AUDREY GRANT'S BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE May / June 2020 | Page 3
The Magazine for Social and Duplicate Bridge Players | May-June 2020
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
11 Famous Deal
by Audrey Grant
12 The Real Deal
by Larry Cohen
14 Bridge Maxims: Truth or Fantasy?
by David Lindop
16 Modern Bidding
by Oren Kriegel
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, Oren Kriegel, Shawn Quinn, Andrew Robson, Sylvia Shi,
and Robert Todd.
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:
[email protected].
SUBSCRIPTION IS $35 USD PER YEAR OR $60 FOR TWO YEARS.
COPYRIGHT © 05 2020. PRINTED IN THE USA. VOL 25 NO 4 ISSUE 151.
Bridge players and bridge organizations have a history of being
resilient in difficult times. They work together to support each
other and to find ways to keep the game going, even when it
seems circumstances are working against them. Last month,
the world and the world of bridge changed. Today, at any time,
it’s possible that more than fifty thousand players are on Bridge
Base. The American Contract Bridge League, working with club
directors and players, have made sure games and lessons are
available online. Bridge clubs are able to continue to run their
games even though for many players, it’s a venue they didn’t
expect to experience. With the help of friends and directors,
thousands of players stay connected and play a game that has a
unique way of taking all of their attention.
In this issue, there are practical tips you can apply during your
online bridge-playing experiences. David Lindop, in Play of the
Hand, addresses a challenge for the declarer. The opening lead is
made, and the dummy has the ace, queen and a small card in the
suit. Declarer is missing the king. Is this the time to take a finesse
against the king? It’s tempting to think in terms of it being now
or never. Yet interestingly, on many hands, the right choice is to
play low or to play the ace. David reviews why making a plan is
important for declarer to decide the play that provides the best
trick-taking potential.
Bridge is a game of personal opinion. When challenging bidding
problems come up, although the first instinct might be to look
for a rule, it’s important to know you can take an action that
seems right to you at the time, with no regrets. The best players
in the world often don’t agree on the best decision. In Master
Solvers’ Club and Point of View, compare your thoughts with
the experts’ opinions.
Small cards, on defense, are important messengers. They bring
information about the unseen hands and reveal, to the defenders,
ways they can defeat the contract. In Defenders’ Corner, the
focus is on the six and the seven – simple cards that have a lot to
offer, given the chance.
Famous Deal shows how John R. Crawford used an unusual
clue to direct his decisions when the partnership reached a 7♣
contract. It’s a tale of using all the resources available. In Come
To The Party, there’s a story of the first virtual bridge club in
Toronto and an introduction to James Fitzgerald, the owner and
club manager of OKbridge, the first online bridge club. Oren
Kriegel has excellent advice on how to get back into the auction
when your left-hand opponent overcalls, and your partner and
right-hand opponent both pass.
Every day, Better Bridge provides an online bridge lesson through
the interactive Daily Bridge Column. We want you to be our
guest to experience these lessons. There’s more information on
the front and back covers. We look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you for being part of Better Bridge.
Audrey Grant and the Better Bridge Team
BetterBridge.com
1