BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You are South, playing in 3 ♦ , after West had made a jump overcall in hearts. How do you play after West leads ♥ 7?

You have five apparent losers, although one of these can be removed either with a successful club finesse or by discarding a spade loser from dummy on a master club. Clearly, you must win the opening lead or you might get a fatal spade switch. Then you must decide which line you are going to adopt — the 50 per cent finesse or the spade discard, which depends on clubs breaking no worse than 5-3. West’s bidding and lead, together with the 17 per cent chance of a 6-2 club break, slightly favour the discard option; if you take this, you must be careful to play ♣ J (not the ace) before drawing trumps, otherwise good opponents will knock out dummy’s ♠ A before you’ve established the club. (If West has ♣ K doubleton, you’re doomed with either option).