Santa's slipped a slam in your stocking!

         
WEST              EAST
♠ AK              ♠ -
♥ KQT98           ♥ J765432
♦ A3              ♦ 7654
♣ QJT9            ♣ AK
        

W    N    E   S
1H   1S   3S  4S
4NT  P    5D  P  
6H   All pass

Over North’s 1♠ overcall, East’s 3♠ was a splinter, a dramatic or “unnecessary” jump showing a fit for partner, at least game points, and a singleton or void in the bid suit. West ventured to slam despite being unexcited by partner’s spade shortage. The ♦K is led; how should declarer play?

There is an unavoidable loser in the ♥A, so you cannot afford to concede a diamond trick – and there are blockages to contend with.

After winning the diamond lead, declarer could cash the A-K of spades to throw two diamonds, but that would still leave one desolate diamond deserted in dummy; with clubs blocked there would be no quick way to discard it. The solution is to throw dummy’s A-K of clubs on the A-K of spades, so then three rounds of clubs can be led from hand to discard the diamond losers. From then on it’s merry bridging... and a Happy New Year!

The Sport of Kings (& Queens & Aces)

The Sport of Kings (& Queens & Aces) by Derrick Browne 

It was under the presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch that the International Olympic Committee accepted bridge as an Olympic sport. Samaranch again demonstrated his support of bridge by attending the European Champions Cup, where he stated that bridge had gained recognition from the IOC because it is a true sport. However, despite being held as a demonstration sport at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the flame of Olympic interest in bridge dimmed.

Most serious bridge events – such as Olympiads – have been run as teams, while pairs is the other popular format. Today’s deal, however, comes from the 6^th Generali World Masters Men’s and Women’s Individual Championships, held in Verona in September 2004. In an Individual, you keep changing partners. Because of this, everyone played the same system, basically French Standard: 5-card majors, strong notrump, weak twos in the majors and 2D as an 8-9 trick hand with 2C normally game forcing (like a back-to-front version of Benjamin Twos).

American Tobi Sokolow won the Women’s, while Italian Norberto Bocchi won the Men’s. In the hand below, he bid a tight game which his partner of that round, Jiansheng Jin of China, managed to bring home:

EW vulnerable, dealer North.

  NORTH
         ♠ T32
         ♥ JT9
         ♦ J986
         ♣ AJ3
WEST              EAST
♠ K964            ♠ Q875
♥ Q52             ♥ 86
♦ AKQ52           ♦ T72
♣ T               ♣ Q865
         SOUTH
         ♠ AJ
         ♥ AK743
         ♦ 5
         ♣ K9742

Read more: The Sport of Kings (& Queens & Aces)

Bending the Rules

Bridge players, like great artists, need to understand the rules but also know when to break them. One such rule is "always return your partner's lead". The rule is a fine one, but a bridge player will tell you it is always wrong to say "always".

Each year we hold a gold point event, the "GNOT", at Trumps (this year will be Fridays 1.20pm or 7pm from 9 October).Playing in a heat of the Grand National Teams some years ago, Christine Vinson produced a big swing when she used simple logic to defeat a game contract.

EW vulnerable, dealer West.

         NORTH
         ♠ 862
         ♥ QJ9
         ♦ AT42
         ♣ T82
WEST              EAST
♠ AKQ9            ♠ J543
♥ T3              ♥ K64
♦ QJ              ♦ 765
♣ A9543           ♣ KQ7
         SOUTH
         ♠ T7
         ♥ A8752
         ♦ K983
         ♣ J6

Read more: Bending the Rules

Unusual Path to Slam

With the annual Trumps Winter Teams coming up this Sunday, we look back at the 2004 Trumps Winter Teams. This featured some existing national champions, but also strong performances by up-and-coming players the Edgtton brothers Adam (14) and Nabil (13), who went on to national and even international wins.

On the hand below, the slightly older Anthony Newman (21-year-old son of bridge teacher/expert John Newman) finished in an ambitious slam - but made it. Looking only at the North-South hands, plan the play in 6H.

NS vulnerable, dealer West.

NORTH

S AQ954

H AT862

D AQ

C A

WEST                        EAST

S 86                          S KT7

H K                            H J54

D K9542                    D T86

C K7642                    C T953

SOUTH

S J32

H Q973

D J73

C QJ8

Read more: Unusual Path to Slam

End Play Saves Day

As dealer, what action should you take with the South hand below? 

EW vulnerable, dealer South. 

          NORTH 
          S AJ54
          H KJ2
          D AJ4
          C A52
WEST                EAST
S 86                S 7
H 987               H AQT6
D QT76              D K954
C J987              C KQT6

          SOUTH 
          S KQT932
          H 543
          D 83
          C 43

S  W   N  E

2S P  4S  All pass 

Read more: End Play Saves Day

Close decisions

Every bridge event has a thousand stories waiting to be told, and never are they more poignant than when survival hangs on a slim thread.

Here is one hand from a past World Championships where England defeated China by just one IMP to take out the Women’s title and in the Seniors, the margin was twice that – Japan defeated the USA by two IMPs.

Read more: Close decisions