All News

Tactics. When one has a distributional hand, one can plan an approach in how to bid. Maybe we jump to a high level. Maybe we take it slowly. Today, we have a hand of some potential though it is unfortunate that the long suit is clubs, the suit... read more here

poor result…again! Pre-empts do work. That’s why we keep churning them out. Whether we like to have AKQ to seven or a little or a lot less in our suit, we like to set the opposition, even alas our partner, with a problem, like this:... read more here

Going higher? Slam time….but for whom? A lively quite informative auction. Are you going to end the bidding or keep going? How many tricks can each side make?  “ ♠ Q 10 9 2... read more here

For a Christmas Stocking. “All a bridge player wants in their Christmas Stocking, Not multi alcohol nor chocolate: really shocking.All a bridge player wants, a small request, please…..”   East DealsE-W Vul... read more here

Taking Care.   For Juniors, Intermediates, Novices and others. There should be a happy ending for the declarer in today’s deal though they will need to earn that good result with some careful play. South DealsNone... read more here

a good hand? Say partner has 12 cards in the majors!  Misfits? A deal from a reader today and not such a good hand as above! He raised several questions but we only posed one to the Panel. So, here goes: North DealsBoth Vul... read more here

“Tightly Knitted”. Two deals today with but one theme but before we disclose that to you, we will give you two lead problems. Both these deals occurred in recent weeks in Pairs’ events.      ... read more here

Catch-up time? Today’s deal caused problems for just about the whole 18 table field in a recent tournament. Hence, it gets an airing today:       East DealsBoth Vul   N... read more here

More of the same. One of the least pleasant parts of defence (come on, admit it, you just love defending, don’t you?!) is finding discards. So, you only have to find three this time. That should be no bother, well, not really! Take a look.... read more here

 for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players... and others, too: it's Fri Memory. Defending can be pretty hard. There’s all sorts of decisions like what to lead, what to discard, what to keep. Just try the following situation.... read more here

No idea! Making the best of it. Sometimes you have various ways to describe your hand. On other occasions, you have no way! Yet, it is still your bid…and passing is not an option. So, there you are. The clock is ticking:  ... read more here

  is it worth one more? Good Insurance. Part-score deals can yield a surprisingly large number of imps in a Teams’ match but it is the freak deals which seem to be the ones which create most conversations after an event. So, with that... read more here

It’s Fri   Day for JIN CLUB players… and others, too! Decision Time. Bridge is not always a straightforward game. Sometimes there are decisions to be made even when your partner puts your side to game. Take a look at the hand... read more here

One of “Those” Deals. Is that how we describe today’s problem? We cannot get them all right but at the table, North ended a long way from optimum. Let’s take a look:   ♠ —... read more here

READY FOR ANYTHING? Are you? Like when you are a defender? What are you thinking about as North when you see the following dummy: South DealsNone Vul ♠ A 10 7 ♥ Q 9 6 ♦... read more here

NO HATTRICK BUT NZ WIDE PAIRS TROPHY STAYS UP NORTH! Live tournament numbers may have been struggling a bit in recent months but the annual New Zealand Wide Pairs still retains its popularity with 55 clubs and 865 pairs taking part. There was one... read more here

FINAL RESULTS The results from 55 heats are now published on http://www.compassmate.bridge-centre.org/results/monthly  As has been stated on this website, the results will become final after 6 hours. We will be a little lenient as to time... read more here

  Friday 11th November 2022. The New Zealand Wide Pairs has been a regular feature of our Tournament Calendar since 1998. However, this year, the event has a new sponsor, Loveblock Wines with overall and category winners getting to sample... read more here

  Giving up…or Cashing up? One important facet, and one we have highlighted this week from the recent North Island Pairs, is the search for overtricks. An overtrick at Pairs can be  as valuable as a slam bid and made at imp... read more here

John and Douglas.  Storming Finish for Victors in North Island Pairs. Auckland’s Douglas Russell and John Buckleton produced a huge finish to win the 2022 North Island Pairs at the Auckland Bridge Club over last week-end. An excellent... read more here

A Spot of Mind-Reading? Maybe our declarer made their own problems on today’s deal. There was a simpler alternative way which may or may not have been successful. What would you do at the crunch moment? East DealsE-W Vul... read more here

Self - Inflicted? Did one poor bid today give a player an impossible decision next time round? You be the judge.       North DealsNone Vul   N W   E... read more here

Careful! I am sure you always are when trying to make a contract. Today’s deal gives those who are just a little casual the opportunity to fall short of their target, that of making their game.   West DealsN-S Vul... read more here

Good suit unplayed! Ignoring the Obvious. Next Friday, we will resume deals for less experienced players. Today’s deal is relatively straightforward too and contains a quite common situation where players  can slip up in defending a... read more here

22 not enough in “22”. You need a mighty good hand to defeat Jeremy and Jack in a game contract as the following board from the recent Asia Cup proved. Come on, be honest. You would just think a little about doubling Jeremy in the... read more here

NORTHLAND TOURNAMENTS THRIVING. Bucking the trend, participation in face-to-face tournaments in Northland is booming. Table numbers are back to pre-Covid levels and at the smaller venue clubs, reaching capacity. Finding an innovative way to... read more here

Second place: no disgrace at Asia Cup. There was to be no fairy-tale ending for our Men’s Team in the just completed Asia Cup in Jakarta though finishing second was a tremendous achievement. The 64- board final against China Hong Kong... read more here