We've added a league-of-8 item to appear within the Results section of the website menu, principally to make it easier for members to  find out how our teams are doing.

At the end of this l-of-8 item are links to each of the three league tables in which our respective teams play.

Breaking the Law

Board 14 does not seem to be a very exciting hand, but it is likely to be a  typical part-score battle.

The bidding at one table was as above. At another table, East came in with a skimpy double over 2♦, and EW were allowed to play in 3♠, going one-off.

Unluckily for NS, East had been reading a book by Larry Cohen the arch-prophet of “The Law of Total Tricks”.  This states that the total number of tricks available to the two sides playing in their respective longest trump suits is equal to the total number of trumps held by the two sides.

So East did a quick calculation:  it was virtually certain that EW had 8 spades and probable that NS had 9, or possibly 10 diamonds.  So the total number of tricks available in their best suits was 16 or 17.  In other words, if EW could make 3♠ NS could make 1/2♦ and if EW were going one down, NS could still only make 2/3♦.

North had “broken the Law” by going a level higher than his sides trump total.

So East did what Mr Cohen instructs, and doubled, not without misgivings.  He was very relieved when North had to lose 4 tricks after a heart lead.

So, was the double a great triumph?  Not really, as at the three tables where EW had pressed on to 3♠ they were allowed to play there [results =, -1, -2: it needs more than Mr Cohen's Law to explain this disparity!]. 4♦^x -1 doesn't hugely improves EW's score compared to 4♦ -1, but at least it should have the benefit of getting West to pull out a Pass card.

David Beever

Our November seminar was led by Bill Godenzie on the topic Trick 1 - Hands to make you think.

The majority of hands you play as declarer will not need you to come up with advanced techniques (such as squeezes) to make your contract. Many hands will be quite straightforward and the line of play will be clear when you make your plan.  However, some hands fall between these two stools and need more careful thought before you play from dummy at trick 1.  In this seminar, Bill looked at some apparently innocuous hands where it was vital for declarer to examine what could go wrong and therefore how to counter the danger before playing a card.  This seminar was aimed at players [all of us!] wanting to develop their declarer play and avoid that sinking feeling, half way through a hand, when we realise that we could have done better - if only we had thought more at trick 1.

Our seminars are held in the Garden Room, begin at 6:45pm promptly, and last half-an-hour. They're free of charge to all-comers, and hand-outs are provided. If you'd like to come, and stay for our pairs event at 7:30pm, we'd be delighted to accommodate you, whether you've come with a partner or not [we operate a hosting system].

If you'd like to be added to our seminar mailing list, sent out during the week preceding each seminar, email our webmaster, Nigel .

Our seminars are held in the Garden Room, begin at 6:45pm promptly, and last half-an-hour. They're free of charge to all-comers, and hand-outs are provided. If you'd like to come, and stay for our pairs event at 7:30pm, we'd be delighted to accommodate you, whether you've come with a partner or not [we operate a hosting system].

All three Burnham teams have opened their 2019-20 campaigns.

The A-team have played against both Ascot teams [B&B Divn 1], winning both matches. The B-team have also played two matches  [B&B Divn 2], losing their first to Loddon Vale but striking winning form against Maidenhead B. The C team has played one match [Chiltern League], beating Caversham Park.

All matches show in the website Calendar, and completed matches are included in the website presentation of results once results are uploaded.

Just a reminder: the Club plays in league-of-8 tournaments for the benefit of members. For any members who haven't already registered an interest in being involved, it's not too late: contact Club captain Nigel Lancaster.

Berks & Bucks run a simultaneous pairs week once a year, whereby clubs around the county can elect to operate their normal pairs event within the sim pairs structure. So, in addition to our regular duplicate event being scored as a normal Club event, our results have also been merged with other clubs running the sim pairs event. Results are on the EBU website (use the Sims tab).  There is a booklet available for download from the Berks and Bucks web site, in which one of the county's strongest players provides a commentary on how the hands could (should?) have been bid and played.

Charles Chisnall discussed "responding to partner's overcall".

So, you have overcalled and partner bids a new suit - is it forcing, invitational or to be passed?
What about if partner jumps in a new suit - forcing, invitational or to be passed?
What about if partner bids the opponents' suit - UCB  or something else?
What if the opener's partner bids - does that change any of the above for your bid now?
Then we have the question of Vulnerability to consider ...........

Something for you to think about between now and Monday evening: with which of these hands would you overcall 1♥ over a 1♣ opening bid?

1. ♠ xx  ♥ AQxxx  ♦ xxx  ♣ xxx
2. ♠ xx  ♥ AQxxx  ♦ Kxx  ♣ xxx
3. ♠ xx  ♥ AQxxx  ♦ KQx  ♣ xxx
4. ♠ xx  ♥ AQxxx  ♦ KQx  ♣ Axx
5. ♠ xx  ♥ AQxxx  ♦ KQx  ♣ AKx

We'll be fielding three teams again in the upcoming season, the 'A' and 'B' teams playing in Berks and Bucks divisions 1 and 2 respectively, and the 'C' team playing in the Chiltern League.

Our aim is to provide the opportunity for all interested members to play in one or other team. The team captains are Nigel Marlow [A], Graham Dickens [B], and Nigel Lancaster [C].

Note that the 'C' team, being outside of the Berks & Bucks system, can accommodate members also playing in Burnham or other clubs' B&B teams.

Those members whose vacation or other commitments limit their availability are nonetheless welcome to play an appropriately restricted part.

Our standard organisation for Monday evening is that we start play promptly at 7:30, play 26/27 boards, and finish at 10:45. In order for the Director to be able to start play at 7:30, the movement must have been entered into the computer, and boards[/movement cards] distributed, so he/she needs to know the number of participating pairs/teams by 7:25. If you know you won't arrive by 7:25, please notify either the Centre or your partner that you're on your way and your expected arrival time.

Club policy as validated by the recent members' vote is that 3-board sit-outs for pairs events are to be avoided and so, with a half-table, our standard movement will be based on 2-board rounds. Our Directors have been instructed that, once the movement for the evening has been selected, it should not be significantly changed to accommodate unnotified late arrivals, particularly where this might prejudice the prompt commencement of play.

The 29th annual team-of-24 match took place last evening [Thursday 15th August] between Ascot and Burnham.

Home advantage didn't prevail as our team of stalwarts regained the trophy. This is primarily a social event, very much enjoyed by all who take part. Still, coming home with the trophy adds a layer of icing to the cake.

The match details may be seen in the Results area on the right of this page.

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This year's AGM  and annual prize giving was held on June 10th.

The team completed its inaugural year in the Chiltern League with a 13-7 win away to Newbury A, leaving Burnham at the top of the division. Loddon Vale weren't able to manage the 20-0 victory needed in their final match to upset things [they lost 5-15].

Things have worked out pretty much as we'd hoped, providing opportunities for members who wouldn't otherwise have had the chance to represent the Club to take part. Some 15 members played for the team, with Colin Dale taking the role of administrative captain.

Thanks to all who've supported the Club in this venture: we hope that as many of you as possible will take part in the Chiltern Elimination Pairs heat at the Club on April 1st [see below].

Burnham members have already featured in the initial  Berks & Bucks CBA competitions of the 2018-2019 season:

• Heather & Matthew Tan won the Swiss Pairs for the Denys Jenkins trophy on 17th October 2018, with  David Owen & Bob Holder in joint 2nd place, Dick Davey & Paula Hopkinson in 4th place, and Liz Hayton & Angela Flintoft in 5th place
• David Owen & Bob Holder were placed second in the Mixed Swiss Teams for the Carole Mueller Trophy held at Windsor on Sunday 11th November, after finishing 1st equal with a Butler score of 74 - leading the field by a clear margin of 25, the final result being determined from the head-to-head boards. Evelyn Crossley & Eva Wallen finished in 4th place. 
• David Perkins & Phil Thornton playing with Carole & Herb Mueller were placed second in the Butler scored pairs for the Jarrett Cup held at Windsor on Sunday 2nd December.  As there was a 3-way tie for the 3rd place, this was awarded on the basis of the head-to-head tie-break results to Evelyn Crossley, David Owen, Bill  Godenzie & Charles Chisnall.
• Charles Chisnall, David Owen, Bill Godenzie & Evelyn Crossley won the Perkins Cup in the teams event played at Windsor on 17th February, with Nigel Wolfendale, Bob Holder, Dick Davey & Paula Hopkinson taking second place.

Forthcoming competitions are:

• The Senior Pairs for the Directors' Cup to be held at SBBC on 17th April 2019

We have twice weekly sessions of good standard Duplicate Bridge at the very attractive South Bucks Bridge Centre - a purpose-converted 16th Century barn in its own grounds, between Beaconsfield, Maidenhead and Slough 

Our main session is at 7.30 every Monday evening, when we play Pairs, except Teams of Four on the third Monday each month except when this is a bank holiday.  A host is available to play with anyone without a partner on Pairs evenings.

We use Bridgemates, for instant scoring, with current scores displayed on a large screen.  Hand records and results print-outs are available within a few minutes of the end of every session. 

Several teams from the Club compete in the Berks and Bucks League of 8, with the A team in the first division.  We also encourage less experienced players and hold monthly free seminars before the start of an evening session.