BRIDGE

Bridge is a card game that I have played on and off since I was 16. Playing bridge requires a combination of mathematical-logical thinking and social interaction that really appeals to me - it is also a good way to exercise one's immediate recall memory, an increasingly important consideration after the age of 50.

Basically, however, I just enjoy it!

I don't think I have any special insights into the play of the hand or playing defence. However, I am interested in bidding theory, and over the years I have developed a variation of the French 5-card major (Majeure cinquième) bidding system, parts of which I shall describe in these pages. The system was developed together with Barbara Perkins, with whom I have played bridge for the past 15 years or so, and to whom much of the credit should go.

The parts of the bidding system I have described so far are:

• Opening bids

• Responses to openings of 1 club

• Responses to openings of 1 diamond

• Responses to openings of 1 heart/1 spade

• Rebids by the 1 club opener (incomplete)

• Rebids by the 1 diamond opener (incomplete)

Some abbreviations:

• HCP - High Card Points: A-4, K-3, Q-2, J-1.

• DP - Distributional Points (to be counted only for suit bids): As above + 3 DP for a void, 2 DP for a singleton, 1 DP for a doubleton and 1 DP for every card over the 5th in the long (bid) suit.

• SP - Support Points (to be counted when showing support for partner's suit): As HCP + 5 SP for a void, 3 SP for a singleton, 1 SP for a doubleton and 1 SP for every card in the supported suit above the 4th.

• MCC - Major Control Card: Any Ace, and the K and Q of the trump suit.