BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

West ♠ A Q 10 9 7 6 2 ♥ - ♦ 74 ♣ K954

East ♠ KJ853 ♥ Q ♦ A Q J 10 ♣ 762

PlAying Pairs, you are West, declarer in 4 ♠ . How do you play after north leads ♥ A? Too easy? Then why did more than half of the declarers go down in such a straightforward contract? It is simply because too many declarers do not follow the planning process

before they start to play the hand. It is too late to recover once you have ruffed the opening lead. You now have to take a losing diamond finesse, and then South promptly plays J to pin your vulnerable king. one down.

It’s very easy to spot this danger and, having done so, work out a solution. Instead of ruffing the lead, discard a losing diamond. Then, when North switches to a diamond, go up immediately with the ace, draw trumps, and take a ruffing finesse against South for K, discarding a club if he doesn’t cover. You are content for North to win, because your K is now protected.