BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOU are West, declarer in 4 ♥ , and North leads ♥ 6. Plan the play. WITHOUT being warned of a danger on this hand, I’ll wager that 99 per cent of declarers would go down.

You have nine top tricks and the tenth will come either from ♦ A lying favourably (50 per cent), or being able to ruff a diamond in the short hand. You can always ruff a diamond if trumps divide 2-2, but, ominously they have been led and if 3-1, dummy’s trumps will be cleared before you can get the ruff.

There are other alternatives — either to find clubs lying favourably, or to force South to lead diamonds up to the king.

We can combine both options by crossing to A ♣ after winning the lead, and returning to dummy twice with remaining trumps to ruff clubs. Both opponents follow to the three rounds of clubs, and South had three trumps.

You’re now going to try to keep North off lead if you can. Start with ♠ 9 and hope North doesn’t cover. This is referred to as ‘avoidance play’.