Daily Mail

BRIDGE MASTERCLAS­S

- PETER DONOVAN

You are South, declarer in 3NT, against which West leads the ♥ 6. How would you plan the play and why? East wins the first trick with

♥ K and returns ♥ 7. BY uSInG the Rule of eleven, you know that east has at least two hearts higher than the six which was led, and by the second trick you have seen both of them. But the danger is that he has a third heart and that he will regain the lead if the ♦ K wins when you finesse, as you must.

You must ignore the old rule of splitting honours because West can duck. Play the ♥ 9 on the ♥ 7 return, and now you are sitting pretty because, whether West wins and leads another to clear the suit or not, east won’t have another heart to lead. If you split your honours at Trick 2, and if east then wins with the ♦ K, his third heart will come through your remaining

♥ Q-9 to West’s ♥ a-10-x.

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