A record for only one year, i hope

Percy Bysshe Shelley said, “Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.” I set a personal record in March — my oldest student. John Hardy of Vero Beach, Florida, is 101, but you would never guess it. He is totally lucid, still plays a good game of bridge and shoots under his age on the golf course. He found the killing defence on this deal when given the opportunity by declarer. After Hardy (West) led the spade eight against one no-trump, how should South have planned the play; what error did the declarer make; and how did Hardy make him pay? Some of my students believe that all of my example deals are played in a game or slam, that there are never any partscores. So some Norths raised to two no-trump, and one even jumped to three! South has five top tricks: one spade, three hearts and one diamond. If the diamond finesse is working, there will be no problems. But if East has the diamond king, the contract is in some jeopardy. Declarer should apply the Rule of Seven. He has six spades in his army. Six from seven is one; so, South should hold up his ace for one round, take the second round and run the diamond queen. Here the finesse fails, but the contract makes. Against Hardy, South ducked two rounds of spades. Hardy knew that he could establish his spade suit, but that he had no entry. At trick three, he shifted to the club queen, and the defenders took two spades, four clubs and, eventually, one diamond.