How maybe to avoid an adverse result

Peter McWilliams, a self-help author, wrote, “To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all.”

Everyone makes mistakes; it is a fact of life. But with careful consideration, most can be avoided — try not to rush forward thoughtlessly.

To avoid losing unnecessary tricks at the bridge table can require a careful avoidance of error. In this difficult deal, what should happen in four hearts after West leads the spade jack?

South seems to have at least 10 winners from one spade, five hearts and four clubs. A careless declarer, hoping for an overtrick or two, covers West’s spade jack with dummy’s queen and captures East’s king with his ace. South crosses to dummy with a club and runs the heart 10. However, if West is a genius, he will win with his king and continue with the spade seven. East will take the trick with his nine and shift to the diamond queen, giving the defenders four tricks: one heart, one spade and two diamonds.

The declarer should realize that if he keeps East off the lead, his contract will almost certainly succeed.

First, South lets West hold trick one with the spade jack. Declarer wins the spade continuation, plays a club to the queen and takes a trump finesse. Yes, it loses, but West has no killing continuation. He will probably return his second club, but South wins with his jack, draws trumps and claims those 10 tricks listed earlier.

Tune in next week for more on this unavoidable topic.