BRIDGE

“The Idle Fifth” was a cardplay theory explored by Ed Manfield in a series of Bridge World articles in the 1980’s.

The author marvelled at how often a defender thought it automatic to make an early discard from a seemingly useless five-card and lived to regret doing so for a wide variety of reasons.

More about three notrump later but how about South’s four hearts with nasty splits in both key red suits? In the bidding, North’s opening was natural (five-plus clubs) and limited to 11-15 high-card points.

South’s response was artificial and forcing and his subsequent insistence on hearts over notrump was judgment more than system.

West transmitted some “good news over here, partner’ with the opening lead of the top card from his trump sequence when the alternative lead of the club ace must have been very tempting when holding three trump tricks. South won the opening lead, cashed his other high heart and switched his attention to dumping his club loser on dummy’s second spade winner (groan from West!).

That left the diamond suit to run with West welcome to his trump tricks whenever he wanted them but, wait, the diagram shows the diamond suit won’t run.

Except on the second high heart from declarer’s hand, East had pitched his “idle fifth” diamond and the defense had three trump tricks and no more!

And what happened to the notrump game played by North at the other table of this match? As might we all, East led his fourth-best diamond and when North won the first trick with his five (!!!), he ran for home with five diamond tricks and the two ace-King combinations.