Improver articles
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
7 Nov 2017
The Wonderful and “Worrisome” HJ The HJ proved both a wonderful and a “worrisome” card for the East players on the following deal. Let’s first give East the problem of what to do when trying to make their 4 of a... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
30 Oct 2017
ASSIGNING BLAME As well as being a story about a bridge hand, this is a story about attitude at the bridge table. We know that our game... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
26 Oct 2017
And the Danger is…..? Often the danger that can await you on a board may not be apparent as it can arise from a card or series of cards held by the declarer. On the following deal, the defender should have been aware of the danger as it... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
17 Oct 2017
THE “MISSING” HEARTS Have you heard that defence, maybe declarer play, even bidding too, is about “counting”? Right from the time you sort your cards (are you sure you have 13?), you are counting…high card points,... read more here
Play, Defence even Bid for Newer Players
20 Sep 2017
The Reopening Double This article is more about the bidding than the play. The more bridge you play the more kinds of uses of double you find. Initially, it is just the take-out double, the penalty double and maybe the negative double.... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
4 Sep 2017
Make Them Pay. They have stolen your contract. There’s a slam to be bid and made your way but you decided to take the money off them at the five level. The vulnerability is in their favour but you were never going to bid the slam any way.... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
22 Aug 2017
Careful or Careless? When suits break evenly, playing a contract is relatively easy. There is usually more than one path to success even if your path is not the one taken by the experts. Yet, the mark of a good Bridge player is a careful Bridge... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
15 Aug 2017
The Best of All Worlds Signalling…easier to give than to interpret. “How could I realise that the 7 was your lowest heart?” exclaimed a frustrated player after they failed to find a club switch. “How could you want me to... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
8 Aug 2017
A Difference between Pairs and Teams? It may seem a strange question to ask but sometimes when confronted with a problem, you have to ask the question “are we playing Pairs or Teams?” In bidding, it may be a choice of bidding 3NT or 5... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
1 Aug 2017
EXPOSING A RISKY RUSE On this board, a declarer played a dangerous game and came up smelling of roses, but should the defence have been able to work out what was happening? Let’s look at the board from the point of view of West.... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
25 Jul 2017
A “Partnership” Slam Much of the time when we have bid to slams (good slams, that is!), the play can be quite straightforward. One must be very careful in the play but barring very bad trump breaks, the line to success should be quite... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
18 Jul 2017
DIAGNOSIS OF A DISASTER The opposition reached a very poor 3NT contract, with insufficient high card points and no real long suit to run….at least not without a loser or two first. They got a little lucky with the break and position of... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
11 Jul 2017
THE IMPORTANCE OF…..or Replacing the Guess You can manage without it but without it, it becomes guesswork. You can try and guess what is happening with a deal, what the declarer wants you to do and therefore do the opposite. You can... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
5 Jul 2017
COUNTING WINNERS – A WELCOME TO THE NEW PLAYERS With players coming out of Beginners’ Lessons at about this time of year, this week’s example hand is one for those new to the club session. Perhaps you could give the following... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
27 Jun 2017
Guiding Partner Good defence can be thoughtful defence. You know what needs to be done but partner may not be on the same wave-length. If you can, guide them. Look at the very simple error which occurred in the defence to this part-score.... read more here
PLAY and DEFENCE for Improving Players
20 Jun 2017
“Don’t Send a Boy on a Man’s Job” The “boy’s” name was Jack. He was sacrificed, was sent out too early. His loss caused a break-down of the whole operation (contract) resulting in failure. Cause of... read more here
