EDITORIAL

The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chief of Staff, the War Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Information; -"THEY ARE ALL HERE Y0UR MAJESTY". Well, not quite - Jim Riley is your Prime Minister - and a good one to boot - David Marshall still watches the finances - and Arthur Bloxham marshals our forces and takes them into battle against our neighbouring Philistines - and is doing slightly better than the Grand Old Duke of York - you will find the results of battles fought so far elsewhere in this issue - after that -"THEY ARE ALL HERE Y0UR MAJESTY". No one fancy the job of editor? It would appear not - and no one seems to have managed to twist the left arm of Geoff Davies sufficiently to make him submit - don't twist his right arm please, he writes with that one - so here is yet another bulletin produced in the style of yours truly - and no way will I change my style. If you don't like it, you know what you can do - EDIT IT YOURSELF. The person to contact for this unlucrative position is of course POOH - BAAH his very self.

P.S. (From the typist): I am told that Les Hipkiss has now volunteered to take over as "The Minister of Information". All future correspondence for the Bulletin therefore to Les at: l, Uplands Close, Tawsley Hill estate, Dudley, West Midlands. DY2 8AX.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

Once again it's time to set pen to paper for another Chairman's Report. The new season has started without too many snags and the rooms at Stafford seem to be improving with regard to the heating and condensation problems. Congratulations to all those who have helped. I have started my travels to all the Associated Bridge Clubs in Staffordshire and hope to finish my task early in the New Year. I would like to thank the Clubs I have visited for their hospitality. I have one S.O.S., could someone from Cosford give me a ring, as two letters to you seem to have gone astray.

Complaints - We must be a fairly happy County as I have only received two complaints. The first is being dealt with at the next meeting of the management Committee. The second is not so serious but more difficult to overcome. It concerns the attitude of some of the better players in the County when playing lesser mortals. Please have patience when playing inferior opposition. If they get a good board please don't tell them they got it by luck, their bad bidding or playing against the odds. All of us could do with reading the chapter on bridge ethics in the Laws of Contract Bridge Manual.

The County Events are now starting. Please enter as many as you can. Let's try and get record entries. Once again if there are any complaints, let me have them. If you want me to visit your Club - shout. I'm here to try and help.

Jim Riley,

11, Foxcroft Close, Chasetown, Walsall, WS7 8ST. Tel: Burntwood 6895

P.S. A note to the Secretary and Magazine Editor.

Dear John,

I do read my Bulletins, several times. I did read my May Bulletin, several times. I seem to recall that there was a Swiss Teams Event in last year's calendar. It didn't take place. I'll look forward to 22nd January hopefully.

Jim

SECRETARY'S REPORT

Membership on October 1st was 204. This is 32 down on last year and 72 down on the peak year of 1975/76. This is a very sorry picture. I find it sad that bridge players, are not prepared to pay £2.00 per annum to support their central administration; because the S.C.B.A. is only a County Division of the English Bridge Union: and it costs you exactly the same amount of money to join the EBU direct, so in actual fact you get the services of a County organisation for free. It is organized in this way so that each County is a political unit holding a number of votes in Council. (We as a County have but one vote; two years ago I thought that we should have two for the first time in our history - 300 members - and now this decline). Well, it's up to individual members to recruit and solicit support for the EBU and our own County. WHY? because without that support you cannot expect GREAT BRITAIN to be able to muster and service teams to carry our colours in international events - AND WIN. You couldn't care less! Sorry, I do, I must be slightly odd. There are however some bright spots. The County teams-of-Four League now composes 26 teams - and but for three drop-outs we could have made four Divisions - our burning ambition - four Divisions would make administration easier and reduce costs enormously, it would also even out standards. The League season started in fine style on Wednesday September 4th. and Wednesday 21st and the grape vine reports indicate that the vast majority of players really enjoyed the Competition - well, perhaps next year will see us make our target of 29 teams.

Our much maligned playing venue is improving with gratifying speed - so much so that our 70% partners in the venture are now anxious to obtain a long lease on the rooms. I very much hope they succeed; for reasons that are obvious their chances of doing this are very slight. Nevertheless, as the original contact with the Staffordshire Agricultural Society I know from clients of mine that the Society is pleased with us as tenants and has no intention of disturbing us unless the demand for exhibition centres and concert (Pop) centres reach dramatically high levels, and this they think is extremely unlikely. The improvement: for this you have to thank Stafford Bridge Club members and Geoff Davies and his Bar committee and Les Broomfield in particular. No two persons could have done more to try and make sure that you play in conditions of comfort; we are still working to do more. In my opinion the next priority is a very superior extractor fan in the roof. Expensive, of course, but I can't tolerate small whirring extractors and there are almost painless ways of collecting money for such projects given the facilities - I shall describe one later in the Bulletin, because thanks to the Showground we have the facilities.

Finally - Please watch your County notice boards for the entrance lists to the various traditional County events - please enter as many as you can. ENTRANCE FEE: 50p per player (entrance fees will be returned in full as prize money). Entrance fees should be paid to your Club rep at the time you put your name on the list. TABLE MONEY 50p per player per session. REFRESHMENTS again a la Mrs Downs par excellence. 50p per person.

TREASURER'S REPORT

Not to hand

CAPTAIN'S REPORT

DAWES

TOLLEMACHE 10th and 11th December

DAVIES and DOWNS, SHAW and KEANE, TOPLEY and TOTTENHAM, MORLEY and ZYCHLINSKI

DAWES v NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
FIRST TEAM
As for the Tollemache

SECOND TEAM
GOODWIN and PHETHEAN, HUDSON and FELTBOWER, Mrs HUDSON and SINGLETON, DAVIES and Mrs WELLSBURY

DERBYSHIRE MACFARLANE CUP 13th November
SALWEY and TROUNCE, MALLETT and BLOXHAM

DAWES AND TOLLEMACHE
Dawes teams will generally be selected from pairs showing sound performances in the Trial Pairs, the League and other County events. Other pairs who wish to be considered should contact me, but must appreciate that it is difficult to judge their standard if they are not competing against other pairs.
The Tollemache team will be selected from players achieving consistently good form in Dawes matches.

Arthur Bloxham

LEAGUE TABLES

INTER-CLUB TEAMS OF EIGHT LEAGUE

Secretary: DAN SENIOR 14, Byron Court, Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs. Tel: Kidsgrove 5188

FIXTURES FOR 1977/78

ALL CLUB CAPTAINS SHOULD BY NOW HAVE RECEIVED A FULL LETTER AND FIXTURE LIST, TOGETHER WITH FULL LIST OF OPPOSING CAPTAINS AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS.

ASSOCIATION TIES AND SCARVES

WHY BOTHER:

Wee, writers on bridge like Tony Priday are always exhorting players of Duplicate Bridge to promote the game and support the EBU. County cricket clubs, Sailing clubs, The Royal Yachting Association, The National Trust, Rugby Football clubs and Rotarians feel a need for such emblems - why not bridge players? I personally think that the EBU should have made this promotion themselves. Are you ashamed that you play duplicate bridge, that you find it a good sport? Come on fly the flag; let people know that Staffordshire have a County Bridge Association and you are proud to be a supporter of it.

KING MIDAS HAS LONG EARS!

North - to opponents just settling down to play "We don't want any of that knocking nonsense please"
West - (indignant): "I wasn't going to knock"
North - "Well you have to knock"
West - "Well I wasn't going to, so there!
North - "You have to knock"
Silence while the players withdraw cards and sort.
East - "Two clubs"
West - Knock - knock
North - "I asked you not to knock"
West - "You just said I have to knock"
North - "I didn't"
West - "You just said I have to knock"
North - "I didn't"
W-N - *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR - "MOVE PLEASE"
ALL AT TABLE - "We haven't finished the first board yet"
TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR - "Sorry, you will have to play more quickly"

All female pair arriving at all ma1e table and settling smugly: "That's two more good tops under our belts"
All female pair retreating from table two boards later.
FIRST MALE C.P. "There go two bottoms they won't want talked about."
SECOND MALE C.P. (Eyeing departing ladies): "I wouldn't say that; the left hand one is definitely worth more than a mention."

HOW TO GET AN EXPENSIVE EXTRACTOR FAN INSTALLED WITHOUT PUTTING SUBSCRIPTIONS OR TABLE MONEY UP.

You must be joking. Honestly I am not. First you need suitable storage space. The Show Ground will willingly provide that - and then you need all who play at Stafford not to be too superior to preserve all their old magazines and papers in neat bundles of 30 lbs. weight and bring them when they come to play on a Wednesday. They merely drop them at the side of the door as they enter and the Show Ground will barrow them away to storage. If' everyone co-operated we could amass 10 tons in 7 months: £200 quids worth at the going rate at the moment - or the equivalent of 30p per nightly session on the table money.

I'd rather pay up for the damn thing than go to all that trouble!" O.K. send me £2.00 and I'll mark your name down as exempt from this chore. I wouldn't mind betting I don't get it - I wouldn't mind beting you don't help collect and I'll take an outsize bet you are one of the biggest moaners if anything is not to your liking. I'm going to put two demonstration Packs in the Club room and see if at least some are prepared to help. I have already been told I stand no chance - I'm getting used to this pessimism however.

COMFORT (or the reason for collecting as much money as we can)

Last year and this are the first times I have really had an opportunity to visit Bridge Clubs in other Counties. So far the majority I have visited are vastly superior to any we have in Staffordshire with regard to facilities and comfort. I have been forcibly struck by the added pleasure I have experienced while playing in well appointed Clubs. Two that were outstanding were Coventry and Derby Bridge Club's. I was also interested to notice that the better appointed the club, the more personal attention the guests received from Club members who were not taking part in the event - at Coventry in the final of the Warwickshire Flitch (our FLITCH IS A QUALIFYING HEAT FOR THIS EVENT) we were waited upon by the Club Chairman and Secretary who brought drinks from the bar to tables. At Derby in the Dawes Match tea was delightfully served by four lady members.

It is not a coincidence that this caring by host Clubs occurs in the best appointed Clubs. Those Clubs were built to this standard by caring members.

CORONATION CUP 1977

In welcoming the teams to this Coronation Cup Peter Tottenham announced that this must be the Jubilee Year for this event. Is be right? I have a sneeking feeling that the event goes back to the Coronation of King George VI. 1937. Perhaps some wise sage amongst our County members would write to me and enlighten me. If it was the Silver Jubilee of this event, then it was a sorry occasion. We only had four visiting County teams and two of these were from our staunch neighbours Warwickshire; and only five from our own County. I have warned constantly that if the top teams in the County did not make an effort in this event we should not be surprised if Counties prefer not to accept our invitation to play in it. There are other factors damping the enthusiasm of players to take part in this event. The congested calendar of E.B.U. "Green Pointed" events taking place in September, October, November and the fact that multiple teams events are out of fashion and favour as a format. DO WE TRY TO CONTINUE THIS EVENT? I shall ask the committee to consider this carefully before next year. So if you personally don't want it dropped from our calendar let's be knowing; it will be no use moaning next year when you find out it has been dropped. If this was not bad enough, the hatchet men were out once again knocking the Committee. What a diabolical way to organize an event - there are teams wanting to play who have never been asked - there are six places that have not been filled - and why should entry be restricted to those teams invited by the County Captain ? - and why has he invited only five teams when there were 11 vacancies?

Let's answer each point in turn -

1. Why should entry be restricted to teams invited by the County Captain?
   You showed last year that you would not take part in a qualifying event. How else do you get exactly 6 teams on the day? For that is the magical number you need for a really successful event.
2. There were teams wanting to play who were not invited.
   NOT TRUE. You were expressly asked in August Bulletin to contact the County Captain if you wished to take part in this event.
3. There were eleven vacancies, and only five teams were invited to play.
   NOT TRUE. Up to October 10th the Secretary had no reason to doubt that seven County teams wore coming. That week two cancelled. A further team rang Wolverhampton B. C. at 1.30pm on Sunday and cancelled. The County Captain informed the Secretary on the previous Sunday that he had 7 teams for sure but was having difficulty finding an 8th. Why did only 5 turn up? I don't know at this moment in time but I will find out.

Now the bright news. Despite not knowing until the very last minute how many teams to cater for Peter Tottenham again staged and directed the event in superb fashion; this ensured the success of the event despite all else. I think it fair to say that all who came really enjoyed their bridge. Once again a team from Staffordshire beat the living daylights out of the Secretaries team but this year, unlike last years team, they had the good sense to keep it up and win the event. This is the first time a Staffordshire team have held the trophy for many years. Congratulations to the winners; Graham Shaw, Roger Keane, Mr & Mrs Topley.

1. Graham Shaw, Roger Keane, Mr & Mrs Topley 57 VP'S
2. David MacDonald, Steve Dooley; Harold Goodwin; John Day 52 VP'S
3. John Hudson, Geoffrey Feltbower, Renee Hudson, Alan Singleton 51 VP'S

THE PAIRS TRIALS LEAGUE

The first round was played on the fourth Wednesday in September. A passable start was made, there being 9½ tables. A number of leading pairs and players were noticeable by their absence. Your Committee are disappointed by this as the County Captain has instructions to give preference when selecting County teams to those players who turn out to play in this event. He also has instructions to take note of performances in the County Teams-of-Four League and the Staffs Cup. In fact, it was hoped that this year there would be a minimum of 14 tables in play and that next year a first division of 14 pairs could be formed and that this would form the 1st and 2nd- team squad. Your presence at this event virtually says to the County Captain - "I wish to be selected to play for the County teams". HOWEVER, if you do not particularly wish to play in Sunday matches you are still VERY WELCOME; but a word in Arthur's ear that Sundays are a bad day for you would_ save him a lot of time. If for some special reason only one member of a regular partnership can make this fourth Wednesday in the month, his offer to play as a reserve with other partners; or his regular attendance with another partner or partners will carry the same message - I and my regular partner wish, to play for the County in Inter-County matches. There have been complaints that players have been over­looked when teams are selected: but if you do not make some effort to play in this event, together with either Staffs Cup or the League, then you are likely to be passed over.

COUNTY SECRETARY

BRIDGE FEATURE BY ALAN MONCKTON

Last time I wrote for the Bulletin I got too serious and had to be restrained so from now on those who wish to read my few lines will have to assume that they are trivia (which they probably will be anyway). I will try to have a different theme each time and my articles will norm­ally be based on a write up of our County matches. As I haven't played in one for ages this first article must be epideictic but not epichorial. (I hate my partners to understand me so what's new with you!).

First a hand from the Northern Foursomes last March

Partner leads a low spade and declarer takes your J with A; declarer leads a low heart and plays the J from dummy. If you take your Q hoping that declarer will finesse next time you are more than likely to be unlucky; if you duck with your 10 you give declarer a nasty decision and begin the process of fraying his nerves. Declarer has little option but treat this as a true card, and thereafter if he finesses again (as he did) dummy is dead. At the other table 3NT was made. South didn't duck. (Ed. note: if you are one of the lesser mortals like me and have to think before ducking - take your Q. You won't get another chance - at teams it won't matter so much - but at match pointing at Club level you will find yourself one trick to the bad).

So this months theme is ducking. You can tell the top player from the good player because he ducks automatically (Ed. note, and without any need to hesitate) in many s situation where it is normal to take your winner.

The purpose of the duck can be any of the following:

1. To bother Declarer.
2. To prevent declarer from having a convenient entry position into one or other hand.
3. To entice declarer into using a precious entry for a repeat (and losing) finesse when that entry could have been more profitably used for a winning finesse elsewhere.
4. To prevent a squeeze.
5. To use up declarers winners too early. This point may seem obvious to some but at the table it is, hard to see sometimes. In a 1933 match one defender saw that dummy's only entry had to be knocked out before dummy's tricks were established. This was the suit:
   

   Dummy

   K J 4

   You

   Q 6 5 2

   
   He (you) therefore led the Q, thus committing declarer to play an honour and his partner matched this good play by ducking holding the A87. You can see that:

• if your hand leads a low card declarer can run this to his 10 and now has a sure entry; and
• partner must be good enough to duck when declarer puts up an honour

The next hand comes from the pairs final at Colwyn Bay Congress in 1960.

I was declarer in 4 hearts; I held AK10x and dummy xxxx in the trump suit. I needed two ruffs in dummy for my contract, but could afford one to be over ruffed by a winning trump if the trumps broke 3-2. So I cashed the HA felling J on my left. I could not now afford to cash H K in case of 4-1 split; so I went over to dummy with one of dummy's few entries to finesse H10 as a safety play. It lost to the HQ and to my horror the last heart was lead back. One off. He had played HJ from QJx in order to dissuade me from ducking 2 rounds precisely, and well played too.

Finally a common situation. Declarer plays in 3NT on the sequence 1NT - 3NT and you have the usual grim hand, relieved only by the presence of one Ace. If declarer leads that suit early on, with what you think is the intention of making tricks in it, why take your ace at once? You won't lose it for ever if you duck it maybe helpful to declarer if you take it. He may for example hold KQJx in that suit, and wish to know if it is breaking (he has xxx in dummy). If you hold up for two rounds he is now on a nasty guess (yet another example of wearing down of the oppositions nervous reserves). But if you take your ace immediately he can try for the suit to break at his leisure later in the hand when he is ready. The same situation occurs when you hold Kx (xx) over declarer and he plays low from dummy and puts in Q or J from hand. Duck like a ...oops I nearly said "man" ...person. With AQJx (x) he will try again, and in so doing will perhaps have weakened his dummy by using up an entry to finesse again.

(Editor: Alan, why is it whenever I duck with Kx declarer always plays A at the next trick, and my K would have set the contract. Don't tell me, I know, I get so tensed up to make the play that declarer knows I've got the damned thing singleton.)

Alan Monckton

Editor: Many thanks, Alan, for this article and the offer to write up our County matches. Now I have this splendid offer I am going to investigate the possibility of playing duplicated hands when Dawes home matches are played. So that players playing in the inter-club matches on the same day will be playing the same hands and, therefore, have a more personal interest in your write-up.

Q (A) Well down in a match a player with an unjustifiable reputation for wild bidding, bid this excellent 6C - it must be better than 70%. A player with a justifiable reputation for his card play failed to make it. Plan the play trick by trick and see if you can get full marks.

Q (B) A player renowned for his lapses in defence was faced with this one, and failed. See if you can do any better.

Partner leads the ♦7 (you are playing MUD leads). Declarer takes with the A and leads a small heart from dummy, you play the 10 and taken by the K. Declarer now plays small to the ♠J, partner playing low. What card do you play? You play the ♠Q? What card do you play now? The correct timing and line of defence is worth 10 imps.

Q (C) After hearing this bidding sequence

You lead the ♥J and it holds; partner appears to show 3 hearts. You continue with ♥10, ducked in dummy and ruffed by declarer. Declarer now leads a small trump towards dummy's 10, taken by you with the Q. Do you force declarer with another heart or switch? The choice is worth 14 imps.

Well,

(A) - did you

1. Take your ace and reason this way? If the diamond finesse is right I can afford a safety play in trumps; so first I must finesse the diamond, if it loses then I must play the ♣AK and hope to drop the Q.
2. When the finesse held lead a LOW diamond and play the 10, a low diamond to allow for a 4-2 diamond break and a 4-2 spade break?
3. Cross to with ♣A and lead a low club towards the J. Return to hand and play a second low diamond?

If you did all these things in the right order please turn up to play in the Trials Pairs.

(B) - did you

1. Put up your ♠Q and switch immediately to the ♣K?
2. Or did you duck?
3. Or worse did you take your ♠Q and return the ♦J?

(C) - did you

Take your trump Q and switch immediately to a club? If you did not partner gets end played and only makes his spade K. The deal - a lousy contract of 6C is cold.