Happy New Year! Welcome to another year of this amazing game that keeps us thinking, energised, frustrated, thrilled, exhausted, annoyed, challenged, suicidal, murderous, enchanted, exhilarated and, above all, dare I say it for many of us, obsessed.

That still applies to me despite my absence from the Club, as I play online and the game is never far away from my thoughts.

With that as an introduction, what better time to share an e-mail sent out to all the Bridge Club members from the president, Judy King:

“Dear members, as the beginners’ lessons are finishing off, we are starting the newcomers side game on a Tuesday night again, from January 6 at 7.30pm. Please pass this on to anyone you know who would like to get back into bridge.

“This is an ideal time for anyone who has “fallen by the wayside” to return to bridge.

“Judy Bussell will give a brief lesson (for the first two or three weeks) followed by play, in a separate side game in the Moran Room.

“It is a very casual game, players can bring notes, discuss bids and there will be mentors on hand to ask questions.

“This game will be run for newcomers until they are confident enough to join in the main Tuesday night 0-100MP game, in the main room.

“Players can turn up without a partner, and there will be no charge until February.

“There will be three games in January (6, 13 and 20) with a break the week of the Regional.”

So now you know how to get your friends into this game — most of them will thank you for it.

This hand turned up at the Fourth Commonwealth Nations Bridge Championship and is an interesting declarer play problem, especially after the opening lead (hint).

Dealer South E/W Vulnerable:

North: Spade K2, Heart 7, Diamond AQ8532, Club A953;

East: Spade J1073, Heart A43, Diamond J10974, Club 7;

South: Spade A964, Heart QJ10986, Diamond K, Club Q10;

West: Spade Q85, Heart K52, Diamond 6, Club KJ8642.

The Bidding:

South: 1H, 2H, 4H;

West: 2C, Pass;

North: 2D, 3NT;

East: Pass, Pass.

South was right to bid four Hearts on this hand, although 3NT may have survived due to the club spots.

West led his singleton diamond. Declarer won, spade to the King, spade to the Ace, spade ruff in dummy and then the Ace of diamonds on which declarer threw his last spade. West, however, ruffed and played the Club King, now there was no way to stop East getting a club ruff and the hand slid to a one trick defeat.

While it is usually right to take a ruff in the short trump hand, for West to lead a diamond after North had bid the suit should have been a warning and declarer should really have counted his tricks. If he had, he would simply had drawn trumps. Win the diamond King and play a heart. If East wins and plays a diamond, declarer has high trumps to ruff with.

If East wins and leads a club, declarer can win in dummy and ruff a diamond and get back to playing trumps ... the defence can get a club and two hearts but nothing else. Declarer makes four hearts, two spades, three diamonds and a club — 10 tricks — all from drawing trumps.

Make that your first New Year’s Bridge Resolution — count your tricks.

In closing, I think we need to congratulate the Bridge Club president and her committee for their efforts to keep the club growing and vibrant. The lessons keep yielding new members and that is a huge plus — well done all.