Bridge | 03 June 2023

Three enormous cheers for Thomas Charlsen, Norwegian International and great friend and teammate, for setting up and working day and night to organise the World Bridge Tour ‘hybrid’ invitational, which last week saw the first live tournament held in Sopot, Poland’s Brighton-on-sea. Twelve teams competed at the wonderful Grand Hotel where we stayed and played.

 Waseem Naqvi and Lee Rosenthal, both living in London, formed a team with a strong Polish pair, previously unknown to them, and they did very well indeed. Today’s hand shows their most spectacular result (See diagram).

Lee and Waseem are not a regular partnership but they both have the same ethos and don’t mind an overbid – or two! Was (South) opened a quiet diamond and West’s 2NT showed hearts and clubs. Lee’s 3♥ promised spades which Was supported. 4♣ and 4♥ were cue bids and 6♠ said I think we’ve gone far enough, pard. The K♥ was led, which Waseem won in hand and guessed trumps correctly in view of the 2NT overcall.