With all of the Spring Club Championships completed at the Bridge Club players can now take a bit of a breather till the Bermuda Sectional which runs from Friday, June 12th to Monday, June 16th with three two-session Championship events and two single-session events on the Friday and Monday afternoons. More on that as we get closer to the event.

Today’s hand is a little piece of magic brought about by superb technique from declarer, with a play that is meaningless 99 times out of a 100 but costs nothing and is a stunner when that one-in-a-100 moment arrives!

N/S Vul Dealer South

NORTH

S543

H97

DJ1093

C9876

WEST

SNone

HAKQ10864

D876

CQ102

EAST

SQJ97

H532

D542

C543

SOUTH

SAK10862

HJ

DAKQ

CAKJ

The Bidding:

South

2C?

West

4H

North

Pass

East

Pass

South

4S

West

Pass

North

Pass

East

Pass??????

West led the Heart Ace and South was relieved to see such a bad dummy as he was worried that a Spade slam was on when he made his four Spade bid. West continued a Heart and South made the expert, but seemingly useless play of ruffing with the Spade 6, not the 2 — many top players keep the lowest card in their hand available just as good technique.

Now South cashed the Spade Ace and received the bad news and now his contract was in jeopardy as he has two Spade losers to go with one Heart and one Club. Declarer, however, was no neophyte and saw a glimmer of a chance if the minors were three-three, and he decided to play for that .

Declarer now cashed three Diamonds and then played Ace-King and Jack of Clubs and West had to win in this position:

NORTH

S54

H9

D

C9

WEST

S

HQ1086

D

C

EAST

SQJ9

H5

D

C

SOUTH

SK1082

H

D

C

?

Now when West led a Heart declarer ruffed in dummy and was able to stay in dummy by under-ruffing with the carefully preserved Spade 2! Declarer now led a Spade and when East, perforce, had to split his honours declarer let him hold the trick and he now had to lead into declarer’s K10 — total brilliance!

Yes, bridge at another level indeed!