Starting at the top of the food chain Day 5 to better bridge on the internet

Today I decide to go to the best source on the Internet for bridge links and news for my inspiration – Great Bridge Links

http://www.greatbridgelinks.com/

There is a list of major international bridge tournaments here, lots of pictures and graphics.

Look at that I didn’t realize that Bridgeblogging is on the front page.  Thank you Jude. 

There are so many links it is dazzlling.

I decide to look at some Blogs to start with.  I ignore Blogs that have nothing written in them in 2008 and wind up at The Beer Card, Paul’s blog.

http://thebeercard.blogspot.com/

The current Blog has the depressing heading “Summer is over”.  He started off with some auctions that had cost them a big match and oddly enough it was an auction that I had discussed in this BLOG (day3 maybe?).  What do bids mean over interference over 2NT.

Partner opens 2NT 23-24 BALANCED and your opponent overcalls 3H.  What is a pass.  Can partner pass?  Colin, Ray and I did discuss this after “Day 3” but our notrump range is a little lower.  We decided that pass is not forcing for opener but at this notrump range I think it should be.  Anyway maybe this isn’t such an obscure area.

His last problem asked the question about overcalling a weak notrump.  I think trying to deal with weak notrump using all natural overcalls is not a winning approach regardless of how aggressive you are.   Maybe I should reply.

There are some system notes, including notes on Polish club (which distracted me for a while) and some bidding theory ideas on the site as well.

I decided this was an interesting, fun BLOG written by a young serious bridge player and I will visit again. 

Back at great bridge links I find a link to Vikings In Space which turns out to be the website of Jannes van ‘t Oever, a young Dutch bridge player who fortunately has an English language website.  At the top of the site is a review of Iron Man and for a moment I wonder is I have got to the right spot.

 

He liked it.

The bridge blog du jour is called the glass cards (so you know it is about card reading).

The next was a story of a neat hand.  He was able to use keycard to get to a slam after partner had denied a control in his void.  He arrives in 7C which has a small flaw, there are only 12 tricks off the top (if hearts break decently.  As it turns out he gets a little help from his opponents and some card reading and … well read it yourself.  http://www.vikingsinspace.nl/

The most important thing I learn is a reminder “don’t bid grand slams unless you can count 13 tricks.  Kudos for making it but I think you were getting all the imps/mps for bidding and making 6.  I read the comment which provides an even better line.

Okay time for a top player and teacher.  I arrive at Mike Lawrence’s Bridge SIte and find the articles and am pleased to see a good selection.  I wind up looking at a quiz on responding when partner bids over the opponent’s preempt.  This is interesting because Ray and I spent quite a while discussing a hand yesterday that starter with an opponent’s 2H bid.

I don’t do very well on the quiz.  This is an area that does need a lot of thought and attention.

Here is a problem for you to try:

West opens 3D.  What do you do if partner doubles, bids 3NT or bids 4S

You have S Q8 H K74 D A82 C 109763

Answers…

Over double bid 3NT, over 3NT pass and over 4S bid 5D.

I confess that I didn’t come up with all those answers.  Did you?  Do you agree with them?  There is a lot of very good stuff on this site.

http://www.michaelslawrence.com/