TAKE THE BIRD IN THE HAND

When you can defeat a contract, should you just cash your tricks? Or, if you see a possibility for down two, should you hold back and play for the extra undertrick?

The simple answer is to play for the extra undertrick when there is no chance of the contract’s making when you don’t cash out.

True, sometimes it won’t be clear whether or not your apparently sure winner might disappear. If you are in any doubt, settle for down one. Like in the stock market, a small profit is better than a loss.

To test yourself on today’s deal, fold your newspaper to hide the South and West hands. Against six spades, your partner leads the heart ace. How many tricks do you see for your side? How do you envisage the defense proceeding?

South’s bidding actions were unusual. Once a player has preempted, he is supposed to leave any further move to his partner. When he did the unusual, rebidding six spades, it suggested that he had a strange hand — or he thought West bid six hearts so confidently that that slam would succeed.

From the bidding, South surely has eight spades, so there is no point in trying to give partner a diamond ruff. And if West is void in trumps, those diamond winners in the dummy may soon provide declarer with four discards.

There is one sure way to defeat the slam: Ruff the heart lead with the spade ace and cash the club ace! Now unfold your paper. As you can see from the full diagram, any other defense lets six spades doubled make.