HERE’S an advance notice of a night of ‘Not Totally Crazy Bridge’ on March 31 at the Bridge Club. Crazy bridge is a game I devised a few years ago where each hand comes with some fun (and sometimes sadistic!) set of instructions such as ‘You cannot bid hearts on this hand’ or ‘All your plus scores on this hand will be turned to minuses, and vice-versa’!’

The game usually results in a fun-filled evening.

Interspersed among the ‘crazy bridge’ hand will be some fun and instructional ‘normal’ hands which we will discuss at the end of the evening.

The whole event, which includes a free dinner before the game, is sponsored by the ORBIS Education Fund which was set up in 2000 to support bridge education and learning on the island.

A sign-up sheet is at the club but hurry . . . the event is limited to the first 40 pairs who sign up.

This hand from the previous event (I think this is, or very like, the James Bond Goldfinger hand will give you a taste of things to come.

You pick up [spade]AKQJ10 [heart]AKQJ [diamond]AK [club]KJ as dealer. You open a strong two clubs and the bidding goes:West (You) North East Sout>

2[club](1) 2[diamond] Pass 3[club]

4NT (2) 5[club] Dbl (3) Pass

6NT 7[club]! Pass Pass

Dbl (4) Pass Pass Pass1. Strong! Very strong!

2. Blackwood

3. DOPI — no aces (Double with 0, Pass with 1)

4. Annoyed!!

The full Hand:

North

[spade]None

[heart]None

[diamond]10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

[club]A Q 8B>West East

[spade]A K Q J 10 [spade]9 8 7 3 2

[heart]A K Q J [heart]10 9 8 7 3 2

[diamond]A K [diamond]Q J

[club]Q J [club]NSouth

[spade]6 5 4

[heart]6 5 4

[diamond]None

[club]10 9 7 6 5 4 3

No prizes for guessing the result!!