THE Bermuda teams have started play in the CACBF Championships which leads to qualification for the Bermuda Bowl. Results on the web are a little bit difficult to decipher but the Ladies appear to have made a better start than the Open team. Early results appear to be (after six rounds):

Openam <$>(rank 5th out of 9)

First round: Bye

Second round: Beat Trinidad & Tobago 16-14

Rounds 4-6: No details

Ladieeam <$>(rank 3rd out of 6)

First round: Beat Barbados 19-11

Second round: Lost 1-25 to Guadeloupe

Third round: Beat Cura|0xe7|ao 22 - 8

This hand just came in from Cura|0xe7|ao and shows some excellent bidding by John Burville and David Cardon to avoid a doomed 5-3 fit and settle in a very solid 4-4 ‘golden fit’ which resulted in a huge swing.

Here is the Bulletin report:

Crucial Board

Cura|0xe7|ao v Bermuda (round 4). A crucial board throughout the field was rd 19<$>

Dlr South

E/W vulNorth

[spade]J 8 5

[heart]A 8 5 4

[diamond]10 8

[clu J 3 2

West East

[spade] - [spade]10 9 7 6 3

[heart]J 9 7 3 2 [heart]Q 10

[diamond]A 9 6 4 3 2 [diamond]Q 7 5

[club]9 8 [club] 6 5 4

South<$>

[spade]A K Q 4 2

[heart] K 6

[diamond]K J

[spade]K Q 10 7Bakir-Van Vliet for Cura|0xe7|ao bid to 6[spade] and faced immediate defeat when trumps broke as bad as they could. At the other table:West North East South

Sewrajsing Cordon KistemakeBurville<$>

1[spade]

Pass 1NT Pass 3[club]

Pass 4[diamond] (1) Pass 5[club] (2)

Pass 6[club] All pass1. Kickback: Roman Key Card for clubs

2. Two keycards with [club]Q

Nicely done, quickly claimed after the [diamond]A lead and 16 imps to Bermuda — excellent result!

I’ll bring you more news when I get it.