NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

♥Q, in which case the ♥T is an entry to dummy. However, you don’t have to play a hundred hands to wake up to this reality: bridge hands frequently contain inconvenient breaks. Here, finding a defender holding three hearts to the queen, should not come as a shock. If you play the two top hearts, hoping to see the ♥Q drop singleton or doubleton, you are in for a disappointment. You will soon be writing something under “They” on your scoresheet. If you want to succeed despite the awkwardness of a defender holding ♥Qxx, you need to be creative. Win the first trick, cash the ♦A, and play the ♥9. They will win this trick (unless trumps break 4-0), and cash two spades. After that, as soon as you regain the lead, you lead a heart to dummy, cash the ♦K, discarding a club, trump a diamond high, and draw the outstanding trump. Ten tricks. It’s not only at business school that they teach you: Sometimes you have to give a little to make a lot.