While our team from Bermuda was playing in the Wuhan Cup in Denmark there was a lot going on around them — The Bermuda Bowl World Open Championship, The Venice Cup World Women’s Championship, and The D’Orsi World Senior Championship.

The Bermuda Bowl was won by USA1 who had a healthy lead over the home team Denmark after four of the eight sessions, which narrowed to 253-237 at the end — Poland finished third and Belgium fourth.

The Venice Cup was won by the Netherlands, who were behind 81-133 after four of the eight sessions and then stormed to a comfortable 248-209 win — Poland finished third and France fourth.

The D’Orsi Teams again saw USA1 win convincingly from France 219-144 with USA2 in third and Austria in fourth. The Wuhan Mixed Teams saw a comfortable 238-205 win for Italy over China with Poland and USA1 in third and fourth.

The most recognisable name on the Bermuda Bowl winning team is 75-year-old Eddie Wold, whom I faced many times in the Nationals and who has been in the top strata of American bridge for 50 years — a brilliant card player and always good to play against. Eddie sets the record as the oldest winner of the Bermuda Bowl and at the same time Finn Kolesnik on the same team became the youngest winner at the age of 21!

As an aside, Englishman Boris Shapiro won the Senior Pairs at this event in 1998 at the ripe young age of 89!

As I started writing the column for this week, which covers what is a fairly simple play, it struck me that it is not simple for many, and just how tough this glorious, incomparable game of ours is — really tough!

It is a game that just cannot be totally mastered as there are so many factors at play — in addition to the technical side of game which comprises the bidding, the defence, and the ever-difficult declarer play, one has to factor in the different styles and personalities of the opponents, the state of the match and other intangibles.

Evidence of this is the fact that computers have long since surpassed humans in the play of that other tough game, chess, but are only now catching up with the best players at bridge. They are now nearly there, and with the advent of AI in all its forms it is only a matter of time before they make that leap and surge ahead — but that does not make the game any easier for us mere mortals!

I say this mainly to encourage my readers to not be too hard on themselves when they don’t see the right play or figure out the best bid — all of it will come through practice, hard work, and more than just a little concentration. Just trust that process.

Today’s hand (see Figure 1) is one where, even five years ago, a computer would not go wrong, but a lot of players would make the reflex play with dire consequences.

The bidding was over quickly — South opened one heart, North raised to two hearts and South bid the heart game — West lead the spade nine.

Declarer called for the Queen and, holding the ten in his hand East covered with the King which was won by declarer’s Ace — a seemingly innocent play but one which had fatal consequences. For the full hand, see Figure 2.

Declarer won the spade and cashed the Ace-King of hearts noting with disappointment that he had to lose a heart trick. He now played the Ace and King of clubs and ruffed a club, making dummy’s two remaining clubs good. He was now in control and now simply gave East his heart trick.

East did well to switch to a diamond — if he had continued spades declarer would make 11 tricks — West took his two diamond tricks but with the spade entry in dummy, declarer could throw his losing spade on the good club — contract made.

Now see what happened if, at trick one, East stays patient and plays low and let’s the spade Queen win — declarer still makes two spade tricks but his entry to the good club in dummy has gone and the contract fails.

The play is actually not that difficult as it is a “rule” that if there are touching honours in dummy the defender should not cover the first time — let me give you a few examples why.

QJ6

A105 K943

872

If declarer plays the Queen, covering with the King allows declarer to make a trick — by letting West win the trick, declarer makes no tricks.

QJ6

108752 K943

A

Again, covering gives declarer two quick tricks.

QJ6

1052 K743

A98

By covering declarer can now finesse the club ten — if East plays low declarer has to lose a trick.

Hopefully that is enough evidence to show that covering the first time just never gains a trick and can often lose one.

• David Ezekiel can be reached on davidezekiel999@gmail.com

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, September 5

1 Louise Rodger/Magda Farag

2 Tony Saunders/Patricia Siddle

3= John F W Glynn/Molly Taussig

3= Elysa Burland/Sancia Garrison

Monday, September 8

1 Jack Rhind/Judith Bussell

2 Elysa Burland/Molly Taussig

3 Gertrude Barker/Jane Smith

Tuesday, September 9

North/South

1 Ross Cooper/Desiree Woods

2 Michael Frings/Felicity Lund

East/West

1 Veronica Boyce/Carol Eastham

2 Tracey Pitt/David Leach

Wednesday, September 10

1 Gertrude Barker/Rachael Gosling

2 Aida Bostelmann/Magda Farag

3= Louise Rodger/Margaret Way

3= Joyce Pearson/Wenda Krupp

Thursday, September 11

1 Robert Todd/Rachael Gosling

2 Caitlin Conyers/Lisa Ferrari

3 Judith Bussell/Stephanie Kyme