Bridge

GO FOR YOUR RUFFS OR MAKE HIM RUFF?

Henry Ward Beecher, a clergyman who supported the abolition of slavery, said, “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his picture.”

Bridge players try to picture the way to make or break a contract. They are helped by the snapshots of advice they have learned over the years.

Look at the West hand in today’s diagram. Defending against four spades doubled, would you lead a heart -- trying to make South ruff -- or the club nine -- hoping to get a ruff or two yourself?

In the bidding, a modern West would have responded three hearts to show four-card support and below game-invitational strength. South bid four spades to make, although doubling four hearts would have worked better if the defense against four spades was perfect.

If you have four trumps, especially when headed by the ace, you normally do better to try to make declarer ruff something. West should lead a low heart. East wins with his king and continues with the heart ace.

South ruffs the second heart and immediately attacks spades. Now West must make his second good play. He must not take the first or second round of spades. (If he does and leads another heart, declarer ruffs in the dummy, crosses to his hand with a club, draws West’s remaining trumps, and runs the clubs.)

When South sees the 4-1 spade break, he does best to shift to clubs or diamonds, settling for down one. If he plays a third spade, West wins and leads his last heart to remove South’s final trump. Then the contract is in tatters.