The obvious lead might not work

Alfred North Whitehead, an English mathematician and philosopher who spent the last 23 years of his life in Cambridge, Mass., said, “It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.”

Expert bridge players will look for traps in obvious-looking contracts. In today’s deal, though, it was the obvious opening lead that proved fatal — one of the hardest “errors” to avoid.

What do you think of West’s four-heart opening bid? How did South play in five diamonds after West led his heart ace, then shifted to a low spade?

With a side four-card major, the textbooks tell you not to preempt. But these days, experts are more flexible. Also, when you have a 7-4 shape, open with a game-bid. Either you will buy a good dummy and make game, or you won’t and even the threelevel will be too high.

South has 11 potential winners: two spades, six diamonds, one club and two heart ruffs in the dummy. After the heart-ace lead and spade shift, declarer wins that trick, cashes the diamond ace to see the 3-0 break, and leads his club to dummy’s queen and East’s ace. Back comes another spade.

South wins in his hand, ruffs a heart with the diamond seven, discards his last spade on the club king, trumps a club, ruffs the heart queen with the diamond eight, draws trumps, and claims.

If only West had led a spade initially, he would have defeated the contract — tough.

Finally, note that five hearts doubled would probably go down only two — also tough, because it is rarely right to bid five over five.

Look for the Saturday Bridge and Chess and local Bridge results in the new Saturday Fun & Games section