Really nothing to report on the Bridge side at the club, so the big news was the very successful ‘Decade Busters’ party held at the club last Friday where anyone celebrating a birthday with a zero at the end was recognised.

Most special among these were two guests where the first number in their age was a nine. It seems this bring the total number of nonagenarians playing at the club to five, a terrific advert for the game and its ability to keep the mind agile and all that then follows. That includes the various strong emotions generated at the table and all of it is, in my opinion, healthy. Well done to the club for this great idea.

This week’s hand is an interesting declarer play problem at teams, but an absolute horror at pairs.

South was dealer and both sides were vulnerable.

(Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs)

North: KQ9 / 65 / 5432 / 8765

South: AJ1076 / KJ3 / AK6/ AK

South opened 2 Clubs, 2 Diamonds negative from North, 2 Spades from South and 4 Spades from North, which closed the auction.

In a Team game West led the Club Queen and it all looked pretty normal. Declarer won, crossed to a Spade and played a low Heart to the King and Ace. West now returned a Spade and suddenly the alarm bells started ringing for declarer. He won in dummy and tried another Heart but West won and played a third Spade and suddenly the contract was doomed, declarer losing three Hearts and a Diamond.

The full hand:

North: KQ9 / 65 / 5432 / 8765

East: 84 / 109874 / J8 / 432

South: AJ1076 / KJ3 / AK6/ AK

West: 532 / AQ2 / Q1097 / QJ109

The King-Jack of Hearts was in the end an embarrassment of riches. Without it, if declarer held three small Hearts, declarer would lead one at trick two from his hand and now the defence cannot stop a Heart ruff, contract made.

So, at teams that is clearly the correct play as it guarantees the contract, no question about it as overtricks are not even a consideration when the contract is at stake.

Now what about at pairs? Hmmmm, call me next week.

What would I do? To be honest I might make the play declarer made in the team game. For it to go wrong a lot has to happen, the Hearts must lie badly, West has to be good enough to find the Spade switch at trick four and then the hand with three trumps has to be able to win the second Heart trick in order to play another trump. I think against all that going for the overtrick is worthwhile, even if it fails about one in five times, my estimate of the frequency.