The World Senior Pairs Champions Boris Schapiro and Irving Gordon are playing in Great Britain's Number three Seniors Team.

Here is a hand that Boris played recently in a high stake rubber bridge game.

ª K Q 2 © 8 6 4 2 ¨ A 5 4 § Q 8 3 ª A 7 6 © K Q 3 ¨ Q J 10 2 § A 6 2

The bidding was:

The jack of hearts was led and taken by the king as East followed low. The ten of diamonds scored the next trick and then the king covered the queen of diamonds. On the third round of the suit West discarded a club. Boris now played three rounds of spades and all followed. Now came the key play of cashing the club ace before exiting with a diamond.

With East almost certainly out of hearts that guaranteed a ninth trick in either hearts or clubs. If the ace of clubs is not unblocked then declarer has to find a discard on the last spade and clearly either a heart or a club would be fatal if West had the king of clubs.

Declarer's play made sure the defense could only take one trick in each suit, making both Boris and his bank manager happy!