Bridge | 29 January 2022

During lockdown I had a bit of a tidy-up and came across a Post-it note with the following statement written on it from a member of my team: ‘I WILL NEVER DISCUSS BRIDGE THEORY WITH JdB AGAIN. IF I DO SO I WILL JUMP OUT OF THE WINDOW.’ Bit much, I thought at the time. I only said I didn’t agree.

Last week the mixed trials for June’s European Championships took place at Young Chelsea. No serious bust-ups but a sliver of temperament:

South led the ♥Q. On the first Spade from dummy (West), North won the King and switched to his singleton Diamond. East covered with the ten and South, after a moment’s pause, covered with the Jack. North was not happy; the rest of the hand was played out with him smacking every card on the table, and after 4♠ made, he shouted: ‘What are you doing — we have four top tricks if you just take the Ace and give me a ruff?’

As you have probably already spotted, North was 100 per cent at fault for the accident; by winning the first Spade with the King, he’s inviting the alternative defence of ducking the first Diamond, which would therefore be right. Had North won the Ace — or cashed the Ace before playing his Diamond — South would have had no problem giving her partner a ruff.

Congratulations to Frances Hinden and Graham Osborne, Sarah Bell and Michael Byrne and Diana Nettleton and Tom Paske, who have qualified to represent England in Madeira in June.