Bermuda Bridge Club results
DECLARER play at bridge is quite often a bit like solving a murder mystery — you examine all the evidence, some of which is in front of you and some that you must unearth, in order to arrive at the right answer.This hand came up years ago when I partnered Ernie Owen in Biarritz and we both learned something simply by listening to the post-mortem discussion between our opponents, one of the top French pairs of the day. We were defending and this was what declarer saw:North
[spade]K Q 9
[heart]K Q 6
[diamond]8 5 3
[club]A K 6 5
South
[spade]A J 8 4 2
[heart]A 9 5
[diamond]K Q 10
[club]8 2South had opened one spade and after partner had Blackwood soon found himself playing in six spades. I was West and led a heart — declarer won on the board and it was clear that it all depended on the diamond suit. Declarer has to hope that East has either the ace or the jack — and then guess right!
Declarer drew trumps in three rounds and led a heart to the king on which I showed out as I had led a singleton. Declarer now led a diamond to the king which held — so, does East have the ace or did I have it but held it up so as to give declarer a guess?
After gazing at the ceiling a few times and gazing at me a few more to get some body language, declarer crossed to a club, led a low diamond and when partner played low, put in the ten.
The full hand:North
[spade]K Q 9
[heart]K Q 6
[diamond]8 5 3
[club]A K 6 5
West East
[spade]6 5 3 [spade]10 7
[heart]2 [heart]J 10 8 7 4 3
[diamond]J 6 4 2 [diamond]A 9 7
[club]10 9 7 4 3 [club]Q J
South
[spade]A J 8 4 2
[heart]A 9 5
[diamond]K Q 10
[club]8 2So declarer went down. Should he have made it? I think the answer is yes for two reasons — one tangible and one not.
Firstly, there was a chance that if I had the ace I would have played it first time. The best answer, however, was provided by North who, after the hand was over, calmly said to partner: “You should have made it.”
Why? As North explained: “West led a singleton heart hoping partner had the heart ace and he could get a ruff. He wouldn’t do that if he was looking at an ace himself, so East must have the ace of diamonds.”
Brilliant analysis — hard to argue. And a new lesson learned by all three of us at the table!
Bermuda Bridge Club
Monday, evening, N/S: <$>1. Lynanne Bolton-Margaret Way, 2. David Cordon-Kevin Comeau, 3. Diana Diel-Judith Bussell. E/W: 1. Malcolm Simmons-Audrey Smith, 2. Jean Bath-John Hoskins, 3. Joseph Wakefield-Jean Johnson.
Wednesday afternoon, N/S: <$>1. Louise Rodger-Barbara Huntington, 2. Donna Leitch-Jeanette Shaw, 3. Jean Johnson-Lyn O’Neill. E/W: 1. Marilynn Simmons-Jacqueline Swan, 2. Elizabeth McKee-Lisa Burland, 3. Betty Outerbridge-Peggy Thompson.
Wednesday evening, N/S: <$>1. Mark Richardson-Dee Griffiths, 2. Jane Clipper-Michael Tait, 3. Betty Outerbridge-Julia Lunn. E/W: 1. Annabella Fraser-Patricia Colmet, 2. Heather Woolf-Alice Palmer, 3. Alex Moir-Dorothy Moir.
Friday, N/S:<$> 1. David Sykes-David Cordon, 2. Margaret Way-Kevin Comeau, 3. Nea Willits-Audrey Smith. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. David Pereira-Joseph Wakefield, 3. Sheena Rayner-Barbara Huntington.
