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