The Magazine for Social and Duplicate Bridge Players | January-February 2021
in this issue
1 Editorial by Audrey Grant
2 Play of the Hand by David Lindop
4 Master Solvers ’ Club A Feature from The Bridge World
5 Look-Alikes by Audrey Grant
6 Point of View
8 Defenders ’ Corner by Audrey Grant
10 Come to the Party by Audrey Grant and David Lindop
12 The Real Deal by Larry Cohen
14 Bridge Maxims : Truth or Fantasy ? by David Lindop
16 Modern Bidding
18 The Play ' s the Thing
19 Quizzical Pursuits
& Bidding Quiz
20 Quizzical Pursuits
& Bidding Quiz Answers
EDITOR Audrey Grant | TECHNICAL EDITOR David Lindop CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Larry Cohen , Shawn Quinn , Andrew Robson , Robert Todd , and Rhoda Walsh . AUDREY GRANT ’ S BETTER BRIDGE IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES A YEAR BY BARON BARCLAY BRIDGE SUPPLY , 3600 CHAMBERLAIN LANE SUITE 206 , LOUISVILLE , KY 40241 USA . NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE COPIED OR REPRINTED WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT OF BARON BARCLAY . TO SUBSCRIBE : CALL 1-800-274-2221 OR EMAIL : SUPPORT @ BARONBARCLAY . COM . SUBSCRIPTION IS $ 35 USD PER YEAR OR $ 60 FOR TWO YEARS . COPYRIGHT © 1 2021 . PRINTED IN THE USA . ISSUE 153 .
Partner opens 1♥ . For a simple raise , some books suggest a 6-10 point range . A limit raise requires 11-12 points . That ’ s one idea . Other sources suggest the ranges are 6-9 for the simple raise and 10-12 for the limit raise . What is the answer ? We often get requests to decide once and for all what the modern range should be .
The best answer is to use 6-9 points for a simple raise and 11-12 for the limit raise . Where ’ s the 10 ? It ’ s on the fence . If it ’ s a weak 10-point hand , then put it in the 6-9 category . However , if it ’ s a strong 10-point hand , put it in the limit raise category . See more in Come To The Party about hand valuation .
Another question that comes up frequently is whether 2 / 1 is here to stay . It seems “ Do you play 2 / 1 Game Force ?” is a commonly asked question . Standard bidding has worked well for years , why do we need something new ?
Renowned historian , Yuval Noah Harari , has become a global phenomenon through his books Sapiens , Homo Deus , and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century . In the segment on Education in the latest book , he shares information that can be helpful to bridge players . Focus not on rules but on improving the use of guidelines and being open to adaptations of what we know .
He writes that pedagogical experts believe teaching should focus on “ critical thinking , communication , collaboration , and creativity . Emphasize general-purpose life skills . Most important of all will be the ability to deal with change , learn new things , and preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations .”
These days , this is especially important when we are meeting the challenges of online learning . Harari believes education can help us handle this : “ To survive and flourish in such a world , you will need a lot of mental flexibility and great reserves of emotional balance . You will have to repeatedly let go of some of what you know best and learn to feel at home with the unknown .”
In this issue , our writers give us a chance to let go of what we know best and actually be okay with that idea . David Lindop suggests we reconsider that favorite Third Hand High maxim . Modern Bidding presents an idea of how a partnership can communicate during the auction to see how well the hands fit together . Larry Cohen , in The Real Deal , organizes the many ideas about bridge with the focus on a random hand . Come to the Party gives a preview of courses being offered that combine classic bridge information with bridge as it is in today ’ s world .
Thank you for being part of Better Bridge . We ’ ll keep in touch to let you know how you can be involved in Better Bridge activities .
All the best , Audrey Grant and the Better Bridge Team
BetterBridge . com
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