As most of you will know, with the sharp increase in local Covid-19 cases, all Bermuda Bridge Club games are back as online only until further notice, and the Club is looking for members to support the games and provide some revenue to keep things ticking over.

If you are unfamiliar with how to join the games, contact Peter Donnellan via the Bermuda Bridge Club or e-mail me at Davidezekiel999@gmail.com and I will forward the instructions.

The current game schedule is as follows:

• Monday at 2pm

• Tuesday: 149er Newcomer/Junior Game at 7.15pm

• Wednesday at 10.30am

• Thursday at 7.30pm

• Friday at 2pm

Once you get used to it the online games are fun, so try and join.

This week’s hand is a declarer play problem, and what it needed is for declarer to keep a cool head and carefully think his way through the play (see Figure 1).

The auction here was fairly straightforward: the two heart bid by North promised spade support and three diamonds by South was a long-suit game try looking for help in that suit. North had a near-perfect hand for partner with the great diamonds and bid the spade game.

West led a lowest-from-an-odd-number two of hearts. East played the Queen, King and Ace of hearts, subtly showing suit preference for clubs (if he had diamonds he would have played AKQ in that order).

Declarer ruffed the third heart low and saw that he would have ten easy tricks if trumps were not four-zero; East had to have the Ace of clubs because West would surely have bid two hearts with that card.

So declarer led a low trump to dummy’s King at trick four. When East discarded a diamond, declarer led a low club from the dummy. East rose with the Ace and played another round of hearts.

Declarer ruffed low to neutralise West’s jack of trumps. West saw that it would be pointless to overruff and discarded a diamond instead.

Declarer now led a low trump to West’s five and dummy’s eight. After cashing the Queen of trumps, declarer returned to hand with a club to the King. When that held, he had ten tricks: six trumps, three diamonds and a club.

Note that it was important to play a club at trick five. If declarer had returned to hand with the King of diamonds at trick five he will probably go down because when he leads a club after taking the eight and Queen of trumps East would rise with the Ace and play another heart, promoting West’s Jack of spades.

Really well played, as many would use the diamond entry early and go down one. South saw that the club would eventually have to be played and with East almost certain to have the Ace for his opening bid, he made the play at the right time.

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Online games

Monday, September 27

1. Sue Hodge – John Hodge

2. Jane Smith – Judy Bussell

3. Heather Woolf – George Correia

Tuesday, September 28

1. Louise Payne – Katyna Rabain

2. Marion Silver – Duncan Silver

3. Sandra Neal – Angela McKittrick

Wednesday, September 29

1. Julia Beach – Pat Siddle

2. Lynanne Bolton – Bill Pollett

3. Gertie Barker – Jane Smith

Thursday, September 30

1. Charles Hall – Bill Pollett

2. Rachael Gosling – Marge Way

3. Gertie Barker – Jane Smith

Friday, October 1

1. Aida Bostelmann – Heather Woolf

2. Jane Smith – Alan Douglas

3. Judy Bussell – Lynanne Bolton