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The mother of all catastrophes
The deal that set two new world recordsThe Netherlands ladies team overcame a large deficit against the US and progressed to the semi-finals of the World Championships. But whether the Dutch win or...
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Netherlands win at home
Two of the youngest teams ever compete for the Bermuda BowlThe final of the 2011 Bermuda Bowl for the world championship featured two of the youngest teams ever to contest the famous trophy, now in its...
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When is a weak no trump not a weak no trump?
When it is a strong no trump of courseIt's true that the Dutch triumph in the recent Bermuda Bowl, with victories over both the Italians and the Americans, was regarded as an upset. But it was nothing...
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Heather Dhondy's clever play
Sometimes you need to look beyond the theory, as this hand from the Premier League showsThe English Premier League concluded last weekend with convincing wins for the Allfrey team in the first division...
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Two unorthodox leads
One proves more successful than the otherThe Dutch world champions and the Italian team they had beaten in the semi-finals of the Bermuda Bowl met again a month later in the Champions Cup. This time...
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The best played deal of the Lederer
Espen Erichsen wins the prizeThe Lederer Memorial Trophy attracts almost all of the country's top players, together with visitors from abroad. Prizes are awarded for the best played, bid and defended...
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The Vanderbilt Trophy: a crucial deal
How would you play this hand, which was key in deciding the match?The final of the 2011 Vanderbilt Trophy was very close. The team that had won the US trials had reached the final and their opponents...
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To overcall or not?
Hinden wins the Gold CupThe two teams that finished first and second in the recently concluded English Premier League met in the final of this year's Gold Cup, Britain's oldest and most prestigious...
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Fourth time lucky
The unluckiest player in the club finally shows how it is doneAs the unluckiest player in the club, Tupic, picked up his cards on today's deal, a voice addressed him thus. "Here," it said, "is your...
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Bridge hand of the year: an extaordinary play
This is a candidate for, not only for hand of the year, but hand of the centuryToday's deal was voted hand of the year by the International Bridge Press Association. It involves a type of play...
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Good play and good sportsmanship
How would you take two tricks from this deal, and how would you respond if your partner slipped up?Given adequate entries to both hands and stoppers in the outside suits, how should you play to take...
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Time to go
Three questions for your bridge buddiesIt is with a certain sense of surprise and pride that I realise this article approaches the 20th anniversary of my column. Sadly, that milestone will be...
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How I remember: The bridge player
Professional bridge player Heather Dhondy explains the important role memory plays in her sportThe rules of bridge state that you are not allowed to write anything down. Even a sidelong glance at the...
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Syrians fleeing civil war are being held on Nauru, asylum rights group says
Group arrived a few months ago, detention rights advocate says, bemoaning lack of access to information from islandSyrians are reportedly being held in detention on Nauru after trying to seek asylum in...
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4. The four suits of a pack of cards
Our numerical festive countdown, extracted from Rogerson's Book of Numbers, continues with the cultural history of card suits♣ Clubs♦ Diamonds♥ Hearts♠ SpadesIf you count up the numerical value of a...
View ArticleThe problem with 'eight ever, nine never'
The old sayings can sometimes be useful. But not alwaysConsider how you would play this suit in isolation to make five tricks:Continue reading...
View ArticleWhy you should never say 'never'
A player missed their chance for immortality in this deal"You can never," said the expert smugly, "make a grand slam on an endplay, since an endplay requires losing a trick." A tip: never say "never"....
View ArticleBridge World Championships: a spectacular defence
Look at this remarkable play from the match between Italy and BulgariaOne of the most spectacular defences in the World Championships in the Netherlands was found at two separate tables by two of the...
View ArticleWhen is a game not a sport?
HMRC has ruled bridge a game, so clubs can't reclaim VAT on contest fees. But they're not alone in thinking they're mislabelledA tribunal has ruled that contract bridge is not a sport but a game. While...
View ArticleWe're all a little dishonest. But cheating at bridge is a step too far |...
The motives of the two German doctors who were stripped of their bridge title for cheating are bafflingHow many of us think of ourselves as honest? Many more than have never lied, cheated or broken the...
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