The Open Teams Championship will be held at Bermuda Bridge Club today over two sessions – I expect this to be a competitive event and will provide a full report next week.

Also some reminders – Novice Pairs Championship on December 3, Christmas party on December 7 and the Ernie Owen Individual on December 19 – also remember the Social Bridge sessions held on the third Sunday of each month between 3pm and 5pm at the club.

The Christmas party is usually a sell-out so register your interest with Judy King as soon as possible. While we are on that topic, the club is looking for members, or friends, to donate prizes for the Christmas Raffle – shopping or restaurant vouchers, gifts, or a weeklong stay at your luxury villa would all be acceptable! Judy can be contacted at judyking1@gmail.com.

I have said it time and time again in this column, but this is a game that just keeps on giving, as players find ingenious ways to make or defeat contracts. Today’s hand (see Figure 1) furthers that theory in spades – literally and figuratively!

North described his hand well, and when declarer showed at least six spades his K7 looked like gold dust and he bid the slam.

West led the King of diamonds. Declarer assessed the disappointing dummy and concluded that he would need trumps to be 3-2. Even then he would have to take seven tricks in the side suits. And he further saw that the only chance then was to hope he could dispose of his two club losers.

Suddenly, however, a light went on and declarer hit upon his best chance!

He took the first trick with the Ace of diamonds and discarded the Queen of hearts from hand, rather than a club!

Declarer continued with the Ace and King of hearts and was relieved to see that both defenders followed. Next, he played the Ace and King of trumps, ending in dummy.

When trumps broke 3-2, declarer now needed the defender with the last trump to follow to one more heart. So, declarer led the Jack of hearts, discarding one of his club losers. East showed out but he could not ruff the heart winner because he did not hold the defenders’ last trump.

Declarer continued with the ten of hearts and threw a second club loser from hand. As a result, declarer lost only a trump trick and made his contract.

Brilliant vision, planning and execution – an absolute delight!

This plan would also make the contract when hearts broke 3-3: declarer would throw one club loser on the third round of hearts and the other on the fourth round.

The defender with the master trump could score it whenever he pleased but the contract would still make.

The key point is choosing to discard a heart on the Ace of diamonds at trick one: from there, the chosen line makes when one defender has two spades and two or three hearts.

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, November 15

1. Charles Hall/Molly Taussig

2. Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

3. Wendy Gray/Richard Gray

Monday, November 18

North/South

1. Betsy Baillie/Joyce Pearson

2. Charles Hall/Sancia Garrison

3. Sheena Rayner/Magda Farag

East/West

1. Elysa Burland/Molly Taussig

2. Colin Moran/Micheline Kennedy

3. Martha Ferguson/Judy King

Tuesday, November 19

North/South

1. Ben Stone/Desiree Woods

2. Caitlin Conyers/Kim Simmons

East/West

1. Jaime Ferrari-McComb

2. Malcolm Moseley/Mark Stevens

Wednesday, November 20

1. Charles Hall/Molly Taussig

2. Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton

3. Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

Thursday, November 21

1. Miodrag Novakovic/John Rayner

2. Elizabeth McKee/Gertrude Barker

3. Wenda Krupp/Jane Gregory