When I gave my talk at the Bridge Club in April the main message was getting players to try and think clearly and think ahead before they make a bid or play.

Part of that thinking is to count your tricks, and declarer at the first table on this hand clearly failed at that (see hand in Figure 1 and bidding in Figure 2).

This was from a strong teams game and the bidding was the same at both tables.

South opened a strong two clubs, North’s two diamonds was a negative, and after South’s 2NT bid showing 23-24 points North transferred to the spade game.

The lead was the same at both tables, the two of clubs. At both tables, East took his Ace of clubs and returned the Queen of clubs.

At the first table, declarer played the King of clubs and when this was ruffed he was in trouble. As West did not want to return a red suit into the strong notrump hand, that player got off play with ace and another trump.

Declarer could do no better than take the diamond finesse for his contract. When West took South’s Jack of diamonds with the Queen, declarer had to concede a one-trick set.

At the other table, the declarer was a careful soul. He saw that the only danger to the contract if he played the King of clubs at trick two was that the suit was 1=6 and with the Queen of diamonds wrong.

Also, from knowing his customers, declarer was confident that East would have opened the bidding with six clubs headed by the Ace-Queen if he had also been dealt the Ace of spades as well. So, this declarer played a low club under East’s Queen at trick two.

East continued with a third round of clubs, in the hope of promoting a trump in West’s hand. It was not to be, for declarer was able to ruff in dummy and lead a trump to his King. As expected, West took this with the Ace and, like his counterpart at the other table, exited with a trump.

Declarer was then able to draw the defensive trumps with his Queen and Jack. Now he claimed ten tricks: five trumps, the four red-suit winners and the King of clubs. In effect the heart loser in dummy went away on the carefully preserved King of clubs.

A little bit of thought – and count your tricks!

• I'm sad to report the passing of Sheila Mairi Reilly in California last week. Sheila played at the Bridge Club in the 1970s and 1980s, so some of you may remember her. She played competitive Duplicate Bridge for over 20 years with her partner Barbara Anderson, achieving the rank of Bronze Life Master.

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, June 30

1. Charles Hall-Molly Taussig

2. Peter Donnellan-Lynanne Bolton

3. Margaret Way-Jane Smith

Monday, July 3

North/South

1. Peter Donnellan-Lynanne Bolton

2. Linda Pollett-Margaret Way

3. Stephanie Kyme-Joseph Wakefield

East/West

1. Charles Hall-William Pollett

2. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

3. Judith Bussell-Diana Diel

Tuesday, July 4

North/South

1. Jean Schilling-John Thorne

2. Sally Irvine-Linda Manders

3. Ahzjanai Smith-Daque Davis

East/West

1. Catherine Kennedy-Wenda Krupp

2. Jane Downing-Jamie Sapsford

3. Keri McKittrick-Tim McKittrick

Wednesday, July 5

1. Tony Saunders Molly Taussig

2. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

3. Patricia Siddle-Diana Diel

Thursday, July 6

North/South

1. Charles Hall-Stephanie Kyme

2. Betsy Ballie-Sharon Shanahan

3. William Pollett-Kristy Pollett

East/West

1. Elizabeth McKee-Linda Pollett

2. John Glynn-Wenda Krupp

3. Robert Mulderig-Judy King