THE Men’s and Ladies’ Championships at the Bermuda Bridge Club take place this coming Monday and Friday. If you want to be certain of a place you must sign up at the club before tomorrow — after that space will only be available if there is a half-table in the event. You have been warned!

Last week saw yet another STAC week at the club and the locals must really be racking up the masterpoints. There were one or two excellent results and on the Wednesday, Bermuda really cleaned up with Vera Petty and Roman Smolski racking up a 75% game in the afternoon to finish first in a 194-pair field and Lynanne Bolton and Steve Ball scoring 70.35% in the evening to finish first in a 134-pair field — both these wins in Flight A, so congrats to both pairs.

Also finishing in first place in the Friday Flight B game were Gertie Barker and Jane Smith with 61% — well done!

Other top three results were:

Monday<$>: Smolski-Petty 2nd Flight A, Ann Sims-Gillian Gray 3rd Flight C.

Monday evening<$>: Smolski-Petty 3rd Flight A

Wednesday: David and Sally Sykes 3rd Flight A

Friday<$>: David and Sally Sykes 2nd Flight A.

A really good set of results for the locals!

It’s been a long time since I featured Zia Mahmood, the brilliant Pakistani, in this column and this defence from the Lederer Memorial at the Young Chelsea Club in London shows that he has lost none of his imagination and daring.

The hand came up against Victor Silverstone and a little extra tension was created by the fact that Zia and Silverstone have each won the Lederer six times and a victory in 2005 would give one of them the outright lead.

Dealer: North. NS vulnerable.North

[spade]9 7 5 4

[heart]A Q 10 7

[diamond]K 5

[club]10 8 2

West East

[spade]3 [spade]Q 10 6 2

[heart]K J 9 4 [heart]3 2

[diamond]A 10 8 6 2 [diamond]Q 9 4 3

[club]9 7 4 [club]A K 3

South

[spade]A K J 8

[heart]8 6 5

[diamond]J 7

[club]Q J 6 5

West North East South

John Chris Zia Victor

Mohan Dixon Mahmood Silverstone

— Pass Pass 1[spade]

Pass 2[spade] Pass Pass

Double Redouble 3[club] Pass

Pass 3[spade] Pass Pass

PassJohn Mohan protected in the West seat after the opponents’ bidding had died in two spades. Zia’s bid of three clubs might not have been the majority choice, but created a bit of excitement. Silverstone didn’t double three clubs on his minimum hand, so Zia never got to demonstrate that his three clubs had been merely lead-directional.

Mohan obediently led a club against three spades. Left to his own devices Silverstone would almost certainly have made the contract, playing East for the spade queen and West for the diamond ace and the heart king-jack. Indeed, there is little else he can do, and both Vladi Isporski for the Spring Foursomes Winners and David Horton for Australia made nine tricks in spades.

However, Zia won with the king and switched to two of hearts. From Silverstone’s point of view this was clearly a singleton, so he rejected the spade finesse and cashed ace and king, getting the bad news. He exited with a club to the ace and Zia played heart three, a real singleton this time!

Silverstone won in dummy and led a spade. Zia went up with queen, played a diamond to his partner’s ace and Mohan had no difficulty giving Zia his heart ruff. Three Spades down one and 5 IMPs to the All Stars, on their way to a 39-21 win. Notice that for Zia’s play to succeed declarer had to be good enough to be misled!

LATEST RESULTS

Bermuda Bridge Club

Monday morning, February 6, N/S: 1. Margaret Way-Gill Butterfield, 2. Greta Marshall-Lisa Burland, 3. Enid Hyland-Anne Edwards. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Ann Sims-Gillian Gray, 3. Pat Siddle-Vivian Siddle.

Monday evening, N/S:<$> 1. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 2. Alan Douglas-Ian Harvey, 3 (jt) Joseph Wakefield-Stephan Juliusburger and Magda Farag-Barbara Huntington. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Kevin Comeau-Charles Hall, 3. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith.

Wednesday morning, N/S: 1. Ian Harvey-Diana Diel, 2. Joan Sims-Gillian Gray, 3. Magda Farag-Elizabeth McKee. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Alice Palmer-Lisa Burland, 3. Mary Arton-Julia Lunn.

Wednesday evening, N/S<$>: 1. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 2. Charles Hall-Jean Johnson, 3. Judith Bussell-Stephanie Kyme. E/W: 1. Stephen Ball-Lynanne Bolton, 2. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 3. Diana Diel-Magda Farag.

Friday, N/S<$>: 1. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 2. Judith Bussell-Stephanie Kyme, 3. Ian Harvey-Alan Douglas. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith, 3. John Burville-David Cordon.