Bridge

Back in 1968, Eddie Kantar wrote two primers for near beginners: “Introduction to Declarer Play” and “Introduction to Defense.” They have just been modernized by Barbara Seagram and published by Master Point Press. She did an admirable job, except I wish she had limited the word “hand” to one containing 13 cards, and used “deal” to refer to all 52 cards.

Today’s deal comes from the defense book. How should East-West play to defeat four hearts after West leads the spade ace: four, three, five?

There is no bidding in the book. In particular, to give the defenders a chance, often the declaring side must overbid, as

North- South have done here. However, this would not be an uncommon sequence, South bidding game because he thinks they have a double fit.

When on defense with a good player, always look carefully at his or her card at trick one and first discard. Both will be trying to steer you in the right direction.

In this situation, when West leads the ace from ace-king and the queen appears in the dummy, third hand signals high with a doubleton (or a singleton!), or plays low with three or more cards in the suit. Here, East plays the three.

Now West must resist the temptation to cash the spade king. Yes, he would win the trick, but simultaneously he would establish dummy’s queen, on which declarer can discard a diamond loser.

Instead, West should shift to the diamond jack, which establishes four winners for the defense: two spades, one diamond and one club.