Today sees the start of the Audrey Grant beginner’s lessons at the Bridge Club and I know those who signed up are in for a great journey.

Not only will they be learning the greatest card game in the world but they will learn it from one of the very best teachers in the game, supported by a superb team.

Audrey makes learning a tough game fun, and knows how to keep her students engaged and motivated through those first few lessons where it all seems a haze and people wonder whether they can handle it – suddenly, however, a small chink of light appears at the end of the tunnel and from that point on the pupil is hooked!

More updates on this later.

This deal (see the hand and the bidding in Figure 1) came up in a Teams game and both teams reached the heart slam on similar auctions.

The 2NT showed four-card support with a hand with 12-plus points at a minimum. Three clubs showed a singleton and when North cue bid diamonds, South was off to the races – he used Roman Key Card Blackwood and partner showed two key cards and the Queen of trumps – 5NT asked for Kings and North signed off in six hearts as he had none.

The lead was the same at both tables: the Queen of clubs. The play at the first table was quick. Declarer took the lead with dummy’s Ace of clubs and cashed the Queen of trumps. Next he led a spade to his Queen. West took this with the King and exited with a club.

Declarer ruffed this in hand then cashed the King of diamonds before leading a diamond to dummy’s Jack. When that lost to East’s Queen he was down one.

At the other table, declarer won the first trick with the Ace of clubs and ruffed a club high. Declarer then led a trump to dummy’s Queen and ruffed a second club. Continuing with this theme, declarer returned to dummy with a trump and ruffed dummy’s remaining club.

Next, instead of embarking on any finesses, declarer played the Ace of spades followed by the Queen. West took this with the King and exited with the seven of diamonds, as it was clear to him that declarer had eliminated the black suits from his hand.

Declarer played low from dummy and East was fixed: it did not matter whether he played high or low – declarer would make three diamond tricks and his contract.

What are the odds of the two lines? Why would declarer not take the spade and diamond finesses – a total of 75 per cent? Because if the spade finesse was working East is now in with the King and has to lead a diamond into the Ace – Jack or provide a ruff and discard.

The difference is that the second plan also succeeds when West has the King of spades and at least one of the Queen and ten of diamonds, which occurs about seven times out of eight – 87.5 per cent!

Simple, dear Watson!

Really tremendous analysis by South and the right play at Teams. And at pairs? I think you go with the first play as the second play fully gives up the chance of an overtrick, which occurs if both finesses are right. Also, that is probably how the field would play the hand!

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, September 6

1. Judy King/Martha Ferguson

2. Aida Bostelmann/Heather Woolf

3. Richard Gray/Wendy Gray

Monday, September 9

North/South

1. Sancia Garrison/Jane Smith

2. Richard Gray/Wendy Gray

East/West

1. Stephanie Kyme/Molly Taussig

2. Lorna Anderson/Heather Woolf

Tuesday, September 10

North/South

1. James Mulderig/Robert Mulderig

2. Felicity Lunn/Keri McKittrick

East/West

1. Malcolm Moseley/Mark Stevens

2. Vivian Pereira/John Thorne

Wednesday, September 11

1. Jane Smith/Molly Taussig

2. Charles Hall/Margaret Way

3. Stephen Cosham/Rachael Gosling

Thursday, September 12

1. Erica Jones/Delton Outerbridge

2. Charles Hall/Stephanie Kyme