BRIDGE: End of season honours at Rugby Bridge Club

Thanks to a combination of Christmas and bad weather, play was limited to just one session during the last week of 2017.

Peter Langley and Chris Malthouse won comfortably on Friday from Craig Hutton and Peter Baines, with Patti Jarvis and Theo Schilderman just behind in third.

Peter and Chris were the only pair to bid the grand slam on this exciting hand:

West - S - AT9 2 H - A963

D - K T C - A T 7

East - S - K J 4 H - 2

D - A Q J 9 6 3 2 C - K Q

After West opens 1NT (with a slightly above range 15 points), East has the option of going straight into Gerber to ask about aces.

In practice Peter bought some time with a Stayman bid but this told him little and he decided to plump for 6D. Chris concluded that with 3 aces and the K of diamonds, he should convert this to 7D.

With trumps breaking 3 – 1 there was no difficulty in the play and no need to risk the spade finesse. In practice though, 7NT is the right contract and in a larger field, several pairs might have found it.

In the end of season honours, Phil Beagley came out on top with 1167 master points, with his two regular partners Mary Kerridge and Pam Southern second and third respectively. They made a formidable team.

Peter Baines headed the individual averages convincingly from his most frequent partner Craig Hutton, with Ken Miles and Peter Langley in joint third.

Peter Baines and Craig Hutton were the highest placed pair on Tuesdays; Liz Edwards and Stuart Warne on Thursdays; and Marion Dixon and Peter Langley on Fridays.

The club looks ahead confidently to another enjoyable year’s bridge in 2018.