USE DECLARER’S SHAPE TO SHAPE THE DEFENSE

Laurence J. Peter, a Canadian educator who developed the Peter Principle, said, “Real, constructive mental power lies in the creative thought that shapes your destiny, and your hour-by-hour mental conduct produces power for change in your life.”

That applies to bridge players, whose minute-byminute mental conduct produces the power to solve a problem correctly. This week we are looking at deals in which working out hand shapes will shape the results.

In today’s deal, South is in three no-trump. West leads the diamond two. How should East plan the defense?

The bidding had a few interesting aspects. First, when North responded one spade, South, with a single- ton spade, correctly rebid two clubs, not three clubs. Then North decided to support hearts, knowing that two honors doubleton would be as good as three low cards. But he was tempted to rebid two spades, given his six-card suit. Then South, when he continued with two notrump, showed some 16 or 17 high-card points, enough to think about game even though North was limited to nine points. North, with a near maximum, raised to game.

East has to think about declarer’s hand shape. South showed five hearts and four clubs in the bidding, and West’s diamond-two lead, indicating a fourcard suit, tells East that South started with three diamonds. So declarer’s distribution must be 1-5-3-4.

East’s best chance is to win with his diamond ace and immediately shift to the spade four. Bingo! Four spade tricks later, the defenders will be happy.

Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)