NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

Contract: 3NT by South. East overcalled 1♠. Opening Lead: ♠7. What is your plan?

Recommended Line: West probably holds two spades, since East showed five during the bidding. Players generally lead the top card if holding a doubleton in their partner’s suit.

So, if you play low on table, East will put in the ♠9, and you win in hand. Now, East is poised over dummy’s remaining spades. If West wins a trick, a second spade lead from your left will unleash a damaging avalanche in the suit.

Luckily, there always seems to be a clever play at the table which you can use to save the day. You just have to find it.

Here, play the ♠K at trick one. If East wins, and leads a second spade, you will run it around to the ♠T. If East ducks when you play the ♠K, you still make two spade tricks.

Don’t rely only on profoundsounding advice, such as “second hand low”. Rather, apply your mind. Else East might apply his mind even more effectively. It’s a game for thinkers, not parrots