Local Players have now had a short breather after the Bermuda Regional, but that comes to a halt next week with the men’s and ladies’ pairs championships taking place on Monday, February 22, and Friday, February 26.

The separation of the genders in a mind sport is somewhat anachronistic in this day and age, but these events have been on the calendar for decades and the tradition continues. I don’t intend to get into that discussion any further.

This week’s hand is short and simple but shows the need for clear thinking from declarer when dummy hits the table.

South Dealer E/W Vulnerable:

S: AQJ

H: A5

D: AQJ962

C K7

S: 109

H: KQJ1064

D: 1084

C: Q3

South opened the hand a weak 2 Hearts and North made the marvellously practical bid of 6 Hearts.

There is no sensible way to bid this hand and even if North employed Blackwood and found partner with the Club Ace, the Diamond suit is still a mystery, so bidding the grand slam is out of the question — so the small slam bid is entirely reasonable.

West did what many players would do on a non cue-bid sequence by cashing the Club Ace at trick one and then when dummy came down following with a sneaky looking two of Spades. Refusing to be tricked, declarer played the Queen which lost to the King, down one.

Declarer did not think about the play at trick two long enough. Even if the Spade finesse works, the slam does not make unless the Diamond finesse works — and if the Diamond finesse works, the Spade finesse is totally unnecessary.

The full deal:

NORTH

S: AQJ

H: A5

D: AQJ962

C: K7

EAST

S: K765

H: 932

D: 5

C: J10985

SOUTH

S: 109

H: KQJI064

D: 1084

S: Q3

WEST

S: 8432

H: 87

D: k73

S: A642

So the right play is pretty easy — win the Spade Ace, draw trumps and then play the Diamond 10 ... the hand now rolls in and declarer chalks up a very satisfying 980, resulting in a very good board and a very happy partner.