It was impossible to imagine, when I filed my column a fortnight ago, that I would be writing this one in a new and totally unrecognisable world. All places of social activity have been closed, which of course includes bridge clubs, and all games, leagues and tournaments have been postponed ‘until further notice’. The last
Bridge is obviously another casualty of the coronavirus. Clubs have closed their doors; tournaments have been cancelled; championships have been postponed. Safety, of course, comes first. But for many of us, the prospect of life without the constant challenge and stimulation of the game, or the companionship of our fellow players, is pretty miserable. There
Just back from Monaco, the tiny principality famously dubbed ‘a sunny place for shady people’ by Somerset Maugham. Pierre Zimmermann, the biggest sponsor of all time, holds his highly prestigious European Winter Games and Cavendish Trophy there on alternate years. This year it was the turn of the Winter Games, a wonderful feast of bridge.
I love the French expression esprit de l’escalier (‘wit of the staircase’); it perfectly captures that moment of frustration when a clever remark or retort comes to us just too late — as we’re leaving, or on the stairs. I’ve always thought there should be some equivalent expression in bridge: how often do we realise
Bridge experts are a lovely lot. They give their time freely and generously to encourage and teach students and bring bridge to a wider, young audience. Prof Sam(antha) Punch organised a terrific pro/am event last week for 76 pairs and raised more than £50k for her Keep Bridge Alive charity. The Young Chelsea BC
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the Rimstedts and their children get together over supper. One thing’s for sure: when the discussion turns to bridge, no other family in the world could match them. The parents, Magnus and Ann Rimstedt, are well-known Swedish players; they imparted their love of the game
The annual Icelandic bridge tournament, held in Reykjavik at the end of January, is one of the best on the international circuit. Two days Pairs and two days Teams, it attracts players from all over the world, including the US. This year the most interesting ‘new pair’ was the Grossack brothers, Adam and Zach. In
As hosts of this year’s Lady Milne Trophy — the women’s home international series — England get to field two teams. At the last minute, I decided to compete with a young and talented player, Qian Li — despite the fact that we’d never played together before. We managed to fit in just two practice
Have I mentioned that I played for England in the Camrose? And not for the first time either. Sadly this year we had to substitute Espen Erichsen, who was in Australia, and that sub was man of the moment, Alex Hydes. Now I am not going to list Alex’s many recent successes because, as my
Sad to say, the length of time you’ve been playing bridge is no indication of how good you are. Indeed, you can play with gusto every day of your life, but if you never venture outside your same circle, or take lessons or read books, then — to put it bluntly — you probably have
2019 was a big year for Alex Hydes. HUGE in fact. He won, almost consecutively, three major international titles and several lesser ones. On top of that he and Ben Handley-Pritchard have just qualified to play for England in the Europeans in June. No wonder he’s in such demand. I have just returned from Edinburgh
The new year is a daunting prospect in terms of the sheer amount of bridge taking place. Rather like buses, all the England trials seem to be coming at once: the European open, women’s and mixed, the Lady Milne, the various Olympiad trials… my head’s swimming just thinking about it. Unlike most of the hardcore
For Christmas this year I am giving you a double-dummy problem. Too generous, I hear you cry — but better than another pair of socks. DD problems are usually found in books: specially constructed deals where you get to see all the cards, and then have to work out how to make your contract against
These days, young people expect to learn new skills online, for free. So how do we introduce a new generation to the joys of bridge? The most exciting initiative for a long time is the New Tricks Bridge Club, whose aim is to propel the game back into the modern age through the internet. The
As 2019 draws to a close, it is time to review the year’s achievements and disappointments. My team’s highest achievement was winning the English Premier League, and the less said about the disappointments the better! Looking at the National Grading Scheme (the ranking for British players), I was slightly surprised to see that Mike Bell
Nothing is ever routine or boring when Alex Hydes is at the table. One of England’s best players, he’s a master at bluffing and pressurising opponents. His bidding may sometimes seem enjoyably eccentric, but in fact it’s the result of perfect logic and judgment. And he combines all this with wonderful humour and an eye
Well, it has taken 12 years, two relegations, one second place and endless ‘nowheres’ playing the Premier League and we have finally won. After three weekends, a triple round robin and 336 boards, the result was decided on the last board, when my partner Artur Mali was put to the test in a delicate 3NT
Congratulations to Janet de B and her team, who had an excellent week last week — as I know to my cost. First, we met in an early round of the Hubert Phillips Bowl, which my team actually won two years ago. This time, Janet’s team trounced us so badly that we conceded with ten
Erikas Vainikonis and his father Vytas are terrific bridge players and have supported the game very generously. Their brilliant new website, BridgeScanner, gives us all a fuss-free location to get the information we need on tournaments around the world, including live running scores. Their other gift is a five-day mini festival, starting with the Grand
Peter Fredin may not be the best bridge player in the world, but he gets my vote for the most exciting. I first became fascinated by the Swedish star years ago when he duped me with an outlandish bluff during a European championship. I quickly learned that the field was littered with his victims. Now