Across the pond they play too

Being English by birth, I had to buy a copy of “English — The Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather” by Ben Fogle (William Collins).

I learned much about England that I did not know. For example, every year in front of thousands of spectators, some 20 young men chase a nine-pound Double Gloucester cheese 200 yards down Cooper’s Hill. The winner gets the cheese, but several end with broken bones!

Many would say that Terence Reese was England’s best-ever player. This deal was Board 87 of the 1955 Bermuda Bowl final between Great Britain and the United States.

Both tables played in six clubs with the diamond-nine opening lead. (West was hoping East could win and deliver a heart ruff.) How should South have played?

The American declarer won on the board, took a club finesse, drew trumps and lost one spade.

Reese found a superior line, not needing the club finesse. He ruffed in hand at trick one, cashed his top trumps and the heart ace, then played the heart 10 to the king. The heart seven from the board was covered by East’s nine and ruffed by declarer. South exited with a trump. East played a diamond to the ace, on which one of South’s spades disappeared. Then came the heart jack, covered by the queen and ruffed. Reese crossed to the spade ace and, if the king hadn’t dropped, would have discarded his remaining spades on the high hearts. The Brits won the match by 5,420 points. I did have one regret with Fogle’s book — that the author had not spelled it “queueing,” the only word in the English language with five consecutive vowels.