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Monday, 08 February 2010 07:00 |
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 In 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...
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Read on
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Sunday, 07 February 2010 07:00 |
| N/All | ♠ | 7 | | | | ♥ | 7 6 | | ♦ | A Q J 10 2 | | ♣ | A K 7 5 4 | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | A 5 3 2 | | | ♥ | A K Q 8 5 | | ♦ | K 4 | | ♣ | 9 3 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| - | 1♦ | pass | 1♥ | | pass | 2♣ | pass | 2♠1 | | pass | 3♣2 | pass | 3♥3 | | pass | 4♥ | pass | 4NT | | pass | 5♥ | pass | 6♥ | | pass | pass | pass | |
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? |
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Solution
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Plus onehundredandeighty... |
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 07:00 |
| ♠ | 8 3 | | ♠ | A 10 9 7 | | ♥ | K 7 | ♥ | A 8 3 2 | | ♦ | K Q J 5 | ♦ | 9 3 | | ♣ | A K 6 5 4 | ♣ | Q J 3 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| 1♣ | pass | 1♥ | pass | | 2♦ | pass | 2NT | pass | | pass | pass | | |
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? |
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Solution
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Adventures of a bridge professional 14: São Paulo |
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Friday, 05 February 2010 07:00 |
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 August 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!
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Read on
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 07:00 |
| E/All | ♠ | A J 6 4 3 | | | | ♥ | A J 10 2 | | ♦ | Q 5 4 | | ♣ | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | 9 | | | ♥ | K Q 9 3 | | ♦ | A K J | | ♣ | A J 6 5 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| - | - | pass | 1♣ | pass
| 1♠ | pass
| 2♥ | | pass | 3♥1 | pass
| 4NT | pass
| 5♥ | pass | 7♥
| | pass | pass | pass
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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? |
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Solution
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| 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. |
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To finesse or not to finesse *** |
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 07:00 |
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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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | K J 4
| | | ♥ | 7 6 2
| | ♦ | A 2 | | ♣ | A 10 8 4 2
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| West | North | East | South |
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| - | 1♣ | | 1♠ | 2♦1 | pass | 2NT | | pass | 3NT | pass
| 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. |
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Read on
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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? |
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Solution
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Monday, 01 February 2010 07:00 |
S/EW
| ♠ | A 10 8 6 5 4 3 | | | | ♥ | 4 3 | | ♦ | K 10 7 | | ♣ | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | Q J 9 7 2 | | | ♥ | 9 8 2 | | ♦ | A J 2 | | ♣ | A J |
| West | North | East | South |
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| - | - | - | 1♠ | | 2♥ | 4♣1 | pass | 4♦2 | | pass | 4♠3 | pass
| pass | pass
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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? |
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Solution
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