The ruff is easy, but what is next?

Galileo said, “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”

At the bridge table, the point is to “discover” the right bids and plays with accurate analysis. In today’s layout, it is easy for West to analyze his partner’s lead at trick three. The harder task this time is to spot the killing defense.

How should EastWest card to defeat three spades?

A pair using twoover-one game-forcing would respond one forcing no-trump with that North hand. Then, whether using twoover-one or Standard, when South rebids two spades to guarantee at least a six-card suit, North should invite game with three spades. But South should pass with such a poor hand. (South could even pass over two diamonds. Then North should balance with a takeout double, and he might pass if South pulls to two spades.)

West leads his singleton diamond. East wins with the king, cashes the diamond ace and leads the diamond two for West to ruff. West, knowing that the two is low, shifts to the club seven (high from a weak suit). East wins with his ace and … does what?

South must have the major-suit aces for his opening bid, so there are no more sidesuit tricks available. Instead, East must try to generate a second trump trick by leading another diamond. When West ruffs with the spade queen, it effects an uppercut and promotes a trump trick for East.