The Trials for the Carribean and Central American Bridge Federation Championships, to be held in Barbados next March, took place at the Bridge Club last weekend and at the end of the four session event the three successful pairs were Alan Douglas and John Burville, Judith Bussell and Stephanie Kyme and Lyn O’Neill and Diana Diel. Congratulations to all three pairs.

There were only seven pairs entered for the trials and after the first session a upset seemed in store with Russ Craft and Paul Thompson scoring a resounding 35.5 IMPs (it was IMP Pairs scoring) to lead the field from Douglas and Burville on 30, Diel and O’Neill on zero and all the rest in negative territory.

The next session, however, saw Bussell and Kyme make a big move and at the halfway point Burville and Douglas had a narrow lead on this pair with Craft and Thompson in third with zero, having given up their first session score.

After the third session, ahead of the decisive one, Thompson and Craft had regained the lead and stood on 35 again, ahead of Douglas and Burville on 27 and Farag and Rayner on 15.5.

There were, however, big swings in the last session where Douglas and Burville extended their score to 62.5 but the second and third placed pairs had really poor results to let in Bussell and Kyme with a total of 31 and O’Neill and Diel with a total of six. Just missing out were Gertie Barker and Jane Smith on -2.50.

Again, well done to the three selected pairs who should give a good account of themselves in Barbados. A lot of work needs to be done to get these trials fields up in numbers and also to get some of the younger players trying out for these representative events. The field had quality and experience, but nearly all of these players were playing when I was a regular and that was some time ago.

This hand came up on Bridge Base tonight in a Pairs game and earning a top turned out to be surprisingly easy.

?

S ?K10632

H A75

D K8

C J76

S AQ875

H 4

D Q7

? C A9832

South opened a spade and North had an easy raise to 4 Spades when West passed – West led the heart king. Plan the play and then look at all four hands.

S K10632

H A75

D K8

C J76

S 4 S J9

H KQJ63 H 10982

D J9643 D A1052

C Q10 C K54

S AQ875

H 4

D Q7

C A9832

Ten tricks look easy so you have to go on the hunt for an eleventh. Win the heart, ruff a heart and play a low diamond to the King which loses to the Ace and a diamond comes back. it is easy now.

Win the diamond, draw trumps ending in dummy, and ruff the last heart coming to this position.

S 1063

H ?

D

C J76

S S ?

H Q H 10

D J96 D 105

C Q10 C K54

S Q

H??????????? ?

D

C A9832

Now Ace and another club seals the deal. West wins, as East cannot afford to overtake, nd has to provide a ruff and discard. On this play the hand makes anytime one of the opponents has a doubleton honour, or, if East started with a singleton honour. Try it.

This is a simple elimination play that you will meet time and time again at the table. So study it well.