The Open Teams Championship took place at the Bridge Club last weekend and after the two sessions concluded the team of Rachael Gosling, John Glynn, Gertie Barker and Jane Smith had put daylight between themselves and the rest of the field, scoring an emphatic win.

In second place, a full match behind the winners, were Bill and Linda Pollett, Elizabeth McKee and John Burville. Close behind them in third were Judy Bussell, Martha Ferguson, Molly Taussig and Steve Cosham.

With six teams entered, the event was staged as a full round-robin with 20 Victory Points available in each match. The winners scored an impressive 17, 19, 9, 15, 15 in their five matches and their 75-point total was 21 points ahead of second and 24 points ahead of third. In these events one match usually turns out to be crucial, and this happened in Round 1 when the winners beat the eventual second place team 17-3, giving themselves a useful cushion for the next four matches.

Many congratulations to the winners who won from a small but good quality field – all four in the winning team are quality players with multiple wins at the club and, as importantly, are strong competitors, and their consistency over the five matches made it really tough for the others – well done!

One of the factors that makes this game of ours so enthralling is that something new is always just around the corner – an inventive bid, play or defence that makes you think, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

See the hand in Figure 1.

South opened one spade, West doubled and North jumped to 2NT which was Truscott, promising a limit raise or better in spades. South described his extra values by leaping to game. West led the King of hearts.

Declarer counted nine sure winners and saw that his major problem was to avoid losing three tricks in the minors. Unfortunately that was a very real possibility as, on the bidding, West was the heavy favourite to hold the Ace of diamonds. If he also held the Queen of clubs then the prospects were not bright for making three club tricks.

So, instead of relying on the club suit for an extra trick, declarer formed a plan to take advantage of the near certainty that the Ace of diamonds was on his left.

As he wanted to avoid East gaining the lead twice, declarer let the King of hearts hold the first trick. After winning the heart continuation with his Ace, declarer led a trump to dummy’s King and ruffed dummy’s eight of hearts with his Queen of trumps.

Then, after drawing the remaining defensive trump with his Jack, declarer found a clever play: he led the four of diamonds from hand. East overtook West’s eight of diamonds with the ten and shifted to the nine of clubs.

Declarer ran this to dummy’s King and then called for the seven of diamonds from dummy. When West took declarer’s King of diamonds with his Ace he was end-played – see the position in Figure 2.

An exit in a red suit would see declarer ruff in dummy and throw the Jack of clubs from hand. So, West returned a low club and declarer showed his Ace-Jack of clubs and claimed ten tricks: six trumps, a heart and three clubs.

Beautifully played and key here was declarer listening to the bidding and “knowing“ that West was a heavy favourite to hold the Ace of diamonds – that was, however, only half the battle, and then the clever play of a low diamond at trick six was the killer blow for the defence – bravo!

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, October 27

1. Stephanie Kyme-Diana Diel

2. Charles Hall-Molly Taussig

3= John Burville-Makiko Rogers

3= Wendy Gray-Richard Gray

Saturday, October 28

Open Teams Championship

1. Rachael Gosling, John Glynn, Gertrude Barker, Jane Smith

2. William Pollett, Linda Pollett, Elizabeth McKee, John Burville

3. Judy King, Martha Ferguson, Molly Taussig, Stephen Cosham

Monday, October 30

North/South

1. Diana Diel-Patricia Siddle

2. Judy King-Martha Ferguson

3. Rachael Gosling-Margaret Way

East/West

1. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith (Tied 1st)

2. Lorna Anderson-Heather Woolf (Tied 1st)

3. Louise Rodger-Molly Taussig

Tuesday, October 31

1. Malcolm Moseley-Mark Stevens

2. Heidi Dyson-Amanda Ingham

Wednesday, November 1

North/South

1. Tony Saunders-Charles Hall

2. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

3. Stephen Cosham-Rachael Gosling

East/West

1. Linda Pollett-William Pollett

2. Tracy Nash-Desmond Nash

3. Patricia Siddle-Diana Diel

Thursday, November 2

1. Charles Hall-Stephanie Kyme

2. Molly Taussig-Mariko Rogers

3. Claude Guay-Sharon Shanahan