Before the hand this week, another flyer from the Bridge Club.

‘Learn Bridge In A Day (LBIAD) is now less than two weeks away.

Please encourage all of your friends and colleagues to sign up, if they haven’t already, to learn, or return to, the game of bridge.

This is one of the best ways for the club to increase its membership, and the members are the best form of advertisement!

It would be great if every member were able to get at least one person to come to LBIAD.

Tell them to email lessons@bermudabridge.com to sign up (only $25 including lunch, text book and tuition).

Beginners’ lessons then start the following Wednesday evening 24th September 7.30pm for 8-10 weeks’

Bridge is a game of constant invention which is what sets it apart from pretty much all of the other’ mind games’ . This week’s hand is a case in point.

Dealer South E/W Vulnerable

North

? K107

? A6

? AK987

? 542

West East

? 54 ? 86

? KQ1094 ? J8753

? 53 ? QJ10

? A1086 ? QJ9

South

? AQJ932

? 2

? 642

? K73

South opened a chunky weak 2 Spades ( 6-10 HCP and six spades ) and North had an easy raise to 4 Spades. West led the heart King.

The contract was the same at all eight tables, as was the lead!

At seven tables the play was the same…declarer won the heart, played two rounds of trumps leaving the King in dummy and now played Ace-King and another diamond, setting up that suit.

Declarer hoped that West would have to win the third diamond in which case the club king is protected, or if East won the third diamond that a club Ace was with East.

Alas, it was not to be and East won the diamond and switched to a club- curtains, down one!!

These declarers were unlucky, but the 8th declarer decided not to rely on luck but on expert play – he ducked the heart at trick one! The defence is now helpless…

West switched to a low diamond but declarer was in control.

Win the diamond Ace, draw two rounds of trumps leaving the King in dummy, Ace of Hearts throwing a diamond and now King of diamonds, ruff a diamond setting up the suit, cross to the spade and cash the two diamonds throwing clubs …eleven tricks!

Notice that declarer’s elegant play at trick one merely exchanged a diamond loser for a heart loser but kept the danger hand (East) off lead …beautiful card reading and execution – did you get it ??