With the Regional having just ended two weeks ago there is not much recovery time for those who like to compete, as next Saturday sees the staging of the two session men’s and women’s pairs championships. A good turnout with all the top pairs is expected and I’ll bring you full results the week after.

This week’s hand could be described as ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’ and declarer showed great technique. (see Fig 1. South Dealer N/S Vul)

After the 1NT opening North’s three Clubs was a transfer to three Diamonds — North’s raise to four Diamonds was a mild slam-try (eight-card suits tend to encourage such actions) and South accepted by simply leaping to slam. West led the King of Hearts.

Declarer could count 11 tricks: eight in trumps, plus the three Aces. He saw that, if East held at least one of the missing Club honours, the slam would come home via a double finesse in that suit. However, declarer looked for an extra chance. He discarded the Jack of Spades from dummy on the King of Hearts and won the trick in hand with the Ace. Declarer ruffed a low Spade, then cashed the Ace and Queen of Trumps. After throwing a low Club on the Ace of Spades, declarer ruffed another Spade. While the extra chance of the King and Queen of Spades falling in three rounds had failed to materialise, another one had. When declarer continued with a low club to the nine, West took this with the Queen, but was end played in this position (see Fig 2).

West had just Hearts and clubs remaining. Hoping for the best, West continued with a low Heart. Declarer discarded a Club from dummy and won the trick with the Jack of Hearts: now he had his 12th trick and his contract. Note that if West had started with four Spades, he would still have been end played, as if he leads a Spade it is ruffed in dummy and the last Spade in the South hand becomes the thirteenth trick.

Beautifully played by declarer, looking for every chance that was available until he hit on the right one, a well-deserved clear top.