I’ll start with some further updates on the Spring Tournament Schedule.

Non Life Masters: the 2022 Championship will be held starting at 9.30am on Saturday, April 23. There will be two sessions, with a short break. Sandwiches will be available. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the noticeboard shortly. Members who are not ACBL Life Masters and who have less than 500 Masterpoints are eligible to take part in this competition.

Open Pairs and Novice Pairs: as you know, these Championships have been postponed – new dates will be announced in due course.

Men’s and Ladies' Pairs: remains scheduled for Saturday, May 21.

And now some news on the beginners’ lessons being given by Bill Pollett and Charles Hall, starting on Tuesday, April 12 at the Bridge Club – the lessons are completely sold out with 50 participants!

Another set of lessons will be held in October so if you know someone who wants to register early for those, or go on the wait-list in case of cancellations for the current series, send an e-mail to bill@pollett.com. Bribes are not frowned upon, so take your best shot.

This is great news for the Club as this is where our new members will come from – given the huge enrolment, Bill and Charles would welcome some helpers at the tables, so if you can do a Tuesday between 7pm and 9pm, please contact Bill at the above e-mail address.

Every once in a while, one gets a hand where, with a little work, declarer can get a perfect picture of the opponents hands and plan the play accordingly. I enjoyed this little number on BBO last Monday (see Figure 1).

East opened three spades – I was sitting South and with an unknown hand behind me decided not to bid and await any developments. I only had 11 points and while the hand had some distribution my main suit was ratty, so it was reasonably easy to pass. West passed and partner reopened with a takeout double – I now had an easy four-heart bid and that closed the auction.

East started with a spade and I ruffed the second round. Ten tricks were guaranteed, so the search was on for the overtrick and that hinged on getting the diamond suit right. So draw trumps, cash one diamond, and play three rounds of clubs ending in hand leaving this position (see Figure 2):

The hand now plays itself as East followed to three clubs, two hearts and a diamond and with seven spades that leaves no room for any other cards in his hand, so the diamond was a singleton.

Knowing that, when a second diamond is now led and West plays the eight he was allowed to win the trick, but now had to hand over the rest of the tricks. A diamond lead would give away two diamond tricks and a black suit lead would provide a ruff and discard. Plus 650 and a clear top – really nice.

On this hand declarer know that the only suit that needs thinking about was diamonds, and before making the play in that suit a bit of discovery in the other suits leads to the right answer.

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, April 1

1. Gertie Barker – Martha Ferguson

2. Molly Taussig – John Glynn

3. Charles Hall – Tony Saunders

Monday, April 4

North/South

1. Judy Bussell – Magda Farag

2. Joyce Pearson – Allyson Eadie

3. Lynanne Bolton – Peter Donnellan

East/West

1. Caroline Svensen – Michael Tait

2. Wendy Gray – Richard Gray

3. Heather Woolf – Julia Beach

Tuesday, April 5

North/South

1. Carol Eastham – Nikki Boyce

2. Sarah Lorimer-Turner – Jane Woodward

3. Jamie Sapsford – Jane Downing

East/West

1. Marion Silver – Duncan Silver

2. Malcolm Moseley – Mark Stevens

3. Tracey Pitt – Desiree Woods

Wednesday, April 6

1. Peter Donnellan – Ed Betteto

2/3Magda Farag – Joe Wakefield

2/3Diana Diel – Pat Siddle

Thursday, April 7

1. Linda Pollett – Elizabeth McKee

2. Marge Way – Charles Hall

3. Jane Smith – Magda Farag