MCC advanced to the Golfing leg with a lead of 3-1. 16 boards were played using hands that were played in the Master Bridge broadcast over thirty years ago. Not surprisingly few hands met the predictions of the hand setter, Nicola Smith.

On Hand 1, one pair found their way to the unbreakble 4♦  contract. The defence can test declarers skill if they get the play right against 3♠  One pair got off to a good start with 3 rounds of hearts but then fell from grace by switching to a diamond instead of a club. If South finds the club switch, the only way home for declarer is by playing the Q♦. This is covered by the King, and transfers the pressure to south who can not now guard both the minor suits.

This hand won the hand of the year award, but Zia Mahmood thought it might even rank with the best hand ever played. The declarer was Geir Helgemo. West lead the K♣ which delcarer won with the Ace and then cashed the A♥ followed by the AK♦ and finally the K♥  before running the 9♠ ! Next came another spade to the Jack. 

With six cards remaining Helgemo led the king of spades from his hand. West had three master cards in hearts and three in clubs, and had to find a discard on this round of trumps. Since North had three low hearts and South had three low clubs, whatever West did would prove fatal. If he discarded a heart, Helgemo would overtake the king of spades with dummy's ace. Then he would ruff a heart, ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a club, and dummy's last heart would be a winner at trick 13. If instead West threw a club, Helgemo would allow the king of spades to hold in his own hand. He would ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a club, ruff a heart, and his last club would be a winner at trick 13. An entry-shifting trump squeeze involving a seemingly unnecessary finesse in trumps – but if you follow the play of this incredible deal closely, you will see that the contract would have had no chance if declarer had cashed the ace of spades before leading through East's queen.

The pivot teams contest on Sunday 27th was one of the closet encounters for many a while. The Abbott had opened up lead of 17 points after the fist two stanzas. With six boards to go when this hand nearly stole defeat from the jaws of victory.