Alder's NEA Bridge: Some plays are tough to make

Emile-Auguste Chartier, a French philosopher and journalist who died in 1951, said, "We prove what we want to prove, and the real difficulty is to know what we want to prove."

At the bridge table, we want to prove whether or not a contract is makable. This is usually easier when we can see all 52 cards, or have been warned there is a trap somewhere. When we are just playing at the table, it can be easy to make a mistake almost on autopilot.

In today's deal, South is in three no-trump. West leads his fourth-highest heart. East wins with his king and returns the heart nine. Who should prevail, declarer or the defenders?

After a one-no-trump opening, some pairs use a jump-response of three of a major to show game values with a singleton (or void) in that suit, three cards in the other major and 5-4 (or 5-5) in the minors. Partner can usually judge the right contract. However, without that agreement, North should just jump to three no-trump.

Declarer has seven top tricks: two spades, four diamonds and one club. He can get at least one heart trick and three more club winners. How might he go down?

Only if the club finesse is losing and the defenders take four hearts and one club.

The key play is almost counterintuitive. At trick two, South must play his second low heart, which cuts the communication between the defenders. If instead he covers with the queen or jack, West can play low. Then, when East gets in with his club king, a third heart through declarer defeats the contract.

Watch out for this difficult duck.