BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

Continued from yesterday, West is on play, and needs to make all but one of the remaining tricks in 5 ♦ . note that we have got this far without bothering about the opponents’ initial distribution, but we did need to make an assumption from the play as to where the key cards were located. For example, if South held ♠ K, you would have had no play for the contract anyway. When you play the last trump, north cannot find a safe discard. dummy’s ♠ Q threatens his king, a heart discard would enable you to finesse against South’s queen, and a club discard will enable you to lead the suit and promote dummy’s ♣ 8. Let’s assume north had a safe club discard; that wouldn’t help because South would be forced to bare his ♣ A, or unguard hearts.