Manchester Bridge Club
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Road Works on Palatine RoadRoad works are taking place to re-surface Palatine Road for 4 weeks from Monday 10th October.  At the moment there is only one way traffic allowed along Palatine Road from the Lapwing Lane end to the junction with Wilmslow Road.  Palatine Road is currently closed at the Wilmslow Road/Palatine Road junction with no traffic allowed to travel down Palatine Road from this junction towards Lapwing Lane.....so currently you have to turn left when you leave the club!

 
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SUSAN TARR
SUSAN TARR

It is with great sadness that I must inform members of the untimely death of Susan Tarr who lost her battle with cancer on October 23rd.

Details of arrangements will be posted when known.

Jeff Morris

North Wales Swiss Pairs

Congratulations to Bernard and Rhona Goldenfield who won at Shotton on Sunday 9th October, John Holland and Tony Coley were third.
Full results are here.

Northern League Final Round - Manchester win A and B Divisions

The final round of Northern league matches took place on Saturday 8th October.
In the A division at Bolton, Manchester, fielding their Tollemache team, won on the day and increased their overall lead to finish nine VPs ahead of Yorkshire 2.  The team was Alan Mould/Ollie Burgess, Alec Smalley/Tom Slater, John Holland/Gary Hyett, Michael Byrne/Michael Newman.  Tom and Alec were our best pair on the cross IMPs.  The A2 team of Kath & Alan Nelson, Royce Alexander/John Currie, Sylvia Massey/Herbert Potts, Raymond Semp/Peter Jones finished fifth on the day and sixth overall.  Peter and Raymond were the best of our A2 pairs.

The B division was played at Bradford where our team of Pete Foster/John Roberts, Gillian McMullan/Neil Thomas, Eve Lighthill/Ken Hassell, Robert & Joyce Jones had an excellent day, winning the day's event and overtaking Cumbria to take the division title.  Special congratulations to Neil and Gillian who were the best pair in the division on the cross IMPs with 1.5 IMPs per board and to Eve and Ken who were second with 1.07 IMPs per board.

The C division was played at Manchester where our team of Irene Davies/Karen Reissmann, Ann Thornton/Paul Murray, Joan Lewis/Roy Higginbottom, Liz and Stephen Halstead finished seventh on the day and overall.  Irene and Karen were our best pair on cross IMPs.

Detailed results
are here

Current Competitions

2016 Cheadle Royal Cup

This Monday Evening Pairs Contest runs from

Monday 5th September to Monday 19th December

Your best 8 results count.

 

2016 Merton Cantor Cup

This Thursday Evening Individual Contest runs from

Thursday 6th October to Thursday 22nd December

Your best 7 results count.

Good Luck!

The Manchester Congress
Jan 7- 8th 2017
at The Victoria and Albert Hotel, Water Street M3 4JQ

Pairs Saturday, Teams Sunday

and non-expert events on both days.
Click here for more details and entry form
Click here for travel and car parking information
Click here for non-expert events and entry form

MBC Members excel in the EBU Player of the Year Competition

Jason Hackett      3rd

Justin Hackett     =4th

John Holland       15th

.......Brilliant!

Mossop team wins Crockfords Cup

The team of David Mossop, Alex Hydes (London), Jason Hackett, Justin Hackett (both Staffs & Shrops), David Price (Suffolk) & Colin Simpson (Berks & Bucks) have won the 2015-16 Crockfords Cup. All the team have won this competition three times or more, with Alex retaining the trophy he won last year with different teammates; the other five all won the 2013-14 competition together.

Tollemache Qualifying

The MCBA (county) selection committee has chosen the following team to represent Manchester in the qualifying round of the inter county teams of eight on 19-20th November.
 

Michael Newman & Michael Byrne
John Holland & Gary Hyett
Alec Smalley & Tom Slater
Alan Mould & Ollie Burgess

npc Rhona Goldenfield

...recognise any MBC member names in this list?!!

MCBA EXPERT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MCBA EXPERT PLAYER OF THE YEAR

We are proud to announce that

MICHAEL NEWMAN

has won the

2016 EXPERT PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

......his second win in this MCBA competition

having previously won in 2011!

CONGRATULATIONS!

TIPS FOR IMPROVERS
TIPS FOR IMPROVERS

***NEW MONTH.....

CHECK OUT MICHAEL NEWMAN'S NEW TIPS FROM HANDS PLAYED IN SEPTEMBER...........

(See the yellow tab above top left)

Every month Michael Newman selects three hands played at the Club during that month and comments on the bidding and play offering invaluable hints and tips on how they should have been played!

You can check out not only the current month but also the archive of all previous editions.

He's done it again.....again!!
He's done it again.....again!!

John Holland tops National Master Point list for the fifth time!

Congratulations to John Holland, who has topped the annual Master Points list for the fifth time (the last four years in succession!) and has claimed the Sunday Telegraph Salver.

John Holland's good year has seen him reclaim the top spot in the Gold Point rankings. He moved marginally ahead of the 2014 leader, David Gold, holding 98.92 to David's 98.02. Andrew Robson, Tony Forrester and Alexander Allfrey complete the top five.

John, who also won this award in 2009, 2012 and 2013 & 2014 gained a total of 29,397 points in 2015.

AMAZING!

(Full details are on the EBU website www.ebu.co.uk )

About Manchester Bridge Club
About Manchester Bridge Club

Welcome to

Manchester Bridge Club. 

We are at 30 Palatine Road, Didsbury, M20 3JJ.

Ring us on 0161 445 3712

or email jeff@manchesterbridge.co.uk

For directions on how to find

us please click on the 

yellow 'Club Information' tab

top left of this page.

FUNCTION ROOMS FOR HIRE
FUNCTION ROOMS FOR HIRE

MANCHESTER BRIDGE CLUB

has a number of rooms

which can be hired

 for celebrations and functions. 

Suitable for special occasions such as

BIRTHDAY PARTIES,  RECEPTIONS,

CHRISTENINGS and BARMITZVAHS.

Please ring Jeff or David on

0161 445 3712

or email jeff@manchesterbridge.co.uk

DO YOU RECEIVE OUR E-MAIL NEWSLETTER?
DO YOU RECEIVE OUR E-MAIL NEWSLETTER?

Are you receiving the Bridge Club Newsletter?

If not - please let Jeff know so he can make sure you are included.

Tel: 0161 445 3712 or jeff@manchesterbridge.co.uk

Thankyou.

 
Tips for May 2016

TIPS FOR IMPROVERS

 

Points of interest from the May 2016 duplicates

 

 

1       Stopping the tenth trick

 

Board 10 Monday 23 May – Vulnerability Amber – Dealer East

 

 

AK

AKJ9xxx

xx

Q10

 

109xxx

x

K10xx

xxx

 

Qx

Q10x

Q9x

AKxxx

 

Jxxx

xx

AJxx

Jxx

 

 

At all eight tables every single East player woodenly allowed declarer to make a tenth trick in Hearts whether the contract was 3 Hearts or 4 Hearts.

 

For those playing a weak no trump by East West the auction is more likely to end in 3 Hearts:-

 

North

East

South

West

 

3 Hearts

1NT

Pass

Pass

Pass

2 Hearts

Pass

 

West transfers into Spades and North bids his Hearts at the three level.  It is then difficult for South to know whether he has enough for game and at pairs he is likely to pass.

 

For those East Wests playing a strong no trump then North South are more likely to get to game via:-

 

North

East

South

West

 

Double

3 Hearts

1 Club

Pass

Pass

Pass

1 Spade

4 Hearts

Pass

Pass

Pass

 

The opening lead should be the King of Clubs (KING for COUNT).  West plays low to show an odd number of Clubs.  Every single East has then woodenly cashed the Ace of Clubs at trick two and then looked around for inspiration.  But the horse has already bolted.  When partner plays a low Club at trick one there is a very high risk that Declarer started with Q10 Doubleton in Clubs and the danger of the Jack of Clubs being established for a discard should be blazingly obvious.  It is essential that East must switch at trick two.  With the Jack of Spades in the Dummy it is not very attractive for East to switch to a Spade at trick two holding Qx and accordingly he should instead choose a low Diamond which sets up the defensive Diamond trick before the Ace of Clubs is dislodged keeping the contract to nine tricks.

 

 

2       Too strong for just game

 

Board 17 Monday 23 May – Vulnerability White – Dealer North

 

 

AQ10x

AQJxxxx

x

A

 

xxx

Kxx

K10x

Qxxx

 

J9xx

None

xxx

KJ9xxx

 

Kx

10xx

AQJxxx

xx

 

 

North

East

South

West

 

1 Heart

5 Hearts

 

3 Clubs

Pass

 

3 Diamonds

6 Hearts

4 Clubs

 

Only one pair out of eight bid to 6 Hearts making all thirteen tricks when the Heart finesse works.

 

What should North say when having opened 1 Heart the bidding is suddenly at the four level when he next has a chance to speak.  To simply bid 4 Hearts is far too cautious with a hand containing only three losers.  Equally if North cue-bid 5 Clubs then this would agree Diamonds.  North must therefore either make a wild leap to six Hearts or more sensibly should invite slam by jumping to 5 Hearts.  How does South know that he has suitable cards for slam.  Well he has three trumps, the Ace of his own suit and the King of Spades with partner certain to have some length in Spades (given that North is unlikely to have more than one Club and has not shown interest in playing in Diamonds). 

 

In 6 Hearts on a Club lead Declarer should cross to the Ace of Diamonds at trick two and play a low Heart to the Jack.  He then ruffs the third round of Spades and repeats the Heart finesse making all thirteen tricks.

 

 

3       Monster three pointer

 

Board 12 Monday 30 May – Vulnerability North South – Dealer West

 

 

10xxxx

x

K98x

xxx

 

Qxxx

J10xx

xx

xxx

 

KJx

AKxx

Q

KQ1098

 

A

Q9xx

AJ10xxx

AJ

 

 

North

East

South

West

 

 

Pass

2 Diamonds

4 Diamonds

Pass

 

 

1 Club

Double

Pass

Pass

 

1 Diamond

2 Hearts

5 Diamonds

Pass

Pass

Pass

Pass

 

Only one pair out of six bid to the excellent 5 Diamond contract on this hand.

 

South has a routine overcall of 1 Diamond after East opens 1 Club.  North has four card trump support and at Green or White it is always best to raise immediately to the level of the fit (ie bid to the three level with nine trumps and the four level with ten trumps).  However the Red vulnerability means that some caution is in order and accordingly North just gives a single raise to 2 Diamonds.  East doubles 2 Diamonds for takeout with a singleton Diamond and sixteen points outside Diamonds.  South now bids 2 Hearts showing a very strong overcall and an interest in game despite North’s very weak bid.  What should North bid over 2 Hearts.  Well although he only has three points he has a fourth trump and the singleton Heart is worth its weight in gold.  Accordingly he jumps to 4 Diamonds and South is delighted to go to game.

 

If West leads Clubs, his partner’s opening suit then game is easily made as it is easy for Declarer to trump three Hearts in the Dummy.  However if West opens with the best lead of a trump then Declarer has to be careful.  On winning the first trick with the Ace of Diamonds he has to maximize the chances of West being unable to lead a second round of trumps.  In other words it is essential that East has the Ace and King of Hearts.  Accordingly Declarer leads the Queen of Hearts from hand at trick two and the defence cannot play a second round of Diamonds so there are then no problems in being able to trump all three losing Hearts in the Dummy before finally drawing the outstanding trump.