One of the tough plays to make

By Phillip Alder

Wilson Mizner, a playwright, raconteur and entrepreneur, said, “Life is a tough proposition, and the first hundred years are the hardest.” But he only lived to 56.

Some bridge deals are tougher than others. Today’s has a play that many find difficult to spot. South is in four spades. What should he do after West leads the diamond 10 and East plays three rounds of the suit?

North did not like to rebid two spades with only three-card support and 4-3-3-3 distribution, but what else could he do? One no-trump with no diamond stopper was worse.

If South could draw trumps without losing a trick there, he would have 10 winners: six spades, two hearts and two clubs. But what should he do at trick three: ruff low, ruff with the 10, ruff with the king or discard?

Ruffing low cannot be right; West will surely overruff, and eventually South will lose a heart trick. Trumping with the 10 is fine only if East has the jack. Ruffing with the king or queen could work, but declarer might have a guess to make in a moment — and with this layout, it is fatal.

The right play is to discard the heart four (or a club): a loser-on-loser play.

If East continues with a fourth diamond, South ruffs low in his hand, happy to overruff West on the board if necessary. Or, if East shifts to a heart or a club, declarer wins the trick and plays a spade to his king. If both opponents follow, he draws trumps; here, he then finesses dummy’s spade nine, cashes the ace, crosses to hand with a heart, draws West’s final spade and claims.