BRIDGE

Take good care of your key assets

Edward Everett Hale, an author and historian, said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” That sums up winning bridge partnerships, especially on defence. The most successful pairs are like ice dancers, moving smoothly in sync together. A bad defender worries only about his or her own hand and never considers partner. This deal occurred at Bridge Base Online. At 14 of the 15 tables, the auction understandably ended in a partscore. In this auction, my wife had been getting a run of poor cards, so she decided to open one spade! After East overcalled two hearts, I cue-bid three hearts to show exactly three-card support and at least gameinvitational strength. When my wife signed off in three spades, I nearly passed, but then three no-trump caught my eye. My wife, with the heart-king bolster, passed. If West had just led the heart 10, the contract would have failed. East would have won with his ace and returned a low heart. I could have won with my nine, but East had two spade entries to set up and run his hearts.Instead,Westtriedthe club six. I won with my jack and played the spade nine. East took that trick and did well, leading the heart ace. But now West wasted his second key card -- he played the 10. I won the next heart with my nine, squashing West’s eight, drove out the spade ace, won the third heart with my six and claimed an overtrick!

It was tough for West not to play the heart 10, but he just should have led that card at trick one.