Regional off to cracking start
In the Sunday Swiss Teams a tight and exciting finish saw the all-Bermuda team of Alan Douglas, Ian Harvey, Barry Rahman and David Pereira tie with locals Vera Petty and Roman Smolski, who are teamed with regular visitors Jade Barrett and Karen Barrett.
In the Monday—Tuesday Open Pairs, ex-Bermuda resident Bill Souster teamed up with another Regional regular, Jim Linhart, to score a fine win. More on these and full results next week.
This hand came up in the Swiss Teams and declarer needed to be careful at trick one, which is usually a requirement.
Dealer West. Neither Vul.
North
[spade]Q 7
[heart]Q 5 4 3
[diamond]A K 4
[club]J 7 5West East
[spade]A 10 9 8 6 3 [spade]J 4
[heart]6 [heart]A J 10 8 2
[diamond]Q 7 5 [diamond]8 3
[club]Q 3 2 [club] 6 4South
[spade]K 5 2
[heart]K 9 7
[diamond]J 10 9 6 2
[b]A KWest North East South<$>
[spade]2 Pass Pass 2NT
Pass 3NT Pass Pass
PassAfter his weak two opening, West led the ten of spades. An inexperienced declarer might make the mistake of calling for dummy’s queen of spades, which would win the trick. Of course, East would unblock the jack. The situation is that even after he picks up the diamond suit without loss declarer will have only eight tricks and, no matter how he plays from there, East will gain the lead with the ace of hearts before a ninth is collected. East will then put the four of spades on the table, giving the defence enough tricks to defeat the contract.
If his contract was to succeed, declarer almost needs West to have the queen of diamonds no more than three time. So he should place East with the ace of hearts and consequently duck the first round of spades; playing low from both hands.
If, as expected, the spade suit is cleared the difference is that when East gains the lead with the ace of hearts he cannot play a spade. So declarer will score one spade, one heart, five diamonds and the club ace-king, just what the contract requires!
