Editorial by Marti Ronemus
“Hydrate!”
In the middle of a vicious heat wave, we are surrounded by warnings to keep hydrated. The news reveals the symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion at every opportunity, and encourages us to drink, drink, drink. Everyone seems to be walking around with a water bottle.
“Back in the Day,” did we all have water bottles? I remember water fountains, but when did everyone start schlepping water bottles with them? And when did we start paying for what comes free from a tap? This is starting to sound like a curmudgeonly rant, so let’s move on.
(Have you ever wondered what’s REALLY in those water bottles? Hmmm.)
As bridge players, we need to keep our brains as well as our bodies hydrated, and that’s what this issue is designed to do.
We start out with MATTHIAS HUBERSCHWILLER, whose hands this month are like a glass of tart, refreshing lemonade. Two of them show the wisdom of stopping short of slam and how to know when enough is enough. He continues with a hand that shows how to pick the right suit as transportation and what can go wrong if we don’t. We also learn more about safety plays and see a hand where the finesse fails, but our good luck holds.
Next, BEN NORTON presents us with a healthy choice, pomegranate juice, filled with anti-oxidants and vitamins. His series has a central theme: “Good planning is the cornerstone of accurate declarer play.” He wants us to project the future, anticipate what can possibly go wrong (there’s a life lesson here, people), and plan to circumvent disaster.
And I present you with a nice big iced tea (Long Island Iced Tea perhaps?). I’ve got six slams all in Hearts, each one using a different technique to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Plus, we’ve got two quizzes from MATTHIAS HUBERSCHWILLER. One is about control cue-bids, and the other is one of his popular “Bid A Hand” quizzes.
And there you have it, folks. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and for goodness sake, stay out of the noonday sun.
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