BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOu are South, declarer in 6 in a teams of four event scored by IMPs. How would you plan the play after West leads a trump? PLAyING IMP scoring, the primary object is always to make your contract. One overtrick won’t make any difference and that’s the best you could hope for. Play on a dead cert without risk. It won’t matter how trumps break as long as the defence can’t do any damage with them.

Win the lead and draw trumps, then play ace and another spade. you have set up a winning spade on which to discard your losing diamond, and you have the A ♥ as an entry to dummy for the purpose. Should the defence by chance refuse the second spade, just give up a diamond at the end.

you will meet this hand again and will see how circumstances can alter your line of play.