__________ | | | COLOSSUS | | BRIDGE 4 | |__________| AMSTRAD DISK/CASSETTE Table of Contents SECTION SUBJECT PAGE NO 1 INTRODUCTION 1 a General 1 b Hardware requirements 1 c Features 1 d Running the program 1 2 PLAYING A GAME 2 3 GLOBAL INSTRUCTIONS 2 4 ANALYSIS SECTION 2 5 OPENING LEADS 3 6 BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS 3 7 THE BIDDING SYSTEM 3 a Opening Bids 3 b Overcalls 4 c Replies to Opening Bids 4 d Replies to Overcalls 5 e Replies to Strong 2 Bids 6 f Replies to 2NT 6 g Replies to 2 Clubs 6 h Replies to Three Level Bids 6 i Openers Rebid 6 8 BLACKWOOD SLAM CONVENTION 7 9 SCORING 8 10 PROGRAM INFORMATION 10 11 COLOSSUS TUTOR 11 a General 11 b Running the program 11 c Instructions 11 d Hand Overview 11 COLOSSUS BRIDGE: AMSTRAD DISK/CASSETTE 1a. General The program allows one player to play a complete game of Bridge with the computer controlling the other three hands. Each hand is bid according to the Acol system. Included are the Blackwood (aces and kings), Stayman, and Baron conventions. The strong 2 club and take-out doubles are also supported. All four hands are displayed at the end of play followed by the score to rubber. b. Hardware requirement Any Amstrad 464, 664, or 6128. c. Features * 100% machine code * Hands with a specific point count/balanced distribution generated * Hand input facility * Rebid/replay option * Variable speed of play * Game save/load facility * Card autoplay/recommend option * Demonstration mode * Music feature * Bidding/play summary * On-line instruction menu * User defined colours * Cheat option * Claim trick(s) * Backstep the play * Skip to the next hand d. Running the program Loading RUN "BRIDGE" RETURN A demonstration mode is automatically entered into if no key is pressed for 30 seconds after the program has loaded. Any key press will start the game. 1 2. Playing a Game As normal, the player sits South. To follow suit, just enter the card: A K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 To lead or discard press a second key with the first letter of the suit. Please note that if a singleton is held in the suit led, it is automatically played, as is the last trick. At the end of each trick the program waits for a keypress. Spacebar .. Autoplay a card R .. Recommend a card RETURN .. Plays the lowest card held in the suit led S, H, D or C.. Plays the lowest card held in that suit Z .. Claim some or all of the remaining tricks I .. Autoplay the remaining tricks P .. Peep at the other hands 3. Global Instructions B .. Steps through the background colours E .. Abandon the hand L .. Recap the bidding TAB .. Instruction menu CLR .. Restart the program V .. Save/load a hand to or from disk or cassette F .. Toggle the opening music 4. Analysis section At the end of play the hands are displayed and the following options given: P .. Reset the speed of play L .. List the deal to a printer R .. Start a new rubber I .. Input a hand W .. Display the bidding and play S .. Set the number of points/distribution of the South hand. 2 5. Opening leads Partners bid suit, top of three card honour sequence, ace from AK, king from KQ, fourth highest of the longest suit held (no trumps), singleton or high-low from a doubleton. If sensible, partners lead will be returned. 6. Bidding instructions Spacebar .. Nobid D .. Double R .. Redouble Otherwise enter 2 characters, the level 1-7 followed by the first letter of the suit. 7 other commands are also available throughout the bidding and the play - see section 3. 7. The Bidding System N.B. HCP's = High card points: Ace = 4, King = 3, Queen = 2, Jack = 1 a Opening Bids 1 of a suit.. 12 - 19 HCP's If two suits of equal length are held, the higher ranking is bid with two exceptions: i. The suits are spades and clubs. Clubs are bid. ii. The hand distribution is 4441. Here the suit below the singleton is bid except when the singleton is clubs when hearts are bid. 1NT .. 12-14 HCP's & a balanced hand (no singletons, voids or five card .. suits). 2 of a suit.. > 19 HCP's (2 clubs => 22) 2NT .. 20-22 HCP's & a balanced hand 3 of a suit.. 4-10 HCP's and at least a seven card holding. Opening bids of 3NT or higher are not made. 3 b. Overcalls Suit .. 11 with a six card suit .. 12 with a five card suit >13 jump overcall, minimum six card suit INT .. 15-17, a balanced hand and a stop in the called suit 2NT > 17 HCP's a balanced hand and a stop in the called suit Double.. (for take out) >13 HCP's and a singleton/void in the suit bid (below the three level). This distribution is not necessary for hands with >15 HCP's Partner must take out the double into their best suit. With >8 HCP's they must also jump. It is possible to pass if the suit doubled is their best (a double of a NT contract is always for penalties). Pre-emptive overcalls are not made. c. Replies to Opening Bids To one level bids: <6 HCP's.. No bid <10 HCP's.. Support partners major with four cards or more. If you have a four card major that can be bid at the one level you must mention it. Raise partners minor with 4 card support. Bid your best suit at the one level. Otherwise make the limit bid of 1NT. Do not bid at the two level. If two suits of equal length are held, the lower ranking is bid. 10-12 HCP's.. Jump raise partners major with four card support. 4 Any four card major. With four card support, jump raise. Bid your best suit or 2NTs with a balanced hand. A bid of 2H over 1S required a five card suit due to the bidding space consumed. >12HCP's.. Change the suit show support, if held, on the next bid. (delayed game raise). With > 15 jump shift or 3NT. TO 1 NT: If you have an unbalanced hand, you must either use the Stayman convention or make a takeout bid into your best suit (jump with >12HCP's). The takeout into a suit at the two level is regarded as a sign off. The Stayman convention is used if you have >10HCP's and a four card major. You bid two clubs. Partner must then bid their best major if they hold more that three cards in either major or a diamond denial. With a balanced hand, no bid with less than ten points, 2NT with 11 or 12 points otherwise three no trumps. d. Replies to Overcalls TO 1NT.. With a balanced hand pass with less than 8 HCP's, 2NT with 8 or 9 HCP's and 3NT with 10 plus. Unbalanced hands: The Stayman convention may not be used in response to an overcall, 2C being for takeout. With > 11jump in your best suit. TO SUIT OVERCALL: As the overcall requires a five card suit, support may be given with a three card holding. A single raise is made with 6-11 HCP's, a jump raise with >11. 5 As game is not likely with a holding of less than 12 points (the take-out double is used with strong hands in preference to an overcall), a no trump bid is made to show lack of sympathy for partners suit. A change of suit (requiring >5 cards) is not forcing. e. Replies to Strong 2 Bids: With <5 HCP's.. 2NT f. Replies to 2NT: With a balanced hand and >4 HCP's bid 3NT With an unbalanced hand bid 3 clubs. This is Baron and requests partner to bid his lower ranking four card suit except if clubs when 3NT is bid. g. Replies to 2 Clubs: This is a conventional bid showing >22 and is no indication of a club holding. Bid 2 diamonds with less than 8 points and 2NT with 8 points. You cannot pass as partner may be able to make game. h. Replies to Three Level Bids: With <16 HCP's no bid. With 16 plus, either raise partner or bid 3NT. i. Openers Rebid: IF PARTNER SUPPORTED then with: <16 HCP's.. no bid >15 HCP's.. raise IF PARTNER BID 2NT over 1NT then bid 3NT with anything but a minimum. IF PARTNER BID A NEW SUIT then you are obliged to keep the bidding open except after 1NT - 2D/2H/2S. Here you pass the weak take out. 6 12-15 HCP's.. Support with a four card suit Rebid with a six card suit New suit. 15-16 HCP's.. With a balanced hand 1NT may be bid. Used to show a hand suitable for, but too strong to open, 1NT. >15 HCP's.. As above with jump. A 2NT rebid requires >16 HCPS's. Note if partner bid at the two level, then 2NT may be bid with >14 points. A new suit bid by you at the three level is forcing for one round. IF PARTNER BID 1NT over your suit and your hand is not unsuitable for no trumps then: <17 HCP's.. Nobid 17-18 HCP's.. 2NT 19 HCP's.. 3NT To rebid your opening suit or a new suit at the minimum level is a sign off/preference request. A new suit at the three level is forcing for one round. 8. Blackwood Slam Convention A check to see if the partnership is missing any aces/kings before moving into a slam. It is generally held that if the bidding indicates that in excess of 32 points are held, the possibilities for a slam must be examined. The convention is only used after a suit has been agreed. A bid of 4 NT by the player will produce the prompt Blackwood? An entry of Y requires North to reply according to the number of aces held: 5C .. 0 or 4 aces 5D .. 1 ace 5H .. 2 aces 5S .. 3 aces 7 A bid of 5NT produces a similar sequence re. the number of kings held. NB: The program will initiate Blackwood. 9. Scoring The score at Bridge is to rubber. A rubber is complete when one side has won two games. A game is won by amassing 100 or more points 'below the line'. Points 'below the line' are awarded for making a bid contract. For instance, if two hearts are bid and made by N & S, 60 points (2*30) are earnt below the line. The score sheet would then show: N&S W&E 60 Additionally, points may be awarded 'above the line'. These are earned by making overtricks, holding honours, bidding and making a slam, making a doubled/redoubled contract or defeating the opponents contracts. For example, had the heart contract above made with an overtrick, 30 points would also have been awarded above the line: N&S W&E 30 60 Whenever one side has a hundred or more points below the line, the first game is complete. A line is then drawn horizontally under the score and the second game commences. Any points which the opponents had below the line are lost. Points earned above the line are unaffected. The calculation for the points awarded below the line is straightforward: Spades/Hearts .................. 30 per trick Diamonds/Clubs ................. 20 per trick No trumps ...................... 40 for the first trick 30 for each additional trick 8 The only circumstances which affect this calculation are a double or re-double of the contract. If doubled, multiply the above by two. If redoubled, multiply by four. The 'above the line' bonus is not so simple: i. a 50 point bonus is given for making any contract that has been doubled or re-doubled. ii. If any player holds 4 trump honours.. 100 points. If any player holds 5 trump honours.. 150 points. If any player holds all four aces at no trumps.. 150 points. iii. Overtricks: Trick value unless doubled or redoubled. non vulnerable vulnerable Doubled 100 per trick 200 per trick Redoubled 200 per trick 400 per trick iv.A slam bonus is awarded dependent on vulnerability: non vulnerable vulnerable Small slam 500 750 Grand slam 1000 1500 v.Penalties: non vulnerable vulnerable Undoubled 50 per trick 100 per trick Doubled 100 for the first 200 for the first 200 for each additional 300 for each subsequent Redoubled 2* the doubled penalty. When the rubber is complete, the points above and below the line are totalled and a bonus of 500 or 700 given to the side that completed the rubber. N.B. Part game scores 'Lost' when the opponents make game, count in the final score. 9 10. Program Information Written by and © 1986 Hi-Tech Software Publisher: CDS Software Ltd, CDS House, Beckett Road, Doncaster, Language: Z80 assembly (from 160K source files) 10 11. Colossus Tutor a. General A series of 10 hands have been chosen to illustrate a number of the fundamental principles of the game. On each hand the player must enter the correct, pre-determined bid & play before continuing to see a description of the hand. b. Running the Program Loading: RUN "TUTOR" RETURN c. Instructions Initially, the player is asked to enter the number of the hand to be played (1-10). The entry format for the bidding and play is consistant with that used in Colossus Bridge. However, if the entry does not tally with the pre-recorded selection a beep is produced and the player must try again! The E key may be used to skip to the analysis. d. Hand Overview 1. Opening suit bids 2. Slam bidding 3. Defensive play 4. Strong 2 opening and Blackwood 5. Responses to overcalls 6. Defenders signals 7. Replies to pre-emptive opening bids 8. Defensive bidding 9. No trump declarer play 10. Defensive play 11 CDS Software Ltd. CDS House Beckett Road Doncaster DN2 4AD (0302) 21134