BRIDGE by Malcolm Simpson

 

	NORTH S: none H: none D: AKQJ432 C: AKQJ32
WEST S: 1098765 H: 10987654 D: none C: none		EAST S: none  H: none D: 1098765 C: 10987654
	SOUTH S: AKQJ432 H:AKQJ32 D: none C: none

QUESTION 1

North - South hold 40 high card points and bid up to seven no-trumps.

West, who is on lead, starts off with the four of hearts.With best defence and best declarer play, South is only able to make nine tricks.What were the four hands?

The simplest answer is shown above.Declarer can only make tricks in his two long suits, but must be able to establish his long spade.There were other ingenious answers which were accepted as valid.

QUESTION 2 was to complete the limerick:- “A lady from Stockton-on-Tees

Was adept at performing a squeeze……”

Highly Commended entries (not all with valid answers to Question 1) were:

“….Her Vienna Coup

Caused such a to-do

But in endplays she’d no expertise.”(Timothy PriorOxford).

“….As she set up a menace

Pard said with a grimace

Please slacken your grip on my knees.”(Peter BowenThame Bridge Club).

“….By Jove she looked troubled

In six diamonds doubled

But still made the contract with ease.”(Norman GascoyneWallingford Bridge Club)

“,,,,,Both at bridge or real life

But please don’t tell the wife

‘cause she charges quite reasonable fees”(Jerry SimpsonMilton Keynes).

“…Chaps would quake in their boots

While discarding their suits

Then when she said “drop ‘em”, they’d freeze.”(Penelope CiniewiczCranfield)

“…Her technique with her hands

Brought her hundreds of fans

All ofwhom she was eager to please.”(Marilyn KeepAbingdon)

First prize goes to Timothy Prior, with Peter Bowen as runner up.

A consolation prize goes to Norman Gascoyne.

LOCAL NEWS

In the annual inter-club battle for the Len Salmon memorial Trophy, Wallingford beat Abingdon by three matches to nil.

Congratulations to Geoff Nicholas, Wallingford’s first Grand Master.

Congratulations also tothe Wallingford/Abingdon team of Jennie Griffiths, Peter Baxter, Mike Brown and Clive Keep for beating a team of experts led by the immortal John Collings in the Seniors Inter-Club Knockout competition