Book a Course
View all the latest courses going on at the bridge club and book yours now...
-
Home
-
Andrew
-
Articles
Andrew Robson Articles.
-
About
Read about Andrew Robson
-
Beginner Corner
Andrew offers hints and tips for those new to the game
-
Tips for Intermediates
Andrew's top tip for intermediates and improvers.
-
For the more experienced
A selection of deals for the more experienced
-
Andrew finds the Queen
Andrew receives his OBE at Buckingham Palace from her majesty the Queen
-
Andrew's life in Bridge
Some select deals, which i have played
-
Bridge Quiz
Test your bidding knowledge
-
If you remember_just one_thing
In this series Andrew, features one improtant point per Article. Bit by bit the reader will improve their game.
-
Articles
-
Store
-
BridgeCast
-
Everything A.R.
-
Courses
-
Results
-
All Sessions
-
Map
See how to get to ARBC
-
How To Get Here
View Transportation Information
-
Opening Hours
See Our Opening Hours
- About the Staff
-
Take a look inside
Take a 360 degree tour of the inside of ARBC
-
Where to stay near the club
A list of places to stay near to our club
-
Book a table
Book a table for a duplicate
-
DVDs
Andrew:
Don’t be afraid of notrumps
I am always a trifle disappointed when I hear my students say, as they frequently do, ‘Ooh do I have to bid 1/2/3 NT? I hate notrumps’. I feel I’ve failed as a teacher.
I’m also somewhat baffled. For in that you have fewer options, fewer ways to go wrong, you could argue that declaring notrumps is easier than declaring trumps.
So don’t be afraid of bidding notrumps even – especially – if an opponent has preempted. Provided you have a stopper in his suit, preferably one you can choose to win to exhaust the his partner of cards of the suit, you will do very well as long as you can keep the pre-emptor from winning a subsequent lead. Take this deal, not the easiest but an example of what we will be building up to:
Click here to play this deal
|
North Deals None Vul |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♣ | 3 ♥1 | 3 NT2 | |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
|
After ducking trick one [♥ 10, ♥ J, ♥ Q, ♥ 4] and winning ♥ K that follows, you know West has no more hearts. So if you can avoid losing the lead to East, you have good chances. Plan the play.
You have five top tricks. Even if you bring in clubs for all five tricks, you need a winning spade finesse, so you might as well take it now. At trick three you lead and successfully pass the queen of spades, following with a spade to dummy’s jack. Time for clubs.
You do not mind losing a club trick to West (with no more hearts) so at trick five you lead a club to the ten (key play). Either the finesse succeeds (if East holds the queen), or it loses to West, who cannot hurt you. Say the ten loses to West’s queen. You win his (say) diamond return, cash four clubs and the ace of spades and make nine tricks. Game made – another 3 NT chalked up.
Quiz: Make your ♥ A into ♥ K. You still bid 3 NT, but have to win your king at trick one when East correctly [from ♥ AQ98752] withholds his ace. Plan the play?
Answer: Now, in addition to a winning spade finesse, you need to pick up clubs without loss (West has another heart to lead if he wins a trick). West rates to have more clubs (he has five fewer hearts) so play clubs by cashing the king then running the ten [succeeding when East holds any two small clubs or a singleton eight or nine].
