I must start with the sad and shocking news of the untimely demise of Vera Petty last week — Vera passed away peacefully in the company of her family. Truly sad for someone nowhere near an age where one would expect this to happen.

An astonishingly tough competitor, Vera was one of the most successful Bermudian players, both at the Club and abroad, and her partnership with husband Roman Smolski was dominant locally for over a decade until her medical issues curtailed their competitive bridge participation a couple of years ago. Their record of winning 12 consecutive Norman Bach Trophies at the Bermuda Regional, awarded for the leading local masterpoint winners, is likely to stand forever.

Their international successes included high placings in the European Championships, victories in the Caribbean Championships, and many American Contract Bridge League event wins throughout North America. Their crowning glory was winning the prestigious Portland Pairs (British Mixed Pairs Championship).

The Bridge Club and the bridge world will undoubtedly be poorer for her passing and our thoughts are with Roman and all Vera’s family members.

It’s always tough to follow such sad news with a hand but this is a bridge column and I thought I’d dig out one that I know Vera liked …funnily enough when I dug out the newspaper clipping, placing second East –West in the Monday game that week were ‘Smith-Petty’ !

I titled the hand “Father’s telling advice” and without repeating the whole column it concerned advice given to me by my father Maurice that “in bridge, as in life, two chances are better than one”! Being a superb bridge player (and world class snooker player, national class tennis and table tennis player, great backgammon and poker player and horrible, truly horrible, backer of horses — and world class father!) he whipped out a napkin and scribbled this hand on it to illustrate his point.

Dealer South E/W Vulnerable

S K963

H K92

D AQ9

C AQ3

S AQJ10854

H 65

D 83

C K6

My father continued “North South got to the great spade slam and West led the club jack …how should South play the hand? Declarer can draw trumps, play two more clubs pitching a diamond and hope that the Ace of hearts is on his left — or, pitch a heart and then hope that the King of diamonds was on his left — which one should he choose?

The answer is that he does not have to choose, as he can combine both chances! Draw trump, play three clubs pitching a heart, come to hand and lead the now singleton heart….West is stuck! If he ducks there is no heart loser, and if he wins with the Ace the king of hearts provides a discard for declarer’s diamond! If East has the heart Ace nothing is lost and declarer can now fall back on the diamond finesse. So you see young man, it is quite easy!”

The full hand :

North

S K963

H K92

D AQ9

C AQ3

West East

S 2 S 7

H A1074 H QJA3

D J1052 D K764

C J1098 C 7542

South

S AQJ10854

H 65

D 83

C K6

Nice hand — and I dedicate it to Vera and my Dad — May they rest in peace.