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A Safe Haven? Many years ago, my partner opened their weak 1NT and my right-hand opponent doubled. I held, for once, a very reasonable 9 or 10 count…no singleton or void, no 5 card or longer suit. It seemed reasonable to stick around in... read more here

Useless! Aces can be as useless as Jacks! We know that jacks are often not worth one high card point. Yet, sometimes aces are just as useless! Today’s story centres around an event that never happened, though the deal itself certainly... read more here

No Time for a Peek. Yesterday’s introductory title did not have the word “no” included. A subtle change. Today’s article is for our newer players and also for those who want to beat the opposition’s contract. So, I... read more here

Which way? SPLIT DECISIONS. “Four trumps” for Bidding: “Four Trumps” for Defending. You may have only a very average weak no-trump hand though you have suddenly been thrust into the limelight, perhaps by partner’s... read more here

Remember the Dummy? As a declarer, it is there to help you. You are the boss in that you tell your partner which card to play from their hand. Whichever hand wins the trick is good as long as it is not the opposition. Do not forget your dummy.... read more here

The Least of All Evils. It’s lovely having a decent hand but it has brought you a few problems. Three great suits, over half the high-card points in the pack but you are struggling to find an opening bid.    ... read more here

Is that wise? Silence is….. You have just 5 high-card points (and included in that are two jacks which we are told are often worth less than one point each) and your only decent suit is the one indicated by the opponent’s take-out... read more here

Managing the “Multi”. The Multi 2 Diamond convention has both its fans and its haters. Advocates of Weak Two openings criticise it because it can lose the pre-emptive advantage when the partner is unsure which suit opener has 6 cards... read more here

Not To Your Advantage. You have made quite a good lead. Well, the look of dummy tells you that you could have made a worse one! You have a nice suit which would seem very safe to lead, QJT7, against 3NT. Yet, you remembered the saying that when... read more here

The Almost Forgotten Suit. In that vacuum which declarers find themselves in so often in a no-trump contract, we would like to run our long suit, make our opponents discard and then judge how to continue from what they have discarded, the shape... read more here

                                 Camouflage. Would you ever? Could they pick it? Is... read more here

Where are you? High Level Bidding: Low Level Finessing. All you will see below is not perfect, whether it be in the bidding or in the defence. It was all a little unusual and, of course, it really did happen this way. The truth can be much... read more here

looking for clues... Is it a Vacuum? I hate the phrase “Restricted Choice”. I hate having to guess whether the opponent has chosen to play the queen from QJ doubleton or have played it because that was the only card they have in that... read more here

Partner’s Right…even when they are Wrong! (Part 2) Perhaps in yesterday’s problem, the partner of the player who made the penalty double had no reason to pull the double. They had accurately described their hand as a Weak 2.... read more here

Partner’s Right…even when they are Wrong! That’s part of the package when you play Bridge. You are in it together and you just have to go along with what they decide to do, even though you feel they are wrong. Nowhere is this... read more here

                     Leave the lady alone. It could come down to a finesse.. and if the finesse works, you will be recording a plus score in your... read more here

The embarrassing three imp gain. It’s Sunday, maybe a day of rest. Not rest from bridge, though. There’s 3NT to be made! It seems quite straightforward and indeed it is. Not too hard but if you are a newish player, not so easy to find... read more here

A few weeks ago, four friendly bridge players were engaged in their favourite pastime. The bidding, naturally, was competitive. East, who will not remain nameless for long, Dave, had bid 4 over North’s 3 call and this had indeed got passed... read more here

We have said this before and it is worth repeating. The Board of New Zealand Bridge wants the National Congress to happen if at all possible, starting on September 26th. Previously, we have said the final decision will be made on Friday September... read more here

Third Player Plays….Right! So, partner leads a fourth highest, fifth highest, who knows how many highest. Actually, you probably know the answer to that question, or nearly. They led opener’s suit and opener had promised at least... read more here

On style and judgment. Two questions revolving around one hand today. The first is how one is best to take action when the opposition start with the awkward bid of 2NT, showing a weak hand with both minors. The second is a judgment call when the... read more here

Happy Ending? Well, it could have been, should have been…despite the gloomy outlook. What declarer did was not stupid and, on some days, might have worked, except not this one….and there was a little hopeful clue that they seemed to... read more here

A Way to 10 tricks. The opposition got off to the best lead..for them! Yet, your rather reluctantly bid game contract is there to be made as long as you tread the right path. One little slip and +790 would become -200. Watch…... read more here

“Hotting up” the action.  So, do you like most hands to be 4333 shape or do you like some of them to be a little “spicier”? Today’s deal has a touch of both types about it, eventually! First up, we seem to have... read more here

Nowhere to hide? I enjoy playing the Weak No Trump. I like defining that hand type in one bid meaning when I open a suit at the one level, I do not have that hand-type. I do not, though, enjoy, its “Achilles” when the opponents take... read more here

STILL HOPING FOR A NATIONAL CONGRESS. As per previous years, we ask that full Congress registrations and those who take NZ Pairs/ Restricted Pairs and NZ Teams/ Restricted Teams packages will pay for their packages by the end of... read more here

(Jo making a Limoncello Spritzer). Who remembers the programme called “not the 9 o’clock news”? by Jo and Sam Simpson. Well, Saturday 22nd August was the day that we were supposed to start playing the World Bridge Champs in... read more here

You hope! Finding the Ending. Some boards which seem easy to play end up as unmakeable because of opposition ruffs or bad breaks. Others which initially seem to have very little chance can turn out to be quite straightforward, as long as you... read more here

Or is it too late?  Bidding or Leading? That is frequently the question when you are in the “pass out” position, whether it be in the part-score or game zones. Would you do better by keeping the auction open, by pushing the... read more here

Zoe and Milla with one good reason for live bridge! see below. There has certainly been a “make up for lost time” attitude to bridge in Top of the South since lockdown 1 restrictions were eased.  The appetite for face to face... read more here

No “walk in the park”. A decent dummy with excellent trumps augurs well for the making of our heart game. Yet, there are some disturbing features. The opposition’s 2NT bid showing the minors not only signalled that there could... read more here