of my bids, I expect him to have a weak over- have both. Half the panel go for this option – many
call. He had chances to bid something besides One commenting that of course partner will NOT have
Heart, Two Hearts, Three Hearts. A good problem, four spades.
complete with systemic inferences, whatever they Carruthers: 1NT. Partners strain to bid One Spade
may be.. I don’t care for Two Diamonds being forc- after a takeout double of hearts, so I don’t think I’ll
ing although it is nice to have on this hand. do that. Besides, I certainly don’t want a spade lead
Silver: Pass. After my three opponents’ tepid bid- if they declare. Also, partner’s pass must of necessity
ding game is very unlikely our way (partner had a have some diamond support, because he could not
chance but did not jump rebid in hearts showing afford it to go Pass-Pass-Two Diamonds if he were
a very good suit). Partner rates to have something short. Another factor is that it will be very difficult
like six or seven hearts and three or four clubs, for the oppo not to double 1NT unless South is
not leaving a lot of room for spade length, and VERY weak or has psyched. Who knows, partner
with only one heart to take care of my OX’s club may have ♥QJ10987 and will be happy to double
length, I’ll get out now while a plus score might them, given my show of strength.
still be possible. Some think it blindingly obvious:
Matheson: Pass. I usually see it through, but I don’t Silver: 1NT. Keeping out of trouble while describ-
like the way this is going. Partner could have a rea- ing my hand perfectly, sort of. Ain’t bridge easy?
sonable overcall with no possible game on. Bird: 1NT. Rarely have I been more confident of
Funny you should mention that! Partner held

 Intermediate
10 points (he said, to the sound of laughter). What and was waiting to redouble I am still waiting. Despite
other action comes within touching distance of this what I thought was a forcing auction for them they
obvious bid? passed me out and I was off two with a part score in
That is two consecutive accurate predictions from panel both the other suits cold.
members – they are on a roll! Bowyer: One Spade. If Pass is right now then sorry,
McGowan: 1NT. South’s third-seat opener may be I’m not going to find it. I’m going to bid One Spade
light, but there is still not much left for partner. I and see what happens. If that goes Double – Pass
would expect him to bid One Spade whenever he – Pass then I’ll Redouble for rescue. No doubt the
has four or more. He has heart length, but there is hand was sent in because we have six top tricks and
no guarantee that South can’t romp home with four a Diamond ruff against One Heart Redoubled…
heart tricks and three spades, and I hate to let them Not quite – but hang on for a while
make game that way! ‘One down is good bridge’ Apteker: One Spade. Seems obvious for now
Matheson: 1NT. If LHO doubles that the hunter and safe. Wouldn’t consider passing One Heart
might well be hunted. Redoubled.
Rigal: 1NT. I’ll sit it out if doubled, and see no We will get to that in a minute as well. There were
reason to do otherwise. Partner can pull if he wants three for One Spade and five for largely ignoring the
to. I don’t. show of strength on our left and bidding:
Wolff: 1NT. For now and if doubled would prob- Greco: Two Hearts. Looks like RHO has psyched
ably sit still or is light at the least, so I have to convey to part-
Liz, John, Barry and Bobby are standing pat over ner I have a good hand as anything else could be
1NT doubled, not so Mike who gives us a full descrip- passed out.
tion of what he intends to do: Drew has the perfect bid for this hand:
Lawrence: 1NT. I doubt partner has many spades. Cannell: Two Hearts. I re-redouble. Oh – nuts –
If they bid Two Hearts I can double again. The auc- not allowed. This Two Hearts at least announces
tion might later include an SOS redouble by me. the mountain, and makes sure that all three suits
Other oddnesses may occur. Partner’s pass is neu- enter the equation. I realize partner has very lit-
tral towards defending but it shouldn’t be neutral tle, and I will pass the choice made at the two or
towards spades. He won’t have four of them. So: three-level. If someone was psyching then partner
1NT. If doubled, I will redouble, focusing on the must do something other than just bid minimally.
minors. If they bid Two Hearts, I can double again, Smith: Two Hearts. An unusual auction, to be
certainly takeout. If partner is 3-4-3-3, he will bid sure, but if you asked partner to write down what
Two Spades and will try to make it. he expected for such a bid it surely wouldn’t be
Eric as has happened before explains his pet meth- far from this. This must surely show a very good
ods over a redouble: 4-1-4-4 or 4-0-(4-5) that is expecting the redou-
Kokish: 1NT. I like to play simple bids over redouble ble to have some sort of heart raise to show at his
as lead-directing, jumps as pre-emptive, so normally, second turn.
doubler is expected to run to the cheapest suit rather Not this time he didn’t
than his cheapest four-card suit or longest suit, letting Teramoto: Two Hearts. South opened third in hand
advancer make his own arrangements as if there were and may be weak. Two Hearts shows a strong hand
no redouble. To bid other than One Spade in this type and we can make game if partner has some values.
of scheme is to show significant extra values, without Also this hand can compete to the three-level even
denying four spades, so that’s my strategy here. if partner is very weak.
Green: 1NT. Close between One Spade and then Robson: Two Hearts. Chicken – should possibly
Redouble as a choice between the minors or 1NT gamble out a pass. But it’s not the most partner-
which may well be cold. At game all I don’t expect shiply thing to do.
a psyche so I imagine partner is bust and am happy Which brings us to what Paul accurately predicted
to go low. +180 is still in the game. (that is three on the bounce by the panel – I will have
Ben’s comment brings us neatly onto my least favour- to stop laughing at them for their predictions) as the
ite action of all – One Spade. winning action:
Zmudzinski: One Spade. Then 1NT then redou- Brock: Pass. (As long as I’m playing with team-
ble to show minors. Looks partner got something mates who have a sense of humour.) Partner is pre-
like 2-5-3-3. sumably fairly balanced. South has to have opened
Yes well – the last time I tried something like this on a load of rubbish yet hasn’t rebid his suit (or

 Intermediate
anything else), hence is likely to have opened on a shows two suits so I will do the same, hopefully
four- or five-carder leaving partner with at least four my OX will take a hint and with all that power just
hearts, probably five. So I think we have a pretty grab the contract.
good chance of beating this. Carruthers: Three Hearts. Over to you Partner, you
Spot on are on your own. I am not giving preference on a
Sime: Pass. After Alan’s scorn when I told him void, thank you. This is not the pitiful crutch, but
that my partner had passed One Heart rewound, allows Partner to declare 3NT if he is so inclined.
I won’t expect a good score for showing solidarity. I have to say there is surprising unhappiness at our
However, we achieved a good score at the table. hand – OK we have no support for partner but we do
Partner’s logic was that he had fast tricks and I have a five count opposite a Two Club opener. How
(East) must have trump length. The auction makes bad can that be?
little sense otherwise. South must be light and Wolff: Three Hearts. A way of showing both hate
would probably have run out immediately oppo- for one’s partner and disgust with oneself, but still
site a passed partner with six hearts or even five bidding one’s hand. The good news is that the suits
very good ones. Passing and pulling would have bid by both East and West are all economical actions.
been a sound opener. South had trapped herself Mike even considers a Pass:
by opening a light 4-5-2-2. Lawrence: Three Hearts. Passing is possible. But not
Partner held ♠62 ♥Q10983 ♦1098 ♣642 and good for the partnership. What happened to your
declarer a 4-5-2-2 eight count with ♥Jxxxx. Deepo says ‘easy’ hands for this issue? (Never said they were easy.
that One Heart redoubled can be beaten two tricks but And I am glad they are not!) Three Hearts. Hate this
it takes an exact line of defence of leading spades to give bid but respect that Two Clubs is forcing to game.
partner a ruff, cashing the ♥ace and not giving declarer Cannell: Three Hearts. I am a lemming ....
enough ruffs to shorten her trumps. One off is trivial Kokish: Three Hearts. East has not denied 5-3-4-1
as you might expect. The 1NT bidders are liable to get or 5-3-5-0 or 6-3-4-0 or 6-1-4-2 or 5-1-5-2 yet.
doubled from the balanced 10 count and as John says Sure, 3NT might be all we can make, but to bid
the hunter will be hunted as they are not beating that. 3NT with this potentially promising hand out of
fear is not my idea of good bridge. It’s also a rea-
PROBLEM 7 son I am so fussy about opening Two Clubs with
unbalanced hands. Responder should not have to
IMPs. Dealer East. All Vul. worry about stopping on a dime in 3NT with six-
♠— five, with suits headed by a king and Q1098.
♥ K8752 I agree Eric – how can this be such a bad hand?
♦ 43 Smith: Three Hearts. Intending to bid Four Hearts
♣ Q 10 9 8 6 3 over partner’s expected Three Spades/3NT. Willing
to play 4NT if he isn’t keen on either of my suits.
Bird: Three Hearts. I prefer this to 3NT but I will
– – 2♣* Pass
bid 3NT over Three Spades, hoping that he real-
2♦* Pass 2♠ Pass
izes my hand will be useless for him.
3♣ Pass 3♦ Pass
Some admit they don’t know whether it is fourth
?
2 ♣ Any game force
suit or natural:
2 ♦ Negative Bowyer: Three Hearts. Regardless of what it means.
Is this really fourth-suit forcing?
Marks: Three Hearts 10, 3NT 9, Four Clubs 7, Brock: Three Hearts. I’m sure there will be a prob-
4NT 2, Five Clubs 1
lem in a minute but not now.
We have to date had problems with many answers right John is the only person to even mention a poten-
the way through this set. All good things must come to an tial third bid:
end! Here we have just two bids from the panel – Three Matheson: Three Hearts. I might rebid the clubs,
Hearts and 3NT. But really we have three bids as we but bidding the fourth suit allows more room.
return once again to one of the lief motifs of these arti- Robson: Three Hearts. Close between this and 3NT
cles – in an already game forcing situation is the fourth but this is cheaper.
suit natural or still just fourth suit. 11 of the panel bid Which brings us to the only other option given by
Three Hearts but as you can see there is no consensus: the panel – 3NT. For many it seems to be bid of fear
Silver: Three Hearts. Following partner’s lead, he (misplaced IMHO)

 Intermediate
Apteker: 3NT. Time to end this mis-fitting auction. PROBLEM 8
Three Hearts, the alternative, won’t really help as
we cannot get to Four Hearts if partner has three IMPs. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
hearts (obviously Alon thinks Three Hearts is FSF not
natural) as I do not intend bidding Four Hearts ♠8
over partner’s anticipated Three Spade or 3NT bid. ♥ A8 6 5 3
Sime: 3NT. Mis-fitting hands have to play 3NT. It ♦ 75
could be better to be able to put this one down as ♣ AK Q 7 5
the dummy, but bidding Three Hearts risks bypass- West North East South
ing 3NT when that is the right spot. 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass
Zmudzinski: 3NT. Sorry, for me total misfits. 2♣ Pass 2♦* Pass
Green: 3NT. Of course I could bid Three Hearts 3♣ Pass 4♣ Pass
as fourth suit but what if partner bids Four Dia- 4♥* Pass 4♠* Pass
monds? I can’t afford to take the risk so I plump ?
for 3NT. If partner pulls 3NT to Four Clubs I am 2 ♦ Fourth suit forcing. Forcing to game
better placed than if he bids Four Clubs over Three
4♥ & 4 ♠ Cue-bids
Hearts which could be part of a 5-1-5-2 hand. Marks: 4NT 10, Six Clubs 9, 5NT 8, Five Clubs 6,
Teramoto: 3NT. Three Hearts is fourth suit, it Seven Clubs 4, Five Hearts 2, Five Spades 2, Pass 0
doesn’t show hearts, so bid NTs with a stopper. OK a quick piece of theory. In BM standard we play
Rigal: 3NT. I play Three Clubs as a second nega- first round cue-bids (watch this space as this may
tive so would bid either Three Clubs or 2NT at my change soon). However even playing that style we just
second turn. Now 3NT seems sensible – maybe HAVE to bid Four Diamonds with any diamond con-
not best but how else do we get there facing ♥Jx? trol. To play that Four Diamonds promises the ace (or
Eric thinks it may have been better to give a positive: a void) in an auction like this just makes life impossi-
Greco: 3NT. I might have been better placed to start ble when partner does not have a diamond control. So
with Two Hearts to at least get both my suits in. even playing first-round cue-bids we have essentially
At this point I want to slow things down and 3NT denied a diamond control. This means that partner’s
seems the best way as Three Hearts is a bit murky. Four Spades must PROMISE a diamond control, as
And Liz comes up with a third meaning for Three otherwise she knows we are off two diamonds and
Hearts: would sign off. Of course all the panel play cue-bids
McGowan: 3NT. I think Three Hearts would be a of first or second round up the line so this isn’t an issue
cue for one of his suits (Really? Can I not just bid Three for them anyway. So we know partner has a diamond
Spades or Four Diamonds). Four Clubs is an alternative, control and is slam interested. We have magnificent
but if he has ♣AKx he should bid Four Clubs now. trumps. What does all this add up to? Somewhat to
OK, partner’s hand is…… I’m not going to tell my surprise for half the panel it adds up to Blackwood:
you. After a few months when you have all forgotten Greco: 4NT. I now have a huge hand for small slam.
this hand I will set partner’s. I have denied a diamond control and partner has
now confirmed one with the Four Spade bid. I will
bid 4NT and follow with 5NT if we have all the
CARD TABLES key cards and leave it up to partner.
FOR SALE Brock: 4NT. First thoughts were Six Clubs, but a
grand could be cold. Partner knows I don’t have
Refurbished old tables standard size diamond control, and it can’t have escaped his
with new green baize top notice that he doesn’t have a top club honour! If
he responds Five Hearts, as expected, I can bid 5NT
£29 each to say that we have all the ‘aces’ and the queen of
Will deliver within reasonable distance trumps, and he should know what to do.
DANNY ROTH Robson: 4NT. Assuming it’s keycard. Probably
47 Bearing Way, CHIGWELL,
headed to seven – partner must have a diamond
ESSEX IG7 4NB control given his lousy clubs. When he replies Five
Hearts and I bid 5NT confirming all the keycards
020 8501 1643 tel/fax dannyroth@btinternet.com he’ll know my hand and can likely bid Seven Clubs
on tricks.

 Intermediate
Sime: 4NT. 4NT should be RKCB here, but if it and he is still cue-bidding, so he must have a dia-
is some sort of last train that is also OK. Partner mond control. I can hardly sign off with such great
must have a diamond control as I have denied one. trumps, so Six Clubs looks right. Am I meant to go
I expect to make Six Clubs at least, and will be try- through the 4NT – 5NT route in search of a grand
ing for seven. Partner has done a lot of bidding for slam? (According to half the panel yes David) I’m not
a man without any of the top trumps. going to risk it, in case we sail past Six Clubs when
I think this is the most pertinent point. Sandra he shows me a specific king.
Landy (she of the Landy game try but not the Landy McGowan: Six Clubs. I have nothing more to show
convention) used to say that if partner has made a except my good clubs, and Keycard will not help
slam try and you have the AK of trumps you bid a me. He knows I have no diamond control, so Four
slam. I have always followed that advice and it has Spades promises one. Five Clubs would be wet.
yet to let me down. Drew produces a sensible note of caution:
Matheson: 4NT. RKCB. With three keycards, plus Cannell: Six Clubs. I play the Four Spade cue-
the trump queen I cannot bid Five Clubs. I would bid shows first-round spade-control and second-
have liked partner to ask with 4NT, but he might round diamond-control (as partner bypassed Four
have worried a response of two without would get Diamonds earlier to cue Four Hearts). There is no
us to a poor slam. reason to cue Four Spades if no diamond control.
I agree it would have been much better on this hand Otherwise the wheels fall off in these auctions. Nev-
for partner to do the asking, but needs must I suppose! ertheless, we hope that partner has KQ of diamonds.
Apteker: 4NT. Sort of cornered into bidding RKCB. Nasty North players will under-lead the Diamond
While I am minimum in terms of HCP and have Ace on these auctions.
already shown my shape, my minimum is perfect Smith: Six Clubs. Partner might or might not have
with four keycards, so the alternative of signing a spade control, but Four Spades certainly does
out in Five Clubs does not appeal. I would prefer guarantee a diamond control since my Four Hearts
4NT here to be last train, which would be perfect denied one. With such good trumps, I can hardly
for this hand. bid less than the small slam. Second choice would
Teramoto: 4NT. RKCB for clubs. This hand has be a Five Spades cue-bid as a grand slam try.
the values for a slam. Partner should have controls Rigal: Six Clubs. Clearly partner has a diamond
in diamonds because over Four Clubs Four Hearts control since we do not. Partner did not use Black-
tends to deny a diamond control. wood so he can’t just need trump honors; whatever
Green: 4NT. For me since I have denied a dia- he wants in addition we do not have.
mond control partner’s Four Spades shows one and But might he not be worried about the response
I don’t think I can sign off with such strong trumps John refers to?
as partner will always be worried about them and Wolff: Six Clubs. When partner has such medio-
may well pass Five Clubs. cre trumps it is difficult to suspect that he does
Zmudzinski: 4NT. Keycard. Partner couldn’t imag- not have diamond control and although my bid is
ine that I have got such a good hand. Almost impos- very aggressive, I think it proper since, at least to
sible that he is on the way to a slam. me Four Clubs shows a better hand (in context)
Seven panelists eschew Blackwood and just bid a than would 3NT.
slam: We have two bids for 5NT – for once not pick-a-
Carruthers: Six Clubs. This brings up an interesting slam but a very, very specific treatment. Eric and Joey
point of bidding theory and of partnership depend- have played together a lot and are on the same page
ability and trust. Since my Four-Heart bid denied here, but it is not something I would want to wheel
a diamond control, Partner, to continue the slam out on an unsuspecting partner:
investigation, has promised one. Since I have great Kokish: 5NT. As Four Hearts denied a diamond
trumps and good controls in context, it must be me control, Four Spades showed one and a guy with
who carries on. Since Partner’s trumps can be no AKQ of trumps opposite a slam try can’t sign off,
better than ♣Jxxxx (and probably ♣Jxxx), he can- so it’s just a question of how best to show the spe-
not possibly carry on over Five Clubs, if I choose to cific assets West has here. That bid is 5NT. As East
bid that. Finally, I’m not looking for a grand slam can expect this specific hand (no diamond control
any longer, since I shall need to do something with so therefore spade shortage) ♥A (not the KQ, for
all those low hearts. example) and AKQxx of clubs, he will be able to
Bird: Six Clubs. I have denied a diamond control place the contract. Perfect!

 Intermediate
Silver: 5NT. After showing my heart ace, part- I have marked the Five Club bid down as the rest
ner is trying for slam. It is hard to imagine hav- of the panel were all committing to a slam and many
ing a better trump holding in my second suit than were looking for a grand. Partner held ♠AKxx ♥—-
AKQ75 so how can I not be thinking of a grand? ♦Axxx ♣J109xx which explains the lack of Blackwood.
Although the bidding does not come up often, on Seven Clubs was cold.
this auction 5NT MUST be descriptive and show In a very low scoring month Eric Greco heads the
the suit quality. table on 76, Tadashi Teramoto is one point behind on
Many panelists have commented that this hand is 75 and four panellists are on 74. A real chance for
too good to sign off in Five Clubs (and I agree) but the readers to beat the entire panel. It only remains
not so say: for me to wish you Happy Holidays and I will see you
Bowyer: Five Clubs. Yes, this may hamstring East again in 2015.
but I have no diamond control (which is exactly why
it is unplayable to play that Four Diamonds from us
is a first-round control) and poor hearts. The only
alternative is a leap to Six Clubs, based on having
good Clubs. A typical problem that occurs when
Eric Greco
clubs are trumps (essentially, the bidding becomes
cramped).
Lawrence: Five Clubs. Likely enough. Doesn’t have
to end the bidding. If 4NT was progressive, I would
bid that. May owe partner a stronger bid but dia-
monds can be a worry here. Should I assume that
my Four Heart bid denied a diamond control? (Eve-
ryone else on the panel did Mike ) If so, then my
hand should bid Six Clubs.
SET 287 – THE PANEL’S BIDS & MARKS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Eric Greco USA Dble Pass 2♦ 4NT 3♠ 2♥ 3NT 4NT 76
Tadashi Teramoto Japan 4♠ Pass 2♦ 4NT 4♥ 2♥ 3NT 4NT 75
Alon Apteker South Africa Dble Pass 2♦ Pass 3♠ 1♠ 3NT 4NT 74
David Bird England 6♦ 5♣ 2♦ 5♥ 4♥ 1NT 3♥ 6♣ 74
Eric Kokish Canada 4♠ Pass 2♦ Pass 4♣ 1NT 3♥ 5NT 74
Adam Zmudzinski Poland Dble Pass 2♦ Pass 4♣ 1♠ 3NT 4NT 74
Drew Cannell Canada Dble Pass 2♦ Dble 4♥ 2♥ 3♥ 6♣ 73
Ben Green England 3♠ 4NT 4♦ 4NT 4♦ 1NT 3NT 4NT 73
John Matheson Scotland Dble 4NT 2♦ 5♠ Pass 1NT 3♥ 4NT 73
Andrew Robson England 5♦ 5♣ 2♦ Pass 3♠ 2♥ 3♥ 4NT 73
Joey Silver Canada 3♦ Pass 2♦ 4NT Pass 1NT 3♥ 5NT 73
Sally Brock England Dble 4NT 3♦ Pass 4♥ Pass 3♥ 4NT 72
Iain Sime Scotland 5♦ 5♣ 4♦ 4NT 4♥ Pass 3NT 4NT 72
Bobby Wolff USA 6♦ 5♣ 4♦ 5♥ 4♦ 1NT 3♥ 6♣ 72
Mike Lawrence USA 4NT 5♣ 4♦ 4NT Pass 1NT 3♥ 5♣ 71
Paul Bowyer England Dble 5♣ 4♦ 4NT 3♠ 1♠ 3♥ 5♣ 70
Liz McGowan Scotlan 3♠ 4NT 4♦ 5♣ 4♦ 1NT 3NT 6♣ 69
Barry Rigal USA 4♠ 6♣ 3♦ 4NT 4♦ 1NT 3NT 6♣ 69
John Carruthers Canada 6♦ 4NT 3♦ 5NT 4♣ 1NT 3♥ 6♣ 68
Marc Smith England 5♦ 4NT 5♦ 5♥ 4♣ 2♥ 3♥ 6♣ 66
Tadashi Teramoto Japan Dble 3♦ 6♣ 3♦ 5♥ 4♥ 5♥ 4♠ 70
David Bird England Pass Pass Pass Pass Dble 4♥ 4♥ 4♠ 67
Marc Smith England 5♣ 3NT 6♣ 3♦ 6♥ 4♥ 6♥ 4♠ 66


Bidding Competition – Set 288

Open to all – Free Entry
PROBLEM 1 Basic System

IMPs. Dealer South. E/W Vul. Natural, 4-card majors with a major bid before a minor (clubs before
♠ A West North East South diamonds and hearts before spades), limit raises in uncontested
♥ AK9752 — — — Pass auctions, weak no-trump, weak 2, 2 and 2 (5–9, 6-card suit) with
♦ A 1♥ 3♦ * Pass Pass a 2NT relay asking for a high-card feature.
♣ A 10 9 5 3 ? No-trump bidding: After 1NT 12–14, 2 = Stayman, 2/2 =
3♦ Natural and weak transfers, 2 = a raise to 2NT or a balanced slam try, 2NT = minor-
suit sign-off or slam try with both minors (continue with major-suit
PROBLEM 2 shortage).
IMPs. Dealer West. None Vul. 1NT rebid = 15–17 with a 2 enquiry encompassing all forcing
♠ K53 West North East South
sequences. Jump 2NT rebid = 18–19. Non-jump 2NT rebid = game-
♥ AK 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass
forcing. 3NT rebid = running suit.
After 2NT, 20-22, 3 = Stayman, 3/3 = transfers, 3 = slam try
♦ 6 2♠* Pass 3♠ Pass
♣ A K J 10 8 7 2 ?
with both minors.
2♠
Initial response: Jump shifts are either single-suited or two-suited
Natural and game-forcing
with opener’s suit.
PROBLEM 3 Baron 2NT (16+) after 1/1. 2NT after 1/1 = game-forcing with
4+ card support (simple continuations natural, jumps splinters).
IMPs. Dealer East. E/W Vul. Continuations: Reverses are forcing for one round after a 1-level
♠ J952 West North East South response (preference to the first suit and 2NT are the only non-forcing
♥ KQJ4 — — 1♦ Pass continuations, rebid of responder’s suit is 1-round force, game-forcing
♦ AK7 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass otherwise). All high reverses are game-forcing. Change of suit forcing
♣ J8 2♣* Dble* 2♦ 3♣ for one round after a 2-level response. Jumps when a bid of the
? suit one level lower is forcing are splinters, as are 4-level responses
2♣ Fourth suit forcing to game in a lower-ranking suit to 1/1. 4th suit = game-forcing. When
Dble Clubs responder’s suit is raised a return to opener’s suit is forcing.
Slam bidding: Roman Keycard Blackwood. Gerber (only immediately
PROBLEM 4 after 1NT and 2NT). Cue-bids are generally first-round ahead of
IMPs. Dealer North. E/W Vul. second.
♠ 96432 West North East South Competition: Responsive and competitive Doubles through 3,
♥ AQ2 — 1♠ Double Pass negative Doubles through 3 – after that Doubles are value showing,
♦ A9 ? not penalties.
♣ J52 Cue-bids in competitive auctions show value raises in partner’s suit
whilst raises are pre-emptive. Fit-jumps after opponents overcall or
PROBLEM 5 takeout Double. Double jumps are splinter.
IMPs. Dealer West. E/W Vul.. Lebensohl applies after interference over our 1NT (through
♠ AJ852 West North East South 2NT shows a stopper).
♥ Q852 1♠ 3♥* 4♣ Pass Overcalls: In response to an overcall: UCB = 3 trumps, jumps = fit
♦ KQ5 ?
jumps, jump cue = 4-card raise, change of suit = constructive, non-
♣ 4 forcing.
3♥
Weak jump overcalls, intermediate in 4th. Michaels cue-bids.
Natural and intermediate
Defences: Against all pre-empts, takeout Doubles.
(about 12-15 with a good six-card suit)
Over their 1NT, 2 = majors, 2NT = minors or game-forcing 2-suiter.
PROBLEM 6 Over a strong 1, natural, Double = majors, 1NT = minors, Pass then
bid is strong.
Pairs. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
Send stamped addressed envelope to Chess & Bridge Ltd for WBF style
♠ 10 8 7 West North East South Convention Card
♥ A K 10 — — — 2♥*
♦ 9753 ? How to enter
♣ K32
2♥ 5♥ and 4+m, weak Send your chosen bid in each of the eight sequences opposite,
preferably by email, to John Carruthers at: marksandcomments@
PROBLEM 7 sympatico.ca. Alternatively, you can enter by post, to: John Carruthers,
IMPs. Dealer East. All Vul. 1322 Patricia Blvd., Kingsville ON N9Y 2R4, Canada. Entries must
♠ AK53 West North East South be received by the 31st January. Include your name, address and
♥ KJ — — 1♥ Pass telephone number. Please quote the month, competition and value of
♦ 743 1♠ Pass 2♣ Pass your prize when ordering Master Point Press books.
♣ J963 2♦* Pass 3♣ Pass
?
2♦ Fourth suit forcing to game
PRIZES
1st £50 Master Point Press books
PROBLEM 8
IMPs. Dealer East. E/W Vul..
2nd £25 Master Point Press books
♠ A 10 5 2 West North East South 3rd £15 Master Point Press books
♥ A 10 9 — — 1♦ Pass
4th £10 Master Point Press books
♦ — 2♣ Pass 2♦ * Pass
♣ A K Q 10 8 3 2♠* Pass 3♦ Pass
3♥* Pass 3NT Pass Grand Prix
? In addition there is an annual Grand Prix with Master Point Press
2♠ Natural and game forcing prizes of £100, £50 and £35. Only scores of 50 and over will count
3♥ Fourth suit forcing and the maximum score is 400. Each contestant’s Grand Prix total is
their five best scores over the year (January–December).


WEST Bid these hands with those on the following
Hands for the page with your favourite partner; then turn to
January 2015 Partnership Profile Partnership Bidding inside to see how your score
compares to that of the experts
Hand 1. Dealer West. None Vul. Hand 5. Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ J9654 ♠ J732
♥ A ♥ 643
♦ K9874 ♦ AQ
♣ 98 ♣ 9863
North opens 1♠ and South raises to 2♠. North opens 1♥. If East bids 1♠ South doubles.
Hand 2. Dealer South. E/W Vul. Hand 6. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♠ K J 10 6 3 2 ♠ K85
♥ 642 ♥ A53
♦ QJ9 ♦ A
♣ 2 ♣ AKQ974
Hand 3. Dealer East. All Vul. South overcalls 1♠
♠ Q875
♥ Q ♠ J 10 9 5 3 2
♦ KJ4 ♥ AJ74
♣ 76532 ♦ J3
♣ 2
South opens 3♣ and North raises to 4♣.
♠ AKQ
♥ 7 Hand 8. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♦ AQ ♠ AK76
♣ AKQ9632 ♥ K532
North overcalls 2♥, South raises to 4♥ and then North bids ♦ 6
6♥. If E/W bid 6♠ South bids 7♥. ♣ 10 8 6 5
If East opens 1♣ and West responds 1♥ North doubles and
South bids 3♦
BIDDING COMPETITION Why not enter a bridge hand or bidding problem of your
own for use in BRIDGE Magazine?
SET 288
♠
(for the January Competition) ♥
♦
My answers are (the Adjudicator) ♣
1. ♠ ♠
♥ ♥
2. ♦ ♦
3.
♣ ♣
♠
4. ♥
♦
5. ♣
6.
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
7.
8.
Total marks:
Email to marksandcomments@sympatico.ca
or post to: Bidding Competition (288),
John Carruthers, 1322 Patricia Blvd.
Kingsville ON N9Y 2R4, Canada
Name: ___________________________ (please print)
Address:
Telephone: ___________________________________
Entries must be received by

31st January 2015.


EAST Bid these hands with those on the previous
Hands for the page with your favourite partner; then turn to
January 2015 Partnership Profile Partnership Bidding inside to see how your score
compares to that of the experts
Hand 1. Dealer West. None Vul. Hand 5. Dealer North. None Vul.
♠ — ♠ K 10 9 8 4
♥ Q54 ♥ AJ5
♦ A653 ♦ 97
♣ AQ5432 ♣ AQJ
North opens 1♠ and South raises to 2♠. North opens 1♥. If East bids 1♠ South doubles.
Hand 2. Dealer South. E/W Vul. Hand 6. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♠ AQ98 ♠ 76
♥ AKQ5 ♥ K 10 9 8 7
♦ K84 ♦ K Q 10 6 5
♣ 10 3 ♣ J
Hand 3. Dealer East. All Vul. South overcalls 1♠
♠ A943 Hand 7. Dealer South. Both Vul.
♥ K875 ♠ AK64
♦ A65 ♥ 10
♣ AJ ♦ A K 10 8 7 4
Hand 4. Dealer South. E/W Vul. ♣ A9
♠ J98432 South opens 3♣ and North raises to 4♣.
♥ K93
Hand 8. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
♦ J9
♣ J5 ♠ 85
North overcalls 2♥, South raises to 4♥ and then North bids ♥ A J 10 8
6♥. If E/W bid 6♠ South bids 7♥. ♦ J 10 5
♣ AQJ7
If East opens 1♣ and West responds 1♥, North doubles and
South bids 3♦.
BIDDING COMPETITION
Set 286 Top Scores Other Good Scores: 1 Ryan Stephenson 379
2= Peter Hawkes 378
Prize winners should quote the month, 75 Derek Markham, Stuart Nelson, Mike
competition and value of their prize when 2= Andrew Lum 378
Perkins, Nick Simms, Martin Turner
placing an order for Master Point Press 2= Mike Perkins 378
74 Harald Bletz, Alan Sant 5 Nick Simms 377
books. Prize winners can refer to the list of
73 Malcolm Copley, Andy Poole, Tony Poole 6 Stuart Nelson 376
MPP titles on the inside back cover of the
current issue of Bridge Magazine. 72 Ray Stubbs 7= Tony Poole 374
Well done Peter Hawkes on 78; Peter 71 Peter Barker, Tugrul Kaban 7= Mike Ralph 374
wins ₤50 worth of Master Point Press 70 David Barnes, Phil Callow, James 9 Bill Gordon 370
books from Chess and Bridge. Tied on 77 Dunlop, Andre van der Werff 10= Malcolm Copley 368
are Andrew Lum and Ryan Stephenson 10= Graham Johnson 368
- the coin toss awarded ₤25 worth to Final Grand Prix Stand- 10= Norman Massey 368
Andrew and ₤15 worth to Ryan. ₤10 ings for 2014 13 Nigel Guthrie 367
worth goes to Bob Brown, after a random (subject to corrections reported this 14 Ray Stubbs 366
draw to separate Bob, Bill Gordon, Nigel month) 15 Kresten Kristensen 363
Guthrie and Norman Massey, all on 76. Congratulations to Ryan Stephenson, 16= David Barnes 361
winner of this year’s Grand Prix title and 16= Bill Linton 361
Note: Problem #8 was incorrectly printed ₤100 worth of Master Point Press books 18 Olga Shadyro 360
for the competitors (missing a second line from Chess and Bridge. Ryan scored 77 19= Axel Johannson 359
of bidding), and so all entrants scored 10 in Set 286 to jump into the lead at the
19= Tugul Kaban 359
on that problem. Our editor notes: We are very last minute. Tied in second place are
Peter Hawkes, Andrew Lum and Mike 19= Derek Markham 359
on the case. The cause is identified - it will
not happen again (after Set 287)! Perkins, each of whom wins ₤30 worth. 19= Alan Sant 359
19= Frank Turton 359

MasterPoint Press October 2014_Layout 1 08/10/2014 15:56 Page 1
BOOKS FROM MASTER POINT PRESS

Master Point Press are the world’s leading bridge book publisher and winner of many bridge publishing awards. A list of Masterpoint
titles can be found below - for full details on each of these titles please visit www.bridgeshop.com. Recent releases are highlighted in
bold. Please note, winners of the Bidding Competition do not get the 10% Subscriber discount when redeeming their prize
VOUCHERS and a deduction will also be made to cover the cost of postage. For further details please call 020 7288 1305
Deadly Endplay (fiction) Allen, Ken £12.95 Complete Book Takeout Doubles (2nd ed.) Lawrence, Mike £15.95
Shades of Grey (fiction) Allen, Ken £11.95 Falsecards (New Edition) Lawrence, Mike £14.95
I Love This Game Auken, Sabine £12.50 Encyclopedia of Card Play Techniques Levé, Guy £21.95
25 Bridge Myths Exposed Bird, David £10.50 Bridge Squeezes Complete Love, Clyde. E £14.95
Bridge Endplays for Everyone Bird, David £12.95 Bridge, Probability and Information MacKinnon, Robert F. £12.95
Bridge Squeezes for Everyone Bird, David £11.95 Win the Bermuda Bowl with Me Meckstroth & Smith £11.50
Clever Plays in the Trump Suit Bird, David £12.95 The Setting Trick McCance, Ian £11.95
Defensive Signaling at Bridge Bird, David £11.95 Competitive Bidding in the 21st Century Miles, Marshall £11.50
Off-Road Declarer Play Bird, David £11.95 Inferences at Bridge Miles, Marshall £11.50
Somehow We Landed in 6NT Bird, David £12.95 It's Your Call Miles, Marshall £12.95
Winning Notrump Leads Bird & Anthias £10.95 Modern Constructive Bidding Miles, Marshall £11.95
Winning Suit Contract Leads Bird & Anthias £10.95 My System: The Unbalanced Diamond Miles, Marshall £11.95
Leading Questions in Bridge Brock, Sally £11.95 Bridge in the Menagerie Mollo, Victor £13.95
Bridge at the Edge Brogeland, Boye & Bird, David £13.95 Card Play Technique Mollo & Gardener £14.95
Bridge Crosswords Chen, Jeff £7.95 Diamonds are the Hog’s Best Friend Mollo, Victor £13.95
Following the Law Cohen, Larry £9.95 Swings and Arrows Mollo, Victor £13.95
Larry Cohen's Bidding Challenge Cohen, Larry £9.95 The Hog Takes to Precision Mollo, Victor £11.95
To Bid or Not To Bid Cohen, Larry £11.50 Kickback: Slam Bidding at Bridge Munger, Robert £7.95
Death in Duplicate Coplea, Carole £13.95 First Book of Play Problems O’Connor, Patrick £10.95
Standard Bidding with SAYC Downey, Ned & Ellen Pomer £11.95 Second Book of Play Problems O’Connor, Patrick £10.95
Bridge with Bells and Whistles Dufresne, MA & Ellingsen, M £11.95 Bridge Behind Bars (fiction) Pottage & Smith £12.95
A Modern Approach to Two-Over-One Eichenbaum, Ken £8.95 Clues from the Bidding Pottage, Julian £10.95
Winners, Losers and Cover Cards Eichenbaum, Ken £8.95 Defend These Hands with Me Pottage, Julian £11.50
Can You Win The USBC Team Trials Felmy, Matthias £13.95 Play or Defend? Pottage, Julian £8.95
I Shot My Bridge Partner (fiction) Granovetter, Matthew £9.50 Defend or Declare? Pottage, Julian £11.95
Murder at the Bridge Table (fiction) Granovetter, Matthew £9.50 Deadly Hold-Up Priebe, Jim £11.95
Bridge Conventions in Depth Granovetter & Granovetter £13.95 Double Elimination: A Bridge Mystery Priebe, Jim £11.95
Bridge Master Vs Bridge Amateur Horton, Mark £11.95 Matchpoint Defense Priebe, Jim £11.95
Misplay These Hands with Me Horton, Mark £11.95 Takeout Double: A Bridge Mystery Priebe, Jim £11.50
The Hands of Time Horton, Mark £10.50 Thinking on Defense Priebe, Jim £9.95
The Mysterious Multi Horton, Mark £12.95 Positive Declarer Play in Bridge Reese & Pottage £10.50
Duplicate Bridge at Home Horton & Gittelman £12.95 Positive Defense in Bridge Reese & Pottage £10.50
The Bridge Magicians Horton & Kielbasinski £11.50 The Extra Edge in Play Reese & Pottage £10.95
For Love or Money Horton & Senior £12.95 Modified Italian Canapé System Rexford, Ken £8.95
The Rabbi’s Rules Horton, Mark £12.95 New Frontiers for Strong Forcing Openings Rexford, Ken £8.95
Building a Bidding System Hughes, Roy £11.50 Overcalling Opponent's 1NT Rexford, Ken £6.95
Canada’s Bridge Warriors Hughes, Roy £15.95 Really Unusual Notrump (R.U.N.T.) Rexford, Ken £7.95
Card by Card Hughes, Roy £11.50 Variable Key Card Blackwood Rexford, Ken £8.95
Fantunes Revealed Jacobs, Bill £9.95 Breaking the Bridge Rules Rigal, Barry £12.95
One Trick at a TIme Jackson, Jim £11.95 Rodwell Files: Secrets of a champion Rodwell, Eric £17.95
Polish Club International Jassem,Krzysztof £10.95 How Good is Your Bridge Roth, Danny £11.95
Patrick Jourdain’s Problem Corner Jourdain, Patrick £12.95 Bridge on a Shoestring Schoenborn, Michael £13.95
Advanced Bridge Defense Kantar, Eddie £13.95 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know Seagram & Smith £10.50
Classic Kantar Kantar, Eddie £9.50 25 More Conventions You Should Know Seagram & Bird £10.50
Defensive Tips for Bad Card Holders Kantar, Eddie £14.95 25 Ways to Be a Better Defender Seagram & Bird £10.50
Kantar on Kontract Kantar, Eddie £10.50 25 Ways to Compete in the Bidding Seagram & Smith £10.50
Modern Bridge Defense Kantar, Eddie £13.95 25 Ways to Take More Tricks as Declarer Seagram & Bird £10.50
Roman Keycard Blackwood - 5th ed. Kantar, Eddie £13.95 Declarer Play at Bridge: A Quizbook Seagram & Bird £9.95
Topics in Declarer Play Kantar, Eddie £13.95 Defensive Play Quizbook: A Quizbook Seagram & Bird £9.95
Improve Your Bidding Judgment Kimelman, Neil £12.95 Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand Seagram & Bird £12.95
The Thin Line Kimelman, Neil £12.95 Pocket Guide to Defensive Play Seagram & Bird £6.95
365 Winning Bridge Tips Kleinman, Danny £13.95 Scotland’s Senior Moment Smith & Adamson £13.95
Human Bridge Errors Kleinman & Straguzzi £10.50 Becoming a Bridge Expert Stewart, Frank £13.95
A Bridge to Inspired Declarer Play Laderman, Julian £12.95 Frank Stewart's Bridge Club Stewart, Frank £10.50
A Bridge to Simple Squeezes Laderman, Julian £11.95 How to Play Bridge with your Spouse Tevkolsky, Roselyn £9.95
Bumblepuppy Days Laderman, Julian £14.95 Bridge at the Breakfast Table Thurston, Paul £1.50
Still Not Finding Squeezes? Laderman, Julian £7.95 25 Steps to Learning 2/1 Thurston, Paul £10.50
25 Conventions for ACOL Players Landry & Horton £11.95 North of the Master Solvers’ Club Vine, Frank £11.95
Complete Book on Overcalls (2nd ed.) Lawrence, Mike £13.95 Bridge at the Enigma Club Winkler, Peter £11.95
Complete Book on Passed Hand Bidding Lawrence, Mike £13.95 The Lone Wolff Wollf, Bobby £15.95

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

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Perhaps South should rebid 2NT with this type of hand.

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I’m guessing 2♣ was game-forcing (was it an inverted raise?)

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