Asked to write about an interesting hand in the Swiss Pairs event I didn’t have long to wait.  On board 1 my partner opened 1♠  on her balanced 16.  We used to bid suits up the line with balanced hands outside our no trump range, but that is now seen as old fashioned.  Better to announce your major while you can.

    Anyhow, the next hand bid 2♥  and I had a normal raise to 2♠ .  Left hand opponent now bid 3♥ .  At a few tables people were left to play there but partner, rightly feeling she had a little extra, pressed on to 3♠ .  At most tables that would have won the contract, but no, RHO did well to persist with 4♥ .  Perhaps I should have doubled but I didn’t think I had enough, and so 4♥  went quietly 1 off for +50 to EW and an average board ( 3♠ = would have been a near top).

   I think what this board illustrates very well is the importance of fighting for the part score - especially at love all.  Even if I’d doubled 4♥  that would only have been +100 compared with the +140 which a number of pairs managed comfortably enough in 3♠ .  And without a double 2-off would have been fine too. 

Bob Holder

Only 5 EW pairs out of 16 bid the slam.

I suspect all the Easts opened 1♥ and 1♠  seems the obvious response from West.  Now East has a chance to raise Spades.  2♠  seems feeble with 17 points and 4♠  seems a bit too much if West had responded with a 5 count, so I would suggest 3♠.

Now the bidding has gone 1♥ -1♠ -3♠  - what should West do next? A simple 4♠  on a 15 count can’t be right,  but your next choice depends on your bidding style:

 ·  If you only cue bid 1st round controls, then you are left with 4NT. Hopefully you are playing RKCB;. this will enable you to will find out that that there is only one key-card missing.  The Q-ask confirms the ♠Q is in the East hand. So you can bid 6♠  The bidding sequence could go (assuming your RKCB is 14-30; with 30-41 the principle is the same but the bids are slightly different):

.·  If you can cue bid second round controls as well as first, then the bidding will go:

I wonder why so many pairs missed this slam.

There is a decision in the play.  You lead the ♠Q to finesse and it holds, is your next card the ♠ J hoping for 10x doubleton with North, or the 7 hoping for Kx doubleton with South? Sadly for us our opponent got it right, pinning the 10 and getting all 13 tricks.

David Owen
 

Undos in Bidding
SBBC allows Undos for misclicks in the bidding, but not in the play.
As soon as you realise that you have misclicked you may ask for an Undo. 
The opponents will usually agree, in which case you may change your bid without penalty. 
If an opponent objects, or in case of doubt, the Director should be called immediately.
This brings us into agreement with most other Clubs

Please note that Undos are permitted only for genuine misclicks. 
You may not ask for an Undo if you realise that you made the wrong bid.

Undos are still not permitted for any misclicks during the play, irrespective of how these may occur

If you are worried that you might misclick inadvertently in bidding or in the play, you are reminded that you can use the "Confirm" bid or play facility within BBO by going to "Account/PLAYING/Confirm bids and/or Confirm cards"

Burnham Bridge Club also abides by the above policy

Please join us for our friendly Supervised Play sessions.
Weekly at:

   2pm - 4pm every Monday

   7pm - 9pm every Monday

   2.30 - 4.30 pm every Wednesday 

There is no need to book or to have a partner.
£6 per person

Bridge with Lunch
every Tuesday and Wednesday

Bridge starts at 10.30 and finishes at about 2.15,
following a break for lunch at about 12.30.

Table money (£5) is charged to your account as normal

Light lunches, including jacket potatoes with fillings,
soups, salads and sandwiches 
available for cash purchase from Jo.
Players may not bring their own food to consume on the premises. 

Players sometimes come along to face-to-face sessions without a Partner,
in the hope that someone else will be similarly placed, or that the Director will partner them.
Members may do that, but we do not guarantee a game for them.
If there is no other spare player available, the Director may play,
but strictly at their personal discretion and will not do so if it creates a difficulty with the movement.
If you decide to come along without a partner you must arrive in good time and be prepared to play
with anyone else seeking a partner.
Please note that we have a partner finding service listed on our website; Please check if this lists
another player seeking a partner for the session that you are interested in.

Please Login Early for Online Games

Please register for online games in good time.  Preferably 10 but at least 5 minutes before starting time is appropriate.
Last minute logins cause  difficulties for the Tournament Director and might not be accepted

Members or anyone making enquiries about any aspect of the Club's bridge
are welcome to contact any of the SBBC Company Directors below.
 

We continue to have a programme of Online Bridge via BBO and hold four weekly sessions of Face-to-Face bridge at the Club.