Bridge

Game all; dealer West

The room contract was Three No-Trump, reached by those favouring a weak 1NT as follows: North – One Diamond; South – 1NT; North 3NT. The lead at all tables was a low spade – the three from those playing fourth highest, and the two from those playing lowest from an odd number. At most tables, the ten was called from dummy. East won with the king and returned the jack to dummy’s now bare ace, which line of play suggested that spades were breaking 5-3.

Six top tricks were available, and one player decided to play for clubs to provide the requisite extra three. So – ace of clubs and a club to the jack saw the game rapidly drift one down. At another table sat a more experienced declarer, who had been in similar situations before, and recognised the hand type. In this situation it is normal to cash the ace and king of one of the relevant suits, and if the queen does not fall, play on the other minor for the hoped-for five tricks. This declarer compared the two suits, clubs and diamonds, and appreciated that if the ace and king of diamonds were cashed and the queen dropped singleton or doubleton, that would only provide one extra trick – not three.

But the club suit, courtesy of the presence of the ten was a different story. So he cashed the ace of clubs; played a club to the king and was duly rewarded for his good technique. Had the queen not dropped, he would have needed to resort to the diamond finesse and the hope that diamonds broke 3-3.