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This site is all about bridge: puzzles, stories, bridge books, questions by visitors, quizzes, columns, tips and a lot more. Take your time to browse, you will definitely find many articles and bridge games to your liking. We publish new content every day!
 
How could you...!
Monday, 08 February 2010 07:00

ed hoogenkampIn my view enjoying bridge is closely connected with the code of conduct that is valid at the bridge table - or should be valid. I have clear-cut ideas about how a bridge player should behave at the table. In theory most players will agree with me, but in practice things can turn out rather differently...

Read on
 
In control**
Sunday, 07 February 2010 07:00
N/All7 
 7 6
A Q J 10 2
A K 7 5 4
  windroos  
    
 A 5 3 2 
A K Q 8 5
K 4
9 3

WestNorthEastSouth
-1pass1
pass2pass21
pass32pass33
pass4pass4NT
pass5pass6
passpasspass 

1 Fourth suit forcing (game forcing since this is a reverse bid as well)
2 Less than three hearts, no spade guard, five clubs (with 5-4 in diamonds-clubs North would made a 'neutral' 3 bid)
3 Shows a six card suit...

West leads the K, South winning with the A.
As North's diamond suit turns out to be very good, 7 looks like a nice contract (but it is not on a trump lead).
South should forget about 7 though, since he is in 6. What is the safest way to play that contract?

Solution
 
Plus onehundredandeighty...
Saturday, 06 February 2010 07:00
8 3windroosA 10 9 7
K 7A 8 3 2
K Q J 59 3
A K 6 5 4Q J 3

WestNorthEastSouth
1pass1pass
2pass2NTpass
passpass  

On a spade lead East easily gathers ten tricks: five clubs, two diamonds, the AK and the A. He loses two spade tricks and the A.
‘I have eleven points’, says East, ‘which I showed by bidding 2NT, 10-11 points. Why don't you raise to 3NT, having 16 points?’
‘Sorry’, says West, 'I thought I had shown these already.’
Who was wrong?

Solution
 
Adventures of a bridge professional 14: São Paulo
Friday, 05 February 2010 07:00

sjoert brinkAugust 2009. We're ready for the World Team Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, starting at the end of the month. This whole year bridge went extremely well. I played well, my partner Bas Drijver played excellently and together we have been winning very often.
In short, our team is going to bring the world title to the Netherlands!

Read on
 
Which tricks?
Thursday, 04 February 2010 07:00
E/AllA J 6 4 3 
 A J 10 2
Q 5 4
9
  windroos  
    
 9 
K Q 9 3
A K J
A J 6 5 2

WestNorthEastSouth
--pass1
pass
1pass
2
pass31pass
4NT
pass
5pass7
passpasspass
 

1 Forcing (highly recommended!)

South has never been accused of underbidding...

Aside: instead of 4NT (Blackwood), a better bid would have been 4 (control showing), since North could have been somewhat weaker than he is. North then bids 4 (control showing, accepting the slam invitation). Now is the time for South to apply Blackwood and over the 5 response he makes a grand slam try: 5NT. This way South informs North that the grand may be on but that something extra in North is needed. (Opinions differ about how to respond to 5NT, this is a matter of partnership agreement).
North has shown all there is to show (except his singleton club but that is often not an asset, since it is in South's first suit, which is at least a five card suit), therefore he signs-off, meaning the contract will be 6. Much better bidding than this regrettable 'standard-direct-Blackwood-bidding'...

But none of that, South is in 7 and West leads the K.
How should South play?

Solution
 
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Quotes by bridgeplayers
Edgar Kaplan:
At Table 3, East had bid spades, so she tried a surprise, the nine of diamonds. Declarer may have been surprised, but he was not dismayed.
 
To finesse or not to finesse ***
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 07:00

This page usually contains a piece of theory, in this case about 'to finesse or not to finesse', including an example.
Three exercises will follow, one in each of the next three weeks (click 'Varia***' ).

A finesse offers a 50% chance of an extra trick. Sometimes however, for a specific reason, declarer abandons a finesse.

Both examples below are taken from team matches with IMP-scoring, so declarer's priority is making the contract; overtricks are relatively unimportant.

S/-3 2
 
 A K Q
K J 7 5 4 3
5 3
  windroos  
    
 K J 4
 
7 6 2
A 2
A 10 8 4 2

WestNorthEastSouth
-
-
-1
121pass2NT
pass3NTpass
pass
pass   

1 NS play this as forcing, 10+ points (some pairs prefer 8-11, nonforcing)

West leads the 6, via East's 9 to declarer's J.

Read on
 
What is your bid? (10) *
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 07:00
E/- 
K Q J 6 
A J 10 5 
Q J 10 8 
3 

You are South. What is your bid if East (your right hand opponent) opens 1, 2(strong, conventional) or 3(pre-emptive) respectively?

Solution
 
Locating a queen...? **
Monday, 01 February 2010 07:00
S/EW
A 10 8 6 5 4 3  
 4 3
K 10 7
6
  windroos  
    
 Q J 9 7 2 
9 8 2
A J 2
A J

WestNorthEastSouth
---1
241pass42
pass43pass
pass
pass
   

1 Splinter: singleton or void in clubs, good spade fit, slam invitational
2 Control bid
3 No control in hearts

West leads the A (East the 10), continues with the K (East 7) and then plays the J.
How should South play?

Solution
 

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What should South bid? (January)

S/All
A 4 3
A J 9 3
5
A 8 7 6 5

WestNorthEastSouth
---1
1dble12??

1 negative: 6+ HCP, 4+

What should South bid?

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