Bridge

Opening lead — five of clubs.

One of the most common failings of many declarers is the tendency to deal with each suit separately rather than assess the play of the hand as a whole.

Take this case where declarer won the opening club lead with dummy’s 10 and played the K-Q of diamonds, hoping the defence would take the ace. But East uncharitably ducked both diamonds, leaving South with an impossible task.

When he tried leading the 10 of spades from dummy, East covered with the queen and the king lost to West’s ace. A spade was returned and South could now do no better than cash eight tricks.

Declarer lost the contract on the very first trick when he should have won the club lead with the ace instead of dummy’s 10.

South should realise that the contract is not likely to be made unless the diamonds can be run and should not rely exclusively on the hope that the opponents will take the first or second diamond lead. He should allow for the possibility that either defender might have been dealt three or four diamonds to the ace and might not take the first two diamond offerings.

By playing the club ace at trick one, declarer ensures a subsequent club entry to dummy in case the diamond ace is held up. Thus, in the actual case, South leads three rounds of diamonds after winning the opening club lead. East takes the ace and can do nothing to harm declarer. If he returns a club, dummy acquires an entry to cash the good diamonds.

If East returns a heart instead, declarer wins and leads a club and again has 10 tricks. And if East chooses to return a spade, South plays low from his hand to yield the same result.

It all goes back to what declarer does at trick one. If he mechanically follows low from his hand before he starts to think, he will soon find that the opportunity to make his game has already passed him by.