West leads the ´Q. Declarer wins the ´A and cashes the ´K but East discards a club. What now? You can forget the club : West’s Top Table Sarah Teshome 1NT opening (12-14) shows he has both minor-suit kings. Provided hearts break 4-3, you can establish a heart winner by SARAH TESHOME is one of England’s most ruffing. This gives you three discards but clearly won’t enable you to dispose of all successful players, and has represented the your minor-suit losers. You can certainly country several times in women’s inter na - use the ´Q to West but the timing is crucial. tional events. Over the years, she has amassed Declarer cashed the ™A-K (discarding a an impressive six wins in the Lady Milne, and diamond) and ruffed a heart. Now he has added medals in women’s and mixed teams exited with a spade, leaving West on lead in Layout D: and pairs at European level to the silverware click gained in county and national open and link Layout D women’s events. ´ 9 When did you start playing bridge? in the way that the Forquet book is not, but it ™ Q 4 At university, courtesy of one of my house- all depends on what stage you are at when you t Q 2 mates, Annabel Murday. We played at the uni- read it), and enjoy Victor Mollo and S.J. Simon. ® 7 2 versity club, then graduated to the bridge club What are your hobbies? ´ — ´ — in the city. When Annabel took a year out, I I enjoy spending time with my immediate and ™ — N ™ 8 started playing with Daron Acemoglu, who’s W E extended family. The children are teenagers t S t K J 10 9 8 4 3 now a seriously eminent professor at Har vard. now and they are always finding new stuff for ® K J 10 ® 9 8 5 With team-mates Heather Dunstan (now us to read or watch or go see. We had a Break- ´ 7 Dhondy) and Harry Anoyrkatis we won the ing Bad TV marathon! I read a terrific amount, ™ — Portland Bowl. which is either the cause or the effect of an t A 7 6 How often do you play? English degree. I also enjoy the theatre and ® A Q 6 There isn’t a pattern. Life is tremendously walking my pooches. Attendance at the gym is busy so I fit in games when I can. I hardly ever more honoured in the breach than the obser- get to play at the club, be cause of work com- vance. My very favourite thing to do is go out West tried the ®J. Declarer took the ®Q, mitments and I tend to or ganise to play in to dinner with old friends. I’m skipping off to cashed the ®A, ruffed a club and dis - events, mainly now domestically. Paris on Tuesday to do just that! carded the two remaining diamond losers Do you always play with the same people? What do you like and what would you on dummy’s ™Q-4. There’s a lot to be said for always playing in the change in bridge? The endplay here is simple enough but same team, but things can get stale, and you What I like about bridge is the huge range of declarer must realise that he can only need to mix things up a bit to get different people from different walks of life, and differ- succeed if West has exactly three hearts. If inputs and start different trains of thought. I ent stages of life. Tomorrow, one of my part- ners (Hubert Phillips) is old enough to be my declarer wrongly tries to cater for West play with various partners and team-mates in different events. father and on Sunday my partner is young having four hearts by cashing the ™A-K-Q enough to be my son. I also like the cama- before ruffing a heart, what can declarer I always respond to enthusiasm and positiv- ity in other people. I also respond well to cour- raderie that can/should come in a good team. discard on the third high heart? He is left tesy – both to me and to the opponents. At the There are some things that could be im prov - with just a doubleton in one of the minor same time, though, I do want my mistakes ed upon in terms of tournament organ isation suits, but then West can escape by exiting noticed. I definitely cannot play in a team and I never understand in bridge why the ref- in that suit, leaving two losers in the other where bad bridge is not understood. If I’ve eree’s decision isn’t final. Appeal committees and just one heart winner in made a mistake, I prefer to have a discussion promulgate adversarial behaviour and don’t dummy. r about it. It’s because I’ve not seen something tend to add much in terms of accuracy in inter- that I’ve made that mistake and I don’t want to preting the laws. But not much else, to be fair. repeat it. What’s the bridge success (so far) closest to your heart? OVERSEAS SUCCESS What do you do for a living? You're only ever as good as your last result, and ENGLISH teams took the top two places I’m a chartered accountant and I work for one in any case I take more joy from playing a hand at the 2014 Pakistan Day Inter national of the big four accountancy firms, heading up well than by coming top in an event. Bridge Championship. Jason and Justin the Transfer Pricing team in the North. It’s a Danny, my son, has just started to learn Hackett, Mike Bell and Alex Hydes won fascinating job, full of different challenges every bridge. He is prone to drawing trumps imme- convincingly, going through the com - day. I’m lucky to enjoy my work. petition unbeaten. Sandra Penfold, diately, then counting his tricks and then Brian Senior, Tom Paske and Ed Jones What are your favourite bridge books? going ‘oopsy’ when he realises he is at least a claimed second place. Penfold and Senior My desert island bridge book would have to be trick short. He’s just won the Harry Scully. I also finished second in the pairs event Bridge with the . I like The Expert am more pleased and proud of that then I am which preceded the teams competition. Game by Terence Reese (which was revelatory about anything else.

www.ebu.co.uk June 2014 English Bridge 41