DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

It’s said that when the originator of CliffsNotes was asked how he came up with the idea, his response began thus: “Well, to make a long story short ...”

In many deals, the play is over as soon as it gets started. The fate of the contract is decided at Trick One — often because declarer is or is not careful to avoid playing without thinking.

When today’s NorthSouth got to four hearts, East-West could have saved at five clubs for down two, doubled, minus 300 points. The sacrifice was correct in theory — four hearts was cold for plus 620 — but not in practice. When West led the jack of clubs, South carelessly played low from dummy. East signaled with the deuce, and West shifted to a spade: four, king, six.

East then tried to cash a second club. South ruffed that but still had to pick up the trumps to make his game, and he went wrong by taking the A-K.

South should play dummy’s queen on the first club, forcing East to win so West can’t shift to a spade through dummy. East takes the king and leads the ace.

South ruffs and still must be careful. If he takes the A-K of trumps and then starts the diamonds, West can win and shift to a spade, and South loses a trick in each suit.

South must avoid an early spade shift. After he ruffs the second club, he lets the 10 of trumps ride. As the cards lie, he makes an overtrick, but if East had the queen, he couldn’t lead a spade effectively. South would have time to set up dummy’s diamonds for spade discards and 10 sure tricks.