With absolutely nothing happening on the local front, it is a good opportunity to report on the recently held 43rd World Bridge Team Championships in Lyon, France between August 12-26.

From all accounts, the event was a huge success and Lyon produced probably the best venue for the Championships: great playing areas, superb hotels and restaurants, and glorious weather left the participants and organisers drooling. Here are the main results – I won’t name all the players but will point out ones I know will be of interest.

BERMUDA BOWL (Open)

Gold: USA II

Silver: France

Bronze: Bulgaria

VENICE CUP ( Women)

Gold: China

Silver: England

Bronze: Sweden

D’ORSI TROPHY ( Seniors )

Gold: USA II

Silver: Italy

Bronze: Sweden

Some participants of interest

On the Bermuda Bowl winning team, Chip Martel won his fourth Bermuda Bowl and eleventh world medal.

Michael Rosenborg won his sixth medal. His son Kevin won the Word Junior Teams earlier in the week.

In the Venice Cup, Wang Wenfel from China won her eleventh medal, Nicola Smith from England won her eighteenth and Sally Brock from England her thirteenth.

In the Senior Teams, regular Bermuda visitor and one of my regional panellists Allan Graves was part of the winning USA II team.

Also on that team was the great Alan Sontag, whose book The Bridge Bum is a classic, especially for Precision players, I remember starting it late one night in a New York hotel and finishing it in one read and then going straight to a breakfast meeting — not good!

All the bulletins are available online and they are just superb.

I love this week’s hand — declarer used the bidding and play to build a complete picture of West’s hand, after West had carefully avoided the one lead that would have handed declarer his ninth trick in 3NT.

N/S Vul, Dealer West

N

S K643

H AJ92

D 953

C AQ7

E

S None

H K108763

D QJ1072

C 52

S

S Q107

H A4

D AK64

C KJ64

W

S AJ9852

H Q5

D 8

C 10983

West opened a weak 2 Spades which came around to South who bid 2NT and North had an easy raise to 3NT.

A wooden fourth best spade lead from West would give declarer an easy nine tricks but West suspected this from the way the opponents cruised into 3NT and he decided to lead a safe 10 of Clubs.

Declarer won the Ace and cashed all four Clubs, noting with interest that West followed throughout meaning that he had ten black cards. Declarer now set about extracting West’s red cards in preparation for the end game.

To start this he led a low Diamond from hand, won by East who continued Diamonds.

Declarer won and now exited with a low Heart won by West who exited with a Heart in this position:

N

S K64

H AJ9

D 9

C None

E

S None

H K108

D QJ7

C None

S

S AJ985

H 5

D None

C None

W

S Q107

H A

D A4

C None

Declarer had prepared well — he won the Heart, cashed the ace of Diamonds and played the Queen of Spades.

West was dead ... if he won the Ace he would have to lead away from his Jack to declarers ten and if he ducked the Queen, declarer simply leads another spade to the King — contract made.

Great play in the face of a thoughtful defence.

BRIDGE RESULTS

Monday afternoon

North/South

1. Sheena Rayner/Magda Farag

2. Aida Bostelmann/Patricia Colmet

3. Molly Taussig/Diana Diel

East/West

1. Margaret Way/Stephanie Kyme

2. John Burville/Mike Viotti

3. Gertrude Barker/Julia Beach

Monday evening

1. Magda Farag/John Glynn

2. David Sykes/Margaret Way

Tuesday evening

1. Betsy Baillie/Lisa Ferrari

2. Linda Abend/Charles Griffiths

3. Claude Guay/Sharon Shanahan

Wednesday morning

North/South

1. Marilynn Simmons/Linda Abend

2. Molly Taussig/Julia Beach

East/West

1. Tracy Nash/Desmond Nash

2. Caroline Svensen/Dianna Kempe

Thursday evening

1. Magda Farag/Sheena Rayner

2. George Correia/Adeline Young, Michael Tait/Jane Clipper

Friday afternoon

North/South

1. Margaret Way/Molly Taussig

2. Annabelle Mann/Jeanette Shaw 3. Louise Rodger/Patricia Siddle

East/West

1. Magda Farag/Julia Beach

2. Diana Diel/Stephanie Kyme

3. Michael Bickley/John Hoskins