Not a lot happening at the Club right now as some pairs head off to the ACBL Summer Nationals in Las Vegas.

At the Club we have the Learn Bridge in a Day (LBIAD) coming up on 20th September with beginners lessons starting on the 24th of September so the Club will be having another big advertising push towards the end of August.

Pass on this news to your non-playing or beginner friends and anyone interested in this can e-mail lessons@bermudabridge.com for more information.

The Club signed up a lot of new members from the LBIAD and lessons last year and are clearly hopeful that the same will happen again this year.

In Bridge, as in life, clichés sometimes have a meaning and one can use today’s hand, which came up in the European Championships when Russia met Ireland — Russia was sitting North — South.

South Dealer, Both Vulnerable

? AKJ9

?AQ762

• KJ5

? 9

? 854 ? 96

? K543 ?1098

• A4 • Q10976

? 10643 ? Q72

? Q1032

? J

• 832

?AKJ85

The bidding:

South North

2???????????????????????????2•?????????????????????

2???????????????????????????2NT

?????????3???????????????????????????4?

?????????4? 4NT

5??????????????????????????6????????????????????????????

?????????

The bidding was quite illuminating …

North South were playing precision so South’s opening 2 Clubs showed 11-15 HCP and 5 Clubs and four of a major or 6 plus clubs.

North’s 2D was asking, South showed 5 Clubs and 4 Spades with his 2 Spade bid, 2NT asked for extras, 3 Spades showed none, 4 Hearts confirmed the spade fit and then despite South’s sign-off North dragged the auction into the thin small slam.

Tommy Garvey was sitting West on lead and one thing the auction told him is that North had the stronger hand and almost certainly had the diamond control, probably the King.

Having decided this Garvey broke almost every rule in the book and underfed his Ace at trick one against the spade slam, hoping to give South a guess in a KJ situation.

Well, his dreams were answered … South slightly suspected that something was going on but he had no reason to believe an underlead and he played dummy’s jack, hoping to force the Ace — down one!

This was a great piece of imagination from Garvey and can be condoned as it doesn’t risk misleading partner- the lead at trick one either works or it doesn’t!

The Irish pair in the other room were only in 4 Spades so Ireland gained 22 imps on this hand and ended up losing a close match instead of receiving a drubbing! Don’t try this at home!