BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOU are West in 6♣, and North leads ♠Q. How would you play this one? COUNTING your tricks, there are 11 for sure. And the twelfth will come from a simple heart finesse — you might even make an overtrick if North started with ♥Kx.

On the other hand, you go down immediately if South has ♥K, and promptly cashes a spade. It is bad bridge to take a 50 per cent option when, as here, there is a 100 per cent option available. But inexperienced players will overlook the obvious, when they start to play the hand too quickly.

The guaranteed solution is to take a ruffing finesse in hearts against South. Draw trumps, then cash ♥A, and discard your losing spade on ♥Q (unless South covers). You will subsequently discard your losing diamond on ♥J.