BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

AS WEST, you finish as declarer in 6 ♣ , after North had opened with a Weak two bid in spades (2 ♠ ). How would you plan to make this contract, after North leads ♦ 10? NORTH’S bidding and play has been a valuable warning signal for you; without it, you would probably try to ruff a couple of spades, then draw trumps, and concede a spade at the end.

But now North’s bidding tells you that South also has a singleton spade, and the opening lead suggests that North has a singleton diamond.

if you plan your strategy on these assumptions, your play becomes quite straightforward, provided you remember to ruff the opening lead. Then, after cashing ♠ A, you ruff a spade with the queen and draw trumps.

finally, you play ♥ K and finesse against the queen. it doesn’t matter if South wins the ♥ Q for he will only have red cards left, and is forced to lead to dummy’s three winners, on which you discard your remaining spades.

Note that it will be fatal to put up ♦ A on the first trick, as this would remove your key entry to dummy.