BRIDGE

Not so many years ago, one of the major North American car manufacturers advertised that they knew what “Job One” in their industry should be.

For the play of today's spade game, South picked the wrong move for his “Job One” and went down in a contract he might well have made.

Of note: North's negative double over the preemptive jump overcall showed either four spades with any reasonable strength or five-plus spades with no more than ten high-card points. (Standard bidders might well respond two spades with the North hand).

That preamble led to South declaring four spades against which West led his singleton.

South recognized that lead as likely to be a singleton so he won dummy's ace to retain a tenace over East's presumed Queen.

A good start for declarer but all for naught when he followed up with the kneejerk reaction many players have when threatened with a defensive ruff: he went right after trumps by playing dummy's spade King.

For East to win and deliver the diamond ruff and West to exit with a heart and sit back to wait for two more tricks in the form of the club ace and a heart.

Since one diamond ruff really couldn't be avoided, South should have opted for a different “Job One” at trick two: play on clubs to force out the ace and set up a discard for a heart loser from dummy.

The defenders would still take two black aces and one diamond ruff but the crucial fourth trick would have been unavailable to EastWest.