Spot the spots that win tricks

Today’s deal requires clear thinking by the declarer and includes a deceptive suit combination. How should South plan the play in three no-trump after West leads a spade in answer to his partner’s overcall?

When you are 4-4 in the minors and out of range for a one-no-trump opening, start with one diamond with 12-14 points and one club with 18-19 points. South has six top tricks: two spades, one diamond and three clubs. With only two spade stoppers, he doesn’t have time to establish a heart winner.

So, he needs seven minor-suit tricks. The first question is: How many club tricks does he have? That will influence how he plays the diamonds.

After winning the first trick with dummy’s spade ace, declarer should cash his three top clubs ending in hand. Did the suit break 3-3?

If not, he must take four diamond tricks, which requires finding West with exactly king-doubleton.

Here, though, the clubs are 3-3. Now three diamond tricks are sufficient. All plays work if the suit is 3-2. But what if it is 4-1? If East has four, South has no chance. But what if West has all four? Then South should play for East to have a singleton eight, nine or 10, which is three times more likely than a singleton king. He should lead the diamond queen from his hand.

After West covers with the king and East plays the 10 under dummy’s ace, declarer continues with a low diamond to his six.

When back in hand with the spade king, South finesses in diamonds, having dummy’s jack-seven over West’s nine-five.