BRIDGE

When it seems that “Old Golden Arm” has for once actually found your limited assets with his opening lead, be careful: the lead might not be as good as you might hope!

South’s rebid was defined as “Strong Gambling”: a source of tricks with some side assets and the hope that whatever bits and pieces dummy might provide would be enough to yield nine tricks.

Dummy arrived with one sure trick to leave declarer one winner short.

That heart lead found East with a great holding in the suit as dummy played low and the ten won trick one. To continue with the Queen, also ducked, and a third round to dislodge the ace while West unblocked the King.

And then a parade of club tricks, from West’s perspective a seemingly unending and very painful parade of clubs!

Before discarding on the last club winner, West had been reduced to his two spade honours, the small heart and the guarded King of diamonds but had to find one more discard – and couldn’t locate one that didn’t surrender a ninth trick.

The spade Queen? South could concede a trick to the ace to set up his ninth.

The small heart? Declarer could pick one of the remaining two suits to use to endplay West into coughing up the ninth trick in the other.

His small diamond? Having counted very well, South would cash the diamond ace to drop the bare King.

Now if only East hadn’t been so blindly enthused with the opening lead: a trick-two switch to a spade followed by a reversion to hearts and down one would be unavoidable!