The Vilnius Cup – the Grand Prix of Poland – is a highly enjoyable, strong annual tournament, impeccably organised by Erikas Vainikonis. Thirty-two teams played to qualify for the eight-team final which team SUSHI dominated, cruising undefeated through the playoffs to claim the €3,000 prize by a big margin. Congrats to Nathalie Shashou and Nick Sandqvist and their A-list teammates Frederic Wrang and Antonio Palma.

Nathalie was on fire all through the final, as shown by the neat little hand above (see diagram).

Nathalie’s 2NT showed exactly 6-4 in the minors: with 6-5 or 5-4 she would have bid 3♣, and with 5-5 she would have jumped to 2NT over 1♥.

How would you play 3◆ when West leads a Heart to the Jack?

While we could, in theory, work out every play at the table, most of us are not that clever or that quick; Nathalie came up with a brilliant solution. Her best move after ruffing the Heart at trick one is hardly obvious.

She could try a Club to the Jack, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the defence will play three rounds of trump, and she will lose a Spade, two trumps and two Clubs, as she won’t get a ruff in dummy.

Nathalie neatly placed the Queen of Clubs on the table (!), and the defence was paralysed; they have to win and draw trumps  or she would get a Club ruff in dummy and even make a couple of overtricks. 

But now the Jack of Clubs served as an entry to take the Spade finesse, and all she lost was four tricks in the minors.