BRIDGE

Number One Hundred and Twenty-Seven July 2013

FROM
VENICE
TO ROME
Join Aegean Odyssey on an Autumn
voyage to the temples of Sicily and
the mysterious ruins of Pompeii
SEE BACK COVER FOR FURTHER DETAILS
JUST DUPLICATE BRIDGE
12-14 July £169 29 Nov – 1 Dec £199
Inn on the Prom Ardington Hotel

19-21 July £169 6-8 December £199

The Olde Barn Cheltenham Regency

26-28 July £199 10-12 January £199

Cheltenham Regency Blundson House Hotel

9-11 August £199 17-19 January £169

Cheltenham Regency Hotel The Olde Barn Hotel
Cheltenham Regency Cheltenham GL51 0ST The Olde Barn Marston, Lincs NG32 2HT

16-18 August £169 11-13 October £199 31 Jan – 2 Feb £199 21-23 February £199
Inn on the Prom Cheltenham Regency Elstead Hotel Blundson House Hotel

18-20 October £169 28 Feb – 2 March £199

The Olde Barn Chatsworth Hotel

25-27 October £199 28 Feb – 2 March £199

Cheltenham Regency Blundson House Hotel

25-27 October £199 14-16 March £199

Ardington Hotel Blundson House Hotel

Ardington Hotel 1-3 November £169 Chatsworth Hotel 14-16 March £169
Worthing BN11 3DZ The Olde Barn Worthing BN11 3DU The Olde Barn

6-8 September £199 31 Jan – 2 Feb £199

Cheltenham Regency Chatsworth Hotel

6-8 September £169 7-9 February £199

The Olde Barn Denham Grove

13-15 September £199 14-16 February £199

Cheltenham Regency Chatsworth Hotel

27-29 September £199 14-16 February £199

Elstead Hotel Denham Grove
Ardington Hotel Bournemouth, BH1 3QP Elstead Hotel Denham, Bucks, UB9 5DG

15-17 November £199 21-23 March £199

Elstead Hotel Chatsworth Hotel

22-24 November £199 28-30 March £199

Ardington Hotel Denham Grove

22-24 November £199 28-30 March £199

Elstead Hotel Elstead Hotel

Inn on the Prom 22-24 November £169 Blunsdon House Hotel 25-27 April £199
St Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU The Olde Barn Swindon SN26 7AS Blundson House Hotel

Full Board – No Single Supplement

Booking Form on page 6.
Please note there are no seminars, set hands or prizes at these events.

BRIDGE
4 Mr Bridge
Ryden Grange, Knaphill,
Surrey GU21 2TH
( 01483 489961
e-mail:
bridge@mrbridge.co.uk
website:
www.mrbridge.co.uk
Publisher and
Managing Editor
Mr Bridge
Bridge Consultant
13 David Stevenson
Bernard Magee
Technical Consultant
Tony Gordon
Typesetting & Design
Ruth Edmondson
Proof Readers
Tony & Jan Richards
Catrina Shackleton
Richard Wheen
Hugh Williams
Office Manager
Rachel Everett 32 Julian Pottage
Events & Cruises
( 01483 489961
Rosie Baker
Jessica Galt
Megan Riccio 42 Julian Pottage Says
Sophie Pierrepont
Clubs & Charities
Maggie Axtell
maggie@mrbridge.co.uk
ADVERTISEMENTS
Address Changes
Elizabeth Bryan
( 01483 485342
elizabeth@mrbridge.co.uk
All correspondence should
be addressed to Mr Bridge.
Please make sure that all
letters, e-mails and faxes
carry full postal addresses
and telephone numbers.
FEATURES 7 Bridge Events at
The Inn on the Prom Bernard Magee’s
3 Bidding Quiz
by Bernard Magee 8 Italy, Sicily and
Classical Aegean with
Bidding Quiz
Voyages to Antiquity You are West in the
7 Bidding Quiz Answers auctions below, playing
11 Mr Bridge
by Bernard Magee ‘Standard Acol’ with a
Christmas & New Year
9 Andrew Kambites Says 2013/2014 weak no-trump (12-14
Make a Safe Lead points) and 4-card majors.
15 Duplicate Bridge
Against 6NT (Answers on page 7.)
Rules Simplified
10 The Diaries of
18 Voyages of Discovery
Wendy Wensum
Mediterranean
11 Defence Quiz Medley on board 1. Dealer West. Love All.
by Julian Pottage Voyager ♠ K 8 7 3
12 Justin Corfield Says ♥ A 9 7 6 2 N
19 Rubber / Chicago W E
Knock Out the Entry to Bridge Events
♦ 4 S
the Danger Hand First ♣ A 3 2
19 Bridge Events at:
Denham Grove
Answers Your Questions The Olde Barn Hotel West North East South
19 Declarer Play Quiz 22 Eric Hill – Kalinda ?
by David Huggett
25 Tutorial Software
20 Bernard Magee Says and QPlus
Use the Principle of 2. Dealer East. Love All.
26 Bernard Magee ♠ 8 7
Restricted Choice
Haslemere DVDs ♥ K Q 3 2 N
21 The Whole is Less Than ♦ 7 4 3 W E
29 Charity Events
the Sum of its Parts ♣ A 8 3 2
S
by Dick Atkinson 30 Global Travel Insurance
24 Catching Up 36 Bridge Events at:
by Sally Brock Cheltenham West North East South
Regency Hotel 1♥ 1♠
27 Seven Days
Elstead Hotel 2♥ 2♠ 3♥ Pass
by Sally Brock
Queensferry Hotel ?
Blunsdon House Hotel
Answers Your Questions
38 Bridge Events at:
37 Readers’ Letters Ardington Hotel 3. Dealer East. Love All.
Chatsworth House ♠ 5
41 Declarer Play Answers
by David Huggett ♥ 9 8 7 2
38 QPlus 10 N
♦ Q 9 4 3 2 W E
38 S R Designs ♣ A 7 6 S
Use the Clues Bridge Tables
from the Bidding
40 Back in Our Day
45 Defence Quiz Answers West North East South
40 Stamps
by Julian Pottage 2♣ Pass
40 Tunisia 2013/2014 2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
41 Begin Bridge ?
2 Mr Bridge with Bernard Magee
Just Duplicate Bridge 44 Eric Hill – Joanna 4. Dealer North. N/S Game.
5 Mail Order Form 46 Voyages to Antiquity
♠ K Q 9 8
Cut-out Form Terms & Conditions ♥ 7 6
N
6 Bridge Event 47 Voyages to Antiquity ♦ 5 4 3 W E
Booking Form Booking Form ♣ A K 8 2 S
6 Bridge Events with 48 Venice to Rome with
Bernard Magee Voyages to Antiquity West North East South
1♣ 1♥ 1♠
The views expressed in this publication are not ?
necessarily those of the publisher.
Page 3
 BLAME ME
Marmite. You either love it
or hate it and it’s the same
with Sally Brock’s column.
Turn the pages over if it’s
not to your liking and if
you want to complain,
complain directly to me as
Ms Brock, (pictured above),
is just doing what I
commissioned her to do.
I asked her to write about
the everyday life of an
international bridge player
and how she fits domestic
chores around regularly
representing her country,
earning a living and coping
with two teenage children.
I told Sally I wanted to hear
about her workouts at the
gym and about her bridge
training using the internet.
I also wanted to know how
she allocated her time for
her private bridge students
and used flexitime to keep
up to speed with her day
job as a typesetter for a
publisher of travel books.
When did she find time to
write her weekly bridge
column for The Sunday
Times and for playing
rubber bridge at TGRs for
what we mere mortals
would regard as
outrageously high stakes.
£1 a point, not the 2p per
100 I am used to.
So don’t blame Sally, blame
me. Be assured I have lots
of other ideas for my
promotional publication as
it slowly but surely
metamorphoses into a
really vibrant and even
better monthly magazine.
RE-REGISTRATION
Last month I ranted about
the recent rise in postal
charges and discovered I
certainly wasn’t the only
publisher so doing. If you
haven’t received a copy of
BRIDGE for a while, you
should re-register using the
form on the facing page.
And if you have friends
who would like to receive
copies four or five times a
year, send me their names
and addresses as well. May
I also remind you that you
can look at a virtual copy
online and print off the
pages that you want to read
or download them on to
your tablet. Alternatively,
you may take up a
subscription to be sure of
receiving continuous hard
copies. £20 for 12 issues,
£35 for 24. See the order
form on the facing page.
GOFFIES STAMPS
If you want to save on
postage you should try
Clive Goff’s discounted
stamp service.
Value supplied in two
stamps, combined to make
up the 50p 2nd class rate,
2nd class to you 41p. 1st
class 60p, only 50p to you.
Available in lots of 100.
( 0208 422 4906.
clive.goff@londonrugby.com
QPLUS 10
I have been using this great
software again and here are
a few more hands I thought
you might like to share.
0721-08 0878-04
2471-14 2471-15
4205-04 5276-09
8605-01 8605-09
Page 4
FIRM DATE
Publication of the latest
version of QPlus is expected
towards the end of October
this year, following the 17th
World Computer-Bridge
Championship at the end of
September in Bali,
Indonesia. This is held at
the same time and in the
same venue as the human
world championships, the
mens’ Bermuda Bowl and
the ladies’ Venice Cup.
Johannes Leber has high
hopes of success and he will
take a week’s well earned
holiday at this famous
resort before returning
home to Munich. He will
then incorporate any extra
features before cutting the
QPlus 11 CDs.
Those readers who would
like to buy QPlus should
send £92 NOW and receive
the current version (QPlus
10). I promise to send you
QPlus 11 as soon as it is
ready. As both versions are
self-contained products,
you will be able to give
QPlus 10 to a friend once
you receive your QPlus 11.
If you are looking to
upgrade from an earlier
version of QPlus, just
return the disc with its
instruction booklet and a
cheque for £43.
BARON FOR MAC
As QPlus is for Windows
only, to use the software on
your Mac, you will need to
install Windows for Mac
converter software.
However, I now stock the
latest version of Bridge
Baron (23) as the best Mac
compatible Acol playing
program.
To trade-in earlier versions
of Bridge Baron, send in an
old version and a cheque
for £25. You will receive
Bridge Baron 23 by return.
CLUB INSURANCE
I am still scare mongering,
trying to drum up even
more business for Moore
Stephens. Their insurance
package, for bridge clubs of
up to 100 members, at a
premium of around £60 per
annum certainly seems
good value. Why every club
isn’t covered in this
litigious age I just do not
know. Club secretaries need
to protect their committee
members and can do so by
ringing Moore Stephens on
( 0207 515 5270.
PLAYING CARDS
My wonderful premium
quality playing cards are
now back in stock. They are
available from the London
Bridge Centre at £60 for 60
packs unboxed, with or
without barcodes.
( 0207 486 7015.
COVER STORY
BRIDGE
1558 MR BRIDGE July cover_Layout 1 05/06/2013 15:12 Page 1
Number One Hundred and Twenty-Seven July 2013
FROM
VENICE
TO ROME
Join Aegean Odyssey on an Autumn
voyage to the temples of Sicily and
the mysterious ruins of Pompeii
SEE BACK COVER FOR FURTHER DETAILS
This month’s cover features
a cruise from Venice to
Rome in balmy October, do
see the back cover. A plan
of m.v. Aegean Odyssey and
a booking form can be
found on pages 46 & 47.
All good wishes
Mr Bridge
PS. Following her recent
operation, I am optimistic
that Mrs Bridge will have
recovered sufficiently for us
both to join the bridge
party. See you on board.
✄

✄
Mr Bridge MAIL ORDER If you have not
contacted us recently,
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Expiry: ............. CVV ........ Issue No. ...........
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return to: Mr Bridge,
Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH Ryden Grange, Knaphill,
( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Surrey, GU21 2TH.
✄

Page 5
 ✄
BRIDGE  BRIDGE EVENTS
with Bernard Magee
BREAKS
NOVEMber 2013
♦ Full-board ♦ Two seminars*
8-10 Olde Barn Hotel
♦ All rooms with ♦ Two supervised
£245 Better Leads
en-suite facilities play sessions*
& Switches
♦ No single supplement ♦ Four bridge sessions**
15-17 Chatsworth Hotel
Please book ..... places for me at £....... per person, £245 Bidding
Distributional
Single .... Double .... Twin .... Hands
Chatsworth Hotel
Name of Hotel/Centre............................................................. Worthing BN11 3DU
22-24 Blunsdon
House Hotel
Date(s) .................................................................................... £245 Better Defence
JULY 2013
Mr/Mrs/Miss ......................................................................... 5-7 Blunsdon
House Hotel
Address................................................................................... £245 Signals & Discards

................................................................................................ 12-14 Cheltenham

Regency
Postcode ................................................................................. £245 Thinking Defence

( ...........................................................................................
October 2013
Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed, 11-13 Blunsdon Queensferry Hotel
but we will do our best to oblige). House Hotel North Queensferry KY11 1HP
£245 Splinters
................................................................................................ and Cue Bids
JANUARY 2014
Please give the name(s) of all those covered by this booking. 18-20 Chatsworth Hotel
£245 Playing & 10-12 Elstead Hotel
................................................................................................ Defending 1NT £245 Doubles
Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place by 25-27 Queensferry 17-19 Chatsworth
cheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will be sent Hotel Hotel
with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your final payment,
£245 Finding Slams £245 Better Leads
28 days before the event, a programme and full details will be sent
together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable. Should you & Switches
require insurance, you should contact your own insurance broker.
March 2014
21-23 Inn on the Prom
£245 Doubles

April 2014
Expiry: ................................. CVV......................... Issue No....................
(CVV is the last 3 numbers on the signature strip) 4-6 Chatsworth
Cheltenham Regency Hotel Hotel
Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. Cheltenham GL51 0ST £245 Finding Slams
( 01483 489961
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
website: www.holidaybridge.com Full Board. No Single Supplement.
*on tutorial weekends only. **6 sessions on rubber/Chicago events. See Booking Form on page 6.
Please note: Just Bridge events contain no seminars and do not award prizes.
✄

Page 6
 Answers to Bernard Magee’s
Bidding Quiz on page 3
1. Dealer West. Love All.
♠ K 8 7 3 ♠ Q 9 6
N
♥ A 9 7 6 2
W E
♥ 8 5
♦ 4 S ♦ 7 6 3
♣ A 3 2 ♣ K 9 7 5 4
West North East South
? be a better score than 2♠ making.
Pass. You have 11 HCP, but at non-
vulnerable with a five-card major you
might consider opening the bidding. Do
not use the rule of such-and-such – use
the rules of common sense.
The strength of your suit and the
shape of your hand are of much more
importance than any rule. Will you be
able to neatly describe your hand?
Imagine you open 1♥ and your partner
responds 2♦, what do you do next?
Your majors are the wrong way round,
so showing your shape will not be easy.
By far the most important element of
your hand is the strength of your suit. If
you are going to open light, then make
sure you have a good suit: your hearts
are poor and will not necessarily make
the best lead let alone trump suit.
If you open 1♥, North overcalls 1NT
and South raises to 3NT. Your partner
leads a heart and the game rolls in.
2. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 8 7 ♠ 6 5
N
♥ K Q 3 2
W E
♥ A J 10 8 7 6
♦ 7 4 3 S ♦ A Q 8
♣ A 8 3 2 ♣ 7 5
West North East South
1♥ 1♠
2♥ 2♠ 3♥ Pass
? Full Board
Pass. Do you recognise this hand from
the last issue?
Last time it was only your side bidding,
but I hope the opponents’ bids will clarify
the idea that 3♥ is not an invitational bid.
Your partner is trying to compete for the
hand – he does not want you to bid on to
game. If East has a stronger hand that
really wants to invite game, then he can
bid 2NT, 3♣ or 3♦. Here, East, with his
extra heart length, is bidding on in the
knowledge that if 3♥ goes one off, it will
3. Dealer East. Love All.
♠ 5 ♠ A K Q J 10 2
N
♥ 9 8 7 2 ♥ A Q
W E
♦ Q 9 4 3 2 S ♦ A K 5
♣ A 7 6 ♣ 9 5
West North East South
2♣ Pass
2♦ Pass 2♠ Pass
? Had South passed, then 1NT would have
3♦. After an Acol 2♣ opening and a
rebid in a suit, you are forced to bid until
game is reached: you must not pass.
Having given one negative response, you
should now think of your hand as quite
strong. You have suggested 7 or less and
you have six, which is close to maximum.
Show your longest suit and source of
tricks: 3♦.
Your 3♦ bid allows your partner to
envisage a slam: his ♦A-K are perfect
cards and with his solid suit he should bid
to at least a small slam.
4. Dealer North. N/S Game.
♠ K Q 9 8 ♠ 10 6 3
N 21-23 March 2014
♥ 7 6 W E
♥ AQJ43
♦ 5 4 3 S ♦ Q 8
♣ A K 8 2 ♣ 9 7 6
West North East South
1♣ 1♥ 1♠
?
Page 7
Pass. Your partner has made a non-
vulnerable one-level overcall: he is not
promising much; do not get over-excited.
Notice also that everybody else has had
a bid – it would surely not be a surprise to
find your partner with a weak hand and
a good heart suit.
If you stay quiet, North will have to
make another bid: he is surely not strong
(there are not enough points in the
pack), so he will not be able to rebid 2♦
(a reverse). This means your opponents
will probably end up in clubs or spades,
which looks good from your side. Why
risk a no-trump bid when you can gain
so much more by defending against your
opponents’ contract?
Note the vulnerability: one off
vulnerable is better than 1NT making.
If you were to choose a bid, then 1NT
is enough: opposite an overcall it is a
positive response (9-12), not like the
forced 1NT response to an opening bid.
been a reasonable bid, but knowing the
opponents have reasonable strength
should keep you quiet for the time
being. ■
The Inn
on the Prom
St Annes-on-Sea FY8 1LU
12-14 July 2013
Kay Adamson
Just Duplicate Bridge £169
16-18 August
Gwen Beattie
Just Duplicate Bridge £169
Bernard Magee
Doubles £245
No Single Supplement
Booking Form on page 6.
 Is

ON S HU
SU AV GE
M I
M N
ER G
CRUISE TO V S OY
AG

ITALY, SICILY
Civitavecchia
Rome
Italy Istanbul E S
Sorrento
Lemnos
Tyrrhenian TURKEY
Sea Aegean
Palermo Greece Sea Izmir

& CLASSICAL AEGEAN Taormina Athens

Sicily Nauplia Delos Mykonos

13-day fly-cruise departing July 6, 2013

DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART
JUL 6 Fly to ROME Italy
Transfer to Civitavecchia to
board Aegean Odyssey 6.00pm
JUL 7 SORRENTO (Pompeii) Italy 8.00am overnight
JUL 8 SORRENTO Italy 2.00pm
JUL 9 PALERMO (Monreale) Sicily 8.00am overnight
JUL 10 PALERMO (Segesta) Sicily 8.00pm
JUL 11 TAORMINA Sicily 8.00am 7.00pm
JUL 12 At Sea
JUL 13 NAUPLIA (Mycenae) Greece 8.00am 6.00pm
JUL 14 PIRAEUS (Athens) Greece 8.00am 9.00pm
JUL 15 DELOS/MYKONOS Greek Islands 7.00am 6.00pm
JUL 16 IZMIR (Ephesus) Turkey 7.00am 7.00pm
JUL 17 LEMNOS Greek Islands 8.00am 1.00pm
Cruising the Dardanelles
JUL 18 ISTANBUL Turkey 7.00am
Disembark and transfer to airport for flight home

MR BRIDGE SPECIAL FARES

BEST AVAILABLE CABIN FLY-CRUISE FARE SAVE
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DELUXE BALCONY CABINS (CAT: D/C) £2,695 £4,540
Why not extend your trip with a 2-night
hotel stay in Rome at the start, and/or
2 nights in Istanbul at the end?

NO SINGLE Rome: Prices from £328pp (twin) or £460pp (single)

Istanbul: Prices from £338pp (twin) or £608pp (single)
SUPPLEMENTS CALL FOR MORE DETAILS

fares from just £1,995pp include:

A unique Mediterranean and Aegean •FULL BRIDGE PROGRAMME •SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
bridge cruise with extraordinary savings. •EXPERTLY PLANNED ITINERARIES
Join our bridge team on this fascinating voyage that will •SHORE EXCURSIONS IN MOST PORTS OF CALL
take you to some of the most impressive and memorable •EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS
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•EXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE COCKTAIL PARTY

Mr Bridge Passengers The bridge programme

Call Mr Bridge now to reserve the best available
cabin, and benefit from these huge savings.
is exclusive to Mr Bridge bookings and is
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can participate as much, or as little as they
wish. There will be a duplicate session every
evening and bridge every afternoon the ship
is at sea. Singles are made especially welcome –
a playing partner will always be found.

All prices, savings and offers shown are subject to availability at the time of booking. Prices are per
CALL ON 01483 489961 person, based on double occupancy and available only on certain cabin grades and the sailings shown,
and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Single accommodation is available only in certain
categories, and subject to availability.

10093
V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY
www.mrbridge.co.uk ABTA No.Y2206

A
t the start of a hand, ask yourself
what you are trying to achieve.
If you defend actively, you want
to achieve something positive. You
might lead from K-J-4-3-2 against 3NT
to set up long cards. Active defence
tends to involve risk taking; leading
from a broken suit often costs if partner
has no high card in the suit. You must
weigh up the risk against the potential
gain. When the opponents bid to 6NT,
partner often has a near bust, making it
highly risky to lead from a broken suit.
If you defend passively, you aim to
give nothing away. A typical passive
lead is from a worthless holding. You
are unlikely to give declarer anything
he could not do for himself. However,
Layout A shows that even this is risky.
Layout A ♠ K J 5
N
♠ 9 8 7 4 W E ♠ Q 6 3
S
♠ A 10 2
You choose to lead a spade but that
allows declarer three easy spade tricks.
Left to his own devices, he might have
had to take the two-way finesse for the
queen and guessed wrongly.
While you cannot avoid all risk in life,
leading from rubbish is certainly safer
than leading from isolated honours.
Moreover, the longer your suit is, the
safer the lead. A doubleton lead is less
safe than leading from three or four low
cards, as you can see on Layout B.
Layout B ♥ Q 10 2
N your partner cannot hold the ace or
♥ 7 4 W E
S
♥ J 6 5 3
♥ A K 9 8
Andrew Kambites Says
Make a Safe Lead
Against 6NT
West’s heart lead finds East’s jack
for declarer. Yes, declarer could have
finessed East for the jack. In practice, he
would probably have taken his three top
hearts in the hope the jack dropped.
For sure, some magical leads are both
active and passive. If you have a suit of
K-Q-J-10-9, you don’t have to agonise
over whether to defend actively or
passively, or whether an opponent has
bid the suit. You just lead the king and
get the best of all worlds.
Most players are well aware that the
denomination of a contract affects your
opening lead. You try to set up length
winners against most contracts in no-
trumps, often taking considerable risks
to do so. That is a pointless approach if
your opponents have a good trump suit.
They will simply draw your trumps and
trump any length winners you play.
Fewer people know that the level of
the contract also makes a difference, in
particular the difference between 3NT
and 6NT. Look at Hands C and D.
Hand C Hand D
♠ K J 4 3 2 ♠ K Q 3
♥ A 4 2 ♥ A 4 2
♦ 9 8 7 ♦ 9 8 7 2
♣ 9 8 ♣ 6 5 4
With hand C, after a bidding sequence
1NT-3NT a lead of the three of spades
is clear-cut. If partner has the queen or
ace, you expect that the contract will go
down by means of four spade tricks and
the ace of hearts for your side.
By contrast, if the opponents have
bid 1NT-6NT, a spade lead is terrible.
If your opponents are at all competent,
queen. All a spade lead will achieve is
to gift an easy trick to declarer’s queen
or even ten. It might well be declarer’s
twelfth trick. You should aim to give
Page 9
nothing away – lead a diamond on the
theory that a trebleton lead is safer than
a doubleton, as we saw with Layout B.
With Hand D, it would be silly to lead
your king of spades against 3NT. You
should lead a passive diamond and hope
that your spade honours are sitting over
declarer’s ace. Against 6NT, it is equally
obvious to lead the king of spades. This
sets up the queen as a winner, which you
can cash when you get in with your ace
of hearts.
In each case, you have been asking
yourself what you want to achieve (five
tricks against 3NT – just two tricks
against 6NT) and weighing up whether
your lead is likely to achieve it. Hand
C brings us neatly to our maxim: Lead
safely (or passively) against 6NT. In
general, you are highly unlikely to gain
the lead often enough to establish and
cash winners; so just concentrate on
giving nothing away. Hand D is a bit of
an exception to this.
My final hand is also an exception.
You have Hand E. The bidding is as
shown below. What do you lead?
Hand E
♠ K 4 3 2
♥ 6 4 3 2
♦ A 5
♣ 8 7 2
West North East South
1♦ Pass 2♥
Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT
Pass 6NT End
Declarer and dummy have long suits,
which declarer will probably run if you
give him time. You need to establish a
spade trick while you still have the ace of
diamonds. Lead your two of spades and
pray that partner has the queen. You
have nothing to lose. ■
 The Diaries of Wendy Wensum
A
train journey from Norwich to
Gatwick, followed by a flight
to Greece and a short ferry
ride from Kavala conveyed us to the
beautiful island of Thassos. Nestling
at the northern end of the Aegean Sea,
it was once famous for its gold mines;
today honey and walnut jam are the is-
land’s main claim to fame along with
its green mountains and picturesque
bays. We explored the island, sam-
pling its foods and wines in its many
and varied tavernas and restaurants.
Towards the end of our stay, Spouse
and I caught the morning ferry from
Thassos Town back to the mainland,
and took a service bus to the ancient
city of Philippi. The first impression
was its vastness, the site deserted except
for a handful of tourists. Around
us on that bright summer day, the
remains of the white stone buildings
sparkled, their walls and columns
silhouetted against a perfect blue
sky. We walked the excavated streets,
admiring the temples, exploring the
forum and wandered through the
prison abandoned so many centuries
ago. Here we rested in the shade of
its ruined buildings. As we enjoyed
our picnic lunch with a bottle of local
wine, I pondered again on events in
those distant times when Philippi
was a flourishing city, its inhabitants
thronging its bustling alleyways with
the energy of everyday life.
‘I knew this would happen, Paul,’
said Silas. ‘You’ve really done it this
time. We will never get out of here
now. You should never have made that
speech at the forum. It was too inflam-
matory, too provocative and too anti-
feminist. The people are not ready. You
must be more PC.’ ‘Faith, Silas,’ Paul
replied, ‘all is not lost. We have friends
in high places. We may be banged up
Episode 15:
History Revisited
here in jail for a few days, but all will
be well.’ ‘That may be so,’ said Silas,
‘but I’m bored already.’ ‘No problem,’
responded Paul confidently. In next
to no time Paul had arranged a team
match over XXIV boards against the
Roman prison guards. Paul and Silas
teamed up with two other inmates also
awaiting trial. On the first XII deals,
there were no big swings; at the half
way mark, Paul’s team was leading by
VIII IMPs largely due to their superior
bidding system. The guards were still
using the Old Roman system. This had
XL points in the pack, which required
XIII points to open and, with a good
trump fit, counted I, III and V for dou-
bletons, singletons and voids. The play-
ers rarely bid slams unless there was an
abacus handy. Late in the second half
the following deal appeared.
♠ 8 7 6 3
♥ 8 3 2
♦ A J 7 5
♣ Q 4
♠ A K 10 9 4 ♠ Q 5 2
♥ K Q J 7 5 N ♥ A 9 6 4
W E
♦ Q 6 S ♦ 8
♣ 7 ♣ 9 6 5 3 2
♠ J
♥ 10
♦ K 10 9 4 3 2
♣ A K J 10 8
The bidding was reasonably
straightforward with South as dealer:
West North East South put his arm round my shoulders. ‘Ouzo
Guard 2 Silas Guard 1 Paul time?’ He inquired, half question, half
1♦
2♦* 3♦ 4♥ 5♦
All Pass to our favourite taverna in the town
*both majors
Page 10
With only two major-suit losers, Paul
brought in the contract without diffi-
culty. At the other table, with only XII
points, Prison Guard South decided
not to open; the auction there went:
West North East South
Inmate 2 Guard 3 Inmate 1 Guard 4
Pass
1♠ Pass 2♠ 2NT*
3♥ 4♦ 4♥ All Pass
* both minors
Although the prison guards took their
two tricks in the minors, the contract
rolled in with an overtrick. This gave
a useful double-game swing to Paul’s
team, who seemed to be heading for a
decisive victory. Abruptly, the contest
ended. At the very moment of triumph,
an earthquake hit the town throwing
open the doors of the prison. In the
subsequent confusion, the guards fled,
allowing Paul and Silas to continue
their travels. Nobody ever confirmed
the match score…
I woke up suddenly. Spouse was
gently shaking my arm. ‘Wakey,
wakey,’ he was saying, ‘you have had
your siesta.’ Arriving back in Thassos
Town, the evening was pleasantly
warm. From the ancient Agora,
we strolled up the hill to the partly
restored amphitheatre and followed
a path along the old city walls to the
Acropolis and Temple dedicated to
Athena at the summit. From there we
looked over the harbour and watched
the orange sunset reflected in the calm
water of the Mediterranean. Spouse
confirmation anticipating my own
thoughts. Slowly we meandered back
square. ■
 DEFENCE Mr Bridge
QUIZ Christmas &

by Julian Pottage
(Answers on page 45) New Year 2013/14
Y ou are East in the defensive positions below. It is your turn
to play. Both sides are using Acol with a 12-14 1NT.
Denham
Grove
Near Uxbridge,
1. ♠ J 10 3
♥ 10 9 6
UB9 5DU
3. ♠ Q 9 4
♦ A J 10 8 5 ♥ 8 6
♣ K 9 ♦ K J 9 5 23-27 December £495
♠ Q 9 7 ♣ A Q 9 4

N
W E ♥ 3 ♠ 7 6 3
Just Duplicate Bridge
S ♦ K 7 2 ♥ 3
N
(with a small section for
♣ A J 8 4 3 2 ♦ A8764 rubber/Chicago with Diana Holland)
W E
♣ S K873

West North East South

27-29 December £215
1♥ West North East South Signals and Discards
Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT 3♥ Pass Pass 3♠
Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠ End 29 December – 2 January £445
End Doubles
Partner leads the ♥A
Partner leads the ♠6: ♠10, followed by the ♥K. What
♠Q and ♠A. Declarer leads do you discard?
to the ♥10 and plays a
second round. What do you The Olde
discard?
Barn
Marston, Lincs,
2. ♠ J 10 3
NG32 2HT
4. ♠ J 9 4
♥ 10 9 6 ♥ 10 7 5 3
♦ A J 10 8 5
♣ K 9
♦ K Q 9 23-27 December £495
♣ K Q 8
♠ K Q 9 ♠ 3
Just Duplicate Bridge
N
♥ 3 ♥ K94

W E
S ♦ K 7 2 W E
N
♦ 8764 27-29 December £215
♣ J 10 8 4 3 2 S ♣ J 9 7 4 3 Finding Slams
29 December – 1 January £445
West North East South West North East South
1♥ Pass Pass 1♥
Leads and Defence
Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT 1♠ 2♠1 Pass 4♥

( 01483 489961
Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ End
End 1
Sound raise in hearts

Partner leads the ♠6: ♠10,

♠Q and ♠A. Declarer leads
to the ♥10 and plays a
second round. What do you
discard?
Partner leads the ♠A and
continues with the ♠Q.
What do you do?
e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk
website: www.holidaybridge.com
Booking Form on page 6.

Page 11
 Justin Corfield Says
Knock Out the
Entry to the
Danger Hand First
T
he concept of a ‘danger hand’ West leads the nine of spades against
refers to when you can lose the your 3NT contract. You win with the
lead safely to one opponent, but king, while East encourages with the
not the other: eight. From the play to the first trick,
you conclude that West has tried –
successfully – to find East’s suit.
♠ 5 3 You will need to set up extra tricks
♥ K 6 3 in the minor suits. Would you finesse
♦ A J 7 6 in diamonds first, or would you rather
♣ A 5 3 2 knock out the ace of clubs first? Does it
N make any difference? Let us see.
W E
S
Suppose you decide that you will have
to lose to the ace of clubs at some point
♠ K Q 2 and therefore that you might as well
♥ A 4 2 knock it out straight away.
♦ K 10 9 8 5 The writing is on the wall when West
♣ K 4 goes in with the ace of clubs and plays
another spade. You try the jack from
dummy, but East wins with the queen
Suppose you are in 3NT and West leads and clears the spades. As a last resort,
a low spade to East’s jack. you cross to your hand in hearts to try
You ensure the contract if you win, the diamond finesse. Unfortunately,
cross to the ace of diamonds and then it loses to East, who cashes two more
run the jack. You play the diamonds this spade tricks to defeat your contract.
way around because you do not mind Compare this rather sad scenario with
losing a trick to West, who can do you the more cheerful one where you try the
no harm. It would be dangerous to lose diamond finesse at trick two.
a trick to East (who can play a spade If the diamond finesse wins, you take
through your remaining spade honour). a few more diamond finesses then knock
East is the danger hand and you have out the ace of clubs, making overtricks.
kept him off lead in the play. If the finesse loses, though, no harm can
When you have two high cards to come. East cannot profitably attack the
knock out, life is more complicated and spade suit from his side of the table.
this is where the maxim proves useful. By taking the diamond finesse into
East at trick two, you attack the danger
hand’s entry before the defenders have
♠ A J 3 set up their suit. This play guarantees
♥ A 3 2 ten tricks against any layout.
♦ A 6 4 2 Note that, assuming you place East
♣ Q 10 3 with long spades, you play the same way
N
if dummy’s spades are weaker, A-x-x.
W E You still want to knock out East’s king of
S
diamonds before the ace of clubs, which
♠ K 2 may be with West.
♥ K 5 4 Another day, another 3NT and
♦ Q J 10 9 another danger hand for you to keep off
♣ K J 9 2 lead – West, having opened with a weak
two in spades, leads a low spade.
Page 12
♠ 5 4 2
♥ 10 9 6 4
♦ A Q 8 3 2
♣ K
N
W E
S
♠ A K
♥ K Q 2
♦ J 10 9 6
♣ A 4 3 2
Most players would run the jack of
diamonds at trick two. Would you?
The diamond finesse, appealing as it
may look, would be a mistake. If you
take it now and it loses, East will return
a spade, setting up West’s suit. At this
point, you will have eight tricks and still
need to knock out the heart ace. If West
holds it, you will be in trouble.
Resisting the allure of that diamond
finesse, you should reason that West is
the danger hand, with the ace of hearts
his only possible entry. So attack that
suit first and play the king of hearts at
trick two. What is the worst that could
happen? If someone takes the heart
ace and knocks out your remaining
spade stopper, you then take a diamond
finesse into the now safe East hand (you
know the spades are 6-2 on the bidding).
If the defenders allow your heart king to
hold, you simply switch to diamonds –
the difference is that you already have a
heart trick in the bag.
One way to think about this is to
consider which layouts threaten your
contract. Here, the danger is that the
diamond finesse is wrong (East has the
king) and West holds the heart ace. You
then consider how to make the contract,
even against the dangerous layout.
Sometimes the obvious play – on the
long suit – is wrong. Knock out the entry
to the danger hand first. ■
 David Stevenson answers your questions on Laws and Ethics
Q
I have just
returned from
the splendid
congress in Jersey.
In one of the
tournaments, I was dealt
the following hand.
 
♠ Void
♥ Q J 10 x x x
♦ x x x x
♣ x x x
 
As this was not within our
point range (5 to 9) for
a multi 2♦ opening bid,
I passed. Subsequently,
I found one or two had
opened 2♦ which worked
to their advantage.
I am aware that one
is not allowed to psyche
a multi and believe
I was right to pass.
Please tell me your
view of this situation.
George Pilcher,
Upper Deal BC.
A
If by the congress in
Jersey you refer to
the EBU congress,
all EBU events apart from
novice ones are Level 4 and
there is no restriction on
psyching a multi at Level 4.
Even if it had been a Level
3 event, when the restriction
on psyching applies, I
Could I have
Psyched a
Multi 2♦?
would think most people
would consider this such
a perfect weak two hand,
that they would consider
opening 2♦ as a deviation
rather than a psyche.
Plus, of course, some of
the other people may play
3-7 or some other range, in
which case it is in range.
♣♦♥♠
Q
What rights
do I have as
a defender if,
during the play, my
partner concedes the
remaining tricks? Can I
request play to continue?  shouted across the room,
If I am further
compromised by my
partner, who as well
as conceding, throws
his remaining cards
face up on the table.
What rights do I have?
Alan Mansell by email.
A
Of course you call
the director. He will
tell you, reading from
the Law book we hope, that
no concession has occurred
if you object and play
continues. It is made worse
for you if he throws his hand
face up: what you see now
is unauthorised information,
which may lead to an
adjusted score if the director
Page 13
judges you have used the
information even unwittingly.
If a defender wishes
to concede [or claim] he
should show his cards only
to declarer until the claim
or concession is accepted.
♣♦♥♠
Q
At a recent club
playing session, I
was sitting North
playing one of those
tricky 3NT contracts. The
club director was playing
at an adjacent table.
He completed his
round and stood up and
‘Who is pair 10?’. As it
turned out, the E/W pair
at my table were the pair
in question and raised
a hand. The director
immediately came to
the table and began to
chastise them about an
error on the traveller for
a previous board they
had played. I said to
the director that I was
in the middle of playing
a hand and would he
mind waiting until I
had finished playing
it as it was tricky. He
said he needed to sort
this problem out now
and began to discuss
it with the E/W pair,
ignoring my protest. I
suggested to him that
this was not within the
etiquette of the game.
Needless to say, I totally
lost concentration and
failed to make the
contract, unlike most of
the other pairs. I asked
the director, somewhat
cheekily, to adjust the
score for his interference
and he refused.
Is this normal be-
haviour for a director?
Surely he should never
interrupt the playing of a
hand unless he is actu-
ally called to that table?
Sandy Gourlay by email.
A
Certainly it should
be rare for a director
to interrupt play,
though there are times when
it really has to happen.
In this case, the director
was completely out of line:
there is no need to interrupt
a board for a scoring
error. He seems to have his
priorities wrong.
David Stevenson answers all
queries based on the facts
supplied by the letter writer.
Neither Mr Bridge nor
David Stevenson has any way
of knowing whether those
facts are correct or complete.

Ask David continued
Q
While directing
on a club night, I
was called upon
to rule on an unusual
situation. I consulted
with other directors at
the club but we were of
differing opinions, and
I would welcome your
advice on the matter.
At table 3, a player
who had trouble han-
dling the cards due to
a physical problem,
dropped a card at some
time during the hand.
However, the board was
played and recorded
with no-one noticing
a card was missing.
Whether they played
the board with 51 or 52
cards was not clear.
The board was passed
down to table 2 where
South, who normally
counts her cards, failed
to notice she was a card
short. The hand was
bid, played and scored
without anyone noticing
there was a missing card.
The board was then
passed down to table 1
where South, who nor-
mally counts his cards,
failed to notice he was a
card short. The hand was
bid, played and scored
without anyone notic-
ing there was a missing
card. Only on return-
ing the cards to the
board did South notice
he only held 12 cards.
The missing card was
found on the floor by
table 3. It was clear
that the particular card
made no difference to
the bidding or the play
and that at no time
could it have resulted
in a revoke card.
Under Law 13C, the
result should be can-
celled, an adjusted score
awarded and the offend-
ing contestant should be
liable to a procedural
penalty. However, as
the results reflected the
performance of the play-
ers and did not penalise
either side, I felt that
under Law 12C(c), equity
would be satisfied by al-
lowing the actual scores
to stand. Was I correct, or
should I have penalised
the offending N/S pairs?
If a penalty should
be implemented, how
should I treat table 3, as
I am not sure whether
the card was dropped
before or after play?
Pam Niven by email.
A
Law 13 is not
relevant: it refers
to positions where
the number of cards held
by the players adds up to
52. You want Law 14.
According to Law 14, the
card is restored to the hand
and treated as though it
was there throughout. So
long as there was no revoke,
then the scores stand.
The two people who either
did not count their cards
or counted them wrongly
should be reminded of the
importance of counting them
correctly. Since no board
was actually lost, no other
penalty is appropriate.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Last night I was
playing friendly
bridge with
friends. We play Acol. My
partner opened 1NT (12-
14), the next hand bid
2♦, I had one point and
six hearts to the jack.
I couldn’t transfer
over the 2♦ bid, so I
bid 2♥, which made.
The opposition said I
Page 14
cheated. Did I? I have no
idea. I would be grate-
ful for your opinion.
Nadia Dowell-Lee by email.
A
You say friendly
bridge, but it is not
friendly when op-
ponents say you cheated. I
strongly suggest not playing
with these opponents again.
What you did is nor-
mal: most people play that
transfers do not apply once
the opponents make a bid,
so many people would bid
2♥. Your opponents are
ignorant as well as rude.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Last Saturday at
our sociable
bridge (not EBU
and no masterpoints), my
partner bid 2♠ (alertable
– 11 points) after my INT
opening I pulled out
what I thought was an
alert card and began
to explain the call 11
points etc. While I was
explaining the call: my
LHO passed. Only when I
went to put the card back
did I discover that it was
a pass card.
If this had happened
on our club night, what
would be the ruling if
the director was called?
Ron Turner by email.
A
Like any other
mechanical error, if
you pull a card you
do not mean then it may
be changed if partner has
not called subsequently.
Pulling the wrong card
for an alert is fairly com-
mon and no-one I know has
ever called the director: you
usually get three smiles and/
or giggles and people tell-
ing you not to be a chump,
when you look at the card
and sheepishly change it.
Q
As playing Stay-
man, Transfers,
Gerber and
Blackwood has proved in
practice to be too com-
plicated for our partner-
ship, my partner and I
have agreed to simplify
things and play just a
strong no-trump (16-
18 points) and Black-
wood at our bridge
club. (Incidentally this
has improved our rank-
ing in the results).
However, while play-
ing in a duplicate bridge
session, I opened 1NT
and my partner an-
nounced, ‘12-14,’ having
forgotten our agreement.
Do I say something, if
so what and when?
I realise that the real
issue is ageing and that
not even Mr Bridge can
prevent that, but you
could try and help us to
abide by the rules and
the etiquette of bridge
and enjoy this great
game a little longer.
John Bromhead by email.
A
When your partner
describes your system
wrongly, whether
in answer to a question,
by a mistaken announce-
ment, by alerting something
that should not be alerted
or not alerting something
that should be alerted, you
should take no action at
the time and try to show
no reaction. You should
then carry on as if partner
has done the right thing.
If you become declarer or
dummy, you tell the op-
ponents at the end of the
bidding. If you become a
defender, you tell the oppo-
nents at the end of the hand.
But what he has said
or done is unauthorised
information to you, so you
must do your best to take no
advantage from it.
 Ask David continued
Q
East, on lead, led
♠8; dummy and
West followed
low and North discarded
a club. East next led the
♦A; dummy and West
again followed low.
North then admitted to
inadvertently playing
a club in the previous
round instead of the
intended ♠A. The
director’s ruling was
that the three played
cards should be returned
to hand and the
previous trick replayed
with no penalties.
Now that North had
knowledge that East had
the ♦A, are there any
restrictions that should
have been applied?
Ronald Pardoe,
Weymouth, Dorset.
A
I am afraid the
director’s ruling
was just wrong: he
really should start to read
rulings from the Law book.
As soon as declarer played
low to the next trick from
dummy the revoke was
established and may not be
changed. The hand is played
out without the card being
changed and declarer has
one trick transferred to the
defence at the end of the
hand (as the defender did
not win the revoke trick).
♣♦♥♠
Q RULES SIMPLIFIED
We were playing
a teams of
four match in
a league run by our
local bridge club.  twice (sometimes two
The bidding was
completed, South being
the declarer. West
should have made the
opening lead but East
tabled a card face up.
Normally there would
be no problem, the rules
cover this situation.
However, dummy (North)
proceeded to put her
hand down. She had
fully exposed two
suits before declarer
said to East, ‘It
wasn’t your lead.’
I was called from
the other table to sort
it out. I had no access
to the rule book so I
decided that dummy
had effectively accepted
the lead out of turn on
behalf of declarer and
had chosen the option of
exposing dummy before
declarer played his card.
This was happily
accepted by all
four players at the
table, but I was left
wondering whether
I had got it right.
Your guidance please.
Alan Whitehouse,
London N8.
A
You have guessed
right on this occasion
and ruled right. I
suggest you make sure a
Law book is available in
future. I trust you told East
that he is required to lead
face down which might have
solved the problem, since
someone might have noticed
before he was told by his
partner to face the lead.
♣♦♥♠
Q
My club always
plays Mitchell
movements.
This results in
sessions where the
same pair is played
pairs played twice) and
even situations where
pairs sit out twice, when
there is a half table.  Available from Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961
I think it would be
Page 15
a good idea to play
Howell for 6, 8, 10,
11 and 12 tables.
Howells are thought
to be fairer, because
at least 75% of the
other pairs are played
against, whereas with
a Mitchell it’s only 50%.
So why not a Howell?
I would be glad if
you would confirm
that playing a Howell
movement provides more
variety and fairness to
the game. Your backing
would help with my
recommendation at
the next committee
meeting for a change
to our movement list.
Brian Moakes by email.
A Q
Howells are seriously
unpopular for
large numbers
because people like to
be stationary. It looks as
though your club should
be investigating possible
movements. For example,
sitting out twice just never
happens in a well regulated
club: your club must stop
using any movement where
this happens, but that does
not mean using Howells.
Certainly some clubs
use a three-quarter Howell
with 6 tables, especially
if there is a half-table.
But six 4-board rounds
seems fine if there is not.
8 tables: eight 3-board
rounds, using a share and
DUPLICATE BRIDGE 
(otherwise known as the Yellow Book)
by John Rumbelow and
revised by David Stevenson
relay, seems normal.
10 tables has always
been a bit tricky. Easy if
you have a half-table, since
then you use a Bowman
which involves eight 3-board
rounds. If not, play nine out
of ten 3-board rounds.
11 tables: now you can
play a Hesitation Mitchell,
twelve 2-board rounds.
12 tables: a straight share
and relay. Admittedly, it
involves a 2-board share,
but alternatives are not very
good. Easy if you have a
half-table: make one of the
sharing tables the one with
no North-South pair and
now there is no share.
♣♦♥♠
If you play a
special slam
convention to
handle voids, such as
Exclusion Blackwood
(or Voidwood), does
one have to alert
or announce this to
one’s opponents?
Evan St Clair Sepion
by email.
A
You do not alert
bids above 3NT,
while announcements
are restricted to a few
openings and responses
at a low level. So, no, it
requires neither alert nor
announcement. You should
just mention it on the system
card (convention card).
only
£5 95
 Ask David continued
Q
I’ll be grateful
if you can throw
some light
onto parts of Law 16B,
which I find difficult to
fully comprehend.
Firstly, what constitutes
an unmistakable
hesitation? When a
player takes time to
consider various options,
especially in contested
auctions, before taking
decisive action, even
if that action is to pass
– surely that does not
constitute, ‘unmistakable
hesitation’? Some
players naturally play
quickly and others
invariably take time.
Would it not have
been clearer if the
laws simply referred
to abnormal actions?
Secondly, reference is
made to calls or plays
that the player may
not make. The clear
inference from this is
that any call which is
not a logical alternative
can be made. Is this
correct? Why does it not
say, ‘the player may not
choose any call or play
that could demonstrably
have been suggested...’?
Thirdly, who has to
demonstrate that the
call or play has been
suggested by extraneous
information? Is it the
player who calls the
director, or the director?
Mike Scarffe by email.
A
An unmistakable
hesitation is one that
is obvious. After all,
that is what unmistakable
means. If a player with a
flat Yarborough would pass
in two seconds or less, then
five or more seconds is an
unmistakable hesitation:
sufficient that his partner
knows he has not got a
flat Yarborough, but has
a decision to make.
Whatever words the laws
use, people will argue.
After all, if you open 1NT
with a singleton, many
people would refer to that
as an abnormal action.
There is plenty of case law
to suggest that if someone
chooses an action that is
not a logical alternative,
but is suggested by the
unauthorised information,
it is still illegal. As to your
suggested wording, that
seems to me to lead to great
confusion: the current Law
covers, very adequately, the
99% of cases where there
are only logical alternatives
being considered.
It is helpful if players can
describe why they believe
a call to be legal or illegal,
dependent on which side
is speaking, but the final
decision rests with the
director and those with
whom he consults, or with
the Appeal Committee.
♣♦♥♠
Q Q
This sequence
occurred in a
simultaneous
pairs:
West North East South
1♦ 1NT Pass 2♥
Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠
End
South had intended 2♥
as a transfer. Can North
reasonably pass 4♠?
Julian Lang by email.
A
A player who
is in receipt of
unauthorised
information from partner
must do everything in his
power to gain no advantage
from such information. This
Page 16
case involves a player being
reminded by his partner’s
lack of an alert, so the player
must take no advantage.
Furthermore, the player
whose partner has misbid
must not field his misbid.
Thus, he should be able to
demonstrate to the director
that if he passes a rebid, it
is what players would do
usually, not that he is doing
so because his partner has
forgotten before. The pass of
4♠ looks somewhat suspect.
♣♦♥♠
Q
If playing a
strong no-
trump (15-17)
and opener bids the
better minor (minimum
3 cards), (a) should
partner alert and (b)
should it be on one’s
convention card?
Geoffrey Cassen by email.
A
While not alertable,
it must be on
the convention
card and explained in
answer to any question.
♣♦♥♠
My regular
partner and
I play a 2♠
response to 1NT as an
enquiry bid, asking
opener whether he
is maximum. Opener
replies 2NT with a non-
maximum and 3♣ with a
maximum. We also use
2♠ as the mechanism to
exit from 1NT into 3♣/3♦
with a long minor. If
asked about the bid, I
say, ‘enquiring whether
opener is maximum.’ My
partner tends to give a
somewhat long-winded
explanation, describing
possible hands, such
as, ‘Could be 11-12
HCP without a major
or might be a weak
hand with a long minor
– I do not know which
until he bids again.’
Which is better?
Alan Mansell, Milford-on-Sea.
A
Your reply is certainly
inadequate, while
your partner’s is
quite good. You are required
to tell opponents what a
bid means; if you know that
it can show two types of
hand (balanced game try
or sign-off in a minor), you
have a duty to tell them so.
‘A balanced game try
or sign-off in a minor,’
is what I would say.
♣♦♥♠
Q
During a recent
interclub match, I
was sitting West:
West North East South
1♣ Pass 1♠
2♥ Dbl End
I went two off as partner
had two small hearts
and the suit split 5-1,
with five in the North
hand. I asked South
how he knew to pass
the double. He said
that the double had
been for penalties. How
would you have ruled?
Alan Long,
Virginia Water, Surrey.
A
All doubles of suit
bids require an alert
except take-out
doubles, so South should
have alerted. I would have
explained this to South,
it is such an easy rule.
I would only change the
score if you could manage
to convince me of some way
that you or your partner
might have bid differently, or
how you might have played
the hand differently, if there
had been an alert.
 Ask David continued able to cope if partner
supports the major.’
Your comments would
be much appreciated
Q
I wonder if you and I wonder what led
could help on to the inclusion of the
the following. amendment last year.
Some while ago, my wife David Hickman by email.
used a negative double
A
and, when dummy went All the above
down, an opponent methods are
observed affably, traditional.
but critically, that the Traditional does not mean
wording of clause 5G5 played in a specific way. The
in ‘The Orange Book’ reason for the change is that
had changed and that some people play doubles in
in this instance the a way that is not expected.
double should have been For example, with my regular
alerted. The changed partner I play, 1♣-(1♦)-Dbl as
wording includes the showing hearts specifically,
phrase, ‘played in the and 1♠-(2♥)-Dbl as showing
traditional manner, clubs specifically, and I know
such as 1♣-(1♠)-Dbl a pair who play 1♣-(1♥)-Dbl
showing four hearts.’ as denying spades. These
This begs the question, methods are alertable. But
what is meant by ‘tra- if a negative double shows
ditional’? I have looked the unbid suits, or an unbid
at four publications, viz major, or is just general
‘Really Modern Acol’, take-out, it is not alertable.
Ron Klinger’s ‘Common
Bridge Conventions Flip- ♣♦♥♠
per’, ‘Understanding
Q
Acol’ and ‘Conventions The contract
Today’, which vari- is 4NT with a
ously suggest ‘a double combined point
of any overcall shows count of 31. Winning the
four cards in any unbid opening lead, declarer
major.’ ‘With a 1♣ open- runs dummy’s five-card
ing and a 1♦ overcall, diamond suit. On the
a double shows both fourth round, the ten,
majors, both minors if both defenders show out.
both majors have al- On the last diamond,
ready been bid.’ ‘If both the seven, a defender
majors have been bid, produces the jack. The
a double should show director arrives, saying
both minors, or one the immediate penalty
minor and a tolerance is one trick. Now on
for partner’s major.’ ‘4-4 lead, the defenders
in the unbid suits and proceed to take three
not enough support for more tricks. Without the
partner to raise him.’ revoke, declarer has
Or even, ‘It tends to be eleven certain tricks and
agreed that a negative twelve on a squeeze. The
double promises four director returned and, at
cards in an unbid major the end of the evening,
and this certainly makes awarded eleven tricks
partner’s life easier, but as most of the players
this need not be a rigid in no-trumps made
requirement if you are eleven (although two
Page 17
made twelve). Should the
director credit declarer
with the maximum score
by other pairs, rather
than the most common?
Colin Davies, Cheshire.
A
No, adjustments do
not work that way.
The director should
not look at other results
at all, since he does not
know whether the bidding
and lead was the same at
other tables. He merely
calculates what might have
happened and then gives a
weighting to each possibility.
So, if he judged you
would have found the
squeeze maybe one time in
three, he should award:
45% of 3NT+3
+ 55% of 3NT+2
Note the slight bias towards
the non-offenders in the final
figures. That is normal.
♣♦♥♠
Q
May I have your
comments on the
following incident
at a local bridge club:
North opened 2♦,
alerted. I was sitting
East and passed with a
Yarborough. South bid
2♥ and my son sitting
West immediately asked
South for the meaning
of the 2♦ bid. South was
answering, ‘Multi 2♦,’
when North angrily
interrupted, accusing my
son of not allowing him
to alert the 2♥ bid. My
son called the director
and told him that he
wanted to register his
disapproval of North’s
behaviour. North then
told the director that
he wanted to complain
that my son had asked
E-mail your questions on bridge laws to:
davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.uk
a question out of tempo.
I calmly questioned
whether he was really
complaining about a
question out of tempo
and he confirmed that
this was covered by
the laws. The director
seemed to acknowledge
both complaints and
left the table.
North is an experienced
director and a county
player, but it seems
to me that Law 73 D.1
does not support his
view. I cannot see that
my son is required to
give North time to alert
South’s 2♥ bid before
he is entitled to ask the
meaning of North’s 2♦
bid, but that seems to
be the basis for North’s
rude interruption and
subsequent complaint.
To be clear, the question
was asked after the 2♥
bid had been made.
My son laughs it
off, but he would
prefer bridge clubs to
be less tolerant of
such behaviour.
Tony Budd by email.
A
North’s behaviour
was rude and
should have been
dealt with by the director
by a disciplinary penalty.
Any player may ask any
question at his turn to call,
so North was wrong as
well as rude: your son had
a perfect right to ask.
Anyone who has ever
run into the Multi knows
that 2♥ is not going to be
natural: perhaps North
was trying deliberately
intimidatory tactics. Whatever
he intended, it is a pity the
director did not deal with
him. ■
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 DECLARER Denham The Olde
Grove Barn
PLAY Denham,
Bucks, UB9 5DG Hotel
Marston,

QUIZ Lincs NG32 2HT

by David Huggett
(Answers on page 41)

4-6 October – £215

Y ou are South as declarer playing teams or rubber bridge.

In each case, what is your play strategy?
Doubles – Gary Conrad
25-27 October – £215
Finding Slams – Sandy Bell
7-9 February 2014 – £199
Just Duplicate Bridge
1. ♠ 6 3 3. ♠ K Q 2
28-30 March 2014 – £199 BRIDGE
♥ J 9 7 ♥ Q 6 4
♦ K 10 9 4 3 ♦ J 7 5
Just Duplicate Bridge EVENTS
4-6 April 2014 – £169
♣ Q J 2 ♣ 8 7 5 4
Rubber / Chicago 19-21 July £169
N N Diana Holland Just Duplicate Bridge
W E W E
S S Full Board
No Single Supplement 16-18 August £179
Declarer Play
♠ K Q J 2 ♠ A J 10 9 6 Booking Form on page 6.
♥ 3 ♥ A K 5 3
6-8 September £169
♦ A Q J 7 6 5 ♦ 9 6 2
Just Duplicate Bridge
♣ A 4 ♣ A

RUBBER / 18-20 October £169

You are declarer in 5♦ and
West leads the ♥A and follows
up with the ♥K. How do you
plan the play?
Just Duplicate Bridge
You are declarer in 4♠ and West CHICAGO
leads the three top diamonds 1-3 November £169
and switches to the ♣3. East Just Duplicate Bridge
follows to the diamonds and
plays the ♣K on the club switch. 8-10 November £245
NEW
How do you plan the play? Bernard Magee TOPIC

Better Leads & Switches

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22-24 November £169
Worthing BN11 3DU
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7-9 February 2014
2. ♠ 7 5 4. ♠ 6 5 2
with Sheila Rogers 17-19 January 2014 £169
♥ 6 3 2 ♥ 9 6
♦ A 7 4 ♦ A Q J 7 4 Just Duplicate Bridge
♣ A 10 9 8 4 ♣ Q J 6
21-23 February £179
N N Stayman & Transfers
W E W E
S S
14-16 March £169
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♥ A 8 5 4 ♥ A 8 Bucks UB9 5DG
♦ K 6 5 2 ♦ 2 4-6 April 2014 25-27 April £179
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♣ K Q ♣ A K 10 9 8 7 2

£169 Full Board Full Board

You are declarer in 3NT and You are declarer in 6♣ and No Single Supplement No Single Supplement
West leads the ♠Q. How do West leads the ♥K. How do Booking Form on page 6. Booking Form on page 6.
you plan the play? you plan the play?

Page 19

B
ridge is full of numbers and some
are quite complex. The principle
of restricted choice is hard to
grasp, but it is easy to put into practice.
♠ A K 10 9 8
N
W E
S
♠ 7 6 5 4
You lead the ace of spades and East
drops the queen, what do you do next?
Put another way: did East start with a
bare queen or queen-jack doubleton?
The important layouts are:
West East
(a) ♠ J 3 2 ♠ Q
(b) ♠ 3 2 ♠ Q J
A quick mathematical calculation may
suggest that (b) is a fraction more likely.
However, this is where the principle
of restricted choice comes in. What it
states is that half the time East holds Q-J
doubleton he would play the jack first
not the queen, so this halves the chances
that he started with Q-J. Look at this
another way: if East has the Q-J, let him
play them to the first two spades on four
different occasions:
(i) J then Q (iii) J then Q
(ii) Q then J (iv) Q then J
He chooses randomly whether to play
the jack or queen first. The principle
of restricted choice takes into account
that options (i) and (iii) are impossible
(as East followed with the queen first).
So the chance that he started with Q-J
doubleton is only half what it was and
you should take the finesse.
Knowing why is not necessary, but
being able to follow the principle will
Bernard Magee Says
Use the Principle
of Restricted Choice
enhance your declarer play:
When two key touching honours are
missing and a defender drops one, it
is more likely to be a forced play from
a bare honour than a chosen play from
two honours doubleton. So you finesse
his partner for the second honour.
♠ A K 10 9 8
N ♠ 10 3 2 ♠ J 7 6 5
W E
♠ J 3 2 ♠ Q
S
♠ 7 6 5 4
So, having played the ace of spades
and seen East’s queen, you come to hand
to lead a spade to North’s ten.
Here is a full deal:
♠ K Q 3
♥ 10 9 5 4
♦ 8 4 3
♣ K 7 5
♠ J 8 7 6 ♠ 10 9 5
♥ J N ♥ Q 3 2
W E
♦ Q J 9 5 S ♦ A K 10 2
♣ J 10 9 8 ♣ Q 6 3
♠ A 4 2
♥ A K 8 7 6
♦ 7 6
♣ A 4 2
Contract: 4♥. Lead: ♦Q.
To justify the bidding you need to avoid
a trump loser. The defence play three
rounds of diamonds and you ruff the
third round, all following. You cash the
♥A, on which West plays the jack. How
do you continue?
Using the principle of restricted
choice, you play West for having started
with a singleton honour.
Go to dummy with a spade and lead
Page 20
the heart ten, running it when East plays
low; your king drops the queen on the
next round and you have ten tricks.
Here is another example:
♠ A Q 4
♥ 7 6 4
♦ 5 4 3
♣ 9 8 6 5
♥ 10 5 N ♥ J 8 3 2
♦ K Q J 9 8 W E ♦ 10 7 2
S
♣ K J 10 ♣ Q 7
♠ K 9 8
♥ A K Q 9
♦ A 6
♣ A 4 3 2
Contract: 3NT. Lead: ♦K.
You win the second diamond and play
hearts. You cash the ace, on which all
follow low. Then, on the king, West plays
the ten and East the three. How do you
play for your contract?
This is another instance where the
principle of restricted choice can help:
you have two touching high cards
missing; the jack and ten. You should
follow the principle. Since West’s ten
dropped, it is more likely that it was his
last card in the suit than that he holds
the jack as well, so you should cross to
dummy’s ♠Q and lead a third heart and,
when East plays the eight, you insert the
nine which wins the trick. Four hearts
along with your other five top tricks
allows you to make 3NT.
Conclusion
When you are missing two touching
high cards and one of them falls on an
early round, you should assume that the
other player holds the rest of the cards in
the suit and play accordingly. ■

I
leafed casually through the mail.
The third envelope immediately
caught my attention: airmail, from
the United States. I guessed its subject
even before I opened it. My ancient
uncle, the Seventh Baron von Mün-
chausen, had finally told me one im-
probable bridge story too many, and I
had decided to investigate the truth of
the matter.
It all started when I raised the
subject of conventional bidding yet
again. Uncle Leo hates conventions,
and claims that sound natural bidding
is always best. I suggested that in
certain situations conventions are
very valuable. ‘Stayman in response
to 1NT, for example, or Fishbein in
defence to a Weak Three.’
‘Ah, him. Fishbein. I played against
him in the Harvard Teams of Two in
1960.’
‘Teams of two?’ I asked, ironically
and, I intended, rhetorically.
The old man looked at me angrily
through watery blue eyes. ‘I played with
de Sade, and Fishbein with a member
of the Psychology staff. D’Urfe, yes,
that was it. A sound enough player,
but totally under Fishbein’s spell. They
played East Coast Scientific, while we
played bridge.’
‘Teams of two?’
‘Your obvious scepticism is deeply
offensive to me,’ he replied, and did
not speak for several days.
The internet is a marvellous thing.
De Sade, I knew, had died quite
recently. Fishbein had cut into the great
table in the sky many years earlier.
But I was able to track down Doctor
D. S. D’Urfe, Emeritus Professor of
Sport Psychology. I must confess I had
believed him to be a mere figment of
From the Baron’s Archives by Dick Atkinson
The Whole is Less Than
the Sum of its Parts
my uncle’s imagination, but he had
indeed been an active member of the
Harvard faculty back in the sixties.
He is apparently regarded as the most
prominent Sino-Belgian scientist of
the Twentieth, or indeed any other,
Century. This was his letter:
The Prof’s Letter
Dear Mr Atkinson,
I read your enquiry with interest,
and I can answer your principal query
in the positive. I did indeed take part
in that ill-fated experiment, and I
look back on it with some bitterness.
Conceive it: a means of comparing
two pairs head-to-head, definitively,
without the confusing involvement of
other players. We could have turned
bridge into a true Olympic sport. The
inaugural (and only) match itself
should have been a fascinating test of
Natural versus Scientific bidding. We
were playing a full range of proven
gadgets, KCB, DAB, SOS, GSF, SID,
ETC. [I didn’t recognise that one at
first, until I realised he meant ‘etc.’]
We were years ahead of our time, even
dabbling with the link between LTC
and TNT. But, to continue.
The procedure was as follows. In
the afternoon, the players would
get through thirty-two deals, before
breaking for a meal. After refreshing
themselves, they would spend fifteen
minutes deep relaxation in the SDC
(Sensory Deprivation Chamber),
followed by fifteen minutes of AVS
(Audio-Visual Suggestion) to achieve
HIA (Hypnotically Induced Amnesia).
In the evening, the same hands could
be played with the directions switched,
enabling perfect comparison.
Page 21
The Baron, however, brought the
whole experiment into disrepute. It was
obvious from the very first hand that
he had found some way to cheat the
hypnotist, and was in fact remembering
the cards. After a single day the match
was abandoned. The Faculty decided
there should be no publicity: the whole
affair was best forgotten. As far as I am
concerned, I hope it stays that way.
I am sorry if this is painful – no doubt
in his twilight years your uncle has
mellowed, and is a beloved patriarch.
And, after all, it was so very long ago.
Yours faithfully,
Dim Sung D’Urfe
The Baron’s Rebuttal
A beloved patriarch. Hmm.
Well. In one sense my uncle’s
honesty was vindicated; but a still
more sinister cloud now hung over
him. I wrestled with my conscience,
then decided he had a right to defend
himself. I slid the letter across the
breakfast table. ‘I am sorry I doubted
you, Uncle Leo,’ I weaselled.
He took in the gist of the letter in
moments. Then he reversed the flimsy
blue sheet and, plucking his custom-
made Lapis-Lazuli-barrelled Schaeffer
from a pocket, he wrote:
♠ J 9 8
♥ K J
♦ 10 9 8 6 4 2
♣ Q 2
‘This was that ‘very first hand’. Partner
opens 1♣.’
‘Well . . . 1♦,’ I ventured.
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 The Whole is Less... continued
‘Well of course. That is not the
problem. Partner forces to game with
2♥.’
‘Er . . . 3♦.’
He harrumphed as only the Baron
can harrumph. ‘3♣, of course! That
also is not the problem, for most
people . . . Over this, partner calls 3♦.
Now you have a choice, perhaps . . .’
‘You no doubt expect me to bid 4♦ or
something. But with two long minor
suits, we are obviously feeling our way
towards 3NT. I can’t bid it myself with
those spades, and nor could partner,
but in such auctions a bid of 3♠ is
a Directional Asking Bid. Partner
could not call 3NT, and neither can
I, therefore the fourth suit shows
precisely a half-stopper in the suit, i.e.
K or Q-x or J-x-x or 10-x-x-x. If partner
has the other half, 3NT will be solid
with two filled suits to draw on.’
He frowned sceptically.
‘K plus Q-x is a solid stopper, or Q-x
plus J-x-x, and so on. Come on. Uncle
Leo – it’s science, but it’s not rocket
science. I make the DAB.’
‘I, on the other hand, realising that
K-J is better than x-x-x, say, bid 3♥
showing secondary support. Partner
raised to 4♥, which – unlike every
other possible game – cannot be
beaten given normal breaks.’
I shrugged. ‘Then my partner has
bid poorly, I suppose. I can’t know he
has a fifth heart. What happened in
the other room?’
‘Same room, different seats. The
auction went much as in the afternoon,
except that a DAB was indeed called,
and converted to 3NT by the opener. I
was on lead with:
♠ A 6 5 4 3
♥ 7 5 3
♦ K
♣ J 8 4 3
‘What do you fancy?’
‘I suppose you have no choice. A low
spade to shift their known stopper. I
infer from your remark of a moment
ago that you or your partner take a
trick somewhere and you run
four spades.’ It didn’t seem a very
controversial, nor a very interesting,
deal.
He nodded with the long-suffering
air I know so well. ‘You have unerringly
pinpointed the only lead which gives
away the contract.’ He helped himself
to the last of the coffee, and buttered
another pain-au-chocolat.
‘You expect me to finesse my
partner’s possible heart winner into
the big hand? Or to throw away my
trick chances in one of the minors?’
‘Not at all,’ my uncle intoned after
swallowing a generous mouthful. ‘Nor
did I. Fully understanding this DAB
thing, I found the killing lead of the
ace of spades.’ He was scribbling as he
spoke. ‘You will see on examining the
full diagram that in the arithmetic of
no-trump stoppers, a half plus a half
does not always equal a whole. You
might guess, by the way, from the two
singleton kings that this is a very early
example of those awful computer-
dealt hands.’
♠ J 9 8
♥ K J
♦ 10 9 8 6 4 2
♣ Q 2
♠ A 6 5 4 3 ♠ Q 10 7 2
N
♥ 7 5 3
W E
♥ 8 6 4 2
♦ K S ♦ Q J 3
♣ J 8 4 3 ♣ 10 9
♠ K
♥ A Q 10 9
♦ A 7 5
♣ A K 7 6 5
The Bitter Truth
He was right again. Why had I never
noticed that half-stopper paradox? ‘Of
course,’ I squirmed, ‘the spades could
well have been blocked—’
‘Indeed – if my partner had failed to
encourage with the seven, holding four
cards to two honours.’ He interrupted.
‘However, you see my problem. D’Urfe,
Fishbein and company suspected that
my perfectly normal master defence
was based on foreknowledge of the
distribution; but if I had produced my
master defence in the afternoon, they
Page 23
would have been just as suspicious
of my master bidding in the evening.
Hand after hand it was the same story
. . .’
But I had been thinking – a
dangerous thing to do. ‘Just a moment.
On the same defence in 4♥ you would
be forced at trick two. It would have
served you both right for picking that
crazy four-two fit.’
‘No, no. That was precisely the
defence de Sade got. He discarded his
diamond losers on the second and
third spades, ruffed the fourth on table
discarding a club, played queen of
clubs, then king, then ruffed his losing
club and re-entered his hand with a
diamond to draw—’
But I had been thinking again. ‘Ha!
What would he have done if they had
killed the re-entry with a diamond
switch?’
‘He would ruff his third club,
establishing a long trick, and re-enter
hand by overtaking the trump king.’
I was determined to salvage
something. ‘It always makes with
normal breaks, you said? What if the
hand with the singleton diamond
also has the doubleton club? Now he
discards his diamond on your club
ruff, and you have to lead a diamond
off table for him to trump. One down.’
‘The rest of his hand would then be
ten cards in the majors . . .’
I must have looked blank.
‘. . . In which case either the spades
are at least 6-3 or the hearts 5-2, so
that at least one suit has not broken
normally.’ He paused for breath. ‘Not
that 4♥ is the best game contract.
De Sade, great player though he was,
should have protected his king of
spades by opening 2NT. I would have
raised to 3NT, and on the normal
spade lead the breaks in all four suits
would have been irrelevant.’ The frail
centenarian shook his head wistfully.
‘Oh yes, I am afraid my true potential
may never be realised until someone
invents a method for playing Teams-
of-One . . .’ ■
Previously published in
BRIDGE 56.
Reprinted to satisfy
popular demand.
 Catching Up by Sally Brock
T
he Lady Milne (women’s
home international) was in
Edinburgh in the middle of
April. Barry and I travelled up on
the train with Susanna and captain
Simon. Simon was recovering from
an operation and was in a fair amount
of discomfort – it was touch and go
whether he would be up to coming at
all. Later we bump into team-mates
Lizzie and Pauline who turn out to be
on the same train. We whizz through
Edinburgh in a taxi and end up in a
Novotel on a trading estate near the
airport. Although we could have been
anywhere in the country, the hotel was
surprisingly good: inexpensive, with
decent rooms, helpful staff and OK
food (though we did drink them out of
Pinot Grigio – twice – I hasten to add
that this was because of their small
stock rather than any excess imbibing
on our part). It was next door to a
Krispy Kreme doughnut drive-in
which seemed to have a constant
queue.
We met up with other team-mates
Jane and Gillian (with husband Joe)
for a buffet-style dinner before our first
match. I personally started off playing
like an idiot: I let a 3NT through on
the first board, then underbid a bit to
miss a slam, then failed to press on to
3♥ over their 3♦ to lose a partscore
swing. Still, someone else must have
been doing OK because we were up.
Dealer South. E/W Vul.
♠ A J 9
♥ 8 7 3
♦ Q 7
♣ K Q 10 6 3
N
W E
S Just what I wanted. I cadged a lift
♠ K 10 8 7 6
♥ K 6
♦ A 4
♣ J 8 4 2
This was one of our more successful
boards. How would you play 4♠ after
West leads the ♥A followed by another
heart, East playing the ♥Q and ♥J?
West North East South
1♠
2♥ 3♥ Dbl 3♠
Pass 4♠ All Pass
When West defends like this you
know that she has the ♦K, otherwise,
with that source of club tricks in
the dummy she would surely have
switched to a diamond. So it is clear to
play the ♠A followed by running the
jack. If West wins the queen she still
can’t attack diamonds and you can
knock out the ♣A at your leisure. That
led to eleven tricks, two more than the
declarer made at the other table.
We did well on Friday and all day
Saturday, giving us a substantial lead
going into the Sunday, whereupon we
promptly made the competition more
interesting by allowing ourselves to
be hammered by Scotland, who until
then had been showing disappointing
form. Never mind, all was well when
we finished with a good win against
the Republic of Ireland and finished
at the top of the table by a respectable
margin.
After a fairly late night we caught
an early train back to London. It was
delayed because of some signal work
and we got back mid afternoon. In
the evening I tried to raise some
enthusiasm for a Young Chelsea
Knock-out match. After 24 boards
there was the worst possible result
(for an exhausted person) – an exact
tie. We had to play three extra boards,
after which it was still a tie. After yet
another three boards we lost by a lot.
home with an obliging team member
and managed a quick cup of tea with
Briony before bed.
I spend the rest of the week at home,
getting on with work and spending
time with Briony. And then very early
Page 24
on the Saturday morning, I flew off to
Japan to play in the Yeh Brothers Cup
in Yokohama.
I had not been to Japan before
and liked it more than I expected.
Everything was so clean. You could
eat your dinner off the pavements.
People are not allowed to smoke in
the open air (but public buildings
have to have a smoking room). Our
(extremely reasonably-priced) hotel
was a 15-minute walk from the
conference centre, an up-in-the-air
mostly covered walkway, much of it
on travelators. The best thing was the
toilets. At the flick of a switch they
change from toilet to bidet and some
even had a blow-dry option.
Unfortunately, the bridge did not
go too well. It is an extremely high
standard event and we failed to make
the cut (top eight, or second eight out
of 24 teams) and then finished in the
middle of the field in the Swiss teams.
Then there was a three-session IMP
pairs: qualifying round, semi-final
and final. But the good news was that
you paid per session, so if you didn’t
qualify you could pack up and go
sightseeing.
Nicola did well on this deal from the
pairs semi-final:
Dealer East. E/W Vul.
♠ Q 9 8 7 4 3
♥ 8
♦ J 8 3
♣ A K 6
♠ K 6 2
♥ A 9 6 N
W E
♦ A K 6 5 S
♣ 9 8 2
West North East South
Pass 1♥
Pass 1♠ Pass 4♥
All Pass
You lead the ♦A (asking for attitude),
partner playing the four and
 Catching Up continued

BERNARD MAGEE’S
declarer the two. How
would you continue?
INTERACTIVE TUTORIALS
Nicola continued with the
king and another diamond, ACOL MORE DECLARER
won by declarer’s queen. BIDDING (ADVANCED) PLAY
She then won the ♥A on ACOL BIDDING
l Opening Bids and l Suit Establishment
the first round and played a
fourth round of diamonds. Responses l Basics in No-trumps
I ruffed with the ten and l Slams and Strong l Advanced Basics l Suit Establishment
her ♥9 was promoted to the Openings in Suits
l Weak Twos
setting trick. l Support for Partner l Hold-ups
l Strong Hands
This was the full deal:
l Pre-empting l Ruffing for
l Defence
l Overcalls
Extra Tricks
to Weak Twos
l Entries in
♠ Q 9 8 7 4 3 l No-trump
£66 l Defence to 1NT
No-trumps
♥ 8 Openings
l Doubles £76
♦ J 8 3 and Responses l Delaying
♣ A K 6 l Two-suited Drawing Trumps
l Opener’s and
♠ K 6 2 ♠ J 10 5 Responder’s Rebids
Overcalls £96 l Using the Lead
♥ A 9 6 N ♥ 10 7 l Defences to
W E l Minors and Misfits l Trump Control
♦ A K 6 5 S ♦ 9 7 4 Other Systems
♣ 9 8 2 ♣ Q J 7 5 3 l Doubles l Endplays &
l Misfits and
♠ A l Competitive
Avoidance
Distributional
♥ K Q J 5 4 3 2 Auctions Hands l Using the Bidding
♦ Q 10 2
♣ 10 4
ADVANCED DEFENCE FIVE-CARD
DECLARER PLAY MAJORS &
Although we were doing l Lead vs Strong No-Trump
well at one stage, we fell l Making Overtricks No-trump Contracts
away at the end and didn’t in No-trumps l Opening Bids
l Lead vs
make the final. Instead we l Making Overtricks Suit Contracts
& Responses
braved the Japanese public in Suit Contracts l No-Trump
transport system (tube l Partner of Leader
l Endplays
Openings
and then bus) to visit the vs No-trump
Sankeien Gardens, a little l Avoidance Contracts l Support £89
for Partner
out of the city. We spent a l Wrong l Partner of Leader
peaceful couple of hours vs Suit Contracts l Slams
Contract
wandering around this & Strong Openings
l Count
beautiful place. We may
l Simple
£81 Signals l Rebids
have just missed the cherry
Squeezes £76
l Attitude l Minors
blossom, but there was l Counting
the Hand Signals & Misfits
plenty in its place and some
l Discarding l Pre-empting
lovely old wooden thatched l Trump Reductions
buildings that had been & Coups l Defensive Plan l Doubles
moved there en bloc. l Playing Doubled l Stopping Declarer l Overcalls
In the evening there Contracts
l Counting l Competitive
was a victory banquet, but
l Safety Plays the Hand Auctions
with a 6.30 flight in the
morning we didn’t stay up
too long. Of course, the Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge ,
young at heart stayed up Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
all night, but I’m getting
a bit old for that sort of ( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop
thing. ■ System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM

Page 25
BERNARD MAGEE
Filmed Live at Haslemere Festival
2011
1 Ruffing for Extra Tricks
This seminar deals with declarer’s use of ruffing
to generate extra tricks and then looks at how the
defenders might counteract this.
2 Competitive Tricks
This seminar focuses on competitive auctions from the
perspective of the overcalling side to start with and
then from the perspective of the opening side in the
second part.
3 Making the Most of High Cards
This seminar helps declarer to use his high cards more
carefully and then looks at how defenders should care
for their precious high cards.
4 Identifying & Bidding Slams
The first half of this seminar is about identifying when
a slam might be on – one of the hardest topics
to teach. The second half covers some of the
techniques used to bid slams.
5 Play & Defence of 1NT Contracts
This seminar looks at the most common and
yet most feared of contracts: 1NT. The first half
looks at declaring the contract and the second
part puts us in the defenders’ seats.
6 Doubling & Defence
against Doubled Contracts
The first half of this seminar explores penalty
doubles and the second half discusses the
defence against doubled contracts.
DVDs
Each £25. Boxed Set of 6 £100
Make your cheque payable to Mr Bridge and send to: Mr Bridge, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop
2012
7 Leads
Bernard takes you through all the basic leads and the
importance of your choice of lead. If you start to think
not just about your hand, but about your partner’s too,
then you will get much better results.
8 Losing Trick Count
A method of hand evaluation for when you find a fit.
Bernard deals with the basics of the losing trick count
then looks at advanced methods to hone your bidding.
9 Making a Plan as Declarer
Bernard explains how to make a plan then expands on
how to make the most of your long suits. The first half
deals with no-trumps, the second with suit contracts.
10 Responding to 1NT
This seminar deals with Transfers and Stayman in
detail. The 1NT opening comes up frequently, so having
a good, accurate system of responses is paramount.
11 Signals & Discards
This seminar deals with Count, Attitude
and Suit-preference signals: aiming to get
you working as a partnership in defence.
12 Endplays
Bernard takes you through the basics of the
technique before showing some magical hands
where you take extra tricks from defenders. In the
second half, Bernard looks at how to avoid being
endplayed as a defender.
DVDs
Each £25. Boxed Set of 6 £100
Fax 01483 797302
 Seven Days
Wednesday
Still a bit tired after the long flight at
the weekend. All is quiet on the work
front and I faff about doing nothing
in particular in the morning – I can
quite easily get addicted to ridiculous
computer games such as Spider
Solitaire and Minesweeper. In the
afternoon, I have a Richard and Gerry
session. Barry just gets home in time
to join us. They have most of the cards
and it looks as if they will beat us, but
Barry sneaks home a thin three no-
trumps on the final deal to make it a
dead heat. In the evening my parents
are coming to stay, so I can take them
to Gatwick in the morning. Briony
and I spend some happy time together
cooking an Indian meal. She makes a
Thai chicken curry while I try an okra
and tomato side dish. We have it with
red rice and poppadums.
Thursday
My parents are off to the south of
France. Some friends have taken a
house for a month and they are going
for a week. My mother is quite frail
these days and travel can be exhausting
– though my father always has rather
grand ideas. He had intended that they
should drive to Gatwick from their
home near Chippenham, park off site
and get a bus to the airport, retracing
their steps on the way home. This
seemed a bit much, so I persuaded
them to come to me in High Wycombe
and I would drive them to and from
the airport. It’s usually about an hour
from my house to the airport. They
have an 11.30am flight to Montpellier
so we leave at 8am, but don’t arrive
by Sally Brock
until 10.15am because there has
been an accident. I drop them off and
keep fingers crossed until I hear that
they have arrived safely with their
friends.
On the way back, I go to the gym
and then rush home to shower and
change before going out to lunch with
my friend Sonya. She is 92 and looks
fantastic. We drive around a bit and
eventually find a pub where we can sit
outside for lunch.
In the evening it’s what we’ve all
been waiting for with bated breath:
the Masterchef final. Barry arrives
just before we hear the final verdict:
Natalie was the winner, just as we’d
hoped.
Friday
The weather continues to be glorious,
so after a lazy morning I am again
inspired to go out for lunch, so the
three of us go up the road to our
local pub and have a simple lunch in
the sunshine. Unfortunately, Barry’s
soft-top MX5 is too small for three
of us, and even too small for the two
of us and our luggage, when after
lunch we drive up to Stratford-upon-
Avon in my rather more cumbersome
Vauxhall Zafira. We arrive in time for
an afternoon snooze before getting a
quick bite to eat and meeting up with
team-mates, Cameron and Phil.
The event is the Spring Foursomes,
the best English weekend bridge event
of the year. It is a double-elimination
competition – i.e. you lose twice
before you are eliminated. In the early
stages most teams play in threesomes.
This is necessary to reduce the field to
the right number for it all to work. We
Page 27
play in a threesome with the strong
Mossop team and a young team
captained by Derek Williams. We
need to win the threesome to proceed
as an undeafeated team; both the other
teams continue as once-defeated. At
the end of the day’s play we have a
good lead against Williams and are
a few up against Mossop’s team of
internationals.
Saturday
Our room rate at the Holiday Inn
doesn’t include breakfast so we go out
to Carluccio’s where I have the best
scrambled eggs I have ever tasted.
Our other team-mates, Margaret and
Martin, have now arrived, so we get
to sit out in the sunshine from time to
time. We continue to flourish against
Williams, but unfortunately when the
music stops we have lost to Mossop
and have to settle for second place in
our threesome.
We win our second-round match
fairly comfortably. It finishes at about
8.30pm and we all go out to dinner.
It is quite difficult to find somewhere
to eat in Stratford on a summer Sat-
urday evening. Someone should have
thought of this problem earlier. In the
end, after quite a wait, we find a good
Indian restaurant who can squeeze us
in.
Sunday
After another breakfast at Carluccio’s
we get on with our next match. We
have drawn a couple of Dutch world
champions, Louk Verhees and Ricco
van Prooijen, whom we got to know
 Seven Days continued
when we were in Omaha for the Buffett
Cup last year. They are not playing
together, but rather in partnership
with a couple of English club players.
Things go well for us and we again win
fairly easily. We manage to screw up
mightily on this hand:
Dealer West. Both Vul.
♠ A 6 5
♥ 9 6 3
♦ A Q 10
♣ K 10 8 2
♠ 9 2 ♠ Q 10 8 4 3
N
♥ A K 8 7 5 4 2 W E ♥ 10
♦ 7 4 S ♦ J 9 8 3
♣ Q 9 ♣ 7 5 3
♠ K J 7
♥ Q J
♦ K 6 5 2
♣ A J 6 4
West North East South
3♥ Dbl Pass 4♠
All Pass
Remember that West, Barry, can only
see his own hand and dummy. He
leads the ♥A and has to decide what
to do at trick two when declarer plays
the jack. He thinks it most likely that I
have the queen so continues with a low
heart which I have to ruff. I switch to a
trump. Declarer wins the jack, cashes
the ♠K, plays a diamond to his queen
and his last heart from the dummy. I
ruff in with the queen and exit with
my last trump. Now all declarer needs
to do is find the ♣Q. Luckily for us he
doesn’t and goes four down. It would
have been a trifle embarrassing to let
through a game on a 3-3 fit!
The next match is against David
Ewart’s team: Alex Hydes and the
Hackett twins.
We do well with a couple of boards
in the second set. First, we give
Justin Hackett the following bidding
problem.
West North East South
2♦ Pass Pass
3NT Pass ?
With neither side vulnerable you,
East, hold:
♠ Void
N ♥ K Q 9 8 5
W E
S ♦ A Q 9 8 7 6
♣ J 3
North’s two diamonds is a ‘trash’
Multi, showing a really weak hand
with a long (maybe only five-card)
major. Your methods dictate a pass on
the first round.
What now? After a lot of thought,
Justin tries five no-trumps which
elicits six spades from his partner.
What to do now is a complete guess
and he opts for six no-trumps. This
time there are thirteen tricks.
On the next deal I am a bit wild and
get lucky.
At unfavourable vulnerability I,
South, am dealt:
N
W E
S social aspect of the event that makes it
♠ 10 9 7 5 4 3 2
♥ K 8 5 2
♦ 3
♣ 8
West North East South
1♣ 2♠
Pass 4♠ Dbl Pass
5♦ Pass Pass ?
I feel that, at the vulnerability, partner
has to have really good trumps to
bid four spades and not double five
diamonds. Ever the optimist, I can
envisage hands where five spades is
cold, or maybe a good sacrifice, even at
the vulnerability. So I bid five spades,
doubled by East.
West leads the ♣Q. I discard my
diamond and play a spade from the
dummy to draw both trumps. (If I
don’t do this, West may get a club ruff
with his singleton queen of trumps.)
Then I cross to dummy with a trump
and lead a heart towards my king,
making my contract when East, as
expected, has the ace.
Page 28
♠ K J 8 6
♥ 9 6
♦ 8 2
♣ A K 10 4 2
♠ Q ♠ A
♥ 10 4 3 N ♥ A Q J 7
W E
♦ J 10 9 7 6 5 4
S
♦ A K Q
♣ Q J ♣ 9 7 6 5 3
♠ 10 9 7 5 4 3 2
♥ K 8 5 2
♦ 3
♣ 8
The match is close but we have a good
last set and win this too. It’s a while
since I’ve been still going on the
Monday.
It’s easier to find a restaurant
tonight and we have a good meal
before later retiring to the bar for a
nightcap. One of the nice things about
the Spring Fours is the layout of the
Holiday Inn where it is held. There is
a large bar where you can always find
some bridge players you know to sit
down with and have a drink. It is this
particularly enjoyable.
Monday
This time it’s Simon Gillis and his
team of Norwegian stars. The first
set doesn’t go too well and we are 23
down. One deal is not very good for
our system. First in hand, vulnerable
against not, I hold:
♠ Q 7 6 3
♥ Void
♦ K J 9 8 5 3 2
♣ K 10
It does not seem suitable for any open-
ing bid, so I pass and Barry opens two
clubs. This is either Acol strong or a
weak two in diamonds. The problem is
that a three diamond response would
be pre-emptive assuming he is weak
with diamonds, i.e. it would show
fewer diamonds and a weaker hand.
So I bid two diamonds (the normal re-
sponse) to await developments.
 Seven Days continued
He rebids two no-trumps
showing a game-forcing
balanced hand (25+ HCP).
It seems a good idea to start
by investigating a spade fit
so I bid three clubs, Pup-
pet Stayman. He bids three
no-trumps, in our system
showing a five-card heart
suit. Now I have a real prob-
lem because four diamonds
would be a re-transfer, ask-
ing him to bid four hearts to
make sure that the strong
hand is declarer. I sat there
for at least five minutes
looking for some way out of
my dilemma. Eventually, I
simply bid seven diamonds.
Luckily, Barry has a suit-
able dummy and there are
thirteen tricks. The problem
with this type of situation
is that it makes you feel as
if you have had a good re-
sult, when in fact it is just
normal.
Barry and I do well in the
next set but team-mates are
a little disappointing and we
only recover 3 IMPs. Then
at the beginning of the third
set we have a disaster. My
LHO opens one club and
RHO bids one heart which
is a transfer to spades. I
bid two spades which is a
Michaels cue-bid. Unfor-
tunately, Barry is not quite
with it and he thinks it is
natural and passes. So I go
four down vulnerable in two
spades when four hearts is
on for us. Then we are both
a bit unsettled for the next
board and let one no-trump
make when we could have
beaten it a couple. We lose
another 10 on the set, when
we might have pulled back
10. Being 30 down is quite
a different situation than 10
down and although we have
some opportunities, the
boards are really too flat.
We go out into the town
(which is really heaving
with people on such a sun-
ny Bank Holiday) and grab
some street food for a late
lunch. Then back to High
Wycombe.
Tuesday
It’s mid-morning and Barry
leaves to go back to London
while Briony and I go off
to our respective gyms. We
spend the rest of the day
working and watching tel-
evision, with me occasion-
ally checking the final stag-
es of the Spring Fours on
BBO. My first visit is mid-
afternoon and I am just in
time to see Andrew Robson
open three clubs at Love All
(third in hand) with a 3-4-
4-2 distribution and just
two points. He must be a
lot down. Sometimes this
sort of tactic can work in a
desperate situation, but this
time he just ends up going
for a 1,700 penalty when all
his opponents can make is
a non-vulnerable game. So
team Penfold (Sandra Pen-
fold, Nevena Senior, Kailin
Karaivanov and Rumen
Trendafilov) have beaten
the favoured Allfrey team
heavily in the semi-final. I
would like this team to do
well. They won a couple of
years ago, to many people’s
surprise. But those Bulgar-
ians are excellent (another
pair we met at the Buffett
Cup) and Nevena and San-
dra have a good record too.
The final is between Pen-
fold and de Botton (Janet de
Botton, David Burn, Thom-
as Charlsen, Thor Erik Hof-
taniska, Artur Malinow-
ski and Nick Sandqvist).
Although Penfold do well
in the early stages, all of a
sudden it turns and the de
Botton team win by 16. Very
well done to them. ■
Page 29
CHARITY BRIDGE EVENTS
JULY 2013
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SEPTEMBER 2013
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OCTOBER 2013
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E-mail your charity events: maggie@mrbridge.co.uk
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13 BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN
1.00 for 1.30pm. Blue
Pointed Duplicate Pairs,
sponsored by Billericay
Mayflower Bridge Club.
Two-course buffet supper.
First Class Bridge Academy,
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19 SALTERS HILL CHARITY
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Mary Ann Rust
( 01242 245392
26 PHYLLIS TUCKWELL HOSPICE
Guildford Café Bridge. £22
per player to include coffee
take place at various venues
in the town centre.
bobfuller@msn.com
polly.youngs2
@hotmail.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2013
4 RNLI. Crowborough Beacon
Golf Club bridge tea.
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£26 per table.
Penny ( 01825 830006
ROTARY CLUB
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Sam Smith
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for 10.30am. £13.50.
Malcolm Howarth
( 01480 212910
DECEMBER 2013
1 EDP WE CARE APPEAL
which benefits the Norfolk
Millennium Trust for Carers.
1.30pm The Costessey
Centre, Longwater Lane, Old
Costessey, Norwich, Norfolk
NR8 5AH.
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( 01508 494522
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429STI13
 Julian Pottage answers your bridge questions
Q
My LHO
opponent
opens 1♠. My
partner and opener’s
partner pass. I hold:
♠ A K 10 6 4
♥ K Q J 7
♦ K
♣ A Q 5
Should I double,
knowing that partner
will usually bid 2♦?
John Dunbar by email.
A
In the protective
seat, it is usual to
play 2NT as natural,
showing something like 18-
20 balanced. Here you have
a slightly unbalanced 22,
albeit with a singleton king
that is unlikely to be pulling
full weight. If you judge the
hand too good for 2NT or do
not fancy bidding no-trumps
with a singleton, you could
indeed double; on a good
day, partner will bid 2♥; if
not, you can rebid 2NT.
The right action perhaps
depends upon the
vulnerability and scoring
method. For example, if
it is matchpoints and the
opponents are vulnerable,
2NT in the
Protective
Position
there is a good case for
passing out 1♠ and hoping
to collect 200 (or more).
♣♦♥♠
Q
Opening a
weak no-trump,
what should
my partner’s response
be if my left hand
opponent doubles me?
Rex Gascoyne,
Winsford, Somerset.
A
Partner’s first thought
should be to consider
the desirability of
playing in 1NT doubled. With
a reasonably flat hand and
7 or 8 points or more, it is
usual to pass, hoping opener
can make 1NT doubled. With
a weaker hand, responder
usually rescues to a five-card
suit, even if it is a minor.
2♣ ceases to be Stayman
after the double. Transfers,
if you play them, are off
too because responder
might want to play in 2♦.
Of course, some pairs
have a specific agreement
about what to do after
an opponent doubles
1NT. For example, some
people play that responder
redoubles with a single-
suited hand, with immediate
Page 32
bids showing some form
of two-suited hand.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Neither side was
vulnerable when
I picked up:
♠ A
♥ J 9 7 6 4 3 N is fine, rebidding
W E
♦ A 2 S
♣ A Q 3 2
West North East South
1♠
2♥ Pass Pass 2♠
3♥
I felt that one down (or
two down undoubled)
would be a better score
than our opponents
making 2♠. We do play
Michaels but never
with a 6-4 shape and
with the 6-card suit
being the other major
(despite this anaemic
holding in hearts).
My partner said that
I should have doubled
and we might have
found 3NT. I felt that
it was inevitable that I
would bid hearts at some
stage and doubling then
bidding a suit showed
a much stronger hand.
With hearts behaving
and the club finesse
working, we made
3♥; 3NT would have
been a disaster. What
are your thoughts?
Bob Bates, Birmingham.
A
While the 2♥ overcall
3♥ is not. Partner is
already expecting a six-card
or strong five-card heart
suit for your 2♥ overcall. A
general principle in bidding
is that you do not describe
the same feature twice.
If you bid a second time –
and you do not want to sell
out to 2♠ with a singleton
spade – you either double
or bid 3♣. You have said
yourself that with 5-5 you
would probably make a
Michaels cue bid, so bidding
2♥ and then 3♣ gives
partner a good idea that you
are 6-4 rather than 5-5.
Doubling would also
be reasonable because if
partner bids 3♦ then you can
correct to 3♥. I think your
partner was suggesting that
you double the second time
rather than the first; I agree
that an initial double would
be wrong.
 Ask Julian continued
Q
Playing Acol
and with South
to open, how
would you bid these
hands? I have given
the actual auction.
♠ K Q 6
♥ K 7 6
♦ K Q 4 3
♣ J 8 4
N comment upon
W E
S
♠ A 8
♥ A Q 10 8 5 3 2
♦ A 10 7 6
♣ Void
West North East South
1♥
1♠ 2♦ Pass 3♥
Pass 4♥ End
7♥ is a great spot. 7♦
fails only because East
can give West a heart
ruff at trick one.
David Cree by email.
A
Either North or South
might have bid more.
South has first-round
control in all four suits and
an undisclosed seventh
heart. North has an opening
hand as well as a three-
card heart suit. For sure,
North should bid 3♠ rather
than 4♥. I admit that there
is some ambiguity about
whether this is an advance
cue bid (agreeing hearts
and showing first-or second
round control in spades) or
asking for a spade stopper.
With such extreme shape,
South does not want to play
in 3NT anyway; so South
should continue as if 3♠ is
a cue bid, making a return
cue bid of 4♣. North then
cue bids 4♦ and South cue
bids 4♠. With a hand rich
in controls, South avoids
taking control and instead
manoeuvres North into
calling 4NT. However, even
if your methods allow you
to show three aces/key
cards and a void in reply
to 4NT, North is likely to
assume that South’s void is
in spades, so you are not
going to reach a grand slam.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Could you please
and suggest a
defence to an unusual
opposing bidding
method? Opponents
open to show point count
regardless of shape, for
example opening 1♣
to show 13 points even
with 5-4 in the majors.
Rob Roberts, Mold.
A
Bridge authorities
the world over agree
that it is best to show
shape first and strength later.
There are exceptions on
certain hands. For example,
on game forcing hands it is
usual to open 2♣ regardless
of shape, but this is more
because the rarity of hands
makes it inefficient to allocate
lots of different bids to them,
than an inherent belief that
showing strength first is best.
As you will gather
from what I said in the
previous paragraph, your
opponents are playing an
inefficient method, which on
average should be to your
advantage. You want to get
in the bidding when you can,
finding your best fit before
the opponents even begin
to find theirs. However, you
cannot be quite as frisky as
you might over a strong club
(or game-forcing opening).
If an opponent has merely
promised 13 points, game
could easily be on your way.
Page 33
The fact that the opponents
have not shown a suit
poses a slight problem. You
cannot make a take-out
double or a cue bid. With
a 3-suited hand, it might
work well to pass first time
around, intending to come
in later with a double if the
opponents bid your short suit.
On other hands, I suggest
you use the same method
as you do over a strong
1♣, with the proviso that
you bid only on hands with
normal overcalling strength.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Most N/S pairs
reached the
small slam. One
pair bid and made 7NT.
♠ 7 5 4
♥ K Q J 7 2
♦ Q 8 6
♣ 9 2
N One session,
W E
S
♠ A K Q 3
♥ A 4
♦ A K J 10 5
♣ A K
Most pairs opened 2♣
(Acol). Responder replied
either 2♦ or 2♥. If partner
responded 2♦, the rebid
was 3NT (25 + pts).
Is it correct to be in
7NT? What is the correct
bidding sequence?
Margaret Bleakley, Belfast.
A
With the South hand,
there is a distinct
possibility that you
belong in a suit contract,
so I would rebid 3♦ rather
than 3NT. In any case, the
2♥ positive creates a game
force, so the alternative
would be 2NT, not 3NT.
North raises 3♦ to 4♦, after
which the only issue is
reaching 7NT rather than 7♦.
Some play that a positive
response promises two of
the top three honours in
the suit, in which case
South would know the
fourth spade can go on a
high heart. A possible
auction if you do not play
that is:
North South
2♣
2♥ 3♦
4♦ 4NT
5♣ 5NT
7NT
South’s 5NT confirms that
the side has all the key cards.
North, with the vital ♦Q
and the source of tricks
in hearts, then knows
she has whatever South
might be looking for
and jumps to 7NT.
♣♦♥♠
Q
we had two
hands with 2♦
overcalls over 1NT.
The first time the
overcaller held 15 HCP
with ♦A-Q-9-x-x. 2♦ was
the final contract, but
game was making.
The second time the
overcaller had minimum
points and partner was
correct to pass. How
can you tell a strong
bid from a weak one?
Trevor Watts, Guildford.
A
When the opposing
opening is a 12-
14 1NT, it is easy
to tell whether partner has
a good hand or not.
A double shows 15+
points. Other actions
deny the ability to
double and show a hand
weaker than that.
In your first example,
the correct call was double
rather than 2♦.
 Ask Julian continued
Q
The hand on my
right opened
1NT. What should
I do with this hand?
♠ K Q 10 9 7 6
♥ A K Q J 9
♦ J
♣ 8
At the table, I bid 2♠
and played there,
making 12 tricks.
Mary Willoughby,
Thetford, Norfolk.
A
The traditional way
to show a strong
two-suited hand was
to bid 2NT. Such a bid could
not be natural because you
would double if you had
a strong balanced hand.
These days, many people
play 2NT as the minors (and
not necessarily strong), in
which case you would need
to find another route.
If you play Landy, 2♣
for the majors, which both
Bernard and I recommend,
you can do that. If not, you
might start with a double
or simply overcall 4♠.
♣♦♥♠
Q A
Playing a weak
NT, I opened 1NT
(12-14) in third
seat with this hand:
♠ A 9 4
♥ J 6 5
♦ A 9 4
♣ A K 5 2
Because I had 8 losers
and partner had passed,
I downgraded my hand.
My LHO doubled and
partner produced 8
points. I made 8 tricks
for 380 and a top.
Was 1NT a reasonable
opening on this hand?
Peter Berlanny,
Drayton, Hampshire.
A
If you are playing
12-14 for 1NT, you
do risk missing game
if you open 1NT on this
hand. While it is reasonable
to knock one point off
given that you have a 4333
shape as well as no tens,
deducting two points seems
excessive. I would open 1♣.
In truth, the merit of
opening 1NT with 12 or even
13 points when vulnerable
in third seat is debatable.
The chance of making game
facing a passed hand is
low while the chance that
LHO has enough to double
you is higher than it would
be in other scenarios. It is
indeed quite common to
play a different range for
1NT in third seat vulnerable
(for example 14-16). Of
course, if you wish to play
a stronger range in this
position, you need to agree
that with your partner and
announce accordingly.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I understand
there is more
than one system
of opener’s rebids after a
Jacoby 2NT game forcing
raise of 1♥/1♠. Some play
a suit at the four level is
natural (good five-card
suit); some play that
it shows a void. What
do you recommend?
Lloyd Lewis by email.
A
A popular treatment
is that rebids in
a new suit at the
three level show a shortage
and that rebids at the four
level show a good second
Page 34
suit. There is no need to
play both three- and four-
level rebids as showing a
shortage: if you have a void,
you can show a shortage
at the three level and then
bid the suit again to show
that the shortage is a void
(possibly a singleton ace).
The reason for playing that
bids at the three level show a
shortage is that this enables
you to judge whether the
hands fit well. It is the same
principle as splinter bids.
For example, you are
responder and hold:
♠ A Q 10 4
♥ A 10 4 2
♦ K Q 4
♣ 4 2
Facing a 1♠ opening, it is
likely that you have a slam
facing a singleton heart even
if partner has a minimum
opening. By contrast, if
partner has a singleton
diamond, the hands will not
be fitting so well. So you
respond 2NT and take a
bullish view if partner rebids
3♥ to show a singleton
heart. Partner might hold:
♠ K J 8 5 2
♥ 3
♦ J 9 5 3
♣ A K 5
Swap partner’s red-suit
holdings and you would have
a sure loser in each red suit.
♣♦♥♠
Q
Can responder
do a DGR
(delayed game
raise)? My partner
opened 1♠. I had three,
but bid another suit
first; my partner rebid
in a different suit, then
I bid 4♠. The opposition
said it was wrong, only
the opener can use the
DGR. Was this right?
D Y Parringtonby email.
A
The delayed game
raise is something
for responder,
not opener.
Although the classic
shape would include four
trumps, if opener opens
1♠ and rebids in some
other suit, that promises five
spades, so 3-card support
sounds good enough.
♣♦♥♠
Q
As dealer, I
picked up the
following hand:
♠ Void
♥ A 8 7 4 3
♦ A K Q J 10 9 7 4
♣ Void
I opened 4♦ and played
there. My partner had
three cards in each
red suit, but only one
point (the ♠J). Should
I have opened 2♦
(as happened at two
other tables)? I did not
think 2♣ was right.
Mrs Barbara Ann Mellor,
Budleigh Salterton, Devon.
Certainly, 5♦ is a
better choice of
opening than 4♦.
You need very little from
partner to make game.
Unless you are vulnerable
against not, it is better
still to open 1♦, as then
you might find a slam. I
agree that a 2♣ opening
would be misleading.
Since it sounds as if the op-
ponents could have made a
game if not a slam in spades,
I imagine 150 was not such a
bad score for you.

Ask Julian continued
Q
My partner,
North, opened
1♠. I responded
3♣ to show a strong
hand (16 points) with
a strong 6-card suit
– is this correct?
North then rebid
3NT and I passed.
Should North have bid
diamonds or hearts
on his second bid and
how should the bidding
proceed to reach a slam?
Most other tables
were in 6♥ or 6NT.
♠ A K 9 5 3
♥ A 9 8 6
♦ A Q 8 7
♣ Void
N points, a 4333 shape
W E
S
♠ Void
♥ K Q J 4 2
♦ K 9
♣ A Q J 10 8 4
Jane Karfoot by email.
A
The accepted
wisdom is that you
do not make a jump
shift with a two-suited hand.
If you start with a simple
2♣, North can rebid 2♦.
This is forcing after the
two-level response – it is not
a good idea to rebid in no-
trumps when holding a void
(this applies whether your
response was a jump or not).
You then rebid 2♥, which
partner will initially take
as fourth-suit forcing.
However, in case your
2♥ is natural, partner
should raise to 3♥.
You are then off to the
races. You can cue bid 4♣
(showing the ♣A), allowing
partner to make a return cue
bid of 4♦ (showing the ♦A).
After that, you can jump to
5NT to ask whether partner
has one of the top three
heart honours, expecting
her to bid 6♣ with 0 or
6♥ with 1 (she cannot
have 2, so you know she
will not be bidding 7♥).
The complete auction
is thus as follows:
South North
1♠
2♣ 2♦
2♥ 3♥
4♣ 4♦
5NT 6♥
7♥
♣♦♥♠
Q
My partner
opened 1NT;
the next hand
overcalled 2♥. I had 12
and stoppers in all but
the hearts. My 4-card
suit was diamonds:
Q-x-x-x. I called 3NT.
Partner said I should
have said 3♦, diamonds
being my only 4-card
suit and he would
have left me in it.
He went four off. Can
you please tell me what
I should have bid?
Olga Hignett by email.
A
Bidding 3♦ would be
most unwise. A bid
of 3♦ would indicate
an unbalanced hand. The
real question is whether you
should insist on game or
merely invite it. Since hands
with a 4333 shape often play
poorly, I think you should
be willing to stop short of
game if partner is minimum
for a 12-14 1NT. If you play
2NT as natural, you could
bid that. Other possibilities
are double (they are unlikely
to make 8 tricks with at
most 16 points and at most
8 trumps between them),
Page 35
3NT (avoids any confusion
and shows confidence in
partner’s dummy play) and
3♥ (gives partner the chance
to show a suit if lacking
the ability to bid 3NT).
If you play that 2NT asks
partner to bid 3♣ and that
double shows a raise to 2NT
(the Lebensohl convention),
you should double.
♣♦♥♠
Q
I would
appreciate your
comments on the
following (dealer South).
♠ A K 10 5 4 3
♥ J 3
♦ 10 3
♣ K Q J
N entirely appropriate for
W E
S
♠ Q 8 7 2
♥ A
♦ K Q 7 6
♣ A 9 8 5
North South
1♣
1♠ 3♠
4♠ End
Our bidding system is
basic Acol with 4-card
majors and our slam
convention is Key Card
Blackwood. We do not
use splinters or cue bids.
1) Is there a safe way
of bidding the slam with
our current system?
2) Could we bid the
hand more accurately
if we included splinters
and/or cue bids
in our system?
John Martin,
Evanton, Ross-shire.
E-mail your questions for Julian to:
julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk
A
The South hand is
suitable for a mini
splinter of 3♥.
As 2♥, a reverse,
is forcing for one round
you do not need a jump
to 3♥ as a natural bid.
You can play 3♥ to show
a spade raise with exactly
one heart (you would
jump to 4♥ with a void).
Even after South’s actual
3♠ bid, you ought to reach
a slam. North has a good
six-loser hand and would
expect South to have a
six-loser hand for the jump
raise. If you have a good
trump fit and think you have
only twelve (or fewer) losers
between the two hands,
you should be looking
for a slam.
While it would not be
North to jump to 4NT with
no control in either unbid
suit, a cue bid of 4♣ seems
ideal. Regardless of your
normal cue bidding style,
it is fine to cue bid a king
in a suit partner has bid.
♣♦♥♠
Q
What is the
correct opening
for this hand?
♠ Void
♥ Q 10 7 3
♦ K J 10 9 5 4 2
♣ A K
Muriel McDermott by email.
A
The only sensible
opening is 1♦.
You are far too
good for a pre-emptive
opening and too weak for a
strong two-level opening. ■
Cheltenham Blunsdon
Regency Elstead Hotel House
Hotel Bournemouth, BH1 3QP
Hotel
Cheltenham GL51 0ST Swindon SN26 7AS

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Page 36
READERS’
LETTERS
OVER THE TOP
As we all have a duty to
promote a fun and friendly
atmosphere for all of our
fellow bridge players, I was
shocked to read David Ste-
venson’s judgement of how
poor Mike James should be
treated, having committed
the heinous crime of failing
to call the director immedi-
ately after an incorrect claim
had been made, see Read-
ers Letters, BRIDGE 115. If
I had been subjected to a
‘thorough telling off’ by the
director for such an action, I
would certainly never return
to that bridge club. Surely
the job of the director is to
provide advice for these
procedural errors and leave
telling off for more serious
misdemeanours such as ag-
gressive or rude behaviour.
Mr Mike Allen, Lindfield,
Haywards Heath.
WEAK NOTRUMP
Bidding on a poor 12 points.
I was interested to see
the suggested answer to
the latest Prize Quiz. With a
12-point hand and a 5-3-3-2
shape, the ‘book’ opening
is indeed 1NT and that is
the answer given. However,
with 3 bare aces and only
one 10, the hand has no
‘middle’. It is a very poor 12
points. In my experience it
is better to pass this hand. If
partner cannot bid, you do
not want to get too high.
By a curious coincidence,
I notice that the first exercise
in Bernard Magee’s Bid-
ding Quiz also has 12 poor
points with no cards whatso-
ever between a queen and a
‘seven’. This hand has even
less ‘middle’ and I think you
would be well advised to
downgrade the hand to 11
points and pass, especially
if vulnerable. Pass is often
the hardest bid to find.
Chris Chatfield, Bath.
I believe a promise is a
promise and would open
the bidding. It is, after
all, a pre-emptive bid not
requiring any rebid.
HAVE FAITH
I have been a fund raiser for
our local community hospital
for the past 10 years, mainly
helping to run our summer
fete and winter bazaar.
I have found the generos-
ity of my local community in
supplying raffle and tombola
prizes, gifts, toys, bric-a-
brac, cakes, booze for the
bottle stall and other items
quite humbling. The raffles
have been a huge success
and many of the purchasers
seem familiar to me by now.
So Mrs Webster, see Read-
ers Letters, BRIDGE 125,
have no fear. They will be
glad to participate. Organis-
ers are few and far between.
Donors and buyers are plen-
tiful and happy to contribute.
Mr R Mitchell,
Edenbridge, Kent.
WHAT ODDS?
My RHO opens with a weak
1NT. What are the prob-
abilities that I will hold
(a) One suit of at least 6
cards? (b) Two suits, both
of at least 5 cards?  following hand, dealt
Lloyd Lewis by email.
Page 37
PARTNERSHIP
My instinctive reaction to
both ‘My Recipe’ and ‘Tea
& Coffee’, in Readers Let-
ters, BRIDGE 126, is that
both are worrying about a
problem that does not exist.
Mobility plus electronics
have wiped out the old play-
ing card days when a ‘Whist
Drive and Dance’ was the
norm. Most online players
are (not so many from what
I see) refugees from loss
of a compatible partner. It
takes two to tango. Bridge
will always survive – what do
members matter? But that
brings in the importance
of partnership in bridge. I
have always wondered why
the subject of a partner is
always simply avoided in
BRIDGE. Pages of complex
conventions which will only
be usable subject to having a
compatible partner – semi-
nars and lessons are useful
but the big divide is partner-
ship. A partner who is totally
loyal is an essential aspect of
advancement in the game.
Partners in a strong long
liaison play serenely on
totally indifferent to the sce-
narios that are being played
out lower down the pecking
order. Plenty of dramas are
being enacted out there.
Senior players will have to
involve themselves more if
existing numbers of play-
ers are to be encouraged.
Systems of ‘host’ players
with a charitable element
might be one way to go.
Mr Edward Clarke,
Aberoer, Wrexham.
Mr Clarke is a lively 97 year
old. He sent me a picture of
himself taken while filming
a popular TV show, Zumba
dancing with lots of girls.
Unusual hand
I thought readers might
be interested in the
at the club last night:
Dealer North. Love All.
♠ A 3
♥ A K
♦ A K 9 8 7 6 5
♣ 10 9
♠ K 7 2 ♠ Q J 10 6 4
♥ Q 10 7 4 3 ♥ J 6 5
N
♦ Q 4 3
W E ♦ J 10
♣ A J S ♣ K Q 5
♠ 9 8 5
♥ 9 8 2
♦ 2
♣ 8 7 6 4 3 2
West North East South
Me
2♦1 Pass 2♥2
Pass 3♦ Pass 3NT3
1
game forcing, Benji
2
negative 3What else can I say?
The lead was ♥4 and I
made the contract. Never
before have I been in such
a contract with a total
Yarborough. Very interesting.
Name & address supplied.
YARBOROUGHS
Had Lord Yarborough of-
fered odds of a shilling to
100 guineas against an
honourless hand being
dealt, that would have been
equivalent to 5 pence to
£105 in modern money, not
10 pence to £110 as stated
in Julian Pottage’s A to Z of
Bridge (BRIDGE 126). His
Lordship would thus have
been offering odds of 2,100
to 1 against, which, since
the true odds against were
indeed 1,847 to 1, would
have left him out of pocket.
Accounts of what odds his
lordship did offer vary, some
saying 1,600 to 1, but most
say he offered a straight
1,000 to 1 against. And the
minimum stake he would
have accepted would surely
have been at least a guinea,
not a trifling few pennies.
John MacLeod,
London SW19.
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Page 38
READERS’ LETTERS
continued
MORE YARBOROUGHS
I’m sure you have many
pedants pointing out a
minor mistake in your
explanation of a Yarborough
in the current edition – there
were twenty shillings to the
pound, making a shilling
equivalent to 5p, not 10p,
there were 21 shillings to a
guinea, making 100 guineas
equivalent to £105, not £110.
Chris Wood by email.
EVEN MORE.....
A shilling to 100 guineas is
10 pence to £210 not £110.
I would get out more
often if your magazine
was not so entertaining.
Malcolm Percival by email.
And at least twenty more
besides these. It really is
helpful that you take the
trouble to let me know.
GREAT CRUISE
I have just returned from
a holiday on the Aegean
Odyssey, Venice to Rome.
I would like to say it was
excellent in every way. The
ship, the excursions, the
food, the attendance of
the staff, the organisations
in every aspect of course,
not forgetting the bridge.
I look forward to
seeing your programme
for next year.
Mrs M Holton,
Towcester, Northants.
ALL GOOD NEWS
Having previously extolled
the efficiency of the office
staff at Voyages to Antiquity,
see Readers Letters, BRIDGE
125, I have now completed
my first cruise aboard
Aegean Odyssey and my
experiences are all posi-
tive – the ship is lovely, the
lido area for sunbathing first
class, dining arrangements
very much to my liking – you
can either eat either al fresco
or in the dining room and the
service is first class. Most of
the included trips were a little
too testing for my personal
walking ability but the feed-
back from my fellow guests
was all good. The bridge
room was very pleasant and,
as always, your hosts looked
after us and made sure the
bridge players enjoyed the
sessions. I will most certainly
be on this little ship again.
Pat Davies by email.
FIRST CLASS
De Luxe diary received and I
have to say that I must have
had 60 pocket diaries in my
time and this one, with its
smooth soft burgundy leath-
er-like Kidrell cover, gold edg-
ing and pen, has to be the
best ever and that’s without
counting the bridge content.
Name & address supplied.
WANTED
My travelling abroad
days are over and as a
widower with 51 years of
happy married life behind
me, I have only myself to
consider. So, having thought
about things I wonder, Mr
Bridge, if you might include
this plea in one of your
readers’ letter pages:
I am looking for a residen-
tial home which has regular
Page 39
contract bridge (preferably the two level with only four
duplicate) games. I am 85, cards should be alerted. I
live alone and have been look forward to the article.
diagnosed as having Parkin- Stuart Watson,
son’s disease. I still drive but Hatfield, Doncaster.
find it harder and harder to
travel. So I am thinking of go- ANNIVERSARY
ing into a place where I can The Bourne Bridge Club
use a scooter to get around recently celebrated its 25th
but where I can have my car birthday. Thirty six of its
(for a year or so) and have members enjoyed lunch
my own home. Although I at The Toft Country House
believe many of the people I Hotel just outside Bourne.
play with are in my position, Needless to say, we had a
there seems to be nothing few hands of bridge to finish
locally. There is no reason for off a very pleasant event.
me to live in Suffolk (apart The club was formed
from the peace, the people 30 years ago when eight
and the climate) – I grew up of us completed a course
in Cumbria and my parents of lessons provided by
hailed from Yorkshire. So, Lincolnshire County Council
perhaps one of your readers and decided we must carry
could suggest somewhere. on. We have now grown to
Ideally, I would like a quiet nearly 50 but, the club is not
home with a terrace or bal- able to provide beginners
cony and plenty of bridge. classes for the many in
A bonus would be a sunny the area who would like to
garden with nice open views. learn. We are now looking
Note: Although I am to the County for funding...
very keen, no-one would Big Society and all that.
ever suggest I am anything Dorothy Alexander,
but average as a player. Treasurer, Bourne B.C.
Jack Clayton by email.
MORE ROUTINE
CONFUSED The items in your list of
Your response to Tony Bridge Etiquette in BRIDGE
Simpson’s letter in BRIDGE 123 are most helpful.
126 requesting an article However, occasionally I
on the required length of find 12 or 14 cards in my
a suit for major suit bids is part of the board. If I have
most welcome – but who seen all the cards difficulty
are you going to get to write can ensue. Therefore, I
it? David Stevenson, on always count my cards blind
page 16, says Acol players before sorting them, so that
need only four cards but someone who has played
Julian Pottage, on page the board previously can, if
39, requires five, or even six, necessary, correct the hand.
to overcall at the two level. May I suggest this should
I have even been told by a be added to your list.
teacher, that overcalling at Alan Ireland by email. ■
Write to Mr Bridge at:
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH
or e-mail letters@mrbridge.co.uk
E-mail correspondents are asked to include
their name, full postal address, telephone
number and to send no attachments.
Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
 Mr Bridge
AT THE ROYAL KENZ
TUNISIA 2013/2014

Two-week half-board
duplicate bridge holidays
Published by Mr Bridge and printed on 100%
cotton as a tea towel by Art Screen Prints Limited.
www.artscreen.co.uk ( 01287 637527 3-17 November 2013
Golf available
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REDUCE THE COST £769*
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all mint with full gum. Quotations for Bernard Magee and his team
commercial quantities available on request.
£799*
Values supplied in 100s, higher values
*per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusive of
available as well as 1st and 2nd class bridge fees. Single supplement £6 per night. These prices are based on air
(eg 2nd class: 100x37p+100x13p) travel from Heathrow to Tunis. Flights from other UK airports are available
at a supplement. Prices for seven-night stays are available on application.
Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facing room, tea &
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Page 40
 Answers to David Huggett’s 
Play Quiz on page 19
You are declarer in 3NT and West leads
1. ♠ 6 3 the ♠Q. How do you plan the play?
♥ J 9 7 It is easy to go wrong on this hand, but
♦ K 10 9 4 3 in fact the contract is 100% guaranteed
♣ Q J 2 as long as you take a little care. It may
♠ 8 7 5 ♠ A 10 9 4 look tempting to play both club honours
N
♥ A K 6 2 ♥ Q 10 8 5 4 from hand and then enter dummy with a
W E
♦ 8 2 S ♦ Void diamond to play the ace of clubs, hoping
♣ K 10 9 6 ♣ 8 7 5 3 of course that the jack falls in two or
♠ K Q J 2 three rounds. But you only need four club
♥ 3 tricks to make this contract, so cash the
♦ A Q J 7 6 5 club king by all means but then overtake
♣ A 4 the queen in dummy with the ace and
continue the suit if the jack hasn’t
appeared. When it does, you can win
You are declarer in 5♦ and West leads any return, enter dummy with the ace of
the ♥A and follows up with the ♥K. How diamonds and cash the remaining clubs.
do you plan the play? There is of course no point in ducking the
It looks as though you need the club opening lead when West might find the
finesse to work, but you can improve on heart switch.
those odds. Ruff the second heart and
play a trump to dummy and ruff the last
heart. Re-enter dummy with a trump and 3. ♠ K Q 2
now lead a spade. If East has the ace and ♥ Q 6 4
plays it, you can discard two clubs from ♦ J 7 5
dummy on your master spades and later ♣ 8 7 5 4
take a club ruff in dummy. Most likely, East ♠ 7 5 ♠ 8 4 3
N
will play low but you win in hand, re-enter ♥ J 9 ♥ 10 8 7 2
W E
dummy with yet another trump and lead ♦ A K Q 3 S ♦ 10 8 4
another spade. If East still withholds the ♣ Q 10 6 3 2 ♣ K J 9
ace, you can ruff both your spade losers ♠ A J 10 9 6
in dummy and take the club finesse for ♥ A K 5 3
an overtrick. If it is West who has the ace ♦ 9 6 2
of spades, you have to rely on the club fi- ♣ A
nesse after all, unless the ace is singleton
when he will find himself endplayed.
You are declarer in 4♠ and West leads
the three top diamonds and switches to
2. ♠ 7 5 the ♣3. East follows to the diamonds and
♥ 6 3 2 plays the ♣K on the club switch. How do
♦ A 7 4 you plan the play?
♣ A 10 9 8 4 You have nine easy tricks and the heart
♠ Q J 10 8 4 ♠ 9 6 2 suit is the only possible source of a tenth,
♥ K J 10 7
W E
N
♥ Q 9 although it may come about in a strange
♦ J 3 S
♣ 7 3
♦ Q 10 9 8
♣ J 6 5 2
sort of way. Instead of drawing all the
trumps, draw two rounds only, happily
♠ A K 3 noting that there is only one trump now
♥ A 8 5 4 out in the opposing hands.
♦ K 6 5 2 Now play three rounds of hearts
♣ K Q ending in hand and, if everyone has
followed, draw the remaining trump and
Page 41
claim. A lot of the time the hearts will
divide 4-2, but on occasion the hand with
the four card suit will have the remaining
trump, meaning you can safely ruff the
last heart in dummy. Then you can get
back to hand with a club ruff and draw
the last trump.
4. ♠ 6 5 2
♥ 9 6
♦ A Q J 7 4
♣ Q J 6
♠ Q 10 7 3 ♠ K J 4
N
♥ K Q J 3 W E ♥ 10 7 5 4 2
♦ 10 8 6 5 S ♦ K 9 3
♣ 3 ♣ 5 4
♠ A 9 8
♥ A 8
♦ 2
♣ A K 10 9 8 7 2
You are declarer in 6♣ and West leads
the ♥K. How do you plan the play?
Win the first heart, draw one round
of trumps noting both defenders follow,
and play the ace of diamonds. Now lead
the queen from dummy, aiming to throw
a heart if East plays low. If East plays the
king you ruff, play a trump to dummy
and ruff a diamond.
Now you re-enter dummy with a trump
and cash the diamonds, which are
hopefully now high. Looked at another
way, you aim to make one spade, one
heart, seven clubs and three diamonds
and you will do that if the suit breaks
4-3. ■
BEGIN BRIDGE
ACOL  £66
VERSION
An Interactive Tutorial
CD with Bernard Magee
See Mail Order form on page 5.
 Julian Pottage Says

Use the Clues

from the Bidding

I
n many contracts, you face a guess as Now, suppose I say that you opened 1NT The full deal could be like this:
declarer. Sometimes you know little in second seat. In this case, East would
and must rely on simple odds. These hardly pass as dealer with 12 points. You
days, this is rarely the case. People are therefore put West with the king of clubs ♠ 8 5
getting busier and busier in the bidding. and play to drop it singleton. Although ♥ K 8 5
While this makes it harder for you to the chance of success would be low, ♦ A J 10 9 6 5
find the right contract, what they did or some chance is better than none. You ♣ 10 3
did not bid often helps you in the play. hope the deal looks something like this: ♠ K J 10 6 3 ♠ Q 9 2
N
♥ 10 6 4 W E ♥ Q J 9 3 2
♦ 8 3 2 S ♦ K 4
♠ 6 5 ♠ 6 5 ♣ K 8 ♣ 7 5 2
♥ K 8 5 ♥ K 8 5 ♠ A 7 4
♦ A K J 5 ♦ A K J 5 ♥ A 7
♣ J 10 7 3 ♣ J 10 7 3 ♦ Q 7
N ♠ 10 9 8 3 ♠ A K Q 4 ♣ A Q J 9 6 4
W E
♥ Q J 6 3 N ♥ 10 4 2
S W E
♦ 9 6 4 3 S ♦ 8 7
♠ J 7 2 ♣ K ♣ 8 6 5 2 It does not matter that the diamond
♥ A 9 7 ♠ J 7 2 finesse loses. East has no more spades
♦ Q 10 2 ♥ A 9 7 and you make nine tricks. You would go
♣ A Q 9 4 ♦ Q 10 2 down if you took the club finesse.
♣ A Q 9 4 Now, if I tell you that East overcalled
1♠, you put the long spades on your
You are South in 3NT. right. In this case, you cross to dummy
West leads the spade ten and you lose More commonly a positive action by an and finesse in clubs instead. You are
four tricks when East has A-K-Q-x. opponent is what gives you a clue. catering for a layout like this:
West shifts to a diamond.
If the bidding tells you nothing – say
you dealt, opened 1NT and received a ♠ 8 5 ♠ 8 5
raise to 3NT – you will no doubt take ♥ K 8 5 ♥ K 8 5
the club finesse and make nine tricks if ♦ A J 10 9 6 5 ♦ A J 10 9 6 5
East holds the king. ♣ 10 3 ♣ 10 3
You hope the full layout is like this: N
♠ J 10 3 ♠ K Q 9 6 2
W E ♥ J 10 6 4 2 N ♥ Q 9 3
S
W E
♦ 8 3 2 ♦ K 4
S
♠ 6 5 ♠ A 7 4 ♣ K 8 ♣ 7 5 2
♥ K 8 5 ♥ A 7 ♠ A 7 4
♦ A K J 5 ♦ Q 7 ♥ A 7
♣ J 10 7 3 ♣ A Q J 9 6 4 ♦ Q 7
♠ 10 9 8 3 ♠ A K Q 4 ♣ A Q J 9 6 4
N
♥ Q J 3 W E
♥ 10 6 4 2
♦ 9 6 4 3 S ♦ 8 7 You are in 3NT once more. West leads
♣ 8 6 ♣ K 5 2 the spade jack and you hold up the ace You do not much mind that the club
♠ J 7 2 until the third round (all follow). finesse loses. This time West has no
♥ A 9 7 If the opponents never bid, you may more spades. Again, you make the
♦ Q 10 2 well place West with long spades and contract in comfort. Now you would go
♣ A Q 9 4 take the diamond finesse into what you down if you finessed West for the king
think is the safe East hand. of diamonds.

Page 42
 Use the Clues from the Bidding continued
♠ K J 8
♥ J 8 5
♦ A J 9 5 4 2
♣ Q
N
♠ Q 8 5 ♠ K J 8 W E
S
♥ K 8 6 4 ♥ 8 5 2
♦ A J 5 ♦ A Q J 8 5 ♠ A 10 9 6 4 2
♣ A K 9 ♣ 7 3 ♥ 9 7
N N ♦ K
W E W E
S S
♣ K J 10 9

♠ K 10 9 7 6 4 2 ♠ A Q 9 7 6 2
♥ A ♥ Q 7 You are in 4♠ after West opened 1NT
♦ 9 ♦ K 7 (12-14). West leads the ♥A-K-Q and you
♣ Q J 6 4 ♣ K J 6 ruff the third round. You still have a
club to lose and must find the queen of
spades.
You are in 6♠. West leads the heart You are in 4♠. West leads a low heart. East You do not know yet who holds the
queen to your ace. The key thing here is wins the first two tricks with the king and queen of spades. To find out, you knock
not to lose two trumps if someone has ace of hearts before switching to a low out the ace of clubs. If West has it, this is
A-J-x. club. You must guess whether to put up thirteen points accounted for and East
Suppose first that West opened 3♥. the king, playing East for the ace, or to try must hold the missing queens:
With long hearts on your left, you put the jack, playing East for the queen.
the spade length on your right and lead If East-West never bid, you would try
to the queen: the jack of clubs. For one thing, East’s ♠ K J 8
silence in the bidding (despite holding ♥ J 8 5
seven points in hearts) slightly raises the ♦ A J 9 5 4 2
♠ Q 8 5 chance that West holds the club ace. For ♣ Q
♥ K 8 6 4 another, West might have led a club with­ ♠ 7 3 ♠ Q 5
N
♦ A J 5 out the ace. The other hands could be: ♥ A K Q 2 ♥ 10 6 4 3
W E
♣ A K 9 ♦ 10 7 6 3 S ♦ Q 8
♠ Void ♠ A J 3 ♣ A 8 5 ♣ 7 6 4 3 2
♥ Q J 10 9 7 5 2 N ♥ 3 ♠ 10 4 ♠ 5 3 ♠ A 10 9 6 4 2
W E
♦ K 8 4 2 ♦ Q 10 7 6 3 ♥ J 9 6 3 N ♥ A K 10 4 ♥ 9 7
S W E
♣ 10 5 ♣ 8 7 3 2 ♦ 10 6 4 ♦ 9 3 2 ♦ K
S
♠ K 10 9 7 6 4 2 ♣ A 10 5 2 ♣ Q 9 8 4 ♣ K J 10 9
♥ A
♦ 9
♣ Q J 6 4 Now, if I tell you that East opened 1♥ or If East has the club ace, West will need
1NT, you need to reassess. East surely the queens to have enough points:
needs the ace of clubs to open, so you go
Now, suppose East opened 3♦. This up with the king. The full layout (with
makes West favourite for the long spades the 1♥ opening) could be: ♠ K J 8
and you lead the king. In this scenario, ♥ J 8 5
the full layout would more likely be as ♦ A J 9 5 4 2
follows: ♠ K J 8 ♣ Q
♥ 8 5 2 ♠ Q 5 3 ♠ 7
♦ A Q J 8 5 ♥ A K Q 2 N ♥ 10 6 4 3
W E
♠ Q 8 5 ♣ 7 3 ♦ Q 8 7 S ♦ 10 6 3
♥ K 8 6 4 ♠ 10 4 ♠ 5 3 ♣ 8 5 2 ♣ A 7 6 4 3
N
♦ A J 5 ♥ J 6 3 W E ♥ A K 10 9 4 ♠ A 10 9 6 4 2
♣ A K 9 ♦ 10 6 4 2 S ♦ 9 3 ♥ 9 7
♠ A J 3 ♠ Void ♣ Q 9 5 2 ♣ A 10 8 4 ♦ K
N
♥ Q J 10 7 5 W E ♥ 9 3 2 ♠ A Q 9 7 6 2 ♣ K J 10 9
♦ 8 4 S ♦ K Q 10 7 6 3 2 ♥ Q 7
♣ 10 5 3 ♣ 8 7 2 ♦ K 7
♠ K 10 9 7 6 4 2 ♣ K J 6 If you have ever wondered how good
♥ A players manage to get their guesses right
♦ 9 rather more than half the time, now you
♣ Q J 6 4 At times, the bidding alone does not know. They do not play blindly but use
resolve a guess. You must dig deeper. the clues from the bidding. ■

Page 43
 SEND NO MONEY
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 Answers to Julian Pottage’s 
Defence Quiz on page 11
Partner leads the ♠6, covered by the ♠10, that you can cash the ♣K when you get
1. ♠ J 10 3 ♠Q and ♠A. Declarer leads to the ♥10 in with the ♦A.
♥ 10 9 6 and plays a second round. What do you Since you want a club switch, you
♦ A J 10 8 5 discard? should discard the highest club that you
♣ K 9 This time, you would like partner to can afford, in this case the ♣8. Without
♠ 8 6 5 4 ♠ Q 9 7 continue spades rather than switch to a clear signal, partner might be guessing
N
♥ A 7 5 4 ♥ 3 clubs. While the clearest way of asking whether you have your actual hand or
W E
♦ 6 3 S ♦ K 7 2 for a spade is to throw a high spade, some other hand with the ♦A-Q and
♣ Q 6 5 ♣ A J 8 4 3 2 here you cannot afford to part with any rubbish clubs.
♠ A K 2 of your spades. Instead, you should
♥ K Q J 8 2 discourage clubs and hope that partner
♦ Q 9 4 gets the message.
♣ 10 7 Discard your very lowest club, the ♣2. 4. ♠ J 9 4
This way partner should continue spades ♥ 10 7 5 3
when in with the ♥A. This gives you two ♦ K Q 9
West North East South spade tricks and a trump, with the ♦K to ♣ K Q 8
1♥ come. ♠ A K Q 10 8 ♠ 3
Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT Incidentally, if declarer had ducked ♥ Void N ♥ K 9 4
W E
Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ the first trick, you would have needed to ♦ J 10 5 3 S ♦ 8 7 6 4
End switch to a trump at trick two. ♣ 10 6 5 2 ♣ J 9 7 4 3
♠ 7 6 5 2
Partner leads the ♠6, covered by the ♠10, ♥ A Q J 8 6 2
♠Q and ♠A. Declarer leads to the ♥10 ♦ A 2
and plays a second round. What do you 3. ♠ Q 9 4 ♣ A
discard? ♥ 8 6
You have plenty of clubs and would like ♦ K J 9 5
partner to lead one. To encourage a club ♣ A Q 9 4 West North East South
switch, you should discard the highest ♠ 8 ♠ 7 6 3 Pass Pass 1♥
N
one you can afford, in this case the ♣8. ♥ A K J 9 7 5 4 ♥ 3 1♠ 2♠1 Pass 4♥
W E
♦ 10 3 S ♦ A 8 7 6 4 End
♣ 10 6 2 ♣ K 8 7 3 1
Sound raise in hearts
♠ A K J 10 5 2
2. ♠ J 10 3 ♥ Q 10 2 Partner leads the ♠A and continues with
♥ 10 9 6 ♦ Q 2 the ♠Q. What do you do?
♦ A J 10 8 5 ♣ J 5 By continuing with the ♠Q, your
♣ K 9 partner has indicated an A-K-Q holding,
♠ 8 6 5 4 ♠ K Q 9 which should give your side the first three
♥ A 7 5 4 N ♥ 3 West North East South tricks.
W E
♦ 6 3 S ♦ K 7 2 3♥ Pass Pass 3♠ If partner has an ace in one of the
♣ Q 6 5 ♣ J 10 8 4 3 2 Pass 4♠ End minors, the contract is likely to fail
♠ A 7 2 whatever you do. If not, you will need a
♥ K Q J 8 2 Partner leads the ♥A followed by the ♥K. trump trick.
♦ Q 9 4 What do you discard? There is a reasonable chance that your
♣ A 7 You have values in both minors and partner has only five spades, in which
need to work out which one you would case you might score your ♥K on an
like led. A diamond, though it will give overruff.
West North East South you a quick winner, will not defeat the Fortunately, because you have two
1♥ contract. You need two more tricks to go discards to make, you can discourage
Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT with partner’s two top hearts to beat the both minors, which you hope will
Pass 3♥ Pass 4♥ game. encourage partner to play a fourth round
End You want partner to switch to a club so of spades. Discard the ♣3 and ♦4. ■

Page 45
 AEGEAN ODYSSEY DECK PLAN

CATEGORY GUIDE
403 404#
CAT A Owner’s Suite, Balcony BRIDGE 405 406
503 504 408
CAT B Junior Suite, Balcony 407

•
•
505 506 409 410
507 508 411 412
CAT C Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony 509 512 510 414 ▲
511 413 416

•
•
801 802 515 514
CAT D Deluxe Stateroom, Balcony 701 513 516 415 417 418 420

•
•
702

•
•
AMBASSADOR 519 518 419 422

■
CAT E Deluxe Stateroom, Outside 803 804 703 704 LOUNGE
517 520 421 424
423 426
523 524 425 428
705
CAT F Deluxe Stateroom, Outside 805 806
706 521 522
427 ▲
430
525 ▲ 526 ▲ 429 432
707 708 434
CAT G Premium Outside 527 528 431 ▲ 433 436 ▲

■
807 808 529 530
438

712 • 710 •
531 532 435 437 440
CAT H Premium Outside
810 •
809 •

533 534 439 442

CAT I* Premium Outside 441 444
709 714 443 MARCO POLO
RECEPTION 448

•
445 446
CAT J Standard Outside RESTAURANT
LIDO 711 716 447 450 452
449
BAR 713 718 451 454
CAT K Premium Inside 453 456
715 720 535 536 455 460
CAT L Premium Inside 717 722 459 ATHENA 464
537 538
719 539 HEALTH
CAT M Standard Inside
724 •
CHARLESTON HAIR 463 466
SPA
LOUNGE 543 DRESSER
541 540 467 470
721
POOL 547
KEY 471 474
726 •

INTERNET 542
545
• Single cabins 723 549
475 476
▲ Third pullman berth in these cabins 551 544 477 478
725 728
• •

• •

■ Third/fourth pullman berth 727 730 553 546

# Cabin for passengers with disabilities

* Please note: Category GG, I, II and

some HH cabins have partially
555 548

restricted view 557 550 MEDICAL

LIBRARY
Elevator 729 732
559 552

• •

• •
•

811 812
731 734 561 554
SHOP
813 814
733 736 563 556
815 816 735 738
565 558
817 818 737 740
567 560
819 820 739 742 TERRACE CAFE
569 562
821 822 741 744
571 564
823 824 743 746
573 566
825 826 745 748 BAR
827 828 575 568
747 750 THE
TERRACE
577 570

LIDO DECK BRIDGE DECK PROMENADE DECK BELVEDERE DECK COLUMBUS DECK MARCO POLO DECK

TERMS & CONDITIONS
please read carefully:
1. The contract
The contract exists between you and Voyages
to Antiquity (UK) Limited (the Company)
once we have received your signed booking
form and the required deposit payment and
we have sent you a confirmation/invoice. The
terms and conditions apply to all passengers
named on the booking form and the person
signing the booking form warrants that he or
she is authorised to do so. All correspondence
will be conducted with the lead person named
on the booking form.
2. Deposits and final payment
The deposit is 10% of the total holiday cost.
Final balance is due 75 days prior to departure.
Full payment must be made at time of booking
if made within 75 days of departure. We reserve
the right to cancel your booking and apply the
relevant cancellation charges (detailed in
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No charges are made for payments by debit cards.
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Should you wish to make a change to your
confirmed reservation you must notify us in
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plus any other charges imposed by the airline.
A change of departure date within 60 days prior
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You need to notify the Company in writing
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of your party needs to cancel your cruise
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when written notice is
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more than 75 days
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15 days or less
The cancellation charge is based on the total
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We do not sell insurance as there are many
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6. Changes and cancellation by us
The holidays featured in this brochure are
planned many months in advance.
Occasionally we have to make changes
and alterations to the published itineraries
both before and after bookings have been
confirmed, as circumstances may change and
also to correct possible errors in the brochure.
Most changes are minor but occasionally we
may have to make a ‘significant change’. A
‘significant change’ before departure is deemed
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area or a change in the duration of your cruise
holiday by more than 12 hours. Itinerary or
other timing changes are not considered to be
‘significant changes’. We might also have to
cancel a cruise in cases of force majeure (war,
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Cancellation charge conditions) in the area the cruise is scheduled,
per person or where a travel advisory has been issued by a
cancelling governmental organisation (UK or US) against
10% travel there. We also reserve the right to cancel
25% a cruise at any time up to ten weeks before
50% sailing if we consider there are insufficient
75% bookings for the cruise to be viable.
100% If we have to make a significant change or
cancel a cruise, we will advise you as soon as
possible with any alternate arrangements that
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accept these alternate arrangements or cancel
with a full refund.
In the unlikely event that a ‘force majeure’
situation occurs after a cruise has started,
causing us to change the itinerary, we would
not be liable to pay any compensation other
than pass on any refunds received from suppliers.
The ship’s captain is responsible for the safety
of the ship, passengers and crew and has
absolute discretion in making any alterations
to the cruise he considers necessary.
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We expect all passengers to have consideration
for other people. If in our reasonable opinion
the behaviour of any passenger is likely to cause
damage, upset or distress to any third party or
damage to property, the Company reserves
the right to terminate that passenger’s cruise
without prior notice. In these extreme
circumstances no refunds will be made and
the Company will not pay any expenses or
costs incurred as a result of the termination
of the cruise.
The departure of the ship from any port will
not be delayed for passengers who are not on
board by the published departure time.
8. Fitness and Eligibility
The focus of the cruises featured in this
brochure is on the extensive programme of
included sightseeing and to fully participate in
this you need to be reasonably fit and have no
walking difficulties. In any event your mobility
should not be an impediment to others on the
guided tours. We also reserve the right to refuse
to accept a booking without giving a reason.
9. Liability
The liability of the Company and any other
party that may be involved in providing services
in connection with any of the holidays in this
brochure may be limited where international
conventions apply. These include the Warsaw
Convention which relates to carriage by air
and the Athens Convention which relates to
carriage by sea. Travel on board the Aegean
Odyssey is subject to the conditions of carriage
issued by the ship operating company and travel
on board aircraft to join the Aegean Odyssey is
subject to the airline’s standard ticket conditions.
Full details are available on request.
The Company is not to be held responsible
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passengers are not aboard the vessel. The
Company acts only as an agent for the supplier
of off-ship services such as airlines and other
off-ship transportation carriers, meals, shore
excursions, accommodations, air ambulance
and shore-side physicians. These may limit
or exclude liability. Claims other than for
personal injury, death and illness are limited
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10. English Law
These conditions form part of the contract with
the Company and any disputes arising out of it
are governed by English Law. All proceedings
shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the
courts of England and Wales.
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Policy emergency contact No:

MEDICAL DECLARATION
All the above named persons are fit to travel and are not travelling contrary to medical advice.
All pre-existing medical conditions which may require treatment aboard ship must be declared.
NB. A charge of between 1.7% and 2.5% is made for final payments made by credit card
SIGNATURE
On behalf of the persons named above, whose authority I have to sign this agreement, I have read
the information on this cruise and accept the Terms and Conditions.

Name (please print)

NB. If there is a change in the general health of any of the above named, medical advice should
be sought before taking the proposed holiday. A medical certificate may be requested. Signature Date

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VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY
ABTA No.Y2206

MAKING YOUR RESERVATION

• Select your Voyages to Antiquity cruise and preferred cabin category.
• Contact Mr Bridge office on 01483 489961 who can take care of your booking.
• Once you have been given a booking reference number, please complete the booking form, as soon as possible to avoid delays,
and send it with a 10% deposit to Voyages of Antiquity (UK) Ltd., 8 South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7JL.
• An invoice will be issued within one week of confirmation and the balance of your holiday must
be received 75 days before departure.
• Your documents will be sent approximately two weeks before departure once
full payment has been received.
 CRUISE FROMVENICE
TO ANCIENT SICILYAND
BRIDGE
If undelivered or unwanted kindly return to
Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey, GU21 2TH
POMPEII
Venice
Croatia
Split
Italy
Dubrovnik
Civitavecchia Korcula
Rome Adriatic
Sea
Sorrento
Tyrrhenian
Sea
Palermo
Enjoy a daily duplicate while exploring dramatic fares from just £2,150 include: Mediterranean Sea Syracuse
Sicily
Croatia, monumental Sicily and the Amalfi Coast •FULL BRIDGE PROGRAMME •SCHEDULED FLIGHTS 13 days departing October 4, 2013
Spend two days exploring Venice then sail south via the •EXPERTLY PLANNED ITINERARIES OCT 4 Fly to VENICE Italy
Adriatic's beautiful cities and around the heel of Italy to Sicily. •SHORE EXCURSIONS IN ALL PORTS OF CALL Transfer to Aegean Odyssey overnight
OCT 5/6 VENICE Italy overnight
Visit the ancient Greek Theatre at Syracuse, the extraordinary •EXPERT ANTIQUITY GUEST SPEAKERS OCT 7 SPLIT Croatia
Palatine Chapel in Palermo and explore the ruins of Pompeii •WINE WITH DINNER ON BOARD OCT 8 KORCULA Croatia
from Sorrento while enjoying daily bridge. •OPEN-SEATING DINING • GRATUITIES ON BOARD OCT 9 DUBROVNIK Croatia
OCT 10
•EXCLUSIVE MR BRIDGE COCKTAIL PARTY At Sea
OCT 11 SYRACUSE Sicily
OCT 12/13 PALERMO (Monreale) Sicily overnight
Mr Bridge Passengers The bridge programme is exclusive to OCT 14/15 SORRENTO (Pompeii) Italy overnight
Mr Bridge bookings but is completely optional. Mr Bridge OCT 15 SORRENTO Italy
passengers can participate as much, or as little as they wish. OCT 16 CIVITAVECCHIA Italy
There will be a duplicate session every evening and bridge Transfer to airport for flight home
every afternoon the ship is at sea. Singles are made especially MR BRIDGE SPECIAL FARES
Call Mr Bridge to reserve your cabin and take
welcome – a playing partner will always be found.
advantage of these special fares, or for a brochure Standard Inside £2,150pp Premium Outside from £2,895pp
to find out more about our ship, Aegean Odyssey. Premium Inside from £2,295pp Deluxe Outside from £3,495pp
CALL ON 01483 489961 Standard Outside £2,750pp Deluxe Balcony from £4,295pp
All prices, savings and offers shown are subject to availability at the time of booking. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and available only on certain cabin
grades and the sailings shown, and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Single accommodation is available only in certain categories, and subject to availability. www.mrbridge.co.uk NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
PAST PASSENGERS CAN SAVE EVEN MORE
10093
V OYAGES TO A NTIQUITY
Extend your holiday with a hotel
ABTA No.Y2206
stay in Rome, please call for details