Things aren’t totally at a standstill on the Bermuda bridge scene over the summer with the ongoing youth camp under the tutelage of John Burville and his helpers keeping things going.

I asked John to give me an update, and here it is:

We have been running the Youth Bridge summer camp at the Bridge Club for several weeks on Tuesday and Wednesday, and this week, we start our three sessions a week for the next two weeks.

The students are scheduled to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, on August 1, and return August 5.

We are very pleased with the support from some of the club members that have come to help, and also with Charlotte King, and Kirsty Pollett attending some of the sessions.

The primary focus is to enable the students to be able to sit down and play bridge knowing minimal fundamentals of bidding.

We will also continue competitive bidding, and strong and weak bidding (ie, opening something other than 1 level bid).

Play lessons are done at the table. Anything you can do in your article on junior level play may be helpful.

Our lessons are structured to avoid too much lecturing, and give them cards in hand, and have them play with a table coach beside them.

Each week, we run an event which up to now has been a team event.

They are all very engaged, though, being the summer, some of them are away and will miss some of the sessions.

Thanks — John

This is just one of the initiatives being organised by John and others at the club and hopefully will bear fruit in terms of producing new bridge players and prospective Bridge Club members in the years to come, and the more people that provide help and support, the better.

Today’s hand is directed at the youth camp participants — it is a situation that most experienced players will handle easily and is perhaps one of the most important declarer play techniques in bridge — the holdup play.

Dealer South N/S vulnerable.

? 74

?754

?K4

?KQJ108

? KQJ103 ? 962

? J1095 ? KQ8

? 1052 ? 98763

? 9 ? A742

? A85

? A632

? AQJ

?653

South opened a 15-17 no trump and North, despite having only 9 points, had an easy raise to 3NT based on the great Club holding.

If North had the same nine points with something like 74 J75 K54 KQ65, she would probably just invite with 2NT, asking partner to bid 3NT with a 16/17 point hand.

At the table, West led the King of Spades and South took stock — he would have to go to the opponents with the Ace of Clubs in order to set up the Club suit, so the plan needed to take that into account.

If the missing eight Spades are divided 4-4, the contract is never in danger, as the opponents will make three Spades and the Ace of Clubs, and the contract makes.

If the Spades are 5-3 or 6-2, declarer must hope that the hand with the short Spades holds the Ace of Clubs and play accordingly.

So declarer must hold off winning the first Spade and the second Spade and win the third, discarding a Heart from dummy. Now when East gets in with the Club Ace, he has no more Spades to play and the contract makes nine tricks with one Spade, one Heart, three Diamonds and four Clubs.

If declarer had won either the first or second Spade the contract is defeated.

Notice that the contracted can be defeated if West, realising he has no entry, switches to a Heart at trick three — but that is not within declarers control and not many defenders would find that play.

Take a good look at this hand, youth campers, as you will meet this play countless times if you continue to play this game!