I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and, for those of different faiths, a happy and healthy holiday season and new year.

It has been another tough year and then, just as it looked like things were easing, Omicron turns up uninvited to try and spoil the festive celebrations – not nice. I hope you can all be with family and friends and celebrate what you have in the spirit of the season, all the time being careful especially when in a large group. We all know that alcohol is an integral part of the celebration for many, but make sure that you don’t overdo it to the point that it makes you careless.

Today’s column has two quiz questions – one non-bridge and one, of course, about bridge.

First question: what do poliomyelitis, typhoid fever, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, smallpox, measles, mumps, hepatitis and shingles have in common? Answer: they are all diseases that have been eradicated or almost eliminated in the western world through vaccines. Let’s hope for the same success in 2022 with Covid-19- fingers crossed!

The bridge hand today came up in a European event last month and would not be out of place in a bridge quiz (see Figure 1).

You open a strong 2 clubs and end up taking yourself to 6 clubs, hoping that partner has a couple of useful cards. West leads a heart.

When dummy comes down you are a bit disappointed but there are a few nice cards in there, particularly the Queen of spades, the nice diamonds and … the 10 of clubs!

With all those hints, see if you can make the slam. And one more hint for you who have been reading this column – Morton’s Fork!

Okay, your problem is the heart loser and you need to get rid of it, and you see that you can do that if East has the diamond King, but you have to get the play sequence absolutely right.

You win the first heart, cash the Ace of diamonds and lead a low spade – West is caught in Morton’s Fork where he has two options, both losing ones!

If West plays low you win the Queen and play the Queen of diamonds – if East plays low you can discard a heart (or a spade) so East covers and you ruff. Now you play the Ace and another club landing on the board and you actually take all 13 tricks!

And what if West wins the spade Ace at trick two? Now you win any return, cash the spade King and cross to the 10 of clubs again to throw your losing heart on the spade Queen.

Pretty hand!

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, December 10

1. Caroline Svensen -Dianna Kempe

2. Marge Way – Tony Saunders

3. Inger Mesna – George Correia

Monday, December 13

1. Louise Rodger – Dorry Lusher

2. Joe Wakefield – Tony Saunders

3. Lynanne Bolton – Peter Donnellan

Tuesday, December 14

North/South

1. Katyna Rabain – Louise Payne

2. Marion Silver – Duncan Silver

3. Barbara Elkin – Neil Gilbertson

East/West

1. Nick Jones – Richard Keane

2. Heidi Dyson – Amanda Ingham

3. Angela McKittrick – Janice Bucci

Wednesday, December 15

1. Tracy Nash – Des Nash

2. Molly Taussig – Peter Donnellan

3. Lynanne Bolton – Greta Marshall

Thursday, December 16

Ernie Owen Individual Tournament

1. Richard Gray

2. Wenda Krupp

3. Tim Mardon

Non-Bridge Club Online Results for Bridge Club Members

December 12 – Jean Johnson and David Ezekiel – third out of 254 pairs