As we roll towards Christmas and the holiday season local players will have started planning their games for the Bermuda Regional which starts on Saturday January 25 and concludes with the prizegiving dinner on the 31st. I know that tournament chair Katrina Van Pelt and her team have been working for a long time on this year’s event and I think the turnout will be excellent. More updates later.

There is still a lot of bridge to be played between now and then and the new Sunday afternoon. Open game at 2pm has had two weeks on the calendar - it has had a slow start but I am sure it will be a huge success, particularly in the winter months. There is also a Newcomers game on Tuesday nights for those with 0-10 points and that will help build up club membership over the years.

The club have also announced that the game on Friday (22nd) will be a scored in a teams format as they seek to give players more experience at IMPS. On Monday (25th) the club will stage the local session of the ACBL-wide charity pairs and on the 26th the club has scheduled the novice pairs for players with 0-20 master points - this event was cancelled last year due to lack of entries but should attract interest this year with all the teaching and mentoring activity taking place at the club.

This week’s hand features Fred Gitelman, the brilliant Canadian who has turned Bridge Base Online into the go-to site for bridge online.

None Vul ... Dealer South

(Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs)

North: Q64 / AKQJ5 / K8 / 985

East: J82 / 104 / Q97542 / J3

South: AK1097 / 63 / J3 / AK64

West: 53 / 9872 / A106 / Q1072

WEST / NORTH / EAST / SOUTH

- / - / - / 1S

Pass / 3S / Pass / 4c

Pass / 4D / Pass / 4NT

Pass / 5C / Pass / 5D

Pass / 6S / All Pass

South’s 4 Club bid showed extra values and the rest was all a cue bidding sequence, Gitelman was South. In the other room N/S stopped in 4 Spades. West led the Diamond six, declarer played low and ended up with an overtrick.

In Gitelman’s room Fred was in the small slam and sitting West was Sabine Auken and she led - the six of Diamonds. Gitelman thought for a bit and then called for the Diamond King. He now made an overtrick and scored 11imps for the eventual winners.

How did he guess correctly? Well he had some information. Firstly, East did not double the 5D bid asking for a Diamond lead. Secondly, West knew that any Diamond control was likely to be in the North hand on the bidding and that made the underlead of the Ace ever more compelling (but to be avoided as much as possible). Brilliant play from all concerned.