This is my last column for 2023 and I thought I would give you the highs and lows of my bridge team over the past year. The high was definitely winning the Gold Cup and almost as good was being one of two teams winning the Camrose for England. The low, by a big margin, was coming in the bottom two in the Premier League and being relegated. I still don’t really know how we managed it.

Today’s hand is a partscore, played by moi, which I like to think I played rather well. True the defence didn’t shine, but it’s Christmas and Santa came early.

West started with the ♥️J to the King and Ace, and East found the switch of the King of Diamonds and a second diamond. I tried the old trick of dropping my ♦️Q and 10 on the two rounds of Diamonds, not at all guessing what would happen. West cashed the ♠️A before leading a third Diamond. East wasn’t sure I had any more of those, and since she was looking at a ‘certain’ trump trick, she elected not to ruff but discarded a Spade.

This was the gift I was hoping for; East must be clutching onto Jxxx in trumps when she didn’t ruff. I trumped a Heart in hand, went back with the King of Clubs and ruffed another Heart. The Ace of trumps was cashed to get rid of the last Club from West, then dummy was re-entered with a Spade and the red winners were led to eat up East’s trump trick.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all.