BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

YOU, South, are playing in 6♥, and the defence leads a spade to the ace and another spade. How would you play from there? THIS is very difficult for players at the table, who can’t see the opponents’ hands. It seems natural to try to draw trumps and, when they fail to break, resign oneself to defeat. The declarer, who always tries to cater for bad breaks, would get a big bonus on this hand. The plan assumes that East has ♥Jxxx, which you can only pick up without loss if you shorten your own trumps. You must win the second spade with the king, then ♦A and a diamond ruff, followed by ace and king of trumps, confirming the bad break. Ruff another diamond and you are now ready to put the squeeze on East. Play off all the clubs, discarding your spade on the last one – and you are left with ♥Q10 lying over East’s ♥J8.