So, here’s another one! Thirty-seven years ago, I put a “Hand for Daniel” in this column when he was born; a year later came one for Becky; Christmas Day 2022 saw a hand for my first grandchild Woodrow, courtesy of Becky and George; and now we have a hand for Dylan who arrived for Daniel and Veronica on May 5!

The name Dylan resonates loudly with me – I’d love to sound super cultured and tell you that was because of DylanThomas, but it isn’t – it is of course to do with the incomparable Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan, whom I worshipped in the swinging sixties. My poor parents had to put up with his “wailing” for many a year!

I then got to thinking of which Dylan song would do justice to a bridge hand, and, given that Dylan was so anti-establishment, I thought it only right to choose a hand that contradicts the song title, and chose the 1963 classic Don’t think twice, It’s alright.

An amazing song, but really bad advice for a bridge player. As you know, and young Dylan will eventually discover, that simply does not work at the bridge table! In order to be successful, especially in the play of the hand, you have to think once, think twice, and think again to figure out the correct line of play on a hand. This week’s declarer was clearly a blind disciple of Dylan, as he showed in playing his slam contract! See Figure 1.

South as dealer had a tough choice — he has a terrific spade suit but only 11 points, and without the sixth spade couldn’t open two spades, so he opted to open one spade. That was it — the next thing he heard was a bid of six spades by North, who fell in love with his five-card spade support, 14 points (really 13!) and his club singleton.

So six spades was the contract and West started by taking his club Ace and the switching to a shifty looking low diamond. Our declarer, however, was not going to be tricked by West and played the Queen which lost to the King – down one!

Clearly declarer just followed Dylan’s advice and made the obvious-looking play without much thought – had he thought at least once more he might have seen the answer staring him in the face.

Declarer should realise that even if the diamond finesse works he still needs the heart finesse to work in order to make the slam – and if the heart finesse is working... he doesn’t need the diamond finesse! The full hand is in Figure 2.

South should win the diamond Ace, draw two trumps and play the jack of hearts – there is nothing West can do to stop declarer making four heart tricks and throwing his losing diamond on the fourth heart – contract made!

Given the card-playing lineage of Dylan’s dad and grandad there is not a chance that he would go wrong on this hand! And the amazing Bob is clearly not a bridge player!

To complete the connection, Bob Dylan’s real name was Robert Zimmerman and his parents were Jewish immigrants from Ukraine – but I know you knew that!

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, June 2

1. John Glynn-Molly Taussig

2. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

3. Judith Bussell-Lisa Rhind

Monday, June 5

North/South

1. Joseph Wakefield-Stephanie Kyme

2. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

3. Jack Rhind-Margaret Way

East/West

1. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

2. Martha Ferguson-Judy King

3. Lorna Anderson-Heather Woolf

Tuesday, June 6

North/South

1. Malcolm Moseley-Mark Stevens

2. Wenda Krupp-Jane Gregory

3. Amanda Ingham-Heidi Dyson

East/West

1. Nikki Boyce-Carol Eastham

2. Vivian Pereira-Sarah Bowers

3. Sandra Ogden-George Ogden

Wednesday, June 7

1. Richard Siddle-Diana Diel

2. Richard Gray-Wendy Grey

3. Lynanne Boulton-Gretta Marshall

Thursday, June 8

No Game