Ayios Andreas Bridge Club

The Ayios Andreas Christmas Championship took place yesterday in Nicosia.

The event was under the auspices of the CBF - CYPRUS BRIDGE FEDERATION, who donated the trophies to the 3 winning pairs pictured below. The event was a two session full day event and gold points were awarded to the first three pairs listed below.

Bridge is a fantastic mind Sport which is on the increase world wide. There are several bridge clubs all over Cyprus for anyone who wishes to learn or join. Please contact the Secretary of the CBF who will direct you to a club in your area.

Playing bridge is not only good for your mind but helps combat Alzheimer’s. A study at the University of California found strong evidence that an area in the brain used in playing Bridge stimulates the immune System. Many famous people are well renowned for their bridge skills, the most well known being Bill Gates, Omar Sheriff and Winston Churchill.
Bill Gates who has successfully partnered Warren Buffett in several competitions states: ‘Bridge is the King of all mind games!’
Please visit www.cyprusbridge.org

Το Σάββατο 14 Δεκεμβρίου έγινε o Χριστουγεννιάτικος αγώνας του Ομίλου Μπριτζ Αγίου Ανδρέα Λευκωσίας.

Ο αγώνας ήταν υπό την αιγίδα της Κυπριακής Ομοσπονδίας Μπριτζ ("ΚΟΜπ") που προσέφερε και τα έπαθλα στα τρίτα πρώτα ζεύγη που φαίνονται στις φωτογραφίες πιο κάτω.Ήταν μια ημερίδα δύο σκελών και τα πρώτα τρία ζεύγη κέρδισαν χρυσούς βαθμούς διάκρισης της ΚοΜπ.

Το Μπριτζ είναι ένα φανταστικό πνευματικό άθλημα του οποίου η δημοτικότητα αυξάνεται συνεχώς στο παγκόσμιο. Υπάρχουν Όμιλοι Μπριτζ σε όλη την Κύπρο για οποιονδήποτε ενδιαφέρεται να μάθει και να αθληθεί. Επικοινωνήστε με την Γραμματέα της ΚοΜπ που θα σας κατευθύνει στον Όμιλο της περιοχής σας.

Το Μπριτζ είναι καλό για το μυαλό και βοηθά στην αποφυγή της νόσου Αλτσχάιμερ. Έρευνα στο Πανεπιστήμιο της Καλιφόρνιας βρήκε ισχυρές αποδείξεις ότι το μέρος του μυαλού που χρησιμοποιούμε παίζοντας Μπριτζ διεγείρει το ανοσοποιητικό μας σύστημα. Πολλοί διάσημοι είναι γνωστοί για τις δεξιότητές τους στο Μπριτζ. Οι πιο γνωστοί είναι ο Μπιλ Γκέιτς, ο Ομάρ Σαρίφ και ο Ουίνστον Τσώρτσιλ. Ο Μπιλ Γκέιτς που με επιτυχία έπαιξε μαζί με τον Γουόρεν Μπάφετ σε αρκετούς διαγωνισμούς δήλωσε ότι "Το Μπριτζ είναι ο βασιλιάς όλων των πνευματικών παιχνιδιών."

First trick decision deciding the board
Hand 11 of 23/11/2019

The points are more or less split, but his deal will never be passed out with West holding all those hearts. NS can make a quite thin 4S but it’s unlikely that they’ll manage to bid it with the key assets split between the two hands. It’s easier for EW to push to 4H and the defenders’ challenge to keep the declarer to 9 tricks.

The DA is a good lead by North which allows her to have a look at dummy before proceeding. In fact a spade lead, the defenders’ suit, would be the end of the defense, declarer now able to throw the losing club on the established SK. It’s therefore important to the defense that N will either lead a club or switch to a club while still on lead.

A lot of pairs play that after an A is led and dummy is singleton then third position signals preference and not attitude, a high card asking for the higher suit and a low card asking for the low suit. Some pairs, a substantially lower number, play preference also when dummy is doubleton. An alert South will sense the danger of a single high honour with W and duly signal the switch to a club.

Playing attitude, things are not so simple but still a discouraging card on the DA should mean switch to our suit (spades) and an encouraging one would not like diamonds but by elimination, the remaining suit (clubs).

N would then have to trust partner and lead from a KJ holding, for a rewarding +50 on their scorecard.

Play safe
Hand 19 of 04/05/2019

NS arrive at 6S after a meticulous sequence:

1C-1S
3C-3H
3S-4NT
5C-5D
5S-6S

South has jumped in clubs and then showed a slow arrival fit in spades. North probes and finds out that all Aces are there but the spade Q is missing, placing the final contract at 6S.

E leads the JC and dummy goes down. An experienced player knows very well that when 5 cards are missing including the Q10, and the high honours are split one accompanied by the 9 and only by the J, there is a safety play to ensure that a maximum of one trick is lost when either opponent has Q10xx. First the honour with the J is cashed and then a small card is played. If declarer sees 3 small cards from the opponents she should play the 9, if LHO shows out the second time then she wins high and leads towards the J to ensure that he loses just one trick. In this hand, win the lead, play KS then small spade leaving E without a defence.

There is one more factor to consider here, the suspicious JC lead. If this is a singleton then W must not win the second spade if E has three. This may lead N to abandon the safety play and, as the cards lie, go down.

Which takes us back to the bidding: After South’s 5S, N could offer 6C as an alternative contract which cannot be defeated and in fact makes all 13 tricks. Despite playing in a minor suit, a 28HCP slam bid and made always scores pretty well in a club duplicate.