THE Bermuda Bridge Club Tournament season for 2006 is now complete and all the championship winners during the year received their prizes at the Christmas party last Saturday. The party itself was a huge success and those responsible should take a bow!Also announced at the prizegiving were the Senior and Junior player of the year award the Millington Trophy winner for the person voted the “best partner” by the members, and the most improved player who is selected by the Bridge club committee.

The Senior Player of the year award went to Vera Petty with an impressive 95.25 masterpoints and the Junior player of the year was won by Ernest Paynter with an equally impressive 13.55 masterpoints. Ernest was also voted must improved player.

The Millington Trophy awarded by my one-time partner Colin Millington purely because he knew I would never receive enough (any?) votes, was won in a dead—heat by Deb Randell and David Pereira so many congratulations to both.

The Senior player of the years is based on masterpoints, but in order to qualify the winner must have played with at least ten different partners during the Monday and Friday games. Here are the top ten of those who met the partner criteria.

1. Vera Petty 95.25 2. Alan Douglas 64.43 3. Michael Bickley 4. Lyn O’Neill 39.39 5. David Pereira 39.09 6. Magda Farag 39.03 7. Marge Way 38.14 8. Steve Ball 36.82 9. Gertie Barker 35.12 10. Nea Willits 32.80.

The Junior player of the year is also based on masterpoints and simply requires the contestants to have started the year with less than 20 masterpoints.

1. Ernest Paynter 13.55 2. (ft) Jane Clipper 10.83 3. (ft) Mike Tait 10.83 4. Charles Pearman 10.54 5. Debra Randell 9.25 6. Jon Turner 9.11 7. Judy Patton 8.31 8. Rosie Smith 7.95 9. (ft) Eileen Taylor 5.64 9. (ft) Jim Ramsey 5.64

Good result for Ernest but also worthy of special mention are Eileen Taylor/Jim Ramsey who started with Diana Diel’s lessons just this spring and have applied themselves well enough to immediately hit the top ten! Well done to them and all on this list, many of whom will soon be scoring well in the open field.

This very normal looking hand from one of last weeks STAC games caught my eye.

Dir South

S/W vulnerableNorth

[spade]—A1054

[heart]—J73

[diamond]—86

[club]—Q643

West East<$>

[spade]—J6 [spade]—9732

[heart]—K6 [heart]—854

[diamond]—AQJ754 [diamond]—935

[club]—K92 [club]—A85

South

[spade]—KQ8

[heart]—AQ1092

[diamond]—K10

[club]—J107The bidding:South West North East

1[heart] 2[diamond] 5[heart] Pass

Pass 3[diamond] Pass Pass

3[heart] Pass Pass PassWest led the jack of spades and declarer jumped up with the Ace in order to take the heart finesse by leading the jack and letting it ride. Once this lost the hand? to a one trick defeat with declarer unable to avoid two diamond and two club ?

Declarer didn’t think — often a problem at bridge!! West pretty much has to have the king of hearts so why try the finesse? How should declarer know that? Well, west clearly has not got the Ace and King of clubs or he would have led one which leaves east with a club honour and little else or she would have bid!!

So, declarer should win the first spade smoothly, with the king and now play ace and another heart. West is in and will, in all likelihood continue spades.

Now declarer wins with the queen draws trumps and discards a diamond on the fourth spade — making three!!!

Is it certain to go like this? No, but it is very likely and declarer must use what he has to give the opponents a chance to go wrong.

But you’ve heard that ?!