Susanna Gross

Bridge | 12 January 2017

issue 14 January 2017

There’s a bit of a ruckus going on in the bridge world at the moment; a lot of people are getting very hot under the collar. The issue is this: should the laws of the game always be enforced, or should players sometimes waive them in favour of creating a friendlier, more enjoyable atmosphere?

Many of England’s star players — David Gold, Artur Malinowski and Tony Forrester among them — are fiercely opposed to calling for ‘rulings’ at the table unless it’s strictly necessary: they feel it goes against the spirit of the game, and deters weaker players from playing in tournaments.

But others argue that rules are rules, and must be applied consistently, not according to an individual’s whims. Why should one player be let off a revoke, for instance, if the player at the next table has just been penalised for one?

At the centre of the storm are two of England’s top internationals, Frances Hinden and Graham Osborne.

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