Bridge Views and News

No Feathers in carry-on please

December 17, 2018
How are festive preparations going in your corner of the world? We are on track here in Pisa, despite a most enjoyable 24 hour flying visit to Budapest, Hungary last week. Thank you to my hosts and what a beautiful city! (image from wallpapers.best.com)


En route, I was catching up on emails and noticed a post asking for more information about what to do in Misinformation cases – here is a link to my lecture presentation on this area of bridge law.

Now to the shopping. Actually, it is a tale of pursuing my great love of food from all over the world. When I travel, I love to try local tastes and then I figure out how to bring the experience home to my family kitchen. This trip I returned home with a goose!

The preparation was a family affair – it’s handy having a sailor in the family!

With masterful precision my stuffing of onions, celery, sour apples, chicken liver and croutons was safely sewn sealed into the 7kg (average size 4.5-6kg) bird. After we basted our goose with a cream of lard, rosemary, sage, garlic, salt & pepper and of course the ever handy extra virgin olive oil, we roasted her for 2 hours at 200 degrees in the oven.

 




We’ll have to wait for my other travel acquisition - goose liver terrine needs 15 days refrigeration before we can eat it.

 

Expert thinking

October 29, 2018

Have you heard tell that a bridge expert thinks in a different way to a competent player? Do you like to challenge your everyday play? Then this hand is for you. It was dealt to me yesterday during the knockout stages of a competition I am playing in with my regular team from Pisa. The way I thought through this hand generated 10 IMPs for our side.
East-West are silent as you bid straightforwardly to 3 NT. First let us scrutinise what goes through your mind as you cogitate your dummy play. ...

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Rosenblum 2018 - the bridge continues

October 22, 2018

Right now I am headed to a site visit - it's a promising spot for a future championship. But there’s still one stanza remaining in the Rosenblum final, so hopefully I will find some time today to report on the last 16 deals of this Zimmerman Lavazza showdown - so much blood has been spilled it’s a wonder anyone’s still standing. Fatigue, and the bridge gods have been playing havoc with minds and hearts – but for once the cards have not been bouncing us readers and commentators from p...

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Rosenblum 2018 Final - there's always time for great bridge!

October 15, 2018
Professional duties kept me very busy during the 15th World Bridge Series which took place this September in Orlando USA, but it is a joy to watch great matches - and this year's final did not disappoint - we must always find time to witness great bridge played by the world's finest players.


Here is my report (click the grey arrow to read full sized) on the first session of this impressive match - and more to follow - I'll let you know when it's ready.



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Martin Hoffman 1929 -2018

May 22, 2018
Came across this in the course of translating Forquet's article this week. I thought I would post it as a wee tribute to Martin, a popular player from England who was buried yesterday. I wish condolences to his family.

Making a bridge name for himself since he took up the game at the age of 35, here's another couple of Martin articles from great bridge personalities - Zia in 2011 and Janet de Botton in 2016
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