In 1965, a hand was widely published and was credited to Giorgio Belladonna, regarded by many as the world's best player. He denied having made the play, and
ALTHOUGH vulnerability is irrelevant at match-point duplicate in an uncontested auction, it is hugely relevant in the competitive arena. And it is not only your vulnerability that matters – it is also the opponents’.
IMPACT of vulnerability is much misunderstood. I often hear rubber bridge (or Chicago or teams for that matter) players bid a marginal game with the shrug of ‘Ah, well, we’re only non-vulnerable’. Wrong!
Photo Olimpycs 1980: Christian Mari, Paul Chemla, Jimmy Ortiz, Michel Perron, José Damiani, Michel Lebel, Henri Svarc, Philippe Soulet & Pierre Schemeil, captain French team.
I asked my expert panel: Partner opens one-of-a-major. You have a GF hand with at least four-card support for partner and you have a singleton or void. With what types of hands do you splinter?
