BRIDGE

When you really, really want a defender to take a trick sooner rather than later, be sure to offer him something of value for his winning card.

After North’s support double (showing three-card heart support) of the overcall, both South players in a match took the direct route to four hearts. A reasonable undertaking threatened by the 4-1 trump split and, outside of spades, no obvious source of plain-suit winners.

Both declarers won a cheap spade trick in hand to go right after hearts – maybe not the best start but a practical attempt to protect the spade tricks.

One declarer led a heart to the ten but that didn’t look appetizing enough to East so he played low like he’d never been dealt an ace of trumps! And played low again on the continuation of the heart King but won the third round to advance the Queen of diamonds to leave the contract in ruins.

At the other table, the trump start by declarer had a slightly different flavour to it as that South broached hearts by leading low to dummy’s King.

“Aces are meant to capture Kings” thought East as he won his ace, played a club to his partner’s ace and received a spade ruff on the way back as South artfully unblocked the King.

That left the way clear for South to assemble his ten tricks regardless of East’s return after the temporary glory of getting his spade ruff.

For declarer: three spade winners, four hearts in hand, ace and a diamond ruff in dummy and the club King so generously set up by the defense.