| What do you find in Varia? |
| In Varia we publish articles and puzzles that do not fit in any other section. This page always shows the most recent articles. To find the level of puzzles that suits you best: choose a number of stars in the bar above. |
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Bidding systems are based upon high card points (HCP). We use HCP to evaluate the strength of our hands.
However, more is needed to make a useful evaluation of a hand. This category helps you practice hand evaluation beyond counting HCP. | West | North | East | South |
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| 1♥ | 1NT | pass | ?? |
| W/All | | | | South 1 | South 2 | South 3 | | ♠ | 6 4 | ♠ | A 4 | ♠ | Q 3 2 | | ♥ | 10 9 7 | ♥ | 7 | ♥ | J 5 3 | | ♦ | 8 4 | ♦ | K 10 8 7 6 | ♦ | 6 5 4 3 | | ♣ | A K 10 9 8 7 | ♣ | J 10 9 8 6 | ♣ | K Q 4 |
What should South 1, 2 and 3 bid? |
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Solution
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The basis of the bidding* (6) |
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This bidding section is meant for beginners and those players who like to keep it simple. Test your knowledge. South 1
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| South 2
| | ♠ | 9 6 5 4 3
| | | ♠ | A K 10 5 4
| | ♥ | 9 2
| | | ♥ | 8
| | ♦ | A 7 2
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| ♦ | J 3 2
| | ♣ | K J 3
| | | ♣ | 9 6 5 3
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| West | North | East | South |
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| — | 2♣ | pass | ?? |
North makes the strongest opening bid. What should South 1 and South 2? |
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Solution
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Why does he do that?* (4) |
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In 'Why does he do that?' we focus on the bidding and/or play of an experienced, good player.
At some moment we ask why he did what he did. | | ♠ | Q 10 7 | | | | ♥ | 10 8 7 6 | | ♦ | A K Q J 9 | | ♣ | A | | | |  | ♠ | A K J 8 6 | | | | ♥ | 2 | | | | ♦ | 10 8 2 | | | | ♣ | K 10 7 6 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| — | 1♦ | 1♠ | 2♥ | | pass | 4♥ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
West leads the ♠9 and East scores three spade tricks. West had a doubleton in spades and discards the ♣2 (attitude: negative).
To the fourth trick East plays the ♠8, into the triple void! Why does he do that? |
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Solution
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N/EW
| | | ♠ | K 7 6 5 | | | ♥ | A 9 6 4 | | | ♦ | K 9 8 | | | ♣ | 8 3 | |
Your partner, North, opens 1♣. What is your bid on this South hand if your right hand opponent, East, overcalls 1♦, 1♥, 1♠ or 1NT respectively? |
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Solution
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Bols Tip (4) Charles Goren |
Charles Goren (USA, 1901-1991), a lawyer by profession, began to play tournament bridge in 1931. Soon he attracted the attention of Milton Work, who had developed the Work Point Count system (ace=4, king=3 etc.). Goren began helping Work with his bridge articles and columns, and eventually began ghost-writing some of his material.
By 1936 he had begun his own bridge career and published the first of his many books on playing bridge, Winning Bridge Made Easy. Drawing on his experience with Work's system, Goren quickly became popular as an instructor and lecturer.
At the end of World War 2, and just after, in the days when competition was not as fierce as it is now, he accumulated a vast number of master points. He promptly seized the opportunity to occupy the vacuum that had been created by Ely Culbertson's loss of drive.
By 1958 his daily bridge column was appearing in 194 American newspapers. His television program, Championship Bridge with Charles Goren, was broadcast from 1959 to 1964.
Goren's books were always clear and well written, but oddly enough he contributed very little to theory. The early Goren was most indistinguishable in effect from Culbertson. His adoption of the distribution point count, however, was move of far-reaching importance, for it enabled quite untalented players to attain a degree of competence. Also, over the years Goren accepted with much better grace than Culbertson the good ideas of other players.Just as there was a pretence among the knowing ones that Josephine Culbertson was a better player than her husband Ely, so it was often said by rivals that Goren owed most of his tournament success to his partner, Helen Sobel. Helen was undoubtedly a great player, but Goren's play in British tournaments and in the 1956 championships in Paris were enough to establish that he was a top class performer by any standards. Goren, humorous, friendly and unassuming, was one of the world's foremost authorities on the game for most of the 20th century. His lifetime of contributions to the game have made him one of the most important figures in the history of bridge. His Bols Tip was introduced in the IBPA (International Bridge Press Association) Bulletin with a certain degree of awe: 'Charles Goren, one of a handful of IBPA Honour members, was invited to join the Bols competition honoris causa (as an honour) as a token of his fellow-members' esteem for his work in popularising bridge and in recognition of his pre-eminence in teaching bridge via the written word.' That tribute was well deserved. Goren called his bridge tip 'Try the Dusk': If a defender isn't sure how to continue after he were to win a trick, he should consider ducking it. |
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Read on
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The second part of the new series in Varia: two puzzles (A en B) on the same theme. B is published on the day after A (hence the title Back-to-back).
Following up on yesterday's 1A, here is today's puzzle 1B. | | ♠ | K 7 3 | | | | ♥ | A K 7 5 | | ♦ | 6 5 | | ♣ | Q J 10 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | 10 2 | | | ♥ | Q J 10 8 6 3 | | ♦ | A Q | | ♣ | K 9 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| — | — | — | 1♥ | | pass | 2♣ | pass | 2NT | | pass | 4♥ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
West leads the ♠Q. How should South plan the play? |
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Solution
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