Plans are well under way for the Bermuda Regional 2024 and Rachael Gosling and her team are already hard at work.

The event will take place at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, starting on January 27 with some side games that afternoon and the Ernie Owen Charity Pairs that night at 8.15 pm. The event will finish on February 2 with the two-session Swiss Teams at 9.30am and 2.30pm. More details later, but block off that week in your diary!

A huge part of being a successful declarer player at bridge is the ability and bravery to back one’s judgment after analysing your options. Too often players make the ‘standard’ play without thinking through the history of the bidding and play up to that point – today’s declarer did not make that mistake. See the hand in Figure 1 and the bidding in Figure 2.

North’s cue bid of two spades promised a limit raise or better in diamonds. His bid of four clubs was a long-suit game try. South loved his club cards and decided to play in the 4-4 diamond fit.

West began with Ace-King of spades. Declarer ruffed low then cashed the Ace of trumps, and was pleased that both defenders followed.

As the entries to the closed hand outside of clubs were in trumps, declarer continued with a low heart to dummy’s King. East took this with the Ace and returned a heart to dummy’s Jack.

Next, declarer led a low trump to his ten, noting that both defenders followed. Accordingly, declarer drew the last trump with his Queen, leaving the King of trumps in dummy. Rather than play on clubs, declarer cashed the Queen and ten of hearts, throwing two low clubs from dummy while West parted with two spades.

Declarer now reflected on the bidding and play to date. East had shown up with eight cards in the red suits, leaving five in the blacks.

The auction suggested that spades were not 7-3 (then East would probably have bid less and West a little more). If East had five spades, and a void in clubs, he would have bid game in spades! So, East had surely begun with a 4=5=3=1 distribution, leaving West with an original 6=2=2=3 shape.

As a result of these musings, declarer cashed his King of clubs then led a low club towards dummy. When West followed with the nine of clubs, declarer called for dummy’s ten. Once that held, declarer had 11 tricks.

Of interest is that the play in five diamonds allowed declarer to gather enough information about the defenders’ hands to determine that clubs were likely 3=1 – something that would not have been possible in five clubs.

Brilliantly thought out by South and his discovery play helped him work out the shape of East’s hand and achieve a much deserved result on the hand.

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

BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS

Friday, July 14

North/South

1. William Pollett-Charles Hall

2. Peter Donnellan-Gertrude Barker

3. Elysa Burland-Sancia Garrison

East/West

1. Aida Bostelmann-Heather Woolf

2. Tim Mardon-Judy King

3. Margaret Way-Jane Smith

Monday, July 17

1. Lorna Anderson-Heather Woolf

2. Elysa Burland-Molly Taussig

3. Jane Smith-Judy King

Tuesday, July 18

1. Malcolm Moseley-Mark Stevens

2. Jean Schilling -John Thorne

3. Robert Mulderig-Heidi Dyson

Wednesday, July 19

1. Tony Saunders-Molly Taussig

2. Joyce Pearson-George Correia

Thursday, July 20

1= Charles Hall-Keith Smith

1= Miodrag Novakovic-Margaret Way

1= David Petty-Tim Mardon