Cross hurdle one, but not hurdle two

Lawrence Bixby, a rancher who died in 1982, said, “Each handicap is like a hurdle in a steeplechase, and when you ride up to it, if you throw your heart over, the horse will go along too.”

Each trick is like a hurdle in a steeplechase. When you ride up to it, if you play the right card, often you will cross the finish line with as many tricks as you need to make your contract.

How would you jockey for nine tricks in today’s deal after West leads his fourth-highest heart to dummy’s singleton king?

Despite a combined 26 high-card points, the misfit makes life difficult, as is usually the case. South starts with seven top tricks: three spades, two hearts and two clubs. He has several possibilities for two more winners. Spades might break 3-3. Diamonds will definitely generate three tricks. And clubs could be helpful. But which hurdle should South try to jump first?

The spade break should be kept as a last resort. There isn’t time to play on diamonds, because the opponents will have three hearts and two diamonds in the bank before declarer can get home. So, South should concentrate on clubs — but how?

At trick two, declarer should cash dummy’s club ace; but he must be careful. When East drops the jack, South must unblock his eight (or nine). Then he leads a low club to his nine (or eight). West takes that trick and plays another heart, but declarer wins the trick, leads a club to dummy’s seven, runs the clubs and crosses the line first, taking three spades, two hearts and four clubs.