IN bridge, as in most sports, in order to win one has to be prepared to lose and that sometimes means risking an extra undertrick in an effort to make a hand.This week’s hand is a good example of the need for preparation in order to achieve success.North

[spade]A K J 10

[heart]K J 6

[diamond]A K Q 6

[club]8 3

South

[spade]Q 8 7 6 2

[heart]Q 8 2

[diamond]5

[club]K J 6 5North South

1[club] (1) 1[spade] (2)

3[spade] (3) 4[spade] (4)

5[diamond] (5) 5[spade] (6)

Pass

1. Any 16+ hand

2. 8+ HCP at least 5 spades. Game forcing

3. Spade support 21+ HCP

4. Not interested in any more

5. One more try?

6. Still not interested

It is never nice to play above game and below slam but South just has to concentrate on making 11 tricks after West leads a trump.

After drawing two rounds of trumps declarer should realise that there are no good discards on diamonds as yet. The best play is to lead a heart towards the king jack — West is almost certain to play low and now when the jack wins it is time to use the diamonds. Discard both hearts now on the diamonds and now try to guess the club suit for the overtrick, as the contract is safe.

The full hand:North <$>

[spade]A K J 10

[heart]K J 6

[diamond]A K Q 6

[club]8 3

West East

[spade]9 5 [spade]4 3

[heart]A 9 7 5 [heart]10 4 3

[diamond]J 8 7 [diamond]10 9 4 3 2

[club]Q 10 7 4 [club]A 9 2

South

[spade]Q 8 7 6 2

[heart]Q 8 2

[diamond]5

[club]K J 6 5So you’ve made your contract. Now you are going for the overtrick and you lead a low club from dummy and East plays low — do you play the king or jack?

You should play the king. Why? With nothing else to guide you, you should usually play for ‘split aces’. You know West has the heart ace so play East for the club ace. The reason for playing split aces? If West has both aces and a few other points, he may have bid — since he didn’t you play East, for the club ace. A bit of a ‘negative inference’ — but it is all you have!LATEST RESULTS

Granaway Bridge ClubWednesday, March 29, Flight A, N/S: 1. Anelise Scheland-Heather Woolf, 2. David Cordon-Julia Lunn, 3. Richard and Wendy Gray. E/W: 1. Gordon and Judy Bussell, 2. Gertie Barker-Alice Palmer, 3. Dot Peniston-Michael Bickley.

Flight B, N/S: 1. Anelise Scheland-Heather Woolf, 2. Tony and Dorothy Buckley, 3. Joan Sims-Enid Hyland. E/W: 1. Gwen Christensen-Bea Williams, 2. Pat and Vivian Siddle, 3. Sandra Cordon-Ann Proctor.

Bermuda Bridge Club

Monday morning, March 27, N/S<$>: 1. Joan Sims-Julia Lunn, 2. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray, 3. Bea Williams-Betty Outerbridge. E/W: 1. Magda Farag-Louise Rodger, 2. Jane McCleary-Linda Naylor, 3. Eileen Sharpe-Jacqueline Swan.

Monday evening, N/S: 1. Joseph Wakefield-Stephan Juliusburger, 2. Judith Bussell-Stephanie Kyme, 3. June Smith-Gertrude Barker. E/W: 1. Harry Kast-Michael Bickley, 2. Alan Douglas-Barry Rahman, 3. Lyn O’Neill-Audrey Smith.

Wednesday morning, N/S: 1. Richard Gray-Wendy Gray, 2. Lyn O’Neill-Jean Wakefield, 3. Joan Sims-Julia Lunn. E/W: 1. Magda Farag-Marilyn Simmons, 2. Eileen Sharpe-Peggy Thompson, 3. Michael Bickley-Charles Gambrill.

Wednesday evening, N/S<$>: 1. Charles Pearman-Ernest Paynter, 2. Alex moir-Dorothy Moir, 3. Jane Clipper-Michael Tait. E/W: 1. Dan McCleary-Jane McCleary, 2. Barbara Lowry-Sid Lowry, 3. Caroline Svensen-Caroline Maloney.

Friday, N/S:<$> 1. Kevin Comeau-Oswald Dietrich, 2. David Sykes-Sally Sykes, 3. (jt) John GLynn-Bill Pare and Stephan Juliusburger-Cliff Alison. E/W: 1. Vera Petty-Roman Smolski, 2. Joseph Wakefield-Tony Saunders, 3. Jim Leitch-Donna Leitch.