FIRST: THE TRUMPS OR THE SIDE SUIT?

Who wrote, “It was Queen Elizabeth who made me a foreign correspondent”?

My most regular correspondent is Steve Conrad, of Manhasset, New York. He teaches on cruise ships and “borrows” my columns for his classes. In return, he sends me instructive deals that he encounters while teaching and playing. This week, let’s have a look at some of his themes.

In this one, how should South play in four spades after West has led the heart king?

On the second round of the auction, North’s best rebid is four diamonds, a splinter showing a singleton (or void) in that suit, four-card spade support and game-going values. But if you do not use splinters, just jump to four spades. (If North has a strong minor two-suiter with longer clubs, he rebids a forcing three diamonds.)

South might give up a diamond at trick two, planning on a crossruff. If he reads the deal, he can succeed. But it looks better to establish dummy’s club suit. If so, there is a reliable guideline: Start the side suit (almost) immediately. After winning with dummy’s heart ace, South should lead a low club toward his nine.

East’s best defense is to win with the king and return his second heart. West wins and plays a third heart. Now declarer must ruff high on the board and guess clubs. If East started with, say, ace-king-fourth, South must take a ruffing finesse. Here, though, he must ruff a club, cross to dummy with a trump, ruff another club to bring down the ace, draw trumps ending on the board and run the clubs.

The opening sentence was written by Russell Baker.