The ACBL Nationals are well under way in Toronto and quite a few pairs are attending from Bermuda … if you are going and do something exceptional, or know of someone else who does, please e-mail me on dez@vlm.bm and I’ll put it in the column if deemed worthy! Coming joint 5th in the 9am Earlybird Pairs, for instance, will not make the column!

As many of you know I am a big fan of BridgeBase Online, though I am getting increasingly frustrated at players leaving after a bad result or, even worse, in the middle of a hand which looks like leading to a bad result! It would be good if there was an automatic tracking of this resulting in penalties but that gets complicated. Anyway, I really enjoy the site and Fred Gitelman deserves huge credit for bringing it to us.

Now news of another site that looks interesting and below is the bulletin from the International Bridge Press Association.

July 12, 2017. Funbridge, Official partner of the World Bridge Championships that will be held in Lyon from August 12-26, 2017, has announced that it will be broadcasting matches live.

It is a first for Funbridge. Bridge players from all over the world will have access to the best matches

of the World Championships for free using the Funbridge app.

Now available on a single screen:

•Live presentations of the best matches deal by deal

•Live streaming of the tables with the players

•Expert commentary

•Results and rankings updated live. Feel free to share this information with your members, licence-holders and readers.

Funbridge in a few figures:

•1 million deals played every day

•55,000 daily online players

•A community of 450,000 members from over 150 countries

•12 languages

•Available on Mac, PC, tablets and smartphones

Commented tournaments, exclusive tournaments, series tournaments, practice deals, challenges and much more give bridge fanatics the opportunity to compare themselves to thousands of players, challenge opponents and make progress. Funbridge is the partner of several federations: FFB (France), EBU (England), NBF (Norway), FSB (Switzerland) and WBF. It offers federation-sanctioned tournaments allowing federation members to get National points or Master points.

For more information, please contact Jérôme Rombaut, 2016 European Team Champion, Deputy Managing Director jerome.rombaut@goto-games.com / +33 (0) 6 86 52 40 68.

So there you are, give it a try if interested.

I love today’s hand which I came across some years ago as it showed a declarer who saw the danger on the hand, worked out a plan and then executed it beautifully by using his trumps very carefully.

Dealer East N/S Vul

? QJ73

? J954

? 72

? AQ2

? 9 ? 4

? 86 ? AKQ1072

? K109543 ?QJ8

?J986 ?K104

?AK108652

?3

?A6

? 753

The Bidding:

West North East South

1H 1S

Pass 2H 3H 4S

North’s 2 Heart bid showed a good raise in Spades and South was happy to accept the invitation.

West led the Heart 8 against 4 Spades. Declarer could count 9 tricks and the 10th could come from the Club finesse but on the bidding it was probable that East had the Club King and declarer made his plan on that basis.

Declarer covered the 8 with the 9 — East took this with the 10 and now switched to the Diamond Queen. Declarer rose with the Ace and now concentrated on keeping the danger hand, West, off lead as a Club switch would be damaging.

Declarer now played the Spade 10, preserving his low Spades, and overtook with the Jack in dummy, drawing both trumps.

Now the Jack of Hearts was played and when East played the Queen declarer threw his Diamond away, East tried a Diamond but declarer ruffed high, played the 8 of Spades to the Queen and played another Heart, ruffing high.

Now declarer crossed to the 7 of Spades and the last Heart was played in this position:

? 3

? 4

?

?AQ2

? ? ? ?AK

?K109 ?8

? J98 ?K104

?A65

?

?

?753

Declarer now played the last hear and when East played the King declarer refused to ruff, discarding a low Club. East was now dead — play a Club into the AQ or give Declarer a ruff and discard … ten tricks Really beautiful declarer play.