BRIDGE

John Dewey, an education reformer, philosopher and psychologist, said, “The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.”

A bridge deal is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of calls and plays. In this deal, South receives the diamond-nine opening lead against his contract of four spades. Given that trumps are not 4-0, how should the play proceed?

In the auction, North was right to jump-raise to three spades. He may either ignore his diamond jack (although it is a key card here) and count one point for each doubleton, or count the jack and one point for the doubleton heart, giving him 15 support points. Also, the hand has six losers (two hearts, two diamonds and two clubs), one fewer than a minimum opening.

Given that East probably has the heart ace for his overcall, there seem to be 10 easy tricks: five spades, one heart, two diamonds, one club and a diamond ruff in the dummy. But as West unexpectedly has the heart ace, South might lose two hearts and two clubs. What is the solution?

South should pay careful attention to the diamond suit. West’s nine lead denies the 10. So, East must have the king and 10, which allows declarer to take three diamond tricks if he covers the nine with dummy’s jack. He captures East’s king with his ace, draws trumps ending in the dummy, plays a diamond to his eight, and discards one of dummy’s hearts on the diamond queen. Then he can claim 10 tricks: five spades, three diamonds, one club and a heart ruff on the board.