Latest News

which side is..running scared?! Catching them..or bailing out? Doubling a 1NT opening, especially when the opener is in the 12-14 hcp range is relatively common. Such a double would have at least 15 hcp and would not require the partner to move... read more here

A Dangerous Double. Among the many uses of the word “double” is the “lead directing" type. Such a double can be very successful in suggesting an opening lead or in finding safe discards during the play. The disadvantage is that... read more here

The 2NT bidder, Ashley Bach.  Minors galore! Today’s deal features a fun hand to hold at any level of bridge. When you hold it near the end of the final of the National Open Teams in Canberra, you want to have more than fun. You want... read more here

Jeremy and Jack. Stepping – Stone to Canberra. Jack James and Jeremy Fraser-Hoskin are two of our keenest “go anywhere” bridge players, anywhere for bridge, that is! Naturally, therefore, they spent last week and a few days... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others. It’s Fri day. Two chances are better than one. Sometimes , your best chance of making your contract is to take a finesse. If it fails, well, you had a plan and that plan did... read more here

What? Never?                     Forcing….Pass! Perhaps it stems from my English heritage but I am a fan of the Multi 2, not just the... read more here

Well, the contract, that is! Recovery Day. What do you do when you count up the number of tricks you think you can make and that number equates to the number you need? The answer is you play the board with renewed confidence.  Great, until... read more here

A switch but to which suit? An important switch. The bidding was very fast and furious! We have ended up defending. As usual, we have a decision to make, not regarding the opening lead as that was a fairly easy lead for our partner but what to... read more here

Bill Leach and Kerri McCrae. Sunshine and Slams at Thames. There were plenty of both this past weekend for the many players who attended all or part of the 19th Thames Summer Bridge Festival hosted by the local club. 54 pairs took part in the... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate, perhaps not Novice players… but for others too! It’s Fri Day. Extracting the Maximum. Today’s deal  is more about defending though there is a lesson in the bidding too. So, what about this... read more here

Tony Hinkley (right). The player on the left just happened to slip into the picture! No Sad Ending…. From 20 years ago. Today, we have a story from 20 years ago, which bears repeating.  It’s one of your usual hands, today.... read more here

but for which side? "Crime" sometimes pays…even at Christmas! In pre-Covid days, certainly 20+ years ago, the Christmas period was a total break from bridge. That is not so now with some clubs starting very early in January after... read more here

  Kiwis in On-Line WBF Women’s Tournament. The concept of a world-wide on-line tournament seems challenging when one has to overcome vastly different time-zones. However, an international event was run on-line this past weekend, an... read more here

John Whyte...then.  Youth Bridge then and now. Then.. In April 2005, New Zealand held a Youth Trial to determine which three pairs would represent this country at the World Youth Championships later that year in Sydney. A cross imps method... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others who do not come up with the right leads very often! The recommended lead is…? 20 years ago, Andy Braithwaite wrote an article for NZ Bridge Magazine on “What Went... read more here

A Grand Each Way. We finish the year in a relatively light-hearted style. Back in early 2005, this deal was reported with the above heading. Firstly, you might muse as to what you would bid as West after your partner made a Weak Jump Overcall:... read more here

“How Not to win the Gold Coast Pairs”…. 20 years ago. You may feel today’s article relates to you. The two deals come from an article written by Michael Cornell and had the above as its title. Back in early 2005, Michael... read more here