If you’ve described, then trust partner

Noel Coward said, “Never trust a man with short legs. His brain’s too near his bottom.” At the bridge table, you cannot tell how tall an opponent is until she or he stands up. But regardless of height, you need to trust your partner. In today’s deal, look at the South hand. In third chair, he opens one heart; West overcalls one spade; North passes; East cue-bids two hearts to show a maximum pass with spade support; South rebids three clubs, in principle at least 5-5 in the rounded suits; West jumps to four spades; and there are two passes. What should South do now? If South passes out four spades, that contract will probably make with an overtrick. West will take the first trick with his heart ace over South’s queen and cash the spade king. West will then pick up the trump suit safely and play a heart toward his jack, establishing that card for a diamond discard from dummy. West will lose one heart and one club. If South trusts his partner, he will pass out four spades. But one player at Bridge Base Online could not resist continuing with five clubs. West, a robot (computer-controlled hand), doubled, then found the interesting lead of the diamond three. East won with the king and shifted to spades. South discarded his diamond queen, ruffed the next spade and led the heart king. West took that trick and played another spade. South ruffed, cashed the heart queen and ruffed a heart. East overruffed and led a fourth spade. South had to lose two more trump tricks to end down four, minus 800.