Bridge

WITH A choice of pairs to watch I always try to kibitz the most argumentative in the room - I get better copy, and it is much more fun. I was not disappointed by this deal.

East opened Four Diamonds, South overcalled with Four Hearts, and West bid Four Spades. Without conviction, North went on to Five Hearts and all passed. West led 4K against Five Hearts and, after thought, East discarded a diamond. East won and tried a low club (he'd have done better to concede a ruff and discard). Triumphantly declarer played low and won West's jack with the queen. He had avoided a club loser but still had to concede two tricks in spades to go one off.

"What a rotten bid!" complained South. "It was hopeless! I needed an end-play to go one off! Why not pass? At least we end with a plus score!" "It may not have been a great bid" admitted North. "But you played it like an idiot!"

Well, perhaps that was a bit strong but South had certainly missed an opportunity. At the point when East (mistakenly) switched to a low club, there was only one real chance that West held 2J9xx. Suppose South wins the club return with his ace and leads another club, finessing the eight. East wins, but now a club return gives declarer two more tricks in the suit and a diamond gives him a now useful ruff and discard. In either case, both of South's losing spades go away.

Bridge News:

The British challenge in the Vivendi Rosenblum World Championship cup came to an end when the Hackett team (Paul, Jason & Justin Hackett, David Mossop & Tony Forrester) lost in a dramatically close finish to Sweden. With only two cards left to play on the last hand, the Swedish declarer had a guess on which the result of the match depended. He got it right - eventually! The other semi-finalists are Brazil, USA & Italy.

In the Louis Vuitton McConnell cup (the equivalent women's event), Liz McGowan's team narrowly failed to make the quarter-finals and the final is being contested by Austria & Germany.