Bridge Two chances are better than one

Jazz Feylynn, a creative author, wrote, “One two, one two, / Type a word or two. / Arrow left, arrow right, / Keep those fingers nice and tight. / Keys up, Keys down, / Move those digits all around. / One two, one two, / Type a word or two.” When you are the declarer, there is sometimes one chance to make your contract. Perhaps, for example, you need a key finesse to work. Occasionally, though, there are two chances to get home. Then the hard part might be spotting both or working out how to try them. In today’s deal, South is in six spades. West leads the heart king; East overtakes with the ace and returns the heart four, which declarer ruffs. How should South continue? West’s four-heart overcall made life hard for his opponents. When North stretched to bid four spades, South used Blackwood and drove into the small slam.

The original declarer drew trumps, cashed the club ace, played a spade to the dummy and tried the club finesse. However, it lost, and South had to concede down one. Declarer muttered about being unlucky given West’s preemptive overcall. But North had spotted a second chance. After ruffing the second heart, South should have cashed the spade king, the club ace and the diamond ace. Then he should have played a spade to dummy and ruffed the diamond five in hand. Here, the king drops, and declarer has 12winners: seven spades, three diamonds and two clubs. Yes, very lucky, but if the diamond king does not appear, South still has the club finesse available.