Get that lead if you are able

Neil Armstrong, in his speech to the 2005 graduating class of the University of Southern California, said, “I hope you have become comfortable with the use of logic without being deceived into concluding that logic will inevitably lead you to the correct conclusion.”

It seems that Armstrong was not a bridge player, because if he were, he would have known that it is a logical game. In this deal, for example, how should East be thinking on defense against four spades after West leads the club 10?

I like South’s one-spade bid to be forcing for one round. Why not try to hold a constructive auction? Also, this permits a cue-bid of the opener’s suit (here, two clubs) to guarantee support for partner’s suit. When North raised spades, South tried for game with three diamonds. Then, although North hated his diamond holding, his hand was stronger than it might have been, so he fudged with three hearts. South signed off in three spades.

At trick one, East encouraged with the club eight, and South correctly played low. Declarer won the second club, drew two rounds of trumps and led a low heart. When East signaled an odd number with the two, West ducked this trick and took the next heart, but had no winning defense. South lost only one heart, two diamonds and one club.

East had to overtake the club 10 with his jack at trick one. Suppose South takes the trick, draws two rounds of trumps and plays on hearts. West wins and leads a low club to his partner’s queen. East shifts to a diamond and obtains a diamond ruff on the third round of the suit.