BRIDGE with Bob Jones

Today’s deal was played in the finals of the Life Master Pairs some years ago. South was Florida expert Larry Cohen.

We have no idea why West chose to lead a diamond rather than a club. The lead of a worthless doubleton in an unbid suit is usually a poor choice. It cost nothing directly here, but it led to an inference for Cohen that allowed him to make an overtrick — precious in a pairs competition.

Cohen, quite pleased with his dummy, won the opening diamond lead with dummy’s ace and drew trumps in three rounds, noting East’s singleton.

10 tricks were assured, and finding the jack of spades would lead to a great score. Should the spades be splitting 3-3, it was a pure guess as to who held the jack.

A 4-2 split, however, and Cohen would want to play the hand with the doubleton spade for the jack in order to pick up the suit for three tricks.

Cohen led a diamond at this point hoping to learn more about the hand. When West followed with the five and East won with the 10, it seemed pretty clear that East has started with four diamonds.

This meant that he was likely to have started with at least five clubs for his opening bid, and therefore no more than three spades — perhaps fewer.

Cohen ruffed the ace of clubs shift and led a low spade to dummy’s queen. When a low spade from dummy fetched the jack from East, Cohen claimed his overtrick. Nicely played!