Do you win or lose at this third trick?

William Makepeace Thackeray wrote, “To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best thing.” What a romantic! In yesterday’s deal, declarer had to decide at trick three whether to overruff or to discard an inevitable loser. At first glance, it seemed not to matter, but the distribution was unexpectedly unfavorable. Today, South has that choice again. He is in four hearts. West leads the spade nine because of his partner’s opening bid. East takes the first two tricks with his king and ace, then plays a third spade, and West ruffs South’s queen. What should declarer do now?

As soon as North raises to two hearts, South plans to bid game — but which one, three no-trump or four hearts? Especially when East overcalls two spades, South might well jump to three no-trump. Here, as you can see, that contract would come home with at least one overtrick and probably two.

In four hearts, South should see four losers: two spades and two diamonds. But he has 10 winners: five hearts, one diamond and four clubs. At first glance, it seems as if declarer can overruff at trick three to gain an overtrick. But how will he get four club tricks?

Yes, perhaps West ruffed from an original three-card trump holding, but not today. Instead, it is time for another loser-on-loser play. South should discard a diamond from the dummy. He can win West’s diamond shift, cash two trumps from hand, unblock the club ace-king, cross to the board with a trump and pitch his two diamond losers on the club queen-jack.