Not a lot happening at the Club right now with a STAC week starting on the 6th and the Non-Life Masters Pairs scheduled for the 18th. You might also want to put July 13th in the diary for the Bridge Club Summer Party.

The hand this week is a little bit about the bidding, and then more about the declarer play.

Dealer South. N/S Vul — TEAMS

(1) Michaels — 2 suited hand with the majors

The bidding was very revealing though I’m not sure it really changed the best line of play on the hand.

After East showed a two suited hand with the majors, North made a bid showing some values and South then had no hesitation jumping to 3NT with his 18 points and great diamond honours, expecting to run at least 5 or 6 diamond tricks.

West led the heart queen and dummy was a disappointment, but not all bad — declarer had 7 top tricks and needed two more — choose your line of play before reading on!

Clearly the best (only?) chance was that the two extra tricks would come from the diamond suit, but this had to be done without letting East get the lead, as a spade switch could be fatal for declarer.

Declarer won the heart trick and crossed to a high club in order to play the jack of diamonds — East covered and declarer won the Ace and the contract was now assured with careful play.

Declarer crossed to the jack of clubs, noting with interest that West followed suit, meaning he started with a 5-5-1-2 distribution and thus had no diamonds left.

Declarer now played the diamond nine and when East played low so did declarer — when this held declarer had nine tricks with 2 hearts, 3 diamonds and 4 clubs — contract made!

Not really difficult but it just needed a clear head and some attention to those diamond spot cards with the 9 and 8 in dummy proving crucial

The opening lead was interesting and I think I would have led the spade Queen which will usually set up four tricks in the suit and would only need partner to get in once.

It makes no difference on this hand, as declarer now needs only two tricks from the diamond suit and will make the same nine tricks, possibly ten, if he again finesses the diamond.

That is 95 per cent certain to work and acceptable at Pairs, but not at Teams where you never jeopardise making the contact for an overtrick.

Bridge Results to April 22, 2019

Monday afternoon

North/South

1. Judith Bussell/Diana Diel

2. Julia Patton/Jeanette Shaw

3. Lynanne Bolton/Molly Taussig

East/West

1. Gertrude Barker/Heather Woolf

2. Sancia Garrison/Martha Ferguson

3. Elizabeth McKee/Stephanie Kyme

Tuesday evening

North/South

1. S Lorimer-Turner/Noula Contibas

2. Malcolm Moseley/Mark Stevens

East/West

1. Joe Hobbs/Sarah Bowers

2. Nick Kempe/Jason Rhind

Wednesday morning

North/South

1. Janice Trott/Gordon Bussell

2. Donna Leitch/Kathleen Keane

3. P Donnellan/J King/M Taussig/W Gray

East/West

1. William Pollett/Linda Pollett

2. Greta Marshall/Lynanne Bolton

3. P Siddle/J Beach/M Way/H Woolf

Thursday evening

North/South

1. Jane Smith/Judith Bussell

2. John Burville/Mike Viotti

3. Margaret Way/Diana Diel

East/West

1. Simon Giffen/Rachael Gosling

2. Linda Pollett/Elizabeth McKee

3. William Pollett/Peter Donnellan

Friday afternoon

North/South

1. Elizabeth McKee/Diana Diel

2. Richard Gray/Gordon Bussell

3. Judith Bussell/Linda Pollett

East/West

1. Patricia Siddle/Marilynn Simmons

2. Margaret Way/Desmond Nash

3. Betsy Baillie/S Lorimer Turner