The one session Novice Pairs Championship took place last Tuesday night and it was close at the top with Samantha Pickering and Nick Kempe scoring 21 match points to just edge out Sarah Lorimer Turner and Jane Gregory on 20, with Patricia and Levy Rodrigues in third place with 18.5.

Eight pairs participated and every board was played three times. I took a brief look at the results to see if I could deduce a pattern and one thing became clear, the pairs did not bid enough of their games and none of the slams.

This is perfectly normal at this stage of the game as, to a certain extent, the players subconsciously bid to their declarer play ability, and as that gets better so will the confidence in the bidding.

As an example, there were four slam hands in the evening and in the twelve times they were played 5 pairs bid to game and 7 played in part scores.

I would urge all these players to get the hand records and go through them with their partners (that applies at all levels of the game) and see where they can do better.

At this stage, slams are difficult to bid or play, but an examination of the results will get the players thinking about where they should be bidding once they get more confidence in their declarer play.

Many congratulations to Samantha and Nick, and to Sarah/Jane and Patricia/Levy for an excellent performance — I do know that the first two pairs work hard at their game with discussions away from the table and some play on Funbridge so it is good to see that being rewarded — we look forward to watching their progress in the future.

Next up is the two session Mixed Pairs Championship on April 21 which will follow the now popular format of both sessions being held on a Saturday morning and afternoon.

In the Seventies and Eighties this used to be referred to as the “Divorce Stakes”, but now that there are fewer married couples in the age group, and many of those that remain have wised up that playing with the spouse is a bit a minefield, that description is no longer apt!

In the years of writing this column I try and stay away from complicated hands where I have to show you an “end position” in a new diagram, but sometimes I come across a hand where I just cannot resist and this week is one of those times!

I looked at this constructed hand for over an hour and couldn’t solve it, and when I saw the end result I marvelled at the cleverness of the author, once again Richard Pavlicek of Fort Lauderdale who bases his hands around the now notorious, and fictional, North Pole Regional.

The star again is the red-nosed Rudolph, playing with Randolph against their arch rivals Mush and Slush, inventors of the dreaded Inuit Club system.

Dealer North Both Vulnerable

North opened one Club, East bid 1NT and Rudolph bid …..wait for it … … 7 Diamonds!

This went around to Slush who doubled and it was now up to Rudolph to weave his magic.

I would ask you to try it before reading on but, trust me, that is pointless.

Looking at the losing Club finesse there appears to be no way out of this one … but, given that I am writing a column about this hand, clearly there is!

Mush led the Heart 8 and the crowd agreed that down one is the only result, down one, and I came to the same conclusion. Over to Rudolph.

He covered with the 9 and ruffed the Queen with the 7 of trumps.

Over to a Spade and he led the Diamond 4 and when Slush played the 3 he played the 2!

Then he led the Heart 10 and ruffed the King and now played all his Diamonds but one (discarding Clubs from dummy), and then led a Spade to dummy in this position:

There was now no defence — East cannot discard a Heart as his Ace could then be ruffed out so he discarded a Club.

West also could not discard a Heart — if he did Rudolph would play the Jack from dummy forcing the Ace from Slush and when this was ruffed the Heart 3 in dummy would be good. So West also threw a Club.

Rudolph now cashed the Club Ace dropping both the other Clubs, making his Club 3 a winner — slam made!

Yes, I know, unbelievable — but what incredible imagination and brainpower does it take to construct a hand like this?