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An elimination play where the declarer can grab +420

The Junior-Senior game took place last Tuesday and had an excellent turnout of 29 pairs.The winners, with a great game of 67.31 percent, were Alan Douglas and Mary Leigh Burnett followed by Bill Tucker-Betsy Carstairs in second with 62.28 percent and Lynanne Bolton-Joan Ross on 58.64 percent. Rounding off the top six were Gordon Bussell-Marika Peterich in 4th, John Glynn-Barbara Cerra in 5th and Sheena Rayner-Peter Jones in 6th.This is a tough game so it is worth naming all those pairs finishing above 50 percent and these included Lyn O’Neill-Linda Manders, Stephanie Kyme-Willi Christensen, Pat Colmet-Louise Payne, Gertie Barker-Gillian Hamilton, Richard Gray-Susan Adhemar, Pat Siddle-Claire Rush, Judy King-Joyce Pearson, Diana Diel-Noula Contibas, Martha Ferguson-Jane Clipper, Katrina Van Pelt-Lidge Raben-Levetzau, John Hoskins-Marsha Fraser and Michael Bickley-Gabriel Patterson.Well done to all. It is tough for the Juniors to play at this level and is brave for them to sign up, and it is good to see the Seniors responding in such numbers to help make this event a success. Bridge is a partnership game and all involved should be pleased and well done to the Bridge Club for staging this event. And a special well done to Mary Leigh, Betsy and Joan … and their partners.This week’s hand is one which the Senior players on Tuesday would get right pretty quickly but the Juniors would probably lose their way. It is the simplest example of a straightforward elimination play but it turns up so often that I make no apologies for putting hands like this in the column, as knowing how to handle them will yield bushels of points over the years.Board 3. E/W Vul. Dealer South.S-874H-K874D-J92C-KJ10S-QJ10 S-9652H-10 3 H-652D-A753 D-K108C-8762 C-543S-AK3H-AQJ9D-Q64C-AQ9WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH2CPass 2D Pass 2NTPass 3C Pass 3HPass 4HI am not sure I would have looked for a major suit fit with North’s shapeless wonder and as you can see there are nine easy tricks available in 3NT … on a likely spade lead, however, declarer will probably only make +400 so our current declarer has a chance to be a hero and grab +420.West led a spade and declarer has to recognise two things … there is one unavoidable spade loser so the diamond losers must be restricted to two.Some players will draw trumps and try a diamond to the nine hoping West has the 10 but this results in a one trick defeat. The correct line of play is in fact very easy … win the spade, draw trumps, cash the clubs and play the other top spade and then exit with the losing spade, leaving this position:S-NoneH-8D-J92C-NoneS-None S-9H-None H-NoneD-A75 D-K108C-8 C-NoneS-NoneH-QD-Q64C-NoneNo matter which defender wins this they either have to open up the diamonds in which case declarer cannot lose more than two, or provide a ruff and discard allowing a diamond to be thrown away … either way it is plus 420.Juniors, take a good look at this hand … notice the need to cash all the side suit winners to leave the opponents with no safe exit cards, and that is the key to this play. Bet you now can’t wait to get to the table …….!!!

LATEST RESULTS

Latest results from the Bermuda Bridge Club:Monday afternoon, November 12 N/S 1

Judy Bussell-Diana Diel 2 Russ & Dee Craft 3 Elysa Burland-Greta Marshall

E/W 1 Kathy Keane-Peter Donnellan 2 Marg Way-Gill Butterfield 3 Wendy & Richard Gray

Monday evening, November 12

N/S ½ Jane Smith-Gertie Barker ½ Wendy & Richard Gray 3 Russ & Dee Craft

E/W 1

Pat Siddle-Diana Diel 2 John Glynn-Noula Contibas 3 Judy Harte-Martha Ferguson

Tuesday, November 13

N/S 1 James & Marsha Fraser 2 Mary Leigh Burnett-Elizabeth Caulfield 3 Gabriel Patterson-Linda Manders

E/W 1

Andy Carne-Geoff Bell 2 Lorna Anderson-Margaret Kirk 3 Ron Ross-Peter Jones

Wednesday, November 14

N/S 1Gill Gray-Pat Siddle ⅔ Marg Way-Lynanne Bolton ⅔ Elysa Burland-Elizabeth McKee

E/W 1 Magna Farag-Sheena Rayner 2 Thomas Bolton-Greta Marshall 3 Judy Bussell-John Hoskins

Thursday, November 15

N/S 1Paul Thompson-Dan McCleary 2 Jean Thompson-Michael Tait ¾ Scott & Sally Godet ¾ Thomas Bolton-Katrina Van Pelt

E/W 1 Lorna Anderson-Charles Pearman 2 Geoff & Kath Bell 3 Dianna Kempe-Danielle Cloutier 4 David Petty-Deb Jhuboo

Friday, November 16

N/S 1Jane Smith-Alan Douglas 2 John Glynn-Katrina Van Pelt 3 Russ & Dee Craft

E/W 1Magna Farag-Sheena Rayner 2 Nea Willits-Betsy Carstairs 3 Pat Hayward-Charles Pearman