Back to the Table

Last weekend I made a long-delayed return to face-to-face bridge. I last played F2F back in March 2020 and during the pandemic I suffered health reverses, collateral damage of Covid rather than directly attributable.

I worried I'd become accustomed to onscreen information. For example, online, cards stay faced until the lead is made to the next trick (and can be discovered before playing to the new trick), the default F2F action is to close the trick. Would I follow the cards?

It was a head-to-head match rather than a club or tournament session and the pace was gentle to say the least though, as I had little to do, not on my account. Handling cards and bidding box came back without thought and my concerns proved largely unfounded. Alerting partner's calls returned without incident (it was Scotland, so no announcements). But we all seemed to have forgotten how to keep a scorecard and IMP-up at the quarters.

Strangely, afterwards, I missed not having played the boards in order. I also missed referring my system notes during the auction which is permitted online (in all but a few events). I do this in anticipatory fashion, for example turning (on screen) to the 1NT section if partner or I open with that.

That's what I would have done here… Both side vulnerable,

  • 943
  • AQ1074
  • AQ7
  • A10
N
W
E
S
  • A106
  • ---
  • K63
  • KQ86543
West
North
East
South
1NT1
Pass
22
Pass
2NT3
Pass
34
Pass
3NT
Pass
45
Pass
56
Pass
6
All Pass
  1. 15-17
  2. Clubs, may only want to play in 3
  3. Denying honour-third or better in clubs // accepting 3NT opposite six clubs to two top honours
  4. Singleton or void heart
  5. Asking for count of aces outside hearts plus K ('Exclusion Keycard')
  6. Two of the above (A & A)

I was East and thought 2NT was positive for clubs. Thus emboldened I pondered a grand-slam try before settling for six. When we explained the auction before the opening lead it became clear we differed on West's 2NT rebid. I was rather lucky to find West with such a suitable hand. Who was right? Neither of us…

Declarer wrapped up all the tricks when the heart king ruffed down. In the other room they had settled for game; what was their auction? I forgot to ask our teammates – I think I thought I'd somehow discover it later. But of course, there were no replays from the 'other room'. And though there were the familiar hand records – 'Prayer Sheets' – for the first half, the same deals were printed for the second.

That mishap contrasted with last week's feature (using online tools to closely examine your game). Bridge post-pandemic is still coming to terms with the online/F2F situation. For the match I travelled to Edinburgh (two of our team live there), all the opponents came from England. I would hate to cost the 'player miles' but the regulations had changed from the default-online format of 2022, obliging F2F play.

Larger clubs offer both online and F2F but while bridge teaching went online during the pandemic, it has returned almost completely to F2F. That is completely understandable: people take up the game for social reasons, only a proportion become competitive players. But travel and accommodation deter participation in competitions – even, come dark and inclement nights, at clubs. I can only see this widening; social, elite events and finals F2F, early rounds and mass-participation events, online.

Published Saturday 19.Aug.2023