Bridge Players Must Keep Thinking

Thomas Edison said, “There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking.” We will charitably assume that he meant to add a phrase excluding bridge players. However, not only does a bridge player have to think, but also he must imagine the end-position that allows him to bring home -- or defeat -- the contract.

In today’s deal, at first glance there seems to be only one chance to land three notrump, but there is actually a better line available.

From West’s opening bid, clearly he holds the club king. So one of Edison’s men wins the first trick with the spade king and immediately plays the club ace and another club, hoping to bring down the doubleton king. However, here that doesn’t work well. West wins trick three with the club jack and drives out South’s spade ace. The contract is as dead as the dearly departed dodo.

Win at Bridge

Phillip Alder

Someone more in the mold of Edison himself, though, sees that West rates to have the heart queen as well as the club king. South visualizes these nine tricks: two spades, three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. After taking the first trick, declarer leads the diamond king. Let’s assume West wins with the ace and plays another spade honor. South takes the trick, cashes his two diamond winners and plays off the heart ace. Next he finesses dummy’s heart jack and cashes the heart king. Finally he casts adrift with dummy’s last spade. West may cash some winners, but then he must lead away from the club king into South’s ace-queen.