Bridge

“Simple Saturday” columns are meant to help aspiring players improve technique and develop logical thinking.

When I visited the Birmingham (Ala.) Duplicate Bridge Club, a player asked about my thought process as declarer when dummy appears. I begin by counting winners — maybe losers — and consider how I can develop extra winners or avoid losers.

Then I go on to consider technical aspects of the play: preserving entries, perhaps. Next I visualize how the defenders’ cards may lie. Declarers have much to think about.

At today’s slam, South must not finesse on the first club; he can count 12 tricks. He takes the ace and cashes the ace of trumps. Next he takes the AK of diamonds, pitching a club from dummy, and the A-K of hearts. He wins the next five tricks by crossruffing, and dummy still has a high trump to fulfill the slam.

South succeeds if he counts winners and forms a plan. If he finesses in clubs at Trick One or takes the ace and draws some trumps, he fails.