Bridge
Bridge | 25 June 2022
At a bridge tournament about 15 years ago, I started chatting to a friendly, eccentric woman in her mid-sixties, wearing…
Bridge | 18 June 2022
When lockdown struck, high-standard online bridge tournaments sprang up and with them a multitude of cheats, world champions among them,…
Bridge | 11 June 2022
I recently spent a long weekend in Lillehammer in Norway. Apparently it’s very charming, but frankly I have no idea:…
Bridge | 4 June 2022
In honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s awe-inspiring Platinum Jubilee, I have not one but two hands, illustrating the power…
Bridge | 28 May 2022
For those of us who are prone to anxiety before playing in big tournaments, there are plenty of self-help books…
Bridge | 21 May 2022
It was time to celebrate! The Schapiro Spring Foursomes was back again after the enforced Covid break, and the EBU’s…
Bridge | 14 May 2022
The Spring Fours is one of the great events in the English bridge calendar – a five-day knockout attracting many…
Bridge | 7 May 2022
My teammate Thor Erik Hoftaniska is having a bit of a moment. He won last year’s (online) Gold Cup (on…
Bridge | 30 April 2022
Recently, a friend was browsing through the bridge books on my shelves, when suddenly she burst out laughing. ‘Here’s a…
Bridge | 23 April 2022
It seems ironic that while many bridge players are fighting to ‘Keep Bridge Alive’, raising money to encourage and teach…
Bridge | 16 April 2022
I went cycling in the Pyrenees with my teenagers last week. Every time we stopped for a break, out came…
Bridge | 02 April 2022
I don’t play rubber bridge nearly as much as I used to, but I still enjoy the occasional game at…
Bridge | 26 March 2022
The England U26 juniors have been flying high lately. A couple of weeks ago they won the Junior Camrose, and…
Bridge | 19 March 2022
I still haven’t got over the novelty of sitting down at home, opening my laptop, and – just like fantasy…
Bridge | 12 March 2022
The Lederer Memorial Trophy was carried off this year by my lovely friend Jonathan Harris, albeit with a little help…
Bridge | 5 March 2022
Few things in life compare to the joy of playing bridge, but if I rack my brain I can think…
Bridge | 26 February 2022
My friend Nick Sandqvist says that coaching the England juniors is a joy; so great when someone enthusiastic and creative…
Bridge | 19 February 2022
A couple of weeks ago, just as I’d begun to think that if I hadn’t got Covid by now I…
Bridge | 12 February 2022
You may not have heard of Sue Johnson but she could be the fairy godmother bridge needs right now. Not…
Bridge | 05 February 2022
I’ve been friends with the England player Mike Bell for many years; as top bridge professionals go, I’d say he…
Bridge | 29 January 2022
During lockdown I had a bit of a tidy-up and came across a Post-it note with the following statement written…
Bridge | 22 January 2022
Almost everyone has a set of ‘carding’ agreements with their partners to convey information when defending. But I’m always amazed…
Bridge | 15 January 2022
Why is defence so difficult? Why do I have to suffer partner’s incredulous face when I play the wrong card…
Bridge
We’re all guilty of making silly mistakes at the bridge table and then hurriedly trying to explain them away —…
Bridge | 18 December 2021
Bridge is not too enticing if your parents had card evenings when you were a child, which often ended in…