A few new sponsors have sprung up lately, which is very exciting for the English bridge scene and means we can send teams to international events that the EBU (and practically every other bridge federation) can’t afford to sponsor. One of the best and most successful is Maggie Knottenbelt who, with her very good team, has just qualified to represent England in the Mixed European Teams in Denmark this June.
Here is her team mate Michael Byrne, locked in an epic battle with a super-charged West defending (see diagram).
West led the ♠J, East won the Ace and returned the ♠8 to the Queen and King. West knew there was no hurry to cash the remaining two Spades – all he could do was give declarer the tempo for a possible squeeze against his partner – so he exited instead with the ◆10. Michael knew his only chance was a squeeze against East in Hearts and Clubs, but the count had not yet been rectified.
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