BRIDGE

Robert Rodriguez, in his spy adventure comedy movie “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,” wrote the line: “Only by seeking challenges can we hope to find the best in ourselves.”

Bridge is full of challenges, but the more counting one does, the easier solving those challenges will become. In this example, can you see three ways in which South might win 13 tricks with hearts as trumps? Which one works with this layout?

North responded with the Jacoby Forcing Raise. South’s three-heart rebid indicated a maximum opening with no singleton or void. After three controlbids, South used two doses of Blackwood.

Declarer has 12 top tricks: four spades, five hearts, two diamonds and one club. Perhaps the club finesse is winning; but that is the worst choice.

Next comes the plan to draw trumps in two or three rounds, then to run the spades and discard a club from the board. Finally, a club ruff will generate a sixth trump trick and 13 in all.

So, South takes the first trick in his hand and plays a trump to dummy’s eight. West’s club discard is a bad blow. What should declarer do now?

South should turn to a dummy reversal. He cashes the diamond ace-king, ruffs a diamond high in his hand, returns to dummy with a trump to the nine, ruffs the last diamond high, overtakes his final trump with dummy’s ace, removes East’s remaining heart (discarding his club queen) and claims. South takes four spades, four hearts, two diamonds, one club and those two diamond ruffs.