BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

West plays in 3Nt, North leads the ♦ 2. How should West plan the play?

To preserve an entry to dummy, West should win the first trick in hand and immediately cash the ♣ A. Next comes the ♣ J, and the defence is sure to hold up the ♣ K to block the suit if possible.

If North can follow to the second club, though, West is safe to overtake with dummy’s ♣ Q. Even if South can win with the ♣ K, that will be eight clubs gone, and West still has two entries in dummy with which to drive out the last club, and subsequently enjoy the established tricks in the suit.

The one thing West must not do is win the opening lead in dummy in order to finesse the ♣ J. This will prove fatal if either defender has ♣ Kxx, and holds up. It is also vital that, when North does not put ♣ K on the ♣ J, declarer should overtake, or again he can be in trouble if South started out with a singleton club.