Move up the ladder of declarer-play

In 2009, Barbara Seagram and David Bird published Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand. Now they have written a sequel, Planning the Play, the Next Level. There are 13 chapters under three generic headings: useful techniques, taking precautions and planning a strategy. After each deal, there is a plan synopsis; and every chapter ends with a quiz. Finally, the concluding chapter contains 26 problems. This book will help you learn how to marshal your thoughts when the dummy comes down. In today’s deal, how should South play in four hearts after West leads the spade two, and East puts up the queen? South’s jump to game is a slight overbid, but all of his honours are working. (It would have been different if North had opened one club.) This contract looks easy. Assuming trumps are not 4-0, there seem to be 10 tricks from one spade, three hearts, four diamonds, one club and a club ruff on the board. What can go wrong? Well, suppose declarer takes the first trick, cashes the heart ace and leads another trump.

Here, South immediately loses two hearts and two spades. The spade two is unlikely to be a singleton. With five strong spades, East might well have bid one spade, and his spade queen would have been a timely falsecard. Declarer should duck the first trick. If East returns his second spade, South wins the trick, takes the heart ace and plays another heart. West cannot get in to cash a spade, and declarer eventually pitches his third spade on dummy’s fourth diamond.