Well, it’s finally here! The 2018 Bridge Regional starts at the Fairmont Southampton tonight and, by all accounts, attendance is expected to be excellent.

Chairwoman Kathy Keane, who after this tournament hands over the reins after three great years, will have left no stone unturned to ensure that visitors and residents will have a wonderful week.

She will be ably supported by her committee, chief tournament director Sol Weinstein and his team of directors, which includes our own ACBL director Jack Rhind, and the excellent Janet Evans, who puts out a great bulletin every morning.

Add to that the great surroundings and staff at the Fairmont Southampton and all the ingredients are in place for a winning event.

I’ll be doing the usual panel shows on the Tuesday and Thursday at noon and emceeing the banquet on the Friday.

I’ve already lined up three great guest panellists in Gail Greenberg, Jeff Hand and Eddie Wold, so put those in your diary because it will be a rare treat to hear from three players at the top strata of the world standings.

This week’s hand featured a strong South player who followed a brave practical bid with some excellent declarer play.

Dealer South N/S Vul

The Bidding:

West North East South

Pass 4S Pass 6S

I like South’s 6 Spade bid — undoubtedly a little flighty but with 18 points and great distribution. No other bidding would tell South any more about the hand and the slam must at least have a chance unless North had an awful 4 Spade raise.

West led a low trump which happened to be the only lead to pose any problems for declarer — without it declarer could give up a Heart and finally ruff two Hearts and two Spades in dummy to get to 12 tricks.

Now with the trump lead, West can lead another trump when declarer gives up a Heart, leaving declarer one ruff and one trick short.

Declarer, however, was made of sterner stuff and having identified West as the danger hand, as East had no trumps to lead, he played to keep West off lead.

Winning the Spade declarer now led the Diamond Ace and then the 9, intending to throw a Heart if West played low.

West, however, played the Diamond Queen and declarer had to ruff in dummy. Declarer now came to the Club Ace and played the Diamond 10 and when West played low he discarded a Heart from dummy. East won but with no trumps to lead the hand made comfortably on a high cross ruff.

Really not that difficult when you devise a plan and then concentrate on executing it, is it?

Well done to this declarer because many would have bashed out Ace and another Heart in the vague hope that East would have to win and would go one down.

Results for week of January 15

Monday afternoon

North/South

1, John Burville/Molly Taussig

2, Elizabeth McKee/Stephanie Kyme

3, Marilynn Simmons/Gertrude Barker

East/West

1, Edward Betteto/Tony Saunders

2, Julia Lunn/Heather Woolf

3, C Lloyd-Jennings/Gloria Rego

Monday evening

1, Elizabeth McKee/Rachael Gosling

2, Margaret Way/John Burville

3, Alan Douglas/Jane Smith

Tuesday evening

North/South

1, Louise Payne/Katyna Rabain

2, Gina Graham/Felicity Lunn

East/West

1, Wendy Salvia/Shirley Higgins

2, Nikki Boyce/Carol Eastham

Wednesday morning

North/South

1, Judith Bussell/Stephanie Kyme

2, Ellen Davidson/Jeanette Shaw

3, Lyn O’Neill/Margaret Way

East/West

1, Gertrude Barker/Jane Smith

2, William Pollett/Desmond Nash

3, Aida Bostelmann/Joyce Pearson

Thursday evening

North/South

1, Michael Tait/Jane Clipper

2, Margaret Way/Linda Pollett

3, Betsy Baillie/Lisa Ferrari

East/West

1, David Sykes/Bill Souster

2, Edward Betteto/Fabian Hupe

3, Alan Douglas/Richmond Simmons

Friday afternoon

North/South

1, Rosemary Smith/Maryann Perry

2, Jean Johnson/Tony Saunders

3, Louise Rodger/Patricia Siddle

East/West

1, Alan Douglas/Jane Smith

2, Greta Marshall/Elysa Burland

3, Patricia Colmet/Caroline Svensen