PhilG007

Your comments have been noted.. I will reflect on them. Good match. These robots really are something else. It was as though they had X ray 'eyes' I am not a pedagogue although it seems to come across as such. I know I've made a fool of myself,not for the first or last time. But hubris is a widespread human frailty and not just at bridge. I am of the so-called 'Old Guard' and I'm from the era of great players such as Rixi Markus,Jeremy Flint,Terence Reese,Tony Priday and Hugh Kelsey I was weaned on their ideologies and regarded those of those who come after them as'upstarts' 'whippersnappers' However,I know bridge is a game and like any game,it has to evolve to avoid becoming stale. One thing that has really irked me is the proliferation of conventions over the last two decades. Almost everyone has jumped on the bandwagon wanting to go down to posterity by having a convention named after him/herself and in this I feel that the Governors of the game have been wretchedly weak in trying to control the flow. When Harry Vanderbilt,the Father of our beloved game,took a party of friends on board his yacht for a cruise in 1925,he told them "Gentlemen,I'd like to show you a new game;you might find it interesting" I suspect dear old Harry little knew just how "interesting" his "new game" would prove to be(!) http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

Unquestionably PASS Let partner struggle in his 2♥ and hope for as small a penalty as is possible. Any "rescue" by you will just pour petrol on the flames Who knows? The doubler's partner might remove it (NOT advisable for future partnership harmony) It HAS been known to happen(!)http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

In both cases I would open 1 spade. Since the trump suit is the most powerful,the more cards you hold in it the better So as an example holding ♠AKQJ ♥109543 ♦AJ ♣83 I would open 1♥ the longer suit NOT 1♠ because of all the pretty pictures(!)

OK disappointed to see that while so many viewed the post,only a few attempted it. Maybe it was too high brow for them(?!) Anyway,the actual declarer,who was no slouch,saw Garozzo's high spade plays and reflected on what they might mean. Surely they must be suit preference signals screaming for a switch to hearts. Obviously he must be void in the suit. With a twinge of expectation he led the ♥7 and finessed. As he did so the audience(the match was being played on Bridgerama)broke out into vigorous applause...which suddenly died away when it lost to East's singleton J♥ (!) This was the complete deal:- [hv=pc=n&s=s976h743dqt83cq92&w=sk3hk6da9ck876543&n=shaqt9852dkj542ca&e=saqjt8542hjd76cjt]399|300[/hv] South was really distraught and bemoaned his ill fortune But the editor of the tournament book was scathing about South's superficial analysis:- "As I see it,declarer had three clues which should have convinced him to put his faith in the simple heart finesse 1) Recapitulate the bidding. Who doubled? If Garozzo had really been void in heart HE would have doubled to ask for an unxpected lead. 2) When Garozzo played the A♠ he did not know that his partner held the ace of trumps. Even if he did have a heart void,he probably would have contented himself with a small spade for West would scarcely have seen any prospects in a club switch. Again, when West had taken his A♦ and played another spade,to play the Q♠could no longer help his side. 3) To consider that a player of West's ability(another Italian grandmaster)would fail to shift to a heart was insulting and showed very poor judgement"

OK disappointed to see that while so many viewed the post,only a few attempted it. Maybe it was too high brow for them(?!) Anyway,the actual declarer,who was no slouch,saw Garozzo's high spade plays and reflected on what they might mean. Surely they must be suit preference signals screaming for a switch to hearts. Obviously he must be void in the suit. With a twinge of expectation he led the ♥7 and finessed. As he did so the audience(the match was being played on Bridgerama)broke out into vigorous applause...which suddenly died away when it lost to East's singleton J♥ (!) This was the complete deal:- [hv=pc=n&s=s976h743dqt83cq92&w=sk3hk6da9ck876543&n=shaqt9852dkj542ca&e=saqjt8542hjd76cjt]399|300[/hv] South was really distraught and bemoaned his ill fortune But the editor of the tournament book was scathing about South's superficial analysis:- "As I see it,declarer had three clues which should have convinced him to put his faith in the simple heart finesse 1) Recapitulate the bidding. Who doubled? If Garozzo had really been void in heart HE would have doubled to ask for an unxpected lead. 2) When Garozzo played the A♠ he did not know that his partner held the ace of trumps. Even if he did have a heart void,he probably would have contented himself with a small spade for West would scarcely have seen any prospects in a club switch. Again, when West had taken his A♦ and played another spade,to play the Q♠could no longer help his side. 3) To consider that a player of West's ability(another Italian grandmaster)would fail to shift to a heart was insulting and showed very poor judgement"

It's been said you should never argue with idiots So I'm not arguing. They're more to be pitied than scoldedhttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

OK 48 boards You set it up. Let's just get this thing settled once and for all At least by starting this challenge,I'll have proved one thing, Whatever else I may be,I'm no coward Bring it on!!! Head to head :)

OK what length then? You decide but 64 is too long.. And as for "getting lucky" there's no such thing Bridge is a game of skill. Its all about ability

Stephen Tu, Your challenge awaits 10 boards MPs 64 is way too much I have other things to do This is a challenge not a Marathon (!)http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/sad.gifIf you defeat me,I will make no further comments on these forums This is my solemn promise. If,however I beat you then you will apologise for your disparaging remarks and recognise me for the advanced player that I amDo you agree to the terms of the challenge or are you just another hot air balloon ?!

Are you speaking about Beethoven?! He's dead(!)http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif

Stephen Tu I challenge you to a match Head to head I throw down the gauntlet Dare you accept? Let us see if you are more than just an armchair critic(!) The tongue of the coward is brave(!) http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif

3NT Next question (?)

I was taught when a novice many moons ago that the double of a game call is ALWAYS for blood.regardless of the vulnerability What else can it mean?! And,with regard to my previous posting on this thread,preempting in 4th seat is just plain daft. It serves no useful purpose whatsoeverhttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif

[hv=pc=n&s=s976h743dqt83cq92&n=shaqt9852dkj542ca&d=e&v=b&b=10&a=4spp4np5d5s6dppdppp]266|200[/hv] This deal comes from the World Pairs Championship 1966 played in Amsterdam The Netherlands. You are South. On your right is the formidable Italian legend Benito Garozzo. You become declarer in 6♦ after the auction shown. West leads K♠ which you ruff in dummy,Garozzo playing the A♠ You lead the K♦ taken by West with the A♦ West returns 3♠ You ruff again in dummy, Garozzo playing Q♠ You lead a trump to hand,both opponents following Obviously the contract hinges on the heart suit. How do you play from here? What do you make of East's high spade discards?

If it transpires that partner WAS doubling on the strength of a trump stack,then you are going to have some explaining to do in the postmortem. By removing the double you are quite literally telling your partner "I saw your double partner,but you're a liar and I don't trust you" It wouldn't come as a shock if the partnership dissolved soon afterwardshttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

Firstly,I have to say that preempting in the pass out seat is senseless...there's no-one left to preempt(!) As for the double,it HAS to be for blood. Partner is obviously sitting with a trump stack over declarer.

There is much to be said for bidding your own hand,not your partner'shttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif

2♦ Yes you have 15 hcp but it doesn't merit a double jump in diamonds. You can't raise the spades as you only have three and partner might only have a 4 card suit and a 4-3 fit in a major is not a consummation devoutly to be wished.. Bidding NTs is taboo because of the singleton. You can't reverse as you have the neither the pointage(16+minimum) nor the distribution(5-4 minimum) to satisfy the requirements for a reverse. All in all it comes down to a process of elimination. If Partner has anything further to say,he will bid again and you can then evaluate the situation in the light of what that rebid is.For the present,you've done what you were asked to do,keep the bidding open to give partner a chance to further describe his hand if need be.

So what are the bits you DON'T agree with? Just curious is allhttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

I have faith in my partners too but I also remember that to err is human So i'ts 50% trust 50 scepticismhttp://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

Totally agree with all the poster has said. I have learned through bitter experience that overcalls are often risky Bidding 2♠ on this hand when you KNOW an opponent is strong in the suit is just nothing short of bizarre. It's one thing to have the misfortune to skid off the road,quite another to accelerate deliberately into a tree(!)http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif

[hv=pc=n&s=shaqjt765dajtcajt&d=e&v=n&b=2&a=3h]133|200[/hv] You are South,vulnerable against not. East,on your right deals and opens 3♥ which is alerted to show a good preempt in spades. What action,if any,would you take?

I would just bid 3♣ showing my long powerful suit and leave the rest to partner. As a corollary,what would be the situation if the club suit were spades? Bid 4♠ direct?

This hand would have been more difficult to bid had the North hand been concealed just as at the table. As it is the obvious contract is 6♥ As to the question of playing for the drop the old bridge adage of "8 ever 9 never" comes to mind. With 10 trumps the play for the drop is mandatory.