BRIDGE

Bridget Prentice, for the Commons, showed excellent judgment by not doubling South - Lord Skelmersdale's contract of Three Diamonds - in spite of her five-card diamond holding, and the fact that her partner had opened the bidding in second seat. The hand is from the 2007 teams-of-eight match between the House of Lords and the House of Commons, for the Jack Perry Trophy. The event being sponsored by his son, Stephen Perry.

West led the king of clubs in response to her partner's opening bid, having supported the suit during the auction, and declarer won in dummy and continued with a heart. East rose with the king, and perhaps Lord Skelmersdale had an inkling of the trump distribution when East did not return one at trick three, to cut down on ruffs in dummy, but instead continued with the ace of hearts, then played a low spade, to the three, queen and ace.

Declarer ruffed a club in hand with the six, then the nine of hearts, covered by the queen, was ruffed in dummy. Aiming to make as many trump tricks as possible, a second club was ruffed with the seven of diamonds. West now had five trumps to declarer's four. South cashed the king of spades, then led the master jack of hearts, ruffed by West with the nine.

Holding nothing but trumps, West led a low one to South's ten. Lord Skelmersdale proceeded to cash his top diamonds, his eighth and ninth tricks.

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