This year’s national open Bridge teams championships, sponsored as usual by Hennessy, were won by Bjarni Kristjansson, Svetlana Rhoukliada, Stanko Grammatikov and Kalin Anastasov with an overall score of 336 vps.
Mario Dix, Margaret Parnis England, Kathy Williams and David Olliver were second with 322 vps and Joan Consiglio, Yvonne Muscat Inglott, Irene Naudi and Graham Penney third with 308.
The Malta Bridge Club teams competition was won by Williams, Grammatikov, Naudi and Consiglio with 139 vps.
The battle for the next two places was very close. In second place were Nathalie Marlin, Penney, Kristjansson and Rhoukliada with 133vps and Marie Farrugia, Albert Sacco, Muscat Inglott and Anna Vella were third with the same vps but just five imps behind.
The open pairs tournament at the Union Club, sponsored by Sigma, was won by Dix and Parnis England.
After six rounds, the leaders averaged 58.82% score, with Farrugia and Sacco second at 56.21% and Marlin and Penney third, 55.33%.
There were also four single-session tournaments.
The Freddie Triccas tournament at the Union Club was won by Farrugia and Sacco on the North-South side and Dix and Parnis England East-West.
The Joe Attard Manche tournament, at the Malta Bridge Club, was won by Monica Pirotta, the Gladys Marson competition, also held at the Malta Bridge Club, by Williams and Penney, and the Charity tournament at the Union Club by Marielle Salomone and Alice Portelli.
Defence in Bridge is all about card communications. Look at the hand below and see if you can interpret the language.
On this board, imagine you are sitting West. Partner opened 1 Diamond and South overcalled 1 No trump.
After a Stayman enquiry, South is playing 4 Spades and you are on lead. Clearly you lead the 8 of Diamonds, partner wins the Ace and declarer drops the Knave.
Partner now leads back the 10 of Diamonds. You ruff and that’s two tricks in the bag now. The Ace of Hearts looks good for a third trick. But that is not going to break the contract. So, is there a chance of breaking it?
The defenders are often in possession of information from the bidding which they do not make use of sufficiently. Think of the bidding. Credit partner with at least 12 high card points for his opening bid. He has only shown four points in Diamonds.
Where are his other eight points?
Even if 4 of his points are in Spades, in which case the contract is already one down, there is still room for him to have either the King of Hearts or the King of Clubs.
Partner led back the 10 of Diamonds for you to ruff. Obviously he could have led a smaller card. He is clearly indicating possession of the King of Hearts. Therefore, you must underlead your Ace of Hearts and put partner in with the King for a second ruff. This was the full deal.
Dealer East. Game all.