Newsletter - 17 December 2021

 

From the President

Please remember that the Club is closed next Friday (24 December) and Saturday (25 December), that is, there will be no bridge offered by the Club (RealBridge or face-to-face). However, the Club will be open on 31 December and 1 January with normal sessions. Please remember that Saturday bridge is on RealBridge only.

I am also asking for volunteers to clean the kitchen at the cessation of each session held in the Club rooms. Cleaning the kitchen doesn’t take a great deal of time as all players should take their cups/glasses to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. The volunteer needs to sanitise the kitchen benches/taps and start the dishwasher.  Please contact Tim Mather (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you wish to volunteer.

The Club is also looking for an additional teacher for the supervised players. Such a person would need to be able to teach beginner bridge players. Please speak to Barbara Toohey (mobile:0412 591 190) if you are interested.

Stay safe and enjoy your bridge

Margaret

 

CBC Silly Season - 'tis the season....

A big thank you to all the CBC members who have so generously donated gifts for our Barnardos Giving Tree Appeal. The Barnardos people will be collecting the gifts on Monday and I’m sure they will be ‘blown away’ by the wonderful array of quality gifts sitting under our Christmas tree. Thank you all.

The Christmas Raffle is drawn on Monday with prize recipients notified asap after being drawn late morning. 

It's been a tumultuous year!  Time to celebrate the end of it!  We are keeping things simple this year. The Club will be adding a touch of Christmas with sweet treats and a lucky door prize at all sessions week commencing Monday.  Come along to help celebrate the spirit of Christmas together!

 A big thank you to Anne Fleming for the lovely flowers gracing strategic parts of the club rooms! It's almost starting to feel like Summer!

 

Committee News

The minutes from the November Committee meeting are available here, on the Committee noticeboard and on the website.  

 

Upcoming Sessions

Sessions for the rest of the week are as follows:

• Friday Supervised 9.30 at the club
• Friday morning 9.30am at the club (early start to facilitate afternoon session)
• Friday afternoon 1.00pm at the club 
  
• Friday afternoon 1.15pm RealBridge 
• Saturday afternoon 1.15pm RealBridge

 In breaking news we are ceasing Tuesday afternoon RealBridge sessions immediately due to falling numbers.  

From 20 December our sessions are as follows:

• Monday morning 10.00am at the club
• Monday morning 10.15am RealBridge
• Monday afternoon 2.00pm  RealBridge
• Monday evening 7.00pm RealBridge
• ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠
• Tuesday afternoon 1.00pm at the club
• ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠
• Wednesday morning 10.00am at the club
• Wednesday morning 10.15 am RealBridge
• Wednesday evening 7.15pm at the club 
• ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠
• Thursday morning 10.00am Duplicate at the club
• Thursday morning 10.00am - Butler at the club
• Thursday afternoon 2.00pm RealBridge
• ♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠♠
• Friday and Saturday the club is closed! 

As we transition back to face-to-face sessions at the club, some RealBridge sessions will close down, depending on demand.  At this stage it is intended that the Monday and Thursday afternoon RealBridge sessions will continue.  

Member table money will be deducted from players CBCPay accounts. Visitors' fees will be paid for by their member-partner, or via prior arrangement by emailing the office.

Cost: face-to-face $10 members/ $13 visitors, concession $9.  RealBridge $8 members and $7 concession (including event).

Links to sessions are on our RealBridge page.

 

CBC Membership

Please remember annual subscriptions are due. If you haven't already please transfer funds citing your ABF number and state "membership" in the reference field. 

 

Magnetic Name Tags

If you want to treat yourself to a snazzy magnetic name tag please transfer funds - exact amount - $15 via electronic transfer with your ABF number, or drop in $15 cash with your name and number in an envelope.  We'll put an order in mid to late January.  

 

Early Christmas Present?

Someone has transferred funds recently with no  ABF number or name details.  We'll have to treat it as an early Christmas present unless someone presents with the details.  

 

Upcoming  Events

January IMP Pairs (Butler) on Realbridge

A two-week competition on 3 and 10 January 2022 on Monday evening at 7.15pm. This will be practice for the online Summer Festival of Bridge.

• Pre-entry required - online entry form - before 10.00am 3 January 2022
• Please enter early. Only two pairs so far....

Festival of Bridge

The Summer Festival of Bridge is a national event hosted by the Australian Bridge Federation. It takes place from 13 to 23 January 2022 on RealBridge. A wide range of events are scheduled.  To find out more go the website.  

 

ABF Foundation Fundraiser: ProAm BridgeTournament

An ABF Foundation was established in 2020 to assist participants at all skill levels to enjoy and promote our fascinating game. 

There is a Pro-Am Bridge Tournament to raise funds for the Foundation by auctioning a session with a professional or leading players (including  our own Jodi Tutty).  The auction finishes on 25 January with the ProAm to run on either Tuesday 1 February or Tuesday 15 February at 7pm by arrangement.    

The winners will receive gold points! Click on the link above for details on players and the auction!  

 

Beginners Lessons in 2022

The Club has face-to-face bridge beginner lessons commencing in the first week of February 2022, on Wednesday evenings starting at 7.00pm (2 Feb - 9 Mar)  and Friday mornings  at 10.00am (4 Feb - 11 Mar).  Please note and share with friends and family. Earlybird payments are discounted at $59 or $69 after 26 January 2022. 

The lessons are two hours long and  include a textbook, detailed notes and 3 free "supervised play" sessions.  These lessons make ideal presents!

 

Master the Basics

Master the Basics is on holidays until the first week of February.

 

Supervised Play

Supervised play is on holidays until the first week of February.

Thursday Zoom lessons recommence on 3 February.

 

 Results

Tri Nations 

Swiss Pairs

Congratulations to the following placegetters in the Swiss Pairs:

1. Niek Van Vucht & Bruce Crossman
2. Emlyn Williams & Roy Nixon
3. George Stockham & Alexander Hewat
4. Tim David & Stephen Carter
5. Joshua Tomlin & Ruitian Lang

 Niek and Jenny Van Vucht welcomed their first grand child Evelyn Rose on 16 December at 3.44kg and 49cm!  Congratulations to all!

 

Inaugural Grand National Novice Pairs (GNNP) 2021

 Nearly 1000 participants took part in the GNNP Club Heat Stage which is remarkable feat for an inaugural event!  The heroes behind the success of this year's event were the Club Organisers and the expert analysts (including Jodi Tutty!) who donated their time to progress the game and break down the stereotypes of National Competition.  It's been a pleasure to work with such passionate people who share the desire to further the game and aren't afraid to share the secret that National Competitions are not just for the elite.    

After the Club Heat Stage, qualifying players could progress to the Online Semi-Finals stage.  A number of players were online for their finst time and this brand new format in a Finals Series offered players the the flexibility to play at the time that suited them best.  28 pairs made it through to the National Final. 
 

At the end of the day, NSW reined supreme with Jeff and Alex from Parramatta and Maggie and David from Illawarra taking out top honours.  

Canberra Bridge Club really packed a punch with Bricet and Penelope, Philippa and Grant and Steve and Lisa making it through to the final.  Bricet and Penelope finished in 3rd after leading for most of the final and they received 2.15 Gold Masterpoints!

Planning for 2022 has already started a critical part of shaping the event for future years is finding out about the experiences of this year's players and organsiers.  

Congratulations to everyone who was part of the event.

 

Opener shows shape by Joan Butts

 

• The beauty of the 2/1 style is that you don’t need to jump to show points once you’ve established a game force
• Showing shape becomes No 1 priority
• If your shape is six cards in one suit, and four cards in another suit, think of 6-4-6…
• Open the six carder, bid the four-carder next, and rebid the six carder after that (if responder has set up a game force). 1♠ p 2♣ p 2♦️ p 2NT p 3♠ = six spades and four diamonds (6-4-6)
• If you hold a 5-4 shape, always show the second suit if it’s ranked below the first (eg 1♠ p 2♣ p 2♦️)
• But you need more than a minimum opening hand if your second suit is ranked above the first (eg 1♥️ p 2♣ p 2♠)
• You don’t need quite the values for a reverse (ie 17+high card points ), but at least 15
• When you have only a minimum opener, it’s better to rebid the first suit, and LATER show the second suit (eg 1♠ p 2♣ p 2♠ p 2NT p 3♦️)

Drawing Trumps with Ian Morison

When learning Bridge, one of the rules drummed into us early on when playing a suit contract is to draw trumps early so you control the hand, and the Defenders cannot ruff your side suit winners.

But this should not be a rule that is slavishly followed.  Sometimes you should draw trumps, sometimes you should ruff from the outset, and sometimes you should do a bit of both.

Use of your trumps wisely can have a dramatic effect on the outcome, as the following hand shows. You are South and have ended up in 4S on this deal, with no opposition bidding to give you clues where missing cards might lie:

 

Board:  Vul:  Dealer:	♠ A642 ♥ 7 ♦ A9876 ♣ AK4
♠ J7 ♥ KQ4 ♦ QJ43 ♣ 10972		♠ Q109 ♥ J1098 ♦ K102 ♣ J63
	♠ K853 ♥ A6532 ♦ 5 ♣ Q85

                                                                     

The C10 is led by West, and you stop to take stock after Dummy goes down, as you must always do.

You win the CQ in hand, then play SK, SA and clean up the Spades by leading a third, which East wins with SQ. You have won 3 tricks and lost 1 trick. 7 more tricks are needed to make your contract.

This is what is then left:

                                          

Board:  Vul:  Dealer:	♠ 6 ♥ 7 ♦ A9876 ♣ AK
♠ - ♥ KQ4 ♦ QJ43 ♣ 97		♠ - ♥ J1098 ♦ K102 ♣ J6
	♠ 8 ♥ A6532 ♦ 5 ♣ 85

 

It does not matter how you play the remaining cards, you cannot make more than 6 more tricks, down 1. [A, K of Clubs, DA, D ruff, HA, H ruff]. That’s 9 tricks.

So how did it all go wrong?

Don’t draw the last Spade from East – SQ. It takes 2 of your Spades, one from the North hand and one from the South hand. These are control cards that can be used for ruffing, to optimal effect.

So, ignore SQ - let East have the SQ whenever East wants to.

This is what you are left with if you don’t draw the SQ:

 

Board:  Vul:  Dealer:	♠ 64 ♥ 7 ♦ A9876 ♣ AK
♠ - ♥ KQ4 ♦ QJ43 ♣ 972		♠ Q ♥ J1098 ♦ K102 ♣ J6
	♠ 85 ♥ A6532 ♦ 5 ♣ 85

 

Start the cross-ruff straight away, or play CA, CK first, then cross ruff - it does not matter.

You play DA, Diamond ruff, HA, Heart ruff, Diamond ruff, Heart ruff, then CA, CK. Then East takes the last trick with SQ.

12 tricks made. That’s 3 more than you will get if you draw SQ. The reason is simply that you retain total control of the hand and make all 4 of your last trumps separately by cross-ruffing.

Even if the lie of the Clubs or the red suit cards is different, East can take SQ when East can trump and wishes to – it makes no difference as you are in control.

The moral of the story, as the Bard would have written: ‘To draw all the trumps or not, that is the question…’.

So, this is the time to draw some trumps, but not the last one, to preserve the remainder for the cross-ruff.

 Ian Morison  Bridge lover (and a Grandpa at 8.31am 16 December 2021, first grandchild - Hamish)

 

 Lighter moments

 Why are people cutting back on Brussels sprouts this Christmas?

The cost of gas is too high

Why is Christmas dinner vegan this year?

Because Turkey is on the red list, but vegetables are all green

 

Why won't Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Richard Branson see each other this Christmas?

They all want space

 

What did Santa ask Rudolph about the weather?
Is it going to rain, dear?

 

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A mince spy.

 

Whats the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet?
The Christmas alphabet has Noel.