BRIDGE

Trick one regrets once again as South grabbed the heart ace and paused to consider what he should do next. But there was to be no successful “next”.

After winning the ace of hearts, South decided trumping his third heart in dummy might be a good idea so he played a second round of the suit. But East could win that to play ace and a second round of spades to leave declarer with four inescapable losers that actually turned into five when South desperately tried a late diamond finesse in search of a tenth trick.

After winning that heart ace, South might have gone after a second diamond winner by cashing the ace and taking a ruffing finesse through East.

Operation successful as the diamond winner would be established but how to get to it?

AS veteran declarers well know, holdup plays can be just as useful in suit contracts as they are in notrump contracts but usually for different reasons.

What do you suppose West might do if he’s allowed to hold the first heart trick? If he continues hearts, South will have no difficulty negotiating a heart ruff in the dummy for his tenth trick: win the ace, cross to a high club, take the heart ruff and play on trumps.

West might find a superficially effective trump switch for East to play ace and another. No more heart ruff but the ruffing finesse to set up a diamond winner (or even a straight diamond finesse) would work just fine as the ace of hearts would still be there for an entry.