BRIDGE

So how do you set about securing a defensive ruff or two against an opponent’s suit contract?

Most would think that the answer is obvious: lead your short suit and hope to get a chance to ruff before your trump inventory is depleted.

Really forward thinkers might adopt the alternate plan of leading what they hope will be their partner’s short suit for the same desired outcome.

The play of today’s deal showcased a totally counterintuitive route to scoring defensive ruffs: lead trumps!

After North’s intervening cuebid asking for a major-suit preference, South picked hearts to leave West with no truly appealing opening-lead choices.

Sensing his partner might have spade length and strength (he really did!) that might need protection, West started with a small trump that went to East’s Queen and declarer’s King,

South continued with a diamond to the King, a second round to the ace and a third-round ruff in the dummy that East was pleased to overruff for the first defensive trump trick.

East counter attacked by cashing his top spades and playing a third round that South trumped with the heart Jack. But when he tried to slip a good diamond past the defender, West ruffed with his penultimate small trump to force dummy to overruff.

Last chance: declarer called for the spade ten that East covered as South tried to ruff with the five but size mattered as West’s last trump was one pip bigger so he could overruff for the setting trick, ironically the defense’s second trump trick.

And, yes, declarer now realizes he could have done better by playing a second round of hearts to the ace before setting up diamonds.

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