WHEN BACKED UP TO A WALL, HOPE

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Finish each day before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between the two.”

That is sound advice for sure. Sometimes at the bridge table, you have your back against the proverbial wall, seemingly destined to dive to defeat. But maybe you can get lucky — as in today’s deal.

How should South play in three no-trump after West leads a low club to the king and ace?

South’s bid was in the modern style, whereby you may open in no-trump with a singleton ace or king. Obviously, South might have begun with one diamond, planning to reverse into hearts. Note that here, four hearts and five diamonds would make without too much difficulty.

Three no-trump, though, looks nigh impossible. South cannot play a spade to force a dummy entry, because the defenders will cash too many club tricks. Declarer must get lucky in a red suit.

He starts by cashing the heart ace and king, but the jack does not appear. Then he tries the diamond ace and king. Bingo! The queen does drop. So South plays a diamond to the jack, returns to his hand in hearts and runs the diamonds to take 10 tricks: four hearts, five diamonds and one club.

Finally, note that if West had had queen-doubleton of diamonds, it would have been great defense for either defender to drop the heart jack on the second round of the suit. Then declarer would have crossed to the heart 10 and taken the diamond finesse. Or ... he might have wondered why the defender with the heart jack suddenly followed on the third round! Would he have noticed an aroma of rodent?