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JUST BRIDGE...
COME LOOK AT THIS, HARRY,
IT'S THE NEW BRIDGE COLUMN
by Beverly Kraft -Eric Kokish
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Don't let the names fool you. We're married
up. There was a time when we played bridge
together. It's been years, though. Which may
explain why we're still married. Another
reason that our marriage has endured these
thirteen years is that we tend to finish one
another's sentences, no matter how arcane.
Keeps us amused. But this is a bridge column.
Are these survival credentials enough to
justify a daily visit to your breakfast
table with a sliver of life at the bridge
table? Surely some prowess at bridge is
essential too.
Neither side vulnerable; North deals
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Kraft |
|
Kokish |
|
1 |
Pass |
2(1) |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
3 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
6 |
Pass |
7 |
Pass |
Pass |
Dbl |
All Pass |
(1) Natural, forcing to game
Opening lead:
3
1984. The Epson World Intercity Teams Championship in Tokyo. We were the
defending champions in part because we had been better at avoiding grand slams
with the ace of trumps offside. Our teammates loved us for this one. We did not
win the tournament.
Kraft: If I were interested in seven I would not have jumped to six.
Kokish: My hand was unlimited, so your jump had to be descriptive. What you were
supposed to have was six or seven good hearts and the ace of clubs, all your
values in the suits you bid. You should have continued with 5,
then 5
over my 5
continuation. Given your retreat to 4,
I would have known that you couldn't have everything I needed for a good grand
slam.
Kraft: Maybe you're right, but you weren't playing with you; that was l'il ol'
me over there, a simple soul who bids what she thinks she can make.
It's a fine line between bridge at the top and bridge at the bottom. We've been
through stretches at both ends of the spectrum, but it's never been dull. In the
coming months, we're going to share some of those experiences with you and keep
you up to date with what's going on in the wonderful wacky world of bridge.
We'll show you some beautiful deals and (less often) some ugly ones, and
introduce you to many characters and personalities whose exploits you might
enjoy. We'll review some books and software for you, and take you to some exotic
venues and, perhaps, to the bridge club in your neighbourhood. If you send us
queries, deals, stories, and news items by e-mail to eok@bigfoot.com, we'll try
to reserve one column a [[week]] for write-in material.
Although the early evidence might suggest that you will usually get two
different perspectives from us, it's really not that way at all. For example, we
both love the game of bridge. We both love our children and our dogs. We both
hate celery.
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