Before I get to the sectional results a bit more on the excellent performance by Annelies Scheland and Heather Woolf in the Worldwide Bridge Pairs event where they finished a remarkable 13th out of the 3,267 pairs that took part. I decided to take a good look at their results and what struck me was the number of boards on which they shot the lights out in terms of match points. They played 24 boards and on nine of them they scored more than 90 per cent of the match points! On another four boards they scored more than 80 per cent, a mere five boards were in the average plus range and six were below average with only two of those in basement territory with less than ten per cent of the match points. A really excellent performance from a pair that does not often figure in the Open events and one which I am sure outstrips all previous finishes by a Bermuda pair in this event — many congratulations to Annelies and Heather who have deservedly been receiving plaudits for their finish.

Now to the Sectional results — firstly the two single session events that were won by Diana Diel and Pat Siddle on the Friday and Rachael Gosling and Elizabeth McKee on the Monday. The Saturday two session David Ezekiel Bridge Column Pairs Championship was won by Misha Novakovic and Charles Hall who had a huge 72 per cent first session which was a massive three boards ahead of second and rode that to a comfortable four board win over Robert Todd and Simon Giffen in second and Rachael Gosling and Stephanie Kyme in third.

Sunday saw the two session Gosling Brothers Team Championship and the team of Robert Todd, John Burville, David Cordon and Julia Lunn had eight wins out of eight to lap the field, finishing a full match ahead of second placed Rachael Gosling, Simon Giffen, Elizabeth McKee and John Glynn who themselves had an excellent six wins out of eight.

The final event was the Friday-Monday Championship Pairs where Jane Smith and Alan Douglas and Robert Todd and Peter Donnellan were the only two pairs entering the second session with plus 60 per cent scores. When the dust had settled, however, Todd and Donnellan finished on top, half a board ahead of the fast charging Charles Hall and John Glynn with Douglas-Smith another half board behind in third.

In the other strata Paul Thompson and Greg Carey won the B group in the Monday-Friday game with Katrina Van Pelt and Judy King winning the C strata.

In the David Ezekiel pairs Katrina partnered Donna Leitch and won playing up in B and Pat and Barbara Cerra won the C strata. Well done all!

The tournament was a great success, with good attendance and hospitality, so well done to chairman Paul Thompson and Jack Rhind, the tournament director. Results wise, the visiting Robert Todd had a great weekend with two Championship wins out of the three, a second in the other and placings in the two single session events — well done!

This week’s hand is an excellent example of sensible card reading and excellent declarer play.

Dealer North E/W Vulnerable

North

S A74

H J109

D AK873

C 54

West East

S KQ1096 S 852

H 74 H 832

D 109 D QJ4

C A1087 C QJ63

South

S J3

H AKQ65

D 652

C K92

The bidding was good. North opened one Diamond, South bid a Heart and West bid a Spade — North now made a “support double” showing three Hearts and South bid the Heart game.

West led the Spade King which declarer ducked, noting the 2 from East showing an odd number — West continued with the Spade King and declarer ducked again!

West now switched to the Diamond ten but declarer was one step ahead.

He won the Diamond, drew two rounds of trumps with the nine and the Ace, crossed to the Diamond and discarded his third Diamond on the Ace of Spades.

Now a Diamond ruffed high and a low trump to the Jack allowed declarer to cash two good Diamonds discarding Clubs … now declarer had just one Club to lose. The hand made with 5 trumps, 4 Diamonds and a Spade!

Great play by declarer — he placed the Club Ace with West on the bidding and then simply played the hand to keep East off lead and avoid the deadly club through the King — really, really good!