All four suits are in the play

André Maurois, a French author who died in 1967, claimed: “Conversation would be vastly improved by the constant use of four simple words: I do not know.”

Bridge results would be vastly improved if players remembered that there are four suits available. Look at the obvious one first, but before proceeding, take a peek at the others to see if it might be better to use one of those instead.

In this deal, how should South plan the play in four spades after West leads the heart queen?

South thought he saw 10 easy tricks: seven spades, one heart and two diamonds. How could there be a problem? He took the first trick on the board and played a spade to his ace. West’s heart discard was a blow.

South next led the club queen, but West took the trick and played a second heart. East won with his king and shifted to the diamond queen. Then declarer had to lose one trick in each suit.

Since the only danger is a 3-0 trump break, South should have assumed that. Then he might have noticed two better lines. At trick two, lead a club to the queen. It loses, and the defenders cash a heart and play a diamond, but declarer wins and takes the spade ace. When the bad break is revealed, South continues with the spade jack, giving East his trick, but making dummy’s spade 10 an entry, allowing declarer to discard his diamond loser on the club king.

Alternatively, when East follows to the first spade from the board, South plays his jack. Even if the finesse loses, South takes six spades, one heart, two diamonds and one club.