With the successful sectional now behind us, the Bridge Club is continuing its efforts to keep the game and the club healthy by getting players to attend more regularly and encouraging others to learn or advance their skills at the game.

Jane Smith, president of the Bridge Club and the local ACBL Unit, is at the forefront of this and I reproduce here details of the latest initiative in this area.

Before I get on to that, it was, of course, Jane who took the lead on successfully increasing the numbers at the sectional, and not the mystery Jane King whose name was in last week’s column.

So, well done to the real Jane!

Here are the details:

Learn to Play Bridge, “the world’s greatest card game”, by using free learn to play bridge software (only available for PCs).

When: Wednesday evenings, starting November 1, 7.30pm to 9pm) for three consecutive weeks; or Friday Mornings, starting November 3, 10am to 11.30am) for three consecutive weeks.

Where: The Bermuda Bridge Club, 7 Pomander Road, Paget (behind Aberfeldy Nursery). No sign up required — just show up.

These sessions are designed to introduce you to the software, and the basic mechanics of bridge, so you can then continue to learn at your own pace, in your own time.

It is recommended that you have knowledge of trick-taking card games, such as whist.

E-mail for more information: lessons@bermudabridge.com

Jane comments further on this: “The expectation is that folks would attend the three sessions, continue to learn on their own using the software, then we would follow up with “play and learn” sessions on a Tuesday evening and Friday afternoon, alongside the regular games (numbers permitting). They would then join the regular games if and when they are ready to do so.

“A different approach, but in line with our current thinking of trying to encourage members to use all the information available electronically to improve their bridge, rather than depending on the bridge club to provide traditional lessons of some sort.”

I think this is a smart approach as we are all so tied to the internet and electronic media, and I expect it to move things forward at the club.

The great thing about this game of ours is that you can play it for years and suddenly stumble upon a defensive or declarer play that you’ve never come across before. Take this hand:

Dealer South

N/S Vulnerable

? AK3

? Q104

? QJ1095

? A4

? 954

? K62

? K762

? KQJ

You decide to pass your 12 point Aceless hand, North opens 1 Diamond, East overcalls 1 Heart and you, South, bid 2NT and North raises to 3NT.

West leads the nine of Hearts, you play the 10 and East plays the Jack — you are at a crossroads.

It all depends on who has the Ace of Diamonds and East rates to have it for his overcall so if, as you expect, the hand is as below you must win the King of Hearts and play on Diamonds.

? AK3

? Q104

? QJ1095

? A4

? Q872 ? J106

? 95 ? AJ873

? 83 ? A4

? 96542 ? 1087

? 954

? K62

? K762

? KQJ

East can win the Ace of Diamonds but cannot hurt you in Hearts and you end up with ten tricks. Alas, however, the actual layout was this:

? AK3

? Q104

? QJ1095

? A4

? Q872 ? J106

? 95 ? AJ873

? A3 ? 84

? 96542 ? 1087

? 954

? K62

? K762

? KQJ

Now when you play Diamonds West wins and leads another Heart, down one. So the winning play on the hand, though not necessarily the right play, was to duck the Heart Jack — East can set up the Hearts but has no entry with which to cash them.

Horrible isn’t it, as you usually make the wrong decision on these. One South, however, showed great invention by making a play that guaranteed the contract no matter who had the Diamond Ace — he put up the Heart Queen at trick one.

Look what that does — it freezes the Heart suit for East! He has to win it, or you have another heart-stopper, but when he does he cannot continue the suit without creating two stoppers for you! So the hand makes whether the Diamond Ace is with East or West — brilliant.