BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You have reached 7 ♦ as West. How do you play after North leads ♣ K? ThIS looks just too easy. You can count 13 straightforward tricks (five diamonds, four hearts, three spades and ♣ a).

So there must be a problem, and that is the more probable 4-2 break in hearts is 48 per cent against 36 per cent on an even break.

We’ll assume that’s the case here, and there’s still no problem when you win the lead and play ♦ a, noting that South shows out. You need spades to break no worse than 5-3, and we can also work on that assumption.

The simple solution is to use a dummy reversal by ruffing two clubs in hand. Cash

♠ aQ, then play ♦ Q and overtake with the king; cash ♠ K (discarding your club), then ruff a club high, and play ♦ 4, finessing against north.

ruff your second club with your last trump, then return to dummy with ♥ K, draw north’s trump and you have made the contract.