YOU SHOULD TRUST PARTNER’S PLAY

Johann Kaspar Lavater, a 17thcentury Swiss poet, writer, philosopher, physiognomist and theologian, wrote, “Mistrust the man who finds everything good, the man who finds everything evil and still more the man who is indifferent to everything.” If he had been born 75 years ago, he might have added, “But always trust your bridge partner.”

If you base a bid or play on the assumption that your partner is making a mistake, it is probably a prescription for disaster.

North’s transfer sequence showed game values with a fivecard heart suit. South had a strong preference for hearts.

West led the diamond queen, which was won with dummy’s ace. Now declarer played a low heart to his king and West’s ace. There was a temptation to persevere with the diamond jack, but West had seen his partner’s discouraging four at trick one. Accurately, West switched to the club three.

Knowing that West wouldn’t lead a low club without an honor in the suit, East was able to place the club ace with his partner. To avoid an accident, when dummy played the club 10, East won with the king, not the jack. He continued with the club jack and received a club ruff to defeat the contract.

West was happy with his partner’s play, but he pointed out that if East had won with the jack and continued with the king, he would have overtaken with his ace and delivered the lethal ruff. He further mentioned that East, with K-J-x of clubs, would have won with the jack and returned his low club.

“Maybe,” replied East, “but this seemed safer.”