ROMAN Smolski and Vera Petty are once again Open Pairs champions after they narrowly extended their first-session lead to end up winning by nearly one board. In second place were David and Sally Sykes, who pulled up after the first session. In third place were Jean Johnson and Joe Wakefield. Coming fourth were Pat Hayward and Greta Marshall, a really excellent performance over the two sessions in a good field.

This adds to the ever-growing list of titles won by Smolski-Petty whose strike rate in pairs and teams events is quite remarkable. One keeps waiting for the three or four other top pairs to mount some sort of consistent challenge but it never really seems to materialise. Like, dare I say it, Chelsea in the Premiership, some of the others need to step up and step up soon!

This week sees the start of the Bermuda Sectional with lots of bridge. Two single-session events on Friday and Monday afternoon, Open Pairs on Friday and Monday evenings, Master Pairs all day on Saturday and the Teams all day on Sunday. Just get a partner and play!

This week’s hand came up in a pairs game last week and very few declarers covered themselves in glory.

Dlr South

N/S vulnerableNorth

[spade]8 3

[heart]A K 5 2

[diamond]9 8 7

[club]8 6 4 2

South

[spade]A 6 4

[heart]Q 6

[diamond]A K 5 2

[club]A K J 10The bidding:South West North East

1[club](1) 2[spade] (2) DBL (3) Pass

3NT (4)1. Intending a jump to 2NT to show 19-21

2. Weak, usually shows six spades

3. Negative — shows some values and hearts

4. Tempting to bid 30 which would be forcing — I might do that with a good partner but 3NT is practical and probably better.

West leads the king of spades — how do you proceed?

Every single player refused the first trick, won the spade continuation and this is where the play diverged. A few brave souls cashed a top club, cashed three hearts and then took the club finesse. Others thought a bit more deeply and to guard against a singleton or doubleton queen of clubs with West cashed ace-king and played another club as East was the non-danger hand. What would you do?

The full hand:North

[spade]8 3

[heart]A K 5 2

[diamond]9 8 7

[club]8 6 4 2

West East

[spade]K Q J 5 2 [spade]10 9 7

[heart]J 8 7 [heart]10 9 4 3

[diamond]J 6 4 [diamond]Q 10 3

[club]9 3 [club]Q 7 5

South

[spade]A 6 4

[heart]Q 6

[diamond]A K 5 2

[club]A K J 10There you have it — those who took the club finesse made an easy ten tricks and those who took the ‘safety play’ went down when East unexpectedly showed up with a third spade!

It all goes back to trick two! If you are going to take the club finesse it really doesn’t matter which spade you win. If, however, you are going to play ace-king and another club you should . . . win the third spade?