BRIDGE

Playing team bridge (with IMP scoring), a careful declarer would bring home this game by identifying what is needed to secure eleven tricks and playing for what is needed to be the actual lie.

No smoke and mirrors or funny business, just simple, straightforward play to exploit the admittedly limited resources at hand.

In the bidding, NorthSouth were playing a forcing club system with one diamond an artificial and negative response so that the jump rebid was stronger than it might have been for Standard bidders.

North hoped his four small trumps and ace might be enough for a successful game. Ironically, a card he might not have put much store in could have been the crucial ingredient!

Looking at the NorthSouth cards, making game seems to depend on declarer being able to avoid a diamond loser: using the combining power of dummy’s ten and South’s nine to take two finesses through the East hand.

And, oh yes, the two dummy entries needed to do that were available: a third round of clubs and the spade ace.

Meanwhile, the actual South demonstrated he was less of a scientist and more of a would-be thief when he won the club lead, cashed a second round and led a third to win in dummy to advance the ten of hearts.

A blatant attempt to steal an eleventh trick but East smelled a rat and grabbed his ace to play back a second round when the King appeared.

And all the time the crucial diamond honours were right where they needed to be to reward careful play!