Think ahead

Both vulnerable, North deals NORTH S-K 6 H-10 4 D-A J 10 9 3 C-K 7 6 2

EAST S-J 8 H-A K Q 9 7 3 2 D-K C-A 5 3

SOUTH S-A Q 7 5 4 3 2 H-6 D-8 7 2 C-J 4

The bidding: NORTH EAST SOUTH 1D Dbl 1S 2C 2H 2S 3S Pass 4S

Opening lead: 10 of Spade

WEST Pass 3H All pass

North did a lot of bidding with his modest hand, and South was happy to go on to game when North voluntarily raised his suit. Could he make it?

South won the opening spade lead in dummy and led the 10 of hearts. This was an effort to cut the communication between the defenders. East won with the queen of hearts and reverted to spades, South winning the ace. With the trumps now drawn, declarer led the eight of diamonds, running it when West played low. East won with the king and led the ace of hearts, ruffed by South. Declarer led a diamond to dummy’s jack for the good news and the bad news. The good news was that the jack won the trick. The bad news was that East showed out. There was no entry back to the South hand to repeat the diamond finesse, so the best he could do was to cash the ace of diamonds, ruff a diamond, and lead a club toward the king. When that lost to the ace, the contract was down one. South was unlucky to find the diamonds splitting 4-1 and the ace of clubs off side, but he could have done better. Instead of running the eight of diamonds on the first round of the suit, he should have led a low diamond to the jack. He could then run the eight of diamonds on the second round of the suit, holding the lead in his hand to repeat the diamond finesse.