Very little is happening at the club right now with the next event being the ACBL Charity Wide game on November 25, which runs alongside the Fall Nationals in Phoenix.

This week’s hand is going to require a bit more thought from readers than my usual column hand — but it will be worth it as it is a super declarer play hand. The hand is from the Bermuda Bowl / Venice Cup held in Bali in September.

None Vulnerable. Dealer South.

(Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs)

North: AK64 / A4 / AQJ / J743

East: 98532 / KQ52 / 5 / AQ2

South: J107 / J109873 / 976 / 6

West: Q / 6 / K10985 / K10985

In the Closed Room, South opened a bizarre 3 Hearts (only recommended with a regular partner who knows you do that) and North raised to 4 hearts. West led the Spade Queen and declarer won the Ace and played a Club ... East won, returned a Spade which West ruffed and the two further Hearts in losers meant down one.

The Open room had Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes representing the superstar imported Monaco team sitting North-South.

WEST / NORTH / EAST / SOUTH

- / - / - / Pass

Pass / 1C / Pass / 1D

2NT / Pass / 3C / 3H

Pass / 4H / - / -

Fantoni opened a big Club, Nunes showed a negative (0-4 HCP) with his 1D bid and after West came in with a 2NT bid showing the minors Fantoni made a wonderfully disciplined pass, knowing he may be opposite a bust and really not having much more to show. After East chose Clubs Nunes introduced the Heart suit (he could do that as he had already shown 0-4 HCP) and Fantoni raised to game.

West again led the Spade Queen and even the commentators seeing all four hands decided that there was no way to make the hand as declarer had to draw a trump and East could eventually engineer a diamond ruff. Well, Nunes proved them wrong.

He won the Spade Ace and played Ace and another Heart. East won and switched to a Diamond and declarer was stuck in dummy. Nunes now made the key, and brilliant play. Spade to the 10, Spade Jack overtaken with the King and now the last Spade from dummy. East played the 8 and Nunes calmly discarded his Club cutting all communications — the ‘Scissors Coup’. East could now only make his master trump — contract made for a brilliant +420 to Monaco. It is easy to see why Monaco made the final where they lost to the always superb Italian team.

By the way, Susan Stockdale playing for England in the Venice Cup declared 4 Hearts doubled on this hand and followed Nunes’ line of play exactly for +590. England lost to USA2 in the Venice Cup final. Great bridge by both players.