THE UNUSUAL ROUTE MAY BE RIGHT

Alfred North Whitehead, who was an English mathematician and philosopher, said, "It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious."

Maybe that depends on the obvious. In today's deal, for example, since the contract is four spades, it is obvious that South needs to win 10 tricks. However, the winning approach contains one unusual feature that the declarer must analyze. After West leads the club king, what should South do?

South starts with five potential losers: one spade, two diamonds and two clubs. He has nine apparent winners: three spades, four hearts, one diamond and one club. A club ruff on the board is the obvious-looking route to a 10th winner. So there is a strong temptation to duck the first trick, opening up the line for that ruff. This would often be the right start -- but not here. Assuming East discouraged in clubs, West might shift to the diamond 10 at trick two, and then the contract will fail. Even if declarer wins with dummy's ace and plays a trump, East takes the trick with his ace, cashes the diamond king and gives his partner a diamond ruff.

Instead, South wins the first trick in his hand and plays a trump, hoping for a 3-2 split.

Suppose the defenders continue with the spade ace, a club to the jack and the diamond 10 shift. Declarer can finesse the queen (necessary if trumps prove to be 4-1), take the next diamond with dummy's ace, draw trumps, unblock his heart winners, ruff a club on the board and discard his last diamond on the heart jack.