bridge

There is no denying that a certain amount of guesswork is inevitable in bridge. However, it is also true that some guesses are self-inflicted and can be avoided with correct play. In these cases, a player has only himself to blame if he subjects himself to a guess and then goes wrong. Consider this deal where West led the ten of clubs against three notrump. The jack was covered by the king and ace, and declarer, after cashing four diamonds, then had to decide whether to tackle hearts or spades. When he led a low spade from dummy, East alertly rose with the ace and returned a club. Declarer allowed West’s eight to hold the trick, but another club drove out the queen. South now had only eight tricks, and when he tried for a ninth by leading a heart, West took the ace and cashed two clubs for down one. Had declarer guessed to attack hearts first, he would have made his contract, since this would have removed West’s entry before the clubs became established. However, the outcome was due not so much to an unlucky guess as it was to declarer’s play. Had he ducked East’s king of clubs at trick one, he would have avoided subsequent guesswork entirely. The practical danger as play begins is that West has five clubs and a side ace. By ducking the opening trick, declarer can disrupt the opposing communications. Assuming East returns a club at trick two, South wins and can attack either spades or hearts and make his contract. If spades are chosen, East can win but has no club to return, giving declarer time to develop a heart trick. Alternatively, if South tries hearts first, West can win, but he loses the entry to his clubs in the process, after which spades can be safely broached. No guesswork is really necessary at all.