Memory Aids and Useful Rules Flipper
by Ron Klinger

Cassell, £3.99 (ISBN 0-304-36817-2)

This is about the ninth Flipper written by Ron Klinger in an effort to encapsulate useful hints and guidelines to improve your game, and while it might do just that, I have to admit to reservations I must air. The main one is that these handy little vademecums, if not treated properly, become a substitute for rational thought - a crutch, if you like, for the user to rely on heavily. (Great for browsing through at leisure, but not to be used in the heat of battle even in a friendly game.)

As you might expect from a teacher of Klinger's reputation, there is lots of excellent material contained within the pages of his latest offering, and I particularly liked the idea of the 'Barrier Principle' for the opener. If you open one of a suit, just think of two of that suit as a barrier. Then, if your rebid takes you above this barrier, you must have at least 16 points. So 1-1-2 shows a strong hand, because 2 is higher than 2, and is subsequently forcing. You and I know this as 'reversing', one of the most difficult concepts to get across to the beginner.

However, some of the 'rules' are way too complicated to my mind. Take the Rule of 22, for example, which goes something like this: 'Add your high-card points to the number of cards in your two longest suits and your quick tricks. If the total comes to 22 or more, you have a one-opening in first or second seat.' Well, please! If you can do all that you don't need to be told whether or not to open. (There seem to be millions of these magic numbers floating around, in fact, desensitising the game and making it 'bridge by numbers'.)

There are some useful tips for opening leads and more advanced defensive plays and also some 'rules' for declarer, although common sense might be a better way of looking at it. Take the following deal, for example, where you find yourself playing in 4hx as West after North has opened 1NT:

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

You receive the lead of the 4, so what do you do? You draw trumps, of course, and then you do not take a club finesse. I know you can see why: North has opened 1NT and therefore must have the K to make up the points for his bid. You have to hope he has precisely king doubleton in that suit, otherwise you will have too many losers.

I'm sorry if I seem a little harsh. Klinger is a fine writer and teacher but sooner or later students have to start thinking for themselves, and maybe these flippers put back that day rather too much. Still, if that's what you want, £3.99 will hardly break the bank.

Dave Huggett

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