Determine never to submit or yield

Bridge isn't a game for the weakwilled — you need strength of character to succeed. For example, in a matchpointed pair game, it can be right to risk going down in a guaranteed contract in the quest for an overtrick. Or, if you make a light opening bid, see it through. Don't pass partner's forcing bid, or lie about your aces if partner uses Blackwood. Or, when your prospects as declarer look hopeless, play for any chance of victory, however unlikely it might be.

In today's deal, South was in six spades. West led the heart king. Declarer won with dummy's ace and cashed his two top trumps, but East discarded a club on the second. How should South have continued? North's four no-trump was Roman Key Card Blackwood. South's response showed three key cards (two aces and the trump king, or three aces). Five hearts asked for the trump queen, and five spades denied that card.

With a guaranteed trump loser, declarer had to discard both of his low hearts before West could ruff in and cash the heart queen. That required finding West with four diamonds and East with a singleton nine, 10or jack. At trick four, South cashed the diamond queen and unblocked the seven from the board. (This wasn't vital, since he had the club ace as a hand entry, but it was esthetically pleasing.) East's 10was a hopeful start. Next came the diamond six. When West played the four, declarer didn't submit or yield: He called for dummy's five. The six won.

Now declarer played three more rounds of diamonds, discarding his heart losers, and claimed.

— APRIL 18, 2022