The discard that spilt the beans BRIDGE

Daniel Kahneman, who won the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (shared with Vernon L. Smith), said, “I have always emphasized the willingness to discard.”

Bridge defenders use discards to send information to partner. But the declarer is also watching and drawing deductions. Defenders should bear that in mind.

Today’s deal is instructive only in a duplicate setting, where overtricks can be so valuable. How should South plan the play in three no-trump after West leads the club nine?

South does not like to open one notrump with two unstopped suits, but he has no choice. If he opens one diamond, and partner responds one of a major, he has no rebid. When you have a balanced hand with the right count, just open one no-trump and get on with it!

South starts with eight top tricks: three diamonds and five clubs. A ninth trick is readily available from spades, so he takes the first trick in hand and plays a spade to the 10, queen and two. What next?

Should South cross to hand with another club and play a second spade, assuming West has the ace? That is not without risk if East is good enough to have played low smoothly with acejack-fifth or -sixth of spades.

At the table, though, when declarer did play a club to hand at trick three, East discarded a spade! That spilled the beans. He wouldn’t throw a potential winner. So, South played a second spade and ended with an overtrick. Plus 430 was worth 70.0%, but plus 400 would have been only 36.7%.