Contract Bridge

THE RIGHT TIME FOR ACTION

Assume you reach four hearts on the bidding shown, and West leads the king of spades. How would you play the hand?

You seem to have four inescapable losers — two spades and two clubs. The only realistic chance is to find the opposing clubs divided 3-3, in which case dummy’s fourth club can be established for a spade discard. The fly in the ointment is that if West gains the lead while you are trying to set up the long club, he will cash two spades to defeat you.

You must therefore assume not only that the clubs are divided 3-3, but that East has the K-Q-x (or K-Q-J) as well as just the one spade he is marked with on the bidding. However, even if East has the K-Q-x of clubs, you will have to play very carefully, as the actual declarer discovered when he went down one.

He won the opening spade lead with the ace, cashed the A-K of trump and then played the ace of clubs. All would have been well had East routinely followed low, but instead he alertly dropped the queen of clubs under the ace. As a result, West eventually gained the lead with the jack, and the contract was kaput.

To neutralize the potential unblocking play by East, declarer should cross to dummy with a trump at trick two and lead a club toward his hand. If East plays low, South takes the ace and concedes two tricks to the K-Q.

If East instead splits his honors when the first club is led, declarer allows him to hold the trick. Assuming East returns a diamond, South wins in dummy and leads a second club toward the A-10. If East plays the king, declarer again lets him win, while if East follows low, declarer takes the ace and then concedes a club to the king. Dummy’s remaining high trump later provides the entry to the established club.

By handling the clubs in this delicate fashion, South assures that West can never gain the lead, and the contract — with a hefty assist from Lady Luck — comes rolling home.