When I first arrived in Bermuda some 40 years ago, I did what all card-carrying bridge addicts do — I got off the British Airways flight, checked into the temporary accommodation that had been arranged for me, made sure my wife had some food, and headed down to the Bridge Club!

It was in ‘Overbay’ on Pitts Bay Road at the time and I needed to check it out at the first opportunity.

I got there and the Director for the evening was none other than Tony Saunders, who was already a major figure in Bermuda Bridge at the time. Tony greeted me well and when I asked him which pair I should kibitz he put me behind one of the leading pairs at the time — Graham and Ivy Rosser.

So it was with fond memories that I saw that Ivy, who is still a regular and strong player, celebrated her 95th birthday at the Club last week.

She is, and always has been, an amazing woman in every respect and is irrefutable evidence of the benefits of playing this obsessive game, which has clearly played some part in her ability to look and play like someone a few decades younger.

I saw this hand in Andrew Robson’s excellent column in The Times of London and had to bring it to you as an example of analysis and declarer play that most can only dream of, and yet makes such sense when looked at in a post mortem.

N/S Vul Dealer South

North

S 42

H 83

D AK86

C QJ875

West East

S K S 10865

H 106542 H KQJ97

D Q5 D 74

C AK1094 C 62

South

S AQJ973

H A

D J10932

C 3

The Bidding:

South West North East

1S 2S(1) DBL 6H!

6S Pass Pass Pass

First to the bidding. West’s 2 Spade bid was a very flawed. Michael’s cue-bid showing at least 5-5 in Hearts and a minor and the reason it is flawed is the horrible Heart suit and the fact that so many points in the hand were in the short suits.

Anyway, the action certainly stirred things up! North made a value showing double and East then decided to turn the screws and leap to 6H! South was in no mood to collect what would have been 500 and a horrible board by doubling so he took the push to 6 Spades.

West led the Club Ace and then switched to a Heart. declarer won and played a low Diamond to the King and then did some thinking. For the contract to make he had to pick up all the Spades and Diamonds must be 2-2.

If West had two Diamonds that would only leave room in his hand for one Spade as he already announced ten other cards … and if he only had one Spade it meant that East had Kxxx and the King could not be captured. Unless ... West’s one spade was the King!

Backing his judgment declarer played a Spade to the Ace and lo and behold the King came down! Now another Diamond to the Ace and a Spade to the 9 finessing East’s 10 and the slam made!

Absolutely awesome! As I said earlier, plays like this are a wonder to behold and is what separates the experts from the rest.

The interesting thing is that the thought process and conclusion make absolute sense when explained — it is just difficult getting there on one’s own!