All News

It's Fri Day... for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players..and others! Finding the Best Defence. Quite often in this feature, we focus on the declarer trying find ways they can best make their contract. Not, though, today. West players will,... read more here

It’s a tough game! “A Cruel Game”…but for whom? Matthew McManus was one of the winners in the early April Auckland Easter Teams. Today, we will see that Matthew is not just a top-class director but also a pretty fine... read more here

Not just one but…. Handling a double void. When today’s deal occurred, my right-hand opponent sitting in the South seat, turned to me saying he wished he could ask me what he should bid. So, it sounded like a problem….and it... read more here

An important lead. A lead problem for you today as we feature another key board from the third round of the Trans -Tasman Challenge. It’s OK. After a long competitive sequence, there are only four suits from which to choose!  ... read more here

Beware!  Alarm bells The third round of the Trans-Tasman Challenge took place last Friday evening with the Australian Senior 1 team still leading the way. The other team to have recorded three wins so far is the New Zealand Mixed 1,... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate, Novice players…and others! It’s Fri Day   Not in my Beginners’ Notes! The solution to today’s problem may surprise those who have been following NZ Bridge’s Beginners’... read more here

Nice one, Tony. Today, we celebrate one of the quiet workers of New Zealand Bridge, one of the most reliable of bridge personalities but one who shuns the limelight, Tony Morcom. For the whole of this century and many years before, Tony has... read more here

Almost! Not Quite a Claim! We love to bid slams though we also like a simple route to the 12 or 13 tricks we need once we get to play one. Nothing too complex, please. Well, that was not quite the situation looking at today’s deal from the... read more here

Pairs winners, Jeremy Fraser- Hoskin and Matt Brown with Regional President, Grant Jarvis. A Double for Matt. Congratulations to those successful in the Auckland Club’s Easter Congress. It was a particularly good weekend for Matt Brown,... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice Players…and others. Winners and Losers. When you are defending, you would like to win tricks whenever you can, ideally to prevent the declarer from making their contract. However, success can come in... read more here

It’s not what “you” have…. What would normally have been a mundane game contract became a difficult challenge for the declarer in order to salvage a plus score after their partner bid rather aggressively. It is up to you... read more here

Disaster Defence. Today, there are no brilliancies but just a sad tale of all that could have gone wrong, which indeed did go wrong. Eventually, someone had to prosper by getting a good result. To start with, a defensive situation:... read more here

Trans- Tasman Challenge Week 2. The many roads to slam. Although a once a month event, this Friday night event of 16 board matches involving 9 New Zealand playing 9 Australian teams, featured for the second time in March on the last day of the... read more here

It’s Fri   Day. For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players…and others. Minors only if we must.  We learn early in our bridge careers that it can be easier to make 9 tricks in 3NT than 11 tricks with a minor suit as... read more here

Or is it? With nothing else to think about, think about it! That could certainly apply to today’s deal. You are there, presumably like every other pair, in your game contract. Without any further ado, plan your play. Well, you should... read more here

A Grand Time. Players are often wary of bidding grand slams…and with good cause. Barring bad breaks, you should be fairly sure of success before you bid to the 7 level. You should also be sure you are not off a cashing ace..and it always... read more here

Direct or Descriptive? A “pre-empting the opposition” type situation for today. The vulnerability is in our favour today and we have 11, at worst 10 trumps, between us. The only downside is that our suit is clubs, easy to bid over. We... read more here

  Searching for a Clue.  The guide-line for playing 6 of a suit contract, leaving aside shortages or long suits, is a minimum of 31 hcp. For 6NT to be bid, the recommendation is a minimum of 33hcp. So, those who stayed out of the slam... read more here

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice members…and others! It’s Fri day. Seems Automatic? The last thing you want to do as a defender is to help the declarer. Defence is not easy. You may have heard that before! You have to be alert... read more here

In Declarer’s Shoes. Can you be? Can you anticipate what is happening and what as a defender you should be doing? There’s not much to go on…or is there? South DealsN-S Vul ♠ 9 6 5... read more here

Which Way Ahead? We have a hand which in view of partner’s bidding may be best to bid to 3NT but also might be good for a diamond slam, what with all our aces. How to tread the middle line keeping both options open? That is the question. We... read more here

but for what? That may sum up today’s problem. We have a decent hand but where to go with it? No fit that we know about and no ability to bid no trumps. Where to go? It’s Teams with neither side vulnerable and the clock is ticking:... read more here

A “Grand” start to Trans-Tasman Challenge. It’s “grand” if you can bid it…and make it, too! A Trans- Tasman practice series started last Friday evening. Roughly once a month on Friday evenings, New Zealand... read more here

for Junior, Intermediate and Novice players...and others! It's Fri day.  Give it a Go, Joe..or Paddy ...today or any day! When your partner doubles 1 of a suit on the first round of bidding, it is for take-out. Leave the double in at your... read more here

John in conversation with Derek Frapwell and Bob Scott. Just a Chance. The passing of Alan Turner and John Wignall have made this a week of reflection and remembrance. In the last two days, we have remembered two stories about boards played by... read more here

Alan Turner along with Shirley Newton and Richard Solomonleading the way at a National Bridge Teachers' conference.  “And Speaking Of Gamblers” Today’s article, like yesterday’s, is dedicated to Alan Turner. It comes... read more here

John Wignall (1932-2023) John Wignall has been hugely influential on many aspects of the way we play bridge in New Zealand. He had a big impact on the game at the Christchurch Bridge Club, where he had been a member and played for almost 70... read more here

Today and tomorrow, I want to remember Alan Turner, a huge personality in so many aspects of our game. Tomorrow, we will also feature an obituary to Alan but today we have a deal in which Alan demonstrated his skill at the bridge table. Some hands... read more here

Two Wrongs do not make one right! It is a sad tale today, a tale of probably one wrong bid and then panic set in. Although our Panel seem fairly united in what should have happened, the story is, I believe, worth telling in case others fall into... read more here