BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You are West, declarer in 3NT, and North leads

♥ 6. How would you plan the play?

This is the sort of tempting deal where you can see that the lead has given you all thirteen tricks — if diamonds break, and if North has the ♣ K.

But, hopefully by now, you are able to resist such temptation, and remember that your target is nine tricks, not thirteen. You will immediately spot the big danger to your contract in the spade suit, and therefore realise that you have got to plan to try to make nine tricks without letting south on lead to play a spade through.

You can take advantage of the free heart finesse, which the lead has given you, and win in hand; then cross to dummy with the ♥ A, and play a low diamond, covering whatever south plays. Let’s assume that North shows void in diamonds; you now return to dummy via the ♦ A, and finesse back through south again. You won’t mind initially if North wins a diamond trick, as your ♠ K will be protected. Now be honest; did you consider leading the ♣ J to finesse the king at trick two?