PHILIP ALDER

In a movie, a scantily clad woman moves toward a closed door. If there is no danger, the music will be light and airy; but if she is in jeopardy, the soundtrack will be appropriately tense. The audience is forewarned.

At the bridge table, half the cards are there for you to see, and half are hidden. The snag is that no one supplies background music. You must watch for impending danger unaided.

South opened with a weak two-heart bid, as would virtually all of us. He is willing to apologize if a better spade contract is lost. North jumped straight to game, as would most of us.

West led the spade jack. After winning with dummy’s king, declarer immediately played the heart ace and another heart. At this point, East rose to the occasion. He went in with the heart king and, in answer to his partner’s accurate and encouraging diamond-nine discard, switched to the diamond

seven. Now declarer was doomed, destined to lose two hearts, one diamond and one club.

True, South was slightly unlucky, the trump break being bad and the defense good. Still, declarer might have tried to avoid a diamond loser. (Music played agitato.) Taking the risk of a bad black-suit break, South should have won the first trick in hand and immediately taken a club finesse.

Let’s suppose East wins with the club king and switches to a low diamond. Declarer wins in the dummy, plays a spade to his hand and takes a second club finesse. When that wins, South discards his diamond loser on dummy’s club ace. Then comes the ace and another heart. With this layout, the orchestra plays maestoso.