Bristol Bridge Club aims to provide facilities and opportunities for all its members to enjoy playing and learning bridge, no matter at what level. Beginner or international.

We are a large club and are able to offer playing sessions that suit all levels of ability. Non-members are always welcome.

The club has its own premises and we are situated near the centre of Bristol in Hotwells. The club consists of a large playing room with a smaller area for classes and a licensed bar that also offers light refreshments.

The club plays duplicate bridge on most days of the week, usually with a qualified director.

The club is affiliated to the English Bridge Union (EBU), via the Avon Contract Bridge Association (ACBA).

BRISTOL BRIDGE CLUB is a charity and it has been entered onto the Register of Charities with the Registered Charity Number 1167959.

There is car parking close by.

For directions and map, click here.

WEEK 22

Defensive play is about having an ability to visualise the whole hand and the best line of defence and sometimes being very bold in executing that plan. The following is a favourite hand of mine featuring probably the greatest player in the Italian blue team still playing top level bridge at 90 Benito Garozzo.

The contract is 4s doubled and you hold:

x

Axxxx

Axxx

Axx

Dummy is

xx

xx

Q8

KT9xxxx

you have opened 1h in third seat and south has shown a strong hand with 6 or 7 spades and at least 4 diamonds and  your partner has doubled the final contract having raised you to two hearts.

Lead is a low heart to your ace and you return a trump .declarer wins and play a diamond to the Q your plan?

What do you know about the hand? If declarer has 6 spades he also holds 4/5 diamonds and since partner only bid 2h a minimum of 2 hearts so one thing we know for certain is he will not be able to use the clubs in dummy since he is short in the suit .We know we would like to play a second trump to kill the ruff in dummy but we cannot get partner in for this purpose so all looks hopeless .This is where the visualisation skill comes in Garozzo ducked the DQ and when declarer continued with the 8 he ducked a second time ! Since we know declarer has at least 4 diamonds this play can never cost and when the layout is as follows it is a big winner as declarer holds

AKxxxx

KJ

KJ9xx

void

on the second diamond declarer inserted the 9 losing to the ten and now partner could play a second trump ensuring the contract went two light instead of just one. The two ducks are brilliant plays.

 

WEEK 21

The decline in the use  of the Acol 2 Bid has created a problem for some methods. Playing 2c and 2d as   strong( Benjamin ) provides help whereas if you have only 2c as your strong bid as is played by many players you have to make some close choices between a one bid and 2c. I will provide some examples and try to glean some principles .

 

If you hold a hand such as

 

AKJTxx

AKQxx

x

x

 

if you open 1s you could easily miss 6h therefore the hand is a 2c opener .My test is would you be seriously worried if you opened 1s and partner were to pass and here you would be.

 

If you are 3 suited then the problem of describing your hand after opening 2c may be too great so you should try a one bid eg

 

void

AQJx

Axxxx

AKQx

 

Imagine the bidding goes 2c -2d -3d -3s this is a ghastly space consuming sequence which could easily miss a fit in hearts or clubs .

 

This was another awkward hand

 

A

AQxxxx

KJ

AKxx

 

is this a 2c bid or a one heart opener( it is definitely not a 2nt opener ) if those are your options ? A close call I would say but just 2c .

 

Suit quality is also a determining factor in the decision so

 

QTxxxx

AK

AQJx

A

 

is a 1s bid rather than 2c I think .

 

This brings me on to the question of when to open 2nt with an off centre shape .In general I am not a fan. In a league match this season I held

 

AQ

Axx

Ax

AQxxxx

 

1c 2c or 2nt what is your poison ? 2nt was selected in both rooms including your correspondent and this shows what a poor choice this proved to be with the hand opposite

 

xx

xx

KJxxxx

Kxx

 

7c was cold and we reached 3nt .So what does this prove ? A hand with a 6 card suit or shortage or very good controls tends to be undervalued by the point count.

 

If you open 2nt with ( superb controls and all working points )

 

A

Axx

KJxx

AKJxx

 

you will  miss 6c when partner holds

 

xxx

Kx

Qxx

Qxxxx

 

 

For some strange and unconnected reason I am reminded of that legendary football manager Brian Clough and  he would no doubt have said with regard to big hand valuation  " lad you need skill and judgment in valuing hands and some players have it, some are learning it  and some are never likely to acquire it  " and then  he would no doubt  have added " I am may not be the best football manager in the world but I am certainly in the top one !"

 

WEEK 20

Another pair of deals one from  from Ostend and another from  a  recent match .

The difference between pairs and teams is the size of the gain so in pairs an overtrick can make all the difference whereas in teams one must play the safest line to ensure the success of the contract and forget about overtricks.

K87x

Kx

J98xx

Qx

 

AJxx

ATx

Axx

AKT

Another hand with plenty of nominated intermediate cards to arouse suspicion !

The contract is 4s and the lead is a heart .

The trump suit is crucial here and many top class players went off in this one.

In the trump suit alone there is a safety play which is low to the ace and low to the 8 in dummy which guards against the suit dividing 4-1 with singleton nine or 10 on the right which was the actual lay out. Perhaps there is an even better line of play.

Cash 2 hearts, three clubs and the DA and SK and ruff a heart in dummy. If all this passes off ok you have 8 winners now simply exit with a diamond and if Left Hand holds QT9x in trumps  he will be forced to win trick 11 after his partner has cashed DK and DQ and lead into your AJ of trumps.

Then your correspondent revealing his typical trait for feeble bidding

Kxxxx

void

Axxx

AQx

It is game all  teams and it goes pass (2h 7-10 with hearts and a minor ) on your right  you overcall 2s and hear 4h to your left passed back to you ? Do you bid or pass .In a sense 2s described  most of your hand except imagine partner holds say a long minor or 3 card spade support now 4s or 5m could still be cold and the bidding has suggested partner will probably not hold substantial heart values so double now is correct to show a take out hand of hearts offering partner 3 options pass with heart values or bid 4s or 5m .It is certainly not the best method to play double here as penalty since with that hand you are happy to pass .

He holds

JTxx

T9xx

Qx

xxx

 

4s is one off with 4h cold.

Week 19

 

The following is a fascinating declarer play problem.

JT8x

KTx

xxx

xxx

AKQ9xx

AQ9x

void

Kxx

You play in 5 spades after LHO has overcalled in diamonds and east has supported.  The lead is DA. There is a 100% line of play provided trumps break 2-1.

Ruff the lead high play a spade to the jack and ruff a second diamond high and continue with a trump to the ten drawing the last trump and now ruff the third diamond.

So with the diamond suit eliminated and trumps drawn we have reached 

8x

KTx

void

xxx

9

AQ9x

void

Kxx

We require 6 more tricks from this point. The certain line now is to cash HA unblocking the ten, play a heart to the king and a third heart inserting the 9 if RHO plays small. If the hearts are 3-3 with the jack wrong LHO  will win and is now end played and must play either a diamond allowing us to ruff with our last trump in hand discarding a club from dummy with the 4th heart providing a second club discard from dummy. If a club is returned we score the CK and have a heart to discard the other club loser. If RHO has started with Jxxx in hearts we are also ok when the CA is offside.

So we make 4 ruffs in our hand and 4 in the dummy together with 3 heart tricks. I do not think I have seen a 6-4 fit played as a dummy reversal for a total of 8 winners before which makes the hand highly unusual.

 

Week 18 and 19

 

Week 16 and 15

 

Week 14 and 13

 

 Week 12 and 11

 

Week 10 and 9

 

Week 8 and 7

 

Week 6 and 5

Week 4 and week 3

 

Weeks 2 and 1

 

 

August

EBU Summer Festival

Bristol Bridge Club is hosting 2 events:

Tuesday 7th - GCH Fox Championship Pairs

Wednesday 15th  - Mixed Pivot Teams

September

Sunday 23rd - Curtis Cup

 

 

 

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Cancelled but If you would like to join our next Fast Track bridge course later in the year, please email bridgeclassbristol@gmail.com to register your interest.