I must start by noting with great sadness the passing of one of the stalwarts of the Bridge Club for as long as anyone can remember, Ivy Rosser who passed away this week at the age of 98 — and she was a bridge player right to the very end.

When I first landed in Bermuda some 40 plus years ago, I got off the BA flight, got something to eat for myself and my wife … and then headed into Hamilton to find the Bridge Club which at that time was in a small building (Scarborough?) next to BF&M.

I was greeted by the Director Tony Saunders who suggested that I sit behind one of the better players in the Club to kibitz.

That turned out to be Graham Rosser playing with his wife Ivy!

Over the next few decades I got to know both of them well and saw their immense impact on bridge in Bermuda, both at the Club and at the Regional, along with their good friends and team-mates Tommy and Ruth Dunch.

As the years passed Ivy became the sole survivor and was a remarkable testament to just how bridge can support and sustain someone in their later years.

She was a refined and yet strong lady who will be long and fondly remembered by all who knew her.

Before I get onto the hand, some news about the CACBF Trials for the Finals in Costa Rica which will be held on May 17-25th 2019.

The Trials will take place at the Bridge Club on January 12/13, 2019 at the Bridge Club, so if you are interested put that date in your diary.

Now to the hand.

Often when I observe a player trying to make a contract at the table, it becomes apparent quite early that they have no plan.

They usually draw trumps at the first opportunity, squandering vital entries in the process, and then proceed to a series of random plays in the hope that it will all come out in the wash — and it rarely does!

Declarer on today’s hand was different; at trick one, he assessed where his best chance lay and then executed his plan in a very normal sequence of plays.

Dealer South, Both Vul

?????????????????????????????????????????????K64

???????????????????????????????????????????? 72

???????? 974

???????? AK742

????????? QJ9 ? 102

????????? QJ10 ? K9543

????????? K1032 ? Q8

????????? J96 ? Q1063

???????? A8753

???????? A64

???????? AJ65

? 8

The bidding:

South West North East

1? Pass 1NT Pass

2? Pass 3? Pass

4?

After the forcing-no-trump response, North’s jump rebid of three spades promised a limit raise in spades with three-card support.

South was happy to bid the game.

West led the queen of hearts and declarer paused to consider how he might make ten tricks.

Clearly, he needed trumps to be 3-2.

If North held the ten of diamonds instead of the seven or four he would have relied on diamonds to make an extra trick.

However, the actual suit offered only about one chance in four of being played for two tricks and one loser.

So, declarer turned his attention to setting up a long club for his tenth trick, almost a three-in-five proposition.

After ducking the first trick and winning the heart continuation, declarer played a club to the ace and then ruffed a club.

Next he cashed the ace of trumps and led another to the king, followed by the king of clubs, discarding a low diamond from hand.

Declarer was pleased to see that the clubs were 4-3, so he ruffed a second club in hand.

A heart ruff returned him to dummy where he called for the now established club, on which he discarded a diamond.

West could ruff but declarer made his contract losing only one spade, one heart and one diamond.

And all because he had a plan.