When the going gets tough, be tough

Richard M DeVos, a successful businessman, said, “Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.” Wouldn’t it be nice if you could smile at your bridge partner during a deal to tell him that things are going well and not to give up? In today’s deal, how should the play proceed in four spades after West leads his fourth-highest club? In the auction, over one spade, West might have made a light takeout double, but understandably allowed the adverse vulnerability to dissuade him. South’s twoclub rebid was New Minor Forcing, promising at least game-invitational values. Then, after North admitted to three-card spade support, despite having the worst possible tripleton, South took a shot at game. When West led a club, declarer won with dummy’s ace and played a trump. West took that trick and carefully continued with the club eight, trying to send his partner a suit-preference signal. East took the trick with his king and had to act tough. He could see that if South needed a diamond finesse, it was working. But he also knew that he could overruff the dummy in clubs if he could get his partner back on lead. An untough(!) defender would have cashed the heart ace to see partner’s signal — and the contract would have made. A tough defender shifts to a high heart spot, feigning weakness in the suit. West wins that trick and leads a third club for the contract-killing overruff.