BRIDGE Looking ahead

“Some people can see three years into the future. Yes, they have 2020 vision.” — graffiti

A good declarer looks ahead. He plans the play and allows for bad breaks in his key suits. In today’s deal, North-South were using the modern style in which North’s response of two clubs forced to game. His raise to three hearts was forcing and left more room for slam investigation. When South cue-bid in diamonds, North was willing to bid six hearts because he had top honors in both major suits.

West led the king of clubs, and South ruffed and cashed the K-A of trumps. With a normal 3-2 break, he could ruff another club, lead a spade to dummy, draw the missing trump and take five spades, four trumps, two diamonds and two club ruffs, making an overtrick.

But the breaks weren’t normal. East discarded on the second high trump, and declarer was doomed. He ruffed a club, took the A-K of spades, came to the ace of diamonds, and led a high spade, hoping to discard clubs from dummy. But West ruffed, and the defense got two clubs. Down two.

South needed corrective lenses. He couldn’t see 12 tricks into the future, much less three years. In case the trumps break 4-1, South should play a low trump from both hands at the second trick.

If East wins and, say, shifts to a diamond, South takes the ace, leads a spade to dummy’s ace and ruffs a club. He can take the king of trumps and king of spades, draw trumps, return to the king of diamonds and finish the spades to land the contract. South dealer N-S vulnerable