Contrary to my report in last week’s column, where I picked up the results from the wrong game, the runaway winners of the 2013 NOVICE PAIRS at the Bermuda Bridge Club were Richard Keane and Delroy Outerbridge!

Their 63.1 percent game was a whopping seven percent (a board and a half) ahead of second place which was secured by Patricia and Levy Rodrigues on 55.95 percent and close behind in joint third place with matching 53.57 percent scores were Marcia and Paul Pereech and Kathy and Richard Moseley.

The event saw an encouraging turnout of eight pairs and this was alongside the regular novice game of another eight pairs, all very encouraging for the Club.

The winning margin was a big one which speaks well for the winners, but all the placing scores were also good so congratulations to Richard and Delroy for a fine win and the placing pairs for a good result!

And sorry to all for the mix-up in last week’s column.

This week’s hand, which came up in a high standard Teams game, demonstrates just how challenging a game this is.

Declarer got his analysis nearly spot on ... but ‘nearly’ was not good enough! ???

?

?????????????????????????????????7532

? AJ109

• 86

?Q42

? 10964 ? QJ8

? K82 ??763?

• A10752 • J94

? 9 ? K765

????????????????????? AK

? Q54

?????????? • KQ3

?? ????????????????????? AJ1083

South was too strong to open One No Trump (16-18) and too weak to open 2NT (22-23) so he had to temporise with a 1 Club opening bid .....when partner responded 1 Heart (showing 5+ points) South jumped to 2NT (showing 19-21 HCP) and North was happy to raise to 3NT.

West led the diamond 5 to East’s jack and declarer’s queen and the danger signs were there that if East got in another diamond would probably scupper the contract.

Since this was a Teams event overtricks did not matter and all declarer had to do was make nine tricks, so declarer planned on that basis.

Declarer (an expert) has only five top tricks and realised that even if the heart finesse was working he would still need the club finesse to get to nine tricks.

If, however, the Club finesse worked nine tricks were available (two spades, one heart, one diamond and five clubs) without trying the risky heart finesse which would, if it lost, leave East on lead to play a deadly diamond.

Having analysed it correctly declarer now led a heart to the Ace and played the queen of clubs ... East ducked and now declarer, feeling very good about himself, led another club to the 10 ... this held, but when West showed out declarer was in trouble as there was no quick way back to the dummy to repeat the finesse.

He tried the heart queen, but West (also an expert) ducked, won the next heart and played a spade and declarer ended up one trick short. Good try!

Do you see where declarer could have done better? At trick two declarer should play the heart Queen to the Ace!

Now later on when the clubs don’t break West cannot stop declarer getting to the dummy with a heart and the contract makes! Tough, tough play.

Of course the novice or intermediate player sees no problem on this hand!

Win the first diamond, bash down the heart queen and let it run, heart to the 10, queen of clubs, club to the ten, another heart, cash the last heart, repeat the club finesse ... wallah, twelve tricks!

As I was saying .......easy game!