The Bermuda Sectional concluded at the Bridge Club on Monday night, with the second session of the Pairs and the closing prizegiving function.

Despite the table count being slightly lower the event was another success under the chairmanship of John Glynn and the directorship of Jack Rhind.

The event was a happy hunting ground for Roman Smolski and Marge Way, who won two championship events, finished second in the other behind David Cordon and Charles Hall, and also won both single session events.

They jointly carried off the “Adventures in Bridge” trophy for the highest masterpoint total in the week with 25.74 masterpoints.

There were some other good performances in the A and lower divisions and a number of players put in consistent performances over the various events during the week.

They incude Richard and Wendy Gray, Lorna Anderson, George Correia, Mike Tait, Jane Clipper, David Bedard and Justin Brenden, to name a few.

Bedard and Brenden did well to win the masterpoint trophy for players with less than 20 Masterpoints. Well done.

This week’s hand is a classic, simple declarer play problem, which most players will get wrong.

Dealer North. NS Vul

NORTH

S 432

H K32

D 876

C 9875

SOUTH

S AKQJ9

H AQ64

D AK

C A6

After two passes South opened his rock-crusher two clubs, partner responded two diamonds which they played as showing an ace or a king.

South bid two spades and North jumped to four spades showing a horrible hand (fast arrival bad hand, slow arrival good hand). South, however, made the reasonable leap to six spades. West led the king of clubs and the play was pretty predictable. Declarer won, drew trumps, played out the spades and diamonds and then went after hearts, and when the suit broke 4-2 was down one.

Other players did better by ducking the first club, which put a bit more pressure on the defenders at the end but the outcome was the same — one down.

Do you see the correct play?

NORTH

S 432

H K32

D 876

C 9875

EAST

S 876

H J875

D J1032

C 32

WEST

S 105

H 109

D Q954

C KQJ104

SOUTH

S AKQJ9

H AQ64

D AK

C A6

Now do you see it ? This is a classic — Declarer must draw only two rounds of trumps and then, heart in mouth, play three rounds of hearts.

If hearts break 3-3 all is well, draw the last trump and claim.

On this hand, however, West shows out but cannot ruff, so Declarer can ruff the last heart in dummy and claim 12 tricks. And what if West had the third trump and ruffed the third heart? Well, you are one down the same way you would have been if you had drawn trumps.

So the recommended play gives you an extra chance at no cost, always a good thing.

Bridge Club results

SINGLE SESSION PAIRS

Friday Afternoon

Section A

1. Roman Smolski, Marge Way

2. Harry Kast, Michael Bickley

3. Elizabeth McKee, Diana Diel

Section B

1. George Correia, Lorna Anderson

2. Sancia Garrison, Pat Colmet

3. Molly Taussig, Peter Rodger

Section C

1. George Correia, Lorna Anderson

2. Ellen Davidson, Jeanette Shaw

Monday Afternoon

Section A

1. Roman Smolski, Marge Way

2. Gill Gray, Pat Siddle

3. Wendy Gray, Richard Gray

Section B

1. Ellen Davidson, Jeanette Shaw

2. Kathleen Bell, Geoff Bell

3. Nea Willits, Annabelle Mann

Section C

1. Ellen Davidson, Jeanette Shaw

2. Kathleen Bell, Geoff Bell

Championship 2 Session Events

DAVID EZEKIEL BRIDGE COLUMN PAIRS

Section A

1. Roman Smolski, Marge Way

2. David Cordon, John Burville

3. Elizabeth McKee, Diana Diel

Section B

1. Michael Tait, Jane Clipper

2. Susan Adhemar, Peter Adhemar

MONDAY-FRIDAY PAIRS

Section A

1. David Cordon, Charles Hall

2. Roman Smolski, Marge Way

3. Alan Douglas, Jane Smith

Section B

1. John Burville, Mike Viotti

2. Ernest Paynter, Lorna Anderson

3. Michael Tait, Jane Clipper

Section C

1. Ernest Paynter, Lorna Anderson

2. David Bedard, Justin Brenden

3. James Fraser, Marsha Fraser

TWO SESSION TEAMS

Section A

1. Roman Smolski, Marge Way, Harry Kast, Michael Bickley

2. Gertie Barker, Jane Smith, Sheena Rayner, Magda Farag

3. Wendy Gray, Richard Gray, Pat Siddle, Gill Gray

Section B

1. Wendy Gray, Richard Gray, Pat Siddle, Gill Gray

2. Rachael Gosling, Simon Giffen, Mike Viotti, Elizabeth McKee