MindZine - Bridge

This is a great book, very good value for money at 254 pages. As the title suggests Zia tells us amusing stories, about hands he has played in countries almost everywhere in the World. These hands are not just taken from World Championship and top money tournaments with millionaire sponsors, but also from big-money rubber bridge games.

Top names in duplicate bridge feature together with favourite characters Harry the Horse, Moonbeam, Godzilla and Hannibal the Cannibal. Written in a fast and pacy style, the book is an easy read.

Sometimes it is so funny that you just have to go back and read it again; it should come with a warning: "Once you start reading this, you can't put it down."

The hand below is titled "Cool Hand Zia". First comes some good advice from Zia himself: "If you want to be a winner, learn to accept your bad results with good humour. Especially if your partner is not a strong player, disasters are inevitable, and the sooner you accept them, the easier it is to prepare yourself mentally for the next hand."

Zia sits North and is playing with a so-called 'expert' partner - so-called chiefly by himself. East is a good player prone to flights of fancy, while West is Bob Hamman:

	A 4 3 2
	10 7 6
	A K J 4 3
	2
K J 10 7 6		Q 9 8 5
2		K Q
8 7 2		6 5
K Q 9 7		J 8 6 4 3
	—
	A J 9 8 5 4 3
	Q 10 9
	A 10 5

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1
1	2	3 (a)	6
6	Dbl (b)

(a)	Pre-emptive in the modern style
(b)	Though you have first-round spade control, partner almost certainly has a void, so it would be risky to venture a forcing pass with such weak trump support.

You are wondering whether to lead your K or singleton club, when you realise to your horror that the bidding is not over. Partner is thinking about bidding 7. Surely he can't be - but he does! When this is passed round to Hamman, he doubles implacably, and you watch in a daze as partner goes one down.

Zia comments: "If my partner had passed 6 doubled, we would still be taking tricks today. The penalty is 1400 on best defence." Bearing in mind his opening remarks, you might care to guess Zia's reaction: "I sprang out of my chair with every intention of strangling the idiot opposite, but Bob Hamman managed to get in the way. Bob is over six feet tall and weighs quite a bit, so when he gets in your way it's best to just forget where you were going."

The last comment? "There are times when being a winner is of secondary importance - vengeance is what matters!" The book is great fun from a favourite player. Buy it now!

Chris Cooper