This week’s hand contains some great bridge: superb, patient bidding, which uses the opponents’ overcall to cue bid and getting to a great slam, and then dogged, determined declarer play when all looked hopeless, when trumps broke 4-1.

See the hand and the bidding in attached image number two.

As three hearts in this auction after the 2NT would promise at least five cards in the suit, South inquired about North’s major suits with three diamonds. North showed three-card support in spades and once South made a forward move of four diamonds over three spades, North drove to the slam when a five of spades response to a Key Card enquiry revealed that South’s spades were headed by the three top honours – two key cards and the Queen.

West led a third-highest two of diamonds. Declarer took this with dummy’s Ace and played the Ace and King of trumps. Some declarers would give up on making the slam when East threw a diamond on the latter as there is a certain heart loser. However, as you will see, this declarer was made of sterner stuff.

The opening lead all but marked the diamonds as 3=6. All that was needed now was that West had at least four clubs and a heart. So, declarer cashed his four club winners, throwing a heart from hand.

After cashing the Ace of hearts, declarer ruffed a diamond low in hand. Next a heart was led back to dummy’s King of hearts for another diamond ruff.

Declarer now had 11 tricks – two trumps, two hearts, the Ace of diamonds, two diamond ruffs and four clubs – with the master Queen of trumps to come – contract made!

The important lesson from this hand was that declarer did not give up once the 4=1 trump break was revealed. Declarer saw that he had a chance if West began with four clubs and he took advantage of the given layout.

In the end the defenders’ heart and trump winners were compressed together at trick 13. Brilliant bridge!

• David Ezekiel can be contacted at davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, August 9

1. Miodrag Novakovic-Molly Taussig

2. Charles Hall-Diana Diel

3= Tony Saunders-Patricia Siddle

3= Margaret Way-Jane Smith

Monday, August 12

1. Lona Anderson-Heather Woolf

2. Margaret Way-Rachael Gosling

3. Judy King-Aida Bostelmann

Tuesday, August 13

North/South

1. Wendell Emery-Linda Manders

2. Tracey Pitt-Desiree Woods

East/West

1. Benjamin Stone-Caitlin Conyers

2. Vivian Pereira-John Thorne

Wednesday, August 14

1. Wendy Gray-Richard Gray

2. William Pollett-Linda Pollett

3= Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

3= Rachael Gosling-Connie Taylor

Thursday, August 15

1. Gertrude Barker-John Glynn

2. Miodrag Novakovic-Margaret Way

3. Judy King-Molly Taussig