Count your tricks in two ways

Victor Borge said, "I only know two pieces; one is 'Clair de Lune,' and the other one isn't."

When you are in three no-trump, you count top tricks. If you do not find nine, you decide how you can establish the extra winners that you need. But on some deals, there will be more than one possible approach. Consider both first, before plunging forward.

In today's deal, how should South play in three no-trump after West leads the diamond 10, which East takes with his ace to return the diamond queen?

North's two-heart strong jump shift showed either six or more excellent hearts or a good heart-club two-suiter. Even though on round two South learned that he and his partner had a club fit, he had a minimum opening bid with a diamond stopper, so suggested three no-trump.

This deal was played in a duplicate, and a surprising number of declarers went down. They could see two choices: hearts being 3-3 or the club finesse working. In addition, they knew that a finesse, at 50 percent, was a better bet than a 3-3 break, which was only 35.53 percent. So, at trick three, they ran the club queen and went down two, losing one club and five diamonds.

The better declarers realized that they could succeed if either the club finesse worked or the hearts were 3-3. They immediately tried the hearts, and when they were favorable, took one diamond, five hearts and three spades. But the club finesse was still on the back burner if needed.