Local players will get a short rest after the five-day Bermuda Sectional as the Bermuda Bridge Club has set up an extra championship game this morning at 9.30am — it will be open to men’s and ladies’ pairs.

After that, apart from the Christmas party on December 6, the excitement will start building for the Bermuda Regional, once again being held at the Hamilton Princess and Beach Club in late January — more on that closer to the time.

Most non-expert declarers hate giving up tricks — they will go to the bitter end cashing winners whenever they can find them, which in itself creates new winners for the defenders, and at the end, have no choice but to throw in the cards when they have no winners left to play.

And it is much the same in defence — once they see declarer has control of a suit they go looking in the other suits, the usual result being that they end up creating new winners for declarer. For these players a passive defence is anathema, even though it is more often than not the correct way to defend.

Declarer on today’s hand (see Figure 1) was a bright, patient and experienced player, and with those attributes he was the only successful declarer in the slam contract.

Unusually, North's raise to three hearts conventionally promised some values and four-card support for hearts (North would have rebid 3NT with only three hearts and the same sort of strength). Three spades a cue bid, and North's failure to bid 3NT suggested a more modest hand than otherwise.

Against the slam, West led the ten of trumps. Declarer counted 11 top tricks, so long as he could find an entry to dummy — which the club suit would provide if the suit proved to be 3-2.

After winning the first trick with the Ace of trumps, declarer drew a second round of trumps and cashed the Ace of clubs. Declarer's intention was to continue with the King of clubs, until he noticed that East had followed with the ten. Instead of cashing the King of clubs immediately, declarer asked himself, “What if East’s ten is a singleton?”

After a few seconds’ thought, declarer found a counter that would let him make sure of the contract if West had only two diamonds, and would leave him needing the spade finesse otherwise.

First, he cashed the King and Queen of diamonds. Then, instead of playing the King of clubs, he led the two of clubs from hand. See the position now in Figure 2.

This would ensure three club tricks if the suit was 3-2 and guarantee an entry to dummy. It also succeeded on this layout, when West took the trick with his Jack of clubs and then found himself end-played.

West saw declarer would romp home if he exited with a club — he would make five trumps, three clubs, three diamonds, and the Ace of spades. The only hope for the defence was that declarer’s Ace of spades was a singleton. So, West exited with a low spade. This saw dummy’s Queen win the trick, and declarer disposed of his remaining low club on the Ace of diamonds.

Brilliantly played, and the key was recognising that there was always at least one club loser and declarer selected the perfect moment to give that up to the defence — wonderful planning and execution!

***

It is with sadness and great respect that I report on the passing of Susanna Gross, who for two decades wrote the Bridge Column for The Spectator in London — she died of lung cancer at the young age of 58.

Gross was admired by many for her interesting columns even if she did not quite have the pedigree in bridge one would expect for a national newspaper — she was, however, a top class player with many titles to her name and a self-confessed bridge addict.

Her columns were witty and light — I loved her comment when she once said that she had “married out” because her husband was not a bridge player! Google her and you will see just why she was so admired.

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, November 14

1 Richard Gray/Wendy Gray

2 Tony Saunders/Patricia Siddle

3 Jack Rhind/Lisa Rhind

Monday, November 17

North/South

1 Jack Rhind/Margaret Way

2 Allyson Eadie/Aida Bostelmann

3 Geoff Bell/Kathleen Bell

East/West

1 Sancia Garrison/Jane Smith

2 Lorna Anderson/Heather Woolf

3 Peter Donnellan/Lynanne Bolton

Tuesday, November 18

1 Vivian Pereira/Sharon Andrews

2 Sally Irvine/Sandra Ogden

3 Tracey Pitt/David Leach

Wednesday, November 19

1 Charles Hall/Margaret Way

2 Sancia Garrison/Lynanne Bolton

3 Jack Rhind/Lisa Rhind

Thursday, November 20

1 Delton Outerbridge/John F W Glynn

2= Judith Bussell/Inger Mensa

2= Charles Hall/Stephanie Kyme