What is learned at trick one?

Sam Levenson, a humorist and author, said, “My mother used to get up every morning at five a.m., no matter what time it was.”

No matter what time of day you are playing bridge, keep your eyes wide open and analyze what has happened.

In today’s deal, look at the West hand. South opens one spade, West makes a textbook takeout double, North jumps to four spades, and everyone passes. What should West lead?

Note North’s response, which is weak (below game-invitational strength) and promising at least five-card support. (If North has 5-3-3-2 distribution, perhaps he should pull in one notch and raise only to three spades.)

There are three candidates for West’s opening lead: the spade ace, diamond seven and club two. If West just has to wait to score tricks with his four honors, he should cash the spade ace, then exit with a diamond. Here, though, he must lead a low club to have a chance to defeat the contract. What happens after that?

At the first trick, East must table his club jack, the bottom of touching honors when playing third hand high. South wins with his ace and leads a trump to West’s ace. What now?

Trick one marked East with the club queen. So West should continue with a low club. Then East, after winning with his queen, shifts to the heart nine, giving the defense four tricks.

Note that if West does not underlead at trick three, declarer gets 10 tricks via four spades, four diamonds, one club and one club ruff in the dummy.