Well, another Regional is in the history books — I covered the event pretty fully last week and will concentrate on the local successes in this week’s column.

One last word of thanks though to Kathy Keane for four great years at the helm and for keeping up and setting new standards in providing visitors and locals with a great event.

Thanks also to Katrina Van Pelt who has been a loyal and tireless committee member as she takes a break for a year or two. And best wishes to Sheena Rayner who will, once again, act as tournament chairman next year.

There were a number of local successes again this year but I think pride of place must go to Ed Betteto who carried off the Norman Bach Trophy for the local player winning the most master points during the week, with a terrific total of 76.14, winning something like four separate events in the process.

This total was the highest of the week across the field and by the end of the week Ed had achieved Silver Life Master status — well done.

Ed is a relative newcomer on the local scene but clearly landed with a lot of experience and I hear good things about him both at and away from the table.

Also winning big in the masterpoint category was 17-year-old Saltus Academy student Adeline Young, who won the Bermuda Trophy for the local junior who started the week with less than 20 master points and won the most master points at the event — Adeline’s 5.70 total was comfortably ahead of the challengers.

Adeline is a success story for the Bermuda Youth Bridge Programme from which she graduated just earlier last week.

The top ten in each category (top 13 for the newcomers):

The Norman Bach Trophy

1. Edward Betteto 76.14

2. Fabian Hupe 48.46

3. Elizabeth McKee 46.12

4. Diana Diel 36.11

5. Alan Douglas 31.50

6. Tony Saunders 29.71

7. Charles Hall 27.47

8. Jean Johnson 25.90

9. Peter Donnellan 25.55

10. Lynanne Bolton 25.55

The Bermuda Trophy

1. Adeline Young 5.70

2. Wenda Krupp 1.66

3. Carol Jones 1.13

4. Elma Anfossi 1.05

5. Sara Lorimer Turner 1.04

6. Alison Everard 0.86

7. Joanne Edwards 0.80

8. Jo-Ann Dawson 0.74

9. A Diana Rayner 0.65

10. Samantha Pickering 0.47

11. Nick Kemp 0.47

12. Scott Gilbertson 0.44

13. Ross Cooper 0.44

Well done to all of these for a great effort throughout the week.

The list of overall local winners in the championship events is long and reinforces the great performances across the board:

Stratum A and A/X

Friday Swiss Teams Ed Betteto, Fabian Hupe, Margie Sullivan, Rena Lieberman

Stratum B and Bracket 2

Knockout Teams John Glynn, Molly Taussig, Diana Diel, Elizabeth McKee

Monday/Tuesday Championship Pairs Alan Douglas and Kevin Comeau

Wednesday/Thursday Championship Pairs Ed Betteto and Fabian Hupe

Friday Swiss Kevin Comeau, Pat Hayward, John Rayner, Harry Kast

Stratum C and Bracket 3

Knockout Teams Ed Betteto, Fabian Hupe, Lynanne Bolton, Peter Donnellan

Sunday Teams Rachael Gosling, Simon Giffen, Elizabeth McKee, Michael Viotti

Monday/Tuesday Championship Pairs Misha Novakovic, Ed Betteto

Wednesday/Thursday Championship Pairs Ed Betteto and Fabian Hupe

Stratum D

Friday Swiss

Judy King, Martha Ferguson, Stephen Cosham, David Pickering

Well done to all these players and all the other locals who achieved section tops and reached other milestones during the week. There was a strong local participation at all levels and that adds a ton to the event.

Talking of milestones, both Judy King and Stephanie Kyme timed it perfectly to make Life Master during the event — well done ladies.

Clearly Ed Betteto took centre stage among the locals but he was strongly supported by Fabian Hupe who has his own share of great results. Also showing great consistency was Elizabeth McKee who won two events and finished in a strong third place in the masterpoint table — well done again.

Before I get to the hand I have to mention an amazing result, one not involving locals.

When the Team of Lisa Hadar and Sandra Warshawsky from New York and Nora Robinson and Suzanne Jaffe from Ontario came up to the banquet stage to get their prize for winning Bracket C of the Swiss Teams the applause was thunderous as the entire audience were on their feet and for very good reason.

Nora Robinson, who has been a regular attendee for more than 20 years, was winning at the age of 98. Absolutely amazing and a testament to what a great game bridge is in keeping the mind and senses active. Nora, wherever you are, many many congratulations and see you next year.

Today’s hand looks very ordinary but is an absolute beauty — in many ways a hidden gem as the successful play would probably go unnoticed at 99 out of 100 tables.

N/S Vul Dealer North

North opened 1 Diamond, South bid 1 Spade and after North rebid 1NT, South closed the bidding at 4 Spades.

West began with the Ace and King of Hearts — declarer ruffed the second and took stock. The contract is safe if Diamonds break 3-2 or if the ace of Clubs is with West — about an 80 per cent combined chance. Declarer, however, wanted more, and looked at what other distribution would help if both the other chances went wrong.

And then he hit upon it — if the Ace of Clubs was with East (an unwanted scenario), what if East also had the Club Queen?

So declarer drew trumps, crossed to a Diamond and led the 3 of Clubs.

The defence is dead. East wins with the queen and led another Heart but declarer ruffed and played the Jack of Clubs, happily noting that east also had the Ace.

Now declarer’s losing Diamond can go away on the Club king — absolutely brilliant.

I’m sure at most tables North/South would commiserate with each other about the bad Diamond break and the Club Ace being with East, and move on to the next hand. Little did they know that the hand could be made.

The lesson here is simple, and repeated often — always look for that extra chance to make a hand, especially if it comes for free.