BRIDGE

You really do need a finely tuned appreciation for irony to play our great game.

Case in point: Along with the magnificent spade suit, South based his fourlevel intervention at least partly on his hand having no heart loser. But with the very promising dummy his partner delivered, four spades could only be made if declarer actually did lose a heart trick!

South ruffed the high heart lead to play a spade to the Queen and a second round back to his hand.

To take a diamond finesse through West for the King that South reasonably expected would be part of the opponent’s opening bid values.

But it was not to be, as East produced the diamond King and made the necessary switch to a club, the nine being his card of choice to prevent South from ducking and forcing West to win the first round of the suit to keep the King safe from any immediate further attack.

Three club tricks and the diamond King and North was left to muse how he could possibly have had more for his non-involvement in the auction!

What South might have (really, should have) done: On that high heart opening lead, declarer needed to dump one of his hand’s two small diamonds!

To ruff the likely heart continuation, draw the trumps (saving an entry to dummy) and then attack diamonds by playing to the ace and continuing with the Queen.

This time East would play the King, declarer would ruff and have a winner for a club discard but if East had played low, South could discard a club, have ten tricks and the club King would still be safe.