Thank you Trust Horizon for again supporting small clubs like ours with a generous Grant towards power costs. This year we have been successful with a $2500 Grant secured from the latest funding round. This amount of money will go a long way towards helping meet what is one of our most significant annual costs. We would like to acknowledge Trust Horizon for this donation.

Only N-S hands are shown, to replicate the difficult decisions North players faced in playing 3NT.

East leads a small heart. Good play is not to play the Ace. West wins with the KH and returns a small heart.

You play the Jack, East the Queen, now you win with the Ace. Now the 10H is a winner.

North now takes stock. Combined, the other 3 suits have 7 cards each.

Those suits could give 3 winners each. Which suit to play on first?

Care must be taken because E-W will lead hearts at the first opportunity.

The second heat of the 2026 Bay Pairs competition which was to have been held at Whakatāne on Sunday 12 April has been postponed due to the forecast weather and official advice for only essential travel on the day.

We will notify clubs of an alternative date as soon as possible.

Many hands in bridge you would like to bid again, or should I say PASS.

Board 19, South opens 1NT and a vulnerable West has a dilemma.

Those West who took action by doubling, quickly got their side to 2S or 2NT.

Two Norths became saviours and bid to 2NT and 3S.

The auction closed at 1NT for 3 N-S pairs.

None of the final bids in all the auctions make with proper defence.

 Fortunately for those Souths in 1NT, West never got off to the best lead:  3H.

How often have you been told, you should "Pass". 

Computer dealt hands throw up weird distributions.

Voids and long suits allow quite a lot of latitude in bidding and much over bidding.

40% of contracts going light, some by 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 tricks.

Board 1 is a prime example, needing sound planning to make 4S, bid on 16 points.

Put yourself in Norths' shoes, 7spade tricks and the Ace of clubs = 8 tricks.

How to keep losers to 3?

Standard methods involve ruffing losers or throwing them on a side suit or finessing.

Two rounds of trumps will clear the suit.

Can you find the solution?

Hand 17 is an excellent example of when NOT to support partners 1H opening.

East opens 1H and West supports bidding 2H.  East with a good hand raises or competes further to 3H.

6 out of 8 E-W pairs went 2 light. Why ?

Unfortunately for E-W trumps break 4-1 and South leads their singleton diamond.

More importantly both E-W hands are flat.  Flat hands have more losers.

If you are in NT, it doesn't matter as much if the H"s and D's break badly, but costly in a suit as E-W found out.

Wed night contracts were difficult to bid, play and defend.

Result often varied by 2 or 3 tricks on the same contract.

This indicates two things;  Poor Leads  or  Declarer not having a sound plan.

Leads in Bridge are an anathema

Lead away from an Ace or King and declarer makes extra tricks.

Occasionally, you lead your 4th best from K108654 and partner has the Q.

How is one to know ?

Hand  28 is a classic.

Those Norths leading 6 Clubs kept West to  4S.

This week's focus is on finding a line of play that ensures your contract.

Board  28 is a prime example.

North leads  Ace and K of hearts and has a spade trick as well.

West is faced with either a finesse in diamonds or clubs to make  4S.

Of the  7 West players,  3 made the correct and logical play,  making their contract of  4S.

Can you pick the best line of play ???

Hint:  Both finesses fail.

Not often can a grand slam be bid with confidence.

Board 5 from last Wed, should have had all pairs bidding  6S  if not  7S.

Every West should open  2C  and should get a positive reply of  2S.  5 card suit and 8 plus points.

Ace ask should get a zero reply and a King ask should get a "2" reply.  Namely  K spades and  K hearts.

West now knows there are no losers in Spades,  no losers in Diamonds.  This is  10 tricks.

Two more in Clubs  is  12 tricks.

Lessons for those wanting to learn how to play Bridge start on Thursday March 5th. They run from 7 - 9 pm  at the clubrooms -167 Commerce St, Whakatāne. 

For more information / register your interest please phone or text Sue 021 246 7268 or Marg 027 451 7130