It’s that time of year again — summer and its attendant holidays. No bridge for me for a month, unless you count the odd tournament online or playing my favourite computer programme, Bridge Baron. I love the Baron, not only for the squillions of hands it throws up but also because you can play a hand any amount of times and if your finesses fail you can go back and try again!

Today’s hand is one of those that looks relatively easy but I tried a dozen or more times and always went down. Then I gave it to Hoffer, the mighty Viking, who came up with a plan: [see image].

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I must be the poster girl.

West led ♣King and switched to a low diamond which I let run to my Queen. Every time. And every time I went down. The Hoff looked at it for a while and said, ‘Win the diamond with the Ace.’ This is how the play went: ♠8 from dummy to the 10 and King, West discarding a heart. Next came the ♥10 won by West who continued hearts, taken by dummy’s Jack. The ♥King was ruffed low by east and overruffed. Now came ♣8 to West’s Ace, West continuing with another club which Declarer won in hand and played the ♣Jack which he ruffed with ♠Q. Finally he played dummy’s last spade to his 7 in hand, exited with ♦Q to East’s King who had to lead a spade into South’s Ace-9. Clearly I need a holiday.