Another wrong automatic play

Shawn Achor, an advocate of positive psychology, said, “You've probably noticed how when someone says hello or smiles at you, your automatic reaction is to say hello or smile back.”

We all know about those “automatic” defensive plays: Cover an honor with an honor, or second hand low, or third hand high. However, as we also know from painful experience, they are not right all of the time — and that is one of the primary reasons that bridge is still so popular.

Which rule should be broken in this deal? South is in three no-trump. West leads a fourthhighest club four. What should happen after that?

At trick one, there will be a natural desire by East to cover dummy's club six with his eight, to avoid any risk that declarer can take the trick with the six, South holding the two. However, it is wrong! Whenever third hand's highest card is lower than the nine, he should give count, not automatically play third hand high. Here, East must bravely play the three — lowest from an odd number.

This first trick tells South that West has the club ace and queen, so declarer must try to keep East off the lead. South will probably cross to the heart jack, then lead a low diamond and duck it to West when East does not play an honor.

Now West should realize that he must try to find an entry in the East hand, and the only candidate seems to be in spades. So, West should shift to the spade 10. Here, East can take that trick and return a club for down two. The defenders take one diamond, one spade and four clubs.