KEEP SEARCHING FOR AN EXTRA CHANCE

Our friend A.N. Onymous said, “There are no traffic jams when you go the extra mile.”

In a bridge deal, a jam that stops you from crossing between your two hands might cost an extra trick.

How does that apply in today’s six-spade contract after West leads the club king?

North was a little light for his three-spade raise; he should have settled for four spades. However, maybe this South, who had the reputation of being somewhat cavalier, would have gone the extra two miles, taking a shot at the slam anyway.

South saw 11 top tricks, with potential losers in each red suit. At first glance, declarer thought that he needed the heart finesse to work. But then he spotted another chance — maybe he could establish a second diamond trick.

South cashed his spade ace, happy to see both opponents follow suit. Then he carefully led the spade eight to dummy’s queen, keeping his three so that he could return to the dummy via the spade four later in the play.

Now came a low diamond from the board. If East had played low, declarer would have put in his 10 and been pleasantly surprised to win the trick. However, East put up his queen. Now, though, South won with his ace and returned the diamond 10 to establish dummy’s jack as a winner, reached, as already noted, by overtaking South’s spade three with dummy’s four.

Yes, that was lucky: about a 24% chance. But if West had had a diamond honor, South would have fallen back on the heart finesse.