Stamford Bridge Club is looking forward to returning home as Covid-19 restrictions allow

The recent news from the government, about relaxing Covid-19 restrictions, is most welcome and we look forward to an eventual return to normality, writes Marcus Witt, of Stamford Bridge Club.

Back in September and October of last year we were able to play some restricted bridge in the clubhouse and it is likely our first forays back “home” will follow a similar course. We’ll start with a limited number of sessions and players will not be able to move from table to table to play different opponents.

In time we’ll have the full programme up and running but observing the Covid-19 protocols (and any future long-term advice) is paramount in our thoughts. Optimism tempered with a large dose of pragmatism.

Hand of the Week

This week’s deal, with a suggested auction, arose in a recent club online gentle duplicate session. 4H was a common contract and generally made, though the paths to the final outcome varied. West started with SA. When dummy shows up with the queen, supported by at least two other cards, West needs to know if a second round of the suit will stand up. East should give count and play S5, playing high-low to show an even number. Let’s say South drops S3. How do we know East doesn’t have three spades? Because with that holding, East would have been dealt S654 and would have played S4 to show an odd number. Similarly, if South drops S6, East would have played S3 with S543. The second spade will stand up. “At” the club, many Wests switched after the second spade, believing there was no benefit in playing a third one. Where West did play another spade, East ruffed with H3. South could overruff, draw trumps in one round, give up a diamond, and make the contract. There is an opportunity here. It is better for East to play an “uppercut”, ruffing with HJ. This promotes West’s HK irrespective of how declarer was going to play the trumps. Does this spell the contract’s demise? No, as the hand is ripe for some “cat and mousery”. South can cleverly discard a diamond on HJ and, having drawn trumps, claim 10 tricks.

Tip

Be aware of the possibility of ruffing high in defence to promote a trick for partner. Declarer may have no answer to this but here had a perfect counter. Discarding a diamond was a loser on loser play, an important technique in card play that holds everything together.