Keep analyzing for success
Peter Drucker, who was an influential thinker about management, wrote, “‘Management’ means, in the last analysis, the substitution of thought for brawn and muscle, of knowledge for folklore and superstition, and of cooperation for force.”
Say the word “analysis” to most people, and they think of psychiatry. Someone defined psychiatry as the care of the id by the odd. Mention analysis to most bridge players, and they smile. “Yes,” they say, “I analyze every deal carefully.” Is that the care of the id by the ego?
East analyzed today’s deal correctly. Lie on the couch and look at only the North and East hands. Against four spades, West leads the heart four: five, king, three. How should East continue?
In the auction, South’s three-club rebid was New Minor Forcing.
Most players would cash the heart ace and shift to a diamond. They would hope to collect two black-suit tricks. But, as you can see, declarer immediately claims 10 tricks: five spades and five diamonds.
This East paused to assess the prospects. He had 13 points, there were 18 in the dummy, and declarer rated to have at least 6. That left at most three for West.
East could see four potential tricks, two in hearts and two in clubs, if he could get his partner on play for a club lead through dummy’s king. How could that be achieved? Well, West had led a low heart, which guaranteed an honor in the suit. At trick two, East returned the heart seven. West won with his queen and had no trouble in finding the killing club switch. Well defended!