Day 8 – Internet search for better bridge

 

It is time to visit Ron Klinger’s website.  Ron Klinger is a prolific author and one of the world’s great bridge teachers.  It seems appropriate that the subtitle of his website is improve your game. 

 

http://www.ronklingerbridge.com

 

I go to his blog first.  Ron is an awesome blogger.  There is at least one entry for every day.  I am impressed.

 

Right now he is blogging about the Pacific Asia Congress.  Ron is from Australia  and we are planning to  meet him when were in Australia in October.

 

I look at the latest post dated September 7th. (Is Australia ahead of us or behind us in time – I can’t remember how the international dateline fits in.)  Here is the first problem.  You are West fourth to speak.  South opens 1NT (15-17) and it is your turn.  Both are vulnerable and you hold:

 

♠ AQ ♥  KQJ ◊ K1095 ♣ K864

   

I am going to assume that I play my normal system multilandy.  I can’t double for penalty and I am not sure I want to anyway.  So I guess I pass.  Later on in the article I see the result.  This was played at four tables in the semifinal.  At two tables my hand doubled and they played in 1NT doubled.  At the one table my hand passed.   Doubling works, oh well.  It is seems to me that it is rare that doubling works against a strong notrump.   In the other match  At the fourth table North-South were playing weak notrump and opened 1♣ avoiding all the problems.  One for our side!

 

Unfortunately almost all the material on the website is only available for paid members.  So I can’t see most of it.  But there is a lot of material here.  Still the blog alone is worth the visit.  I wonder if anyone would pay for my writing. Nah. 

 

This next website won’t make me a better bridge player but it is interesting.

 

http://www.zimbio.com/Bridge+card+game

 

Zimbio seems to be a collection of online magazines and it includes a bridge zine which seems to be a collection of bridge articles from all over.  This leads me to an article in the Truro (Nova Scotia) Daily News.   It is the story of 18 year old Aled Iaboni a Canadian junior heading to Beijing.  He does say that his marks went up when he learned to play bridge.  When I learned to play bridge I almost failed out of university – a different time I suppose. 

 

On to Danny Kleinman’s website, Dan Kleinman is a Master Point Press author, Bridge World staff nember, a profilic write and one of the most interesting people I have every met.  Danny’s website tells me that he is the author of 40 bridge books, and books on backgammon and various other subjects.

 www.dannykleinman.com.  I know that this website is going to be fascinating before I even arrive.  For once, the first place I want to read is Danny’s biography.  Ray would say that “it needs editing” but it is fun, just like Danny.

 

If you like conventions you have come to the right place.  Danny has invented a convention for all occasions and they have wonderful names.  I read all about “Ba Ba Blacksheep”.  This is a convention used in 2/1 auctions that start 1D-2C.  It actually seems pretty straightforward.  Opener must bid 2D over two clubs on any hand that does not have extra values. Two of a major is a reverse and 2NT shows more than an opening notrump bid (18-19).  I suppose this would have to be modified for weak notrumper.  3D is strong and natural and 3NT is a strong club raise.  3 of a major is a splinter in support of clubs.  There is a little more but he doesn’t talk about how the auction continues after a forced 2D.  I guess responder just keeps bidding naturally.

 

I check out the deal of the week and find a very pretty defensive hand along with a story.  The pair he was watching were had a 79% game.  Maybe Danny should consider professional kibitzing.

 

There is an interesting article on the secret of declarer play.  This is the secret I want to learn.  The idea is that you have to think like the defenders and let them make mistakes.  There is another point about which suit to establish in notrump, but that is not the point that grabs me.   I am now remembering Eddie’s rule about what card to lead when you want a cover (high) and when you don’t (low).  If I can internalize this idea of Danny’s I know it will help me.