CONSIDER IMPLICATIONS AND YOUR OPTIONS

The Senior Life Master was sitting in the club's bar. A young woman who had recently joined his classes sat down and gave him a glass of sauvignon blanc.

"Thank you," said the SLM. "I do like to drink white wine in warm weather. How did you do in the duplicate?"

"Average. Our defense was poor. We always seemed to concede one more trick than everyone else."

"Ah, yes, that is fatal at pairs."

On the back of a coaster, the SLM wrote out the East and North hands in today's diagram.

Have a look at this (resumed the SLM). Against four spades, West led the heart eight. How should East have defended? After giving the young woman a minute or so to decide, the SLM continued.

East won the trick with his ace and fired back a heart. After winning in the dummy, declarer ran the spade jack. Now the contract was safe. Declarer won West's diamond return in the dummy, drew trumps and unsuccessfully tried the club finesse for an overtrick.

"Analyze the bidding," commented West. "If I have a singleton heart, declarer has four and would have rebid two hearts, not two no-trump. So, encourage with the heart 10 at trick one. Then, when I'm in with the spade king, I can lead my second heart to your ace, get a heart ruff and

bridge

await the club king as the setting trick."

Always (concluded the SLM) consider the implications of the bidding and the opening lead, and weigh all of your options.

Copyright United Feature Syndicate (Asia Features)