For Bridge Players by Richard Pavlicek

Bridge Columns

1983 Guest Columns

1984 Columns

1985 Columns

1986 Columns

1987 Columns

World Champion Player Becomes ACBL President    Winning Defense Found by Deductive Reasoning Diamond Suit Is the Key To Make or Break Slam Anxiety To Ruff Can Be Costly on Defense Proper Play of Slam Confounds Analysis The Battle For Trump Control Entry Problem Requires Careful Technique Singleton Kings Give Declarer a Nightmare Good Card Reading Averts Losing Finesse Sound Technique Brings Home Skimpy Slam Poker Tactics Are Useful at the Bridge Table Low-Level Double Reaps Bonanza Expert Declarer Falls To Crafty Defense Friendly Lead and Squeeze Lands Grand Slam Bidding Verdict Not Guilty, Play Is Indicted Instant Replay Shows Self-Inflicted Knockout Tricky Lead Beats Ice-Cold Contract Grand Slam Poses Complex Play Problem Team Selected For 1987 World Championships Doubtful Double Provides Clue to Winning Play Careful Play Guards Against Bad Trump Break

Expert Defense Breaks Up Squeeze Play Local Pair Tops Florida in Worldwide Contest Testy Deal Requires Lucky Guess Winning Defense Not Noticed in Contest Deal Defensive Error Costly on July Fourth Deal Floridians Second in 1987 Spingold Championship One Tiny Slip Lets Optimistic Contract Make Gambling Three Notrump Bid Is “Old Hat” Now “Scramble and Crossruff” Works For Declarer Event Commemorates 50 Years of Organized Bridge Eagerness To Cash Tricks Helps Declarer Declarer’s Downfall Is “Too Many Discards” Excellent Defense Is Difficult To Counter Going With the Odds May Not Be Good Enough Small Slam Fails… But Grand Slam Succeeds “Nothing Hand” Is Important Lesson in Card Play Weird Deal Spawns Seesaw Battle in Notrump Perseverance Is Rewarded by Squeeze Play “Table Presence” Is Key To Tournament Success Diplomat Hotel To Host Tournament This Week Miami Duo Will Represent Florida at Nationals

1988 Columns

Declarer Avoids Trap To Land Delicate Slam Summer Tournament Deal Deserves a Second Look Moysian Fit Provides Only Chance For Game The Wizard of “Ozzie” Will Long Be Remembered Lesson Hand Gives Tips on Planning and Control Spirited Bidding Leads To Doubled Contract Defensive Holdup Play Foils Declarer South Falls Into Trap… For a Lousy Overtrick Par Contest Challenges Collegiate Players Is Your Game Up To Par? Test Your Skill Give Your Opponents a Chance To Go Wrong Well-Reasoned Gamble Produces Winning Result “Finding the Queen” Decides Vanderbilt Match Grand Slam Is Cold But Small Slam Goes Down Four Hearts Makes Despite Four Losers Timing Is the Key To Successful Defense Forcing Pass Is Key To Find Best Trump Suit Broward County Players Win Florida Championship    Quest For Overtrick Brings Out Clever Play Declarer Fails in Vain Attempt To Ruff Grand Slam Makes Despite Bad Trump Break Simple Rule Would Avert Defensive Disaster Declarer Falls Victim To Unusual Distribution

“Fourth Suit Forcing” Solves Bidding Problem Eagerness To Ruff Causes Declarer’s Downfall Barbecue at the Bridge Table Declarer Exonerates Partner’s Overbid Who Was at Fault in Reaching Contract? Club Slam Menaced by Perilous Distribution Aggressive Competition Wins the “Daily Double” Play of Trump Suit Needs Special Consideration Over 40,000 Expected in Continent-wide Game Declarer Changes Plan To Make Optimistic Slam East Scuttles Game Despite Lousy Lead Crossruff Converts Enemy Trumps to Mincemeat Fox Is Outfoxed as Ace Goes To Sleep Don’t Be Timid When Bidding a Two-Suiter Good Bidding Overcomes Yearn For Major Suits Strange Bidding Leads To Lucky Slam Contract Eagerness To Grab King Gives Up Contract Bridge Fan Takes the Cake… with 100 Candles South Gets Top Score as West Is Caught Napping Slam Is Tough To Bid After Enemy Barrage Mistiming the Play Costs Declarer a Spade Ruff Unusual Notrump Leads To Successful Slam Six Notrump Was Well Played… but Beatable

1989 Columns

Declarer Could Never Get To His Hand Timing the Play Is a Difficult Art To Master Leading All Your Trumps Often Works Miracles Trump Elopement Play Lands Sacrifice Bid Egregious Overbid Nets Spectacular Result You Don’t Have To Play Well To Enjoy Duplicate Communication at Notrump Is a Delicate Matter Declarer Makes Grand Slam with Throw-in Play South Misses Two Chances To Avert Enemy Ruff Quest For Overtrick Like Prospecting For Gold Principle of Symmetry — Truth or Fallacy? Can You Beat the Experts on This Deal? Declarer Fails To Meet Challenge on Slam Deal Declarer Squeezes Both Defenders To Make Slam Lesson Deal Has Second Chance… If You See It How To Make a Game Try After Interference Key To Winning Defense Is To Avoid Commitment    Lowly Contract Fails with Deadly Defense Backdoor Defense Beats “Unbeatable” Contract Enemy Bidding Pinpoints Winning Finesse Worldwide Bridge Contest To Be Held This Week Worldwide Bridge Contest Highlights Bonaventure To Host July Fourth Tournament Discarding at Notrump Is a Delicate Matter

Six Spades — Make It then Break It Splinter Bid Is the Key To Reach Slam Contract Fireball Bidding Leads To Burnout in the Play Defense Prevails in Thrust-and-Parry Battle Declarer Turns the Tables on Forcing Defense Combating Preempts Requires Some Guesswork Logical Thinking Would Find Winning Defense Bridge Player’s Woe: The Price of Indiscretion Duplicate Player’s Goal Is “One More Trick” Old Puzzle Deal Gets a New Lease on Life Special Bridge Event Set For Tuesday Evening A Tough Challenge: Bid and Make Six Clubs Canadians Win Royal Viking Pair Event Declarer Uses Logic To Defy Mathematical Odds If You Can’t Get To Dummy, Ask For Help Declarer Takes Advantage of Friendly Lead Clever Declarer Play Would Fool Any Defender Trump Trick Vanishes Before Your Eyes Good Defenders Must Anticipate Declarer’s Play “Precision Club” Bidders Reach Excellent Slam Low-Level Contract Requires High-Level Play Defender Misses Chance To Kill Dummy’s Entry “Cold” Contract Doomed by Forcing Defense

1990 Columns

Two Kinds of Scoring Affect Declarer’s Play Conceding an Early Trick Helps Establish Suit The “Anxiety Syndrome” and How To Avoid It Lloyd’s Leap — A Novel Approach to Bidding Matchpoint Strategy: Pursuit of a Top Score Make It, Break It, Make It and Break It The Case of the Opening-Lead Paradox Stop Leading Trumps To Cope with a Bad Break Declarer’s Trumps Riddled by the Defenders Splinter Bid Uncovers Excellent Slam Expert Wins by Playing His Little Cards First How To Elope with an Extra Trump Trick Declarer Succeeds by Refusing Gift Horse Declarer Finds Way To Overcome Blocked Suit Declarer Wings His Way in Ridiculous Contract Guessing the Queen Requires Subtle Logic Declarer Misses Opportunity To Buy Insurance Bidding Gadgetry Spots Defect For Grand Slam If You Need To Be Lucky Don’t Expect Miracles

Advanced Lesson Deal Requires Delicate Touch The “Do It Yourself” Rule For Winning Defense A Great New Book: “How To Play a Bridge Hand” In Memoriam: A Funeral For the Strong Cue-Bid Local Pair Tops All in North America I Had a Lousy Hand, and I Made a Lousy Lead Declarer Wins a Prize! But What Kind? Making Four Hearts Is Like Crossing a River Declarer Succeeds by Posing a Dual Threat To Become a Good Player, Do Your Own Thinking Defender Misses Chance To Ruin Declarer’s Slam Strong Trumps Are Not Always the Best Trumps What Is a Reverse Bid? Don’t Look Here! Using Dummy’s Side Suit To Draw the Trumps Careless Defense — the One That Got Away South Bids Game in an Enemy-Bid Suit South’s Wild Shape Scores Big… For East-West South Bids and Makes a Slam Off Two Aces Seven-Heart Contract Eludes All Bidders

In October of 1990, I was fired. This was quite a shock considering the popularity of the column in the area, and I soon found out why. A daily syndicated column (I won’t name names) had pressured the newspaper for exclusivity (obviously to avoid comparisons) and the spineless newspaper agreed. –RP