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We hosted our annual charity morning in support of MindSpace a few weeks ago, writes Marcus Witt of the Stamford Bridge Club.
It was a big success with 50 people participating in the bridge event, and more for the coffee break and the raffle. Although the donation amount has not yet been finalized, we will have raised over £ 1,000 for this worthy cause.
MindSpace’s work aims to improve the mental well-being of the entire community. We know that, psychologically, the pandemic has created problems for many people. Now is the perfect time to help out this local charity.
Hand of the week
Today’s hand, for once, was not played at the club but appeared in The Bridge World, a leading publication on the game. Aside from the first two positive calls, the auction was natural, South grateful that the partner has given more support to the club than the auction could have suggested. West was leading S10 and everything seemed to go without saying. Declarer hopes to pull the trumps painlessly and cut the diamond loser into the dummy. South would give his heart to the defense but would claim 12 tricks of two spades, three diamonds, a diamond cutter and six clubs.
When South cashed in CA, however, West showed up (better than East because the deal would never be done). If declarer could reach dummy, the finesse scored against CQ could follow. But what is the entrance to the mannequin? The only potential entry would be through a diamond cut, but if declarer cashes two diamonds and cuts one diamond, East overruffs and the contract fails. No, the solution is subtle. After drawing a trump card, cash the second spade and two diamonds winners. Date HK now. East wins but is at the end of the game, obliged to turn over a major to give declarer the vital entry (the spade through a strawberry and a discard pile, the heart to the winner of the dummy). Club finesse can now be used to bring the slam home. If East had received a third diamond, his return could have been cut painlessly at the dummy. You can say “what if West had HA?” “
Now West could play a diamond to get the partner past the model. That’s right, but South wouldn’t be worse off than trying to make this cut himself.
advice
This is a good example of getting the defense to do the declarer’s job. Here, declarer, by knocking out the spades and knocking out the cards out of the eastern diamond, forced this hand to come back favorably.
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