Note that EW cannot actually get to dummy to take the spade finesse, so should go one off. However North took the heart King with the Ace on the first round, allowing entry with the 8 to score +790. If North ducks, dealer must fail. If, instead, West tries a low heart towards the 8 instead of the King, North must rise with the Ace.

This was not the only amusing board. On another hand I doubled Liggins and Fawcett in 3© for a heart lead with ªQxx ©QJ109x ¨ AKx §xx, in an artificial sequence where I thought they had not shown hearts naturally (due to alerts), when they actually had done so. This was redoubled, and went 2 off for 600 on the lead of the diamond Jack through Qxx with declarer having a 5-5-3-0 shape with three low diamonds. 3NT had 9 top tricks their way. In the other room, team mates played in 4© undoubled, my hand fearing they had a better spot to go to.

Peter Southon writes - BIDDING AFTER HESITATION by PARTNER

Players can legitimately convey information in a limited number of ways, but variation in the tempo of bidding or play is NOT a legal option - indeed, we are enjoined to bid and play "in tempo". All players must bear in mind that passing after a trance puts their partner under pressure.

Nevertheless, hesitations do occur, and the subsequent actions frequently give rise to dissension. So common are the problems, the Director's Guide devotes over three A4 pages to this subject.

If a hesitation has occurred, the T.D. should be called to the table; this should NOT be done in an aggressive manner. Nobody should get upset - calling the T.D. is not an accusation of cheating ! After the hesitation is agreed, the hand should normally be played. If the innocent side considers that it has been damaged following the violation of tempo, the T.D. will proceed to the controversial bit.

He/she will consider the auction, in particular bids made by a player whose partner has hesitated; you are NOT allowed to make bids which could have been suggested by the hesitation.

The T.D. must decide whether most players, in receipt of legitimate information ONLY, would have made the bid in question. Note the distinction - most other players, 7 out of 10 is suggested. You might habitually bid vulnerable with 1 point, but the T.D. will not allow it!

So - must you pass? No, but you must be aware that you will have to be able to justify your choice of bid when it succeeds!

HAND OR CURTAIN CARD SWITCHING

Members are asked to take great care when removing a hand or curtain card from the board after completion of play on that board. In the Mens Pairs competition it was obvious that two hands had been switched but it was impossible to tell when this had take place and therefore the necessary adjustments could not be made. Peter Southon took the trouble to score the event with and without the fouled board and fortunately it made no difference to the actual winners but you can imagine the dilemma if it had worked out that the winners were different pairs.

A directive in the Orange Book states that cards or curtain cards of other players may not be taken out of the board during or after play without the permission of the TD. At the end of play, however, you may ask an opponent to show his hand to check on a revoke or to ascertain the number of tricks won or lost.

So be warned, that if you do not adhere to this directive and there is a fouled board because hand and/or curtain cards have been switched, then a fine will be imposed and the wrath of the TD and scorer will be incurred if the results are affected and it is not possible to determine easily who is the culprit.

HERE ENDETH TODAY'S LESSONS!

BRIDGE COUNTDOWN

(Devised at Wimbledon - no not the bridge club but during a 2½ hour rain break at the Championships!)

Below is a quiz broadly based on the popular TV programme COUNTDOWN. All the answers are associated with bridge.

For those not familiar with the show, in the letters section a bridge term must be found using as many of the 9 letters as possible.

In the numbers section you have to work out what number is required from the score and then compute it from the 6 numbers given using +, -, x, ÷. You do NOT have to use all the numbers.

BRIDGE COUNTDOWN QUIZ

 1.       ANYMASTER
 2.       THRASHMEN
 3.        SLAMRICHE
 4.        BEERGRADE
 5.        2NT DOUBLED NON-VUL   50, 8, 7, 4, 3, 2
 6.        FRANSREST
 7.        NOTABREAK
 8.        TUESPOPPY
 9.        BYJOVEACE
10.        2 HEARTS + 4    25, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2
11.        ACELLOVER
12.        PLAYCHESS
13.        EIGHTSOME
14.        6 CLUBS NON-VUL    75, 9, 8, 3, 3, 1
15.       COPIERSIN

The first two correct solutions drawn out of the hat on Tuesday 19 August will get a free play. Answers to Sylvia Timberlake. Don't forget to put your name on your entry!

REASONED REGICIDE from Peter Southon

We were playing in the Swiss Teams at Eastbourne last Sunday. The Seniors/Veterans Congress. no less. A suitable occasion, you would agree, to suffer from a senior moment.

This was hand 7, all vulnerable. West dealt and opened 1 Heart, playing 5-card majors. I bid 1 Spade, which seemed normal, and East on my left bid 2 Hearts South passed. West rebid 2 no-trumps, and East very properly bid 4 Hearts. In a 7 board Swiss, this was probably the decisive board.

My lead! I could find good reasons for not leading spades or hearts or diamonds or clubs! This was the classic 'prisoner's dilemma' - the rope or the axe! My choice was the club King. Dummy revealed 7 - yes seven - clubs, headed by the QJT! Regicide number one, as it was declarer who held the club A.

Declarer, reasonably enough, led towards the heart J, so I took my Q and led my second and last club. Declarer played the second trump from dummy, and put in the ten. I fingered the trump K, but decided that another royal sacrifice was required, and ducked. My trump K fell under the A, of course, but all was well, as declarer could no longer reach dummy. One down!

Our team mates, the Heaths who were former members of the Mayfield, had also bid 4 Hearts. Their auction had gone 1H - 1 S - 2H - pass: Stop, 4 H. North had led a small spade, West overcame the entry difficulty, scoring +620, which meant 12 IMPs, and we won the match.