mark.bridgeblogging.comMark Horton

Bridge Blogging: Your #1 Bridge Blog Resource The Magnificent Multi October 18th, 2010 ~ mark horton ~ 3 Comments Yesterday, techno tourist Mark Newton asked if we could help him to compile a list of the ten software programmes that have changed the world. That set me thinking about innovations that have changed the way we play bridge. The technological advances of the last 30 years or so have been tremendous, but there have also been developments at a more basic level. In the field of conventions the emergence of the Multicoloured 2 ♦ must rank as one of the most important. It can be a tough nut to crack, as this deal from the third session of the General World Pairs Championship demonstrates to perfection: Board 24 Dealer: West Vul: None North ♠ 7 3 2 ♥ 10 9 2 ♦ 5 4 ♣ K J 8 7 4 West ♠ Q J 10 9 6 4 ♥ K J 5 ♦ Q 10 ♣ 9 5 East ♠ A K 8 5 ♥ Q 8 4 3 ♦ J 9 2 ♣ 10 3 South ♠ — ♥ A 7 6 ♦ A K 8 7 6 3 ♣ A Q 6 2 West North East South Pszczola Hamman Balicki Passell 2 ♦ Pass 3 ♥ 4 ♦ All Pass 2 ♦ Multi 3 ♥ Pass or correct Declarer made his contract with an overtrick, but with the room playing in clubs, +150 was worth only 6/64. How can South get both his suits into the game? (Several pairs bid 6 ♣ and one managed a magnificent 7 ♣ .) If you double, a spade bid by partner will force you into some sort of retreat. Even if as happens here West bids 3 ♠ and partner passes you still have a problem. Could you risk a direct 4NT? Speculative to be sure, and if partner bids 5 ♣ are you going to pass? Recalling a deal from New Orleans earlier this year it finally struck me that the obvious call is 6 ♣ ! Uncategorized Meet My Maker: The Mad Multi July 9th, 2010 ~ mark horton ~ 1 Comment If Jan van Cleeff and I were planning a second edition of The Mysterious Multi then many of the deals from this tournament would find their way into the book. They would confirm that not only can the Multi cause enormous problems for even well prepared opponents but also result in some serious self harm, as on this deal from the match between England and Germany in Round 14 of the Open: Board 9 Dealer: North Vul: E/W North ♠ K Q 2 ♥ J 10 7 6 5 ♦ 9 ♣ K 6 4 2 West ♠ J 9 ♥ K 9 3 2 ♦ K J 7 4 ♣ 10 9 3 East ♠ A 10 7 6 5 4 ♥ Q 8 ♦ 10 6 3 2 ♣ South ♠ 8 3 ♥ A 4 ♦ A Q 8 5 ♣ A Q J 7 5 West North East South McIntosh Wladow Sandqvist Elinescu Pass 2 D Dbl 2 H Dbl All Pass That breach of the ‘Law of Total Trumps’ cost 1100 points. It is possible to ascribe various meanings to West’s bid of 2], the two most common being that it is ‘pass or correct’ or natural. If any reader is willing to give me a large number of Euros I will enquire of the English pair as to exactly who forgot what, but suffice it to say that it added another instalment to the chapter of this colourful convention. Uncategorized Table Presence July 5th, 2010 ~ mark horton ~ No Comments This sometimes mysterious art is an ‘indefinable something’ that denotes just about every attribute of an expert player: ‘instinct’; ‘the drawing of correct inferences from any departure of rhythm by the opponents’; ‘the ability to coax maximum performance from partner’; a ‘poised demeanour that does not give away anything’… and so on. In the Round 9 match between Israel and Sweden, Matilda Poplilov demonstrated that she has a sharp eye for what is going on. Board 14: Dealer: East Vul: None North ♠ AK10732 ♥ AQ ♦ 653 ♣ K4 West ♠ 9 ♥ 852 ♦ A874 ♣ AQ752 East ♠ Q5 ♥ K109763 ♦ 109 ♣ J83 South ♠ J864 ♥ J4 ♦ KQJ2 ♣ 1096 Open Room West North East South Levit-Porat Rimstedt Poplilov Sivelind 2 ♦ * Pass 2 ♠ * All Pass 2 ♦ Multi 2 ♠ Pass or correct When the tray came through with West’s bid of 2 ♠ , East noticed a reaction from North before she passed, so she decided to try an unusual move by passing! (When Jan Van Cleeff and I were writing The Mysterious Multi we decided against mentioning this type of gambit, as we want to encourage players in North America to use the method and this type of thing might be frowned on by some lawmakers!) Declarer managed 3 tricks, -250, which looked quite a decent result. Closed Room West North East South Larsson Tal Andersson Tal 2 ♦ * Pass 2 ♠ * Pass 3 ♥ * Pass 4 ♥ * All Pass 2 ♦ Multi 2 ♣ Pass or correct 3 ♥ Minimum 4 ♥ Maybe they can make a lot of tricks in spades Although 4 ♥ was one down North/South could indeed make a lot of tricks in spades, so West’s excellent decision not only prevented a serious loss, it brought in 5 IMPs. (In Passing we recommend that with this type of hand North should bid 3 ♠ to avoid the problems that arose at both tables.) Uncategorized (Re)Double Dutch April 16th, 2010 ~ mark horton ~ No Comments Having recently penned a book about the Multi 2 ♦ and the many associated two level opening bids that go with it one tends to notice deals where one of the methods discussed in the book are in evidence. That was the case on this deal from the final of the Dutch Teams Championship which featured Het Witte Huis and BC’t Onstein – the latter winning by 245-183. This dramatic deal finished off any hope of a late rally by the runners up: Dealer: East N/S Game North ♠ K J 2 ♥ Q 8 4 2 ♦ 6 5 ♣ K J 8 6 West East ♠ 10 3 ♠ Q 8 7 5 4 ♥ A K 6 5 3 ♥ — ♦ Q 9 8 ♦ J 7 4 2 ♣ Q 4 2 ♣ 10 9 5 3 South ♠ A 9 6 ♥ J 10 9 7 ♦ A K 10 3 ♣ A 7 West North East South Verhees De Wijs v Pooijen Muller Pass 1 ♣ 1 ♥ 2 ♦ Pass 3 NT All Pass West led the five of hearts and declarer won with dummy’s eight as East discarded a spade. A diamond to the ten was taken by West’s queen and he played three rounds of hearts, on which East discarded another spade and two clubs. Now declarer could take the club finesse and claim the rest, +630. West North East South Brink Paulissen Drijver Jansma 2 ♠ * 2 NT Pass 3 ♣ * Pass 3 ♥ Pass 4 ♥ Pass Pass Dbl. Pass Pass Re-Dbl. All Pass East’s opening bid promised spades and a minor and after North showed a strong balanced hand North looked for a major suit fit. Leading by 41 IMPs West elected to double and South was happy to return the cube. West started off with three rounds of hearts East discarding the seven of spades and a couple of diamonds. Declarer now played three rounds of diamonds, came to hand with the ace of spades and played the master diamond, West ruffing and exiting with the ten of spades. Declarer came to hand with the ace of clubs, East following with a deceptive ten. The last trump was drawn to leave everyone with two cards. If East had started with the black queen’s a squeeze would have operated and the winning play would be a club to the king. The option was a finesse against the queen. There is not much in it – you are weighing up which is more likely, that West would double without both minor suit queens, or that East would open on just a queen and a jack. Perhaps reflecting that a squeeze is more elegant than a finesse declarer tried to drop the queen – down one and the lead was up to an insurmountable 55 IMPs. Uncategorized With Open Cards October 10th, 2009 ~ mark horton ~ No Comments As one of my current writing projects involves a book about Double Dummy problems, I am always on the look out for real life deals. This one comes from Wednesday’s Senior Pairs game: Dealer: West Vul: North/South North ♠ 8 4 2 ♥ A K J 8 7 ♦ Q 9 4 ♣ Q 9 West East ♠ A Q J 5 ♠ 7 6 ♥ 10 6 2 ♥ Q 9 5 4 3 ♦ J 8 2 ♦ 6 3 ♣ 10 8 6 ♣ J 5 4 3 South ♠ K 10 9 3 ♥ — ♦ A K 10 7 5 ♣ A K 7 2 West North East South Pass 1 ♥ Pass 2 ♦ Pass 3 ♦ Pass 3NT All Pass 3NT is clearly an easy contract, but can you see how declarer can arrive at eleven tricks? Suppose West leads a heart? Declarer wins with dummy’s king and proceeds to cash five rounds of diamonds. This is the position when the last one is played: North ♠ 8 4 ♥ K J 8 7 ♦ — ♣ Q 9 West East ♠ A Q J 5 ♠ 7 6 ♥ 10 6 ♥ Q 9 ♦ — ♦ — ♣ 10 8 ♣ J 5 4 3 South ♠ K 10 9 ♥ — ♦ 7 ♣ A K 7 2 When declarer cashes the last diamond West can discard from all three suits – let’s say he chooses the five of spades. When dummy discards a spade East cannot afford a heart or a diamond, so...