For bridge players and golfers, summer in Bermuda is not much fun – many players are away and it is hot and humid, all of which makes it difficult to get one’s weekly (or daily) fix!

The Bridge Club, however, provides great air-conditioned premises, easy parking, comfortable playing conditions and the means of obtaining a partner if your regular partner is away.

The club has three separate partnership e-mail groups for daytime games, the Thursday evening game and the Tuesday evening game. If you haven’t signed up for one of these and wish to do so, just contact Wendy Gray, president of the Bridge Club, on rwgray.net@gmail .com and you will be taken care of.

The club needs your support through the summer, so get yourself down there – once you meet up with some old friends you will realise what you’ve been missing.

This week’s hand sees declarer employ one of the standard safety plays in bridge when the key suit is KJxx opposite A9xx (see Figure 1).

South opened 1NT (15-17) and North made the practical raise to 6NT – West led the jack of diamonds.

Declarer counted ten winners. He saw that the other two could come from clubs on a three-two break with the Queen onside or they could come from a combination of the red suits plus clubs. So, after taking the jack of diamonds with the Queen, declarer led a low spade to dummy’s King and continued with a low heart to his Jack. When that held, he had eleven tricks – now all he needed for his contract was three club tricks.

The main danger to getting three tricks in the club suit was if East held Q10xx or Q10xxx in which case the “normal” play of the Ace first would not be good enough.

Accordingly, declarer made the sure play for three tricks in clubs: he led the two of clubs to dummy’s King followed by a low club from dummy. East followed with a low club and declarer covered it with his nine. When that held declarer had 12 tricks.

The club play was foolproof – if the nine had lost to the ten it meant the clubs were 3-2 and three tricks were available. If East had shown out on the second club declarer wins the Ace and leads towards the Jack – again, three club tricks.

Note that if the heart finesse had lost, declarer would have handled clubs differently. He’d have led a low club towards dummy with the intention of finessing the jack if West had followed low.

If this held declarer could try for four tricks in clubs and, if that fails, hope diamonds are 3-3 – this is the best way to play a hand, look at all the available chances and then combine them to give yourself the best chance of success.

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, June 10

1.Diana Diel – Charles Hall

2.Wendy Gray – Richard Gray

3.Betsy Baillie – Lane Martin

Monday, June 13

North/South

1. Elysa Burland – Molly Taussig

2. Joyce Pearson – Caroline Svensen

3. Elizabeth McKee – Diana Diel

East/West

1. Gertie Barker – Jane Smith

2. Charles Hall – Tony Saunders

3. Louise Rodger – Dorry Lusher

Tuesday 14 June

Juniors under 20 Masterpoints

1. Gillian Campbell – Chris Fajen

2. Ben Stone – James Fielding

3. Jocelyn Bonneau – Jevon Dickinson

Juniors under 300 Masterpoints

1.Jeaan Schilling – Matthew Charleston

2.Sally Irvine – Ineke Hetzel

Wednesday, June 15

North/South

1. Lynanne Bolton – Greta Marshall

2. Wendy Gray – Richard Gray

3. Julia Beach – Magda Farag

East/West

1. Joyce Pearson – Heather Woolf

2. Pat Siddle – Diana Diel

3. Sheena Rayner – Dorry Lusher

Thursday, June 16

1/2.Rachael Gosling – Lisa Ferrari

1/2.Gerti Barker – Molly Taussig

3. Lynanne Bolton – Peter Donnellan