The Mens and Ladies Pairs Championships took place at the Bermuda Bridge Club last week and, in what may be a first, a husband and wife, Eddie and Stephanie Kyme, were winners in both events!

Eddie partnered Alan Douglas in winning the Mens event and Stephanie partnered Judy Bussell in winning the Ladies.

First to the Ladies Pairs where there were 8 tables in play. The first session took place on Wednesday last and at the halfway point it looked like the event was down to 5 pairs- Elizabeth McKee- Rachael Gosling led with 103 match points followed by Stephanie and Judy and Wendy Gray-Pat Hayward on 100.5 and these were followed by Jane Smith — Gertie Barker on 97 and Jean Johnson- Lynn O’Neill on 94.5.

The second session saw Elizabeth and Rachael clock up another good 60% game which would often be good enough, but not this time — Stephanie and Judy raced to a monster 69.5 percent game to win by a board and a half!

In third place were Gertie and Jane who finished just behind second with a good 62.5% second session.

The Mens event attracted just 5 tables and after the first session it was close at the top with Tony Saunders and Charles Hall leading with 67 match points ahead of Alan and Eddie on 63.5 and John Glynn and Simon Giffen on 59 and once again it looked like it was between these three pairs.

In the second session Alan and Eddie scored 61.57 percent and that proved to be enough to just overtake Tony and Charles and win by just 2 match points!

Charles Pearman and Andy Carne did very well to hang on to their 3rd place position whilst Joe Wakefield and Harry Kast lifted themselves into 4th place with a session-winning 62 percent game.

Congrats to all! Alan is one of the most experienced players at the Club, having represented Bermuda on many occasions and has been in the winners circle at the Club and at the Regional many times.

Eddie and Alan actually won this event together two years ago so this was a great repeat win.

Stephanie and Judy are also many time Internationals and regular winners in the Ladies events and are a hugely consistent pair and a near 70 percent game in the second session of a championship is pretty remarkable.

Congrats and commiserations also to Elizabeth/Rachael and Tony/Charles who both did enough to win on another night.

I really love today’s hand which really required declarer to think things through and then execute his plan.

It also involved giving a trick to the opponents at the right time, something few declarers are prepared to do!

Dealer West E/W Vulnerable

(Spades / Hearts / Diamonds / Clubs)

North: 963 / K106 / KQ7 / 10984

East: 2 / QJ875 / 853 / AK65

South: KQJ10854 / A42 / 64 / 3

West: A7 / 93 / AJ1092 / QJ72

The bidding:

WEST / NORTH / EAST / SOUTH

1D / Pass / 1H / 1S

2C / 2S / 4C / 4S

Pass / Pass / Pass

West judged correctly that East’s four-club bid could not be forcing as he’d had a three-spade call available to him.

With clubs 4-1 and both diamond honours wrongly placed, his discreet final pass was the prudent call at the prevailing vulnerability.

West led the nine of hearts, which was clearly from a doubleton or singleton. Declarer saw that he had a fine dummy; the task before him was to keep partner happy by making the game.

The main issue was that there was an apparent loser in each suit and that the only way to avoid a heart loser was to make two diamond tricks, with the ace being onside.

Thus declarer won the heart lead with

his ace and led a diamond at trick two — West played low and dummy’s queen won the trick.

Declarer now paused to consider the rest of the play.

If East had the ace of trumps, there would be no way to prevent the defenders from make a heart trick. If he played a trump next and West had the ace he would

win and play a heart next; then when West makes his ace of diamonds he would put East in with a club to cash a heart trick.

As result, declarer saw that he had to cut the link between the defensive hands…..and he did this by leading a club at trick three!

On this layout, East won the trick with the king of clubs and exited with the queen of hearts.

Declarer took this in dummy with the king of hearts then played a trump to the king and West’s ace.

West exited with a hopeful club, as he had no heart left.

Declarer ruffed, drew the outstanding trump and then led a diamond, taken by West with the ace. As the nine of trumps remained in dummy as an entry to cash the king of diamonds, West had to concede the contract. Beautifully executed!