Bridge is an amazing game , but it is one of the few “mind games” in which you have a partner, and therein lies a problem! Some people take it more seriously than others, and some of those can’t help expressing their displeasure at the real or perceived “mistakes” by partner and that leads to …..friction!

The most famous altercation by far occurred in 1929 in Kansas City – the Bennett murder! You can google/chatgpt it but I will give you the short version.

The Bennetts invited the Hoffmans over for dinner and bridge - late in the game Mr B opened a ten-point hand and Mrs B reasonably bid the spade game which he misplayed and went down. She started referring to “bum bridge players” as a result of which he started slapping her and then got up and said he was leaving the house to sleep in a hotel.

She went upstairs to her mother’s bedroom, snatched the family automatic and came downstairs to where the two men were talking – seeing his wife with a gun Mr Bennett ran into the bathroom. Mrs B followed, shot twice through the door and killed him!

Mrs B was charged with murder and in 1931 was acquitted on the basis of justifiable homicide!

All a bit extreme, but looking at the way Mr B bid played the hand... I have to agree with the judge!

Nowadays things are not that bad, and bad results usually end with one of the pair making an acerbic comment – a couple of my favourites are:

• Player A to Player B after he went down in a cold contract: “Well, how would you have played the hand?” Player B: “Differently!”

• Player A to player B: “I’d bet my life against yours that my line of play was correct.” Player B’s response: “Why on earth would I give you odds of 3/1?” I’ll let you work that one out!

Back to bridge and today’s hand is a superb example of just how intricate declarer play can be in different situations. I’d encourage you to treat it as a puzzle which you have to solve after I give you a few hints , and only after you have either solved it or have reached the point of utter frustration should you then read on to discover the solution.

Notice that South did not make the rookie error of thinking, “I have spades and partner has the minors and I have a heart stopper so I can bid 3NT.” A single stopper in this sort of auction is never enough and 3NT has no chance to make – four spades is a great contract.

Now back to the play. West led the King of hearts and at most tables South won the trick and immediately ruffed a heart and now started planning the play - too late!

No matter how the play goes, declarer now has to lose two hearts and two black Aces – down one.

Give it a try before you read on and the hints are that this hand is all about retaining control and that you need to plan early.

Any luck? The key play at trick one is for declarer to duck the heart despite having a singleton opposite the Ace!

The defence is now dead – if West leads trumps declarer now continues trumps to knock out the Ace and collects an easy ten tricks. West’s best chance is to lead another heart – declarer now ruffs this and leads a club to the Queen.

West wins and forces out the Ace of hearts but declarer is in control as he wins, crossed to a diamond in dummy, discards his last heart on the King of clubs, and ruffs a club to his hand to play on trumps – contract made for the loss of one heart at trick one and the two black Aces.

Yes I know – how come you didn’t see that! Don’t be too hard on yourself, it was not that easy...

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, May 29

North/South

1 Gertrude Barker/Magda Farag

2 Jane Smith/Margaret Way

3 Geoff Bell/Kathleen Bell

East/West

1 Elysa Burland/Heather Woolf

2 Stephan Cosham/Sharon Shanahan

3 Stephanie Kyme/Diana Diel

Monday, June 1

North/South

1 Desmond Nash/Tracy Nash

2 Jack Rhind/Margaret Way

3 Elysa Burland/Aida Bostelmann

East/West

1 Judy Kitson/Gil Butterfield

2 Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

3 Charles Hall/Molly Taussig

Tuesday, June 2

North/South

1 Ian Boatman/Muna Vallis

2 Desiree Woods/Sandra Ogden

3 Julia Tadman/Joshimar Hussey

East/West

1 Gareth Cooper/Maximilian Santiago

2 Ross Cooper/Scott Gilbertson

3 Veronica Boyce/Carol Eastham

Wednesday, June 3

1 Charles Hall/Margaret Way

2 Patricia Siddle/Diana Diel

3 Judith Bussell/Stephanie Kyme

Thursday, June 4

1 Peter Donnellan/Gertrude Barker

2 Charles Hall/Stephanie Kyme

3 Erika Jones/Margaret Way