IT LOOKS GOOD, BUT IS THERE BETTER?

Oliver Cromwell, an English military and political leader in the 17th century, said, “He who stops being better stops being good.”

At the bridge table, if you spot what looks like a good line of declarer-play or defense, pause to see if there is something better.

How is that relevant in today’s deal? South is in four hearts. West leads the diamond two. How should East defend?

An important rule on defense is that a lowest-card lead in an unbid side suit shows either at least one honor in that suit or a singleton. Here, since East can see all of the diamond honors between the dummy and his hand, he knows his partner has started with a singleton. So many a defender would win with the diamond ace and give partner a diamond ruff. But what would happen after that? Suppose West shifts to a spade. South wins on the board, draws trumps, and runs the diamonds to discard one of his clubs to make the contract. He takes three spades, four hearts and three diamonds.

East should wonder from where two more defensive tricks might come. If West has the spade king or heart king, that won’t help, because declarer’s finesse will be winning. East should hope his partner has the club ace. After taking trick one, East must shift to the club queen.

Presumably South will cover with his king, so West takes the trick and returns a club. Then East gives his partner a diamond ruff to defeat the contract. But if South strangely ducks the club queen, East gives his partner the ruff, and West cashes the club ace for down one.