I will start with news of a scheduling change – the Bridge Club originally scheduled the Open Teams Championships for October 14, but to allow more time for teams to be formed and have some scheduled practice sessions, the event has been postponed until October 28.

There will be a Teams game on the morning of October 14, and the Thursday evening game on October 26 will also be held as a Teams game. Sign-up sheets will be posted shortly at the club.

John Burville sent me this hand (see Figure 1) from a game last week at the club as a good example of declarer taking advantage of a possibly favourable opening lead in order to squeeze an overtrick out of the hand.

At the club, the hand was played four times and the only pair to get to the spade slam were Aida Bostelmann and Heather Woolf, who scored the maximum matchpoints for bidding and making the contract.

The hand was played in spades by South after a transfer sequence. At another table, West led the safe looking ten of diamonds – it turns out that the lead was not that safe and gives declarer a chance to wrap up 13 tricks! Follow this play.

The ten is covered by the Jack, Queen and King, creating a finessing situation with the K8 of diamonds behind the 97. Now Ace of clubs, ruff a club low, spade to the Queen and ruff another low club – when both opponents follow the remaining two clubs are good.

Declarer now draws two further rounds of trumps and this is the position in Figure 2.

Now a heart to hand, play two clubs pitching dummy’s two hearts, play a low diamond to the eight – and claim all 13 tricks! Elementary, my dear Watson!

The key here is using your trumps as entries to get this all done – if at trick two you rush into drawing three rounds of trumps the hand cannot make 13 tricks.

• David Ezekiel can be reached on davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, September 29

1 Lynanne Bolton-Betsy Baillie

2 Rachael Gosling-Molly Taussig

3 Sancia Garrison-Jane Smith

Monday, October 2

1 Jack Rhind-Peter Donnellan

2 Diana Diel-Patricia Siddle

3 Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

Tuesday, October 3

1 Jean Schilling-John Thorne

2 James Mulderig-Robert Mulderig

Wednesday, October 4

1 Tracy Nash-Desmond Nash

2 Tony Saunders-Charles Hall

3 Elizabeth McKee-Sharon Shanahan

Thursday, October 5

1 John Burville-Molly Taussig

2 Charles Hall-Stephanie Kyme (Tied 2nd)

3 Claude Gay-Sharon Shanahan (Tied 2nd)

Non-Bridge Club Online Results for Bridge Club Members

Thursday, October 5

Elizabeth McKee and Stephanie Kyme – 9th out of 204 pairs