A KEY DEFENSIVE PROMOTION PLAY

Jesse White, the 37th Secretary of State of Illinois, said, “You cannot just expect a promotion to come from the sky.”

Yesterday, we looked at one way declarer could deflect a defensive trump promotion, by making a loser-on-loser play. Today, let’s put the ball on the other foot with an important defensive play to stop declarer from blocking a trump promotion.

Which defender erred against this fourspade contract?

West led the heart ace: six, 10, jack. West continued with the heart king: nine, two, three. Now West led the heart four, which East ruffed with the spade four. South happily overruffed with the spade six, drew trumps and claimed his contract, conceding a trick to the club ace.

North might have bid something other than four spades, which South thought was preemptive. However, it was a practical choice because it rated to be the best contract, a slam being unlikely, and it took maximum space from the opponents.

Who was wrong? It looks as though East was guilty because if he had ruffed with the spade queen at trick three, apparently it would have effected an uppercut, promoting a trump trick for West. Not true, because declarer would have discarded his singleton club: a loser-on-loser maneuver.

The guilty party was West. Knowing that the uppercut was the best chance to defeat the contract, West should have cashed his club ace at trick three, before continuing with the third spade. Then it shouldn’t have been too difficult for East to ruff with the spade queen.

Try to cash every side-suit trick before chasing a trump promotion.