Contract Bridge

The practical side of bridge

Assume you’re in three notrump and West leads a spade. You count your tricks and find that you have only seven of them. You have the prospect of an eighth trick if the hearts divide 3-3, and there is also the chance of winning a diamond finesse for your ninth trick.

But these possibilities, though certainly legitimate, are not as promising as the chance of developing two club tricks by forcing out the A-K. Furthermore, you still have a chance to test your luck in the red suits later on if the need arises.

So you win the spade jack with the queen, cross to the queen of hearts and lead a low club. You hope East will follow low and West will win the trick with the ace or king because, in that case, you’ll have nine sure tricks by forcing out the other high club, whatever West returns.

Unfortunately, East goes up with the ace of clubs at trick three and shifts to the jack of diamonds, attacking your principal weak spot. You had hoped this wouldn’t happen, which was one reason you led the first club from dummy rather than your hand. However, it has happened.

Your best shot at this point is to play the ace rather than finesse the queen. You refuse the finesse because if East has the diamond king, the contract is ice-cold, whatever you do. But if West has the king, as in the actual deal, you could be defeated by a diamond continuation from West after he takes the queen with the king.

You next play a club, and, since West has the king, you make the contract. Your queen of diamonds is not subject to attack with West on lead, and no matter what he returns, you are certain of at least nine tricks.