GOOD DEFENSE MAY MAKE DECLARER GUESS

Robert Benchley, a humorous newspaper columnist and actor who died in 1945, said, “I can’t bring myself to say, ‘Well, I guess I’ll be toddling along... It isn't that I can’t toddle. It’s that I can’t guess I’ll toddle.”

As we toddle through a bridge deal, we sometimes have to guess what to do. In today’s deal, how should the play proceed in four spades after West guesses very well to lead the diamond king?

South rebid only two spades because he knew he would get another turn (partner’s two-over-one response guaranteed a second bid) and he had a minimum in high-card terms. Then, when North showed game-invitational values with at least six hearts, South took a shot at four spades.

Leading king from kingdoubleton was dangerous, but it worked beautifully here. East encouraged, won the next diamond trick, and played a third diamond. South, perforce, ruffed high with the spade king. Then declarer had to eliminate his club loser and avoid walking into a trump promotion. He cashed his heart ace, played a club to dummy’s ace, and discarded a club on the heart king. Then he led a low trump, which East did very well to duck smoothly. After South took that trick with his spade queen, what did he do next?

Declarer had to guess. With this layout, he had to continue with a low spade, bringing down East’s ace. Then South could have ruffed high the next diamond, drawn the missing trump, and claimed. But if a defender had the singleton nine left, a high-spade lead was required. At the time, South got it right — well played everyone. Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)