The Sharpies Convention: Passing of this bridge theorist is end of era

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 14

The Sharpies Convention: Passing of this bridge theorist is end of era

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignail

The year 1985 was not a good one for bridge players. A kidnapping, the murder of Barry Crane, the leading match-point winner by far of North America, and an air-crash in which twelve players were killed in Texas on their way to a national championship were all black spots. Inevitably, there were also a number of wellrespected individuals who passed on to the great bridge club in the Heavens. One of these was the English expert, Jim Sharpies, whose death marks in some ways the end of an era. He and his twin brother Bob were born in 1908, and learned Auction Bridge in the twenties, before switching to Contract in the thirties.

During the Second World War they served in different services, but corresponded weekly, always including a bridge problem in their letters. - After the War they took up the Acol system, at which they became the leading experts for a period of thirty years. In partnership they won every major British championship, the last being the prestigious Gold Cup at the age of seventy-one. They represented Great Britain and England on countless occasions, but their finest achievement could well have been in 1970 when they took part

in the Bidding Challenge for Bridge Magazine. Every month for more than a year they were asked to bid 10 very tricky hands, consistently reaching the correct contract over ninety per cent of the time. Soon after this I met the Sharpies for the first and only time for an evening of rubber bridge. It was quite an experience. Bidding with one brother against the other was worse than taking an oral examination with the Headmaster.

At this time they were working on several innovations. Having developed a system of transfer bids after an opening no-trump call, they were discussing the theory of the multicoloured two diamond opening which is now in wide use. A little later they introduced Byzantine Blackwood, a highly complex version of the simple ace asking convention. Undoubtedly, however, they will always be remembered for the Sharpies C&ivention, a defence to a one no-trump opening bid.

In this context, there is a true story of a brash young New Zealander who, on a visit to London, called at the London Club for a duplicate game. There he came across two elderly gentlemen who bore a distinct resemblance to each other. One of them opened one no-trump, and the brash young man’s partner overcalled two clubs. When asked for an explanation, our hero announced “Sharpies Convention.” Pressed for further details, he explained. “That’s not Sharpies,” said one old gentleman, rather crustily. “Yes it is,” said the ; Kiwi, "Everyone knows; that.”

Nothing more was said, but at the end of the evening the proprietor, in friendly mood, approached his visitor to say that a i number of famous people played at his club. He pointed but the editor of a bridge magazine, a couple of international players, and, of course, over there were the Sharpies brothers, pointing to two elderly gentleman who bore a distinct resemblance to each other. Exit one brash young redfaced New Zealander. This band from an English tournament in 1968 provides a perfect example ; of * the Sharpies convention. West was tUe dealer,; with no-one vulnerable.

■ N ♦ AQ96 V 9843 ♦ 2 ♦ AlO 6 5 W E 4 K 42 4 75 VQ76 ♦ AJ7 6 4 ❖ QlO 9 ♦ 72 *Q9843 S ♦ JlO 8 3 V A 102 ♦ K 853 ♦ KJ The Auction was: W N E S

INT 2* No 3* No 4<s» All Pass Over West’s weak one no-trump, North overcalled two clubs, indicating a distributional hand of 10 to 14 points with support for both major suits and tolerance for clubs but not for diamonds. With his minor suits reversed, he would have bid two diamonds.

East passed, and South jumped to three spades, which . North, taking an aggressive view, raised to four.

It was by no means an easy contract, but after some complicated play South emerged with 10 tricks to make his boldly bid game. At the other table, for it was a team of four match, West’s one no-trump was passed out and defeated oy one trick. So the Sharpies convention had produced a profitable swing.