Bridge Opening lead: ♣ J On our featured deal, whilst no more than 8 tricks are possible in notrumps, you can win no fewer than 11 tricks in Spades – provided you handle trumps correctly (analogous to example (b) above). The key is to prevent a third round of trumps being played. Win the ♣ J (with say the ♣ K) and duck a trump altogether (key play). Say West wins the ♠ 10 and continues with the ♣ 10. Win with the ♣ A and lead to the ♠A. Leaving their master trump out (the Rule of One), cash the ♥AK, the uAK and ruff the u 6. It does West no good to ruff, nor to throw the master ♣ 9, so he throws the ♥J. You now ruff the ♣ 4 - your eleventh trick. 4♠ made + 1. There is an exception, however. When you have set up a suit in the dummy, you should often force the defender to take the boss trump while you still have an entry to dummy, so you can enjoy dummy’s running suit. Example:
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Books with a bridge theme The Cardturner
An elderly life-long bridge player becomes blind and enlists his teenage grand-nephew to sit at his table in the bridge club and call out the cards for him. By such exposure does the teenager become intrigued by the game of bridge and end up an avid student.
Books with a bridge theme
The Cardturner may well inspire young people to take an interest in bridge – much needed, since the average age of bridge players is increasing every year and stands at 71 in the United States. The best-selling author, Louis Sachar, explains the rudiments of bridge very well. For example, Finesse: “A Finesse is a cool play that allows you to win two tricks with the ace and queen of a suit, even though one of your opponents holds the king. It has a 50 per cent chance of success, depending upon which one of your opponents holds the king. By the way, when I first showed this to Leslie, I used real cards not a bridge diagram. If you find it difficult to follow the diagrams, try using a real deck”.
success, depending has a 50 per cent chance of opponents holds the king. ItOther bridge conceptskin en I first and techniques arewh explained g. By the way, onents holds the beneficial Dummy to absolute beginit upon which one of your oppclearly, making this book find you If m. real cards not a bridge diagra ♠ K32 showed this to Leslie, I usedners and improvers alike. u A K Q J 10 ms, try using a real deck”. difficult to follow the diagra k boo this In an interview the author “Few young people have of bridge, and for those kingg brid Ansaid: , ma erly arly life -lon ed cle geever plaheard yer becI hoped ques are explaineld omestoblin techni d and Declarer have, they probably think of it as something old and fuddy-duddy. present it enlists h Other bridge concepts andwho gra e.nephew to sit at his table ndalik ers rov imp and ers inn ♠ A8765 beg in te the as something new and exciting. It is full of limitless possibilities. But probably the best part of olu brid ge club and call ou beneficial to abs him rd of u432 suc bridge, unlike you chess, ispeo thatple it. isBy a partnership game”. h exp r hea osu e eve re hav doe s the tee ng nag w er bec “Fe : ome intrigued b In an interview the author said old ingavid ethan brid som as ge it and of k end thin up ly bab pro y stu den the t. Thiattention havae, s book–ma Spades are trumps. A defender those who As forthe novel, it is, as they say, a page turner, more than they well inspire andruff is the reader’s bridge,may g. Itholding excitin andres ing toeth tak e new som an astwists inte it t t sen in pre brid third round of Diamonds with her master trump to ge ed – plot having many and turns. As it is both entertaining and educational, I would highly mu hop I ch nee dy. ded, since the average and fuddy-dud bridge, unlike t par besyer and cut you off from dummy’s two winning recommend it. ly thepla s ist of incr But probab easing every year and stands at 71 limitless possibilities. of full in the United Diamonds – so it may be better to give the rship game”. chess, is that it is a partneThe Theforbes defender her master trump. Cardturner Available €7.07, including delivery from www.bookdepository.com. t-se llin g author, Lou ’s is Sachar, explains the rud re than holding the reader iments o a page turner, mo well. For ing exa As a novel, it is, as they say, ain mp ert le, Fine ent h sse bot : is “A it Fine As sse ns. is tur a coo and l play that allow ny twists attention – the plot having ma two tricks with the ace and queen of a suit it. nd me om rec , eve hly The Bridge Ladies n though one o hig uld and educational, I wo The author, Betsy Lerner, w.b becomes a regular attendee at her mother’s Monday afternoon m. y.co tor osi ookdep ry from ww her connection ivestrengthening ing del club, with her mother, building friendships with the other Available for €7.07, includbridge octogenarian “Bridge Ladies” — and falling in love with the game of bridge. Lerner says: “I think most people need some motivation to learn bridge. Usually friends or spouses play and they don’t want to miss out. Unlike most card games, you probably should take lessons and you need to play a lot. I’m terrible at maths, logic and have memory issues, but I love the game. People who are “naturals’ have an abundance of these skills. The rest of us plod along”.
Speaking of her mother’s generation: “Their generation is called “The Silent Generation.” They didn’t have a culture of therapy, confession, Oprah, openness. Children were supposed to be seen and not heard, you were meant to suffer in silence and pull yourself up by your bootstraps”.
Andrew Robson
The author goes on to state: “I think bridge attracts people with new found time on their hands: divorce, unemployment, widowhood, empty nest, all kinds of life transitions might be responsible for some people taking the plunge”. And now we can add Covid to that list.
Further examples can be found on Andrew Robson’s excellent website: www.andrewrobson.co.uk and I would mother’s es a regular attendee at her highly recommend his daily BridgeCasts. om , bec hor, Betsy Lerner This book is instructive in the area of bridge, a valuable piece of social history and an honest
The aut nection with her hening her conrelationship. ngtmother/daughter ge club, stre exploration of the Highly recommended. y afternoon brid nda Mo Free bridge emails: If you wish to receive free ogenarian “Bridge Ladies” — oct er oth the h wit s hip nds g frie r, buildin mothevideos bridge emails which include lessons, & quizzes please email me: michaelolough@yahoo.com 32 Senior Times l May-June 2021 l www.seniortimes.ie
The Bridge Ladies Available for €7.51, including delivery from www.bookdepository.com.
