By the time this column appears the majority of the overseas visitors to the 2014 Bermuda Regional will be making their way back home, leaving us all a bit sad and deflated.

The Regional Week is always one that is filled with excitement, fun and tension and it takes a while for life to get back to normal. We are really lucky in Bermuda to have a classy group of people attending our tournament. Most of our visitors are from the USA and Canada, with a smattering from the UK and continental Europe and they come because of what the tournament represents — good bridge in great surroundings, played in a manner that is a bit of a throwback to more genteel days at or away from the table. This year’s event looks like it will break all recent attendance records with more than 400 visitors and, more importantly, will create as much goodwill and good feelings for Bermuda as ever.

The locals have already made a bright start at the tournament and I expect to see a lot of locals in next week’s column, in which I will bring you the full round-up and overall placings in each of the events. So watch this space.

Given that it is Regional Week, and that this column can be used in Janet Evans’ excellent Regional Daily Bulletin, I am going to pull out of the drawer an Ezekiel ‘old chestnut’ ... one of my favourite ever column hands mainly because it is almost counter-intuitive in the declarer play.

Game All. Dealer South

(Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs)

North: 6532 / AQJ8 / AQ3 / 76

South: AKJ84 / K109 / K5 / A53

South opened 1 Spade, North temporised with a forcing 1NT and when South rebid 2NT showing a strong 5-3-3-2 hand, North made the value bid of 6 Spades, a really good no-nonsense contract that had to have a chance if partner had what he had announced.

West led the Club King and the slam had a lot of chances. Declarer won the Ace and tried the Ace-King of Spades and received the disappointing news of the Spade loser. There were still chances as South has two discards available on the red suits as long as West can’t ruff in too early. Looking at the short Diamond suit declarer started there but when West ruffed the third round of Diamonds the slam went down one.

Unlucky? Perhaps, but also technically wrong.

The full hand:

(Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs)

North: 6532 / AQJ8 / AQ3 / 76

East: 9 / 74 / 987642 / 9842

South: AKJ84 / K109 / K5 / A53

West: Q107 / 7654 / J10 / KQJ10

It looks right to start on diamonds but let’s think about it. Even if South gets rid of a Club on the Diamond without West ruffing in, declarer still needs West to hold at least three Hearts in order to get the second discard, so in fact declarer should start the Hearts first. If both opponents follow to all three Hearts declarer should revert to Diamonds, take the first club pitch on the Diamonds and then play the 13th Heart pitching the second Club and West ruffs in too late.

On the actual hand, however, declarer gets a pleasant surprise on the third Heart when East, who has no trumps left, shows out. Declarer can now play the fourth Heart taking a Club pitch and then play on Diamonds — West can ruff the third round but by now the losing Clubs have gone and the contract makes.

I love this hand. Which means you will see it again some time in the future.