MINI CONGRESS |
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The KZN Mini Congress
in mid June
Dont miss out on this wonderful event
3 session of Pairs and 3 sessions of Teams
You can enter either or both
To enter please go to https://sabfonline.co.za/sabf/gbu/Tournament/Enter/211
. . . and scroll down to the team entry and below that a separate entry for the pairs
For more information and/or help
contact Linda on 074 129 2575
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Last updated : 27th May 2023 13:11 SAST |
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Donation of Bridge Equipment |
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Durban and Berea Duplicate Clubs are no longer playing Face to Face Bridge and no longer need their Bridge Equipment
They are happy to donate most of it (tables excluded). Preference will be given to SABF Members who plan to use the equipment for teaching others to play Bridge
If you can arrange Transport, this is not restricted to KZN members
Also, charities who could sell the goods for fund raising are also welcome to contact us
Examples of what is on offer are pictured above
If interested, please contact Jenny at jentenbokum@gmail.com or 083 4850477
Goods can be viewed and/or taken on agreed dates/times
By arrangement, we can have sets available for pick up at the Mini Congress
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Last updated : 27th May 2023 13:00 SAST |
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Online clubs |
The KZNBU runs 6 events on BBO
Monday and Thursday morning, starting at 9:30 registration by 9:20
Wednesday afternoon at 2pm run by Peter Bircher
Durban Duplicate Bridge Club plays on Monday evenings, starting at 7pm, registration by 6.50pm, run by Peter Bircher
Find these tournaments on BBO in Virtual Clubs, South Africa
Entrance fee is $1.50 per player. Contact Jenny Ten-bokum 083 485 0477 to register your BBO name
The Midlands Club also has two tournaments on Tuesday and Friday mornings on BBO at 9.00am. Registration by 8.50am. Cost $1.50 per player. Contact Sonja Purdon 082 805 8050 or Pippa Faul on 082 776 0330
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Last updated : 27th May 2023 13:07 SAST |
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The KZN Bridge Club |
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We play every Thursday Morning - all welcome!
The club operates at their new home, the Presbyterian Church Hall at 154 Lilian Ngoyi (Windermere) Road, opposite the Windermere Centre
Off-street parking behind a locked gate is available
The entrance is from Yule Lane, which runs behind the church. Overflow parking is in Yule Lane with car guards
There is a pedestrian gate entrance on Lilian Ngoyi
Starting time is 9am with registration from 8am to 8.45am.
For more information, WhatsApp Jenny Ten-Bokum on 083 4850 477
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We play every Thursday Morning - all welcome!
The club operates at their new home, the Presbyterian Church Hall at 154 Lilian Ngoyi (Windermere) Road, opposite the Windermere Centre
Off-street parking ..........
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Last updated : 12th Apr 2023 19:36 SAST |
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Le Domaine Bridge Club - Friday Morning |
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Starting at 9am
The club is thriving with, and has two sections, an A and a B
Visitors are welcome to play at the club, but they need to book in advance. Louise Gibbon has the Le Domaine booking group on WhatsApp. Her number is 082 577 9942. She also requires visitors’ car registration numbers for the security check point at the entrance gate to the estate
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Starting at 9am
The club is thriving with, and has two sections, an A and a B
Visitors are welcome to play at the club, but they need to book in advance. Louise Gibbon has the Le Domaine booking group on WhatsApp. Her number is 082 577 9942. ..........
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Last updated : 12th Apr 2023 19:21 SAST |
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Westville Bridge Club is open for bridge every Tuesday morning! |
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Westville Bridge Club* is open and free to play! (for now)
Special notice by the Chairman
The numbers have dwindled since then, though, and as a result and the Committee is trying everything to keep the club open. To do so, more players are needed and a decision has been taken by the Committee to stop collecting table fees (yes it will be free) and also to encourage KZNBU members who would like to play but who do not have a partner, to contact one of them to try and arrange a game with someone else who may also be looking.
We hope this way we can continue playing at Westville Bridge Club which has been in existence for decades.
Please try and give it your support if you are able.
Kind regards on behalf of Brian Thomas (Chairman - Westville Bridge Club) and his committee
* It is held at the Westville Bowling Club (next door to Westville Country Club).
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Westville Bridge Club* is open and free to play! (for now)
Special notice by the Chairman
The numbers have dwindled since then, though, and as a result and the Committee is trying everything to keep the club open. To do so, more players are needed and a decision has been taken by the Committee to stop collecting table fees (yes it will be free) and also to encourage KZNBU members who would like to play but who do not have a partner, to contact one of them to try and arrange a game with someone else who may also be looking. ..........
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Last updated : 12th Apr 2023 19:29 SAST |
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Bridge in Kloof is on Wedneday mornings |

Kloof Bridge Club plays at the Kloof Catholic Church (Our Lady of Mercy) Hall 79 Old Main Road starting on Wednesday, 8th February
They will be playing on the first four Wednesday morning’s of each month
For details, contact Lyn de Mattos on 071 526 4406
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Last updated : 2nd May 2023 14:26 SAST |
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What is your bid? |
Hand 20 played on KZN BBO on 24th April
West, your partner, passes and North opens 1NT
You are east with this hand
What action do you take?
What can/should you bid with 18 HCP's and a nice 5 card major?
You really want to bid - after all, it's your best hand of the day. A juicy double is maybe worth 500. Or should you simply overcall 2♠
Make your choice before reading on.
If you double you just know your partner will take it out, and most likely, into clubs. Why? Because that's your short suit. That's life, that's bridge! 
If you do double and west bids 2♣, now what? Rebid 2NT and possibly down 1 or just rebid 2♠? If partner leaves you in 2♠ it makes, when the ♠J gets swallowed up for +110. Could so easily be 1 down for -100
Jan Chemaly has been around the block a few times and taught bridge for over 40 years! (or is it 50 years)
She knows there is no game on. She notes that N/S are vulnerable and reckons that 2 down will be 200, and a good score. Of course she doesn’t know that for sure, but it is likely, even if partner is a yarborough
A couple of the east players overcalled 2♠ and a couple doubled and a couple passed. Barbara Becker, another very experienced player, was the other east to pass
Those that did double all recorded a minus score in 2 (or 3) clubs or a forced rebid of 2NT, neither making
Sometimes it pays to be silent. Here the green card is the gold card!
Nothing south could do to save partner, except to note what experienced players do
Sometimes there is a call for passivity and silence is golden
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Hand 20 played on KZN BBO on 24th April
West, your partner, passes and North opens 1NT
You are east with this hand
What action do you take?
What can/should you bid with 18 HCP's and a nice 5 card major?
You really want to bid - after all, it's your best hand of the day. A juicy double is maybe worth 500. Or should you simply overcall 2♠
Make your choice before reading on. ..........
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Last updated : 27th Apr 2023 15:32 SAST |
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A tip for defenders |

In a hand played recently most of the field ended up in 3♥ after West had invited game
Sitting North you start by leading the singleton J♦. Partner wins with the ace and returns a diamond, which you ruff
The question is how can you get back to partner’s hand for another ruff.
If partner has the ace of clubs, then a club is called for. However, if partner has the ace of spades, then a spade is the way to partner’s hand
If you and your partner have no idea about suit preference signals, then it is a guess.
Playing suit preference signals (SPS), it depends on what diamond partner returned for you to ruff
I watched, this deal and the South carelessly lead back the ♦2 for north to ruff. After ruffing North had to decide which black suit partner might have as an entry. North, noting the 2♦ , decided on a club. Tickets!
Declarer won with the queen, drew trumps in two rounds, cashed the ♣A, ruffed a club and notched up 11 tricks, after disposing of the spade on a long diamond
Clearly, South had a preference of which suit he had an entry, spades
Looking at dummy, the nine of diamonds is as valuable, in real terms, as the two
So, using SPS South must return the ♦9 as a clear and unambiguous signal to North where he has an entry
Failing to follow this basic principle cost the defence 3 tricks!
Hand submitted by Peter Bircher
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In a hand played recently most of the field ended up in 3♥ after West had invited game
Sitting North you start by leading the singleton J♦. Partner wins with the ace and returns a diamond, which you ruff
The question is how can you get back to partner’s hand for another ruff.
If partner has the ace of clubs, then a club is called for. However, if partner has the ace of spades, then a spade is the way to partner’s hand
If you and your partner have no idea about suit preference signals, then it is a guess. ..........
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Last updated : 25th Apr 2023 14:05 SAST |
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Optimum Contract. What is it? |
I find the optimum contract suggested by the BridgeWebs results file often quite interesting
The suggestion, upon analysis, has always made perfect sense
Of course, the assumption that the rest of the field will bid to the optimum, is no guarantee for a good result. So going for -1400 (6♠X vulnerable -5) against your opponents 6♥ vulnerable slam making for -1430 may not always work out as you might hope
In the expert game, more so, as the rest of the field are likely to bid to the slam
On Tuesday you may wonder why 4SX for - 300 is the optimum contract as suggested on board 14
Until you notice that 3NT is makeable on the slimmest of spade stops, but only if played by West
Remarkably, 3 pairs did reach this shaky game and, what's more, 2 made their contract!

The question is, if East declares in 3NT, how do you make sure you beat it?
In this case, the ♠J seals East's fate
The Jack holds, and a small spade is won by north
North keeps firing hearts through, finally forcing an entry to South's hand and he eventually has to capitulate - 2 down
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Last updated : 25th Apr 2023 14:06 SAST |
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Card reading - 4th highest |
This hand cropped up on Thursday morning, 19th January.
You are West
North opened 1NT and, after South failed to find a major fit, lept to 3NT.

Your partner leads the ♣8 and dummy plays the ♣2
Plan your move.
What do you know about the club suit?
If the 8 is a 4th highest that means there are 3 cards higher than the 8 outside your partner's hand
How do we know this?
Subtract the card led from 11 (Rule of Eleven) and you have the answer:11-8 = 3
Dummy has 1 and you have got 2
Suddenly it dawns on you that declarer has no card higher than the 8!
And this means the 8 is winning and will win the trick, even if you play low
This is this time to take control of the defence. If you let the 8 win, there is a remote chance that partner may switch
So, taking no chances you overtake the 8 with the 9, cash the ace and fire back the 3 and down goes 3NT

On the actual day, sadly, a large number of Wests flew up with the ace and returned a club. This now sets up the queen and, without an entry to East, his hand withered on the vine, leaving a bad taste in his mouth and -630 on the scorecard.
Sour grapes, perhaps?
The Rule of Eleven is one of many "Rule Of's" that have been around since the days of Wist
The Rule of Eleven, although an invaluable tool for the defence, can sometimes also be used to declarer's advantage, knowing exactly what card to play from dummy. The knife has two blades!
The other useful "Rule Of" in NT is, this time, for declarer
The Rule of 7 tells him or her how many times to hold up on standard 4th highest lead
This is it in a nutshell:
Subtract the total cards you and dummy have in the suit led from 7 and that number tells you how many times to hold up
So if dummy has 94 and you have A75, you should hold up twice (7-5 = 2)
But with 94, and you have A752, you can hold up once (7-6 = 1)
I will try to demonstrate this, with examples, at some future date
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This hand cropped up on Thursday morning, 19th January.
You are West
North opened 1NT and, after South failed to find a major fit, lept to 3NT.

Your partner leads the ♣8 and dummy plays the ♣2
Plan your move. ..........
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Last updated : 25th Apr 2023 14:07 SAST |
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The fight for part-score |

Although tight games and difficult slams are the "stuff" of bridge columns, the fight for a partscore can be just as rewarding in the pairs game.
This hand cropped upon the 9th January 2023 on KZN BBO
It illustrates the point beautifully
Many pairs were permitted to play in 2♦ after North put in a spade overcall, with South remaing silent, making 8 tricks for an average, +90
However at some tables South, not content to leave E/W to make their part-score, put in a belated bid "stealing" the contract with the master suit.

If 2♠ makes then an excellent result ensures
However if N/S go 1 down, vulnerable, its -100 and a very poor result
Now its up to East/West to get their +100
East leads the ace of diamonds and, after noting West's encouraging card, must decide what to do next
At one table, East cashed the ♦Q and switched to the singleton club
Declarer rose with the ace, entered hand with a heart and ruffed a diamond
The Jack of spades was tabled, and whether covered or not, had to concede a club and a heart and a trump, to make on the nail, E/W conceding -110 for a very poor percentage
Lets go back to the first trick
Its not easy for East to find the switch at trick 2 to defeat the contract
Can you spot it.
A trump switch will ensure declarer cannot ruff a diamond and will fall one short of his target; +100 to East/West
Even after cashing a second diamond it would be too late to switch to a trump as declarer still has one trump in dummy to take care of his third diamond
These part-scor contests have their counterpart in an evenly matched fencing duel - lunge, parry and riposte!

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Although tight games and difficult slams are the "stuff" of bridge columns, the fight for a partscore can be just as rewarding in the pairs game.
This hand cropped upon the 9th January 2023 on KZN BBO
It illustrates the point beautifully
Many pairs were permitted to play in 2♦ after North put in a spade overcall, with South remaing silent, making 8 tricks for an average, +90
However at some tables South, not content to leave E/W to make their part-score, put in a belated bid "stealing" the contract with the master suit.

If 2♠ makes then an excellent result ensures
However if N/S go 1 down, vulnerable, its -100 and a very poor result
Now its up to East/West to get their +100
East leads the ace of diamonds and, after noting West's encouraging card, must decide what to do next
At one table, East cashed the ♦Q and switched to the singleton club
Declarer rose with the ace, entered hand with a heart and ruffed a diamond
The Jack of spades was tabled, and whether covered or not, had to concede a club and a heart and a trump, to make on the nail, E/W conceding -110 for a very poor percentage
Lets go back to the first trick
Its not easy for East to find the switch at trick 2 to defeat the contract
Can you spot it. ..........
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Last updated : 12th May 2023 15:05 SAST |
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