The Bermuda Sectional is upon us and yesterday will have seen the first two single session Pairs events. Today, Saturday, has two more single session events at the unusual times of 10am and 2pm, almost back to back, Sunday sees the two Session Teams event at 1pm and 7.30 pm and on Monday there are yet another two pairs events at 1pm and 7.30pm . The closing party and prizegiving will follow the Monday evening session.

A lot of work goes into organising the Sectional so hopefully the members will try and play in as many sessions as possible - Full results next week!

Also news that the non-Life Masters pairs has one again been postponed and will now be held on Thursdays November 30th and December 7th , on either side of the Christmas Party which has been scheduled for Saturday December 2nd .So put those dates in your diaries.

This week’s hand is really nice as declarer showed some real invention in finding a route to success .

Dealer East. Neither vulnerable.

North

S 53

H??A1092

D J843

C AK5

West

S 1042

H 53

D 752 •

C QJ982 ?

East

S ?76 H ?KJ8764 D Q1086 C 3

South

S AKQJ98 H Q D AK C 10764 ?

?

East opened a standard weak two in hearts and Southmade a natural strong jump overcall in his main suit, spades.

After a couple of control-showing bids, North used Roman Key Card Blackwood to discover that his partner had three key cards along with the king of diamonds and the queen of trumps, so he bid the spade slam.

West led the five of hearts. Declarer could count eleven winners – the problem was finding a safe twelfth. At first sight it seemed to be one of those deals where declarer thinks he would probably have

to guess which squeeze to execute in the endgame.

Then, rather suddenly, a new idea struck him and he called for the two of hearts at trick one. East took the trick with the king of hearts and exited with his singleton three of clubs.

Declarer made no mistake at this point. He took the trick with dummy’s king of clubs and, as there was only one entry left to dummy, he called for the nine of hearts next. East played the jack and declarer ruffed it with his eight of trumps. After drawing trumps with the ace, king and queen, declarer claimed twelve tricks – six trumps along with two tricks in each of the side suits.

Great play and declarer found it by doing all his thinking before playing a card from dummy at trick one – take note.

Bridge results

Monday afternoon

North/South

1. Louise Rodger/Lyn O’Neill

2. Elizabeth McKee/Stephanie Kyme

3. Joseph Wakefield/Harry Kast

East/West

1. Janice Trott/Michael Bickley

2/3. G Barker/J Beach

C Hall/T Saunders

Monday evening

1. John Glynn/Sheena Rayner

2. Gertrude Barker/Jane Smith

3. P Siddle/D Diel, R Gosling/E McKee

Tuesday evening

North/South

1. David Pickering/John Luebkemann

2. Margaret Kirk/Marion Ezedinma

3. Wenda Krupp/A. Diana Rayner

East/West

1. Linda Abend/Heather Farrugia

2. Claude Guay/Sharon Shanahan

3. Richard Keane/Diana Dows

Wednesday morning

North/South

1. Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton

2. Jean Johnson/Linda Pollett

3. Aida Bostelmann/Shirley Higgins

East/West

1. Charles Hall/Tony Saunders

2. Patricia Colmet/Marilynn Simmons

3. Gertrude Barker/Jane Smith

Thursday evening

Senior/Junior Game

North/South

1. Gertrude Barker/Mike Viotti

2. Russell Craft/Lisa Ferrari

3. Martha Ferguson/Michael Antar

East/West

1. Margaret Way/David Pickering

2. Linda Abend/Heather Farrugia

3. David Sykes/Claude Guay

Friday afternoon

North/South

1. Tony Saunders/Jean Johnson

2. Janice Trott/Lyn O’Neill

3. Greta Marshall/Heather Woolf

East/West

1. George Correia/Michael Bickley

2. Elizabeth McKee/Diana Diel

3. Ellen Davidson/Dianna Kempe