At NPDBC, we are fortunate to have a group of dedicated directors who keep our games running both in person and online. Their job isn’t always easy, but our enjoyment of the game is made possible by their faithful support of our club and its members. Therefore, we hereby proclaim November 2021 to be Director Appreciation Month. From November 2 through December 7, we will be profiling them in a feature called “Get to Know Your Director.” 

There are three positions available on the Board of Governors at the North Penn Duplicate Bridge Club for the term January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. If you are interested in becoming a candidate, please contact the Nominating Chair, Toysie Walker at [email protected] or in person at the club. Names must be received by November 8, 2021.

October 29 - This game marks the return of F2F Swiss Teams for the 0-750 Game.

November 1-12 - F2F Charity Games. Extra points awarded. There will be a slight additional charge which will go to the Club’s designated charity, The Women’s Center of Montgomery County.

North Penn's Board of Governors chose The Women's Center of Montgomery County as its designated charity for 2021-2022. This is an organization with seven centers throughout the County focused on eliminating domestic violence and other forms of abuse through services such as a 24-hour domestic violence hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, emergency relocation and community education and outreach. To learn more about The Women’s Center, here is the link. https://www.wcmontco.org/about-us/

November 11 - Grand national Team (GNT) Qualifying. Double points awarded, half red. This is a stratified event, so winning teams in all flights will get points. If you have a pair without a team, you will be matched with a pair closest to your flight if one is available. More information is available on our website.

November 15-19 - Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC.) Silver points awarded for all games. The District will provide the hands and scores will be compared throughout the District.

November 20 - Robot Individual at 4:00 pm. You must play with a robot, so select “play with a robot when you register.” Join us for this fast, fun event.

November 22-30 - Club Championships. Extra points at no extra cost.

November 25 - No game.

We recently received several boxes of donated books. Please help yourself to any you might want.

Trouble Connecting to BBO. Here’s something you can try:

Apparently BBO changed its internet address and some routers were trying to use the old address. If it happens again, try turning your router off for a couple of minutes and then restarting it. That should force it to find the new address. Here’s a link to BBO: [email protected].

If you have questions about Shuffle & Deal or Session 2 of Beginner Lessons, contact Deb Crisfield at [email protected]

When learning the bridge basics, we learn that 3^rd hand—partner of the opening leader—should play high. But there are important corollaries, or, as Eddie Kantar calls them, 3^rd hand not so high, as well as outright exceptions, i.e., 3^rd hand low. In today’s deal, by playing 3^rd hand “too high”, E allowed Declarer to gain a second trick, and a second stopper, in partner’s heart suit.

--------P - P – 1♦ – P – 1NT

--------all pass

Partner leads the ♥4 and Declarer plays ♥7 from Dummy. You hold ♥Q93. What’s your play?

At the table E played the ♥Q and Declarer now had 8 likely tricks—2 spades, 2 hearts, 3 diamonds (after knocking out the ♦A) and 1 club—and was playing for his 9^th and 10^th. [An interesting defensive variation after the play of the ♥Q is considered in the post script.]

The right play for E at Trick One is the ♥9. It is the textbook play. To understand why, let’s look at a slightly different layout:

---------------------------(Dummy)

-----------------------------♥J87

----------(Partner)-----------------------(You)

-------------♥4---------------------------♥Q103

But what about the actual layout, where you have the ♥Q93 instead of the ♥Q103? Treat the 9 as a 10 and play it.

Why? Because if Declarer holds the ♥K10x (or A10x), with Dummy having ♥J87 and the ♥Q behind the ♥J, he is always getting 2 heart tricks, no matter what you play. But if partner holds the ♥10, then your ♥9 will drive out Declarer’s ♥K (or A), allowing your ♥Q and partner’s ♥A (or K) to cover Dummy’s ♥J and holding Declarer to 1 heart trick.

After winning the heart lead, Declarer will attack diamonds. You should win your ♦A immediately, play the ♥Q and then your ♥3 to partner, who wins and cashes his ♥A. On that you can signal with your ♣10 and partner will exit with a club, best being the ♣Q, which promises the ♣J and lets you know he has the club suit covered. In addition, it allows you to unblock the ♣K under Dummy’s ♣A.

Declarer then runs his diamonds. You can follow all three times, but partner has to choose what to throw. He can afford one club and one spade. But in discarding the spade partner must not signal discouragement (low when playing standard).

So what spade should W discard? The ♠7 or the 6. I prefer the ♠6 because my 2^nd spade play can now be either the 7, making the 6 discouraging, or the 2, making it encouraging. The ♠6 (or the 7) begins the lie that W holds the ♠Q. From here on, whether Declarer wins 7 tricks or 8 just depends on whether he decides to finesse you or partner for the ♠Q. But you and your partner have done all you can do not to help him. Well done.

Postscript: After E bungles the 1^st trick, Declarer wins and attacks diamonds. But when E wins the ♦A, he can shift to clubs. Then the hand becomes more challenging for Declarer. For example, once declarer wins the ♣A and runs diamonds, he has 5 tricks—1 heart, 3 diamonds and 1 club—with 2 spades coming. Would he then knock out the ♥A or risk a spade finesse? If he takes the spade finesse and it loses, then the defense has 1 spade, 1 heart, 1 diamond and 3 clubs (on the 4-3 club split). Why, you ask, would E make a club shift from K10x at the third trick? Excellent question. But I’m afraid I’ve run out of space to address it.

The real test of a bridge player isn't in keeping out of trouble, but in escaping once he's in it.