THE Bermuda National Pairs concluded at the Bridge Club on Monday and David Pereira and Sven Pride put together another strong session to win the event. In second place, seven match points behind, were Joe Wakefield and Bill Tucker, followed by Rachael Gosling and Craig Hutton in third, an excellent showing by this pair over two sessions.

Rounding out the placings were Judy Bussell and Stephanie Kyme in fourth, Charles Hall and David Cordon in fifth, and Joan Johnson and Marge Way in fifth.

The winners are a strong but fairly new pairing — David has been winning at the club and representing Bermuda for over two decades and Sven, while new to the local scene, is clearly a very strong player with a lot of experience — look out for him to be in the shake-up in most major local events.

One of the reasons that bridge is the wonderful game it is, is that every hand brings something new. Sometimes the hand itself may be similar to a previous one but the opponents may be very different and force you into making a different decision.

This week’s hand features the late great Edgar Kaplan who left such an incredible impression on our game, as a player, journalist and commentator.

The hand came up during Kaplan’s winning session in the 1957 National Life Masters Individual, which at that time was one of the premier events on the bridge calendar.

West Dealer

N/S Vulnerable

North

[spade]A J Q 7 5

[heart]A 7

[diamond]K J 9 4

[club]9 7West East

[spade]J 6 3 [spade]9 8 4 2

[heart]Q J 9 6 4 2 [heart]K

[diamond]Q 8 6 [diamond]A 10 5 2

[club]A [club]10 6 3 2South

[spade]10

[heart]10 8 5 3

[diamond]7 3

[club]K Q J 8 5 4South West North East<$>

- Pass 1[spade] Pass

1NT Pass 2[diamond] Pass

3[club] Pass 3NT (All Pass)“As South, I hold no brief for my partner’s three-no-trump bid, although it won the tournament for me,” Kaplan wrote.

“West opened the heart queen, which I won in dummy. I led the nine of clubs to my king, and West put on the ace.

“West shifted to a small diamond, and dummy’s jack forced the ace. The diamond return rode to dummy’s king. I led the club seven from the table, finessed my own eight, and made ten tricks for a top.

“You see, I was lucky enough to have Norman Kay on my left. Never in his life has Norman been guilty of so bad a play as winning the first club if he could hold up, so the finesse was marked.

“Obviously, the secret of winning Individuals is to make sure that your opponents are more expert than your partners.”

Comment<$>

North’s 3NT final bid was truly dreadful — one bid earlier he was prepared to be passed to in 2 diamonds and then when partner makes a clear final bid, drags him to game!!

The only layout to let the hand make is a singleton ace in one hand — if East has it no play fails, but if West has it, as in this hand, the play of the nine of clubs on the first round is essential.