In this section I would be putting together all the information regarding bridge facilites in the various cities in India.The information may be sketchy at present but would be made comprehensive in future.
Lucknow Allahabad Varanasi Meerut Dehradun Ghaziabad Kanpur Moradabad Delhi Chandigarh Jaipur Mumbai Pune Asansol Durgapur
Bangalore
Chennai
Ranchi
In this section I would cover tournaments happening in India and more so the tournaments happening in Northern part of India and in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
HINDALCO bridge tournament is took place at HINDALCO,Renukoot from July 30-Aug 1, 1999. A record 82 teams took part from 5 states & 19 different cities.
The show ,however, wasn't as impressive as it used to be in the previous years.The good thing is that the the organisers have promised to put
up a better show next year.
8th Open Bridge Championship is taking place at Netaji Bhawan, Durgapur from Aug 27-Aug 29,1999.
K.N. Modi bridge tournament is taking place at Boat House Club, Nainital from Oct 2-Oct 5, 1999.
Rajendra Golcha Memorial bridge tournament is taking place at Jai Club, Jaipur from Oct 9-Oct 11,1999.
In this section I would cover one good deal which appeared in the Weekly Bridge Tournaments at Lucknow or in a recent tournament with explanations.
This week's deal is from 71st Summer NABC held at San Antonio, Texas recently and is on squeeze.
| Dealer:West Vul: - Lead:  A | NORTH 2J 10 7 6 5 3 K 9 9 8 7 4 | |
| WESTQ 9 5A10 7 4 3Q J 10 6 5 | EAST10 7 3K Q 9 8 2J 6 5K 3 | |
| SOUTHA K J 8 6 24A Q 8 2A 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | 2 | 4 |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
This week's deal is from SpinGold knockout teams of the 71st Summer NABC which was held at San Antonio, Texas.
If you are not alert as a defender a smart declarer would create an unimaginable sequence and would walk away smiling.
In this week's deal South plays in Four Spades which he has directly bid over East's 2 Heart and gets a lead of Heart Ace.
On Heart Ace East played his lowest Club and West duly shifted to Club Queen which was won by South's Ace.
To make 4 Spades South would need Spades to be breaking kindly and the likely card play is to ruff a Diamond in Dummy and hope that Queen of Spades is with East so that he can ruff with Jack of Spades , give a trick each in Spades and Clubs and claim the contract.Unfortunately Spade Queen is off so one of East's trump gets promoted due to Diamond ruff and declarer would go down one in the contract.
But here the imaginative declarer chose another line.
After winning Club Ace he cashed Spade Ace and King and gave up a trick in Spades to West who after winning continued with a Small Club.
When East after winning the Club King continued with a Heart the declarer's line of play paid off.
He ruffed the Heart trick and squeezed East in minor suits (East can not hold all Four Diamonds or a Club on the ninth trick).
The declarer knew from the beginning that West had nine vacant slot in minor suits (if Spades are breaking) and to materialize his squeeze West has to hold four Diamonds. So it was a very imaginative play.
Both East and West could have defeated this contract if they have shifted to Diamonds after winning their tricks. A shift to Diamond cuts the communication between North - South cards and prevents the squeeze.
And East was no less person than Barry Rigal , writer of many excellent books on bridge, who missed this line of defence and perhaps if this deal is played at many tables majority of defenders would perhaps miss this line of defence and allow the contract to be made.
So it pays to be imaginative in bridge!