Contract Bridge

notrump Assume and you’re West in leads three the five the ace of and hearts. returns East the wins three with to your king.

Judging from the opponents’ leads to the first two tricks, the hearts would appear to be divided 4-4. Whatever the case, though, you have to attack diamonds or clubs next, and the question is which one.

In the actual deal, if you play the wrong suit first, you go down, assuming correct defense. But if you play the right suit, you make the contract.

To illustrate the wrong approach, let’s say you attack your longest suit, clubs. You lead the king, which West ducks, and then the jack, which West also ducks.

You are now at the end of your tether, for whether you play a third club or lead the K-Q of diamonds, both ducked by East, you wind up with only eight tricks. You score two tricks in each suit, period.

But if you attack diamonds first, you get home clean as a whistle. East ducks the K-Q and takes the third diamond, but the best he can do is return a heart.

You win and lead a low club

to the eight. In the actual deal, the eight wins the trick and you cash the jack of diamonds, then revert to clubs.

Regardless of when West

takes the club ace, you finish with nine tricks -- two spades, two hearts, three diamonds and two clubs. The opponents, in the meantime, score only two hearts, a diamond and a club. That’s your reward for tackling the shorter suit rather than the longer suit at trick three. The outcome would be the same if East rather than West held the club ace.

The shorter suit is attacked

first because you are guaranteed to score three tricks in that suit rather than two regardless of the actual location of the minor-suit aces or how the opponents elect to defend.

Tomorrow: Bidding quiz.