DO YOU PLAY IT FIRST OR SECOND?

Start by looking at the North-South hands in today’s diagram. South is in four spades. What should he do after West leads the diamond king?

East wanted to bid over four spades, but the vulnerability was unfavorable. He decided that caution was the better bit of bravery.

Clearly, declarer would like to establish and run the club suit. But should he play on that suit immediately or after doing something else first?

Good question! Usually, it is right to play on the side suit forthwith — but not always.

At the table, declarer won the opening lead with the diamond ace, discarded dummy’s diamond loser on the heart ace and led a club.

West played low, judging declarer would have played the suit differently if holding the club ace. East took the trick and forced dummy to ruff a heart. Declarer played a second club, but West won and led another heart, dummy having to ruff again. South drew two rounds of trumps ending on the board (not best), but the 3-1 spade break killed the contract. (Double-dummy, declarer could have succeeded.)

South would have done better to accept a diamond loser along with two club losers, which he could afford. After winning the first trick and conceding a club, declarer loses a diamond trick, ruffs the diamond continuation in hand and concedes another club. Notice the difference. If the defenders play a fourth round of diamonds, declarer ruffs in his hand. If they switch to a heart, declarer wins in hand with the ace. Either way, he can draw trumps ending in the dummy and run the club suit.