KEEP AN ABACUS IN YOUR MIND

Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote, “Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys.”

As I have mentioned at least once or twice in this column(!), a bridge player who counts, especially one who keeps track of the high-card points, will end most deals joyfully and have a happy partner.

How is that relevant in today’s deal? South is in four spades. West leads the diamond ace: four, queen, six. (East is showing the queenjack or a singleton queen.) West continues with the diamond five: seven, nine, three. East tries to cash the diamond jack. After ruffing, how should South continue?

In the auction, North’s twoclub response was the Drury convention (recommended). He was showing three or more spades and a maximum pass.

Declarer can afford one major-suit loser, but not two. Logically, he crosses to the club queen, then runs the spade eight. It loses to West’s king. After taking West’s clubjack exit with dummy’s king, how should South handle the hearts?

In isolation, cashing the king, then playing low to dummy’s jack is mathematically much better than anything else. But here that cannot be right — why?

West has already shown up with 11 points: the spade king, the diamond ace-king and the club jack. If he had the heart queen as well, he would have opened the bidding as dealer. The only chance is to find East with a singleton or doubleton queen.

Today, as you knew it would be, justice is seen to be done.

CLOSE TO HOME: By John McPherson