Sadly, Edgar Kaplan passed on recently. Hereunder are some of his comments from the Bridge-o-Rama rooms. Enjoy.
1980 World Team Olympiad in Valkenberg,
Netherlands
Recorded by Betty Kaplan
"I don't know what North was thinking of doing, but it's just as well
he didn't."
"Now that he's at the six level, he knows no more than he did before
but there's less bidding space for making errors."
"I think he'll keep doubling them until he finally beats one."
"The difference between a brave bid and a foolhardy bid is largely a
matter of result."
"Have you notice that Chagas has the capacity for winning a large
number of tricks? It's a very useful attribute for a bridge player."
"No double, no trouble."
"That's unfair. North-South were just having a good time and suddenly East-West turned nasty and doubled."
"North probably felt his high cards (3 points) made up for his lack of distribution."
"The Laws should allow a responsive STOP. When your partner announces STOP, you could say STOP!"
"That computer has never gone down in its whole life. It doesn't know the feeling."
"Four hearts is a very good bid -- but on some other hand."
"This is a contract that would be justified only by success -- and I have a feeling that it will not be."
"West passed, hoping his partner would double, but that was too much to hope for in this world. It will happen all the time in the next world."
"Even on the vulnerability he might risk bidding just two spades. Of course, I wouldn't be saying that if two spades could go down 800."
"This three notrump is the sort of contract that Lloyd's of London would insure."
"A contract becomes ambitious only if declarer makes it. We have other words for it if it goes down...This contract went down only one. It was nearly ambitious."
"If you average South's bidding on this hand (one too many) and on the previous hand (one too few), he comes out just right."
"When in doubt, put the opponents on lead. Why should you make the mistake?"
"Mahmood gave himself some very good advice when he said STOP. But he paid no attention."
"It is always a good idea to make only six when you've missed a grand slam. The opponents don't know how good a result they have."
"The computer is living very dangerously today."
"He may bid and he may not. I believe that covers all possibilities."
"If you're a good enough player, you can get away with making mistakes because nobody will believe it."