One of the real difficulties in increasing table count at any Bridge Club is that newer players find the entry into the competitive games really intimidating and as a result they just stay away.

It’s easy to see how that happens – the game needs a lot of concentration so the regular players, especially the Intermediates, strive to maintain their focus and that leads to what looks like a lack of sociability during the game. Once the session is over there is a sort of metamorphosis and the social aspect of the game returns, but getting to that point is difficult for many.

In order to try and solve some of this the Bridge Club is experimenting with “Social Bridge Afternoons”, where a mix of players turn up and play a couple of hours of bridge in a relaxed, social atmosphere with no running scores or final results – all that matters is enjoying the company and trying to do one’s best on the hand being played at that time.

This gets them used to the process and emphasises the social aspect of the game, and will hopefully lead to them putting their toe in the water at one of the regular games.

The next session is tomorrow, Sunday March 17, at the Bridge Club between 3pm and 5pm. No need to register or to have a partner, just show up – if you know of anyone who might enjoy this let them know, give them directions and try and get them there!

Today’s hand (see Figure 1) is one of those that perhaps defines how a declarer should approach the play of the hand in order to succeed – define the goal, seek a solution, and then, perhaps most importantly, be brave enough to execute.

South opened a 20-22 2NT and North had just about enough to raise to 3NT.

West led the King of clubs, asking for a count signal from East. Declarer played low from hand at trick one but had to win the continuation of the Queen of clubs, as East signalled that he had begun with an odd number of cards in the suit by playing the two and then the seven.

After winning the Ace of clubs at trick two, declarer concluded that clubs were 5-3. So, barring a blockage in that suit, he could not afford to lose the lead. As he had only five sure winners beside the Ace of clubs, his best hope was that East had the King of spades. In that case he could make three tricks in spades, but he needed two entries to dummy for finesses in the suit.

On that premise, he would be home if he could take four diamond tricks too. The only suit that could provide entries to dummy was diamonds, though the only sure entry in the suit was the Ace of diamonds.

Since he needed two entries to dummy, declarer cashed the King of diamonds and then led a low diamond towards dummy. When West followed with a second low diamond declarer called for dummy’s ten of diamonds, which won the trick.

Declarer continued with a low spade from dummy to his Jack. When that held, he crossed back to dummy with a low diamond to the Ace to lead a second spade towards his hand. After East followed with a small spade, declarer played the Queen of spades from hand. Once that held he claimed nine tricks: three spades, a heart, four diamonds and a club, for a complete top!

The key here was the diamond play which had a 50 per cent chance of success and recognising the need to take the spade finesse twice – I would guarantee at the table that the majority of players, afraid to have egg on their face, would cash three diamonds ending in dummy and then play a spade to the Jack and cash the Ace hoping something good like the King coming down will happen – down one!

As I tell many of my partners, the result on a hand matters not a jot to me as long as I made the right play in trying to make the hand – some days the cards lie kindly, at other times they don’t and what’s needed is a shrug before moving on to the next hand!

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, March 8

North/South

1. Tony Saunders-Patricia Siddle

2= John Rayner-Harry Kast

2= Richard Gray-Wendy Gray

East/West

1. Charles Hall-Molly Taussig

2. Gertrude Barker-Martha Ferguson

3. Jane Smith-Margaret Way

Monday, March 11

1. Tony Saunders-Charles Hall

2. Elysa Burland-Molly Taussig

3. Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

Tuesday, March 12

North/South

1. Joanne Edwards-Marion Ezedinma

2. Jamie Sapsford-Jane Downing

East/West

1. Malcolm Moseley-Mark Stevens

2. Linda Manders-Wendell Emery

Wednesday, March 13

1. Charles Hall-Margaret Way

2= Tony Saunders-Molly Taussig

2= Gertrude Barker-Jane Smith

Thursday, March 14

1. Charles Hall-Molly Taussig

2. David Petty Delton Outerbridge

3. John Glynn-Rachael Gosling