Wow, what a finish to the Bermuda National Pairs! In a volatile second session the pairs of Charles Hall-Tony Saunders and Vera Petty-Roman Smolski came from deep within the pack to finish joint winners. In third place were Marge Way-Lynanne Bolton, with first round leaders John Glynn-Elizabeth McKee in 4th and John Rayner-Alan Douglas in 5th.

If you remember in last week's column, I thought that any pair in the first ten after the first session could win the event, but Tony and Charles hauled themselves up from 12th place with a monster 69.36 percent second session whilst Petty- Smolski improved from fourth with a 62 percent-plus game. It just shows that one should never give up and just play with full effort and concentration …and good things sometimes happen. Well done to the winners and all the top pairs who produced the excitement.

One of the winners, Charles Hall, sent me this hand:

Board 15. N/S Vul. Dealer South.

♠KQ

♥965

♦QJ10975

♣K2

♠10974 ♠A63

♥K84 ♥J732

♦A86432 ♦none

♣none ♣Q108742

♠J852

♥AQ10

♦K

♣AJ963

David,

An enjoyable hand from the second session of the recent pairs championship, South played in 3NT after North showed long diamonds.

We hit gold with the ten of spades lead, to the ace, and out a spade. South led a diamond to the king, which was allowed to hold, and now stuck for an exit chose a small heart which ran to Easts Jack. A small spade through declarer was taken by the 9, and South was thrown in with the last spade.

South now had to tackle the clubs, leading to the king, and taking the marked finesse through west, but then had to surrender two clubs to east on the second of which west in a final irony pitched the ace of diamonds, to be able to take a second setting trick with the King of Hearts.

Down two was worth plus 200, and a complete top on the board.

Charles

Really nice hand and the spade lead and continuation was a killer blow as it removes the second entry to dummy and kills the diamond suit.

Can South do better ? Probably ... when the king of diamonds holds declarer can cross to the king of clubs and play on diamonds … once West wins he has to lead a heart or a spade ( best ) giving declarer a free trick in either. Let's say he returns a spade to declarers 8 … declarer now cashes the last spade and exits with the queen of hearts …West wins and must return a heart and declarer now has seven tricks (3 spades, 2 hearts, a diamond and a club) in this position:

♠none

♥none

♦J10

♣2

♠none ♠none

♥none ♥7♦864 ♦none

♣none ♣Q10

♠none

♥none

♦none

♣AJ9

Assuming East had not thrown the long heart the contract is one down … assuming he did not!

Great game this!

LATEST RESULTS

Monday afternoon, November 1

N/S 1. Heather Woolf-Richard Gray 2. Joan Sims-Julia Beach 3. Aida Bostelmann-Wendy Gray E/W 1. Joyce abd Ted Pearson 2. Charles Gambrill-Carl Hoyas 3. Jane McCleary-Russ Craft

Monday evening, November 1

N/S 1. John Glynn-Elizabeth McKee ?. Margie Way-Lynanne Bolton ?.Gertie Barker-Jane Smith

Wednesday morning, November 3

N/S 1. Jean Johnson-Magda Farag

2. Wendy & Richard Gray 3. Greta Marshall-Louise Rodger E/W 1. Michael Bickley-Harry Kast 2. Diana Diel-Pat Siddle 3. Trish Colmet-Pat Hayward

Wednesday evening, November 3

N/S 1. Barrie Mckay-Paul Thompson 2. Debbie Jhuboo-Peter Jones 3. Kath & Geoff Bell E/W 1. Rosie Smith-Julia Patton 2. Judy Harte-Cathy Coshum 3. Joy Lusher-Elma Anfossi

Thursday, November 4

N/S 1. Russ Craft-Dick Meredith ?. Barrie Mckay-Charles Pearman ?. Judy Harte-Andy Carne

Friday evening, November 5

N/S 1. Charles Hall-Tony Saunders

2. Jean Johnson-Diana Diel 3. Roman Smolski-Vera Petty