BRIDG E

Today’s deal showcases two compelling reasons for why players like to overbid as South (marginally) did.

A subset of what is often labelled as “declarer’s advantage” as defenders all too often make poor opening leads while even a potentially effective lead will require the best followup.

South no doubt believed in one or both of these possibilities helping him out as his acceptance of North’s strong game invitation seems unduly optimistic otherwise.

He did have a fifth spade and had promised only four and he could hope for a secondary club fit if North did indeed have a “real” suit there but a scratchy five high-card points with no prime (Ace or King) card would seem to warrant a pass more than a continuation to game.

But first there was the opening lead and West’s choice of his singleton club meant the game could no longer be defeated!

South won in dummy and played on trumps and the defense had no answer as they were due to take no more than one club, one spade and one heart (assuming East shifted to that suit rather than diamonds after winning his spade ace).

Sure, Italian legend Benito Garozzo famously advises “always lead your singleton against an opponent’s suit game” but with a singleton trump as well, the club lead needs a lot of unlikely happenings to be best.

But leading top of the diamond sequence might well have succeeded. Likely declarer will play low from dummy and East will win and only needs to find a heart shift ( the likeiest source of a fourth defensive trick) to teach South a sharp lesson about overbidding.