Even Homer fails once in a while

What is one of the most inexcusable errors often made at the bridge table?

Look at today’s North-south hands. How should South play in five clubs after West leads the spade king? (Lead king from ace-king when the contract is higher than four no-trump and in a suit that you and your partner bid and raised.)

This deal occurred during a seventable pair event in Europe some years ago. One lucky East-west pair made four spades doubled. Two North-south pairs went down in six clubs. The others were in five clubs.

If West had led the diamond nine, he would have defeated the contract immediately. If he had chosen a heart or a club, declarer would have failed more slowly. But everyone led a top spade.

Now each declarer had to be careful. If he made the reasonable assumption that he would lose two diamonds, his 11 tricks had to be five trumps, two top hearts, two established diamonds and two spade ruffs in dummy. However, entries were in short supply.

The correct play, found by four declarers, was to ruff the spade lead high in the dummy, cross to hand with a trump, ruff another spade high, cash the top hearts, discarding the last spade, and draw trumps. Finally, lead a diamond to the 10. South lost two diamond tricks, but that was all.

Everyone is told not to play immediately after the dummy is tabled. But even experts err every so often. On this deal, one anonymous expert declarer ended with egg on his face. As soon as the dummy appeared, he ruffed the spade lead low. He couldn’t recover.