NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

Contract: 3NT by South.

Opening Lead: ♥ 6. East plays the ♥ 9. What are your plans?

Recommended Line: After the ♥ T wins, you have six top tricks: two hearts and four clubs. Spades and diamonds offer further possibilities, plus you will win a third heart trick if West leads the suit. This means we must keep East off lead, to avoid a heart lead from the right. Yes, there is no sure way to deny East the lead, but we can make him pay a very high price if he wants the lead to push a heart through you, up to West’s ♥ K. Here is your plan: at trick two, lead a club to dummy, then a spade. If East leaps in with the ♠ A, you will win three spade tricks, ensuring you make the contract. If West holds the ♠ A, you will make just two spade tricks, but your hearts are protected. As it is, if East plays low when you lead a spade, your ♠ K wins. Now lead a club across, and lead a diamond. If East holds the ♦ A, he again pays a heavy price if he chooses to win in order to lead a heart, as you make two diamond tricks, and the contract. East will feel twice-impaled on the horns of a dilemma. *