.

Number One Hundred and Three Winter 2010

BRIDGE

Hand 1

Hand 2

PRIZE BIDDING QUIZAt love all, playing Acol with a 12-14 no-trump, what would you open as dealeron each of the above hands? Use the form on page 39 to send in your answer.

Fjord, Norway

Summer 2011 – Exceptional Cruises aboard MinervaAt Swan Hellenic we go further and dig deeper. Our onboard Guest Speakers and excursions ashore help you gain fascinating insights. You travel in country house-style comfort with no more than 320 like-minded passengers and dine in the restaurant of your choice with your friends. Be assured of excellent value for money, including tailor-made shore excursions and all tips on board and ashore. Travel with a renowned British company, established in 1954, and enjoy an experience that will live with you forever.Mr Bridge – All passengers who have booked and registered through Mr Bridge will be eligible to partake in the exclusive late afternoon duplicate sessions, held on days when the ship is at sea. There is no Bridge supplement as, like most of the excursions, it is included in the price. Mr Bridge actively encourages singles to join the party and they will always be found a partner for a game.

Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing an inside category 12 cabin. Prices apply to new bookings only, are subject to availability, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Booking terms and conditions apply. Travel insurance not included. Swan Hellenic is a trading name of All Leisure Holidays Limited ABTA W0392 ATOL 3897. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge guarantee participation in the onboard Mr Bridge programme, subject to availability.

Venice, Italy Ephesus Theatre, Turkey The Giant’s Causeway, County AntrimAncient City of Petra, Jordan

Departs

Cruise No. of days Inside from

Mar 16 2011

ANCIENT CITIES IN THE SAND Muscat, Sur, Salalah, Massawa, Safaga, Sharm El Sheikh, Aqaba 15 £1,330pp*

Mar 30 CRUSADES OF THE LEVANTAqaba, El Sokhna, Suez Canal Transit, Alexandria, Beirut, Tartous, Latakia, Alanya, Antalya, Piraeus 15 £1,845pp*

Apr 13FLOWERS OF THE AEGEAN Piraeus, Corinth Canal Transit, Katakolon, Kalamata, Monemvasia, Aghios Nikolaos, Delos, Tinos, Symi, Rhodes, Fethiye, Bodrum, Kusadasi, Dardanelles Transit, Istanbul

15 £1,775pp*

Apr 27GREECE AND THE ADRIATIC Istanbul, Santorini, Souda Bay, Nauplia, Corinth Canal Transit, Itea, Preveza, Sarande, Dubrovnik, Korcula and Stari Grad, Rovinj, Venice

15 £1,895pp*

May 11 AN ITALIAN SERENADEVenice, Ravenna, Kotor, Crotone, Palermo, Cagliari, Naples, Gaeta, Bonifacio, Civitavecchia 15 £1,965pp*

May 25 A MEDITERRANEAN PALETTECivitavecchia, Portovenere, Livorno, Nice, Sete, Barcelona, Alicante, Tangier, Seville, Lisbon 15 £1,775pp*

Jun 08 RIVERS AND VINEYARDS Lisbon, Oporto, Gijon, Bilbao, Bordeaux, St. Peter Port, St. Malo, Rouen, Portsmouth 15 £1,695pp*

NO FLY CRUISES FROM PORTSMOUTHFREE complimentary pre and post cruise coach transfers from London Victoria Coach Station, Southampton Airport, Bournemouth and Poole Railway Stations. Reduced Rates on Pre cruise stay and Parking also available, see page 21 of the new Winter 2011/12 brochure for further details.

Jun 22COAST OF A KINGDOM Portsmouth, Leith, Kirkwall, Scrabster, Dunvegan, Tobermory, Portrush, Cobh, Pembroke, Isles of Scilly, Falmouth, St. Peter Port, Portsmouth

15 £1,875pp*

Jul 06 EMPIRES OF THE BALTICPortsmouth, Elsinore, Karlskrona, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Ronne, Kiel Canal Transit, Portsmouth 16 £1,995pp*

Jul 21 CALL OF THE ARCTIC TERNPortsmouth, Dublin, St. Kilda, Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Siglufjordur, Akureyri, Torshavn, Portsmouth 16 £1,895pp*

Aug 05 THE NORWEGIAN FJORDS Portsmouth, Farsund, Stavanger, Hardangerfjord, Flåm, Olden, Åndalsnes, Trondheim, Ålesund, Geiranger, Bergen, Portsmouth

15 £1,895pp*

01483 489961 for brochures and bookings

*Guarantee Fares – Cabin number will be allocated approximately 3 weeks prior to departure. For passengers interested in a higher grade or single cabin, please contact our friendly team who will gladly assist with current availability and fares.

Page 3

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its Managing Editor.

BRIDGEPublisher andManaging Editor Mr BridgeRyden GrangeKnaphill, SurreyGU21 2TH

( 01483 489961

e-mail: bridge@mrbridge.co.uk

website:www.mrbridge.co.uk

Associate EditorJulian Pottage

Technical ConsultantTony Gordon

Bridge ConsultantBernard Magee

Proof ReadersTony RichardsDanny RothHugh WilliamsRichard Wheen

Office ManagerCatrina Shackleton

Events & Cruises( 01483 489961Jessica GaltRachel EverettMegan RiccioZoe Wright

Clubs & CharitiesMaggie Axtell

maggie@mrbridge.co.uk

Address ChangesElizabeth Bryan( 01483 485342

All correspondence shouldbe addressed to Mr Bridge.Please make sure that allletters, e-mails and faxescarry full postal addressesand telephone numbers.

6 Tunisia

7 Egypt 2011

8 Bernard Magee’s Bridge Quiz Book

9 Credit Card

10 Bernard Magee’s Quiz and Puzzle Book

11 Bernard Magee Tips for Better Bridge

12 Bernard Magee at Haslemere Hall

13 Just Bridge

14 Bernatd Magee’sInteractiveTutorial Software

16 Voyages of DiscoveryWinter 2010/11 Cruises

18 Duplicate BridgeRules Simplified

19 Rubber/ChicagoBridge Events

20 Bridge Weekends with Bernard Magee

23 Christmas 2010

23 Single -SuitedDesign Pens

24 Voyages of Discovery2011 Summer Cruises

32 Charity Bridge Events

33 Stamps

36 Playing Cards

39 Cut-out FormMail Order Form

40 Global Travel Insurance

422010/11 Bridge Breaks

44 Voyages of DiscoveryWinter 2011 Cruises

47 2011 BridgePlayers’ Diaries

48Luxury FoldingBridge Table

FEATURES

3 Bidding Quiz by Bernard Magee

5

11 Double Dummy Quizby Richard Wheen

15 Julian Pottage saysRaise a Forced Bid Cautiously

17 David StevensonAnswers Your Questions

21 Bernard Magee saysBidding Two SuitsShows Five Cards inthe First

22 Dave Huggett saysA Reverse Shows aStrong Hand and theRight Shape

23 Double Dummy Answerby Richard Wheen

26 Julian PottageAnswers Your Questions

29 Declarer Play Quizby Dave Huggett

30 Heather Dhondy saysUndertricks Matter at Pairs

31 Your Questions and Suggestions

33 Readers’ Letters

37 Defence Quizby Julian Pottage

38 Bidding Quiz Answersby Bernard Magee

43 Defence Quiz Answersby Julian Pottage

45 Declarer Play Answersby David Huggett

46 Seven Days by Sally Brock

ADVERTISEMENTS

2 Summer 2011 on board mv Minerva

4 QPlus 9.1

BIDDING QUIZ

by Bernard Magee

You are West in the auc-

tions below, playing

'Standard Acol' with a weak

no-trump (12-14 points) and

four-card majors.

(Answers on page 38)

1. Dealer East. Love All.♠ Q J 7 6™ 9 8© A J 9 5 4® 9 8

West North East South

1© Pass

?

2. Dealer East. Game All.♠ A J 9 8 7™ K 4 2© Q 9 2® 9 8

West North East South

1™ Pass

1♠ Pass 1NT Pass

?

3. Dealer East. Love All.♠ A J 9 6™ 2© K Q 7 3® K J 8 7

West North East South

3™ Pass

?

4. Dealer North. Love All.♠ 9 6 4™ A K 7 5© A 9 8 5 3® 2

West North East South

1♠ Dbl Pass

?

5. Dealer East. N/S Vul.♠ A 10 9 7 5™ K 9 4© 2® J 9 8 5

West North East South

1™ Pass

1♠ Pass 2© Pass

?

Still the very best Acol-playing Software available

Q

Make your cheque payable to and send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302

PLUS 9.1

FEATURESl The Usual Friendly Interface

(see above)

l Hint and Help Buttons– always at hand

l Easy Windows Installation

l Comprehensive Manual

l Rubber, Duplicate and Teams Scoring

l Instant results playing in teams mode

l 2,500 pre-played hands for teams

l 2,000 pre-played hands for match-pointed pairsincluding 1,000 new hands

Check your pairs percentage and ranking

Systems include: severalversions of Acol, includingBernard Magee’s system,Standard American or create your own.

l £84 including p&p

SECOND HANDOFFER

I still have some copies ofQPlus 8.8 that I haveaccepted in part exchangefor the latest version.

Excellent value at £54.

Order with absoluteconfidence.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTSl 8mb RAM l Pentium or equivalent

l CD-ROM l Windows XP or Vista

NEW

NEW

Happy BRIDGE reader,Gill Smith of

Thames Ditton writes:

I love my QPlus Bridge. As a learner, I always have afaithful partner whenever I want one. She is alwaysavailable (late at night too)and she bids and playsperfectly. She has neverkicked me under the table,rolled her eyes or taken asharp intake of breath. If Ibid or play badly she is onhand with sound advice yetshe doesn’t take offenceif I ignore it.

There is also a use which Ididn’t realise when Ibought the CD. It is thefacility to feed in the realhands that we deal, and seehow it would have bid andplayed them. I have donethis on arriving home,usually cross with myself,after a duplicate session.My faithful friend gives mea sensible perspective onthe matter. When playingChicago or rubber at home,at the end of the biddingand playing a difficulthand, I have opened upmy laptop and switched onQPlus. With fellow learn -ers, I have looked at handsand seen how our elec -tronic friend would havebid and played. We stillhave lots to learn.

I bracket my QPlus disctogether with the dish -washer – an essential lux -ury that I would finddifficult to live without.

Page 5

SURPRISED

Life is full of surprises.Certainly I never everexpected to go into thefurniture trade. However, Ifind myself awaiting deliveryof two very different types oftable, both designed andmade to my exacting andprecise specifications.

My luxury table, pictured onthe back cover, is reallylovely. Made from stainedand polished wood, it is bothstylish and solid. Theplaying surface is coveredwith a very hard wearingmock-baize fabric.

Delivery of these will be inlate October but I am takingorders now. Just ring oremail your order. As usual itwill not be processed untilwe have labelled up yourtable for delivery. £142anywhere in the UK.

The club table is now instock. It is designed to havea wider market than justbridge. It is ideal for thosewho need a second bridgetable when you have a partyat home. Indeed, ours servesto extend the dining roomtable when some of childrenand grandchildren come forSunday lunch.

It has a strong metal frame,and a padded workingsurface with a good qualityblack vinyl. £60 deliveredanywhere in the UK.

COMFY CHAIRS

I have perfected a chair tomatch. Black metal, foldingwith the same strong blackvinyl seat and back, bothpadded. The seat of thechair is higher than similartypes, and the back is moreupright and with a gentlecurve, as can be seen in thepicture below.

They are made to match theclub tables but complementthe luxury table if needs be.The chairs will not beavailable until the last weekof November. We will holdyour order before cashingyour cheque or chargingyour card.

QPLUS

The QPlus bridge softwarepackage continues to be theAcol players’ best friend.Not only is it the best Acol-playing bridge software onthe market but it had greatgraphics and a useful 52page booklet. Be assured,this incorporates most of thetechnical information thatyou might want.

I sell second-hand versionsof QPlus 8.8 for just £54.This is a worthwhile savingwhen buying something oneis not quite sure about.

SUPPORT

My back-up service to bothQPlus and Bernard Mageesoftware goes withoutsaying and I have trainedalmost everyone in theoffice to help with anyproblems. Nothing is toomuch trouble. If you wanthelp, just ask. It was allgobbledegook to me once.

REPLACEMENTS

If through constant use orby accident, any of yourBernard Magee softwareCDs are damaged, return thedisc and send it with yourname and address togetherwith a cheque for £10. Donot return your instructionalbooklet or box in which theCD came. You will be sent a new disc and security code by return.

TUTORIALSOFTWARE

Acol Bidding is intended forthose playing bridge butwho feel that they couldimprove.

More Acol Bidding, will berenamed next year asAdvanced Acol Bidding as itis a much more appropriatename. Why? Because it runson from Acol Bidding.

If you have to make achoice between the two, Isuggest you start with AcolBidding. If you are going tolearn something, it would bebest to start at thebeginning.

Declarer Play.Advanced Declarer Play.Choose Declarer Play sothat you can grasped thebasic concepts fully beforebuying the other discs.

Defence. This CD is aboutjust what it says it is. Beingby far the most neglectedpart of the game, thispackage will havesomething of value, even forcounty players.

Finally, if you could onlyhave one of these toimprove your game, thenyour choice has to beDefence.

All follow the same tutorialstyle, with Bernard Magee’sclarity a real boon.

COMING SOON

Begin Bridge software with Bernard Magee.

BERNARD’S BOOKS

As you will gather, BernardMagee has been really busythis year and hasn’t had timeto work on any new books.However, there are four inprint to choose from:

Tips for Better Bridge.65 tips to help you improve.

Bernard Magee. Quiz Book.It is exactly what it says it is.

Quiz and Puzzle Book.A unique publication in thatit has a whole variety ofdifferent kinds of puzzles aswell as 80 bridge quizzes.

Hand Evaluation.This is Bernard Magee’stext book on bidding.

£14 each including postageand packing. All 4 for £50.

DISCOVERYBOOKINGS

Great news. From the startof the next summer season,number of inside andoutside cabins for twinoccupancy will be keptavailable at the lead-in price,to ensure that there aresufficient numbers for theduplicate evenings after firstsitting dinner. Those takingup these cabins at thespecial prices will beexpected to pay the bridgesupplement for one if notboth passengers and playduplicate on some if notevery evening.

ASSURANCE

For bookings on boardDiscovery, we are able tomatch any advertised offerin papers and periodicals orby Voyages of Discoverythemselves. Please doconsult us first. Thank you.

RE-REGISTRATION

Re-registration is essentialto receive each and everycopy of BRIDGE. To extendyour registration pleasetelephone, email or write. Ithelps to save a lot ofdisappointment.

Page 6

AT THE ROYAL KENZ

TUNISIA 2010/2011

Two-week half-boardduplicate holidays

31 Oct – 14 Nov £749*Tony and Jan Richards

Golf available

20 February – 6 March £749*Bernard Magee

6 March – 20 March £749*Chris Barrable and Ann Pearson

20 March – 3 April £749*Chris Barrable and Ann Pearson

*per person half-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusiveof bridge fees. Single supplement £6 per night. These prices arebased on air travel from Gatwick to Monastir. Flights from otherUK airports are available at a supplement. All prices are firm untilthe end of October 2010. Prices for seven-night stays areavailable on application.

Pay £70 per fortnight per person extra and have a pool-facingroom, tea & coffee making facilities, bath robe and a bowl ofseasonal fruit.

DETAILS & BOOKINGS ( 01483 489961

These holidays have been organised for by Tunisia First Limited, ATOL 5933,working in association with Thomas Cook Tour Operations Limited, ATOL 1179.

YELLOW BOOK

Duplicate Bridge RulesSimplified is back in print.Hooray! This invaluablebooklet is still only £5.95.Club offer. 10 for £35.

OVER SIMPLIFIEDDIRECTING

Could I please ask those ofyou who are waiting for thisbooklet to be patient for justa little longer? Thank you.

JUNK MAIL

Most of us complain, atsome time or another, aboutunsolicited mail. To stopmost of yours, you need toregister with:

Mailing Preference Service,DMA. 70 Margaret Street,London. W1W 8SS.

After three months most of itshould have dried up. Youcan also do the same fortelephone calls and faxes.

NOT ALL BRIDGE

If you have yet to try abridge holiday abroad, letme suggest one at the RoyalKenz, Port El Kantoui.

There are several dates forthis tried and tested venue.

Golfers will find Tony andJan Richards, picturedabove, great company thiscoming November as theyreally do enjoy both theirgolf and their bridge.

SATURDAY

My office is now open onSaturday mornings. Readerswill be able to speak to me ifthey wish, as the normalbustle of the week iscompletely absent. It is alsoeasier to have your cruiseand holiday questionsanswered by Megan Riccio,pictured here with herdaughter, Annabel.

BIDDING ANSWERS

Last issue, I asked what youwould open as dealer on thefollowing hands. Remember,you are love all playingAcol, 12-14 no-trump.

Hand 1� ♠ A 10 9 7

�™ Q 6 5 4� © K 7 6� ® 10 9

Answer: Pass

Hand 2� ♠ A K 8� ™ Q J 3� © 9 5 4� ® K 10 7 2

Answer: 1NT

All quite straight forward.Prizes have been sent tomost, but not all, correctentries. Those withoutlegible addresses and thosesent in with no addresses atall will not have heard forobvious reasons.

Next time, entries by emailshould include your fullpostal details. The newcompetition is on the frontcover. Do have a go. Entriesclose 31 October 2010.

Page 7

UNAFFILIATED

There would appear to bequite a few clubs who do notwish to be part of the EBUUniversal Membershipscheme, so I will provide afree notice board service forclubs who wish to advertise.This column will work in thesame way as the CharityEvents’ column.

MAGEE WEEKENDS

Because of his workload, thenumber of his weekendevents for 2011 has beenreduced considerably. A fulllist is published on page 20together with the subjects heplans to discuss.

...AND HIS CRUISES

Quite a change for BernardMagee in 2011 as he hoststhree entirely differentcruises, on Discovery, allsailing out of Harwich. Oneto magical Norway, one to StPetersburg and another toLisbon. Ring for a brochureto make your choice.

SHARM

Bernard Magee, picturedabove, really enjoyed thisyear’s inaugural trip to Egyptand is repeating it in 2011.Price includes bridge, fullboard, local wines and beer.

However old you are, youare still young enough tobathe in the Red Sea andhave a look at the corals andfantastic underwater life.

SHETLAND SILVER

The earrings, dangly orotherwise, or the pendant and chain, illustrated above,or both make superChristmas gifts and birthdaypresents. Ring Ken Rae on ( 01595 830275.www.shetlandjewellery.com

QUIZ BOOK

Dealer South. East-West Game. Rubber Bridge.♠ A K 4 3™ A K 7© J 6 2® 9 7 4

♠ 8 6™ Q 6 3© A Q 7 5® A Q J 3

South West North East

1NT1 Pass 2® Pass

2© Pass 3NT All Pass1strong no-trump (15–17)

West leads the ♠Q.

With a maximum of 32points and such uninvitingshape, North was happy tosettle in an easy (?) 3NT.Had he found an eight-cardspade fit, he might havelooked for a slam.

So, 30 points, surely this is going to be easy? Seventop tricks and plenty of high cards in the minors.Can we make certain of our contract?(Answer on page 8.)

AT THE 5* KIROSEIZTHREE CORNERS,NA’AMA BAY,EGYPT 2011

A 5* spacious resort hotel complex with a friendlyatmosphere situated 3km from the resort centre ofNa’ama bay and a 15 minute courtesy bus ride fromthe hotel’s private beach.

Duplicate Bridgewith Bernard Magee

17-31 January 2011 £1079*

All inclusive board includes: buffet-style breakfast,lunch, dinner, snacks served at selected timesbetween meals, ice cream served in the afternoonand afternoon tea. An unlimited amount of hot, softand alcoholic drinks (excluding internationalbrands and cocktails) served 10 am to midnight.

The bridge itinerary consists of four seminars andset hand sessions, a quiz with an answer session anda varied evening programme.

*per person full-board sharing a twin-bedded room and is inclusiveof bridge fees. Single supplement £220 per fortnight. These pricesare based on air travel from Gatwick. Flights from other airports areavailable at a supplement, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff,Manchester and Newcastle.

DETAILS & BOOKINGS ( 01483 489961

This holiday is arranged in conjunction with Thomas Cook Holidays ATOL1179.

NW ES

Page 8

YOUR QUESTIONS

This publication specialisesin providing answers. JulianPottage is our resident experton bidding, play and defence.Send your letters or emails to: julianpottage@mrbridge.co.uk

On matters of the laws andthe etiquette of bridge, youshould write to DavidStevenson or email him on:davidstevenson@mrbridge.co.uk

General matters should besent to me at Ryden Grange.Do email me if you prefer:mrbridge@mrbridge.co.ukbut please also provide aphone number.

All matters relating to theclub directory or charityevents should go to MaggieAxtell picture above. Emailmaggie@mrbridge.co.uk

DISCOUNTEDSTAMPS

If you still send greetingcards and letters, do buyyour British postage stampsfrom Clive Goff, whoseunusual service helps pay forthis publication and whosesupport is much appreciated.

You may use these unusedBritish postage stamps topay for any order under £15from our mail order list. ( 0208 422 4906clive.goff@londonrugby.com

TOO SLIPPERY

My card promotion has beena huge success. Please seethe advertisement on page37. The only complaint Ihave had so far is that theyare too new. That is just howI like them. Indeed, they arechanged on my weekendsand cruises when they arenot so. However, I haveallowed a full refund on thereturn of 60 packs but thatwill be the last. They arepriced ultra competitively inorder to promote the MrBridge brand. These are thebest quality cards on themarket. When they are new,they will be slippery. Youhave been warned. Bar-coded cards are available atthe same price.

TEA TOWELS

As previously announced, Ino longer stock tea towelsbut with the club partyseason imminent, you maywish to know who does.

You may order direct fromArt Screen Print, but do sayyou heard it from Mr Bridge.( 01287 637527. £5.95each. Any four for only £19.Designs include:

Ten Commanments for Bridge Players

Life’s A Game – but Bridge is Serious

Traffic Signs for Bridge Players

WEAK TWOS

Weak Twos and Defence toWeak Twos are beingcovered by our seminarprogramme only once in thecoming year. As thisconvention is becomingincreasingly popular, even ifyou don’t wish to adapt yourgame to include Weak Twos,I really do recommend thatyou should at least learn howto defend against them.

Consider Weak Twos withBernard Magee at theChatsworth Hotel, Worthing18-20 March 2011.

Bernard Magee’s Bridge Quiz Book

(Question on page 4)

South West North East1NT1 Pass 2® Pass

2© Pass 3NT All Pass

1strong no-trump (15–17)

West leads the ♠Q.

The only danger is a 5-2 spade break, making it possible tolose two minor suit kings and three spade tricks. So,assuming the worst (spades 5-2), we should duck the firstround so that East will be out of spades if we lose a minorsuit king to his hand.

We need two extra tricks, but we must avoid West getting thelead twice. That may not be easy – if West holds both minorkings we cannot help it, but can we establish two tricks bylosing to only one king? That is the crunch: we have to makeWest play his king on thin air and so we need to lead up toan honour in dummy and the jack of diamonds is the onlyone there.

So win the second round of spades, cash the ace ofdiamonds and lead a small diamond towards dummy. IfWest hops in with the king we have two more diamond tricks,but if West ducks, we can simply switch to clubs andestablish the ninth trick there. Of course, if East had held theking of diamonds all along, he can do no harm, for he hasno spades left.

There are many other possible lines of play, but none of themare failsafe like the 100% method outlined above.

Bernard Magee’s Bridge Quiz Bookis available at £14 including post and packing from

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk

Dealer South. East-West Game. Rubber Bridge.

♠ A K 4 3™ A K 7© J 6 2® 9 7 4

♠ Q J 10 9 5 ♠ 7 2™ 10 8 4 2 ™ J 9 5© K 9 © 10 8 4 3® K 5 ® 10 8 6 2

♠ 8 6™ Q 6 3© A Q 7 5® A Q J 3

NW ES

Page 9

LITTLE VOICE

I appeal to all readers to savetheir used stamps in supportof Little Voice, a tiny charitythat does great work withchildren in Addis Ababa.

The seemingly worthlesspieces of paper are sold tostamp collectors. You and Iplay bridge; others collectstamps. No difference really.More details in the next issue.

TALKING POINT

Slowly, the re-launch of myCredit Card gathers pace.The service provider isMBNA. I ask you to take upone as a visual promotion ofboth card-playing and of Mr Bridge. It also worksefficiently as a credit card asyou would expect it to.

The 2% loyalty spendingmoney is not provided byMBNA but comes from mypromotional budget, showingyour card will catch the eyeand provide great gossipvalue, hopefully bringingbridge to the attention ofsome who had never giventhe game a thought before.

Please consider taking-upone of these. The 2% may beput towards one of myweekends, mail orderservices or as a cheque fromme in favour of DiscoveryCruises when your finalbalance is due.

BRIDGE WEEKLY

This comes to you free everyTuesday by email. Inaddition to last minutebridge holiday opportunities,you will find quiz questions,and a tip of the week.

QUIZ AND PUZZLE BOOK

Dealer South. Love All.

♠ K Q 7 6™ A J 8 6© 7 5® K J 3

♠ A 8 5 3™ 7 2© A 10 6® 10 9 8 2

South West North East

1NT1 Pass 2® Pass

2™ Pass 4™ All Pass1strong no-trump (15–17)

Partner, West, leads the ♠2.Declarer plays the ♠6 fromdummy at trick one.

One look at dummy suggeststhat you will need a littleluck to defeat this contract –it is surprising that North didnot make a slam try.

What is partner’s lead? Andwhere are your four tricksgoing to come from?(Answer on page 10.)

NW ES

Credit Card

The Benefits

0%for 12 months on balance transfers made in the first 90 days from the date your account is opened (3% handling fee)

0% for 3 months* on card purchases from the date your account is opened†

15.9%�APR typical rate (variable)

To apply ( 0800 028 2440 and quote 31CVST2R

Credit CardTerms and Conditions for your 2%

l Mr Bridge credit will be available for the value of 2% on retail spend

using your Mr Bridge credit card

l Mr Bridge reserves the right to cancel this offer at any time

l This offer applies to Mr Bridge MBNA credit cards used from 1 Jan 2010

l Credit statements will be sent out twice a year

l Only one credit per account

l There will be no monetary alternative to this offer

l Credit can only be used for payments made to Mr Bridge, in payment for

weekend events and/or mail order purchases

l Any credit given will be valid for 6 months only, or at the discretion

of Mr Bridge

Added Extras...l Manage your account online

l No annual fee

l Free fraud protection and text alert service

l 24 hour customer helpline

l Free additional card holders for family members

What do I need to apply?l Personal details eg. home address

l At least 3 years address history

l Details of your present employment

l Details of any current borrowings

l Your bank account details

The credit card is issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited, Registered Office: Stansfield House, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Registered in

England number 2783251. Credit is available, subject to status, only to UK residents aged 18 or over. You cannot transfer balances from another MBNA

account. We will monitor or record some phone calls. MBNA’s consumer credit activities are licensed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and our general

insurance activities are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) CP0909_SMP_MB_A

† If you do not pay your balance in full we will use your payments to reduce lower rate balances before higher rate balances. If promotional rate balancesare the same we will repay them in the following order: first, the one with the earliest expiry date; if the expiry dates are the same then the one which

started first; if the expiry dates, and the start dates are the same then the one with the lowest standard rate. Promotional rates will no longer apply from

the beginning of any statement period during which you have breached your terms and conditions.

* From the date your account is opened.

Page 10

WORTHING

I have selected two newvenues for 2011. The GradeII listed Chatsworth Hotel inThe Steyne, pictured above,is the larger and BernardMagee will be hosting threeevents there in the course ofthe year.

The subject matter of thefirst event will be WeakTwos and Defence to WeakTwos in March. Even if youdo not play Weak Twosyourself, they are becomingmore and more popular, so itis vital to grasp a few ideasas to how to defend againstthis variation of basic Acol.

Secondly, there is the cozyand compact ArdingtonHotel, pictured above, whichis opposite the Chatsworth inThe Steyne.

It will be used for all ourother events in Worthingincluding the rubber/Chicagoweekends. Both theChatsworth and Ardingtonare family owned hotels, justlike the Beach. It is mybelief that these new venueswill enable our service to beeven better than before.Indeed, the change should benoticeable only by way ofthe perceived improvement.

CLUB INSURANCE

This is a litigious age andcommittee members couldfind themselves collectivelyresponsible for somecurrently unimaginableincident, the possibility ofwhich is the very reason fortaking out such a policy. Inthese fraught days of healthand safety, we should all bealert and aware.

Every committee has a dutyto see that everyone is welland truly protected, so thatmembers do not have to feelembarrassed should theyhave reason to sue the clubcommittee for damages orproper compensation.Things happen.

Club members, at your nextAGM, seek reassurance thatyour committee has the clubcovered, reminding them thatthe terms of insurance of theowner of the club premises,will certainly not meet allthe requirements of the club.

If you already use MooreStephens, ask for your policyto be included with the Mr Bridge group, as I hopefurther to improve the termsand conditions. However,any change can only benegotiated successfully when the group is larger.

The annual premium for all bridge clubs is still only£62.25.

Ring Moore Stephens on ( 0207 515 5270 andplease mention Mr Bridge.

TWITTER

Having started something, Iwas stricken with a nastybug which laid me low for awhile and I failed to keepthis service going once I had recovered.

Truth to tell, I forgot allabout it. Readers can beassured that this failure has now been rectified and I have started regulartweets albeit a little croaky-spluttery-muttery.

Bernard Magee’s Quiz and Puzzle Book

(Question on page 4)

South West North East1NT1 Pass 2® Pass

2™ Pass 4™ All Pass

1strong no-trump (15-17)

Partner leads the ♠2 and declarer plays the ♠6 from dummy.

You have very little chance of getting this contract down, withpartner having only a possible 3 points in his hand (dummyhas 14 plus your 8 and declarer’s minimum 15 = 37). The onlychance is that the lead is a singleton and you can givepartner two spade ruffs.

Win with the ♠A and play back a spade – but which one?

It is very important to choose the right spade. In thesesituations, the spade you play back tells partner what to leadnext – a high spade would ask for the higher non-trump suit,a low spade would ask for the lower non-trump suit. Youhave the ©A so you want him to play diamonds (the highersuit), so you should play back the ♠8.

Partner ruffs the spade and obeys your signal by returning adiamond. You win and play back another spade for partnerto ruff and set the contract.

Your play at trick two (the ♠8) was a suit-preference signal;without it, partner would have been guessing and might wellhave chosen a club, following the old maxim of leadingthrough dummy’s strength.

Dealer South. Love All.

♠ K Q 7 6™ A J 8 6© 7 5® K J 3

♠ 2 ♠ A 8 5 3™ 10 9 5 ™ 7 2© J 8 4 3 2 © A 10 6® Q 7 6 4 ® 10 9 8 2

♠ J 10 9 4™ K Q 4 3© K Q 9® A 5

NW ES

Bernard Magee’s Quiz and Puzzle Bookis available at £14 including post and packing from

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk

Page 11

DOUBLE DUMMYby Richard Wheen

♠ Q 3 2™ 3© 2® 9

♠ 10 9 8 7 ♠ K 6 5™ J ™ K Q© Void © Void® 8 ® 7

♠ A J 4™ A 2© Void® 6

North is on lead in a no-trump contract andNorth/South need to makeall six tricks against anydefence. How should you goabout it?(Answer on page 23)

MINERVA

From spring 2011, there willbe a resident bridge host onSwan Hellenic’s Minerva.The host’s duty will be toprovide bridge, adjusted tosuit the numbers on boardwho wish to play. Phone forthe Minerva brochure andsee the advert on page 2.

FIT FOR A QUEEN

Hebridian Princess, picturedabove, has been acquired byDiscovery Cruises and isnow part of their growingfleet. It carries a maximumof 49 passengers and wasrecently chartered by HMThe Queen for her summerhols. I shall be offering aweek onboard in 2013,cruising round the Highlandsand Islands, from around£1800 per person sharing.Bernard Magee will behosting the onboard bridge.Do telephone or write in toregister your interest.

BOXED PEN SETS

The ball pens, illustratedabove, are great favouritesboth to give and to receive.£19.95 per boxed set of four.See form on page 39.

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR

As the programme followsthe same format as previousyears, most of you will knowwhat to expect. If this is, asyet, unknown to you, do ring01483 489961 but if it is justdates and timings you need,then just turn to page 23.

CHRISTMASCRUISE

Once again there will be afair-sized group comingtogether for the Christmascruise onboard Discovery, soplease don’t set yourself upfor a big disappointment byleaving it too late to make abooking. 18 days coveringboth Christmas and NewYear, cruising across thebalmy Caribbean fromHavana to Barbados.

MY TIP

I am often asked to give tipsfor better bridge. May Imake this suggestion. BuyBernard Magee’s book Tips for Better Bridge. It is a really readable read. Idealfor players either for theirown enlightenment or to give as a gift.

All 65 headings are listed onthe adjacent column. Mostmake stand-alone sense, somy tip is that you should cutout and keep the list,committing the headings tomemory and later on, relatethe solution to the problemat the table when theproblem arises.

NW ES

Bidding Tips1 Always consider bidding

spades if you can2 Bid more aggressively

when non-vulnerable3 Always double when the

opponents steal your deal4 A take-out double shows

shortage in the suit doubled5 ‘Borrow’ a king

to keep the auction open6 After a penalty double, don’t

let the opponents escape7 Halve the value of a singleton

honour when opening8 Only add length-points for a

suit that might be useful9 Isolated honours are bad

except in partner’s suit10 Use the jump shift sparingly11 Consider passing and letting

partner decide12 You need two top honours

for a second-seat pre-empt13 Put the brakes on if you have a

misfit14 Strong and long minors work

well in no-trumps15 One stop in the opponents’ suit

can be enough for no-trumps16 Keep your two-level

responses up to strength17 Use your normal methods in

response to a 1NT overcall18 Don’t overcall just because

you have opening points19 Overcalls can be quite weak, so

be prudent when responding20 Weak overcalls must be based

on strong suits21 6NT requires 33 points

not 4 aces and 4 kings22 Raise immediately, if weak

with four-card support23 In a competitive auction, show

support immediately24 Bid to the level of your fit

quickly with weak hands25 With strength and support,

use the opponents’ bid suit

Declarer-play Tips26 When your contract depends

on a finesse, think ‘endplay’27 Consider what a defender

might be thinking about28 Always take your time

at trick one29 Establish extra tricks before

cashing your winners30 Use your opponents’

bidding to your advantage31 Avoid the ‘baddie’

gaining the lead32 Use the Rule of Seven when

holding up in no-trumps

33 A low lead usually promiseslength and an honour

34 When declaring 1NT try to be patient

35 Duck an early round when youare short of entries

36 Lead up to your two-honour holding

37 Do not always assume a suit will break well

38 Drop a high card to put off the defence

39 Play your highest card totempt a defender to cover

40 Draw trumps first unless youhave a good reason not to

41 Do not waste your trumps42 Consider leaving a lone

defensive trump winner out

Defence Tips43 Keep four-card suits intact

whenever possible44 Give count on declarer’s leads45 Keep the right cards

rather than signal46 Take your time

when dummy is put down47 High cards are for killing other

high cards48 Do not waste

intermediate cards49 Pick two key suits to

concentrate on during the play50 If in doubt, cover an honour

with an honour51 If a lead is from two honours,

it is best not to cover52 Keep your honour to kill

dummy’s honour53 Try to show partner

your solid honour sequences54 Lead the normal card when

leading partner’s suit55 Never underlead an ace at trick

one in a suit contract56 Be wary of leading from

four cards to only one honour57 Lead a higher card from

a suit without an honour58 Lead through ‘beatable’

strength and up to weakness59 Cash your winners before

trying for a trump promotion60 Be patient when defending 1NT61 Trump leads can be safe

throughout the play

General Tips62 Do not put important cards

at either end of your hand63 Avoid being declarer when

you are dummy64 Before you lead ask for a

review of the auction65 Enjoy the Game!

Bernard Magee’s Tips for Better Bridge

65 invaluable tips in 160 pages

£14 including postage and packing from Mr Bridge,

Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH. ( 01483 489961

Page 12

LIVE AND UNCUT

Bernard Magee will begiving a series of six self-contained seminars overthree days at Haslemere Hallas part of the 2011‘Haslemere Festival’. Fulldetails are provided in theadjacent advertisement.

Each of these seminars isbeing filmed. Try to come toat least one. Do book well inadvance to avoiddisappointment. Haslemerewill be quite busy during thefestival fortnight, so if youare planning to come anydistance, be sure to book-upyour hotel or bed andbreakfast accommodationearly. For those coming on aday trip, there are lots ofeateries around the town.

WAKE OF THEBEAGLE

At the end of January, I amflying out to Buenos Aireswith Mrs Bridge to onceagain join Discovery.

I look forward to seeing theFalkland Islands and sailinground Cape Horn andviewing the odd icebergwhile cruising through theChilean Fjords. Magic.

2011 DIARIES

2011 diaries are now instock. The standard coversare in a choice of bright redor navy blue. The luxuryversion is covered in bottlegreen or ruby red kidrell andfitted with a useful ballpointpen. See the order form.

CHARITY CUP DATE

The 2011 heats will be heldon Thursday, 17 March.

HAPPY FAMILIES

Leanora, pictured above, isgoing on maternity leave butwill continue to be involvedfrom afar with strategicplanning as part of the longterm continuity plan for theMr Bridge Organisation.

She is being replaced byCatrina Shackleton, who hasalready been her understudyfor the past three months. Ihave every confidence shewill fit in really well. Youmay email her on:catrina@mrbridge.co.uk

RUBBER BRIDGE

Rubber/Chicago weekendevents for 2011 areadvertised collectively on theadjacent page. These arestructured for those whoenjoy the leisurely socialbridge that this allows.

Bernard MageeHaslemere Hall

17 – 19 May 2011

£10 per ticketFor advanced booking, please call

Haslemere Hall Box Office

( 01428 642161Please note that all sessions will be filmed.

Tuesday 17 MayMorning Session: 11.00 – 12.30

Ruffing for extra tricks

Afternoon Session: 15.30 – 17.00

Competitive auctions

Wednesday 18 MayMorning Session: 11.00 – 12.30

Making the most of your high

cards in play and defence

Afternoon Session: 15.30 – 17.00

Finding and bidding slams

Thursday 19 MayMorning Session: 11.00 – 12.30

Play and defence of 1NT

Afternoon Session: 15.30 – 17.00

Doubling and defence

against doubled contracts

Page 13

HOLIDAY COVER

Do remember you need tohave holiday insurance ifyou want to make a cruisebooking. So find out whatinsurance is available, if any,as well as the cost, beforegetting too excited, asobtaining cover onreasonable terms isbecoming more and moredifficult. Global Traveladvertise in these pages.Please mention Mr Bridge ifyou use their services.

CHARITY EVENTS

On page 35 are featured allthe coming bridge events forgood causes known to me.There must be others.Contact me now so that they may be included in the2011 listings.

Do remember, I am alwayshappy to provide prizes, allyou have to do is ask.

Readers, please support theseevents as and when you can.

DISCOVERY 2012

2012 sees Discovery visitingthe Far East and Japan,ending up in Manila. Thenext leg continues downthrough the Philippines, allthe way to Sydney, where anumber of passengers on thatcruise will leave the ship tostay with family and friends,so would-be passengersshould take a credit for thecruise flight from the cruiseprice and make their ownway home at a time to suitthemselves. The sameapplies but in reverse forthose joining the ship for theSydney to Singapore leg.

PARTY TIME

I have a good quiz (notbridge-based) which is idealfor your coming clubChristmas party. Shockhorror! Don’t tell me youdon’t have one? You don’t?Well, you still have time toget one organised. Do let meknow and I will post you thequestions on one sheet foryou to photocopy and handout, and one sheet with theanswers. If you didn’t havelast year’s bridge-based quizthen I can send you that onetoo with the questions andanswers in the same manner.No excuses now.

JUST BRIDGE

There does seem to be somedemand for Just Bridgeevents, as mentioned in thiscolumn last month. Theirdevelopment will be a hurry–slowly affair as they cannotbe priced sensibly muchlower than those with tuition.Leaving out lunches justisn’t on, as a traditionalSunday roast is what peoplewant and expect as part ofsuch a weekend.

IDEAS PLEASE

It is said frequently thatthere is nothing much newunder the sun. However, Ineed to be remindedsometimes about what thereis. Please help to enliventhese pages further for theenjoyment and enrichment ofother readers as well asadvertisers, future playersand me.

LAST MINUTE

When there are placesavailable at the last minuteon weekends or cruises, Iwill be offering them in mynew emag, Bridge Weekly.Do register to avoid missingwhat you might never haveknown anything about,especially singles willing to share.

JUST BRIDGE

Scalford Hall, Melton Mowbray LE14 4UB

© £165 full board. No single supplement

© Six sessions of duplicate bridge

© No prizes or masterpoints

© No tuition, seminars or quizzes, just bridge

28-30 January 25-27 February

11-13 March 25-27 March

15-17 April

Please book me for .... places, Single ..... Double ..... Twin .....

for the Just Bridge event(s) of ..........................................

Mr/Mrs/Miss .....................................................................

Address...............................................................................

............................................................................................

Postcode ............................................................................

( ......................................................................................

Special requirements (these cannot be guaranteed)

...........................................................................................

Please send a non-returnable deposit of £50 per person per place bycheque, payable to Mr Bridge. An invoice for the balance will besent with your booking confirmation. On receipt of your finalpayment, 28 days before the event, a programme and full detailswill be sent together with a map. Cancellations are not refundable.Should you require insurance, you should contact your owninsurance broker.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ BOOKING FORM _ _ _ _ _ _ _

, Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 Fax 01483 797302 e-mail: jessica@mrbridge.co.uk

website: www.holidaybridge.com

BERNARDMAGEE’S

INTERACTIVETUTORIALS

ACOL BIDDING

l Opening Bids andResponses

l Slams and StrongOpenings

l Support for Partner

l Pre-empting

l Overcalls

l No-trumpOpenings and Responses

l Opener’s and Responder’s Rebids

l Minors and Misfits

l Doubles

l CompetitiveAuctions

MORE(ADVANCED)ACOL BIDDING

l Basics

l Advanced Basics

l Weak Twos

l Strong Hands

l Defence to Weak Twos

l Defence to 1NT

l Doubles

l Two-suited Overcalls

l Defences to Other Systems

l Misfits and Distributional Hands

DECLARER PLAY

l Suit Establishment in No-trumps

l Suit Establishmentin Suits

l Hold-ups

l Ruffing for ExtraTricks

l Entries in No-trumps

l Delaying Drawing Trumps

l Using the Lead

l Trump Control

l Endplays &Avoidance

l Using the Bidding

ADVANCED DECLARER PLAY

l Making Overtricksin No-trumps

l Making Overtricks in Suit Contracts

l Endplays

l Avoidance

l WrongContract

l Simple Squeezes

l Counting the Hand

l Trump Reductions& Coups

l Playing DoubledContracts

l Safety Plays

Make your cheque payable to and send to: Ryden Grange, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 2TH

( 01483 489961 www.mrbridge.co.uk/mrbridge-shop Fax 01483 797302System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista or 7, 8mb RAM, CD-ROM

DEFENCEl Attitude Signals

l Discarding

l Defensive Plan

l Stopping Declarer

l Counting the Hand

l Lead vs No-trump Contracts

l Lead vs Suit Contracts

l Partner of Leader vs No-trump Contracts

l Partner of Leader vs Suit Contracts

l Count Signals

£74

£64£74

£94

£79

Sharpen your defence in the course of 20 introductory exercises and 120 complete deals

If you open one of a suit and partnerresponds in a new suit, this showssome values. Your opening was not

forcing, so partner could have passedwith a very weak hand. You can judgehow high to raise (if you like partner’ssuit) or what other action to take in theknowledge that you are not facing a nearbust. This does not apply when you havedone something that has forced yourpartner to bid. A common situation forthis is after you have made a take-outdouble.

West North East South

1©

Dble Pass 1♠ Pass

?

If you had opened (1® or 1™) andpartner had responded 1♠, you wouldraise to 2♠ (if you like spades) with aminimum opening hand. Indeed, youwould have to bid because partner’sresponse would be forcing. The actualposition is different. You forced yourpartner to bid, not the other way round.You do not need to raise if you have aminimum take-out double. Partner hadstronger actions available (a jump to 2♠or a cue bid of 2© for instance). If youhave 12-14 HCP and a 4-4-1-4 shape,you are not going to miss game bypassing 1♠.

The rule here is to bid one less thanyou would if you had opened andpartner had responded. In other words, ifyou would have raised to 2♠ after 1®-1♠,you pass. If you would have raised to3♠, you raise to 2♠. If you would haveraised to 4♠, you raise to 3♠. You needan exceptionally good hand to justifyraising partner’s forced response all theway to 4♠ – most hands that you wouldopen one of a suit will not be goodenough.

Let us see how this translates intohands, losers and points.

West North East South

1©

Dble Pass 1♠ Pass

?

Hand A Hand B♠ K J 6 3 ♠ K J 9 4™ J 8 5 ™ K Q 9 2© 5 © K® A K 8 7 2 ® A 9 3 2

With hand A you should pass. On thelosing trick count, you have seven losers(two in spades, three in hearts and one ineach minor). Counting points, evenallowing three for the singleton, youhave 15. On both types of valuation, thishand is in the lower end of the range fora take-out double.

With hand B, you raise to 2♠. You area bit better than minimum. You have sixlosers (two in each black suit and one ineach red suit). Point count is a littleharder to judge. I knock one point off fora singleton honour. This gives you 15 inhigh cards plus three for the singleton tototal 18.

Hand C Hand D♠ K J 9 4 ♠ K Q J 4™ K Q 9 2 ™ K Q 9 2© A © A® A 9 3 2 ® A 9 3 2

On hand C, you raise to 3♠. This is agood hand with five losers and 20points. Hand D is even better with fourlosers and 22 points. This is what youneed to bid 4♠. In summary:

Simple raise: 16-18 points or six losers Jump raise: 19-20 points or five losersDouble jump: 21-23 points or fourlosers

You may have noticed that the exampleshave had four-card spade support. Sinceyour double suggested support for thesuit, partner will often have only fourspades. If you have a big hand (19+points) but only three spades, you cuebid opener’s suit (2©). This showssignificant extra values but tends to denyprimary support. Bear in mind as wellthat sometimes partner has to bid a three-card suit if holding four cards in the suitopened and no other four-card suit!

Take-out double sequences are not theonly situations in which you may haveforced partner to bid:

♠ A K Q 7 4™ K 10 5© A Q J 4® A

You Partner

2® 2©

2♠ 2NT

3© 3™

?

This is no time to launch into some sort ofBlackwood just because you like hearts.Your first three bids were all forcing.Partner has shown hearts, yes, but values,no. Indeed, the second negative (2NT)definitely denied values. A simple raise to4™ does justice to the hand. You haveshown a huge hand already by opening2®. Partner can infer your shortage inclubs from the later bidding. Partneractually held ™J-x-x-x-x and a bust,making 4™ the last making contract.

Summary

When you have forced your partner tobid, raise cautiously. Usually you raiseto one level lower than you would haveraised a voluntary bid. ■

Raise a Forced

Bid Cautiously

Julian Pottage Says

Page 15

Fares shown are per person based on two people sharing lowest twin-bedded cabin category currently available and include all applicable discounts for new bookings only. All offers are subject to availability, capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. A cabin number may not be allocated at time of booking. See brochure for full terms and conditions. Only bookings made directly with Mr Bridge are eligible to be part of the

01483 489961 for brochures and bookingswww.bridgecruises.co.uk

Join Discovery

FREE UPGRADE

YOUR VOYAGE INCLUDES:

Fares from

Grand Voyage of Exploration November 6, 2010 – 30 days* Alexandria ~ Barbados (See individual cruises for full itinerary details). £1,999pp

In Search of Ancient Civilisations November 6, 2010 – 13 daysAlexandria (overnight) ~ Benghazi ~ Al Khums ~ Valletta ~ Trapani ~ La Goulette ~ Cagliari ~ Cartagena ~ Malaga £1,499pp

Grand Voyage to Cuba November 18, 2010 – 32 daysMalaga ~ Gibraltar ~ Cadiz ~ Funchal ~ Antigua ~ St. Kitts ~ Dominica ~ St. Lucia ~ Barbados (2 nights) ~ Grenada Tobago ~ Trinidad ~ La Guaira ~ Curacao ~ Aruba ~ Montego Bay ~ Santiago de Cuba ~ Havana (overnight)

£1,599pp

Discovery of the New World November 18, 2010 – 18 daysMalaga ~ Gibraltar ~ Cadiz ~ Funchal ~ Antigua ~ St Kitts ~ Dominica ~ St Lucia ~ Barbados (overnight) Extremely lim

£899pp

Grand Caribbean Odyssey December 4, 2010 – 32 days Barbados ~ Barbados (See individual cruises for full itinerary details). £3,099pp

Colonial Trails of the Caribbean December 4, 2010 – 16 daysBarbados (overnight) ~ Grenada ~ Tobago ~ Trinidad ~ La Guaira ~ Curaçao ~ Aruba ~ Montego Bay Santiago de Cuba ~ Havana (overnight)

£1,249pp

Tales of the Old Spanish Main December 18, 2010 – 18 daysHavana (overnight) ~ Progreso ~ Belize City ~ Puerto Cortés ~ Puerto Limon (overnight) ~ Cartagena Maracaibo (overnight) ~ Barbados

£1,899pp

Grand South American Discovery January 3, 2011 – 79 days Barbados ~ Barbados (See individual cruises for full itinerary details). £8,849pp

Grand Brazilian Discovery January 3, 2011 – 31 daysBarbados (overnight) ~ Trinidad ~ Orinoco River ~ Devil’s Island ~ Amazon River ~ Santarém (overnight) Amazon River ~ Fortaleza ~ Natal ~ Recife ~ Salvador de Bahia ~ Rio de Janeiro (2 nights) ~ Ilhabela Montevideo ~ Buenos Aires (overnight)

£3,299pp

Natural Wonders of South America January 3, 2011 – 18 daysBarbados (overnight) ~ Trinidad ~ Orinoco River ~ Devil’s Island ~ Amazon River ~ Santarém (overnight) Amazon River ~ Fortaleza ~ Natal ~ Recife

£2,199pp

Discovery Coast Voyager January 18, 2011 – 16 daysRecife ~ Salvador de Bahia ~ Rio de Janeiro (2 nights) ~ Ilhabela ~ Montevideo ~ Buenos Aires (overnight) £2,399pp

In the Wake of the Beagle January 31, 2011 – 21 daysBuenos Aires (overnight) ~ Puerto Madryn ~ West Point ~ Port Stanley ~ Ushuaia ~ Cape Horn Chilean Fjords ~ Punta Arenas ~ Puerto Chacabuco ~ Puerto Montt ~ Valparaiso (overnight)

£3,735pp

Darwin’s Stepping Stones February 18, 2011 – 18 daysValparaiso (overnight) ~ Arica ~ General San Martin ~ Callao (2 nights) ~ Salaverry Santiago de Guayaquil ~ Manta (overnight) ~ Quito (overnight)

£2,399pp

In the Footsteps of the Conquistadors March 4, 2011 – 19 daysQuito (overnight) ~ Manta (overnight) ~ Balboa ~ Panama Canal ~ San Blas Islands ~ Cartagena Maracaibo ~ Aruba ~ Curaçao ~ La Guaira ~ Margarita Island ~ Grenada ~ Mayreau Island Barbados (overnight)

£2,599pp

Grand Voyage from the New World March 21, 2011 – 34 days Barbados ~ Portsmouth (See individual cruises for full itinerary details). £2,099pp

Legends of the Caribbean March 21, 2011 – 16 daysBarbados (overnight) ~ St Vincent ~ Martinique ~ Guadeloupe ~ Montserrat ~ Tortola ~ Santo Domingo Ochos Rios ~ Santiago de Cuba ~ Havana (overnight)

£1,599pp

On the Trail of the Treasure Fleets April 4, 2011 – 20 daysHavana (2 nights) ~ Freeport ~ Nassau ~ Grand Turk ~ Horta ~ Ponta Delgada ~ Portsmouth £1,249pp

SALE FARE

FREEUPGRADE

FREEUPGRADE

FREEUPGRADE

FREEUPGRADE

FREEUPGRADE

SALE FARE

FREEUPGRADE

SALE FARE

SALE FARE

FREEUPGRADE

SALE FARE

SALE FARE

SALE FARE

SALE FARE

Cat. M

SPECIAL SINGLE FARE £1,998pp

SPECIAL SINGLE FARE £1,561pp

SPECIAL SINGLE FARE £1,124pp