BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You are South, declarer in 4 ♥ , West having intervened with 2 ♣ over your 1 ♥ . West leads

♣ Q. How would you plan the play? JUST as yesterday, count your losers and don’t forget the bidding! West intervened with 2 ♣, which, as he is known to be missing his ♣ A-K, must mean club length, while east has a club shortage. West must also have the ♥ A.

This time, your losers are a spade, a club and the ♥ A. You can’t keep West from winning a trick when you set out to clear trumps, so east will be given his club ruff anyway. But as long as you’re careful to protect your ♣ K by putting up the ♣ A in dummy at Trick one, all will be well.

Go straight for trumps. When West gains the lead and sends his partner a second club to ruff, you will be able to play small from dummy and, on east’s trump, small from your own hand.

east will be ruffing a club trick you were going to lose anyway and your ♣ K will be intact to win a trick when the last trump has been drawn.