THE Bermuda Mixed Pairs Championship concluded on Monday night and Roman Smolski and Vera Petty justified expectations.They won fairly comfortably from David and Sally Sykes in second, Alan Douglas and Gertie Barker a hair’s breadth away in third and then a pretty huge gap to Rachael Gosling-Craig Hutton in fourth and Marge Way-David Cordon in fifth.

Petty and Smolski took a fairly healthy two-board lead into the second session ahead of the Sykeses, Douglas and Barker and Johnson and Saunders and it looked like these three pairs were the only ones who could snatch the title with a good game.

It was not to be, however, and the gap remained virtually unchanged at the finish line. Congratulations to the winners who nowadays go into most Open events as the favourites, and would have gone into a Mixed Pairs event at an even shorter price than normal — congratulations also to the other placed pairs who put in two sessions over a large number of boards.

Today’s hand, featuring the always excellent Po Sundelin of Sweden, is all about clear thinking and taking the time to reconstruct the opponent’s hands based on the bidding — or lack of it! The hand came up at a big international tournament in Bonn, Germany.

Board 12. Dealer West: N/S Vulnerable.

rth<$>

[spade]7 5

[heart]10 4 2

[diamond]A 5

[club]K Q J 7 5 4West East

[spade]K Q 9 3 [spade]A J 8 4

[heart]A 9 6 5 [heart]K J 8

[diamond]K 8 3 [diamond]Q J 2

[club]8 3 [club 9 2South

[spade]10 6 2

[heart]Q 7 3

[diamond]10 9 7 6 4

[b]A 6West North East South

Carruthers L. Weiss Sundelin F. Weiss

1[diamond] Pass 1[spade] Pass

2[spade] Pass 4[spade] Pass

Pass PassSouth found the effective lead of the ace of clubs, then continued with a club when his partner encouraged. North won the continuation and exited passively with a third club, ruffed in the dummy.

Sundelin drew trumps and tried the diamond jack, not quite believing North would have the ace.

Nevertheless, North won and played another club, ruffed by declarer.

Sundelin then cashed the king and the queen of diamonds.

As unlikely as it seemed, North had started with:

[spade]7 5

[heart]???

[diamond]A 5

[club]K Q J 7 5 4

Feeling it impossible for him to hold the heart queen in addition to these solid values and have been silent during the auction, Sundelin played the heart jack from hand. This was covered by the queen and won with the ace on the table.

A heart to the eight saw him home with plus 420.

Excellent play, avoiding the lazy play of the heart finesse of the queen.

LATEST RESULTS

Bermuda Bridge Club

Mi Pairs<$>: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 3. Alan Douglas-Gertie Barker, 4. Rachael Gosling-Craig Hutton, 5. David Cordon-Margaret Way, 6. Jean Johnson-Tony Saunders.

Mondayternoon<$>, April 30: 1. Judy Kitson-Heather Woolf, 2. Pat Siddle-Vivian Siddle, 3. Julia Beach-Bilucker.

Monday evening, April 30, N/S: 1. Trish Moody-Sue Anderson, 2. David Cordon-Margaret Way, 3. Dick Meredith-Julia Lunn. E/W: 1. Jean Johnson-Joseph Wakefield, 2. Ernest Paynter-Charles Pearman, 3. Julia Beach-BiTucker.

Wednesday morning, May 2 N/S<$>: 1. Julia Beach-Bill Tucker, 2. Jean Johnson-Tony Saunders, 3. Margaret Vaucrosson-Annabella Fraser. E/W: 1. Sheena Rayner-Magda Farag, 2. Greta Marshall-Gertie Barker, 3. Stephen Ball-Th Moody.

Wednesday, evening, May 2, N/S<$>: 1. Pat Siddle-Vivian Siddle, 2. Alex Moir-Dorothy Moir, 3. Deborah Jhuboo-Don Airey. E/W: 1. Joan Ross-Ron Ross, 2. Sally Godet-Scott Godet, 3. Heather Woolf-Anelise Scheland.