Last Tuesday saw a special day and special game at the Bridge Club. Thirty-six players, a record number since the start of Covid-19, turned out to play in a game honouring Greta Marshall, who turned 90 on the day!

As is tradition, the game paused in the middle for some bubbly and cake to mark the occasion.

Also present at the game were three other skilled and active nonagenarian bridge players: Diana Diel, Dorry Lusher and Tony Saunders. Tony and Diana both finished second North/South and East/ West on the day, and Dorry was just coming off a win on Monday! Greta is also regularly in the results.

If all of that is not proof of how this game keeps one alert and active, the photograph of the four in this column makes it an open and shut case – just like The Beatles we have our own ‘Fab Four’ at the club, they look tremendous!

Congratulations to Greta, and to the club for making sure that these traditions are preserved and for keeping the social side of the game going in trying conditions.

Now, onto this week’s hand. See Figure 1.

The bidding was good and both North/South pairs in a team game bid to six spades on similar auctions. See Figure 2.

The three-spade bid was a limit raise and four clubs and four diamonds were both cue-bids. Declarer then checked for Aces and bid the slam.

At both tables, West led the Jack of hearts and both declarers won with dummy’s Ace. At the first table, declarer continued with a low spade to his Ace, thereby discovering that he had a trump loser. Eventually, this declarer took a diamond finesse and was one trick short of his contract.

At the second table, declarer ruffed a heart at trick two as a matter of general principle. Next, he cashed the Ace and King of trumps, getting the same bad news as the declarer at the other table. Declarer then led a diamond to the Ace and ruffed a third heart. Then he cashed the Ace and King of clubs and led the eight of clubs.

This was now the position. See Figure 3.

When declarer played the eight of clubs, West saw that if he ruffed, declarer would discard the fourth heart from dummy and he’d be end-played, so, West discarded a diamond.

Now declarer was in a good position: he ruffed the club in dummy and ruffed dummy’s last heart, reducing everyone to three cards.

When both defenders followed to the fourth round of hearts, declarer counted West for an original 3=4=4=2 shape. This meant that West had the Queen of trumps and two diamonds remaining, declarer remained with a trump and the King-Jack of diamonds. So, declarer led his last trump to West’s Queen and claimed the last two tricks as West had to lead a diamond into his King-Jack tenace.

Brilliantly played by declarer! You should note that if declarer had failed to make the seemingly useless play of ruffing a heart at trick two, he would no longer have the entries to eliminate hearts from West’s hand.

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, October 14

1. Lorna Anderson – Joyce Pearson

2. Joe Wakefield – Charles Hall

3. Gertie Barker – Martha Ferguson

Monday, October 17

North/South

1. Ed Betteto – John Burville

2. Diana Diel – Pat Siddle

3. Jane Gregory – Bill Pollett

East/West

1. Louise Rodger – Dorry Lusher

2. Tracy Nash – Des Nash

3. Sheena Rayner – Molly Taussig

Tuesday, October 18

1. Katyna Rabain – Louise Payne

2. Heidi Dyson – Malcolm Moseley

3. Tim Mardon – Richard Hall

Wednesday, October 19

North/South

1. Gertie Barker – Jane Smith

2. Tony Saunders – Charles Hall

3. Lynanne Bolton – Peter Donnellan

East/West

1. Martha Ferguson – Sancia Garrison

2. Pat Siddle – Diana Diel

3. Tracy Nash – Des Nash

Granaway Bridge Evening

Wednesday, October 19

North/South

1. Wendy Gray – Richard Gray

2. Rachael Gosling – Elizabeth McKee

3. Sharon Shanahan – Claude Guay

East/West

1. Donna Leitch – Jim Leitch

2. Diana Diel – Betsy Baillie

3. Sheena Rayner – Steve Cosham