More on disrupting communications

Brian Tracy, a CanadianAmerican motivational speaker, said, “Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.”

If he were a bridge player, he would have ended: “you can rapidly improve that part of your game.”

In yesterday’s deal, South needed to keep communication with the dummy so that he could collect four diamond tricks and make his contract. Today’s deal features another aspect of communication. How should South play in three notrump after West leads the spade nine in answer to his partner’s opening bid?

South would have preferred a better spade holding to overcall one no-trump, but making a takeout double with only two hearts was even more dangerous, and he could not bring himself to pass.

Declarer started with six top tricks: one spade (given the lead), four diamonds and one club. With only 15 points missing, surely East had the club king. However, rather than play on that assumption, declarer wondered about his chances if the club finesse was losing. He would still be all right as long as the defenders could not run either major suit.

South started correctly by calling for dummy’s spade king; otherwise, East plays low. East won with his ace and found the best defense of a club shift. Declarer, sticking to his reading of the deal, won with his ace, played a diamond to the board and led a heart. With the heart suit blocked, the defenders couldn’t take more than one spade, two hearts and one club.