Like most children, I was often told: ‘Count the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.’ I was strangely transfixed by the idea — as though, through some strange alchemy, coins could turn into notes all by themselves if you just waited long enough. But I never did; I couldn’t resist spending my pocket money on penny chews every Saturday.
In adulthood, however, I often find myself thinking how useful the saying is in relation to bridge, reconfigured as: look after the part-scores and the games will look after themselves. Like many players, I struggle to stay focused when playing in low-level contracts: I’m far more interested in games and slams. But how many matches have been won by the smallest of margins? Those dribs and drabs of accumulated part-scores really can reap great riches. Take the recent Gold Cup final between De Botton and Allfrey.
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